One thing that I failed to mention… Jim’s .45-70 Marlin was crazy smooth. The action felt like a Henry Goldenboy, it was so slick. None of the rough grittyness that is typical of a Marlin, in any caliber.
My own Marlins never felt half as good. My Rossi M92 .44 Mag feels really slick and smooth… But not like Jim’s. He’s been running Slipstream for a long time through that gun, letting it really work in. Mine will get that way eventually, given some more time. You feel the new Marlins we have at the store… Slipstream makes a new one feel just plain sad.
Marlin should be using Slipstream at the factory. Just saying. Because they would then be smoother than a Browning BLR…
Category Archives: Weapons
Two Tones
On WeTheArmed, I posted a picture and asked a simple question. “Which one?”
In the thread, several guys liked the one on top, but overwhelmingly, people were digging the one on the bottom better. I like them both… At first I liked the top one as it has that classic “Custom” look that I dig… dark on top. But the bottom one… it grew on me and I see why everyone liked it. The lighter weight alloy frame, practical long wearing stainless… It’s certainly the smartest configuration. It would be awesome… but I still like the top one… just for the looks of it. See, growing up, all the custom guns (1911’s) were two tones, blued slides on stainless frames. That’s just the look that’s stuck with me.
The question is, how to I get one like that? Beretta doesn’t offer it and I don’t want to buy two. I don’t know why I am jonesing for a 92… but I am. Really, it’s the only 9mm, other than a Browning High Power that I want. Er… those and a SIG P210… and a Colt Pocket Nine… and… and… and… I’m kind of an addict, aint I?
Another SIG is in my brain.
I keep coming back and looking at it, handling it… Yes, another 1911. Then I read a good review. I don’t know why, I am pretty much a Glock Guy now… I don’t need another 1911. I don’t even want another 1911… but I want this 1911.
Freak. Working at a Gun Store has a serious drawback.
Improving the Pump
Crusader is working on an upgrade package for the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500. We have been filtering down all the options, getting to those bits that can actually be helpful and ignoring the rest.
We’ve also looked at what internal improvements are the best.
We will be putting out the package details soon enough… But its looking very similar to what we are doing for a certain Training School.
Along with the package will be some end-user options… such as stocks, color, and such.
I spent a great deal of time with my 870’s, looking at each one, weighing the pris and cons of each. Going over everything with GunDoc… Talking to a few shotgun gurus… I think our Edge service will be huge.
5.56mm Terminal Balistics
Take a look at the photos in this link.
But before you do… be warned, they are disturbing.
Draw from them what conclusions you will. Velocity, shock effect… they can be devastating. I’ve seen this in hunting situations, and it was the conclusion that Roy Weatherby came to. Velocity kills, and we can like it or not… 5.56mm has a lot of it.
Uprising UK, coming in Print
Uprising UK is going to be available in Print on Amazon.com within 5-7 business days.
It’s available now here.
Can’t leave well enough alone
The 870 Tactical got stripped… then Cerakoted Gun Metal Grey.
The funny thing about this, was that I did it Saturday night… Sunday morning I woke up late. So I jumped into the shower, threw on some clothes, ran out to the Crusader Coating Laboratory and grabbed the gun. Inside, I just slapped all the parts together and we ran out to the Gun Show. Just before the show starts, I pick up the shotgun again and rack it. JAM. WTF? I look into the action and I see Magazine Spring. What? AAahahhh… I forgot the Magazine Follower. Ran back to Crusader HQ, there’s the follower sitting right on the work bench. I need a new follower though… I don’t like the cheap plastic one that comes stock in the Remingtons. Brownells offers a Stainless one that looks pretty good. I might do that one.
Also, that “Tactical Choke” as Remington calls it. It’s a breaching choke. Designed not for shooting – but for Breaching. I’m going to pop in an Improved Cylinder choke. Maybe a Modified. Maybe one of those extended ones. I like those.
