So I own several guns and rifles of various types. Personally, I blame my cousin, Corwin, for getting me into this stuff and every time I look at the price of ammunition and cringe, I think "this is all his fault!"
But seriously, firearms are cool. Many have said that looking at the history of firearms is akin to a look at the history of our nation and and the developed world as a whole, really. I have to say that I agree with this statement. My tastes lean much more towards historical arms than contemporary but I still own more than one modern weapon. I enjoy shooting them all, most especially the black powder weapons. Holding one of those weapons in your hands and seeing that enormous puff of smoke accompanied by actuall burning embers flying out the barrel is a feeling I don't think can be matched by a modern gun.
More has been written about firearms than one person can assimilate in one lifetime, even one who dedicates themselves to the study, and more is being written all the time. I've obtained several books and read through them. I'm gonna have to read some of them a couple of times to really commit the information to memory but I learned a great deal, nonetheless. To be a collector of historical arms or historical reproductions, it is not enough to know that "this gun is cool", rather, you should become familiar with the history of the weapon, the period in which it was introduced, the motivation for it's introduction, how it was used and by whom, and even the history of the cartridge initially used, the chamberings that became the most popular, and why those cartridges were chosen. To do less than this is to not be a true collector but just simply to buy a lot of cool guns. MY intention is to be a collector. So my studies continue. (In the mean time, I've got no problems with buying a lot of cool guns.)
I'm not the best shot in the world, but I do well enough and actively work to improve my performance with all of my arms, even though some don't get as much use as I'd like. Some examples of my skills are shown below, more by way of demonstrating the performance of the various arms rather than to brag (and like everyone, now and again I end up with targets aren't generally worth bragging about...) Those targets with a grid printed on them are drawn with lines one inch apart.
What have I obtained so far? Here's the list in order of purchase:
Thus far, the Single-Six, the 1873 Colt, and the M1 are the only ones I have purchased used. There is no particular reason why most of my arms are new rather than used, although I will admit that I tend to shy from most used items in general because of the potential for the given item to have been done in through misuse. I just didn't see a used weapon that I liked at the time I purchased the others.
I started out with the .22LR because I wanted to teach myself to shoot accurately at distance. I still hold that goal but can't afford to shoot enough to make it happen and am having a hard time finding anywhere where I can shoot over 200 yards at a paper target.
Actual performance of this rifle is good but not superb. It's designed to be a plinker and thats how it performs best. I am, however, still able to get pretty good groups off the bench. Check out this target I set up at 50 yards. Like all small bore rifles, this one is sensitive to fouling. Since I forgot my snake, I saw the performance go downhil from there on. But these first 10 shots are imminently satisfactory. (And a minor note about the target images. "Benchrest" for me means I sat down, put my eblows on the table, and rested the stock on my forward hand which was resting on a sand bag. None of these targets were the result of a rifle in a fixture. This is each round being sighted in individually without the aid of anything but possibly a scope.)
This was followed by the 1860 SAA just because I love black powder weapons. And let me tell you, this thing is a hoot to fire. It takes forever to reload, but boy is it fun to shoot. Just watch out for the hair trigger.
This one isn't so great in the accuracy department, as is common to all such weapons. It's meant for close quarters combat and in a "less than 21 feet" scenario, I wouldn't worry about it. Still, 24 rounds at 30 feet, standing no less, don't look all that shabby, considering. Of course, at that point, I was done without a good scrub of the cylinder pin since everything started binding after that but it's still a fun experience.
I got the .308 because I wanted something with greater range and a better ballistic trajectory. (Lets face it, the .22, over 100 yards, really starts to feel gravity and wind, no matter how well you shoot.) This is an excellent rifle. There's no question of why a design out of the 50s is still one of the kings today. It feels good in the hands and shoots like a champ. I've never had a problem with it, not even a misfire. (Which is also a testament to improved ammunition manufacturing over the years.) If I were to join someone on a deer or elk hunt, it'd be this rifle that I'd want to take over any other that could be offered to me. Check out one of my targets, 8 shots at 50 yards and I can pretty reliably hit the 18 inch steel out at 300 yards. Once I get more experience, I'll be able to do that every time and even hit some of the 6 inch wide varmint silhouettes at the same distance. It's not hard to be a good shot with this rifle as long as your patient with each shot and can control your breathing.
The SuperBlackhawk was purchased for much the same reason. I saw this gun at a good price and just had to have it. I will admit to being considerably influenced by John Taffin's book Single Action Sixguns which I was in the midst of reading at the time.
It was Taffin's book which also turned me on to the old model Single-Six. That, and the 15% price hike in ammunition I noted at the start of 2008.
