Damn it, Man. I don’t need a new 1911 .45. No, I don’t. Why do I need another one?
Tag Archives: Guns
I may have been wrong. Maybe.
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.
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.
Sealed Mindset and Crusader Weaponry
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.
How to buy a new gun and not get killed by the wife
Mossberg 930 SPX, lets get critical.
At the gunshop I work at, we got in more of the Mossberg 930 SPX tactical shotguns. Even though they have had a huge surge in popularity, they are the same price as they were before. About 600 bucks. They have improved the SPX slightly. For one, they gave the SPX a larger bolt handle, which is a large improvement. They they screwed in a Sling Swivel Stud so you can put on a sling. Thanks, that’s a nice touch… but it’s not enough. I have some complaints about the SPX that I’d like to see Mossberg take a good hard look.
I sell these things for a living, that’s what I do. And a lot of the serious shooters out there just can’t take Mossberg’s semi auto seriously, and will buy a gun that’s 400 bucks more money. Why is that and what can be done to fix it?
1. The forward handguard feels loose. It doesn’t feel solid and secure. This gives the whole gun a cheeper, lesser quality feeling. I know the gun is good, but when the handguard is shifting around, it’s hard to convince someone that’s it’s okay. A tactical shotgun should be as solid as a Louisville Slugger. Mossberg just hasn’t got this yet.
2. This new aftermarket sling swivel stud looks like someone just screwed it on before they took a lunch break. That just screams chinsey. A simple bracket like what Wilson Combat sells would work perfectly, look cool, and would be easier and better to use for those who use shotguns for serious purposes… like… who you’re selling the SPX to.
3. It doesn’t come with a mount for a pistol light. The addition of a simple bracket around the mag-tube and barrel that puts a short rail up front would go a long way. Instead you (Mossberg) are forcing your customers to go buy that part from someone else. You make that part and you sell that part.
4. No chokes. What makes a Shotgun so great is it’s versatility. With removable chokes, an operator can tune his gun and load in together for whatever situation. This is one of the main reasons I sell tactical shotguns that are 400 bucks more. Serious shooters want to be able to use the right shell for the job, and if they don’t have the ability to change out a choke tube, then that’s a handicap. A big one.
If Mossberg does these few things… the 930 SPX can be transformed from a “Great gun for The Money” into a World Class gun for Serious Shooters.
Grudgingly respecting Ruger
I love to put a hate on for Ruger. I just don’t like them as a company and I dislike most of what they do… Yet I have to give them some respect, even if I don’t want to.
.338 Lapua is so super awesome!
We hear a lot of questions about the .338 Lapua cartridge. It get’s almost religious-like hushed tones when most guys talk about it. It gets so much attention, even out here in the Uintah Basin, that when people around here talk about a .338, they are talking about the Lapua round.
Let’s take a look at the most common .338’s here in my neck of the woods.
Marlin’s looking good again?
We got in a couple new Marlins from the factory. One of them is a big loop Guide Gun. Guys, I have to tell you… it looks good. None of the shoddy fitting like in the past. None of the shabby wood like in the past. Everything on it looks and feels good. Like a Marlin should. And this isn’t just one shippment. The last one looked good too, so this isn’t a fluke event.
Now, don’t hold me to it, and don’t hold your breath…. but I’m hopeful that Marlin has fixed their QC issues and is now making good guns again.
The Circuit Judge
I really want to like the Rossi Circuit Judge, especially if they would offer it in .44 or .357, which they’ve not done yet. I’m a Die Hard .410 Hater. I sweat to God I’ll never like those, and if I do – please smack me upside the head with a Hockey Stick. Anyways, we’ve seen some issues with the Circuit Judge. The Grip-Stock is blocking shell ejection. We’ve just had to take one back because an attempted speed reload resulted in a bent ejector. It was too easy to bend and too easy to bend back. That’s not cool. That needs to be strengthened. The grip-stock also needs to be redesigned so as to allow it to clear ejecting shells.
I think the swing out cylinder is awkward on these things. The package is nice enough… a light and handy revolving carbine… it’s cool. It really is. But the Circuit Judge is a poor execution of the concept. I’d rather see a Revolving Carbine based on a Peacemaker action – which actually makes more sense than anything, or better yet, a Top Break. I bet a custom gunsmith could take one of those Uberti Top Breaks and make it into a revolving carbine pretty easily.
Light for Caliber
I often get emails asking about what loads to use in what guns… Handguns and Rifles. There is a lot of considerations for what load to shoot, and often the load selection is even more important than the choice of platform to launch it from.
For handguns, I generally like to go Light for Caliber. Picking the lighter load options rather than the more popular heavy options. Reason being, I like velocity in my handguns, which often provides more hydrodynamic reaction that gives more consistent bullet expansion. Take the lightest options, try them, and only go heavier if accuracy is suffering in the light loads. I’ve found that quite often the light to medium shoot the more accurate than the heavier loads, but every gun is different and yours might be different, so you have to try it all out for yourself.
Now, for Rifles… I like the Medium to Heavy bullets for caliber because the heavier ones tend to offer then higher ballistic coefficient numbers that I want for longer range shots.
This is just the way I roll… it’s what works for me… Your mileage may differ.