Firearms General (235)
Rob Pincus at FAS, J-frames, and tiger-striped HiPowers
Written by reg mathuszWell, Rob Pincus was at FAS this weekend. We didn't find out until late and his classes were all booked. Bummed, he is a good instructor and we enjoy his shows. He is a non-snobby firearms guy.
Here is an article that he wrote: "Choosing a defensive handgun" that has been getting some chatter on firearms forums. In particular, smith-wessonforum.com because of his recommendation of a J-frame 38 (or two) as a practical self-defense tool. It is an opinion that I happen to share.
I have to wonder though, with his statement: "As long as you can shoot it well...let your friends snicker at your tiger-striped stainless/blued Browning High Power if they want"
Has he been to our blog?
After all, I am big fan of the tiger-stripe HiPower!
Tiger HiPowers in captivity:
OK, 'fess up who has been snickering?
:)
LINK [Combat Handguns Reviews new Colt Delta Elite 10mm] - August 2011 article titled "Return of a powerhouse 1911 that combines classic appeal with cutting-edge performance!"
Nice pics too:
I have an AR15 in 6.8SPC that I put together a while back. I can't remember if it is on the blog or my Flickr site. It is a Mega upper/lower with a KoTonics 1:11 SPC II barrel. But it is a flat top with flip up sights.
I have been thinking that since it was built as a deer hunting rig that a primary optic would be nice. Since red dot/holo's increase with magnification (which I want) I should get an actual scope.
I am not a big fan of variables, but in the case of an AR it would be nice to have something with near zero magnification in case you wanted to use it for defense, but also be able to crank up the magnification for hunting. Something like 1.5 - 4x.
The Leupold Mark AR seems to fit that bill. I have long been a fan and regret selling my MK4. (I needed the cash). This particular scope has the multicoat4 lens and Leupold ruggedness/waterproofing.
Here is the link to the Leupold site: Leupold MK AR
What do you think?
I hesitate to recommend loads because if a person's favorite load isn't listed people tend to get fanatical. But, I get asked frequently, so I am making a brief list of what I have used. I don't purport to list the "best" (whatever that means) or the one with the most "stopping power" (whatever that means) but these work and shoot straight -- at least out my pistols.
No gel tests, no power formulas, no statistics, no cadavers, no actual shootings. For that, I leave you to Google and the reams of internet info you will find.
However, if you are interested in what school of thought I follow, interested in ballistics, or just have a lot of time -- I recommend searching on the following: Dr. Martin Fackler, Doc Roberts aka DocGKR, FirearmsTactical.com and FBI HWFE (handgun wounding factors effectiveness). That should keep you busy for a while :)
A lot of my choice simply has to do with price and availability. I am not going to pay $50 for a box of 20 rounds that I can only find once a year.
22LR - CCI Stinger (faster the better in my semiautos)
22WMR - amazingly have never owned one!
25ACP - Hornady XTP (feed well and available). Not much you can do with 25ACP.
32ACP - Winchester Silvertip (feed well and available)
380ACP - Hornady Critical Defense - I am not sure any one load is better than another but I want more consistent than FMJ and Hornady is always accurate and rated properly.
9mm - Winchester RangerT 147gr. My second choice would be Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P (less recoil than Win 127gr +P+ and more available)
357Sig - I don't own one, but any 125gr loading or even the Hornady 147gr
38SPL - Mine are snub-nose so Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P
357mag - Federal Hydrashok 158gr, have had that forever. Previously, for camping I liked the Speer 170gr Gold Dot soft point. These shoot straight for me.
40S&W - Speer Gold Dot 180gr, but recently got some Federal 180gr HST to try, the Golden Saber 180gr are nice but hard to find in bonded. Hornady 180gr TAP is accurate in my HiPower.
10mm - Hornady XTP 180gr (except for camping, which I just got some SwampFox 200gr). Super accurate and a lot more manageable and consistent (IMO) than Winchester SilverTip.
