Category Archives: Weapons

Weapons

CZ vs The High Power

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Don’t get me wrong here… I love the CZ 75, and clones.  The P-01 and SP-01’s are fantastic.   CZ does indeed deserve much love.

But not matter how good the CZ is… it’s a mere shadow of the awesomeness that is the High Power.   The High Power is the original design that the CZ apes.  The High Power, even in 9mm, is one of the greatest handguns of all time.  I know that Colonel Jeff Cooper spoke very highly of the CZ, laying on it much accolades… but I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Cooper was mistaken and he should have named the High Power as the advanced handgun that could unseat the 1911 as the next greatest thing ever.

Look at it… Similar single action function to the 1911.  High capacity.  Low recoil.  Attributes that many of the top shooters are advocating.  So many shooters are going for expensive custom 1911’s chambered in 9mm.  Efforts to regain what was there all along… in the High Power.

If I was sitting at a chair around the board table at CZ USA, a company that has listened to my suggestions before… I’d strongly suggest that they take the CZ75 platform, and not just many a single action only version for competition… But make a new High Power of it, suitable for Duty use. No magazine disconnect or brake, night sights, lock and load carry, and a higher capacity than the original.  Make it look like a High Power.  And put it out with those awesome grips that are on the SP-01 and P-01 pistols.

Weapons

Lever Flavors

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In one of the comments was the question… What Caliber for a Lever Gun?
This depends on the purpose of the gun. For just having fun, for defense, or for hunting big game? Really it comes down to a Rifle Caliber or a Pistol Caliber.
For a Rifle caliber, you have .30-30, .35 Remington, and .45-70.
For a Pistol caliber, you have .357, .44, .45, or .44-40.
Each option in either category has it’s following. For plinking and defense work, a pistol caliber will do just fine. The .357 is mild and most of those rifles can also run .38 Special. Loaded hot, .357 magnum can be a beast from a rifle barrel… making it just fine for any big game you want to take a bite out of. For defense it’s probably ideal. If you are going to let kids or delicate womenfolk who think they are too sensitive for anything stout shoot your gun, load those .38 Specials and it’s a pussycat.
Stepping up, I really like the .44 option. I’ve killed a lot meat with .44 Magnum out of a 16″ barrel and it’s a bigger push than .357, but very manageable and you can still shoot it fast. With full house loads I’ve made accurate hits out to 400 yards. With Cowboy Action loads, really downloaded lead heads, it’s spot on at 100 yards. I’d have to put an optic on it to really get the accurate out of it that the gun is capable of. But I don’t want to do that. Yet.
I’ve not been impressed with .45 Colt, and .44-40, while a great round, is not one I’ve spent any real time with… only a box or two over the years.
In the rifle options, you can take the biggest game in North America. The .30-30 is the classic and will do most anything you want unless you are Bear Country.
.35 Remington does better on bruin and elk, but has no popularity in the wide open western spaces. A great option for timber country. It shoots much like a .30-30 but does so with a bigger heavier bullet.  It’s a personal favorite as well, but in Utah they are as rare as hen’s teeth.  Hitting with a bigger bullet is always preferred over hitting with a small bullet – when it comes to making loud noises and breaking things.
That leaves .45-70 Government… the authority… the big stick. It can drop anything in North America that has a heart beat, but has some dramatic thump to it… I like the .45-70 a lot… and from recent posts, you guys already knew that.
So for general use and flexibility, I’d probably say a .357 Magnum is the one to go with. This was the original caliber I was looking for in a Rossi Lever with a 16″ barrel.  Waited a year for the .357 before I gave up. But I am glad I did, because I am truly loving the .44 Magnum.  For a tactical, defensive type rifle or a plinker to have fun with… I don’t think the .357 option can be beat.  If you can find one.

Weapons

Rossi M92 Carbine .44 Magnum

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I’ve spoken of it before… You guys know I have this little .44 Mag Carbine, an M92 Rossi.  It’s a simple Winchester 92 Clone.  Short 16″ barrel, lever action, really light and fast handling.  Super smooth thanks to multiple Slipstream applications.  It’s like melted butter on butter.

