1972 Colt Combat Commander 14 May 2021 2:26 PM (3 years ago)

Mom! It followed me home, can I keep it?

Back at the birth of my shooting days, the pistol we now refer to as the "1911" was simply called the Colt Government Model, which was accepted into U.S. Military service on February 15, 1911. This was a 5-inch barreled, single-action pistol that gained a serious reputation for taking the fight out of our enemies during two World Wars. Today, the term "1911" refers to the same style of pistol now made by a plethora of different manufacturers around the globe, but in my day, they were called the Colt Government model and they were only made by Colt.

In 1949 the U.S. Government wanted a new General Officer's pistol to replace the .32/.380 ACP caliber Colt Model 1903/1908 pistols that had been issued to Generals during WWII. The Government specified that the replacement be a 9mm pistol with a light-weight aluminum alloy frame and a barrel length of 4.25 inches. Colt cut off three-quarters of an inch off of the Government model, re-chambered it for the 9mm cartridge and fit it with the aluminum frame. They dubbed this new offering the "Commander". Browning submitted their superb Model 1935 Hi-Power and Smith & Wesson provided their new 9mm Model 39. The program to provide a new General Officer's pistol went nowhere and the Army continued issuing the Model 1903 and 1908 up through the Vietnam War.

In 1950 Colt decided to introduce the Commander to the public, chambering it in .9mm, .45 ACP and .38 Super. While sales were good, the most popular version were the ones in .45 ACP (it would take about another 30 years or so for the shooters in the U.S. to embrace the 9mm cartridge) but shooting the .45 in an aluminum frame was not nearly as pleasant as shooting the longer and heavier all steel framed Government Model. There were also reports that the heavier and more powerful .45 ammo caused the aluminum frames to wear out quicker. Colt fixed this in 1970 by bringing out the "Combat Commander" which replaced the aluminum frame with good old American steel. To eliminate confusion, Colt subsequently renamed the aluminum framed version the "Lightweight Commander".

This takes us to the current time when the Combat Commander, pictured above, wandered in our Gun Club, looking for a new home. The finish on the pistol had seen better days but all day long some force of nature kept pulling me over to the case and I inspected and re-inspected the pistol. One of the interesting things I noted was that the sights had been upgraded a long time ago. Checking the Colt serial number database I found out that the pistol was manufactured in 1972, just two years after Colt introduced the model. In its original format it should have sported fixed, rudimentary GI style sights.

Stock Colt Combat Commander

The model that had just come into the Club sported a vintage target front sight with a red polymer insert and a fully adjustable rear sight. It appears that the rear device might be a Heini precision sight. The original GI front sight was not dovetailed into the slide, so whoever did this work had to mill down the top portion of the slide to accommodate the new target sight. The original rear sight was dovetailed in but it had to be enlarged for the precision-adjustable sight. A lot of work was performed to get these sights in place and get them in place correctly.

Further inspection found that, instead of the short GI trigger, this model had a longer, adjustable trigger that allows the shooter to fine tune the weight of the trigger's pull. The pull of this pistol measured an average of 3 pounds, which is excellent.

The pistol also has an aftermarket hammer, Pachmayr grips/Pachmayr arched mainspring housing and an aftermarket grip safety/beavertail combination that helps protect the web of the shooter's hand from being "bitten" by the hammer.

I bought a brand-new Government Model in 1977 and it had something that this pistol does not have...the standard Colt shake. My 1977 Government model rattled when shaken. This 1972 Combat Commander has had some top notch gunsmithing work to tighten up the barrel, bushing, slide and frame fit.

The amazing thing I want to point out here is that this type of custom work was not at all very prevalent in the 1970's. Rarely did I even read magazine articles about customizing the 1911 pistol and most of the advertising for custom gunsmiths was centered around the S&W K frame. For those that found a good custom 1911 maker, and there weren't many outside of Armand Swenson, the price for these enhancements was not within the reach of the average shooter during this time period.

After all of my inspecting and reinspecting of the pistol I decided that if I had a holster to fit it, I would consider that divine intervention was commanding me to buy this pistol, and who am I to go against God's will.

I immediately went to the trunk of my car and retrieved my Bag 'O Holsters to see what I could find and I did, in fact, have a Commander size holster.

I absolutely love this holster but after a half a day of wearing it I remembered why it was at the bottom of the spare holster bag. The cut of the leather on the reverse side does not allow me to get a complete and firm grip when drawing from the holster and the safety snap has a particular way of maneuvering the safety into the "off " position. A quick check of the internet and I located my favorite all-round holster, the DeSantis Speed Scabbard.

The DeSantis Speed Scabbard allows quick access to your pistol and has a tension screw so that you can easily adjust how tight the holster grasps the pistol. The one-piece tunnel loop on the reverse of the holster also makes it easy to put it on and easy to remove later.

Does it Shoot?

The target below was the first 25 rounds fired at 21 feet.

It grouped very well but was above and to the right of center which was an absolute change from my normal low and left grouping with a 1911 pistol.

Fine-tuning the rear sight brought me this group:

And another session with the screwdriver lowered the group a little more:

There are several attributes about this pistol that make it accurate and a joy to shoot:

The the plain black adjustable rear sight blade contrasts very nicely with the red polymer insert on the front sight. My aged eyes can picks up the front sight very easily.
The arched mainspring housing is a better fit for my hand than a model with a straight backstrap. The arched housing also helps keep the muzzle up and helps self-correct the tendency to shoot low for some shooters and I definitely fall into that category.
The three pound trigger pull means less lateral muzzle wobble usually found on pistols with heavier trigger pulls. There is a reason that competitors prefer a single action pistol--a good single action trigger is just inherently more accurate than a double action pistol.
The work that had been done to improve the fit of the barrel, bushing, slide and frame also paid off in providing a very accurate package.

All of these enhancements, again pretty rare in its day, work together in giving the shooter much more accuracy and enjoyment that one would expect in a 49 year old vintage Colt!

I have had a lot of fun with the Combat Commander and I really had no idea that this level of skilled gunsmithing was available in the 1970's. In the mid-1990's Kimber rocked the handgunning world by producing pistols that incorporated the upgrades that have, since then, become standard for 1911 pistols. Colt, for whatever reason, failed to keep pace with the market and Kimber, Springfield and others stole the 1911 market from them. That is a shame since this pistol readily shows off the potential hiding in Colt's old War Horse.

Rock Island Armory 1911-A1 Standard Full Size in 9mm 1 Jan 2020 5:59 PM (5 years ago)

Armscor/Rock Island Armory

The legacy of Armscor and Rock Island Armory goes back to 1905 in the Philippines. This long run family business began as sporting goods retailer Squires Bingham & Co. and was sold to the Tauson family just prior to WWII. During the war the business had to focus solely on selling clothing, but in 1952 they received firearms manufacturing licensing from the Government and began opening manufacturing plants across the island country.

In 1980 the Tauson family changed the name to “Arms Corporation of the Philippines”, thus shortened to Armscor. In 1985, Armscor Precision International opened an office in Pahrump, Nevada and later, acquired Rock Island Armory which was already established as a 1911 design and manufacturing company. Armscor and Rock Island have continued to grow and become an international developer and provider of ammunition and firearms.

RIA 1911 A1 Standard Full Size in 9mm

My one-word review for the Rock Island 1911 A1 in 9mm: “effortless”. This pistol is easy to handle, easy to shoot and packs a boat load of accuracy into this standard Government-style pistol.

While this pistol is built on the Colt Series 70 design, RIA did add some upgrades to the standard Colt Government pistol design. First are the sights. On Colt pistols, from the early 1900’s up through the late 1970’s, sights seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought. The front sight was a small half circle either forged or welded into the slide and the rear sight was a very rudimentary small affair with a shallow notch. The rear sight being dovetailed into the slide. The front sight was difficult to see and there was very little in the way of contrast to differentiate the rear sight from the front sight when trying to make precise shots. Additionally, there was no adjustment for elevation and windage could only be accomplished by vigorously hammering the rear sight in the appropriate direction to correct the point of aim.

The sights put on by RIA are much better, but the front sight is not great. The rear sight is an all-black anti-snag wedge apparatus that is really all you need in a rear sight. I do not like dots, triangles, goal posts or anything else on the rear sight that might distract me from quickly acquiring the front sight. The front sight is an all-black ramp that is dovetailed in (meaning it is replaceable) and is large enough to see quickly. The angle of the ramp catches the ambient light and provides a small amount of contrast between the front and rear. I could live with this sight arrangement but, for less than one-hundred bucks I could have a red or green fiber optic front sight installed.

Another upgraded feature not found on Colt Series 70 pistols are the over-sized ambidextrous manual safeties found on each side of the frames. These safeties "snick" on and off is a very positive manner. It would take a lot of effort to engage or disengage them accidentally.

The pistol includes a set of nicely checkered rubber grips that don’t add much pizzazz but perform their function quite well. Grips are easy to change, and the market is full of amazing looking stocks fashioned from different woods, exotic horn and pearl, as well as attractive and nearly indestructible composite materials. But here is my caveat: make sure what you are adding works at least as well as the rubber grips they are replacing. Additionally, the front strap is vertically grooved and the backstrap is nicely checkered. Between the grips, the grooves on the front strap and the checkering on the backstrap, this is not a pistol that you are going to drop during recoil. And while we are on the subject of recoil, in this pistol is it negligible. This is a large heaving pistols weighing in at two and a half pounds, unloaded. Working against this much weight and moving the RIA’s massive slide, the recoil of the 9mm cartridge pretty much peters out before it can affect you, your accuracy, and your follow-up shot.

I’ve already mentioned the rather bland appearance of the grips and that goes right along with the unremarkable appearance of the Parkerized finish on the rest of the pistol. Of course, you could have this pistol refinished into any color scheme you want but why waste the money. The color is not going to affect the inherent accuracy of the pistol and how you are able to make it perform. I am fond of saying that “the bling of your pistol makes no difference when it is holstered & concealed and, God forbid, if you have to present it to defend your life, the assailant is not going to be impressed with the pink and white “Hello Kitty” motif you had Cerakoted onto your handgun".

