Over at The Firearms Blog, which you'll find in my blog roll, there's a post about a great new Glock ad, GLOCK- CONFINDENCE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE. Check it out, it's a great ad indeed.
That's the thing about Glocks, particularly if you're into various types of handguns either current models or older semi-autos or revolvers. I love the 1911, the HK P7 as well as Colt and Smith and Wesson revolvers. But I would grab a Glock 21 if it were a one gun choice, and that's almost under any circumstance.
A six inch Colt Python, followed by a series 70 Government model, come in third and fourth respectively. What's the second choice, you ask? A Glock 19. Enough said on my humble opinion of Glocks.
I'm still curious about the print ad Glock ran some time ago where Gunny was telling of meeting a PH (professional hunter, as in generally African big dangerous game professional hunters) or a PH assistant who had been carrying a Glock in the field for 20 years or so. Gunny offered him a brand new Glock and apparently the fellow refused stating his pistol had served him well and basically it still had a lot of miles to go on it. He was very happy with it and as I recall, indicated it had saved his life on more than one occasion.
So I'm curious as to what model Glock that is. Based on my experience with Glocks, it could be any model as far as reliability and performance, but I'm curious what caliber he's using to stop charging dangerous game in Africa, because it would seem like that's a good caliber to consider having around.
As I've written previously, I shot competitively with a Model 21 for a number of years in the early 90's. My initial appearance with one of the first Model 21's in Houston was not universally appreciated at the particular shooting club I was in. The 1911'ers hooted and hollered about hi cap mags and this and that, and when it came down to playing by their rules and frequent mag changes, some began to see the beauty of a then newly introduced and high priced $600 gun that was out shooting their several thousand dollar customed out to the max 1911s.
After a few months, half the group was shooting Model 21's and leaving their fancy 1911's at home. I sold my race guns, and never looked back. I still love shooting and carrying 1911's, but for a one gun forever choice, it'd be the 21. I shoot it well even though the grip is too big for me (the SF is a BIG improvement for me personally) but it seems I forget all about the ill fitting grip when I'm shooting. Any Glock makes me a better shot than what I am with other guns, and many friends of mine maintain the same.
So I have a lot of history with Glocks, and I'm glad to see that they're concerned with consumer sales.
Maybe that means they'll start listening to the masses of Glock fanatics on various sites and blogs and forums who want a slim 9mm Glock, a 5.7 Glock and a really slim .22 LR Glock, not to mention the clamor for a Glock rifle of various sorts.
That's not too much to ask for from a great company like Glock, is it?
Monday, September 10, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
A VISIT TO A GUN SHOW
For the first time in years, I went to a gun show today. A friend had a booth there, and it's a part time gig I'm thinking about entering into in the future. A brick and mortor gun store would be great, but a used gun internet and gun show emporium would certainly have much lower start up costs. The upside to the brick and mortor gun store is that you get the walk-in sales of used guns from folks, sometimes at bargain prices. That's what I'm particularly interested in dealing in is used revolvers and autos and some long guns.
It was one of the smaller gun shows I've ever been to. Some of the old ones in Houston took hours to quickly peruse, but this one took about an hour of slow deliberate looking and a couple of second looks. I was disappointed in the mostly generic stuff you can find cheaper at any store like Academy or even at some of the gun stores I patronize. Some of the dealers, of course, had outrageous prices compared to the other booths at the show, and compared to most gun shops. I wonder how these guys make money because there was no business going on at the very outrageously priced new item dealers.
I saw lots of sales going on with the reasonably priced dealers and not so much if at all with the high priced folks. I'm guessing that gun purchasers do use the internet and do shop other stores and look at gun auction sites and are aware the east nowadays of buying a gun anywhere in the US and having it shipped for a fee on both ends to a local FFL dealer to then legally transfer it to you.
So it baffles me why these guys are selling new Glocks for $750 without night sights when any fool can get one for a couple of hundred less at any number of locales, and with some good shopping or a sale can get one at around $500 (less even with a LE discount from some dealers).
There were other booths selling new guns only, and they had either the standard decent gun store prices or sometimes even screaming deal prices. For instance, one dealer had great prices on Baikal shotguns and WASR rifles (one next door selling the same rifle for twice what this guy had them going for, and the low priced guy was moving them out the door).
One booth that was really great was a couple of young gunsmiths who do Glocks and AR's. They've got good training and had plenty of their products on had. I was particularly taken by the special grip inlay they had done on a Model 17 that had a full panopoly of modifications. They took a miniature Texas Ranger style badge (five points in a circle), which is basically a 1/2" diameter tie-tac sized type deal and inset it firmly and smoothly into the grip. You couldn't feel it at all when you gripped the gun.
The badge was inscribed In Memory of ...(a fallen LE officer) (I'm so sorry I forgot the young man's name but he wasn't from my area) and was very nice looking. They had also put what I think were Arotek sights on the gun, a small low profile rear peep sight I found to be very conducive to grabbing a quick sight picture in looking at it. The gun grip had their grip reduction treatment as well as a new stippling applied, which appeared to be the soldering iron method, but was perhaps the best I've ever seen in terms of both grip reduction and retexturing.
The guns also featured their smithing work on the actions and polishing all parts, etc. I'll say this, it was the best trigger I've ever used on a Glock, and I love the uniformity of Glock triggers. This was not a lighter pull, but a smooth pull of the the same approximate weight as the stock Glock factory pull but with a smooth take up.
I've got no problems with the Glock trigger so when I do take them a gun for some work I won't have the firing mechanism worked on, other than to be, as Xavier says on his blog, buffed and fluffed. I'm not unhappy with the grip finish on my Gen 3 Glocks, and I'm not entirely convinced that the grip reduction results in a significant different in the size of the grip. Rather, I think of it as more of a "SF" (short frame) type adjustment like the big caliber glocks have.
I was impressed, as I said, with their work on the inlay. It was solid and very nicely done. So at the very least, I'd like to find me a mini-badge like that and have it inlaid into the grip on both sides. I'd also like a set of those peep sights like I saw. They were nice sights and fit into the stock Glock sight grooves.
There were a couple of reasonably priced booths that I found a couple of interesting guns at.
The first gun I took a liking to was a Remington 1100 with an 18" barrel and a pistol grip. $299 out the door and the gun was in great internal and external condition. The hard plastic pistol grip was a cheapo, and would be better replaced with a Pachmayr or even a cut down pistol grip from an 1100 wood stock. It was tempting, and I might have to go back with about $250 cash.
There was a nice .22 magnum Automag II in I guess very good condition, overpriced a bit at $750. That's the second Automag II I've seen this year, the other being in an obsolete caliber, the 9mm Magnum. I'd never even heard of that caliber, and was an avid gun magazine reader back then and a fan of the Automag II. As I recall, and I could be wrong, they also made the Automag II in .30 caliber, which would be an interesting gun to shoot and own. Heck, I'd buy an M-1 to match it if I could find one at a decent price.
I'm always on the lookout for a 1960's-70's Marlin bolt action .22 tube magazine gun. I did run into one that was of probably 1950's vintage, but the safety lever knob was broken off and he wouldn't come down off of the premium price he had on it. I've got one from my youth, and I've about shot the rifling out of it. Not quite, but it's had "many" rounds through it in the 50 years since my dad bought it when I was a mere child. I've run into a few every now and then, but they've always been rougher than the one I have, and I'd like a nice one.
I found a very interesting customized Marlin 45-70 lever action. It looked to have been Magnaported but the interesting thing about it was that the muzzle break or whatever the 3" long portion on the end of the barrel that had three ports on each side was, this portion was permanantly attached to the barrel of the gun, which looked to be maybe 13" long, giving an overall legal length of 16". This muzle brake was just a wee bit wider than the barrel itself. It also had a nice set of sights on it.
In fact, the end of the barrel looked almost to have been milled from the same piece of metal as the barrel. Neither was threaded, and there was no gap I could see even with glasses on. It was in excellent condition for $650 out the door.
I saw a new Rossi Ranch Hand (although not the chopped down Steve McQueen model but an 18" barrel fully stocked lever action carbine) .410 lever action for under $300. Very tempting. Marlin makes a similar gun and markets it occasionally through Cabela's.
I saw a bunch of reasonably priced Marlin 336's both with and without scopes.
Finally got to handle the Sig Model 938, the 9mm cousin to the mini-1911 .380 Sig introduced several years ago. It's a nice sized gun and I'd like to have one. It looks fun. The Nightmare was (over)priced at $750 and the Extreme at $799. I nice sized mini 9mm that with the extended magazine fits my hand just right.
I saw a couple of the old Llama mini-1911 clones in .380 in great shape. I'd really like to have one of those in .22 but didn't see any of those.
The parts booths there were limited to magazines and AR accessories. And tons and tons of knives. Unfortunately, none of the booths had any decent Boy/Cub scout knives, marlin spike knives, or any Puma Bowie, White Hunter or Sea Hunter knives to look at, as those are on my radar screen right now.
I also didn't see any of the real cool folding stainless steel fishing knives Puma used to make, which like the combo guns I was hoping to see I didn't find, with the big round steel ball on one end because the knife had a built in fishing weight scale.
There were not any AK accessory boths, nor did I see even 1 Mosin-Nagant related item or gun. I was looking for a side-folder wooden stock for an AK and alas, no one had any AK stuff other than mags for sale.
I only saw a couple of SKS's that were reasonably priced NIB Norincos from the early 1990's. I saw some mini-Draco's double priced at $799.
To my utter dismay, there were only a couple of combo rifle/shotguns at the show, and both were rimfire which is not what I was looking for. I was looking for a Savage Model 24, ideally in a 20 gauge but at this point I'd take a 12 and shoot low recoil shells out of it, with either a .223, .357 or a .30-30 centerfire barrel.
The 20 gauge frame for the Savage 24 is significantly lighter than the 12 gauge frame, making a lighter gun to carry afield. Although I have several 12 gauges, I pretty much exclusively shoot 20's nowadays. My last little recent foray with 200 rounds of 12 gauge through an admittedly very nice Remington 870 left me way too sore to fly fish later that day. Or the next.
So the 20 is the ticket for me. Foolishly, I say, foolishly last year I passed up a rare Savage 24 combo in .357 over 20 and it was actually at a decent price. How much better could that get for a lightweight field rifle, since you can load a .357 pretty hot in a nice rifle and get right up near a .30-30, and you could carry matching ammo with a .357 revolver and have the option of lower powered and cheaper .38 specials.
The gun auction sites right now are loaded with .222/20 or 12 Savage combos and this is certainly an acceptable caliber but the ammo is much more expensive than .223.
Although the .357 variant would be a catch, the low recoil .30-30 loads out now give an option for when you don't want a full kicking load but still give pretty good brush-busting performance and they made a whole lot more of the .30-30 Savage's than they did the .357's.
In the end, I found a cheap deal on a very nice belt holster for a SAA with a 5" barrel. New and $20 and made by a fellow retiring from the leather business due to arthritis. I've got one of his other holsters I picked up used about 15 years ago in a gunshop in Houston, a sorta Doc Holiday western style shoulder holster but for a modern Colt Detective Special. I recognized his stamp on his leather today and ended up having a nice conversation with him.
And if you spot a Savage 24 combo with a centerfire barrel atop of it at your local gun store, please let me know where it is.
It was one of the smaller gun shows I've ever been to. Some of the old ones in Houston took hours to quickly peruse, but this one took about an hour of slow deliberate looking and a couple of second looks. I was disappointed in the mostly generic stuff you can find cheaper at any store like Academy or even at some of the gun stores I patronize. Some of the dealers, of course, had outrageous prices compared to the other booths at the show, and compared to most gun shops. I wonder how these guys make money because there was no business going on at the very outrageously priced new item dealers.
I saw lots of sales going on with the reasonably priced dealers and not so much if at all with the high priced folks. I'm guessing that gun purchasers do use the internet and do shop other stores and look at gun auction sites and are aware the east nowadays of buying a gun anywhere in the US and having it shipped for a fee on both ends to a local FFL dealer to then legally transfer it to you.