41AE - Used to have Uzi/Samson Ammo. Bonus points if you know what that is :)
41mag - don't own one, but it is an awesome round
44SPL - don't have a load...
44Mag - not sure why (I don't remember picking it) but I have some Federal HydraShok. Used to have some Garrett 300gr for elk.
45GAP - don't own one but it would be Speer Gold Dot (didn't they design the round?) Look at the ballistics for this round out of a 3" pretty impressive.
45ACP - Hornady XTP 230gr +P -- shoots almost as straight as a 10mm! LOL
There you go, take it for what it is worth. But, I would pick a load you can consistently get in your area and shoots accurately in YOUR hand and gun(s). There are also a lot of good loads, best is really going to depend on a lot of factors you can't predict, so don't sweat it. I wouldn't pay double for a box of Win RangerT 127gr +P+ if Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P is available. Although I do prefer 147gr...I think I still have a box of Corbon 147gr +P around here. Federal HST 147gr +P would be comparable (P9HST4 I think).
Don't get mad if I didn't mention your favorite load. It probably just means I haven't a chance to shoot it--for example until recently HST was hard to get, and Golden Sabre Bonded still is. I would like to try some of the CorBon with Barnes non-lead bullets (XPB?) but they are little rich for me.
RA9TA - Winchester Ranger T 127gr +P+ official specs
Written by reg mathuszI am tired of this round being misrepresented on forums. It is rated @ 1240fps from a 4" barrel (bbl is not on the website but it is on the spec sheet).
Regarding pressure, I asked Winchester Law Enforcement:
I noticed that RA9TA lists an operating pressure of approximately 40,000
CUP. Since in that range it is not immediately convertible, do you have
an approximate PSI rating?"
Winchester (name removed) replied:
"I have attached an updated spec sheet on this product. It shows 42,000
CUP. Roughly translated into PSI it would be 40,000 P.S.I. A regular
9mm has a MAP (Maximum Average Pressure) of 35,000 psi and a +P 9mm
would be 38,500 psi.
Sincerely,
(name removed)
Winchester Ammunition
Here is the spec sheet: RA9TA
This is cool....click on primary weapon. Somebody still uses 10mm :)
Ruger to introduce 1911 on April 18? Leaked photo..
Written by reg mathuszSo, supposedly on p 119 of "Combat Arms" there is an AD of the June issue of "Shooting Times" (confused yet?) with the pistol on the cover. Oh, and supposedly Ruger has a new pistol announcement on the 18th. Coincidence?
I am a little disappointed that it isn't built on the Zytel/polymer frame like the P345. This would reduce the weight, give you replaceable backstraps, add checkering to frontstrap, etc. That surely would have made it stand out (and also piss off the 1911 purists). Oh well, the purists have yet another 1911 to chose from. At least it doesn't have front cocking serrations.
Anyway, here is a pic of the pistol...(click to enlarge)
That leaves remarkably few that do not make a 1911. HA! When I bought my first one in 1990 people made fun of me because of the "wonder-nine" craze and said that the 1911 and 45ACP were done. Double-HA!
2/2012 - ETA: Mike Willard of SwampFox has passed away (see post here), may he RIP. Here is some alternative full power 10mm load info: HERE.
Got my SwampFox 10mm! Here are some pics of this well regarded, and verified velocity, full power ammunition. The first two loadings are clearly stamped "FULLY SUPPORTED CHAMBER ONLY" (i.e. not for stock GLOCKs and some 1911's like the Colt Delta Elite and pre-2010 Dan Wessons). The source is SwampFox Ammo (swampfoxammo.com) and they have been great to deal with.
The bottom box is a little slower and will work in all 10mm's. The bottom box is still no slouch at almost 200fps faster than the comparable Hornady XTP 200gr load. The Hornady 180 and 200 have proven to be very accurate bullets and that is why chose them in these SwampFox loadings.