Now that the bland and mediocre elements of this pistol have been discussed (and admittedly, my critiques are rather petty) let’s get into what excites me about this handgun:

The slide to frame fit. This is the best slide to frame fit on any production pistol and rivals those pistols that boast hand fitting on these parts. If you were racking the slide blindfolded, you would be of the opinion that you were handling a pistol with a price tag of at least $1700.00.
The trigger-pull and reset. Again, you would think you are handling a $1700.00 pistol. The trigger-pull has just an appropriate amount of travel before coming in contact with the sear and then, on this specimen, breaks cleanly at just a smidge over four pounds. Over-travel is slight and there is an over-travel adjustment screw if you want to fine-tune it further. The reset is fast and very noticeable, allowing you to train for fast and accurate follow-up shots.
Accuracy. Well, the photos don’t lie. While most defensive shootings take place at three to ten feet, I like to also test pistols at fifteen to twenty yards which basically mimics the range I might need to shoot in order to protect myself and others at my place of employment. This pistol will handle these distances with ease and could be improved upon with a more visible fiber optic sight that would provide a more precise sight picture.

This leave us with the price. While this pistol provides the functioning of a $1700 pistol, you should be able to find this on your dealer’s shelves for around $500.00. That is not a mis-print. There is a whole lot of precise manufacturing bundled up in the RIA 1911 A1.

In the one word review I gave this pistol in the third paragraph I described this handgun as “effortless”. Effortless to manipulate, effortless to shoot and a price that is effortless on the pocket (and will require less effort when you have to explain the purchase to your partner/spouse).

If you are in the process of saving up for that top-shelf pistol with the prestigious brand name, you may want to re-think that purchase. Rather than going out and spending thousands on a premium 1911, why not buy this one and spend the money you save on some private instruction and a couple thousand rounds of ammunition for practice. You’ll still have a passel of cash left over.

Glock Model 44 in .22 LR 10 Dec 2019 5:12 PM (5 years ago)

Glock, the World’s most boring and irrelevant handgun manufacturer announced today that they are chambering one of their lackluster designs for the world’s most boring and irrelevant cartridge, the .22 Long Rifle. In the interest of accuracy and truth, Glock does own a well-earned spot in the annals of firearm history. After entering the handgun manufacturing business in 1982 Glock suffered the slings and arrows of producing a double action plastic pistol that traditionalists distrusted. Foolishness abounded as one long-standing and trusted firearms periodical stated that the pistol could not be detected by airport security x-ray machines. While Beretta ushered the U.S. Military and Law Enforcement agencies away from their 1911 pistols and .38 Special revolvers, Glock earned the confidence of the general shooting public who did not trust the Double Action/Single Action operating platform of the Beretta. Many old timers begrudgingly admitted that the Glock 17’s double action, striker fired platform gave them the simplicity and reliability of their revolvers while providing three times the capacity of their six-shooter. Unfortunately, before their inaugural decade ended, everyone at Glock who possessed any creativity or vision apparently…died.

The three most important factors in a pistol’s design are grip ergonomics, eye-catching sights and a smooth and manageable trigger. In the thirty-seven years since their inception Glock has failed to make any significant improvements in this realm. Now someone is going to point out that Glock began “offering” Ameriglo blaze orange night sights on their Gen 5 Models, but that was only done at the insistence of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the FBI had not required these on their contracted pistols Glock would still be only be producing handguns with their ridiculous, plastic sights. Let me repeat that phrase “ridiculous, plastic sights”. In terms of grip ergonomics Glock’s only design enhancement has been their continual flipflop over whether cutting-edge ergonomics involve or do not involve finger grooves. The fact that the interior of a shooter’s grip does not mimic a rectangular block of wood is lost on the engineers at Glock. I am amazed at the number of people who purchase a Glock with the expressed intention of replacing the sights, reconfiguring the grip and replacing a couple of the trigger parts, all done in order bring the pistol up to the same level of quality of SIG, HK, Walther and CZ pistols and others, such as Canik.

Chambering a pistol in .22 is a bold move for Glock which has waited some 37 years to get into the rimfire market. The .22 LR round was introduced in 1887 and I can only assume that Glock wanted to be sure that this cartridge had, at least, the same staying-power as the .45 GAP.

Now, I am also sure that there are going to be those who were appalled when I referred to the .22LR cartridge as boring and irrelevant but I stand by that designation. There is no sense of exhilaration or achievement in firing a cartridge that barely requires more skill to manage than a pellet gun. It does serve a purpose for small game hunting and pest management but that’s about all it does. Nonetheless, I run into scores of people who extoll the virtues of the diminutive rimfire by saying it will “take down” a moose if you hit it in the right place (this was actually stated in a gun shop video where the hillbilly-bearded employees were offering up another one of their perennial “Top 5 Lists”). Just last Sunday a co-worker tried to defend the .22 with the verbal hyperbole of the hyphenated label, “best all-around” cartridge. His evidence consisted of the hypothetical performance of the .22 during a zombie apocalypse. This nears the level of preposterousness of a listener who called into “Gun Nation” podcast one night to alert Doc Wesson, Grant Cunningham and myself that the government was testing plasma cannons right behind his house in Las Vegas.

Getting back to the Glock 44 itself, it will have an adjustable rear sight which is a good thing. Other than adjustability, the sights appear to be of the same piss-pour design that Glock puts on their other under-performing offerings. Unloaded, the pistols weights less than 13 ounces due to a polymer/steel hybrid slide. This causes those of us in Minnesota and a few other unfortunate states to wonder if this pistol will pass the “melt” law which prohibits the sale of any firearm whose parts will melt at 1,000 degrees or less. [Clarification: a representative of Glock has informed me that the model 44 will pass all State laws for durability. This is another good thing as, my personal satire aside, there will be many people who want to buy the model 44 and they will not have to be disappointed that it didn't pass the "melt law"] The last thing that baffles me is the model 44’s capacity. It is built on the model 19 frame which has a magazine capacity of 15 rounds of 9mm, yet the model 44’s magazine has been designed to hold a scant 10 rounds.

(15 rounds of 9mm, the same capacity of the Glock 19, on the left versus 10 rounds of .22LR, the capacity of the Glock 44, on the right. Does this seem wrong to anyone else?)

I realize that this will allow the 44 to be sold in jurisdictions that restrict their pistols to 10 rounds, but shouldn’t 10 round magazines be an option for CA and MA while shooters in the rest of the country get to enjoy, at least, double the capacity? If a 10 round pistol was their only intention, then why not just use the single stack Glock 48 as their rimfire platform. Most visitors to our meager establishment find the 48 a better fit over the Glock 19. Just one more example of the lack of vision in the design of Glock pistols.

Glock has ceased to be relevant since about 1987, so…if you’re reading this on your Commodore 64, drive a Chevy Chevette or make calls on your Motorola bag phone…this is your pistol!

Glock 43X 6 Feb 2019 12:45 PM (6 years ago)

One of the gun industry's big January announcements was Glock's additions to their line-up of single stack pistols. This year's introductions include the Model 48, a single stack version of their venerable Model 19, and the 43X, which is basically the slide of the Model 43 mated to the 10 round grip frame of the (G19 sized) model 48. One of the most obvious features of both new offerings is the matte stainless PVD coated slide. PVD is a very tough coating used on everything from watch parts to heavy machinery. I'm not sure why they used the PVD coating rather than using a stainless steel slide, but I'm sure Glock has its reasons.

Clearly the model 43X was engineered to combat the SIG Sauer P365 which has substantially eaten into the standard Glock 43's market share. SIG's little micro pistol took the gun buying public by storm in 2018 with it's diminutive size and 10 round capacity. Let's see how the 43, 43X and SIG P365 stack up:

Specifications	Glock 43	Glock 43X	SIG P365
Length	6.26 inches	6.50 inches	5.8 inches
Barrel Length	3.41 inches	Same as 43	3.1 inches
Width	1.06 inches	1.10 inches	1 inch
Height	4.25 inches	5.04 inches	4.3 inches
Loaded Weight	20.64 ounces	23.07 ounces	17.8 ounces
Capacity	6 rounds	10 rounds	10 rounds

The SIG P365 is clearly smaller in all but one dimension and boasted a 10 round capacity that made it the concealed carry darling of 2018. However, for some shooters, it (as well as the standard 43) was just too small. The grip height could be improved by the use of SIG's 12 round, extended magazine but the width and overall length was still too small for some customers. The 43X solves this issue.

The height of the 43X is taller than the standard 43 largely due to the longer grip that angles diagonally backward. The grip is also just a tad bit wider than the standard 43 and I tend to prefer the feel of the 43X's grip over that of the 43 or the SIG P365. The extra length is probably the reason that I shoot the 43X better than the other two pistols and the increased grip height is not going to make it decidedly more difficult to conceal. The taller, angled grip frame is also the reason that 43X magazines will not fit into the original Glock 43.

The 43X also includes the wider cocking serrations (both front and rear) of Glock's Generation 5 models and I like this feature over the slimmer serrations of the standard 43.

Glock is currently producing the 43X (and the 48) with three different options in terms of sights. The first option is the original Glock painted-on white dot front sight with the rear outlined sight that you will want to replace as soon as you can. The second option is Glock's own night sight combination and the third option is the Ameriglo night sight with the blaze orange dot on the front. Obviously there is an incremental price increase if you select one of the night sight options instead of the original Glock sights.

The biggest surprise is the trigger pull. The pull seems to be a step up from Glock's usual gritty and heavier-than-necessary pull. Let's hope more of the same will be coming from Glock.

Accuracy

The 43X shoots better for me than most other Glock at the abbreviated range for which the 43X is most likely to be used. The brain was shot at 5 yards, the head was shot at 7 yards and the torso was set out to 10 yards. 20 rounds was fired at each of these distances. My experience with the accuracy of Glock pistols puts their performance below those from SIG and Walther. The accuracy was better than I had expected but still not up to the level of German designed handguns.

At 20 yards I fired 40 rounds with 3 missing the target, 19 rounds penetrating center mass and the remainder hitting the other areas of the target.

I have a hot and cold relationship concerning Glock pistols and currently, just like our January weather, it has been pretty chilly. This pistols shows some steps in the right direction and let's hope that Glock has turned the page to become competitive with other makers.