The Kimber was purchased for personal protection as well as target shooting. Why did I settle on the Gold Match II? One simple reason: budget was not a concern at the time, what was a concern was how it felt. Out of probably 8 seperate 1911 style pistols I held when I was making this purchase, this was the only one that felt like it really belonged in my hands and that included the $2500 gun I looked at just because it was there. I don't for one minute think I made the wrong choice. This gun shoots exceptionally well. In fact, of all the guns I own, I think I shoot better with this than with any other, and I like shooting this gun. As proof of this, check out these two targets. The first is 16 shots at 30 feet, the second is 24 shots at 35 feet (no, I have no idea what that one up high was all about), and the third is 16 shots at 50 feet. It's fun, but bullets are expensive these days so it doesn't get as much exercise as it should.
However, the 1911 is big and heavy so I wanted something a little less bulky and easier to conceal as a primary carry. Enter Sig Sauer. I looked long and hard at these guns. I strongly debated the 239 vs the 229 and even .357sig vs .40 S&W as a cartridge. (It was only later that I learned that all I needed to do to change from .40 to .357 was a barrel swap.) I finaly settled on the 229 because I thought it would be more usefull during some of the firarms instruction courses offered at the local gun shop here. I also decided that there was too much potential for overpenetration with the .357sig (in the highly unlikely and very much undesireable event that I would have to draw and fire this weapon) so since .40 S&W hydrashock was what was being used by police departments in several municipalities as well as the local DPS, I finaly settled on that since if it was good enough for them, then it ought to be good enough for me and have not once regretted that decision though I ultimately decided to get the short trigger installed. (The picture shows the factory trigger.) At the same time, about a year after I purchased the gun, I also decided to get the .357sig barrel. Makes a nice way to get a new gun without the expense of a new gun. The power in that round actually surprised me. I don't like the necked down case but it seems quite a decent round.
I still may get a P239 in 9mm later as an even smaller occasional carry and target pistol but the 229 is what I will probably tote until it either wears out or something better comes along.
As a post-script, I will note that one of the reasons I bought a Sig was because it had a good reputation among those I spoke to for being rugged and reliable. During the first 6 months I owned this gun, I fired about 1,200 rounds through it and suffered two failures. First, a broken extractor after ~650 rounds and next a take down lever that eventually failed to disengage the sear and allow the slide to be removed. (The lever partly broke free from the shaft, permitting the lever to rotate around it without moving the take down catch.) I am assured by those about me, including a lieutenant with the Arizona DPS whose officers carry the 226s and 229s as duty weapons, that these are not at all typical of Sig but it does give one pause. Still, Sig's customer service is quite good so that partly makes up for this. Both times, I had the weapon back in my hands inside of 10 days from the time I shipped it back to Sig. (And the call to get the RMA took no more than 5 minutes.)
There are times, though, when even the 239 would be too big so I thought hard about purchasing a pocket pistol. After finaly determining that it really was a good idea, I chose to pucrhase a 9mm because after reading several papers on the subject, I was finaly convinced that while these guns are more easily concealed because of the reduced width, there just wasn't enough power in a .380 or a .32 automatic to be of much use in a confrontation. (Of couse, getting a round of any size into the air, accurately, is what really matters so don't sell your .380 or .32 on my account.)
After examining several, it was a choice between Keltec and Kahr. Kahr looked like it was made better and would probably shoot better so I chose that. In hindsight, I am less than satisified with the polymer frame against the steel slide since IMO there should have been steel inserts in the frame to absorb the friction from the recoil. Another problem is that to disassemble this weapon, I will have a hard time figuring out how to grow a third hand so I can still hold the slide part way open, lining up the witness marks, while using my third hand to push the nub on slide lock so it can be removed. (The mechanism isn't fully run in yet. It may become easier to move that over time.) Oh, and if you're not very careful when re-inserting the slide lock, you get to send the gun back to the factory for repair.
In retrospect, I probably should have saved myself the $200 difference and gone with the Keltec. Afterall, this is not a target pistol, it's a backup weapon and meant to only ever fire 10 or 20 shots every 2-3 months just to keep yourself used to it. Any of the pocket guns will wear out quickly with heavy use. For regular target practice, the full sized pistols are the better choice. However, while I'm not entirely satisfied with this gun, it will serve the purpose for which it was purchased and thus is acceptable.