Here’s the deal. HOW THE HELL DO YOU REALLY IMPROVE SOMETHING THAT IS FREAKING AWESOME AS IT IS? Crusader is doing it… A killer action job that makes the 870 just stupid slick…. but what else does it really need? What parts can we put on them (or the Mossberg) that is going to actually give you a tangible benefit that makes the weapon more effective and the user more efficient with it? There isn’t a lot. Oh, there’s tons of options for you… catalogs full of stuff. But what really works? Not much. But my mission is to find it.
ST-1 Treatment on an 870.
My 870 Tactical is now sporting Crusader’s ST-1 Treatment. We blasted Slipstream into the bolt mechanism, carrier and plate. The action bars were carefully stoned, polished, and then oiled with Slipstream. The results were dramatic. The Tactical now practically cycles its self like an assisted opening knife. It’s smoother than a Wingmaster or a BPS.
Armchair Quarterbacking: SIG SAUER
SIG has always been one of my favorite gun companies. I’ve said before that SIG is one of the three gun makers that I would bet my life on out of the box. Their handguns on the 22X series are world class. The P220 has been called “The Thinking Man’s .45.” And for good reason. It’s extremely accurate and reliable… a personal favorite as is the 228 and 229 pistols. I tend to equate SIG as being the Mercedes Benz of the handgun world. SIG’s 550 series of rifles is also top notch. Yet SIG is not without its flaws. What SIG makes themselves is generally pretty dang good… What SIG doesn’t make is where the problems lay. All except the P250 pistol.
The SIG P250 is an interesting idea that’s poorly executed. I’m not really a fan and I don’t think I’d actually buy one. Ever. But that’s just me.
The SIG Mosquito is also problematic. It too is a good idea that has less than stellar execution. It looks good, feels good… and just doesn’t quite work as any SIG should.
SIG’s name branded accessories… their holster, lights, laser combos… they just don’t quite work well enough to really warrant the SIG names. See, a long time ago Winchester whored out their name onto a lot of cheap Chinese made crap. SIG has evidently done the same. The SIG holster is a rather poor Serpa knockoff. Their lights either fail or burn through batteries too quickly.
If I were SIG’s CEO, Chairman, Ultimate and Final Decision Maker… Here’s what I’d do:
1. Discontinue the P250 and write it off as a loss. All remaining P250’s would be given to the NRA’s Training program. All of them. Or maybe to the SIG employees who want one. Write them all off for tax purposes.
2. The 2022 pistol needs a bit of work. It seems like an unfinished product. Such as the way the takedown pin sticks out a bit too far and the slide lock lever feels a bit too… chinsey
3. All the cheap items with the SIG name… they are all done. Gone. Instead of cheap crap… contract with those that actually make good products. Or just not bother with them at all, because those items are not in SIG’s mission. Simple as that. SIG makes fine weapons and SIG needs to concentrate on just that.
4. SIG needs to make a tactical shotgun to complete their line up.
5. Drop the Mosquito and bring back the Trailside.
6. Concentrate on Quality Control… above all else… quality.
If it cost the same per round…
A lot of guys have been arguing more and more passionately that 9mm is plenty good enough. They say that 9mm is tested out to be just fine… just as good… smaller and more rounds in the mag is better. I’m not going to argue that more rounds can be better than less rounds, but I’d argue that bigger rounds are better than smaller rounds. I wonder if the cost of each main stream auto handguns rounds were all the same low price… all the same as 9mm… if people wouldn’t be looking at the more potent rounds instead of the cheaper 9. I understand the economy sucks and money is tight everywhere. So a lot of guys are telling themselves Nine is Fine. Really? Is it?
9mm, .40, .45, .357SIG, 10mm… if they were all 12.99 a box of 5o for FMJ’s and 18.99 for 25 rounds of JHP’s. I think 9mm would fall out of favor pretty quick.
The Trials of 1905 found that they didn’t like the small caliber, so they went with .45. Recently the Army put out the Request for Proposal for a new gun that was basically “Not a Beretta in 9mm.” That request was later withdrawn, but the fact remains that the US Army isn’t all that tickled anymore with the smaller caliber.
Given my experiences with the 10mm cartridge, I could happily run 10 exclusively. I know MHI is all about the .45, but the MCB guys are happy with their 10’s. If the cost was indeed all the same, what would you run? Would you opt for 9?