Howdah .410/.45LC Double Barrel Pistol 15 Nov 2018 2:42 PM (6 years ago)

I have wanted this pistol since I saw it introduced a couple of years ago. The pistol is manufactured by Pedersoli of Italy and, at the time, nobody could give me any information on who was importing them. Then, by chance last year I spied them in the Taylor's & Company catalogue right before a trade show in January. On the day of the show I hustled to the Taylor's booth and found a treasure trove of beautiful single action revolvers and lever action rifles and carbines. Smooth trigger pulls and buttery-soft actions abounded. However, no Howdah pistols. "Very difficult to come by" the Taylor's representative told me. Then, a few weeks ago I was ordering a couple of Taylor's rifles for a customer and asked the rep. if he had any of the .410/.45LC pistols in stock. I was shocked when he told me that they had recently received a shipment from Italy. I couldn't wait to finally get my hands on one, but more on that later.

The Howdah pistol is a recreation of the Ithaca Auto Burglar shortened shotgun produced from 1922 to 1933. Ithaca produced the Auto Burglar in 20 gauge with a small variety of grip styles. The most identifiable being the saw-handled grip with the spur that keeps your hand from riding up over the safety during recoil. I have seen a couple of people shooting the Mossberg "Shockwave" 12 gauge who needed bandaids after the safety tore into the web of their hand.

Ithaca also produced a belt holster for the pistol however, I would imagine this was more of a case for storage and transportation rather than an actual mode of belt-carry.

This would have certainly been a handy homestead firearm if something went "bump" in the night. Also, in the 1920's, traveling by automobile could be a lonely and sometimes sketchy pursuit. Interstate highways were a long way off and what are now considered "the back roads" were the only roads at the time. You could also drive hundreds of miles without seeing a police officer, Sheriff's deputy or highway patrolman. A short, double-barreled 20 gauge shotgun could be a welcome companion and a confidence builder in your uncertain travels.

During it's 11 year run Ithaca produced about 4,000 models. Production was halted in 1934 with the enactment of the Firearms Act of 1934 that required a $200 Federal tax stamp be applied for and purchased if one wanted to own a shortened shotgun.

That brings us up to current where some brilliant person at Pedersoli realized that the Auto Burglar could be reproduced as a fully legal pistol if the barrels were rifled. This has been the case for many years with Bond Arms Derringers and the Taurus Judge both in .45 LC and .410. And the Pedersoli Howdah is a wonderful pistol to behold.

Deep blue steel, case hardened frame and checkered walnut stocks. Just as God had intended. No polymer, no synthetic, no MIM, no Cerakote.

Absolutely beautiful. The sights are a raised gold bead with a folding rear leaf and provide a good sight picture at at its intended ranges, which are fairly short. I was fairly amazed with the trigger pull. The Howdah is not an inexpensive pistol and the fit, finish and trigger pull show that quality does have a price...and it's worth it.

This is not a bird gun. The Howdah is purposely designed as a back to the wall, closed quarter defensive tool. And I think it works.

The safety automatically engages every time the action is closed. I like this feature but some people that have shot it have a difficult time remembering that the safety is always "on".

The Howdah is a short-range pistol. 25 yard shots with a .410 shell have not been attempted.

For the purposes of today's shooting I used Federal Premium Person Defense 000 Buckshot with 4 pellets in a 2.5 inch shell.

So here's what I like about the Howdah. You pull the trigger and 4 holes instantly appear! The above target was shot at a scant 5 years.

Moving out the 7 yards the shell's wad hit a perfect bullseye but my four 000 pellets went high.

Out at 10 yards my center point of aim put my pellets into the small bullseye at the upper right hand corner. In the rest of the target I am lowering my point of aim to bring the pellets down with the bottom four hitting low right with the brass bead centered just below the 5 ring.

There is one thing that I am doing that may be pushing my shots high. For some reason my mind has not wrapped itself around that fact that the recoil is much less than I am expecting. In other words I flinch horrendously. And...I'm kind of OK with that...means I need to practice more.

While I do consider the Howdah to be a close quarter firearm, I did run a man-sized target downrange and fire two 000 shells out at 25 yards. Seven of the eight buckshot pellets struck the torso with three of them landing in the 9 ring. Not too bad.

Many people poo-poo the 410 for defense and I would tend to disagree...depending upon the barrel length and the load. The 10.25 inches of barrel gives more performance than the snub-nosed variety of revolvers that have become popular. There are "00" and "000" defensive loads in 2.5 and 3 inch shells that contain 4 to 5 pellets of each sized buckshot respectively. At close quarters this would definitely be an attitude adjuster. I have not shot .45 LC rounds and I may not. While they would certainly be potent coming out of a 10.25 inch barrel, there are other tools available that hold more ammunition and may be more accurate. I'm sure that curiosity will eventually get the better of me but I plan to keep it true to it's Ithaca Auto Burglar history.

Is this the best firearm for defensive purposes? Hardly. Is it the best handgun for defensive use? No. But few other firearms as a classy and as fun to shoot as this one.

Glock 19X 21 Jul 2018 3:41 PM (6 years ago)

I have great respect for Glocks but it is difficult for me to get excited about them. I have been of the opinion that everyone should own a Glock 19 due to their ruggedness, reliability and ease of parts replacement. However, now I will Include the 19X to my list of components for a standard battery. If you are unaware, the 19X (or 19X Crossover as Glock sometimes refers to it) the the slide and barrel of a Glock 19 mated to a Glock 17 frame. Let's take a quick look at the specifications.

Glock 19X Crossover Generation 5 Specifications
Length	7.44 inches
Barrel Length	4.02 inches
Line of Sight	5.94 inches
Width	1.0 inches
Height	5.47 inches
Weight	24.83 ounces
Sights	Glock Night Sights
Finish	Coyote Colored nPVD
Magazines	One 17 round and two 19 round magazines
Our Price	$619.00

I must confess that, when these came out, I thought that Glock's manufacturing group must have read the work order incorrectly and reversed the concept of the pistol. I thought it made much more sense to put the longer barrel and slide of the model 17 on the more compact grip frame of the model 19 thereby producing a compact grip for easier concealment along with the longer line of sight and inherent increase in accuracy with the longer barrel. Apparently though, input from tactical operators (Geez, I hate that phrase) professed a desire for increased capacity and shorter barrel when maneuvering in tighter spaces. Thus, the 19X Crossover was born.

Although the 19X is a Gen 5 model there are two differences between the 19X and the Gen 5s that Glock is making for the FBI. There is no orange colored magazine follower and no flared magazine well. Although I kind of like the slightly flared magazine well, neither of these omissions are deal breakers for me.

In addition to the specifications in the table above, the 19X includes the standard Gen 5 "Marksman" barrel with enhanced polygonal rifling and a reverse crown to increase accuracy. Also, a slide stop is present on both the left and right side of the frame making this an ambidextrous handgun.

The finish on the 19X's slide is nPVD. Standby while I attempt to explain what this is (I'm sure Doc Wesson will correct me if I get this wrong). PVD stands for Physical Vapor Deposition. Basically this process vaporizes specific materials, such as titanium, chromium or zirconium. The vaporized materials are then deposited into nitrogen gas to form a thin, but extremely durable, nitride coating. The PVD coating increases wear resistance, reduces friction and improves the appearance. I will say this, the slide has a metallic glint to it that definitely gives it a more lively look then the dull finish of most Cerakoted firearms.

One great addition to the 19X is that Glock does not equip it with their usual plastic, disposable sights. These come with Glock's own night sights with are made from steel. They are definitely easier to work with than Glock's normal and nominal sighting set-up.

This Glock also comes with a lanyard loop as requested by most militaries of the world, several foreign police departments and should be a standard feature for dancing FBI agents (it you don't know what that refers to, Google is your friend).

Show How It Shoots!

For some reason all Glocks tend to shoot low and to the left for me.

I was fairly exasperated when the 19X rewarded me with this 10 shot group at 15 feet. 7 rounds low and to the left on the 3 inch bullseye and 3 rounds flying into the outer stratosphere.

I was a little surprised when I rolled the target down to 21 feet and shot a much better 10 round group. How could I possible shoot a better group at a further distance? Maybe the pistol was sighted-in further out than 15 feet...that would make sense.

So then I pushed the target out to 30 feet and still shot a better group than what I shot at half the distance! Perhaps I am getting more familiar with the pistol.

Here's the 60 foot target with 30 rounds. These would all be very good torso hits.

So...just to satisfy my curiosity I rolled it back to 15 feet.

Yeah, I think after the first 10 rounds fired on target #1, the Glock 19X and I became better friends.

All in all, I think this is the best pistol Glock has produced in quite a while. Better sights, great color and better than average metal coating, and a good trigger. All this and one 17 round magazine and two 19 rounders! This could cause me to upgrade from my Gen 3 pistol.

Ruger PC Carbine in 9mm 16 Apr 2018 5:16 PM (7 years ago)

At the beginning of 2018 manufacturers introduced many new models and created quite a stir of excitement within the shooting community. One such introduction was the Ruger PC carbine in 9mm. Pistol caliber carbines have a lot to offer in defense of hearth and home. Please allow me to rattle off the advantages of the PC9:

1. Low cost of ammunition. It runs the 9mm which has the lowest price of any centerfire ammunition.

2. Easier to shoot than a handgun. Carbines (which are just shorter rifles) are easier to steady being anchored into your shoulder and supported by both hands.

3. They have less recoil than a standard rifle caliber.

4. Being shortened rifles, they are easier to maneuver and weigh less. The Ruger PC measures 34.37 inches in total length and weighs 6.8 pounds.

5. They offer a higher magazine capacity than most rifles.

6. They use the same magazines as your pistol; in this case your Glock or your Ruger American.

7. Their longer barrels provide increased performance over a handgun.

And lastly, the Ruger PC does not look like the AR or AK platform that strikes fear into the hearts of so many in the anti-gun crowd.

Let's take a closer look at the bullet performance of the carbine versus the handgun. The Federal 124 grain Hydra-Shok hollow point bullet moves at 1,061 feet per second out of a 4 inch barreled handgun and provides 300 foot pounds of energy (which is the amount of energy required to move 300 pounds one foot). Out of the 16 inches Ruger PC barrel the same round travels at 1,243 feet per second and delivers 420 foot pounds of energy. 1,243 feet per second will certainly provide enough velocity to allow the hollow point bullet to expand and release all of it's energy into the mass of the attacker.

