Gear: Merrell Sawtooth boots
Gear: Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II
LRI Long Range Shooting Course
Detonics Combat Master (combined)
Kimber Tactical Custom II and Tactical Pro II
Thompson Center Encore Pistol
RockRiver VS Wilson Combat(PDF Version)
Springfield 1911 Ultra Compact
NAA Guardian(.32NAA as printed in SWAT)
*With approval from CCM
Everyone knows your guns work… and everyone knows your cheap plastic sights totally suck. Everyone that takes their guns seriously, change those sights as soon as they get the chance.
You guys are bringing out the new 30S model, pretty much to compete with the Springfield XDS… Let me tell you, this is going to come up second place to the XDS. The S is slimmer, which is the biggest complaint about the 26 and 27 which are considered chunky. The S also has the advantage that it’s coming with good sights, right out of the box.
PLEASE…
Put some decent sights on your guns!
For the last month, this was my Carry Gun. I kept it concealed, and when I was packing it, no one knew I had it on me. This is an all steel 1911 Commander type, with ambi-safety, night sights, and a tac-rail. Really there is nothing special about the SIG’s No tricks, nothing out of the ordinary… Just a 1911 done very well.
The Cerakote finish is solid. The gun looked just the same from start to end, with no wear marks. The color is a good one for the area of the world I live in. In the holster, the grips blend in well with wooded or desert areas.
In shooting it, the number of malfunctions was Zero. The accuracy was staggering. I didn’t get any of the shooting on video as my camera was in the backpack and riding home on a motorcycle in the cold, I wasn’t exactly wanting to spend a lot of time. But all the hits were where I wanted them to go.
The trigger pull is very crisp, with just a little take up. Very predictable, and this allowed me to really get the most out of this pistol. The only production 1911 that I’ve fired that was more accurate than this, was the SIG TACOPS, which is essentially this same gun, just in black with different grips.
I really dig the Commander Length of the barrel and slide. I also like the fact that the safety levers are not overly extended. They are longer than GI’s but stubby compared to everything else. I consider these to be about ideal. The grips give the gun a Snake Skin kind of look, and goes very well with the flat dark earth colored Cerakote. The black controls and extractor and sights, really makes the gun snap. If there is anything I would do to this gun, it would be to replace the trigger. The straight DK pattern trigger is just too different for me. I’d put in a normal GI myself.
Speaking of GI’s…
While the Scorpion is a modern example of the 1911, the GI remains my favorite configuration, and out of everyone’s interpretation of what a GI is, the Springfield GI is the best of the best. The only thing you need with the GI is a lot of spare mags and ammo. Now, I know all this is fine and well, but let me put it to you this way. If I was going to buy another 1911, I’d buy a SIG Scorpion. SIG has the highest level of quality control of any production 1911 and they don’t hold anything back.
I would really like to see SIG do a simple GI pattern gun.
My last opinion on this, as an EDC Gun… While the gun carried well enough, it was heavy and the grip frame long. It seemed heavier and larger than the Beretta 92FS, because I was using a less than optimal holster. With a good holster, such as my AdamsHolsters Sharkhide Rig, even the larger, heavier Beretta carried better. This goes for any gun – the proper holster makes all the difference.
Since the last day of packing the Scorpion, I’ve carried the Glock 23, the Beretta 92FS, my GI, and a couple others guns… and I learned something. Packing a 1200 dollar 1911, I was always conscious of it. Always aware, always being careful of it. To be honest, I found it distracting. Maybe because its a 1200 dollar borrowed pistol. But I am much more comfortable packing something I am less concerned about. This is were Glock’s win. No one cares a bit about a Glock. It’s there, and if it’s loaded, it’s going to work. Any scars it gets along the way, just add character. Which it needs, because Glocks have none.
Packing a Beretta, scars help remove the Pretty Boy look and means you can take it serious. Maybe I’d feel the same way about the Scopion if it was my own. Maybe that’s the lesson here. Dont EDC a borrowed gun.
Winchester is rolling out a new cartridge at SHOT Show. The .17 Winchester Super Magnum. On the surface, it appears pretty spiffy. A magnum rimfire cartridge based not on any firearms cases, but a .27 Caliber Power Fastener case – Nail Gun Ammo. This bigger case allows the rimfire to kick it out there at 3,000 feet per second. That’s 500 FPS faster than the .17 HMR. That’s impressive, it really is. Kinda makes you want one, doesn’t it?
There is just one tiny .17 caliber problem though.
The .17 Hornet.