So it baffles me why these guys are selling new Glocks for $750 without night sights when any fool can get one for a couple of hundred less at any number of locales, and with some good shopping or a sale can get one at around $500 (less even with a LE discount from some dealers).
There were other booths selling new guns only, and they had either the standard decent gun store prices or sometimes even screaming deal prices. For instance, one dealer had great prices on Baikal shotguns and WASR rifles (one next door selling the same rifle for twice what this guy had them going for, and the low priced guy was moving them out the door).
One booth that was really great was a couple of young gunsmiths who do Glocks and AR's. They've got good training and had plenty of their products on had. I was particularly taken by the special grip inlay they had done on a Model 17 that had a full panopoly of modifications. They took a miniature Texas Ranger style badge (five points in a circle), which is basically a 1/2" diameter tie-tac sized type deal and inset it firmly and smoothly into the grip. You couldn't feel it at all when you gripped the gun.
The badge was inscribed In Memory of ...(a fallen LE officer) (I'm so sorry I forgot the young man's name but he wasn't from my area) and was very nice looking. They had also put what I think were Arotek sights on the gun, a small low profile rear peep sight I found to be very conducive to grabbing a quick sight picture in looking at it. The gun grip had their grip reduction treatment as well as a new stippling applied, which appeared to be the soldering iron method, but was perhaps the best I've ever seen in terms of both grip reduction and retexturing.
The guns also featured their smithing work on the actions and polishing all parts, etc. I'll say this, it was the best trigger I've ever used on a Glock, and I love the uniformity of Glock triggers. This was not a lighter pull, but a smooth pull of the the same approximate weight as the stock Glock factory pull but with a smooth take up.
I've got no problems with the Glock trigger so when I do take them a gun for some work I won't have the firing mechanism worked on, other than to be, as Xavier says on his blog, buffed and fluffed. I'm not unhappy with the grip finish on my Gen 3 Glocks, and I'm not entirely convinced that the grip reduction results in a significant different in the size of the grip. Rather, I think of it as more of a "SF" (short frame) type adjustment like the big caliber glocks have.
I was impressed, as I said, with their work on the inlay. It was solid and very nicely done. So at the very least, I'd like to find me a mini-badge like that and have it inlaid into the grip on both sides. I'd also like a set of those peep sights like I saw. They were nice sights and fit into the stock Glock sight grooves.
There were a couple of reasonably priced booths that I found a couple of interesting guns at.
The first gun I took a liking to was a Remington 1100 with an 18" barrel and a pistol grip. $299 out the door and the gun was in great internal and external condition. The hard plastic pistol grip was a cheapo, and would be better replaced with a Pachmayr or even a cut down pistol grip from an 1100 wood stock. It was tempting, and I might have to go back with about $250 cash.
There was a nice .22 magnum Automag II in I guess very good condition, overpriced a bit at $750. That's the second Automag II I've seen this year, the other being in an obsolete caliber, the 9mm Magnum. I'd never even heard of that caliber, and was an avid gun magazine reader back then and a fan of the Automag II. As I recall, and I could be wrong, they also made the Automag II in .30 caliber, which would be an interesting gun to shoot and own. Heck, I'd buy an M-1 to match it if I could find one at a decent price.
I'm always on the lookout for a 1960's-70's Marlin bolt action .22 tube magazine gun. I did run into one that was of probably 1950's vintage, but the safety lever knob was broken off and he wouldn't come down off of the premium price he had on it. I've got one from my youth, and I've about shot the rifling out of it. Not quite, but it's had "many" rounds through it in the 50 years since my dad bought it when I was a mere child. I've run into a few every now and then, but they've always been rougher than the one I have, and I'd like a nice one.
I found a very interesting customized Marlin 45-70 lever action. It looked to have been Magnaported but the interesting thing about it was that the muzzle break or whatever the 3" long portion on the end of the barrel that had three ports on each side was, this portion was permanantly attached to the barrel of the gun, which looked to be maybe 13" long, giving an overall legal length of 16". This muzle brake was just a wee bit wider than the barrel itself. It also had a nice set of sights on it.
In fact, the end of the barrel looked almost to have been milled from the same piece of metal as the barrel. Neither was threaded, and there was no gap I could see even with glasses on. It was in excellent condition for $650 out the door.
I saw a new Rossi Ranch Hand (although not the chopped down Steve McQueen model but an 18" barrel fully stocked lever action carbine) .410 lever action for under $300. Very tempting. Marlin makes a similar gun and markets it occasionally through Cabela's.
I saw a bunch of reasonably priced Marlin 336's both with and without scopes.
Finally got to handle the Sig Model 938, the 9mm cousin to the mini-1911 .380 Sig introduced several years ago. It's a nice sized gun and I'd like to have one. It looks fun. The Nightmare was (over)priced at $750 and the Extreme at $799. I nice sized mini 9mm that with the extended magazine fits my hand just right.
I saw a couple of the old Llama mini-1911 clones in .380 in great shape. I'd really like to have one of those in .22 but didn't see any of those.
The parts booths there were limited to magazines and AR accessories. And tons and tons of knives. Unfortunately, none of the booths had any decent Boy/Cub scout knives, marlin spike knives, or any Puma Bowie, White Hunter or Sea Hunter knives to look at, as those are on my radar screen right now.
I also didn't see any of the real cool folding stainless steel fishing knives Puma used to make, which like the combo guns I was hoping to see I didn't find, with the big round steel ball on one end because the knife had a built in fishing weight scale.
There were not any AK accessory boths, nor did I see even 1 Mosin-Nagant related item or gun. I was looking for a side-folder wooden stock for an AK and alas, no one had any AK stuff other than mags for sale.
I only saw a couple of SKS's that were reasonably priced NIB Norincos from the early 1990's. I saw some mini-Draco's double priced at $799.
To my utter dismay, there were only a couple of combo rifle/shotguns at the show, and both were rimfire which is not what I was looking for. I was looking for a Savage Model 24, ideally in a 20 gauge but at this point I'd take a 12 and shoot low recoil shells out of it, with either a .223, .357 or a .30-30 centerfire barrel.
The 20 gauge frame for the Savage 24 is significantly lighter than the 12 gauge frame, making a lighter gun to carry afield. Although I have several 12 gauges, I pretty much exclusively shoot 20's nowadays. My last little recent foray with 200 rounds of 12 gauge through an admittedly very nice Remington 870 left me way too sore to fly fish later that day. Or the next.
So the 20 is the ticket for me. Foolishly, I say, foolishly last year I passed up a rare Savage 24 combo in .357 over 20 and it was actually at a decent price. How much better could that get for a lightweight field rifle, since you can load a .357 pretty hot in a nice rifle and get right up near a .30-30, and you could carry matching ammo with a .357 revolver and have the option of lower powered and cheaper .38 specials.
The gun auction sites right now are loaded with .222/20 or 12 Savage combos and this is certainly an acceptable caliber but the ammo is much more expensive than .223.
Although the .357 variant would be a catch, the low recoil .30-30 loads out now give an option for when you don't want a full kicking load but still give pretty good brush-busting performance and they made a whole lot more of the .30-30 Savage's than they did the .357's.
In the end, I found a cheap deal on a very nice belt holster for a SAA with a 5" barrel. New and $20 and made by a fellow retiring from the leather business due to arthritis. I've got one of his other holsters I picked up used about 15 years ago in a gunshop in Houston, a sorta Doc Holiday western style shoulder holster but for a modern Colt Detective Special. I recognized his stamp on his leather today and ended up having a nice conversation with him.
And if you spot a Savage 24 combo with a centerfire barrel atop of it at your local gun store, please let me know where it is.
Monday, September 3, 2012
COOPER AND AYOOB ON CLOSE RANGE BEAR AND LION HANDGUNS OF LAST RESORT
The current Guns and Ammo magazine has an inset with a Jeff Cooper-ism about close range bear fighting.
As any regular reader knows, I'm a big trout fisherman and am very interested in relocating to are area slightly north of Texas (I know, I thought I would never utter those words) with relatively mild winters, MUCH MILDER SUMMERS and lots of smallmount and trout fishing. Trout also generally mean bear and various types of lions and lynx and cats, with bears being either black bear or grizzlys.
I have no desire to hunt a bear, but believe in being prepared if fishing in bear territory. And I do strongly desire the temperate changes that we'd accomplish if we moved to a more mountainous area.
We were actually in bear country a couple of weeks ago, but one person I spoke with said black bears in that part of Arizona were rare but not totally unusual when fishing in creeks or mountain lakes in the forested areas of the wonderful National Forest we were at. My source said that cats were more prevalent.
I'm no scholar on Cooper and his writings, but I was surprised that he was recommending a .357 snubbie in 2002 at a Gunsite seminar on bear defense. Going for the brain shot to the bear or lion, he said, at contact range, with solid projectiles.
Apparently it was quoted in Guns and Ammo in 2002 as well, and this link provides basically the same quote I read today:
Jeff Cooper and in Sept. 2002 issue of Guns & Ammo he says:
(beginning of comments)
"A "bear defense" course was recently held at Gunsite and turned up a couple of interesting points. One is that sheer power will not do. If you are in real danger from a bear, he will be on top of you, and what you need is penetration. Once a bear has got you down-or a lion, for that matter-you have to brain him, and you must do that at contact distance. A .357 snubby, using a very hard, sharp-pointed bullet, would seem to be the answer. I have a friend who went this route while attempting to photograph a lion. He used a Super .38 auto, and while he survived, he will never again have full use of his left hand."
You can find the thread that quote appears in on this Glock Talk thread.
The interesting aspect of Cooper's opinion is that he's not recommending his extra-favorite pistol of all times, the 1911, for this down and dirty kind of work. He's recommending the .357 and a snubbie at that over all other guns available at the time of his comment, which was attributed to 2002. That means some great heavy duty firearms had already come and gone, as with the Automag and the Wildey.
Back in 2002, I guess you had stalwarts like the Blackhawk and the Model 29 in .44 Magnum and the Desert Eagle in .50 caliber. Some of the Freedom Arms single action guns in the Casull caliber or perhaps the behemoth Ruger and Smith and Wesson large snubbies in some "bigger than .44 Magnum" caliber. Likewise, you had the Glock Model 20 in 10mm, which is sort of well seen on the hips of many hunting guides I hear tell.
All of the above guns, plus guns like the 1911 in .45 ACP were in existence back then when Cooper uttered those words about preferring a .357 snubbie when dealing with dangerous game up close and personal.
He could have easily chosen a 3" barreled Model 29, with just a bit more weight and a lot more bullet than the 357, but he didn't. I guess he thought that the .357 was a better up close bone penetrator for a brain shot than the .44 magnum. I certainly can see where the .357 would be the choice over a much slower caliber like the .45 Colt or .45 ACP, but I admit I'd like to have heard more of that conversation and the wherefores and whatalls that were discussed in making this choice.
None the works I consulted indicated what the late great Elmer Keith would have recommended for bears and lions, although the betting money would be on something like a 4" Model 29.
For months now I've been contemplating the advice of gun sage Massad Ayoob, about various handguns and rifles for being deep in the woods. Here, in this Backwoods Home Magazine article, Ayoob talks in 2008 about assembling an economical battery of guns for the backwoods home and in particular, a bear gun:
"If you're in big, bad bear country, you might want to ratchet the power level up a notch. A .338 Winchester Magnum or 7mm Remington Magnum is more in line here. If I needed to ruin a really big bruin, I'd pony up $1,122 suggested retail for the semiautomatic BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) in caliber .338 Winchester Magnum and consider every penny well spent. The bear attacks I've studied have happened very, very fast, and the big guys have soaked up a lot of firepower and kept fanging and clawing. Follow-up rounds of the hefty .338 persuasion as fast as you can pull the trigger would make huge sense here."
Here's one for sale at Cheaper than Dirt for $1,208.03.