The Ruger PC barrel is also fluted to help reduce weight and threaded in the event that you want to add a suppressor.

One of the interesting features of the PC is that it has an adjustable length of pull going from 12.62 inches to 14.12 inches. This is accomplished by three half inches spacers that can be placed between the soft rubber butt pad and the stock. This helps adjust the length of the stock, and thus the length of pull, to the individual shooter.

The PC has an adjustable ghost ring aperture rear sight that sits just forward of the receiver.

The front sight is protected by two blades sprouting up on each side of the sight post.

Amazingly to me, my old eyes were able to pick up a sharp sight picture using this arrangement. I could, however, use some sort of a contrasting color on the front sight when shooting a black target.

The stock is a black colored, glass filled nylon synthetic composite that is rugged and features a nice stippling on all of the parts with which your hands will come in contact.

The font of the fore stock also features an accessory rail for any light or laser attachments you may which to apply. Swivel sling mounts are also featured on the fore and butt stock.

The top of the receiver also features a rail so that you can add the optic of your choice. While the sights worked fine for me I tend to think that the addition of a red dot might help me dial in my groups a little bit tighter.

In the above image you will also note the knurled ring just forward of the receiver and the slight space between the receiver stock and the fore end. This carbine breaks down into two pieces in the same manner as the Ruger 10/22 rimfire rifles and carbines. This makes storage and portability even easier. As of this writing Ruger is not providing a nylon backpack for the PC carbine but I can't help but think that it is only a matter of time before they are available.

The bolt knob and magazine release are also switchable making the PC an ambidextrous platform.

The Ruger PC is extremely shootable. It is great fun and the ability for it to accept Glock magazines is certainly a plus. I give kudos to Ruger for realizing that Glock magazines are plentiful in the marketplace and that shooters would desire to use them.

Let's see how it shot!

Starting out at a scant 7 yards the PC rewarded me with a nice 4 round group once I got the beginning flyer out of my system.

At 10 yards I still shot the carbine very well.

At 15 yards my group began to open up but, let's remember that this is a 3 inch bullseye target.

At 25 yards my shooting began to get inconsistent. I attribute the shots in the red to be just as much luck as they are skill. This is where and optic on top of the carbine would pay great dividends.

Overall I like this carbine a lot. Now, to be frank, a pistol caliber carbine will never take the place of a rifle caliber weapon in it's ability to take game or defend against attackers. However, it offers a great advantage over a handgun in the same chambering.

Currently I have one PC carbine in our rental portion of the shop. I am sure that more will be released soon but right now they a little hard to come by.

Here's one last look at the nicely engineered lines of the new Ruger PC carbine.

SIG Sauer P365 3 Apr 2018 6:32 PM (7 years ago)

Probably the most frequently asked question in the club since January has been "Do you have the SIG P365 yet?" Well, finally I can answer that we do. It is currently sitting in the rental case so people can shoot it and decide if they want to buy one from the next shipment that comes in.

Concealed permit holders couldn't wait to get their hands on this pistol due to it's reported size and it's 10 round magazine which gave the P365 the highest capacity of any of the current micro 9mm offerings.

This is one of the second run of pistols. The first run of pistols quickly gained a bad reputation for being unreliable. I can happily report that this is not the case with the second run of P365s. I have fired a customer's pistol last week and this one today. Neither of them had any problems with feeding, extraction or ejection.

You can tell it is the second run of pistols because it sports SIG's proprietary X-Ray night sights.

The green front illuminating sight is a welcome addition over the plain white dots sights on the first run of 365s; it offers superior visibility in both normal and low light shooting scenarios.

A couple of other notable features you can see in the first image is the nicely undercut trigger guard and the accessory rail. I'm sure there are itty-bitty flashlights that fill fit under the tiny frame. This is a nice segue into the fact that this pistol is very small. Small, but surprisingly useable.

Here the SIG is pictured with SIG's original Micro 9 millimeter pistol, the P938. The sizes are very comparable with the P365 being just slightly shorter in length.

In the above image the P365 sits in-between the P938 and the Glock Model G43. Again the SIG 365 is shorter in length and surprisingly just slightly slimmer with it's double stack 10 round magazine.

Here's how the specifications of the three pistols stack up:

	SIG P365	Glock Model 43	SIG P938
Barrel Length	3.1 inches	3.39 inches	3 inches
Overall Length	5.8 inches	6.26 inches	5.9 inches
Overall Height	4.3 inches	4.25 inches	3.9 inches
Overall Width	1 inch	1.02 inches	1.1 inches
Weight	17.8 ounces	17.95 ounces	16 ounces
Capacity	10	6	6

The differences in size are minuscule to say the least. The big difference is the magazine capacity. How in the world did SIG make the thinnest micro 9mm with a double stack 10 round magazine?

The small size of the pistol did not pose any shooting problems for me. The length of the grip is about as short as I would ever want on a pistol and the front of the slight magazine extension allowed me to get about half my pinkie finger on it. Supposedly there will eventually be a 12 round magazine which may be a better fit for my hand. The slight increase in thickness in the double stack P365 frame with its stippling that runs all the way down the front and back straps made it easier for me to hold onto than when I shoot a Glock 43.

Recoil is a very subjective matter but the recoil I encountered was much less than I expected.

SIG also did a nice job scaling down from the P320 model (seen on the left). Looking at earlier photos of the of the P365 I thought the pistol looked pretty top heavy as there were no other objects in the images with which you could compare the size of the new SIG. When I actually handled the pistol that concern faded away pretty quickly.

I shot the P365 at 5, 7 and 10 yards with no problem. This is not a long range target pistol; this is a close quarter tool to save your bacon when it's in the fire.
The ammunition used in my two outings with the new SIG was Sellier & Beloit 115 grain FMJ ammo and Federal RTP with the same weight and bullet configuration.

This three inch target was shot with 15 rounds at 5 yards using our member's pistol.

The 6 inch target above was shot with 30 rounds at 7 yards with our new rental pistol.

I used the member's pistol on this target, shot at 30 feet with 25 rounds of ammo.

SIG Sauer looks to have hit a home run with the P365. I have always felt that their P938 was the gold standard of 9mm pocket pistols but a lot of people just didn't want to carry a cocked and locked hammer fired pistol and a there is a whole generation of shooters who have never fired anything other than striker-fired handguns. SIG now has a micro pistol for everyone!

Springfield 911 .380 ACP 23 Mar 2018 4:04 PM (7 years ago)

The 911 is Springfield's foray into the micro .380 market providing direct competition to SIG's P238. I have owned two of the SIG models; they are excellent pistols and set the bar for the micro 1911 after Colt dropped them from their line-up many years back. As much as I like the SIG pistol, the Springfield 911 has a lot going for it.

Before I showcase what I like about the Springfield, let me go over what I do not like about it...the atrocious model moniker. Really Springfield, the "911"? The marketing approach was undoubtedly intended as "This is what you reach for in an emergency" as in the nation-wide emergency phone number. However 911 is also a common reference to one of the worst tragedies in American history, which has caused jokesters to posit that Springfield's next model might be named the Titanic!

Now let's get to what I like about the 911.

It is noticeably thinner than the SIG which I did not think of as particularly thick pistol until the Springfield arrived. As the micro .380 is frequently carried in a pocket, the slimmer design of the 911 is a welcome attribute. After all, Spring and Summer are just around the corner and the warmer weather means fewer cover garments to help conceal a larger pistol.

The next thing I like about the Springfield are the sights.

They are Pro-Glo™ Tritium/Luminescent Front & White Outlined Tritium Night Sight Rear. The front sight is actually yellow and I find the yellow contrast easier and faster to pick up than the white dot SIG Night Lite sights on the P238. As my eyes (and the rest of me) continues to age I need all of the help I can get and the yellow luminescent dot provided a crisper sight picture than standard white night sights.

The last attribute about the Springfield that I appreciate is the price. We have these at Stock & Barrel for $577.00 which is $50 to $100 less than the average SIG P238 price.

In terms of other specifications; the 911 weighs in at a scant 12.6 ounces, has a length of 5.5 inches and a height of 3.9 inches.

The 911 also shot very well. This is a close quarter defensive pistol so most of my shooting was done at 15 feet although I did run one target out to 30 feet to see how it would perform.

The above targets were shot with Federal RTP 95 grain Full Metal Jacketed rounds at 15 feet. Most attacks occur at very close distances and as you can see on these 3 inch targets, the 911 grouped very well.

The same ammunition was used on a 10 inch target at 30 feet.

These would all have been good center mass torso hits at the 10 yard distance.

I rolled the target back in to 15 feet to finish up with some SIG V-Crown 90 grain Jacketed Hollow Point ammo on another 3 inch target.

The SIG defensive ammo performed very well.

One caveat to mention. On the first 43 rounds, the pistol experienced a failure to eject on the 5th round in each magazine. After that break-in period the next 26 rounds performed flawlessly. My final verdict: I intend to add one of these pistols to my battery very soon.

Photos for the October Gun Nations Podcast 9 Oct 2017 4:28 PM (7 years ago)

Customer's Dan Wesson goes full auto 20 Sep 2017 8:31 AM (7 years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqpHT-WW_J0

Stock and Barrel Has a Heart Part II 29 May 2017 4:38 PM (7 years ago)

In the last post you saw that we were trying to find homes for some abandoned firearms. These are the ones I rescued:

The first one is this small Smith & Wesson I frame revolver.

As befitting this diminutive handgun it is chambered in .32 Smith & Wesson Long.

While the finish and the patina are wearing off the markings are still clear.

Next up is a Colt Commander. Today this would be called a Lightweight Commander but back in the day the standard Commander was produced with an aluminum alloy frame.

The full steel version was dubbed the "Combat Commander".

The next one is a Colt Police Positive in .38 Special manufactured in 1911 on Colt's "D" frame which was the same frame Colt used on the Detective Special, Cobra and others.

What intrigued me about this revolver was engraved and inscribed to "A.A. Ayres, Deputy Sheriff, Hennipen County". Hennipen County is the most populated in Minnesota and is the home the Minneapolis. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul had a storied past during the gangster era. This revolver undoubtedly saw deputy Ayres through those tumultuous times.

I was really intrigued by this Mauser Model 1934. Although I have seen these before I have never seen one in this good of condition.