The Hornet round is firing a .17 caliber rice grain out to 3650. That’s right 650 FPS faster than this new Winchester Rimfire. So why if you are wanting a hot .17, would you stick with a Rimfire when you could gain over a thousand feet per second over the HMR by going with the Hornet? It makes little sense to me. I wouldn’t buy one. In fact, I wouldn’t buy a Hornet either – instead favoring the .204 if I wanted something that wasn’t a .22-250. But sticking with the .17 calibers, for me, it’s either the HMR or the Hornet. And that’s what a lot of gun buyers have been saying as well. You have to buy a regular sized rifle, might as well but the .204 or .22-250. Which is why we sell more .22-250’s than anything else when we are talking a Bolt Action rifle.
Savage and Ruger have come out with .17 Hornet rifles… Well, Savage has. We’ve not seen any of the Rugers that they said they were coming out. The Savages have had some gnarly magazine issues, and while they are very accurate, they just are not feeding right. That kinda takes all the fun out of them. We’ve yet to see a lightweight X-Bolt or Rem Model 7 in the .17 Hornet, which is what that cartridge needs. But would you want that in a Rimfire? I think not.
This new Winchester rimfire is doomed to fail, and fail badley.
I want to know what guys at Winchester thought that this would be a great new round, instead of bringing out what people have been actually asking for…. Cartridges such as a .25WSM. Since it’s come out, people have been Wildcatting the .300 WSM case down to .25 and getting close to .257 Weatherby performance out of their Short Actions. This is a cartridge that needs some Factory Legit backing. But evidently they would rather break out a new rimfire that no one is going to give a damn about.
So many shooters say they love the 10mm. But they’ve never owned one. They say that they would, if ammo was cheaper and more plentiful.
If they would actually step up and buy 10mm guns and buy 10mm ammo, then the Gun Industry would respond in kind. More guys buying 10mm, the more ammo would be produced, driving costs down. More variety would be produced. More gun makers would offer versions on 10mm.
But we won’t get that… Because 10mm is the Ron Paul of cartridges.
But could you imagine… An XDM, Beretta Storm, M&P, or a SIG… Anything from SIG… in 10mm?
I would buy a Beretta Px4 Storm Tactical in 10mm. I’d buy it ASAP. Hell, right now!
But then again, I have an active imagination.
Because the problem with the 10mm is also the gun options are so thin, no one is really interested in jumping into the 10mm bandwagon. Unless you like Glock or EAA, you ain’t getting a 10mm.
Here is a prediction.
Just like the first AWB brought back the popularity of the .45 Auto… I predict the next AWB will bring a surge of people to Ten Territory. 8 rounds of .45, you could have the full limit of 10 10’s. Think about that.
I’ve never seen gun-sales like today. It’s been busy since Black Friday, and really busy all week. But I’ve never seen it like today. We broke records. We completely sold out of all AR rifles. They are gone. Done.
We have more on order, but I don’t think we will ever have the AR stockpile like we had before… They are going to trickle in and be sold before they hit the shelves.
All of our 5.56mm/.223 ammo in 50 round packs or larger is all gone as well.
I still have .223 Remington in 20 round boxes… your Varmageddon, V-Max and Ballistic Silvertips, and that’s it.
I’ve never seen anything like this.
Edit: To give you guys an idea of the volume I’m talking about… When it comes to inventory, Basin Sports is one of the biggest new gun dealers not just in the state of Utah, but in the western states. We had one hell of an inventory of tactical rifles. Yeah… they are all gone now.
This is “The Green Marlin” which became the Cowboy Assault Rifle, or CAR-30-30, or Tactical Lever Action. It started out as a stock Marlin 336C which had some serious water damage to the stock that ruined the finish. I was going to do a John Deer logo on the side of it, but then I decided I hated that color. The gun its self though was straight up awesome. Barrel cut down to 16 on the dot, and an 11 Degree Target Crown and a 1 Piece firing pin and the Trigger Happy trigger from Wild West Guns. The result was a 30-30 that would print 1/2″ groups with LEVERevolution ammo.
This is what replaced my Crusader Modified Rock River… which no matter how good or accurate it was, it was too damned heavy. This is a very lightweight build that Gundoc tweaked for me. Slipstream treatment and a Battlecomp round out the details. Topped with an EOTech, to get on target fast. Accuracy is more than enough to make me laugh wickedly. Yeah, I’m not giving anything up on the Rock River’s accuracy.