Typically, I go with an inside holster on my right hip. (Though for the 1911 and my Sig, I also purchased an outside holster and may for others as well if I can manage to get the time and money to start doing the odd competition.) For this pistol, however, because of it's roll as a backup or less obvious carry, I chose to purchase a Galco Ankle Glove with the calf strap. I've noticed though that the thumb break has a tendancy to dig in and I've had to bend it away from my leg a bit to make it comfortable to wear but otherwise, it fits well and with the calf strap, generally stays put. Of course, with an ankle holster, if you have to go for it, it's not a fast draw but at least it's there. Just expect to take between 5 and 10 seconds to get it loose, not the 2-3 you are used to from your waist.
One note about leather holsters... Remember that this sort of holster is designed to keep the gun securely in place. That means it fits tightly. When new, don't expect the gun to slide in and out with ease. The leather will stretch and soften somewhat and over time form more perfectly to the particular gun carried in it (similar to leather work gloves, a good baseball mitt, or leather boots) but it will also be affected by temperature and humidity. The day to day fit will vary slightly because of this although probably not enough to notice. If it's an ankle or shoulder holster, it's advisable that there be some sort of retention mechanism such as a snap or a strap to prevent the weapon from working loose from the holster as you move around during the day. This is especially important if you're quite active.
My most recent pistol purchase was the Smith & Wesson M&P9. This acquisition was mainly prompted by the desire to get a gun I could actually afford to shoot with regularity, also intending that this be an occassional carry. That meant I should be looking at a 9mm. Of course, the way prices are going up, 9mm shells are approaching what .45 ACP was just two years ago. While I was exploring options for this purchase, I looked at a fair number of guns including the then new Ruger P90, the Springfield XD, even Baretta, but ultimately it came down to two: Smith & Wesson and H&K. I debated long about wether to get this or the H&K P30, also a new introduction at the time. I think either gun would have suited well so it was kind of a tough decision. The H&K felt good in the hands and got good reviews from those in the business. However, it was $250 more and at the time, price played a not insignificant role. Combine this with the fact that I had a chance to fire an M&P from the rental cabinet at my local shooting range and discovered that it's very easy for me to handle and even though it's DAO, it's got a trigger that breaks cleanly at 7 pounds with very little preload travel although the reset is a bit long for my tastes. It just doesn't feel like I expect a DAO to feel. My sig breaks at 4.5 pounds in SA so this is deffinitely heavier and feels it but it's nothing like I have come to expect from DAO pistols. The full sized grip with the long magazine makes it somewhat less comfortable to pack and it also prints more readily than my Sig so this will deffinitely be more of a target pistol or possibly carried outside for competition use on down the road but I am quite satisfied with this purchase.
The S&W came with a spare magazine (each holding 17 rounds) and two different grip straps, one each direction from the factory fitted grip. These can be changed in the field by removing the grip tool at the base of the magazine well, as shown. This can be useful if your friend wants to check out your gun but doesn't like the feel. No problem, just swap in a different size back strap. My personal oppinion is that the one that came mounted on it is generaly fine although after having some aspects of my shooting corrected, of late, I am starting to favor a somewhat larger grip for two handed shooting. Another interesting feature is the reversible magazine release and the ambi slide lock, making this gun quite suitable to left-handed shooters. (A rare consideration doubtlessly appreciated by all the lefties out there.) An interesting side note is that because of the polymer lower frame instead of steel, even with 17 rounds loaded, the S&W is lighter than my Sig unloaded. One drawback to that is that felt recoil is more than other 9mm pistols (one of the reasons I don't like Glock, along with the fact that I just can't get my hand around them) but since it is a full sized pistol, combined with the fact that 9mm just doesn't have that much recoil to begin with, it's quite controllable and doesn't present any problems firing. This target is 20 rounds at 25 feet.
One thing I don't like is the fact that to disassemble the weapon, you have to reach inside the chamber and swing this little release lever before you can pull the slide off the frame. It's a minor annoyance but means that disassembly has to be slow and methodical to avoid damaging things, not 5 seconds and you're done. (Please don't use your finger for this. The last thing any of us needs is the slide coming loose and slaming into your finger.)
Later on, I got back into hiking again and decided that the holsters I had were just not going to cut it for that sort of use. My solution was to pick up a leg holster. After tweaking it for fit and form and getting a measure of the positives and negatives, I decided I would just go ahead and write up my own little review of this product.
A little while after that, I also decided it was time to take a low light shooting course. This necessitated picking up a light. I opted for the SureFire G2 LED.