This one came with a story. It was a WWII bring-back by a soldier who was tasked with disarming the German population during the American occupation.

As such there are no importation marks. There is only a small bit of wear and the walnut grips are in great shape.

This one is chambered in 7.65mm or .32 ACP in U.S. nomenclature.

The markings on the rear of the frame and back of the slide show this to be a commercial pistol rather than a military model.

I'll bet DeSantis didn't even know that they made a holster for it. Fit's pretty well!

And the little Mauser is a shooter. This is 25 rounds fired at 5 yards. Certainly not a long range but this is not a long distance target pistol.

The Model 34 also fed all 25 rounds of PMC 90 grain jacketed hollow points without a hiccup!

The final rescue is a Colt Police Positive in .32 Colt Police. This caliber is the same as the .32 Smith & Wesson Long but Colt had ammunition produced with the "Colt Police" moniker as they had no intention of putting "S &W" on their barrel

This model and caliber was chosen by NYPD Police Commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, to be the first handgun put into standardized service with NYC's police department. It was a fine, if underpowered, choice as I have always found this revolver in the .32 caliber chambering to be very accurate.

There is one last rescue that I picked-up; a Colt Government Model .380 ACP. This one was not available for photography as it has been pressed into service as my BUG.

The next time you see a case full of rusty or brown-patina colored guns take a closer look, you may be bypassing some real history.

Stock and Barrel Has a Heart 10 May 2017 8:45 AM (7 years ago)

Stock and Barrel Gun Club

18832 Lake Drive E,

Chanhassen, MN 55317

612-888-0540

www.stockandbarrel.com

Help us celebrate our 1st Anniversary on Saturday May 20th, 2017 and please rescue an abandoned firearm...

Chiappa Rhino .357 Magnum 2 Inch Barrel 27 Apr 2017 5:22 PM (7 years ago)

For quite some time both readers and customers have been asking me what I knew about the Chiappa Rhino. Quite honestly, I didn't know very much. I viewed the Rhino, with it's barrel aligned with the bottom chamber of the cylinder, as a gimmick. I figured that it was going to be a passing fad and would soon fade from memory. Then the Rhino turned up as the weapon of choice in the film series "Divergent". I chalked it up to Hollywood just looking for an unusual looking handgun for this futuristic thriller. I mean after all, in the future no one would really be using a revolver would they?

Anyway, not too long ago a used specimen came into the shop in great condition at a fair price so I took a long look at it. This was a two inch barreled revolver in brushed electroless nickel with a textured black rubber grips. The first two thing I noticed were the trigger pull and the ergonomics. The trigger pull was smooth and perhaps the best pull I had ever encountered on a revolver. The original owner swore to me that the trigger pull was stock, out-of-the box goodness. "Besides" he said, "Who do you know that does Rhino trigger jobs". That was a point well taken. The ergonomics are outstanding. The un-traditional grip felt good and the grip's shape gives you a high hold that provides you with a very stable grip and, for lack of a better word, the upswept beavertail also helps control muzzle flip. More on that later.

If you are wondering why Chiappa named it the Rhino just look at the side and front barrel profile.

Sure looks like a charging Rhino to me and I love the large fiber optic front sight!

I always wondered if the reduction in recoil promised by the barrel firing from the bottom chamber of the cylinder really lived up to it's hype. Therefore, my trip to the range was more of function test than it was a test of the Rhino's accuracy. After firing it with .38 Special, .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum ammunition (all 125 grain rounds produced by SIG) my opinion is that the hype has been understated and the Rhino exceeded my hopes. Between the bullet exiting from the bottom of the cylinder and the contour of the grip there is almost no muzzle flip and this allows for much faster follow-up shots. All of the recoil energy comes straight back without your arm's alignment being corrupted by the muzzle flip. The .38 Special recoil was nothing. If someone is recoil sensitive the Rhino with non-+P ammo would be their ticket to a soft shooting handgun in an effective caliber.

The above target was fired with the SIG .38 Special ammo at 30 feet.

The +P load was a little stronger but still a creampuff compared to recoil produced by traditionally designed revolvers.

The above target was fired using SIG +P ammo at 30 feet.

The .357 Magnum was noticeably stronger but not unpleasant. I could easily see an extended range session with .357 Magnum ammo, which is not something I would normally do with a traditional revolver.

The above target was fired with the SIG .357 Magnum 125 grain hollow-point ammunition at 30 feet. I was very happy with the with this group. Clearly the Rhino preferred the .357 Magnum load.

The Rhino contains some interesting features. The hammer is internal and what looks like the hammer is actually a cocking lever and rear sight. This cocking lever does not move when the trigger is pulled.

Right in front of the cocking lever is a hole which contains a red polymer post. When the post is raised and protruding from the frame you know that the revolver is cocked and in the single action mode of fire. To the left of the cocking lever is a black lever mounted on the frame which serves as the cylinder release.

The 2 inch Rhino weighs in at 24 ounces which is 7 ounces less than a comparable Smith & Wesson K frame model 19 with a 2.5 inch barrel.

Another interesting feature is the six-sided, non-fluted cylinder. There is supposedly some weight savings here but I have no specifics so please don't hold me it it.

The Rhino 200DS comes with a leather holster and two speed loaders. All in all it is a great package and it is my new favorite revolver. I want the three and four inch models now!

A Tale of Two Springfield EMP 9mm Pistols 21 Feb 2017 7:14 PM (8 years ago)

The 9mm Springfield EMP (Enhanced Micro Pistol) was introduced about 10 years ago as a small pistol with a 3 inch barrel and an abbreviated grip. While there were other small, three inch barreled 1911's on the market the EMP was different. Rather than take a .45 ACP framed pistol and stuff a 9mm barrel into it, Springfield built the EMP around the 9mm cartridge. Thus, it was (and still is) thinner in width while the grip is also thinner from front strap to back strip. The frame width on the EMP is .918 inches versus .925 inches on the SIG Ultra. I loved that EMP but the grips were just too short for my liking.

Last year Springfield brought out their new EMP 4 with a four inch barrel and a longer 10 round magazine.

The EMP 4 obviously has a one inch longer barrel and slide, and has a longer grip giving it a 10 + 1 round capacity in a magazine fitted with a rubber base pad. The EMP 4 is nicely checkered with a golf ball pattern on both the back and front strap. The EMP 4 weighs in at 31 ounces; 4 ounces heavier than the original 3 inch EMP. Additionally, 2007's three inch version came with three dot night sights while the 4 inch pistol comes with a red fiber optic front sight and a two white dot rear sight. As with the original EMP, the EMP 4 comes with some very nice checkered Cocobolo grips.

It took almost a year for me to obtain an EMP 4 and was delighted with the way it shot:

The above target was fired with 30 rounds of Mag Tech 115 grain FMJ ammo at 21 feet.

And this target was fired at 30 feet with 20 rounds of the same ammo.

I loved the way pistol performed but I was puzzled as to why Springfield would put an extended rubber base pad on a concealed carry pistol. That extended pad only serves to give your cover garment something to latch onto, print, and give away that you are carrying a concealed pistol.

Then two weeks latter Springfield announced this:

The EMP 4 CC (Contoured Carry) and I thought "Damn, I rather have this one"!

The EMP 4 CC comes with with a Bobtail "Contour" cut on the back strap and very attractive, nicely checkered G-10 grips. Instead of the 10 round extended magazine with the rubber base plate the EMP CC come with a flush fitting 9 round magazine. All of the EMP models come with a bushing-less bull barrel.

The EMP CC shoots just as good, if not better as the EMP 4.

The above target shows 27 rounds at 21 feet.

This target shows 25 rounds fired at 30 feet.

I don't know how Springfield did it but both of the 4 inch barreled EMP are some of the softest shooting 9mm pistols I have. I really like the bobtail cut on the CC model. It fits my hand well and is much less likely to catch on my cover garment and expose my concealed carry pistol. Highly recommended!

Colt DS II .38 Special 1 Feb 2017 5:36 PM (8 years ago)

Colt has a long history of producing of firearms for military and law enforcement. From their very inception Colt percussion revolvers were purchased by various military and para military units and Colt, among other manufacturers, sold rifles to the Union Army during the Civil War (or the war of Northern aggression depending upon where you live). Colt is still producing rifles for the military but signed their first handgun contract in 1872 and continued to provide pistols to the government until 1986. Those are both long runs.

On the law enforcement side Colt provided their early percussion revolvers to law enforcement and much of their revolver innovations through the decades originated with input from rangers, sheriffs, and city police officers. Such is the case with the evolution of the DS-II.

When Theodore Roosevelt was the Police Superintendent for the New York City Police Department he standardized the handgun for the NYPD and issued them the six shot Colt Police Positive in .32 Colt Police. Eventually the NYPD upgraded to the .38 Special and it wasn't long before detectives and plain clothed police officers began requesting a smaller, more concealable handgun. So, in 1927 Colt introduced the Detective Special with a 2 inch barrel and shortened checkered wood grips.

In 1973 Colt beefed up the Detective Special and added an ejector shroud and oversized wooden grips. In 1986 the handgun buying public was enamored with stainless steel revolvers and 9mm pistols thus, due to poor sales, Colt discontinued the Detective Special.

In 1993, after Colt emerged from bankruptcy, the Detective Special was reintroduced, this time with wrap around rubber grips. But in 1995 the Detective Special was once again discontinued when Colt introduced the SF-VI revolver. It was fairly identical to the Detective Special except this one was produced only in stainless steel with the same rubber grips as the prior version of the Detective Special. Colt only referred to the revolver as the SF-VI which has caused speculation that it stood for Short Frame Version One or Stainless Frame Version One. In 1996 after all prior blued versions of the Detective Special was out of their inventory Colt re-christened the SF-VI the DS-II. As with the SF-VI Colt never revealed the the meaning of the initials DS-II. Many speculate that is means Detective Special II and that works for me.

This DS-II comes with the wrap around rubber grip which are not as large as they look and provide enough tacky feel to ensure a positive grasp of the handgun. Recoil is not bad even with +P loads however, after about 100 rounds, I did feel the need for a little extra cushion and put on an old leather weight lifting glove.

The trigger pull on this revolver is pretty darn good with a very smooth double action pull of just under 8 pounds and a single action pull of 4 pounds. The sights are the standard ramped and serrated front sight with a wide rear notch on the top strap, just in front of the hammer.

