Back to Guns...

In an earlier post, I made a list of most popular "American" guns. I use quotes because the last on the list, Glock, is a product of Austria. That list contained pistols and long guns, but today we will focus on pistols and their use. As I have stated earlier, a pistol, worn on the body at all times, allows one to react to a threat instantaneously. Just like a wristwatch or pocketknife it is there whether one "needs it or not." For more than a century Colt has produced the perfect .45 automatic, known as the Government Model (and the perfect revolver since 1873). Colt's Gov't Model a.k.a "1911" is the most copied semi-automatic pistol in history. To wit, Smith & Wesson, Remington, Ruger, Sig Sauer, and Auto Ordnance have joined the party recently whilst Springfield Armory, Kimber, Les Baer, Dan Wesson, and dozens of smaller companies' business model is churning out 1911 clones ranging from $700 to $7,500 each. There are dozens more that I don't have space to list; point being that 101 years after John Browning's design for Colt was adopted as our military sidearm, demand has never been greater. Quality makes it a Colt.    

I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a defensive pistol course yesterday, running 300+ rounds through a pre-war Colt Gov't Model. This eight hour course by Solutions Group Int'l was held at Prado Shooting Park, home of the 1984 Olympics, a fine facility. The course instructors gave me a little ribbing for bringing a 90 year old gun (and Glock for backup) with a 35 year old Bianchi rig. They all had Glocks in some sort of Kydex plastic holsters. By the end of the day I was ribbing them for doubting such fine "old school" equipment. There were a few shooters that did have some problems with their gat. 

Smith & Wesson and Springfield Armory products showed true failures. The shooter to my right with a Springfield 1911 had his rear sight wobble out multiple times. The folks at SA could invest in a few cents worth of Loc-tite. Also his factory supplied magazines had feeding issues. Cheap magazines cause 85% of 1911 problems. A young fellow using the rental S&W Sigma had his front sight fly off. That pistol should be melted down and made into something more useful like a garden trowel. Anyway, I graciously allowed him to borrow my Glock for the remainder of the course. One competitive shooter using his S&W M&P 9 had undetermined issues. He also had a "spare Glock." 

The only products that performed in the heat and dirt without fail were Colt, Glock, and Beretta. I neither affirm nor deny Beretta's merits for personal reasons. It is a pity more shooters don't try Colt before wasting money on cheaper alternatives. While the fantastic plastic Glocks are reliable, they lack the deep bluing, graceful lines, and remarkable quality of Colt's.  Remember, the bitterness of poor quality lingers after the sweetness of low price has gone away.

As 1911 clones abound, there is nonsense swirling amongst gun store counters that a good pistol requires a "break in" before it will function reliably. That companies would sell a product not ready to use is not as amazing to me as customers' willingness to take it as acceptable practice. Would you own a fire extinguisher that required break in? Colt made their 1911A1 to military spec, meaning when you pick it up and shake it, there's a tell-tale rattle. The slide is much easier to manipulate and the guns will shoot dirty (fouled by carbon or sand). Try pulling the slide on any Kimber or other high end clone and you'll understand my meaning. Yes, the clones are very accurate. No they will not shoot reliably in adverse conditions. So sad that "new & improved" has given "old reliable" a bad rap. I hope anyone looking to purchase a .45 ACP finds this informative and helpful. 

Shalom & Happy Everyday! 

Desert freedoms

There is a sublime feeling one gets when driving through the high desert of Southern California. An area encompassing parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties holds a wondrous views. The ghostly Joshua tree yucca, scrubby chaparral creosote, and stark mountains fill your windshield with quite a soothing sight.

Finding a spot to exercise the 2nd Amendment safely with some friend was the reason for today's excursion. Nothing in the world is quite so therapeutic as a day spent at the shooting range. Our range is what may be considered impromptu or 'as you find it,' though I'm told by friends that this spot is used regularly by many desert folk. We drive far enough off of paved roads so as to be way the heck 'out of dodge' and use a mountain for our safe bullet trap. This is akin to finding a gravel pit in Alabama, box canyon in Arkansas, stern deck on open water or sandy berm in other parts of the West. 

I shot a full menu of the marksman's sports: pistol, rifle, shotgun, and bow. Having been raised on the gun, my archery skills leave a bit of room for improvement. Recently (7 years ago) being introduced to shotgun games, I also need some more practice with my scattergun: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge. The boomstick was just purchased about 3 years back to give me a reason to join Redlands Shooting Park. My specialty (if you can call it that) is that of rifleman and pistolero. 

Any boy raised in West Alabama on venison has to be a good shot with the rifle. Otherwise he quickly finds himself in the minority when classmates discuss deer, squirrel and other fine game worth skinning to eat. I haven't yet had the pleasure of roasted squirrel or brunswick stew, but would savor the opportunity to try a bite. But I digress. Rifles today ranged from .22s for plinking, to custom ARs for reaching out a bit and punching tight groups on paper. Mastering the rifle is what keeps citizens free and confident, a supreme deterrent to any two or four legged critter that would cause harm.

Whilst the rifle is borne, pistols are worn. Generally, the ignorant Hollywood writers portray a hero charging into unknown danger armed with merely a pistol. I say merely because a Rifle or shotgun would be the choice of any prudent man. Note that our soldiers and SWAT officers alike keep their pistols holstered until their Rifle has malfunctioned or run dry. Only then do they fall back to their last resort: the pistol. Getting accurate shots beyond 7 yards or 20 feet with a pistol requires extensive practice and training. On the other hand, I can teach nearly anyone with a Rifle to make hits out past 25  yards (50-100 yds w/ practice).

Much has been written extolling the virtues of Glock products. Everything you read is mostly true. Their 9mm G17 and G19 are the world standard amongst military and police. What is often neglected in this ocean of positive data, is that a full-size Colt Gov't Model feels much better to shoot. The .45ACP cartridge throws a 230 grain bullet at 850 feet per second. Our wonder-nine is slinging a 115 grain bullet approximately 1200 FPS.  The velocity difference combined with a much lighter frame makes our 9mm Glock generate way more 'felt recoil' than the venerable Colt .45 Auto.  I think John Browning got it right 102 years ago making Colt's entry for the Army pistol trials.

My host for the day was very generous with his guns and I look forward to taking my wife to this beautiful spot. The drive up is well worth it.