Category Archives: Weapons

Crusader, Weapons

Glocks and AK’s.

29 Comments

Have to say, the guns I go to the most are Glocks, AK’s, and 870’s.
The 23 in .40, remains my most favored handgun for CCW.  The  model 20, in 10mm is coming in second.  The more I use the Glocks… the more I like them.  Not just an appreciation for the function… but liking them for the way they feel and point, the triggers…  The elegant simplicity of them… I just really like Glocks now.  I don’t know… maybe it’s the crash… but I really dig them and the more I’m around them, the 19 and 23’s stand out as the perfect handguns to me – even more so than the 1911 now.  Yup.  They crossed that line for me.  I like them more than 1911’s.  No they are not the prettiest, but they are still beautiful.  Kinda like the Girl Next Door that you grew up best friends with and there is that moment when you realize “You want that.”   That’s Glock.
My Crusader Kalashnikov is more and more my go to rifle.  I just really feel an attachment to it.  It suits me to a T.  It can hit.  It’s reliable.  Mag changes are getting much faster and everything is “Clicking”.  And I get more satisfaction out of running the Kalash well than running an AR well.
For the 870’s, my adopted Police Tactical is my favorite.  I have my other 870’s and they are cool and all… but something about that old wood furniture.  Nothing says I am going to “Jack You Up” like an old wood stocked gun… You just know you are going to get an old school beating.  The warmth it has when you handle it.  Wood is an under appreciated material to a whole generation of shooters and I find that a sad state.  Poly is fine – but Wood is finer.  Especially nice grained wood with character.  Again, Wood stocked guns have “Soul” that Poly guns just don’t have and never will.  They can’t.  I’ve said that before… And when I pick up that old Police Tactical… You can feel it has a History of Kicking Ass and all that experience is backing you up giving you some extra confidence.  A new 870 Tactical with a plastic stock – it’s like a new Police Rookie with his first pair of Mirrored Cop Shades.  The authority is there… maybe even the skill is there… But not the Character and Experience – that Soul just isn’t there.

These are my Guns of Choice.  What are yours?

Crusader, Weapons

An all Titanium AR.

6 Comments


I was asked if Crusader could do this. WHY? Crusader builds serious use guns. Titanium would be as much as an advantage in a fighting gun as Spinners would be on the Hubs of Police Cars. Besides, Titanium has some problems. Galling and Cold Welding being among them. The rifle according the Nemo’s site is almost 9 pounds. So instead of getting one of these, how about an armory full of Broadswords?
From the video, the guy says it is “Wildly impractical for the End User.”
Hey, if they want to known for making expensive useless crap… They just unlocked that achievement. Using Titanium just to say “It’s Titanium” is rather asinine. Titanium isn’t Magic. But that’s fine for them. Crusader will remain known for making seriously excellent guns and lubricants.

Weapons

Beretta and Uberti

9 Comments

Take a quick look at these.  A pair of SAA Clones.

At first glance, they look identical save for the Beretta’s little medallion in the grips.  There is a good reason for that.   Both are made by Uberti in Italy… Both are Spaghetti Westerns here.  However, the Beretta is imported by Beretta and the Uberti is imported by Stoeger for some reason.   What’s interesting is that the Beretta marked gun is less money.  What makes that so interesting?  The Beretta is the better gun by far.  Let me show you why.

Here you can see the grips if the Beretta very nicely. The way they should fit.
The wood grips on the Uberti have a bit of overlap that you can see and feel. Less comfortable in the hand too.
The Beretta uses a pretty standard, but well executed, Transfer Bar Safety, allowing you to easily load and carry in all six chambers.
The Uberti's firing pin on the hammer set up means you pack it with the hammer down on the empty chamber. Which is a good theory on safety, but leaves you will one less shot to fire.
You can see the seams between the panels. Not bad at all. That's a good fit and finish here. And that little medallion looks sharp.
Huh... Not so good.

What you can’t see in the photos is the FEEL.  The Beretta feels like it’s a much nicer gun.  It feels that way, because it really is.  I’d buy a Beretta easily over the Uberti, every day, every time.  The Uberti’s… not so much.  I like the clicks in the action as you pull the hammer back.

And here’s the kicker…

The Beretta is about 40 bucks less money.
Weapons

Still Love 1911’s

22 Comments

Still love the 1911.  In fact, this one particular handgun is probably my favorite pistol in the world. I brings joy and comfort to me when I just look at it… Warm fuzzies when I hold it… Bliss when I shoot it. As is… no modifications.  Just Use and Care and a bit of some Slipstream.  It runs very well when I use good magazines and shoot Ball ammo.

As much as I am fond of this gun… I do not consider it to be one of my Fighting Guns.  One of the guns that would be used should there be an unwanted/unexpected bump in the night.  I was issued a gun exactly like this one… it said Colt on it though.  But the feel, the weight, the wear marks… Fond memories of a time when I was lighter, faster, and younger.    But I’m wiser, and better looking now.  I still respect the 1911 and it’s History.  It still has a place in my heart, and it always will.  When I was on the ground and someone was aiming a weapon at me… it was a 1911 in my hand that stopped what could have come next.

While the 1911 was an epoch moment in handgunning, my chosen handgun is the second epoch… The Glock.  It’s an evolutionary leap, as was the 1911 when it was adopted by the US Army.  I very much look forward to the next leap forward.

Uncategorized, Weapons

Quiz: Shire to Mordor

15 Comments

Your backpack is full of all the essentials.  Your party is outside waiting for you.  You have a long walk ahead.  You open your Arms Locker… It is full of your life’s collection… all your favorites… with magazines and ammo to spare.  But you can only pick one, because you are going to have to carry it a very long way.