I warmed up with 18 rounds of American Eagle 125 grain FMJ at 21 feet.

I then put 32 rounds of the same ammo into this target at 30 feet.

I then got down to business with some defensive ammunition:

This target was shot with 10 rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok 129 grain +P Jacketed Hollow Point ammo at 21 feet.

The target below was shot with 10 rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok 129 grain +P Jacketed Hollow Point ammo at 30 feet.

For those who question the revolver's place in today's battery of arms I have to admit that a revolver generally carries less ammunition then a semi-automatic pistol (usually nine rounds less). I will also concede that a double action trigger pull is not as easy to manage as a lighter semi-automatice that also has a shorter and faster reset. However most citizen defensive encounters are fought at a very close range with only a few rounds actually fired. Therefore 15 rounds with a competition grade trigger will not needed.

Here the DS-II rides in one of my favorite holsters from Classic Old West Styles (www.cows.com).

I love the classic look of this holster which fits the DS-II like a glove.

Lastly I would remind everyone to respect the old man with a revolver...he probably knows how to use it.

Savage Model 1907 .32 ACP 29 Jan 2017 9:44 AM (8 years ago)

The Model 1907 in .32 ACP was Savage's entry into the pocket pistol market. The pistol was derived from their entry into the 1907 military trials to find the United State's first self loading, semi-automatic pistol in .45 caliber. Savage produced 650 45 ACP pistols for the trials which the military returned after the trials were completed and the Colt entry was chosen. Savage then sold them on the commercial market and if you can find one today you'll have a very valuable pistol. Good luck finding one!

Savage felt that a scaled down pocket pistol would be a better seller than a large bore handgun so the .45 ACP model never made it into Savage's consumer catalogue. One wonders how the .45 Savage would have been received if it was put into wide distribution, but one does not need to wonder how the 1907 .32 fared. It was a hit and Savage ultimately produced 235,000 model 1907 pistols.

The pistol had many interesting and unique features.

1. The circular knurled knob at the top is not a hammer as the model 1907 is a striker-fired pistol. The knurled knob is actually a cocking indicator. As pictured above the knob indicates that the pistol is not cocked. If it was in the rearward position then the striker is cocked.

2. The slide rides inside the frame, as do the modern CZ pistols, rather than riding on top or outside of the frame.

3. As the slide rides inside the frame, little of the slide is left to grasp in order to rack the slide and charge the pistol. To help that function Savage put large and well spaced cocking serrations on the slide to assist with its manipulation.

4. The magazine holds 10 rounds in a double stack configuration. I'll bet you didn't realize that double stack magazine go all the way back to the early days of the last century.

5. The magazine release sits at the bottom of the front strap.

One is supposed to be able to operate the release using your little finger. This is a skill I have yet to acquire.

6. The safety lever swings up to make the pistol safe

7. The sights are small and representative of an era where shooting was done quickly without taking the time to obtain an ultra precise sight picture.

The 1907 field strips into 6 pieces:

1. Slide
2. Recoil Spring
3. Barrel
4. 10 Round Double Stack Magazine
5. Fire Control Mechanism
6. Frame

The key to field stripping this pistol rests with the fire control mechanism. You begin by removing the magazine and retracting the slide to its furthest rearward position. You then engage the safety to lock the slide back. Then grasp the rear of the fire control mechanism (part #5 above) and twist it 90 degrees clockwise. At that point you pull the mechanism out and the rest of the pistol can be pushed forward and off of the frame.

The Savage 1907 has a great Art Nouveau appearance and I love the look of the checkered grips with Savage logo on them.

Shooting the 1907 was very pleasant. The .32 ACP has a modicum of recoil but before we get to the targets I would remind you that the sights are minuscule at best and the pistol is over 100 years old.

The target above was shot with Remington FMJ ammo at 21 feet. This is a pocket pistol designed for close quarter engagements hence, I did not fire it beyond the 7 yard marker. I would note that I only shot at the middle and top two diamonds. The rounds in the southern hemisphere were shot at the equatorial target. Still, for what this pistol is designed for, it would serve is purpose well.

This target was shot with defensive hollow-point ammunition. PMC JHP ammo was used in shooting at the center section. Of the two magazines of ammo used, there was one double feed with each magazine. The bottom righthand diamond was shot at with Hornaday JHP cartridges. They were a tad more accurate than the PMC and I had no reliability issues although I did not load and shoot a full magazine of the Hornaday fodder.

Another interesting facet surrounding this pistol is how Savage chose to market it. They made a major play toward the women's market. This is a segment that is still somewhat underserved today but Savage was playing on the fears present in the time period of 1910 - 1920.

Above is one of the many ads that Savage used to market the pistol to the female market. This was the beginning of the highly industrialized era in American history. In urban areas the women's husbands and fathers were typically working 12 hour shifts at a factory so they were not home much of the time. Fear of burglaries and other criminal intrusions were used to sell this pistol. The ad features the 1907's slogan "10 Shots Quick" and states that the pistol "Aims Easy as Pointing Your Finger" while asking "Are your little ones and property safe?" The fear of threats towards your children is a powerful motivator.

Savage also used celebrity endorsements to great advantage.

In this ad Buffalo Bill Cody tells us that the Savage 1907 has now replaced his "old Army revolver". The pistol is also referred to as "the Banisher of Burglar Fear". Burglary is also featured in the ad below:

Former buffalo scout and legendary Western lawman "Bat" Masterson also endorsed the pistol with the ad repeating the "10 Shots Quick" slogan.

I think the Savage Model 1907 is an important historical pistol for it's innovative design and unique marketing program. It was aimed at an urban market, targeted toward women, and utilized legends of the Western frontier to provide endorsements. It also served to transition those who carried handguns away from their revolvers toward the self-charging, semi-automatic pistol.

Whisky Tango Firearms Deadpool Cerakoted Kimber Custom II 31 Dec 2016 8:35 PM (8 years ago)

Whisky Tango Firearms (WTF) of Sarasota, Florida creates custom cerakote designs. I think one of their most creative and probably popular designs has to be their Deadpool 1911. If you aren't familiar with Marvel's Deadpool and the hit 2016 movie (rated R) by the same name then this review won't mean very much to you.

The WTF Deadpool pistol begins life as a full-sized Kimber Custom II 1911 in .45 ACP. From there, Whisky Tango Firearms goes to work on it. Their attention to detail is flawless.

Whisky Tango Firearms' Handiwork

The Deadpool character was a military trained marksman and mercenary. The Kimber Custom II is capable of the accuracy that a marksman would require.

This target was fired at 21 feet with Remington 230 ball ammo. Feeling that I would not be capable of replicating this shot, I stopped to preserve this target for posterity.

This target shows 21 rounds also fired at 21 feet.

The above image shows 21 rounds at 30 feet.

And lastly we have 28 rounds at 45 feet.

And now for a really last look, here is 5 rounds at 15 feet at a business card size target.

I know there are a lot of Kimber-haters out there but this one was as accurate as anyone could want and ran through 150 rounds of the Remington ammo without any problems whatsoever. Deadpool would be proud.

Taurus Spectrum .380 ACP--New for 2017 26 Dec 2016 7:37 PM (8 years ago)

Taurus has announced that they will be producing a new micro-.380 ACP pistol for deep concealed carry. Taurus has had modest success with their .380 model TCP 738. The new Spectrum is much sleeker looking than their earlier model and bears a resemblance to the original Ruger LCP. One thing that the Spectrum does have in common with the 738 is that both of them almost have sights.

A pleasant feature of the Spectrum is that they will be produced in a plethora of color schemes. Otherwise the pistol's specifications are exactly what you would imagine them to be:

6 round magazine capacity with a 7 round extended magazine.
2.8 inch barrel
An overall length of 5.2 inches
An unloaded weight of 10.2 ounces
A completely unnecessary internal lock
An MSRP of about $286.00

I would expect to see an in-shop retail of $250 or less.

Although we here at the Average Joe's Test and Evaluation laboratory don't have one to wring out it does not mean that we weren't doing important work on this pistol. We spent a great deal of time coming up with names for each of the different color options Taurus has shown us.

This one is named "Sea Foam"

This option was a tie between "Feces" and "Chocolate Nougat"

This one is "Monochrome Yawn"

"Mint Chocolate Chip"

And lastly another tie between "Snow and Asphalt" and "Stormtrooper"

Taurus frequently gets a bad rap. I have owned several and while all of them have been accurate and reliable, I am aware that this has not been the experience for a lot of people. One of the problems for retailers may be due to the multiple colors. Obviously not all of the colors are going to be popular and only time will tell which ones are going to move and which ones will sit on the shelf (I'm guessing "Feces").

I kind of think I want one. Probably go with the "Stormtrooper".

Classic Old West Holsters 31 Aug 2016 7:11 PM (8 years ago)

Antiqued Thumb Break Holster with a Browning Hi-Power.

I rarely write about holsters but in this post I am going to make an exception. The holsters we will be looking at come from an outfit called "Classic Old West Styles" (http://www.cows.com). They specialize in western and modern holster as well as accessories and vintage looking western apparel.

I first discovered them after I acquired this 1961 nickel plated Colt Detective Special with gold lip mother of pearl grips (probably faux MOP by Jay Scott) with an aluminum T-grip adapter affixed to the front strap.

I wanted a vintage holster to complete the look for this 55 year old revolver. In searching around I found the holster shown below on Ebay and I was extremely happy with the look and function.

From the markings on the back of the holster I was able to determine the maker and find Classic Old West's website. From there I just had to have one for my Smith & Wesson model 65 Ladysmith with a three inch barrel and G10 VZ grips.

These holsters are listed as their "Antiqued Thumb Break Holster" and are available for the bargain price, as of this writing, of $45.00.

I then ordered one for my Smith & Wesson Model 10 with a two inch barrel.

When it arrived it was too small for my model 10 but it fit my model 60 with Altamont grips perfectly.

By now I had picked-up a Smith & Wesson Model 15 square butt, which just happened to fit a set of K-frame stag grips that were wasting away in my grip drawer. Obviously the vintage look of the revolver and grips just cried out for Classic Old West's antiqued thumb break holster.

So I got one and it makes for a very classic presentation.

