Category Archives: Weapons

Weapons

I may have been wrong. Maybe.

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At SHOT Show took a look at the brand new and shiny Kimber Solo 9mm.  At for some reason that I can’t put my finger on… I disliked it.  No, let me be clear.  I hated it.  I wouldn’t have one.  Even if it was gifted to me, I’d sell to some unfortunate nitwit who would think it was nifty and then I’d go buy something I liked more and could get more use out of… like blister cream or 8 Track tapes.

And now here it is, six months later.  To be honest, it’s grown on me.  I no longer hate it.  For some reason I can’t put my finger on… I kinda like it, and I wouldn’t mind having it.  But I’d still never actually buy it.

It’s… hmm… I’m searching for the right word for it… “Nice”.  It’s a nice little gun.   And perhaps that’s its problem from the start.  You see, a universally accepted good gun like a 1911 Commander .45 is great looking gun… beautiful, in the eyes of fellows like me.   At the same time it feels just gorgeous in the hand.  It fits.   It also looks like what a Weapon should look like… it looks like it’s going to destroy something, it just hasn’t decided who yet.  It has a form that’s based on it’s function and that function is to put large bullets through bad guys.

And this is where the Kimber Solo Nine Millimeter fails.  Even in the name, just say the name a few times out loud… it even just sounds “Nice”.  Like something Julie Andrews might have in her purse… it’s just well mannered and nice.  Or like something you might spread on a piece of toast.  It’s nice… Pleasant, without being fun or too interesting.   Like having a Brunch with your Grandmother… nice…  And that’s what put me off of the Solo.  It is completely lacking in Sex and Violence.

Julie Andrews approves of the Kimber Solo.

Now, if Kimber was to scale the Solo up… to say .45… then all the sudden it would become very interesting.  Or even something slightly different, like .357 SIG.  But just a 9mm?  Sure, it works… perfectly serviceable.  Certainly better than a .380… it’s nice.   But I won’t buy Nice.  Not for the price.  The thing is retailing for about $630 and for that much salad you have a world of other options that are less “nice” with more Sex and Violence.

Can you imagine the Solo in .357 SIG?  Kind of like a young Julie Andrews playing a lead role in a remake of Bound.  Proper, but she’s a dirty dirty girl behind closed doors.

Alternatives would be perhaps a Kahr MK9, or if you can find one, a Colt Pocket 9 – which I am still wanting one day.  A Springfield EMP9 would also be pretty cool.  But the Solo 9?  It just leaves me feeling less than satisfied.

I think I just might be the first gun writer that has compared a handgun to the star of Sound of Music… Well, at least not to Captain Von Trapp.

Crusader, Weapons

Considering a new AR build.

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I think I want another AR, build by Crusader Weaponry of course… but I think I’m going to do something a little different.

Being a Gun Counter guy at the best stocked gun counter in the western states, I see a lot of AR-15 builds in a lot of different configurations and normally I’ve just glossed over them, and everything in all the catalogs.  But there is one that I keep coming back to… it’s not one we’ve stocked… but the idea of it is sticking in my head like a naughty idea.  I keep looking at the Bushmaster MOE Dissipator.  What I like about it is the longer sight radius for when using irons… and the longer gas tube, which does come good things for the gun’s longevity.  Mostly a slightly lower cyclic rate which reduces wear and tear slightly.   What a great looking gun… and it fits the way I shoot.  I like that.  A lot.  I think I need a Crusader build along those lines.

Also along these lines, I’m about ready to just sell my Surefire Quad Rails and the Surefire Weapons Light, Mount, tape switch and everything.   Hell, I’m about ready to just trade someone straight across for an MOE handguard with 2 rail section and a MX3 light.  Weight.  I’m tired of the weight.   As much as I love my M4’s accuracy, I’m sick of lugging that thing.  It is a heavy beast.  Of course I have the heavy barrel as well, which isn’t helping, but at least I could trim some mass off my primary weapon… couldn’t hurt.  (BTW, this wasn’t a Crusader Build)

 

Crusader, Gear, Training, Weapons

Sealed Mindset and Crusader Weaponry

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Retired Navy Seal, Larry Yatch, is one of the most impressive men I’ve ever met. Great guy. He has started a very impressive training school called Sealed Mindset. We talked at SHOT Show together with Joe Chetwood about building a rifle for a friend of his. Evidently the gun was a success. We now build their guns built to their specs.

Guys, these are probably the most hard core AR-15’s we’ve ever built. No, strike that – they are the most hard core AR-15’s we’ve ever built. And these guns are exclusive to Sealed Mindset. We can’t sell them to you. If you want one, contact Sealed Mindset, and order one.  While you are there, sign up for a training class to go with it.

For more photos of these awesome guns, check them out here.

Weapons

Bullet Selection is important

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I talk about this with customers and knowledge seekers all the time. Caliber is a question that really doesn’t make such a huge difference as most cartridges are throwing the lead in a similar trajectory until you get into some extreme differences. So your old .30-06 vs .270 question is moot. Most guys get the bigger caliber and then shoot the cheapest bullets through it. This is not advisable. Your bullet selection plays an important, critical part. Because the rifle doesn’t make the kill. The bullet does. You need to match the bullet to what you want to kill with it.

Weapons

A quick look at “Tactical .22” rifles.

11 Comments

For some reason, this segment of the shooting community has exploded. Because evidently classic .22 shooting just isn’t cool enough anymore. You have guns like the Ruger 10/22, the Marlin Model 60, the Marlin 39A Lever Action, or something simple like one of the excellent CZ bolt actions…. but no… they are not “TACTICAL”. Let me tell you, the Lever Action was Tactical before the word was invented. Because if “Black with Rails” means Tactical then I guess it’s not. If Tactical means it can be applied with tactics, or if it’s user friendly and provides actual utility in different situations, then absolutely. Well, some folks think it’s all about the AmTracks… so we have to roll with as many rails as possible to be even more tactical. I mean, hell, we have Rails for our Rails because no one is making a gun with enough rails so we have to add more. Anyways, the rifles. Let’s take a quick look.

Continue reading A quick look at “Tactical .22” rifles. →

Crusader, Weapons

Man, I love the Sterling

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Tonight I did a Detailed Strip and Clean of my Crusader Sterling.  The more I “get to know” the Sterling, the more I respect it.  Any gun that makes a Mosin Nagant look complicated… I like it.

I have some ideas to help tweak the next batch of Sterlings… as soon as we’re ready to do that with our Upgrade we’re working on.  Still tweaking that.  So later this summer we’ll do another run of those I think.  August maybe.

I’m going to do some Sterling vids on Maintenance and Tactics.