You don’t know what you will face… but you know that out there… outside the borders of The Shire… are dark horrible things and you could run into some or all of them.  Orcs, Trolls, Uruk-hai, Dunlendings, Goblins, Olog-hai, Easterlings, Wights, Wargs, Ring Wraiths, Nazgul, Skin-Changers, Giants, perhaps a Dragon and Balrog (with wings… because freaking Balrogs have wings, damnit), and if you are unlucky… a Tom Bombadil .

You reach in, grab the gun and head out.

What was it that you grabbed?

This was a question asked in the very early days of TheFiringLine.com… I remember it well because I thought about it a lot before I answered, and I have thought about it still since then.  My answer at the time was a Krinkov.  Smallish, Lightish, but reliable and potent.  I think it was a good answer then.  I think it’s a good answer still.

 

Weapons

The Chop Glock

5 Comments

When an old battered Glock got traded in, I had to get it.  It was in horrible condition and the trigger wouldn’t reset.  I replaced all the trigger parts and cleaned it out and Slipstreamed it.  It functions flawlessly now.

Glock 22 Chopped to 23 Length.

I cut the Grip Frame down from normal Glock 22 length to Glock 23 length so I can use both mags.  You can see the 22 Mags stick out a bit, but it’s functionally flawless.

With a G23 Mag locked in.

The G23 magazine locks in solid.  Reason for doing this is to make the Glock 22 more concealable. The result is like a Colt CCO or SIG C3.  Longer barrel and slide on a more compact frame.  Greater Concealment without sacrificing shootability, accuracy, or ballistics.  You can see in the second picture the grip is now devoid of texture.  Stippling will commence shortly.  I find it’s best to sand the grips to make a nice blank canvas to work on.  One gets better results that way.  It also narrows the grip a bit, making it feel nice and danty.

You can see the Prior Owner tried to make the slide look Stainless.  This didn’t work so well.  The slide will have to be media blasted and Cerakote finished.  I’m thinking a Dark Gray color.

Weapons

Colts and 1911’s

8 Comments

I spend a good portion of the day cleaning up a bunch of handguns at the gun store. Some Smiths and such… And a couple of Colts. I’ve come to appreciate the Colts more. The way they are designed and built is very clever and well done. From an old Police Positive to a Python, they are impressive machines. What I didn’t like about them was the very rough machining in hidden non-critical areas. These had some of the worst tool marks and hacked finishes I’ve seen on this side of a Mosin Nagant… But then in the working areas and exterior finishes it’s the best I’ve ever seen. I really liked the little Colt Cobra. Light weight, small, what a gem.
About the 1911’s. I am growing to like them less and less… As serious use guns. Don’t get me wrong… I love them for what they are, and cherish the one 1911 that I have that reminds me of my darkened and probably best forgotten past… But it does still give me the warm fuzzies. But if I hear a bump in the night it isn’t a gun I would grab. I’m becoming more and more of a Glock Guy. By that I don’t mean just Glocks specifically, but all of the newer polymer double stacked striker fired pistols for the purpose of dedicated fighting guns. For serious use, would take one over any 1911 any day.

Weapons

Lever Action Collection

17 Comments

A fellow that shall not be identified has brought in his gun collection for liquidation.  Here are just some of the guns.

Winchester Commemoratives, some in .30-30, others in .38-55. Yes, this photo makes an awesome Wallpaper!

If there are any guns you want – Please come to Basin Sports in Vernal Utah, 511 West Main Street.  You have got to see these for yourself.  If you want to pay for one over the phone to have it shipped to your Dealer – Dude, I wouldn’t recommend it.  Some of these guns have the original boxes and they are DELICATE.

Weapons

S&W M&P Shield

10 Comments


Smith’s new Shield pistol is going to be a rare find this year… but if you stumble on one – SNAG IT.

It’s very compact, but because of the magazine extension, you can actually get a good solid grip on the weapon.

It’s narrow, but not too skinny as to be awkward.  M&P Lines, so it looks like an M&P, not an upsized Bodyguard… Being a Striker fired gun, it’s all M&P genetics here.  The safety lever is the only wart, but it’s a very unobtrusive one… which means actually using the safety lever is more difficult and of course completely useless.  This is a Bodyguard trait that should have been erased.

Right now, they are out in 9mm.  But they have already gone out to the allotted dealers.  If you see one and pass on it… good luck finding another one in 2012…

It’s kind of like an M&P Compact’s anorexic little sister.

The magazine holds 8, so you are not giving up much on the M&P Compact.  They said they improved the trigger of the standard M&P’s trigger… and that’s true.  They did.  But there are already people out there working on an Improved Improved trigger for it.

It’s not a straight up Single Stack… it does have a slight stagger to it.  This is why it gets as many rounds as it has, and feeds well, and gives you a bit of a funnel for a quicker reload when you need it.

Overall, I’m impressed.  S&W’s M&P line up is all excellent stuff and this gun is no different.  Let’s see, there is the new SIG 938 and the new Beretta Nano, the newest of the Sub Compact Slim Nines… The SIG is a mini 1911 and thus in a class by its self… the Nano is a Double Action.  So while not a real Apples to Apples gun, the Shield smokes it.  The only thing really like the Shield is the Walther PPS and I think the Shield is a much better pistol.  It feels better in the hand, better trigger, and feels like a more solid built gun.   And, I believe, the Shield is less money  These are about 400 bucks and the PPS is, if I remember, about 500.  That’s enough left over for a very nice holster.