And lastly, I found myself in Cabella's browsing their gun counter (I've gotta stop doing that... it's getting too expensive), walked into the rare gun room and saw a rifle that I could not pass up. They had, in what looked to be very good condition, an M1 Garand. It even had a shoulder sling with it that, while I'm not sure is original, looks the part and deffinitely shows that it's been with the rifle for quite a while. The only thing this rifle didn't have was the stripper clip but those can be had for a dollar a piece on ebay, frequently sold in lots of 10 or more. I might not have decided to pick it up except for the fact that my credit card could handle it without melting, they're getting kind of hard to find these days especially in good condition (not unsurprisingly, those who buy them like to shoot them -- a lot), and when I asked the sales rep about the condition of the rifle, he pointed out that they were doing a "no-tax" promotional which on this purchase was good for a $100 discount. It was too good to pass up. And the best part is that when I went to the counter to check out, the girl who rung up the purchase stated that the item number came up $100 less than the listed price. So all told, I got it at $200 off when it was already at a pretty reasonable price to start. And naturally no martial arm is complete without the various accessories.
I subsequently purchased a book about the M1 and its variants by a noted collector. This text provides some quite useful information on the differences in parts and manufacturing over the years this rifle was made. Using this text, I was able to make several observations about my particular rifle. You can read more about this here.
Oh, one more small note about the M1. Ever see the U. S. Marines doing their silent rifle drills, swinging them around, tossing them up in the air, and what not? Look closely at the weapon. It ain't an M16 or an M4 carbine. It's a Garand with fixed bayonet. (A traditional wood-stocked rifle looks a heck of a lot better on parade than a piece of black plastic.) Decades after the weapon was removed from general issue, it still has official use. That alone is perhaps the finest praise this weapon could receive.
Want a Garand but don't want to deal with an old rifle? Fine, Springfield Armoury is making new production model M1A rifles as are others. I had a chance to handle one in .308 and best of all, it had a 10 round detachable box magazine with an optional 20 round box. So the one major drawback of the Garand has been corrected in the remake. Even if you like the traditional appearance, they have something to fit your tastes as well, even Parkerized. They even make one with accessory rails and a bipod that starts to look more like a modern assault rifle.
Am I done buying guns yet? Not by a long shot (no pun intended). In fact, I recently had to buy an external cabinet to my safe to store the shells and accessories in because I was running out of room. (Why does it seem that gun safes are designed primarily with rifles in mind? Doesn't anyone think that people will want dense storage for handguns too? I'd love to see a safe with one half for rifles and the other half with a couple of the usual shelves for accessories but to also have two or three layers of felt covered pistol racks, possibly integrated with the door. eg, something approaching but not quite along the lines of a clam shell safe.)
So whats next? Well, here's my wishlist (in no particular order):
I might also be interested in a sixgun from USFA or Freedom Arms but at the present time, I can't see paying that much for a sixgun so will put that idea on hold until my finances improve. (See the stock market and especially the stock of my current employer.) I estimate that the total cost of my wishlist is about $18000 not counting the Winchester. (Gifts and donations are always welcome, of course.) Naturally, this means it won't be happening quickly. But if you don't know what you want, you don't know what you'll get.
I'm also interested in obtaining custom grips for some of these guns and possibly having some of them engraved (25-50%). On more than one, I already know I want to have the actions adjusted but these are steps I'm not yet ready to take.
Others have suggested that I should spend time examining the .41 magnum as an accurate, relatively easy to control target postol. I've read some about this but have not contemplated it before. May deserve some research.
There has been some contemplation recently about getting an old west syle coach gun as well, purely for the entertainment value of a black powder shotgun. Afterall, it was the scattergun that was really the gun that won the west. (Or at least the gun that tamed it.) If I choose to start doing cowboy competitions, this will almost be a necessity.
I might also get something like a 12 gauge shotgun either side by side or over/under for shooting clays (those specifically intended for target shooting vs hunting or defense.)
One day, maybe I will get around to posting pictures of me and my friends out shooting the place up.
Oh, and if you're wondering about my position on gun control laws, you may read my oppinions in a little paper I put together after a few things occured that prompted me to consider where I stood on the whole matter.
Disclaimer:
I am *NOT* an N. R. A. member and do not wish to be so at this time. I do not agree that this group meets it's core goals of educating individuals about the benefits of firearm ownership and the propper use of those weapons for personal protection and simple enjoyment (removing the fear factor.) Instead, this group, to me, is currently all about alarmist rhetoric about how everything congress and our local legislatures do is an attempt to restrict our right to own and bear arms. The group has become primarily politcal and in that guise, I cannot support it's political activities. I will not be told who to vote for, nor will I allow myself to be subjected to the fear mongering that has become this group's hallmark along with the "this far, no farther" mentality. It is the irresponsible use and handling of firearms more than the criminal application, in my oppinion, that has led to the fear that has caused the strained crys for gun control. It is countering those uses that should be the N. R. A.'s primary focus as far as political activism is concerned. When you get right down to it, responsible gun control laws will HELP the N. R. A. far more than they will hurt them.