His advice about bear and woods handguns, back in 2007, in part, from this Backwoodshome magazine/website article is this about the .44 Magnum handgun:
"In the Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum line, I found the super-light Model 329 very, um, interesting to shoot with full power-ammo, but just no fun at all. In the Smith & Wesson catalog, however, I head instead to the page that shows the Mountain Gun.
It has been produced in stainless as the Model 629 Mountain and in blue steel for Lew Horton Distributors as the Model 29 Mountain, and in either configuration features a tapered four-inch barrel, and radiused front edges of the cylinder. Weight is reduced noticeably over that of a standard Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum with heavy straight barrel, and the gun still weighs less than a pound more than the lightest .44 Magnum in the S&W catalog, but once again, we have an all-steel gun that is dramatically more shootable and therefore more practical overall.
Yet, unlike a long-barrel hunting revolver, it is the size of some police service revolvers and something you can keep on your hip all day in a backwoods or working cattle ranch environment.
As any regular reader knows, I'm a big trout fisherman and am very interested in relocating to are area slightly north of Texas (I know, I thought I would never utter those words) with relatively mild winters, MUCH MILDER SUMMERS and lots of smallmount and trout fishing. Trout also generally mean bear and various types of lions and lynx and cats, with bears being either black bear or grizzlys.
I have no desire to hunt a bear, but believe in being prepared if fishing in bear territory. And I do strongly desire the temperate changes that we'd accomplish if we moved to a more mountainous area.
We were actually in bear country a couple of weeks ago, but one person I spoke with said black bears in that part of Arizona were rare but not totally unusual when fishing in creeks or mountain lakes in the forested areas of the wonderful National Forest we were at. My source said that cats were more prevalent.
I'm no scholar on Cooper and his writings, but I was surprised that he was recommending a .357 snubbie in 2002 at a Gunsite seminar on bear defense. Going for the brain shot to the bear or lion, he said, at contact range, with solid projectiles.
Apparently it was quoted in Guns and Ammo in 2002 as well, and this link provides basically the same quote I read today:
Jeff Cooper and in Sept. 2002 issue of Guns & Ammo he says:
(beginning of comments)
"A "bear defense" course was recently held at Gunsite and turned up a couple of interesting points. One is that sheer power will not do. If you are in real danger from a bear, he will be on top of you, and what you need is penetration. Once a bear has got you down-or a lion, for that matter-you have to brain him, and you must do that at contact distance. A .357 snubby, using a very hard, sharp-pointed bullet, would seem to be the answer. I have a friend who went this route while attempting to photograph a lion. He used a Super .38 auto, and while he survived, he will never again have full use of his left hand."
You can find the thread that quote appears in on this Glock Talk thread.
The interesting aspect of Cooper's opinion is that he's not recommending his extra-favorite pistol of all times, the 1911, for this down and dirty kind of work. He's recommending the .357 and a snubbie at that over all other guns available at the time of his comment, which was attributed to 2002. That means some great heavy duty firearms had already come and gone, as with the Automag and the Wildey.
Back in 2002, I guess you had stalwarts like the Blackhawk and the Model 29 in .44 Magnum and the Desert Eagle in .50 caliber. Some of the Freedom Arms single action guns in the Casull caliber or perhaps the behemoth Ruger and Smith and Wesson large snubbies in some "bigger than .44 Magnum" caliber. Likewise, you had the Glock Model 20 in 10mm, which is sort of well seen on the hips of many hunting guides I hear tell.
All of the above guns, plus guns like the 1911 in .45 ACP were in existence back then when Cooper uttered those words about preferring a .357 snubbie when dealing with dangerous game up close and personal.
He could have easily chosen a 3" barreled Model 29, with just a bit more weight and a lot more bullet than the 357, but he didn't. I guess he thought that the .357 was a better up close bone penetrator for a brain shot than the .44 magnum. I certainly can see where the .357 would be the choice over a much slower caliber like the .45 Colt or .45 ACP, but I admit I'd like to have heard more of that conversation and the wherefores and whatalls that were discussed in making this choice.
None the works I consulted indicated what the late great Elmer Keith would have recommended for bears and lions, although the betting money would be on something like a 4" Model 29.
For months now I've been contemplating the advice of gun sage Massad Ayoob, about various handguns and rifles for being deep in the woods. Here, in this Backwoods Home Magazine article, Ayoob talks in 2008 about assembling an economical battery of guns for the backwoods home and in particular, a bear gun:
"If you're in big, bad bear country, you might want to ratchet the power level up a notch. A .338 Winchester Magnum or 7mm Remington Magnum is more in line here. If I needed to ruin a really big bruin, I'd pony up $1,122 suggested retail for the semiautomatic BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) in caliber .338 Winchester Magnum and consider every penny well spent. The bear attacks I've studied have happened very, very fast, and the big guys have soaked up a lot of firepower and kept fanging and clawing. Follow-up rounds of the hefty .338 persuasion as fast as you can pull the trigger would make huge sense here."
Here's one for sale at Cheaper than Dirt for $1,208.03.
His advice about bear and woods handguns, back in 2007, in part, from this Backwoodshome magazine/website article is this about the .44 Magnum handgun:
"In the Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum line, I found the super-light Model 329 very, um, interesting to shoot with full power-ammo, but just no fun at all. In the Smith & Wesson catalog, however, I head instead to the page that shows the Mountain Gun.
It has been produced in stainless as the Model 629 Mountain and in blue steel for Lew Horton Distributors as the Model 29 Mountain, and in either configuration features a tapered four-inch barrel, and radiused front edges of the cylinder. Weight is reduced noticeably over that of a standard Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum with heavy straight barrel, and the gun still weighs less than a pound more than the lightest .44 Magnum in the S&W catalog, but once again, we have an all-steel gun that is dramatically more shootable and therefore more practical overall.
Yet, unlike a long-barrel hunting revolver, it is the size of some police service revolvers and something you can keep on your hip all day in a backwoods or working cattle ranch environment.
I've killed game at as far as 117 yards with a 4'' barrel Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, and find it more than adequate for my own outdoor needs. But let me refer you to far more experienced outdoorsmen than myself. Elmer Keith was perhaps the most famous hunter/gun expert of the 20th Century. He once humanely killed a deer, which had been wounded by a client he was guiding, at a range of 600 yards with his S&W .44 Magnum.
His daily-carry gun was that Model 29 .44, with a 4'' barrel. Keith's protégé, Ross Seyfried, wore an identical Smith .44 on his hip in his first career as a working cattleman, day in and day out. Seyfried went on to become a national pistol champion and a famous big game hunter and guide on two continents. Both stand as proof that a 4'' barrel .44 Magnum revolver will "get you through the night" in the 24/7 world of the backwoods.
Now, your needs may not indicate a handgun as powerful as the .44 Magnum. You may see bears only in the zoo, and have no large livestock that might occasionally run rampant and have to be euthanized, right now, with a powerful sidearm. Rural citizens, like city dwellers, mostly keep handguns for personal defense against threats that tend to arrive on two legs instead of four. An anti-personnel sidearm doesn't need the level of "Magnum Force" that Elmer Keith needed on the day he had to shoot, from back to front, a maddened horse that was dragging him to death.
From http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j426/chez323/DSC00770.jpg
In this article, also in Backwoods Home, Ayoob again talks about the Model 29 and bears:
If attack by a maddened steer or an angry horse is part of the handgun's mission profile, you do indeed want a "horse pistol," and I'd choose a powerful sidearm with a deep-driving bullet. Not for nothing did cowboys, who risked exactly this situation every day, always prefer large caliber guns. A compact .44 Magnum revolver would serve well here, or as a daily carry gun for anyone whose homestead was in large bear country.
If I were needing to outfit for some trout fishing in bear or cat country, for reliability, I'd have to go with a revolver or a Glock as a gun of last resort. When reliability really matters. Perhaps a .357 Python snubbie is the right gun after all for trout fishing. Who knew?
Let's say that we're looking at a .38 Special through .357 Magnum revolver, or a semiautomatic pistol in calibers ranging from 9mm Luger through .40 Smith & Wesson, .357 SIG, and up to .45 ACP. With modern ammunition, designed for the bullets to perform even at reduced velocity from short barrels, a compact sidearm doesn't handicap you with power reduction as much as it would have 20 years ago."
Talo has a very nice 3 inch barreled Model 29 with, I believe, a round butt. It too would be a nice snubbie of last resort in bear country, although a bit larger than a .357 snubbie, it has a bit more of a whallop. It's all academic, I suppose, unless one was in that situation. Still, I find it interesting what some of the experts say about these things.
One thing is for sure. Corbon or Buffalo Bore or several other brands of custom ammo would be the ticket for arming any of these weapons. Armed for bear.
Here's a thread where a fellow talks about his new gun, shown above.
For whatever reason, I've had a hankering for one of these Talo 3" Model 29's. The fact that it has a round butt and a 3" barrel doesn't make it all that much easier to carry in the field, but on a nice thick leather belt or in the right shoulder holster it'd be a great gun to have with.
For whatever reason, I've had a hankering for one of these Talo 3" Model 29's. The fact that it has a round butt and a 3" barrel doesn't make it all that much easier to carry in the field, but on a nice thick leather belt or in the right shoulder holster it'd be a great gun to have with.
If attack by a maddened steer or an angry horse is part of the handgun's mission profile, you do indeed want a "horse pistol," and I'd choose a powerful sidearm with a deep-driving bullet. Not for nothing did cowboys, who risked exactly this situation every day, always prefer large caliber guns. A compact .44 Magnum revolver would serve well here, or as a daily carry gun for anyone whose homestead was in large bear country.
If I were needing to outfit for some trout fishing in bear or cat country, for reliability, I'd have to go with a revolver or a Glock as a gun of last resort. When reliability really matters. Perhaps a .357 Python snubbie is the right gun after all for trout fishing. Who knew?
Sunday, September 2, 2012
MORE PRODUCTS I'D LIKE TO SEE FOR SHOOTING AND FISHING
I've posted about some of these before and some of these are new, or at least I've forgotten writing about them in the past and think they're new, so we'll pretend they're new.
FOBUS PADDLE HOLSTERS
I've had great luck with the Fobus Paddle Holsters I've used for Glocks, 1911, revolvers (j frame, k frame and the FN 5.7. I don't have adverse use factors in my life too much, so most of my use with these holsters is as a concealment holster during the cooler months when wearing a jacket or over shirt or when afield.
I wish the Fobus Evolution holster I have were thinner like the regular paddle holster they make. I wish they made a non-Evolution paddle holster for some of the guns they make the Evolution ones for.
I wish they made a paddle holster model for the Colt Single Action Army with some various barrel lengths (HINT: beginning at 4 3/4"). Accordingly, models for the Blackhawk and Single Six guns would be nice as well.
I wish they made a model for S and W N frames with 3", 4" and 6 1/2" lengths.
Ditto for the Colt Python, except at 2 1/2" instead of 3". And one for a 2 1/2" or 3" K frame as well.
I wish they were making a paddle holster for the Ruger SR21 and the Browning 1911-22, and some of the bull barreled Mark III 22/44 Rugers.
And most of all, I wish they made a paddle holster for the H and K P7.
Heckler and Koch
It took me years to warm to their current series of handguns, and I still prefer the P7 series to them all. I wish that they made a perhaps (a'la Browning and the 1911-22) would make a 7/8ths scale .22 LR version of the P7 for those fans of us. I know they made a convertible model "like" the P7 using a different gas system that had interchangeable barrels of .380, .32 and .22. They were expensive and as I recall, were perhaps 7/8ths the size of the actual P7.
I'd sure like to have a .22 caliber P7. I think it'd be a fun and accurate gun to shoot.
Likewise, just as other gun makers bring back their classic models, bring back the HK4 and the P9S. It hasn't been that long since you've made the P7, and it'd be nice to see it on the market again. Market it also to women as one of the safest carry guns ever made, and I think you'd sell the heck out of it in .40 and .9mm. Maybe a few space age material changes = a tad bit lighter weight and what a great pistol you'd have.