I recently decided that my 1911's needed some of the COW love and had them make me us one for my commander sized pistols. The one below is wearing VZ Hyena Brown Frag grips.

Although I got the antiqued thumb break holster I am very tempted to get their Fort Stanton Rig which evokes kind of a Sam Peckinpaw "Wild Bunch" look.

Here's a taste of a few of the other offerings from Classic Old West.

Antiqued Drop Concho Rig

The Cheyenne Loop Holster

And just so you don't think that they only produce western holster here are a few for modern handguns.

Here are two of their models for Glock handguns.

Glock Basket Weave Holster.

Need a holster for your Glock MOS? Classic Old West has you covered!

I frequently have people ask me where they can find a holster for their Ruger Mark III and I can tell you that Classic Old West is the place to go.

They can even help your if your Mark III has a scope!

They also make a few shoulder rigs.

These are just a few images of the holsters that Classic Old West has to offer. All of them look terrific and are very reasonably priced. So take a look at www.cows.com and please, tell 'em that Average Joe sent you!

ZEV Technologies Defender Custom Glock 19 24 Jul 2016 7:16 AM (8 years ago)

When the Glock 17 hit the market in 1986 I had nothing to do with it. I had a Smith & Wesson model 10 revolver in .38 Special which was the most dependable and popular handgun in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's and I had my cool gun, James Bond's Walther PPK, Lastly I had the gun that real men carried: the Colt Government model in .45 ACP. At that point in time we worshiped at the altar of Jeff Cooper and no self respecting disciple would be caught dead using the ineffective 9mm cartridge nor carry it in a double action pistol which Colonel Cooper decried as a solution to a problem that did not exist. So I declined to shoot or even hold a Glock for the first eight years or so after it was introduced in the U.S.

Fast forward to the middle of the last decade and I had found that Glock's "reason for being" was that it was as dependable as the S&W Model 10. You could bet your life on a Glock 19. And, by this point in time Smith & Wesson had discontinued the model 10 which had been the standard bearer of dependability for the last 50 or so years. The Glock model 19 quickly filled the void left by the discontinued Model 10.

So why spend the money to customize a Glock 19? Why would anyone take a weapon's platform that the maker and legion of it's fans deem to exemplify the personification of "Perfection" and give it a total make-over? Simple. The best gun to use is a base platform for customization is one that is already dependable. This is what happened in the '70's and '80's when people took my beloved Smith and Wesson model 10 and turned it from this:

Into this:

The venerable model 10 was turned into a race gun for competitive shooters and it all stems from the fact that it was already a good gun made better by talented artisans.

Features

So, just like the S&W model 10; the Glock 19, as good as it is, can be improved upon. So let's see the features that Zev Technologies can bring to the table:

1. The trigger.

The heart and soul of any pistol is it's trigger system. The Zev Defender incorporates Zev's Duty Trigger with the red safety bar. This trigger assembly reduces most of the take-up, eliminates over-travel and smooths and lightens the pull. Zev produces 18 different trigger kits for the Glock 19. Naturally, all of them are drop-in assemblies.

2. Front Sight.

Zev uses a red fiber optic front sight which I find to be preferable to a white dot, a black front sight or even night sights. My aging eyes cause me to see two front blades with every sight option except the red pipe. During shooting conditions where there is any light available, the red fiber optic stands out and only shows me only one front sight.3. Rear Sight.

3. Rear Sight

The rear sight is a perfect match for the red pipe up front. The sight is serrated to break up any glare and being plain black my eyes are drawn to the front sight without any visual disruption from anything on the rear sight panel.

4. Extended Magazine Release.

The magazine release is large and really extends from the grip. The top of the release became the resting place for my right thumb and that set-up never caused me to accidentally depress the release and prematurely dump the magazine. Needless to say it is easy to find and can be pressed without having to adjust your hand position. Whether you are using this pistol for competition or self defense, magazine

5. Extended Slide Stop

The extended slide stop is a feature I can live without. If you prefer to release the slide stop in order to charge the pistol you will be glad it's there. If you sling shot the slide to load a round in the chamber you won't take much notice of the extended lever.

6. Grip Reduction and Stippling

Glock grips are known to be rather "blocky", large and the finger grooves can be a little tight. Zev reduces and recontours the grip and shaves down and widens the finger grooves. They then stipple the grip making it more tacky than either the standard Gen 3 or Gen 4 grip. There is no needs to apply skateboard tape in order to get a firm grasp on the Zev grip.

7. Undercut Trigger Guard

Zev enlarges the trigger undercut of which I am particularly fond. The standard undercut on the factory Glocks is too narrow and does not fit my middle finger. This condition produces the malady of "Glock Knuckle" which causes bruising and the formation of calluses on and around the knuckle of the middle finger. The Zev undercut is the remedy for Glock knuckle.

8. & 9. Rear and Front Slide Cuts

The Zev slide is cut with larger rear grasping grooves while the front grooves are wide, scalloped and extend from the front of the slide to the front of the chamber. Regardless of whether you grasp the slide from the front or read of the slide you will obtain a positive hold.

10. Black DLC Slide Coating. The slide is coated with Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) which gives it a 90 Rockwell Hardness Rating. It is non-reflective and it one tough finish.

This entire package gives you a Glock pistol with superior ergonomics, a terrific trigger and sights that provide premium visibility. Naturally the pistol shoots well too!

Targets

All shooting was done at the distances noted using a standing two-hand hold and Magtech 115 grain 9mm ammo.

21 feet:

40 feet:

50 feet:

75 feet:

The 40, 50, and 75 foot targets all show some rounds pounding the bullseye. Obviously the pistol can shoot better than I can.

The Zev Defender is a dream to shoot. The good news is that all of Zev's parts are available for ala carte purchase by consumers. You can choose the ones you want to upgrade your Glock or you can send them your pistol for a complete overhaul. Regardless of which path you choose, your good 'ole Glock can be made even better.

Kahr CT9 9mm 13 Apr 2016 4:15 PM (9 years ago)

CEO Justin Moon founded Kahr Arms in 1995. Moon had obtained a concealed carry license since age 18 but at that a time he couldn't find any quality made compact and sub-compact handguns that met his needs. His first offering was the K9 and K40, two compact stainless steel pistols chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W. These pistols were met with critical acclaim. They were originally offered with wrap around wood or rubber grips that provided a superb feel when grasped. The stainless steel series of pistols eventually included a sub-compact sized handgun, the "MK", and a full-sized pistol dubbed the model "T". Kahr next introduced the same line-up with polymer frames with the "P" series being the compact handguns; the "PM" series being the sub-compact pistol and the full-sized pistols were dubbed the "TP".

Kahr's pistols were renowned for their long but extremely smooth double action only trigger pulls and their low bore axis. The pistol's design was innovative and is protected by some seven patents making them truly unique. I think it's important to remember that Kahr was making compact and sub-compact single stack 9mm and .40 caliber pistols twenty years before Glock introduced the single stack model 43.

The one thing that may have stymied Kahr's market shard was the price. Handguns of this quality were costly to produce. Kahr overcame this hurdle several years ago by introducing a line of value-priced, polymer framed pistols, one of which we are addressing in this review, the model CT9. The standard, and more expensive version, of the CT9 is the TP 9. These are Kahr's larger framed polymer pistols that have a capacity of 8 + 1 rounds. The barrel length is just a shade less than 4 inches; the overall length of the pistol is 6.5 inches. It is 5 inches in height, 0.90 inches wide and weighs in at 18.5 ounces. Even as Kahr's full sized entry the TP9 and the CT9 are fairly compact and very slender.

In my estimation the differences between the full priced and value-priced line-up are minimal and outlined in the table below:

Specification	TP9	CT9	Comment
Front Sight	Drift Adjustable	Pinned	Who cares that the front sight is pinned? Let me count the times I have drifted a front sight. That would be “0”! Being pinned in means less of a chance that the front sight will get knocked out of alignment.
Slide Stop	Machined	Metal Injected Molded	Metal injection molding is a cost saving measure. Purists decry it but I have not experienced any problems with them nor have a seen any reports of their failure.
Barrel Rifling	Polygonal	Conventional	When was the last time you heard of a finely tuned 1911 with polygonal rifling? If conventional rifling was good enough for John Browning, Les Baer, Bill Wilson and Ed Brown, it is good enough for me and I experienced no issues with accuracy.
Slide Markings	Engraved	Roll Marked	Again, who cares? The slide markings have absolutely nothing to do with reliability or accuracy.
Slide Machining		Minimal	The only machining on the slide are the rear slide serrations.

As mentioned earlier, the trigger pull is excellent and the pistol has been completely reliable with everything I put through it.

So let's see how the CT performed for me on the range:

All of the targets below were fired from a standing two-handed hold using Magtech 115 grain 9mm ammunition.

The above target shows 10 rounds fired at 21 feet.

This target shows 24 rounds fired at 35 feet.

The final target shows 24 rounds fired at 50 feet.

I only have two minor issues about the pistol. The first is that the value-priced models only come with one magazine. I am not a person who needs 8 mags for each handgun they carry but I generally like to have two spare magazines. That's easily remedied as Kahr mags are easily found. My second issue is the width of the pistol. At 0.90 inches thick it feels too slender for my fat hand. I think this may account for some of my fliers at 35 and 50 feet. However, I also realize two things; first is that all of the hits on those three targets would have been fatal (the accuracy was not bad). Secondly is the realization that carry pistols require a compromise between what one would prefer in terms of handgun capacity in a size that is large enough to shoot well versus versus a handgun which is concealable. Trust me, the CT9 is much easier to conceal than a 15 round pistol.

The good news is that, while I consider the differences in features to be minimal the difference is not. The MSRP for the CT 9 is 30% less than the MSRP for the TP 9.

Caliber	9mm
Capacity	8 + 1
Operation	Trigger Cocking Double Action Only
Barrel	3.965 Inches
Overall Length	6.5 Inches
Height	5.08 Inches
Weight	18.5 Ounces
Width	0.90 Inches
Frame	Polymer
Slide	Matte Stainless Steel

Performance Center S&W Shield Versus TALO Edition Glock 43 22 Mar 2016 9:13 PM (9 years ago)

In 2012 Smith & Wesson introduced the Shield and it quickly became the "go to" gun for those looking for an easy-to-conceal, reliable and accurate pistol. In 2015 Glock unveiled their long-awaited single stack 9mm pistol, the model 43. Glock is poised to take the small, concealable market away from Smith & Wesson...or are they?