I got the 200gr loads (in particular the 200gr Hornady FP-FMJ) as a woods (camping/hiking) load. it should be a heck of a "thumper." I plan to carry a 1006 (My new 1006 post) while out trekking around. In fact, one of the reasons for getting a 1006 (actually I got two) was to have a beefier pistol with a fully supported chamber.
Here are the specs:
200gr XTP and 200gr FP-FMJ @ 1325fps (supported chamber)
and
200 XTP @ 1240fps
And some pics (click on them to enlarge):
Can't wait to try it, should be a handful!
So, have you heard about the P-02? It is basically a CZ75 lightweight compact/P01 with the Omega Trigger and the interchangeable safety (or) decocker system - your choice, it comes with both.
This is significant because CZ no longer offers the CZ75 Compact. According to CZ it will be available sometime later this year (no exact date yet) in 9mm.
Here is a pic:
Double action pistols on the way out....Seen many Ruger P-series?
Written by reg mathuszSo, I was looking at the P345 and noticed that there is no 40S&W (P94, P91, etc) on the website. Well, that's not completely true, if you go to "distributor exclusives" there is a P94 from Davidsons.
With S&W no longer making the 3rd Gen double-actions and with Ruger thinning them out -- the only production run pistols listed are the P95 and P345. Both are kind of known to be the underdog in terms of sales (note this has nothing to do with how good of a pistol they are). I wonder how long it will be until Ruger switches completely over to the SR line of pistols?
Double-action may be on the way out...of course, when the DA's took over in the 1980's folks said that single-actions would disappear too.
More...
Roadtrip!! 3000 miles - reciprocity and inexpensive travel pistol
Written by reg mathuszGoing to doing a road trip in about a year and I will be attempting to travel through states where I have CCW reciprocity (more on this later). But, I was thinking I might want to get an inexpensive pistol (not junker) for travel lest I get upset that it should get damaged, lost, destroyed, etc.
No, I am not talking about a Saturday Night Special, but rather something that can easily be replaced -- meaning it can be found on the shelf and buying won't break the bank. A lot of my pistols are hard to find (it took me a year to find a super-clean 1006)! Well, any excuse for a new pistol, right? :)
So, here are my thoughts....it will be carried primarily in a shoulder holster but will need to be carried in an IWB limitedly (so mid-sized). Looong trip across a lot of land so 9mm/38SPL minimum caliber.
Here are a couple of contenders (and these are kind of the underdogs in the pistol world):
1. Ruger P95 9mm (~ $300)
2. CZ P07 40S&W (~ $425)
I was thinking maybe a revolver like a 3" Ruger GP100 357, but they are noticeably more than either of the two above.
Thoughts?
UPDATE 3/20/11:
Played with a CZ P07 at my local shop. Wow, these pistols are highly underrated. Build quality was excellent. The grip was THIN and fit my hands great. I don't know what people are complaining about the Omega trigger (DA and SA) was very nice. I like checkering, if you think that the grip is sharp definitely do NOT try an HK USP, FN FNX, or a Springfield TRP!
Price point is awesome (low $400's). The decocker is convertible to cocked and locked mode (thanks to the Omega trigger) and you may know my affinity towards DA hammer pistols with this capability. Definitely leaning towards this.
Thanks to Brad B. for this price list. Looks like they went up a little but still great deals on a great optic (got a 556A65 last year myself).
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I know this strays into the realm of politics and that is not the focus of this blog (I have another one for that), but really:
Why is the AP suing to get the list of gun owners?
What legitimate purpose do they have?
What is they do...publish, right?
hmm..
Think about it.
Man, I am a sucker for 357magnums and cool action shots. This is from the Coonan Arms website - the premier semi-auto 357magnum pistol. Yes, 357magnum not 357Sig or any other scaled down round.
This pistol is awesome! I don't have one......yet.
I need to save my pennies!
Click to enlarge:
