SMALL CARRYING GUNS...

That's what my friend Max was talking about today. I got the new Henry Repeating Arms catalog in the mail, and have been keeping one eye on the web for when the Henry Mare's Leg in .22 becomes available. Max must have been watching the work mailboxes, because he came in this afternoon to have a look at the Henry catalog.

Max talked about wanting to have one of the full size Henry lever actions, and we discussed our experiences with the various guns in their line. Max reminded me that in the olden days, Henry rifles didn't have a fore end stock under the barrel, and that you had to wear gloves to shoot it. I know the Golden Boy I shot last year didn't have enough of a fore end for me, and I found myself choked up when shooting it because my left arm was way further back then normal.

I had sent Max an email this morning of some cut and paste from the Shot Show 2011 going on in Vegas this week that I got from the Gunblast coverage. I think the Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle is fine, although I don't have a need for one, it doesn't stop me from thinking that's a gun I'd like to have.

I'm interested in hearing about the Sig Sauer P290, a single stack thin 9mm carry weapon. I'm hoping it has a more traditional Sig Sauer DAO firing system, and not that of a reworked P250. The P250 shoot extremely accurately but not too well, because of the multiple FTF's I experienced with new ammo in Billy Ray's P250. I just don't think the combo striker/hammer fired P250 has enough get up and go to ignite tough primers, whereas a hammer or striker fired gun with a solid operation has no issues with this ammo.

From talking about the Sig Sauer P290, Max and I morphed the conversation into the search for the perfect carry weapon. Max indicated his next gun purchase, that being after the Tikka rifle he just bought, was going to be a small gun for carrying.

Max is not known for liking small guns. Like everyone else, he owns a Smith and Wesson J frame, in the Centennial variety, but Max favors K frame and L frame .357's. And even though they are snubbies, well, they're still big guns. Max bought his wifey a S&W 9mm, one of the new ones, and although he likes that, he hasn't taken that gun over or gotten his own.

We talked of the merits of the newer thin 9's from Walther, Sig, Para-Ordinance and several other makers. Max keeps trying to move the conversation back to the S&W line of 9's, even though he's apparently not interested in buying one of those for himself, while I keep asking the perpetual question of when will Glock do what they did to the Model 36 and create a like sized, but much thinner, 9mm single stack Glock for carrying.

And that's where we ended the conversation. Where it almost always ends.