Now, I’m holding a Rossi M92 in .44 Mag. And I do love the 92’s, the gun in the photo that brings this to the front of the pack, is the one Evil Jim is caressing. That’s his SBL. This is the .45-70 Thumper that forced me – FORCED ME – to buy a Guide Gun of my own. I don’t have a pic of me holding mine, so this one will do.
Notice that out of all these rifles in this post – most are Lever Actions. There’s a good reason for that. I love Lever Action Rifles. Especially one’s with some modern touches that enhance the Lever’s ability to hit – and knock the shit out of the target.
It was asked, “What is Crusader going to do if there is another Assault Weapons Ban and you can’t build AR’s anymore?” What will we do? We’ll do custom Lever Actions. I’m one of the few Trainers out there that actively train – an encourage – Lever Actions.
Please build some X-bolt Varmint Stalkers with fluted barrels in 6.5 Creedmore.
Thanks.
Not only do I want one, but I could sell everyone you built.
Cheers,
The Ogre
December’s Carry Gun is a SIG 1911 Scorpion in .45. I was lent it the other day and have enjoyed it so far.
I like the subdued earth tones of the Scorpion series. I don’t know if it is Flat Dark Earth or if it’s Coyote Tan, or if it’s Cream of Wheat. I don’t know the difference in Hues. But I do know that I’ve never seen any earth this color other than sand. Most dirt is Flat-Darker. But I guess Potting Soil isn’t a color OPERATORS would want on their guns. But SAND looks better for a serious shooter. Even if they live in the Pacific Northwest where Desert Colors just don’t happen all that much compared to Woodland or Jungle. But Jungle has gone out of Style… everything is Shitty Desert now. Anyways, the colors do work well in my area of Utah, which is Desert south of me and High Desert north of me.
SIG’s quality control in these 1911’s is fantastic. They’ve been the best sellers for the store for a few years now, and I don’t remember having any of them giving us a problem. I only remember sending 1 SIG 1911 back to the factory for a guy that was having problem with the slide not locking back… because it couldn’t possibly have been his thumb hitting the slide stop during recoil. Even if that SIG did have a problem mechanically that wasn’t Magazine or User Related – This represents the best track record of any brand for the 1911 Industry. Absolutely smokes the hell out of Kimber and Smith & Wesson. When SIG’s compact gun can out-shoot my full sized Kimber, that is saying something. And what it is saying is not complementary of Kimber.
The Scorpion has a nice set of Micarta scales with a matching Mag-Well. I like that. Packing it, well, a full sized grip with a Mag Well does make it rather long. While I am not sure if it’s longer than the Beretta 92’s, it feels longer. I don’t have a very good holster for packing this railed commander… I’ve never carried a Railed Commander before. Huh.
The nightsights on this Scorpion are very bright and clear.
The trigger is excellent.
I’m not sure if I’m liking the DK style trigger… straight, no curve to it. Compared to my Springer GI’s short trigger… I do prefer the GI’s. But does the Short or the DK trigger help me put rounds into the target better. I don’t know. I’ve only fired relatively few rounds through the Scorpion so far. And the Scorpion is indeed one seriously accurate pistol.
More about this gun as I get to know it.
There is a certain outdoors oriented magazine that recently did a test on cheap rifles. They took the most popular rifles that retail for less than 500 bucks, and did a quick and dirty accuracy test.
Weatherby Vanguard
TC Venture
Marlington X7
Savage Axis
Ruger All American
The results were than the Marlin X7 rifle handed it to all the others. Drastically. According to this test, the Marlin was much more accurate than all the others, showing a one hole group compared to the other’s patterns.
Okay. I’ll buy that. This Marlin X7 was more accurate with the Test Ammo than the others. But they didn’t test other loads through the other guns. Generally what happens is that one gun can favor one particular load more than others. As is this case. In spite of what this test shows, I’d much rather have a TC Venture or a Vanguard than the Marlin X7.
The Savage is at a disadvantage here. At 299, it’s the cheapest. But for a hundred bucks you could drop in a Timney trigger. But it up to the 400 dollar range, still well within the test price range, and then you would have a very competitive rifle.
I’d like to see this test conducted again, with the Savage trigger swapped, and with a number of different loads tested for a more “Accurate” test result. Because I’ve personally seen groups from the Vanguard S2 rifles and the TC Ventures that were just amazing. I’ve also heard reports from more than a few Marlin X7 owners that these rifles are indeed shooters. I can’t deny that. One is from a source that I will not question. I have nothing against the Marlin rifle here… But fact remains that this test was rather shallow and only skimmed the surface.