I've always wanted a P9S and have enjoyed shooting the ones I've shot. I recently got to shoot a .45 version after many years, and found it to be a fun and accurate gun to shoot. It's not on the short list or even on the long list of guns I'd like to have, but if a trade ever came along that involved one, it'd certainly get my attention.
SAVAGE
Savage needs to bring back their line of centerfire over 20 gauge Combination rifle/shotgun, the venerable Model 24. They've begun making a .22 and .22 mag over .410 combo again, looking sorta space-agey to me. But it's lightweight, and that's a chief attribute in a combo rifle/shotgun.
Still, I'd like to buy a synthetic or wood stocked version of the 24 series with a 30-30 or a .223 over a .20. Maybe both. I prefer the 20 gauge based Model 24's over the 12 gauge ones because the 20 gauge ones were on a lighter frame and were lighter by several pounds than the 12's. So I'd like to get one of these or perhaps one of each of these and not pay a king's ransom like you have to now in most places for the centerfire version of the Model 24. I'd dance for joy if I could get a .357 or 7.62 x 39 version over a 20 gauge, and again, having interchangeable barrel sets might not be a bad way to make some money for a gun company.
A .357 over a 20 or 12 Savage 24 is gonna cost some bucks, in excellent condition approaching or exceeding a grand. As far as I know, Savage never made a combo with a 7.62 x 39 centerfire, but Baikal does in their current combo rifle/shotgun.
I'd buy a Baikal and be done with it except their centerfires are over a 12 gauge, and although my 12 gauge shooting days are not totally over, they are far less nowadays with a 20 being far more pleasurable to shoot in both skeet, defensive practice and hunting.
I know I'd like to, a'la Thompson Contender, be able to spend $300 or so and get an extra barrel set with for a different caliber or barrel lengths for the Model 24. It just makes the gun more useful and given the takedown nature of most Model 24's already, it wouldn't require a big change in the manufacturing process.
GUNMAKERS LIKE SAVAGE, BROWNING, RUGER, REMINGTON AND WINCHESTER
And other makers like Kimber, CZ, Umarex, Thompson, H and R, etc...
I don't understand why more gun makers are not making affordable combination rifle/shotguns. There seems to be a thriving market for them both on the internet and in gun shops. They are scarce as hen's teeth and don't last long when they are around, commanding some prices far in excess of what they originally sold for and what most of us normal folks can afford to pay.
Double rifles have also become of interest to American shooters as of late. Hog hunting abounds in many places, and several of my friends have bought Baikal Double Rifles in either .30-06 or .45-70 to have some "African plains" experiences hog hunting with a double rifle they can afford.
These friends that bought these guns have MANY scoped hunting rifles in numerous calibers suitable for hog action, and in fact that are probably better shooting rifles, going up to 300 Winchester Magnum. Yet they prefer the challenge of iron sights on the Baikal Double rifle, and the close approach almost as close as they get when they are bowhunting as they hunt with whatever method is in season.
Part of it is that it's a new challenge to use an iron sighted double rifle like they might be using on the dark continent, and part of it is that it's nice to have a follow up shot with two barrels. I would think that a nicely built gun with some fiber optic sights would be hard to beat for large game use.
And for me, a guy whose only use for a double rifle would be hog hunting and perhaps the occasional deer hunt, it'd be the fun factor at being able to afford a double rifle at somewhere in the $600-$800 range.
It would seem like American gun makers could make a good double rifle and combo rifle/shotgun for a decent affordable price. Remington for a few years was rebranding Baikal combo guns as their own.
For a guy like me, I'll never be able to afford a double gun like the ones I read about in the safari articles in magazines and online, even the ones that are the cheapest of the cheap used ones. I don't really NEED a double rifle in safari type caliber either, and a .30-06 would be about perfect for me and I could see how lots of folks might be partial to a double rifle in a 45-70, .308 and even a .30-30. Maybe even a good old .300 Winchester Magnum chambering for North American Big Game Hunting.
I wonder why a gunmaker like H and R or Thompson, who've both been making single shot rifles and shotguns for decades, don't somehow develop a double rifle or a combo rifle/shotgun for their line of guns. It would seem a natural extension of their single-shot and break-open lines, and with both being owned now by larger companies, surely they have the funding for R and D on something fairly simple like these guns. I mean, you're not designing rockets for travel to mars and back, you're simply re-designing a simple (hopefully) newish take on a much made gun.
I would love to see a combo gun from H and R myself. My first shotgun was the venerable H and R .410 Topper Jr., and it's still a great gun. It's long been a boat gun that I've taken in various boats we've had and that I've used. I would be sad if it went overboard but not to the point of despair, and it has handled many a large poisonous and pesky-won't-go-away snake problems over the years. It has been an exceedingly reliable single shot shotgun and boy would I love to have a combo rifle/shotgun with the same build quality and simple functional reliability that H and R has always featured.
GLOCK
Where is that .22 LR factory "thin" Glock, or even in .22 magnum, or even a high capacity model in rimfire? How about a Glock in the 5.7 FN cartridge? That would be a big seller right away.
Nobody of note has touched the 5.7 platform in handguns, other of course than FN. A Glock at half the price would sell sell sell, even to those who already own an FN 5.7 or the rifle that shoots the same cartridge. Those who believe it is a viable defense and hunting round would buy a Glock chambered in this round. Make an extended magazine that holds LOTS of bullets, like 40 or 50. Yowza.
And many of us Glock diehards are still waiting for a slim, lightweight and thin single stack Glock 9mm designed for concealed carry. You'd just sell as many of those as you could make as fast as you could make them. For. Years. And. Years.
You know the tech and know how is there in your very own company already, if there haven't been numerous designs already of a slim 9mm. I'm thinking that you could get the whole gun under an inch in width, and put a full grip length on it using a slightly extended magazine (like the Model 36 features and like many of us do with the Model 26 and it's ilk) on it. Something to where it fits a hand like mine, which must be average since the 36 and 26 with add on magazine extension fit my hand just perfect, like it was made just for me.
A high capacity .22 or .22 Magnum would hella fun. Made in the same size as the competition 9mm's, with the extended 6" barrel, or at least a 5" barrel. Again, I can convert an existing Glock with the purchase of a conversion kit. Glock fans would lourve a dedicated .22 platform that was a real Glock instead of something marketed by Umarex and made in the mountains of Turkey or somewhere. You could make a Glock .22 thin or make it big with a high capacity, like the Kel-Tec .22 magnum.
RUGER AGAIN
In addition to the Combination rifle/shotgun and double rifle you should already be making, it'd be cool to see a Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk in the FN 5.7 caliber.
MARLIN, BROWNING, WINCHESTER AND OTHER MAKERS OF LEVER ACTION RIFLES AND THEIR RECEIVERS, I'M CALLING YOU OUT
No doubt each of you manufacturers are familiar with the great success that Henry and Rossi have had selling their inexpensive versions of the venerable "Mare's Leg or Mare's Laig" chopped down lever action.
As you know, and as I understand the law, as a maker of weapons, since you make the receiver, you could legally make what would otherwise be a cut down rifle if made from the get go by you as a pistol with a pistol length barrel.
Of course, Wild West Guns in Alaska for years has been making the ultra cool Alaskan Co-Pilot from a cut down Marlin lever action .45-70. Some of Wild West's guns come chambered for a wildcat round that will also shoot the .45-70 and will further let the shooter use .410 (metal cased?) shotshells in the weapon. The Co-Pilot can be had as a takedown rifle of various barrel lengths, enabling it to be compactly stowed and carried.
Marlin, of course, could build this same rifle and sell it for a fraction of what Wild West does. Likewise, so could Winchester, an elaboration on the Trapper design.
The guy at Wild West Guns also built a chopped down version (meaning Federal licenses required and taxes and such) from a rifle of a .45-70, and it was a great looking gun. Outfitted with a laser, there is not much in the wild kingdom you couldn't take on with this Mare's Leg on steroids, and it might actually make a better bear gun while trout fishing (with the laser feature) than the standard stocked version of the Co-Pilot.
Marlin could also make this gun if they wanted to and sell it without federal license as a pistol. It'd be sure to be a seller. Also, a version of the Model 336 in the popular .30-30 caliber would be cool as well.
Marlin should, at the very least, build a cool trapper version of the .45-70 and the .30-30, with great fiber optic sights, short barrels, high capacity tube magazines, large loop levers and those other features of the custom rifles made from stock Marlins. Even if Marlin doesn't ever build a takedown rifle or pistol version of the lever action rifle, some nice trapper versions of their guns in the above calibers would be cool.
Apparently, a .45-70 can have it's chamber bored in some fashion that allows a .410 shotshell to be fired from that gun. Perhaps using a metal shotshell to aid in ejection, I wonder? In any event, this is a nice feature I'd like to see in a production gun by Marlin, is the .45-70 guide gun that can take .410 shotshells in pinch.
Browning, who already makes the most excellent BLR rifles, makes a takedown lightweight version of the BLR in a diverse range of calibers. I myself have long wanted both the .223 and the .30-06 version, both in lightweight, pistol grip takedown version, and I'd want to cut the .223 barrel down to 16 and a half inches to make the gun truly portable.
A special Alaskan or trapper version of the Browning BLR lightweight takedown could be in .300 Winchester Magnum with a 16 inch barrel. A truly portable fishing shoulder weapon, particularly when paired with a fiber optic sight system and an Eotech sight over the iron sights. I wonder what the cost would be to have the Browning Custom shop cut down the barrel of a BLR to 16 and a half inches? It would be a nice option to be able to order a BLR with a shorter barrel.
I've long wondered why Browning didn't make combo guns or especially double rifles, what with their high end shotgun trade.
Not to mention drillings. Something on the level of quality of their over/under and side/by/side shotguns. A Browning combo rifle/shotgun or side/by/side rifle would be a treat unto itself, even in the cheapest and unengraved model.
FINALLY, TAURUS AND ROSSI
A couple of years ago almost, at a SHOT show or something of the like, you had a version of your Ranch Hand that shot not only .45 Colt but also .410 shotshells. Something I read months later on the internets said it was illegal as a sawed off shotgun basically.
Which I can't understand, given the legality and popularity of the Judge line of pistols, and the Thompson Contender for decades before it, all chambered and marketed for .45 Colt/.410 shell. The Smith and Wesson Governor. Derringers chambered in .45 Colt and .410 shotshells. There was a double barreled side by side derringer sold some years ago by Cobray, and I'm sure there have been others. I know there is a line of single action pistols that also chamber the .410 cartridge along with the .45 Colt.
There have been several guns that are openly and legally marketed in this caliber combo, so why not a lever action pistol already chambered in .45 Colt? I assume the main mod might be the chamber depth as well as maybe an ejector issue, but what a great gun for the outdoorsman.
And if that project is dead in the water, and since you're making lever actions now in .45-70 AND in .410, howsa about a .45-70 in a trapper length barrel (might have to be 18" but maybe not considering the Alaskan Co-Pilot barrel of 16") that chambers .410 shotshells? A different kind of combo rifle to be sure, but having the first shot or two for a snake as a .410 and the followups as .45-70 has an appeal to me.
FOBUS PADDLE HOLSTERS
I've had great luck with the Fobus Paddle Holsters I've used for Glocks, 1911, revolvers (j frame, k frame and the FN 5.7. I don't have adverse use factors in my life too much, so most of my use with these holsters is as a concealment holster during the cooler months when wearing a jacket or over shirt or when afield.
I wish the Fobus Evolution holster I have were thinner like the regular paddle holster they make. I wish they made a non-Evolution paddle holster for some of the guns they make the Evolution ones for.
I wish they made a paddle holster model for the Colt Single Action Army with some various barrel lengths (HINT: beginning at 4 3/4"). Accordingly, models for the Blackhawk and Single Six guns would be nice as well.
I wish they made a model for S and W N frames with 3", 4" and 6 1/2" lengths.
Ditto for the Colt Python, except at 2 1/2" instead of 3". And one for a 2 1/2" or 3" K frame as well.
I wish they were making a paddle holster for the Ruger SR21 and the Browning 1911-22, and some of the bull barreled Mark III 22/44 Rugers.