Shooting it, it is dead nuts on using 240 grain loads, specifically cowboy action loads, at 100 yards.  With 180 grain full house magnum loads, it hits like 4 feet high at 100.  Which actually puts it on for longer range shooting.  300 yards is very doable with this gun.  Shooting the cowboy loads, it’s a pussycat.  Real mild and pleasant.  It’s fun.  You break the shot, feel and hear the bang, and then… and then… you see and hear the impact of that 240 grains of lead smacking the target.  Hard.

It’s a blast.  So much fun, I could have gone through several boxes of shells in it… but I was being sparing with my ammo.  I am not yet ready to start reloading here.

I have to say that right now, at this moment, the M92 Carbine is my favorite rifle.

Weapons

Ruger’s New Guns.

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Ruger has announced a couple new guns.  Let’s take a look at them.

The new “All American Rifle”.  Link Here.  I don’t have anything good to say about this one.  Congratulations Ruger, you just made a Savage Axis.  Bravo.  But 10 bucks says the Savage has the better barrel.  Hopefully the stock is more rigid… more like TC Venture.  Hopefully it wont get a Recall like the TC Venture either.

The new SR-22 .22LR Pistol.  Link Here.   If it’s one thing Ruger has always done well, it’s making .22 Rimfires.  Rifles and Pistols.  Now, while this pistol looks a lot like a Walther P22 and Ruger has made an industry out of other people’s designs… (Just like the Soviets!) this SR-22 is a apparently, shockingly, a new design.  Given Ruger’s Rimfire history, I’d expect this pistol to be a good one.  Iffy trigger, but otherwise it should be solid, it will also probably have a reasonable retail price so it is one I’m looking forward to seeing.  Considering all the other Tactical .22 Pistols out there… The Walther P22, SIG’s Mosquito, and others… This will be a welcome new seat at the table.  Because right now, the Ruger Mk III pistols, Browning Buckmarks, Beretta NEOS pistols and the new ATI-GSG and SIG 1911 .22’s are the only Semi-Auto .22lr pistols worth buying.  That’s a thin selection.  I wish Ruger all the best with this one.

Weapons

Marlin 1895GBL

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New in box Marlin 1895GBL in .45-70. This is the first time I took it out.

This is the Guide Gun with the Big Loop Lever. Great looking gun, but has a hitch in the Lever mechanism. The Lever would not close the last 1/4″ some times. Sometimes it would, sometimes it would lock up and I’d have to work the lever a bit to get it to go. This problem got worse until it was almost intolerable.
After this video was shot, I did some work on it and smoothed it out with some Slipstream Weapon Lube from Crusader Weaponry… Slick as butter now.
Unfortunately the stock is loose and wont tighten, so before I shoot it anymore, I’m going to send it back to the factory so Marlin can fix it.
I’m happy with the gun, but at the same time, disappointed in Marlin for this stock. It has some good gaps and a lot of play even with the bolt tightened down all the way. That’s not cool. But then again, I purchased this Marlin knowing I’d probably have some sort of issue with it.
The ammo fired was Hornady’s LEVERevolution 325 grain load. Shoots like a pussycat.

Weapons

My Personal Guide

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I had to.  After shooting Evil Jim’s that bloody thing just wouldn’t get out of my head.

I had to join the Guide Gun Club. So I looked at what we had at the gun shop and I picked out this little thumper. It’s nothing fancy at all, just a Marlin 1895GBL in .45-70. It’s going to do just fine for my needs. The Guide Gun has always been a gun I’ve wanted since I’ve had just about all the others. Finally got my own.

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I might have to order some Wild West Guns sights for it… but other than that, I’m keeping it nice and simple and stock.  No rail, no red dot, no “Tactical”.  Just Old School Thumping Power.  Gotta love it.

Weapons

Magpul’s 870.

16 Comments

I’m pretty much a fan of Magpul and everything they have been trying to do.  They have made some very good stuff.
Now they have turned their attention to the classic and undying Remington 870 Shotgun.   I’m not sure if I’m on board with it.

At first, I thought it looked cool… But then as I looked at it, I started thinking that the Cadillac CTS-V styling just doesn’t work on the 870. I look at the 870 and feel that it’s more organic and the Magpul stuff is just too synthetic.  The stock looks like its too large and possibly heavy.  Awkward.  I don’t like the grip angle either.  It seems… I don’t know… off.   The MOE treatment is cool up front, but I would have hoped for a more CTR set up at the buttstock instead of what they got going on.