In this review we talk a look at two enhanced editions of both pistols: the Performance Center Shield and the TALO Glock 42 edition.

Let's start by listing the enhancements of both special edition pistols:

Performance Center Shield

Hi-Viz green fiber optic front sight
Hi-Viz red fiber optic rear sights
Ported barrel
Trigger job

TALO Edition Glock 43

Blaze Orange Pro Glo front night sight
Black serrated "U"-notch rear sight

I did have an issue with the sights on the G43. In drawing the pistol in complete darkness I found, upon illuminating the pistol with my flashlight, that the front sight consistently wound up outside of the left sight rear post. In other words my point-of-aim was significantly to the left. I have these exact same sights on my Glock 19 but this phenomenon does not occur. I think the width of the G19 helps me attain a firmer grip and truer sight picture in darkness and the much thinner G43 allows for some pretty significant deviation. Realistically though, the chances of shooting in total darkness are somewhat slim. Between the moon and streetlights there is always some ambient illumination coming into the house along with my ever present stash of flashlights.

Another issue I have with sights concerns my aging eyesight. Looking through the sights of the G43 I have double vision and see two blaze orange dots at the end of the slide. On the Performance Center Shield I view the fiber optic front sight as one brilliant green dot.

Size

Specification	Performance Center Shield	TALO Edition Glock 43
Caliber	9mm	9mm
Action	Striker-Fired	Striker-Fired
Barrel	3.1 Inches	3.39 Inches
Ported Barrel	Yes	No
Front Sight	Hi-Viz Fiber Optic Green	Blaze Orange Pro Glo Night Sights
Rear Sight	Hi-Viz Fiber Optic Red	Black Serrated “U” Notch
Weight	18.2 Ounces	17.95 Ounces
Overall Length	6.1 Inches	6.26 Inches
Width	.95 Inches	1.02 Inches
Height	4.6 Inches	4.25 Inches

According to the specifications the two pistols appear to be about the same size. The major difference is in the height of the pistols. The specifications show the Glock to be about a quarter of an inch shorter than the Smith & Wesson. But this is deceiving in how the Glock feels in my hand. Both pistols are equipped with magazine extensions to give your little finger a chance to assist in gripping the pistol. On the Smith & Wesson that extension is present in both the front and back making the entire grip frame a little longer. The Glock extension only provides a front surface to for my little finger but does not extend the rear surface of the grip. Hence, the base of my palm is not engaging the lower back-strap. This tended to make me feel as if my grip wasn't exercising full control over the pistol.

Price-wise, the TALO Glock 43 is about 5% more than the Performance Center Shield.

Trigger

One of the biggest criticisms of the Smith & Wesson M&P series of pistols is the sloppy trigger pull. They addressed this on the Shield and the pull on the Performance Center version has been worked on by the Performance Center gunsmiths resulting in an enhanced trigger experience. The trigger pull on the Glock 43 is...well, a standard Glock trigger pull. The battle for the better trigger pull goes to Smith & Wesson.

Accuracy

As you can see from the comparison targets below the Shield shot slightly tighter groups than the Glock 43. I do not mean that the Glock had poor accuracy, it's combat accuracy was just fine. The Shield's accuracy was just a little bit better.

Targets at 21 feet:

Targets at 40 feet:

When the Shield was first introduced four years ago I reviewed it and found it to be good, but unimpressive. The Performance Center version is a significant step forward. But one word of caution on the ported barrel. The most common place for a civilian to be attacked is when getting into your car. This is extreme close quarter combat. Most likely you will be fending off the assailant with your weak hand while you draw and fire with your dominant hand. This shot will be in very close proximity to your body. As a result, the ported barrel will funnel flame and hot gasses upward. You need to make sure that your face is not in their path.

I liked the Performance Center Shield quite a bit. If my personal carry situation required that I carry the smallest 9mm semi-automatic pistol I would choose the Glock. Based strictly on performance...I would choose the Performance Center pistol from Smith & Wesson.

Find the Performance Center Shield at Arnzen Arms here

Find the TALO Glock 43 at Arnzen Arms here

Hk VP9 9mm 17 Mar 2016 4:06 PM (9 years ago)

The Hk VP9 debuted last year with rave reviews that were well deserved. After the success of their hammer-fired P30, Hk spent about four years developing the VP9. Now, Hk is not new to striker fired handguns. They developed the striker-fired VP70 way back in 1970 and introduced the innovative striker-fired P7 in 1976.

It seems clear that Hk began with the superbly ergonomic P30 grip and built their new pistol up from that base.

The nicely textured grip come with understated and generously proportioned finger grooves. The grips also accommodate 3 different sized back-straps and six different side panels. It's highly probable that everyone can find a grip option that will fit their hand.

The VP9 is completely ambidextrous with European-style paddle magazine releases on both sides of the trigger guard and slide stop levers on both the port and starboard side of the pistol.

The 3-dot sights are made of a yellow phosphorous material that glows for about 30 minutes after being briefly exposed to intense light such as a quick blast from your flashlight. Now some ask why they just don't put night sights on them and the answer is simple; in many European countries private citizens are not allowed to own radioactive material, a small amount of which is necessary to get the sights to glow without any outside stimulus.

Another exclusive feature of the VP9 is the "winged" charging handle at the rear of the slide. This minor improvement greatly increases the ability of the shooter to get a positive grip on the slide and assists in racking the slide.

The heart and soul of any pistol is the trigger. The VP9 benefits from from a 5.12 pound trigger pull which has minimal pre-travel and a crisp let-off.

All of the prior mentioned features help provide very good accuracy. The target below shows 5 rounds fired into a 3-inch bullseye at 21 feet. The target underneath it shows 10 rounds fired at 30 feet.

The next target is an 8 inch bullseye took 15 rounds fired at 40 feet.

Our last target shows 15 rounds fired at 50 feet.

Specifications
Overall Length	7.34 Inches
Height	5.41 Inches
Width	1.32 Inches
Barrel	4.09 Inch Cold Hammer Forged Barrel
Accessory Rail	Yes

I have saved the best feature of the pistol for last. Hk firearms have long been expensive, too expensive for many people to justify when compared to the lower priced Glock, Springfield or Smith & Wesson M & P pistols. Hk has apparently realized this and priced the VP9 about 30% less than it's hammer-fired predecessor, the P30. When the P30 was first introduced I found it to be good pistol but not a great pistol. The VP9 takes it up and notch and makes this one Hk that will find a place in my battery.

CZ 75 B Matte Stainless 9 Mar 2016 7:26 PM (9 years ago)

OK, move closer to your monitor. This one you don't want to miss. This is the CZ 75 B in matte stainless steel. This pistol is kind of a mystery. It doesn't appear on the CZ website in the version you see above. There is a matte stainless on the CZ USA site but it has standard sights and rubber grips. This pistol is adorned with 3-Dot night sights and premium cocobolo grips. I did briefly find it on the CZ Custom Shop website but when I went back to check on it today it was gone.

I would not be surprised to find that it does spend a brief amount of time at the Custom Shop in Arizona. The trigger pull is much better than a stock CZ 75. It is not amazingly light like the sub 3-pound pulls on their competition pistols. No, this pistol was built for defense, not competition. The trigger pull is very smooth, some polishing has taken place. The double action pull come in at 9.1 pounds and the single action pull averaged 5.25 pounds. The smoothness helps provide superb accuracy. As with all CZ's the slide rides inside the frame instead of outside or on top of the frame. Again, this is claimed to be another factor which contributes to the excellent accuracy.

Another touch for the defensive shooter are the Tru-Dot night sights that sit atop the frame.

This brings us to the premium cocobolo grips.

These grips are really something special. They are constructed from nicely grained and figured warm red cocobolo wood. They are shaped, rounded and attractively checkered to add a pleasing feel to the already ergonomic CZ grip. These grips are the only sensual feeling you can have that doesn't involve cheating on your spouse.

The trigger operating mechanism is traditional double action meaning that the first round will have the longer 9.1 pound double action pull and the subsequent rounds will have the shorter 5.25 pound single action pull. As this pistol has a manual safety instead of a decocker the pistol can be carried cocked and locked in the single action mode. So you can have your operational preference.

All of this leads us to discussing how the pistol shoots. We have already discussed the smooth trigger pull. As this is an all stainless steel pistol weighing in at 2.31 pounds this is a heavier gun than the current crop of polymer framed pistols on the market. As we have noted before a proper holster and gun belt make the weight a non-issue as far as carrying the pistol are concerned. As this is a full-sized pistol it does need a good cover garment to offer full concealment. However the weight and size of the pistol mean that the recoil from the 9mm pistol is rather minimal.

Full Specifications

Caliber	9mm
Magazine Capacity	16
Frame	Matte Stainless Steel
Grips	Cocobolo
Trigger Operations	Traditional Double Action
Sights	3-Dot Night Sights
Barrel Length	4.6 Inches
Weight	2.31 Pounds
Overall Length	8.1 Inches
Height	5.4 Inches
Width	1.4 Inches

As mentioned at the beginning the accuracy is superb so let's look at the targets.

The center square was shot with 10 rounds of Magtech 115 grain FMJ ammo at a distance of 21 feet. The top square was shot with 10 rounds of the same ammo at 30 feet and the bottom square is 10 rounds at 45 feet.

The above target was shot with 20 rounds at 75 feet. Now normally at 75 feet I miss with about half the rounds. The CZ is a natural shooter and very accurate. That's the reason 20 rounds went into an 8 inch target at 25 yards.

This target shows defensive rounds fired at 21 feet. The top square was shot with five rounds of Winchester Train & Defend 147 grain JHP ammo, the center square was shot with five rounds of Federal's 105 grain Guard Dog ammo and the bottom square is five rounds of Speer 124 grain +9 Gold Dot Hollow-point ammunition.

The CZ 75 B Matte Stainless pistol has rapidly become one of my favorite pistols. While not the most convenient to carry I am finding myself carrying it frequently as the accuracy out to 75 feet gives me the confidence to make accurate shots should I, God forbid, find myself having to defend myself with my pistol.

You can find this pistol at Arnzen Arms here. And tell 'em that Average Joe sent you!

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