And most of all, I wish they made a paddle holster for the H and K P7.
Heckler and Koch
It took me years to warm to their current series of handguns, and I still prefer the P7 series to them all. I wish that they made a perhaps (a'la Browning and the 1911-22) would make a 7/8ths scale .22 LR version of the P7 for those fans of us. I know they made a convertible model "like" the P7 using a different gas system that had interchangeable barrels of .380, .32 and .22. They were expensive and as I recall, were perhaps 7/8ths the size of the actual P7.
I'd sure like to have a .22 caliber P7. I think it'd be a fun and accurate gun to shoot.
Likewise, just as other gun makers bring back their classic models, bring back the HK4 and the P9S. It hasn't been that long since you've made the P7, and it'd be nice to see it on the market again. Market it also to women as one of the safest carry guns ever made, and I think you'd sell the heck out of it in .40 and .9mm. Maybe a few space age material changes = a tad bit lighter weight and what a great pistol you'd have.
I've always wanted a P9S and have enjoyed shooting the ones I've shot. I recently got to shoot a .45 version after many years, and found it to be a fun and accurate gun to shoot. It's not on the short list or even on the long list of guns I'd like to have, but if a trade ever came along that involved one, it'd certainly get my attention.
SAVAGE
Savage needs to bring back their line of centerfire over 20 gauge Combination rifle/shotgun, the venerable Model 24. They've begun making a .22 and .22 mag over .410 combo again, looking sorta space-agey to me. But it's lightweight, and that's a chief attribute in a combo rifle/shotgun.
Still, I'd like to buy a synthetic or wood stocked version of the 24 series with a 30-30 or a .223 over a .20. Maybe both. I prefer the 20 gauge based Model 24's over the 12 gauge ones because the 20 gauge ones were on a lighter frame and were lighter by several pounds than the 12's. So I'd like to get one of these or perhaps one of each of these and not pay a king's ransom like you have to now in most places for the centerfire version of the Model 24. I'd dance for joy if I could get a .357 or 7.62 x 39 version over a 20 gauge, and again, having interchangeable barrel sets might not be a bad way to make some money for a gun company.
A .357 over a 20 or 12 Savage 24 is gonna cost some bucks, in excellent condition approaching or exceeding a grand. As far as I know, Savage never made a combo with a 7.62 x 39 centerfire, but Baikal does in their current combo rifle/shotgun.
I'd buy a Baikal and be done with it except their centerfires are over a 12 gauge, and although my 12 gauge shooting days are not totally over, they are far less nowadays with a 20 being far more pleasurable to shoot in both skeet, defensive practice and hunting.
I know I'd like to, a'la Thompson Contender, be able to spend $300 or so and get an extra barrel set with for a different caliber or barrel lengths for the Model 24. It just makes the gun more useful and given the takedown nature of most Model 24's already, it wouldn't require a big change in the manufacturing process.
GUNMAKERS LIKE SAVAGE, BROWNING, RUGER, REMINGTON AND WINCHESTER
And other makers like Kimber, CZ, Umarex, Thompson, H and R, etc...
I don't understand why more gun makers are not making affordable combination rifle/shotguns. There seems to be a thriving market for them both on the internet and in gun shops. They are scarce as hen's teeth and don't last long when they are around, commanding some prices far in excess of what they originally sold for and what most of us normal folks can afford to pay.
Double rifles have also become of interest to American shooters as of late. Hog hunting abounds in many places, and several of my friends have bought Baikal Double Rifles in either .30-06 or .45-70 to have some "African plains" experiences hog hunting with a double rifle they can afford.
These friends that bought these guns have MANY scoped hunting rifles in numerous calibers suitable for hog action, and in fact that are probably better shooting rifles, going up to 300 Winchester Magnum. Yet they prefer the challenge of iron sights on the Baikal Double rifle, and the close approach almost as close as they get when they are bowhunting as they hunt with whatever method is in season.
Part of it is that it's a new challenge to use an iron sighted double rifle like they might be using on the dark continent, and part of it is that it's nice to have a follow up shot with two barrels. I would think that a nicely built gun with some fiber optic sights would be hard to beat for large game use.
And for me, a guy whose only use for a double rifle would be hog hunting and perhaps the occasional deer hunt, it'd be the fun factor at being able to afford a double rifle at somewhere in the $600-$800 range.
It would seem like American gun makers could make a good double rifle and combo rifle/shotgun for a decent affordable price. Remington for a few years was rebranding Baikal combo guns as their own.
For a guy like me, I'll never be able to afford a double gun like the ones I read about in the safari articles in magazines and online, even the ones that are the cheapest of the cheap used ones. I don't really NEED a double rifle in safari type caliber either, and a .30-06 would be about perfect for me and I could see how lots of folks might be partial to a double rifle in a 45-70, .308 and even a .30-30. Maybe even a good old .300 Winchester Magnum chambering for North American Big Game Hunting.
I wonder why a gunmaker like H and R or Thompson, who've both been making single shot rifles and shotguns for decades, don't somehow develop a double rifle or a combo rifle/shotgun for their line of guns. It would seem a natural extension of their single-shot and break-open lines, and with both being owned now by larger companies, surely they have the funding for R and D on something fairly simple like these guns. I mean, you're not designing rockets for travel to mars and back, you're simply re-designing a simple (hopefully) newish take on a much made gun.
I would love to see a combo gun from H and R myself. My first shotgun was the venerable H and R .410 Topper Jr., and it's still a great gun. It's long been a boat gun that I've taken in various boats we've had and that I've used. I would be sad if it went overboard but not to the point of despair, and it has handled many a large poisonous and pesky-won't-go-away snake problems over the years. It has been an exceedingly reliable single shot shotgun and boy would I love to have a combo rifle/shotgun with the same build quality and simple functional reliability that H and R has always featured.
GLOCK
Where is that .22 LR factory "thin" Glock, or even in .22 magnum, or even a high capacity model in rimfire? How about a Glock in the 5.7 FN cartridge? That would be a big seller right away.
Nobody of note has touched the 5.7 platform in handguns, other of course than FN. A Glock at half the price would sell sell sell, even to those who already own an FN 5.7 or the rifle that shoots the same cartridge. Those who believe it is a viable defense and hunting round would buy a Glock chambered in this round. Make an extended magazine that holds LOTS of bullets, like 40 or 50. Yowza.
And many of us Glock diehards are still waiting for a slim, lightweight and thin single stack Glock 9mm designed for concealed carry. You'd just sell as many of those as you could make as fast as you could make them. For. Years. And. Years.
You know the tech and know how is there in your very own company already, if there haven't been numerous designs already of a slim 9mm. I'm thinking that you could get the whole gun under an inch in width, and put a full grip length on it using a slightly extended magazine (like the Model 36 features and like many of us do with the Model 26 and it's ilk) on it. Something to where it fits a hand like mine, which must be average since the 36 and 26 with add on magazine extension fit my hand just perfect, like it was made just for me.
A high capacity .22 or .22 Magnum would hella fun. Made in the same size as the competition 9mm's, with the extended 6" barrel, or at least a 5" barrel. Again, I can convert an existing Glock with the purchase of a conversion kit. Glock fans would lourve a dedicated .22 platform that was a real Glock instead of something marketed by Umarex and made in the mountains of Turkey or somewhere. You could make a Glock .22 thin or make it big with a high capacity, like the Kel-Tec .22 magnum.
RUGER AGAIN
In addition to the Combination rifle/shotgun and double rifle you should already be making, it'd be cool to see a Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk in the FN 5.7 caliber.
MARLIN, BROWNING, WINCHESTER AND OTHER MAKERS OF LEVER ACTION RIFLES AND THEIR RECEIVERS, I'M CALLING YOU OUT
No doubt each of you manufacturers are familiar with the great success that Henry and Rossi have had selling their inexpensive versions of the venerable "Mare's Leg or Mare's Laig" chopped down lever action.
As you know, and as I understand the law, as a maker of weapons, since you make the receiver, you could legally make what would otherwise be a cut down rifle if made from the get go by you as a pistol with a pistol length barrel.
Of course, Wild West Guns in Alaska for years has been making the ultra cool Alaskan Co-Pilot from a cut down Marlin lever action .45-70. Some of Wild West's guns come chambered for a wildcat round that will also shoot the .45-70 and will further let the shooter use .410 (metal cased?) shotshells in the weapon. The Co-Pilot can be had as a takedown rifle of various barrel lengths, enabling it to be compactly stowed and carried.
Marlin, of course, could build this same rifle and sell it for a fraction of what Wild West does. Likewise, so could Winchester, an elaboration on the Trapper design.
The guy at Wild West Guns also built a chopped down version (meaning Federal licenses required and taxes and such) from a rifle of a .45-70, and it was a great looking gun. Outfitted with a laser, there is not much in the wild kingdom you couldn't take on with this Mare's Leg on steroids, and it might actually make a better bear gun while trout fishing (with the laser feature) than the standard stocked version of the Co-Pilot.
Marlin could also make this gun if they wanted to and sell it without federal license as a pistol. It'd be sure to be a seller. Also, a version of the Model 336 in the popular .30-30 caliber would be cool as well.
Marlin should, at the very least, build a cool trapper version of the .45-70 and the .30-30, with great fiber optic sights, short barrels, high capacity tube magazines, large loop levers and those other features of the custom rifles made from stock Marlins. Even if Marlin doesn't ever build a takedown rifle or pistol version of the lever action rifle, some nice trapper versions of their guns in the above calibers would be cool.
Apparently, a .45-70 can have it's chamber bored in some fashion that allows a .410 shotshell to be fired from that gun. Perhaps using a metal shotshell to aid in ejection, I wonder? In any event, this is a nice feature I'd like to see in a production gun by Marlin, is the .45-70 guide gun that can take .410 shotshells in pinch.
Browning, who already makes the most excellent BLR rifles, makes a takedown lightweight version of the BLR in a diverse range of calibers. I myself have long wanted both the .223 and the .30-06 version, both in lightweight, pistol grip takedown version, and I'd want to cut the .223 barrel down to 16 and a half inches to make the gun truly portable.
A special Alaskan or trapper version of the Browning BLR lightweight takedown could be in .300 Winchester Magnum with a 16 inch barrel. A truly portable fishing shoulder weapon, particularly when paired with a fiber optic sight system and an Eotech sight over the iron sights. I wonder what the cost would be to have the Browning Custom shop cut down the barrel of a BLR to 16 and a half inches? It would be a nice option to be able to order a BLR with a shorter barrel.
I've long wondered why Browning didn't make combo guns or especially double rifles, what with their high end shotgun trade.
Not to mention drillings. Something on the level of quality of their over/under and side/by/side shotguns. A Browning combo rifle/shotgun or side/by/side rifle would be a treat unto itself, even in the cheapest and unengraved model.
FINALLY, TAURUS AND ROSSI
A couple of years ago almost, at a SHOT show or something of the like, you had a version of your Ranch Hand that shot not only .45 Colt but also .410 shotshells. Something I read months later on the internets said it was illegal as a sawed off shotgun basically.
Which I can't understand, given the legality and popularity of the Judge line of pistols, and the Thompson Contender for decades before it, all chambered and marketed for .45 Colt/.410 shell. The Smith and Wesson Governor. Derringers chambered in .45 Colt and .410 shotshells. There was a double barreled side by side derringer sold some years ago by Cobray, and I'm sure there have been others. I know there is a line of single action pistols that also chamber the .410 cartridge along with the .45 Colt.
There have been several guns that are openly and legally marketed in this caliber combo, so why not a lever action pistol already chambered in .45 Colt? I assume the main mod might be the chamber depth as well as maybe an ejector issue, but what a great gun for the outdoorsman.
And if that project is dead in the water, and since you're making lever actions now in .45-70 AND in .410, howsa about a .45-70 in a trapper length barrel (might have to be 18" but maybe not considering the Alaskan Co-Pilot barrel of 16") that chambers .410 shotshells? A different kind of combo rifle to be sure, but having the first shot or two for a snake as a .410 and the followups as .45-70 has an appeal to me.
HOLSTER REVIEW: SIMPLY RUGGED PANCAKE
I was able to get a very nice three slot Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake holster made for, or at least advertised for, a Smith and Wesson Model 686, which is an L frame seven shot .357 revolver. It was advertised as fitting a gun with a four inch barrel.
I do't have a Model 686 but I do have a like sized gun that I needed a good belt holster for, a Smith and Wesson Model 386 SC Mountain Lite, a Scadnium framed L frame holding seven rounds of .357 and weighing in at about 18 and a half ounces unloaded. Sometimes holsters for a Model 686 will fit the Model 386 SC.
I'll note at this point, as many revolver fan knows, that there is sometimes interchangeability in holsters made for other like sized guns. One of those "sometimes it fits" rather than an "it always fits" in this or that holster.
For example, this Simply Rugged Pancake fits, and fits well, not only the Model 386 but a 2 and a half inch barreled Colt Python, and a 3 inch barreled K frame. I have not tried to see if a Model 29 or 329PD would fit in this holster, but I don't think they would based on the size of the holster. The pictures with the auction made it look as if the taller front sight of the Model 386 SC would work with this holster, and my guessing was right.
I've owned a lot of pancake holsters for different guns going back to the early 1980's, and this Simply Rugged holster beats them all out (Yes, even a Roy's Pancake holster) because of the stiff yet thin leather construction of the holster. It holds the L frame Model 386 SC at a forward cant as I wear it now, nicely tucking the butt of the gun to my side. Take it from a fellow who has been carrying
Most pancake holsters designed for concealment wear fail in that they are too thin to support a heavy gun like a Colt Python with a 2 and a half or 4 inch barrel. This Simply Rugged IS THE FIRST holster in more than 30 years of Python carryin' that a pancake holster didn't feel floppy.
Of course, the Model 386 SC weighs half of what the Python does, so it carrys more steady in the lowest carry position of the Simply Rugged three belt loop system. I like the fact that the loops on this holster are sized to the belt sizes I wear. That too, contributes heavily to helping a holster feel steady, particularly on a more, ahem, middle aged torso.
This holster was a screaming deal price wise, even though the Simply Rugged holster as new is very reasonably priced. I'm surprised, based on it's quality, that it doesn't cost twice what it does. It's that good and yes, it's that rugged. I forsee this holster lasting decades beyond my time on this earth, like some of my Rugers...
This holster also came with the belt loop attachments, for using this holster as an IWB holster. It's a bit large for my tastes as a IWB holster, but a quick try with the loops the other day showed me it was comfortable and very secure as an IWB holster. Again, I generally prefer thinner suede out IWB holsters by Safariland and Bianchi from the old days, but I'm open to new ideas.
I prefer this type of belt loop system on an IWB holster, because having the two loops above the belt loops and away from the side of the gun makes the bulk much less and imho, supports the weight of the gun much better. Some IWB loop holsters have a single large loop over the cylinder area of the holster, and this adds much bulk. Having two loops, with one on either side of the gun as Simply Rugged does, makes the holster much more concealable and to me, comfortable.
The loops, snaps, screw attachments and the holster itself are well constructed and are simple and rugged. Very rugged without excessive width.
I like it that this holster fits the Model 386 SC especially because this gun is hard to fit. The highly elevated rectangular fiber optic front sight on hte 386 makes fitting in many holsters for similarly sized gun impossible. This holster fits it perfectly, with no binding or chafing of the front sight in the bottom of the holster. The fact that it fits other guns well is an added bonus.
The 386 SC also sports a barrel just a smidgen over 3 inches, so a regular holster for a 2 and a half or 3 inch medium to large frame revolver usually won't fit it in that department unless it itself is oversized a bit, and many of the 4 inch holsters won't fit the Model 386 SC due to the elevated front fiber optic sight.
I've worn this Simply Rugged holster and revolver on two different fishing expeditions this summer. It is an easy carry and is easily worn and concealed under a T Shirt with some fishing shorts. The holster fits the gun tight, yet the gun is easily drawn from the holster. One reason this particular revolver is so concealable is that it has a round butt, perhaps the size of a K frame RB but perhaps even a bit smaller. The Model 386 SC has a lanyard indentation and pin in the rear bottom of the grip strap, and this is a feature I use whenever near the water.
So the Hogue (I think) rounded grips on the smaller sized rounded butt of the Model 386 SC make the gun much easier to conceal than other medium to large frame revolvers with a square grip. K frames like the Model 10 and Model 13 with round butts are similarly easy to conceal in this holster, with both stock wood grips and with the Pachmayr Compac rubber grips. The Pachmayrs are a bit less concealable than the stock wood grips but miles and miles more pleasureable to shoot the gun with.
I could put Pachmayrs on the Model 386 SC and that would certainly improve lessening felt recoil since the Pachmayrs would cover the backstrap of the frame unlike the stock factory rubber grips, but it would plug up the lanyard hole which is actually a feature I use with some regularity. My next idea will be trying some of the slip on Pachmayr grips that fit the super small .32's and .380's autos and see how they fit on top of the factory grips on the 386 SC.
I put a Dr Slick wrist lanyard through the loop and if using the gun whilst hanging over or right near the water, my wrist is through the loop if it's not attached to the belt lanyard. Otherwise, a small but sturdy caribiner keeps the wrist loop secured to a longer pistol lanyard attached to the belt. This keeps the handgun from "deep sixing" if it fell out of the holster in any number of ways culminating in a tumble into the water. I'll state that I feel much more comfortable with a revolver on a belt lanyard than a semi-auto, with perhaps exception to the H and K P7M8 or PSP.
Holster fit is a pet peeve of mine, and I've found that several Galco and other brands of holsters have been just a bit "too tight" of a fit for the gun they were designed for. I've learned of the "plastic bag trick" which involves placing the unloaded gun in a plastic bag (the bag many holsters comes in works fine, or two of them) and the gun is placed in the holster to stretch.
Seems like all of the old holsters I bought back in the day, and the used "vintage" holsters I've bought in the recent past, always fit the gun from the get go. I didn't have to "stretch" them out to get a proper fit and most importantly, an easy draw. I have several holsters that need to be stretched to be able to draw the gun from the holster. It's such a tight fit that it's hard to withdraw the gun from the holster. And these are Galco brand holsters bought new.
So the fact that this holster fits the guns well is a pleasant surprise.
One modification I'll do is make a "hammer loop" from a piece of spare leather and secure it to the front hole in the upper portion of the holster which is where the IWB loop screw mount attaches. I can craft a loop of the right size and angle that will work as a hammer loop or a hammer thong, even though I'm pretty sure the holster doesn't need one. This hammer loop can just screw into the preexisting hole above the upper belt loop.
I'll be buying some holsters from Simply Rugged in the near future. A trio of 1911 holsters for the 3, 4 and 5 inch lengths, one for the Kel-Tec 30 shot .22 magnum called the Field and Stream with extra magazine holder, and one for the Governor with six loops on the exterior of the holster. And for sure another like this one for the N frame Model 329PD. And I'd really like to have one for a 4 3/4 inch barreled Colt 1873 Colt clone and...
And here's their SIMPLY RUGGED WEBSITE in case you too find a hankering for one of their simple but rugged holsters.
I do't have a Model 686 but I do have a like sized gun that I needed a good belt holster for, a Smith and Wesson Model 386 SC Mountain Lite, a Scadnium framed L frame holding seven rounds of .357 and weighing in at about 18 and a half ounces unloaded. Sometimes holsters for a Model 686 will fit the Model 386 SC.
I'll note at this point, as many revolver fan knows, that there is sometimes interchangeability in holsters made for other like sized guns. One of those "sometimes it fits" rather than an "it always fits" in this or that holster.
For example, this Simply Rugged Pancake fits, and fits well, not only the Model 386 but a 2 and a half inch barreled Colt Python, and a 3 inch barreled K frame. I have not tried to see if a Model 29 or 329PD would fit in this holster, but I don't think they would based on the size of the holster. The pictures with the auction made it look as if the taller front sight of the Model 386 SC would work with this holster, and my guessing was right.
I've owned a lot of pancake holsters for different guns going back to the early 1980's, and this Simply Rugged holster beats them all out (Yes, even a Roy's Pancake holster) because of the stiff yet thin leather construction of the holster. It holds the L frame Model 386 SC at a forward cant as I wear it now, nicely tucking the butt of the gun to my side. Take it from a fellow who has been carrying
Most pancake holsters designed for concealment wear fail in that they are too thin to support a heavy gun like a Colt Python with a 2 and a half or 4 inch barrel. This Simply Rugged IS THE FIRST holster in more than 30 years of Python carryin' that a pancake holster didn't feel floppy.
Of course, the Model 386 SC weighs half of what the Python does, so it carrys more steady in the lowest carry position of the Simply Rugged three belt loop system. I like the fact that the loops on this holster are sized to the belt sizes I wear. That too, contributes heavily to helping a holster feel steady, particularly on a more, ahem, middle aged torso.
This holster was a screaming deal price wise, even though the Simply Rugged holster as new is very reasonably priced. I'm surprised, based on it's quality, that it doesn't cost twice what it does. It's that good and yes, it's that rugged. I forsee this holster lasting decades beyond my time on this earth, like some of my Rugers...
This holster also came with the belt loop attachments, for using this holster as an IWB holster. It's a bit large for my tastes as a IWB holster, but a quick try with the loops the other day showed me it was comfortable and very secure as an IWB holster. Again, I generally prefer thinner suede out IWB holsters by Safariland and Bianchi from the old days, but I'm open to new ideas.
I prefer this type of belt loop system on an IWB holster, because having the two loops above the belt loops and away from the side of the gun makes the bulk much less and imho, supports the weight of the gun much better. Some IWB loop holsters have a single large loop over the cylinder area of the holster, and this adds much bulk. Having two loops, with one on either side of the gun as Simply Rugged does, makes the holster much more concealable and to me, comfortable.
The loops, snaps, screw attachments and the holster itself are well constructed and are simple and rugged. Very rugged without excessive width.
I like it that this holster fits the Model 386 SC especially because this gun is hard to fit. The highly elevated rectangular fiber optic front sight on hte 386 makes fitting in many holsters for similarly sized gun impossible. This holster fits it perfectly, with no binding or chafing of the front sight in the bottom of the holster. The fact that it fits other guns well is an added bonus.
The 386 SC also sports a barrel just a smidgen over 3 inches, so a regular holster for a 2 and a half or 3 inch medium to large frame revolver usually won't fit it in that department unless it itself is oversized a bit, and many of the 4 inch holsters won't fit the Model 386 SC due to the elevated front fiber optic sight.
I've worn this Simply Rugged holster and revolver on two different fishing expeditions this summer. It is an easy carry and is easily worn and concealed under a T Shirt with some fishing shorts. The holster fits the gun tight, yet the gun is easily drawn from the holster. One reason this particular revolver is so concealable is that it has a round butt, perhaps the size of a K frame RB but perhaps even a bit smaller. The Model 386 SC has a lanyard indentation and pin in the rear bottom of the grip strap, and this is a feature I use whenever near the water.
So the Hogue (I think) rounded grips on the smaller sized rounded butt of the Model 386 SC make the gun much easier to conceal than other medium to large frame revolvers with a square grip. K frames like the Model 10 and Model 13 with round butts are similarly easy to conceal in this holster, with both stock wood grips and with the Pachmayr Compac rubber grips. The Pachmayrs are a bit less concealable than the stock wood grips but miles and miles more pleasureable to shoot the gun with.
I could put Pachmayrs on the Model 386 SC and that would certainly improve lessening felt recoil since the Pachmayrs would cover the backstrap of the frame unlike the stock factory rubber grips, but it would plug up the lanyard hole which is actually a feature I use with some regularity. My next idea will be trying some of the slip on Pachmayr grips that fit the super small .32's and .380's autos and see how they fit on top of the factory grips on the 386 SC.
I put a Dr Slick wrist lanyard through the loop and if using the gun whilst hanging over or right near the water, my wrist is through the loop if it's not attached to the belt lanyard. Otherwise, a small but sturdy caribiner keeps the wrist loop secured to a longer pistol lanyard attached to the belt. This keeps the handgun from "deep sixing" if it fell out of the holster in any number of ways culminating in a tumble into the water. I'll state that I feel much more comfortable with a revolver on a belt lanyard than a semi-auto, with perhaps exception to the H and K P7M8 or PSP.
Holster fit is a pet peeve of mine, and I've found that several Galco and other brands of holsters have been just a bit "too tight" of a fit for the gun they were designed for. I've learned of the "plastic bag trick" which involves placing the unloaded gun in a plastic bag (the bag many holsters comes in works fine, or two of them) and the gun is placed in the holster to stretch.
Seems like all of the old holsters I bought back in the day, and the used "vintage" holsters I've bought in the recent past, always fit the gun from the get go. I didn't have to "stretch" them out to get a proper fit and most importantly, an easy draw. I have several holsters that need to be stretched to be able to draw the gun from the holster. It's such a tight fit that it's hard to withdraw the gun from the holster. And these are Galco brand holsters bought new.
So the fact that this holster fits the guns well is a pleasant surprise.
One modification I'll do is make a "hammer loop" from a piece of spare leather and secure it to the front hole in the upper portion of the holster which is where the IWB loop screw mount attaches. I can craft a loop of the right size and angle that will work as a hammer loop or a hammer thong, even though I'm pretty sure the holster doesn't need one. This hammer loop can just screw into the preexisting hole above the upper belt loop.
I'll be buying some holsters from Simply Rugged in the near future. A trio of 1911 holsters for the 3, 4 and 5 inch lengths, one for the Kel-Tec 30 shot .22 magnum called the Field and Stream with extra magazine holder, and one for the Governor with six loops on the exterior of the holster. And for sure another like this one for the N frame Model 329PD. And I'd really like to have one for a 4 3/4 inch barreled Colt 1873 Colt clone and...
And here's their SIMPLY RUGGED WEBSITE in case you too find a hankering for one of their simple but rugged holsters.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
LIGHTWEIGHT FISHING KIT BAG IDEAS PART ONE
I've been working on a post about this subject for a year ago tonight. I never really got said the things I wanted to say, and tended to ramble on about this aspect and that of fishing gear and fishing.
So here's another try.
A lot of my fishing these days is on a few certain rivers in my vicinity. Unfortunately, the river I live closest to doesn't contain my kind of fishing, so I have to drive an hour or more to get to some of the more pristine rivers and creeks in my area, which in turn carry a more pristine kind of fish, a healthier fish, if you will.
I've long been a sucker for anything labeled "lightweight" or "ultralight". My Spyderco Delica lightweight knife is very lightweight and is still going strong after 20 years. My Colt Cobra and the Smith and Wesson Model 38 Bodyguard are indeed lightweight as well. They're both going strong after 30 and 20 years each respectively.
It's appropriate that the above examples of lightweight items are items that have often been a part of my fishing kit.
One item I plan to use this fall on a certain Central Texas river is a mesh vest I got recently on ebay. It took some looking until I found the one I wanted, because although a mesh vest can be lightweight, it can also be heavier than a regular canvas fishing vest.
I found an old Garcia mesh and cotton vest in excellent condition. It has just enough pockets to be useful. I plan on velcroing in a large patch in one of the large pockets to velcro a J frame synthetic holster to to carry either a J frame or similar lightweight snubbie. On the other side of the vest will go a waterproof wallet with ID, cell, extra set of keys, etc to balance out the weight. Some fly boxes in other pockets, and a lure box with some lures and spinners and spoons and what have you, generally a basic river selection.
I can either hang the fishing lanyard I've been using for several years off of my neck or poke it into the back pocket of the vest.
Another idea I had was to make a fishing kit case out of a Pelican hardcase, one of the two that are carry on size. Actually, one is actually carry on size, and the other is a few inches bigger than that one. I've seen lots of folks using the smaller cases for carry on suitcases in recent years, and they are certainly durable.
It gave me the idea that it'd be an excellent case to stuff with some travel rods and reels and some lures and tackle and a "travel" rifle like the Springfield Armory M6, the Henry .22 Survival rifle, the Ruger takedown 10/22 or even one of the takedown Browning BLR's with the shorter 20" barrel might fit if arranged diagonally.
You could make any kind of outdoorsman kit that you wanted to. I recently used a wheeled carry on suitcase in our trip through the Ozarks to tote a basic tackle setup that would cover most any situation I'd encounter. It was handy to be able to wheel down to a fishing spot, and it was handy to be able to move it from the SUV to the hotel room at every stop to prevent it from being stolen.
But I'd like to take it up a notch and put the gear in a hard case. I don't think I'd use the foam lining because it would take up too much room that other gear could fill. Using as much "lightweight" gear as possible in such a rig means that you can theoretically tote more stuff at less weight than normal.
I've been looking for a deal on one of these Pelican cases and I'm sure I'll find one sooner or later.
My inspiration for this Pelican cased fishing kit is the Survival Kit that Smith and Wesson made several years ago, using a HUGE PISTOL and various survival gear in smaller Pelican case. I've actually got a Pelican case that size that I used to use to tote Digital Audio Recording equipment around to gigs with. I'm thinking of repurposing that to a "grab and go" survival kit that could be carried inconspicuously in a shoulder bag just a wee bit bigger than the Pelican case itself.
Note that any mention of carrying firearms in a "carry on" bag does not mean this bag is for use when flying. I'm planning on using the carry on Pelican case in auto trips, not for plane trips. If you do plan double duty for your Pelican based fishing kit case, be sure to clear all ammo, knives and firearms from the case before actually carrying it on to a plane. Even then, the fact you once had gunpowder in that case will probably trigger alerts at the screening station, as bags of mine that formally had contained ammo or been to the shooting range and perhaps had some tiny whiff of gunpowder residue on them have led to full searches of my bags. Which is fine, by the way. I now keep a set of traveling bags that has never had a firearm or ammo in them.
Some years ago, I had a large long doctors bag made of leather that I used as a fishing kit bag. I velcro'ed a large patch on one of the inside sides of the bag and used that to mount soft holsters and knife and plier sheaths. It held a good amount of reels and small tackle boxes and could have held some smaller travel rods.
It disappeared with a saddle repair shop owner long ago. I took it in to have the bottom and sides reinforced, and a couple of days later he was GONE!
I also have a nice bag that was a gimme from a cologne company in the early 1980's. It is a canvas and leather old time traveling bag that opens from the top with a frame. It has a huge front pocket and a rubberized backside pocket large enough for a Thompson Contender 12" .45 Colt/.410 barreled pistol with large Pachmayr stocks on it. In a holster.
That bag might perhaps be the perfect bag, but after hundreds of trips, it's time for retirement for use as a closet storage bag. A well deserved retirement. The zippers still work, barely, but their days are numbered. Perhaps I'll get around to getting two new zippers installed on it and reviving it. It's long enough to hold the smaller sized travel rods, those that are about 16" or so when broken down, and it's always been a lucky bag if you believe in that sort of thing.
It's fished by dams in Colorado and on spring creeks in California. It's been bonefishing in the Bahamas and literally all over the state of Texas fishing for thirty years. For most of the 1980's, it was my trunk fishing bag that was kept in the car along with some rods and reels for fishing opportunities that arose unexpectedly, which they did back then with a lot more frequency than currently in my life.
I keep searching on ebay for bags like it that are not too worn out or too expensive. I think I'll give another look tomorrow at getting new zippers for the old reliable bag. I know a seamstress with a heavy duty sewing machine adept at such things, but it'll cost me.
In the meantime, I've been using a mega-tackle box from days of yore, the Umco Possum Belly, with a removeable bottom area. I've placed various travel rods and reels in the bottom section and with the humongous top section filled with a TON of lures and bait fishing gear both new and old, I could cover every fishing situation I'd encounter from the smallest creek to saltwater bay and light surf fishing.
With the addition of a travel surf rod that won't fit into the Umco, I could cover heavy duty surf fishing as well. The Umco does contain, however, a short six foot "pier" casting travel rod that can cover fish up to 35 or 40 pounds. In addition to using it for saltwater pier and jetty fishing, it works well for catfishing for large cats.
Since I've already got a great tackle box setup for Saltwater, the Umco will be outfitted for mostly freshwater fishing from the smallest to the largest. I figure to put some empty plastic lure boxes in the bottom of the upper Umco box for picking and choosing various lures to carry in my fishing vest or fishing shoulder bag, as the Umco is too big to be carrying any real distance at all.
I remember taking a friend fishing who had the Possum Belly back the seventies. It totally took up WAY much space on our 18 foot fishing boat that had quite a bit of floor space to begin with.
I do have a folding two wheeler that would fit inside the Umco, and a little velcro on the bottom of the Umco and on the toe of the two wheeler would work wonders keeping it on the two wheeler.
The beauty of the Umco is using it as a satellite station to store and carry tackle. As the fishing situation changes, lures can be taken in and out of the box at the vehicle, and put in smaller boxes or bags for use in the field. Again, it can be easily hefted onto a hotel luggage cart or a small two wheeler for toting into hotels for secure storage overnight on fishing trips.
I've got a small zippered mesh bag that goes back and forth between fresh and salt water tackle boxes. It's the kind that goes in a 3 ring binder for school supplies. It contains my favored pairs of fishing pliers, snake bite kit, some basic repair tools, line cutters and the like. Things I use all the time both salt and freshwater fishing. I carry a set of wirecutters to cut hooks in case of an accidental hooking so the barbs can quickly be cut off and the hook safely removed..in my opinion, excellent wire cutters are essential. I carry extras of different brands in each box as a backup, but have my favored tools with me no matter which venue I'm fishing in.
I also try to have a small first aid kit, a lighter, a knife/multitool, some sanitizer, at least one bottle of water and a snake bit kit in every tackle box or pack I take with me, even if it's redundent to gear (that I might think is) already in the kit bag.
So here's another try.
A lot of my fishing these days is on a few certain rivers in my vicinity. Unfortunately, the river I live closest to doesn't contain my kind of fishing, so I have to drive an hour or more to get to some of the more pristine rivers and creeks in my area, which in turn carry a more pristine kind of fish, a healthier fish, if you will.
I've long been a sucker for anything labeled "lightweight" or "ultralight". My Spyderco Delica lightweight knife is very lightweight and is still going strong after 20 years. My Colt Cobra and the Smith and Wesson Model 38 Bodyguard are indeed lightweight as well. They're both going strong after 30 and 20 years each respectively.
It's appropriate that the above examples of lightweight items are items that have often been a part of my fishing kit.
One item I plan to use this fall on a certain Central Texas river is a mesh vest I got recently on ebay. It took some looking until I found the one I wanted, because although a mesh vest can be lightweight, it can also be heavier than a regular canvas fishing vest.
I found an old Garcia mesh and cotton vest in excellent condition. It has just enough pockets to be useful. I plan on velcroing in a large patch in one of the large pockets to velcro a J frame synthetic holster to to carry either a J frame or similar lightweight snubbie. On the other side of the vest will go a waterproof wallet with ID, cell, extra set of keys, etc to balance out the weight. Some fly boxes in other pockets, and a lure box with some lures and spinners and spoons and what have you, generally a basic river selection.
I can either hang the fishing lanyard I've been using for several years off of my neck or poke it into the back pocket of the vest.
Another idea I had was to make a fishing kit case out of a Pelican hardcase, one of the two that are carry on size. Actually, one is actually carry on size, and the other is a few inches bigger than that one. I've seen lots of folks using the smaller cases for carry on suitcases in recent years, and they are certainly durable.
It gave me the idea that it'd be an excellent case to stuff with some travel rods and reels and some lures and tackle and a "travel" rifle like the Springfield Armory M6, the Henry .22 Survival rifle, the Ruger takedown 10/22 or even one of the takedown Browning BLR's with the shorter 20" barrel might fit if arranged diagonally.
You could make any kind of outdoorsman kit that you wanted to. I recently used a wheeled carry on suitcase in our trip through the Ozarks to tote a basic tackle setup that would cover most any situation I'd encounter. It was handy to be able to wheel down to a fishing spot, and it was handy to be able to move it from the SUV to the hotel room at every stop to prevent it from being stolen.
But I'd like to take it up a notch and put the gear in a hard case. I don't think I'd use the foam lining because it would take up too much room that other gear could fill. Using as much "lightweight" gear as possible in such a rig means that you can theoretically tote more stuff at less weight than normal.
I've been looking for a deal on one of these Pelican cases and I'm sure I'll find one sooner or later.
My inspiration for this Pelican cased fishing kit is the Survival Kit that Smith and Wesson made several years ago, using a HUGE PISTOL and various survival gear in smaller Pelican case. I've actually got a Pelican case that size that I used to use to tote Digital Audio Recording equipment around to gigs with. I'm thinking of repurposing that to a "grab and go" survival kit that could be carried inconspicuously in a shoulder bag just a wee bit bigger than the Pelican case itself.
Note that any mention of carrying firearms in a "carry on" bag does not mean this bag is for use when flying. I'm planning on using the carry on Pelican case in auto trips, not for plane trips. If you do plan double duty for your Pelican based fishing kit case, be sure to clear all ammo, knives and firearms from the case before actually carrying it on to a plane. Even then, the fact you once had gunpowder in that case will probably trigger alerts at the screening station, as bags of mine that formally had contained ammo or been to the shooting range and perhaps had some tiny whiff of gunpowder residue on them have led to full searches of my bags. Which is fine, by the way. I now keep a set of traveling bags that has never had a firearm or ammo in them.
Some years ago, I had a large long doctors bag made of leather that I used as a fishing kit bag. I velcro'ed a large patch on one of the inside sides of the bag and used that to mount soft holsters and knife and plier sheaths. It held a good amount of reels and small tackle boxes and could have held some smaller travel rods.
It disappeared with a saddle repair shop owner long ago. I took it in to have the bottom and sides reinforced, and a couple of days later he was GONE!
I also have a nice bag that was a gimme from a cologne company in the early 1980's. It is a canvas and leather old time traveling bag that opens from the top with a frame. It has a huge front pocket and a rubberized backside pocket large enough for a Thompson Contender 12" .45 Colt/.410 barreled pistol with large Pachmayr stocks on it. In a holster.
That bag might perhaps be the perfect bag, but after hundreds of trips, it's time for retirement for use as a closet storage bag. A well deserved retirement. The zippers still work, barely, but their days are numbered. Perhaps I'll get around to getting two new zippers installed on it and reviving it. It's long enough to hold the smaller sized travel rods, those that are about 16" or so when broken down, and it's always been a lucky bag if you believe in that sort of thing.
It's fished by dams in Colorado and on spring creeks in California. It's been bonefishing in the Bahamas and literally all over the state of Texas fishing for thirty years. For most of the 1980's, it was my trunk fishing bag that was kept in the car along with some rods and reels for fishing opportunities that arose unexpectedly, which they did back then with a lot more frequency than currently in my life.
I keep searching on ebay for bags like it that are not too worn out or too expensive. I think I'll give another look tomorrow at getting new zippers for the old reliable bag. I know a seamstress with a heavy duty sewing machine adept at such things, but it'll cost me.
In the meantime, I've been using a mega-tackle box from days of yore, the Umco Possum Belly, with a removeable bottom area. I've placed various travel rods and reels in the bottom section and with the humongous top section filled with a TON of lures and bait fishing gear both new and old, I could cover every fishing situation I'd encounter from the smallest creek to saltwater bay and light surf fishing.
With the addition of a travel surf rod that won't fit into the Umco, I could cover heavy duty surf fishing as well. The Umco does contain, however, a short six foot "pier" casting travel rod that can cover fish up to 35 or 40 pounds. In addition to using it for saltwater pier and jetty fishing, it works well for catfishing for large cats.
Since I've already got a great tackle box setup for Saltwater, the Umco will be outfitted for mostly freshwater fishing from the smallest to the largest. I figure to put some empty plastic lure boxes in the bottom of the upper Umco box for picking and choosing various lures to carry in my fishing vest or fishing shoulder bag, as the Umco is too big to be carrying any real distance at all.
I remember taking a friend fishing who had the Possum Belly back the seventies. It totally took up WAY much space on our 18 foot fishing boat that had quite a bit of floor space to begin with.
I do have a folding two wheeler that would fit inside the Umco, and a little velcro on the bottom of the Umco and on the toe of the two wheeler would work wonders keeping it on the two wheeler.
The beauty of the Umco is using it as a satellite station to store and carry tackle. As the fishing situation changes, lures can be taken in and out of the box at the vehicle, and put in smaller boxes or bags for use in the field. Again, it can be easily hefted onto a hotel luggage cart or a small two wheeler for toting into hotels for secure storage overnight on fishing trips.
I've got a small zippered mesh bag that goes back and forth between fresh and salt water tackle boxes. It's the kind that goes in a 3 ring binder for school supplies. It contains my favored pairs of fishing pliers, snake bite kit, some basic repair tools, line cutters and the like. Things I use all the time both salt and freshwater fishing. I carry a set of wirecutters to cut hooks in case of an accidental hooking so the barbs can quickly be cut off and the hook safely removed..in my opinion, excellent wire cutters are essential. I carry extras of different brands in each box as a backup, but have my favored tools with me no matter which venue I'm fishing in.
I also try to have a small first aid kit, a lighter, a knife/multitool, some sanitizer, at least one bottle of water and a snake bit kit in every tackle box or pack I take with me, even if it's redundent to gear (that I might think is) already in the kit bag.
Friday, August 31, 2012
CLINT "RNC" EASTWOOD...YOU THE MAN!
Dear Mr. Eastwood:
Thanks Mr. Eastwood, for not disappointing me. I knew that at some point, like last night, you were going to spring forth from your well-deserved low profile lifestyle and SAVE AMERICA!
And I think maybe you just did that last night.
Because of your stardom that transcends political loyalties and boundaries, you have people that will listen to you who would normally tune any Republican message out. I think that today at least a few might be swayed to perhaps ponder that they still have the same unfulfilled hopes they had three and a half years ago but all the change we've seen in the past three years has been bad for them as persons and as a family.
23 million people out of work.
The economy is in the toilet.
No hopes of improvement on either front, or regarding the numerous other pressing
problems facing our nation and world.
Everyone looks to the US to lead the way to solving problems. They may not want to admit it, but they still do. Even fruitcake led countries like Venezuela.
Here's my prediction: The Democrats will get some Hollywood personality, maybe even someone as entertaining as Sean Penn, to imitate you at their convention. You know what they say, imitation is the sincerest...blah blah blah.
I'm a fifty something year old man. You're roughly the same age as my late father. I've admired your careers, not only as an actor and director but as the fine Mayor for many years. Mr. Eastwood, I'm hoping that some of the liberal pundits who are banging you as "rambling" and "sad" in the media today are able to take a deep look at someone other than themselves and take a glance around this country and they would quickly see how this country has taken a nosedive since President Obama took office.
The empty chair metaphor, was, in a word, brilliant. And unfortunately, highly descriptive of the POTUS we have now. An empty chair in an empty office.
It's unfortunate that the liberal media pundits couldn't look past the venue to the man and the message. I realize this "isn't about you", but the pundits can't. One reason many average joes like me have respect for you as a person is that you've taken care of your friends over the years. As you became a star and later a director, you gave your friends repeat roles in films and shared your prosperity with them. This isn't lost on America. That's why I say your speech was very important.
That's the kind vision we need our president to have towards the rapidly disappearing middle class, and unfortunately, it's not the kind of presidental attitude we've got right now.
I found your speech entertaining and somewhat profound. Again, some of the critics are so busy being politically defensive that they didn't see the olive branches you were trying to extend to everyone in America in your speech. As you said, there is no need to be metal masochists just to give a bad president a second term because a person would personally feel sorry for him when he loses this election but realize it's in the best interest of the country for him to be a one term president.
Thanks, for letting a normal guy have one hero that made it intact throughout the decades to come shining through like you did last night. I've had all kinds of heroes, mentors and role models in my life, and since all of us are made of sand, everyone up until now has disappointed me, except my wonderful father. And now, you.
Thanks for being a great American, Mr. Eastwood. You were just saying what most of the rest of us are thinking. It's time for a change, for the good of the future.
And yes, you did make my day!
P.S. You've given me a great idea for closing arguments in trials I handle. A prosecutor talking to an empty chair, in which sits the "invisible citizen" that is the state's interest in keeping a state free of violent criminals, about why this violent criminal needs to go away. It's reversible error to read a pretend note to the jury from a murder victim, but no error to address the "invisible citizen" on why the jury must lock a violent criminal away. Thanks!
Thanks Mr. Eastwood, for not disappointing me. I knew that at some point, like last night, you were going to spring forth from your well-deserved low profile lifestyle and SAVE AMERICA!
And I think maybe you just did that last night.
Because of your stardom that transcends political loyalties and boundaries, you have people that will listen to you who would normally tune any Republican message out. I think that today at least a few might be swayed to perhaps ponder that they still have the same unfulfilled hopes they had three and a half years ago but all the change we've seen in the past three years has been bad for them as persons and as a family.
23 million people out of work.
The economy is in the toilet.
No hopes of improvement on either front, or regarding the numerous other pressing
problems facing our nation and world.
Everyone looks to the US to lead the way to solving problems. They may not want to admit it, but they still do. Even fruitcake led countries like Venezuela.
Here's my prediction: The Democrats will get some Hollywood personality, maybe even someone as entertaining as Sean Penn, to imitate you at their convention. You know what they say, imitation is the sincerest...blah blah blah.
I'm a fifty something year old man. You're roughly the same age as my late father. I've admired your careers, not only as an actor and director but as the fine Mayor for many years. Mr. Eastwood, I'm hoping that some of the liberal pundits who are banging you as "rambling" and "sad" in the media today are able to take a deep look at someone other than themselves and take a glance around this country and they would quickly see how this country has taken a nosedive since President Obama took office.
The empty chair metaphor, was, in a word, brilliant. And unfortunately, highly descriptive of the POTUS we have now. An empty chair in an empty office.
It's unfortunate that the liberal media pundits couldn't look past the venue to the man and the message. I realize this "isn't about you", but the pundits can't. One reason many average joes like me have respect for you as a person is that you've taken care of your friends over the years. As you became a star and later a director, you gave your friends repeat roles in films and shared your prosperity with them. This isn't lost on America. That's why I say your speech was very important.
That's the kind vision we need our president to have towards the rapidly disappearing middle class, and unfortunately, it's not the kind of presidental attitude we've got right now.
I found your speech entertaining and somewhat profound. Again, some of the critics are so busy being politically defensive that they didn't see the olive branches you were trying to extend to everyone in America in your speech. As you said, there is no need to be metal masochists just to give a bad president a second term because a person would personally feel sorry for him when he loses this election but realize it's in the best interest of the country for him to be a one term president.
Thanks, for letting a normal guy have one hero that made it intact throughout the decades to come shining through like you did last night. I've had all kinds of heroes, mentors and role models in my life, and since all of us are made of sand, everyone up until now has disappointed me, except my wonderful father. And now, you.
Thanks for being a great American, Mr. Eastwood. You were just saying what most of the rest of us are thinking. It's time for a change, for the good of the future.
And yes, you did make my day!
P.S. You've given me a great idea for closing arguments in trials I handle. A prosecutor talking to an empty chair, in which sits the "invisible citizen" that is the state's interest in keeping a state free of violent criminals, about why this violent criminal needs to go away. It's reversible error to read a pretend note to the jury from a murder victim, but no error to address the "invisible citizen" on why the jury must lock a violent criminal away. Thanks!
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