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| More HERE |
I do want.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Intrigued...
Oleg has a couple photos up of the DDuplex slugs in the 20ga. variety. Supposedly great expansion and decent penetration. These could turn the little 870 into a formidable house gun. I'll have to look into them...
The Walther P1
There was brief mention a couple months ago that I had acquired one. Now that I've caught up with life (mostly) and had a chance to take it to the range and make sure it works, I'm finally getting around to a more in-depth post about my newest gun.
In 1938, Germany adopted the P.38 handgun for military service, joining twenty-seven various handguns adopted between 1914 and 1945. Approximately 1,200,000 were manufactured during the span of WWII, and the design was adopted by the post-war West German Army, as well as numerous police units throughout the country. The design also has a great historical significance, as it was the first double action automatic for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 1957 the Bundeswehr (German Army) adopted an updated version, the P1, which is little more than a P.38 with an Aluminum-Alloy frame in place of the original steel frame. This lowered manufacturing costs, and also lowered the overall weight of the pistol (840 grams down to 770 grams.) The design utilizes a short-recoil operating system, with a tilting locking block that mates the barrel to the slide at the start of the firing cycle. There are two small recoil springs that run along the sides of the frame and inside the slide, rather than a single large spring around or under the barrel as typically found on semi-auto pistols.
Users of the M9 will be familiar with the system, and it's no accident that the open slide design on the Baretta is reminiscent of the P.38's open design. The M9's locking system is a copy of the P.38/P1 system. (I do, however, like the P1. The M9, not so much.)
A problem with the operating system and recoil spring combination became apparent when the frame material was switch to the more brittle aluminum. It was found that cracks would start to form around the area of the locking block and front of the recoil springs, and a steel cross pin was added to the later manufactured P1s to help alleviate the problem. It is suggested that you avoid firing +P ammunition through aluminum framed P1s.
My example was built in April of 1979 and saw use in the West German Army according to the markings. It was imported by I.O. Inc., and sold by AIM Surplus.
The overall fit and finish of the pistol is what you would expect from a Walther, that is despite being an Army issue gun, it still shows a high level of care in the machining, and a nice even finish throughout all the parts. Either the Germans took really good care of their pieces, or they seldom left the holster. (The later is quite likely, given they were jokingly referred to as "eight warning shots and a well aimed throw" according to some.) While the finish is a more utilitarian parkerizing rather than blued, it is still a nice even finish.
The I.O. Inc. import mark is cleanly electro-penciled along the bottom of the exposed portion of the barrel. AIM Surplus also included two magazines and a Flectarn holster with each gun (the holster requires a German web belt however. I am contemplating finding another one (they're cheap) and replacing the funky plastic clip with some regular belt loops or something.)
My only complaints in regards to the design are a matter of preference, That being the slide mounted safety/decocker, and the mag release.
The safety, on one hand, is very positive and easy to manipulate. Unlike some slide mounted safeties it is easy to reach with your thumb (assuming you're a righty) and moving it to the safe position will also decock the hammer. My complaint stems more from the fact that I'm a 1911 shooter at heart, so the positions are backwards. I can't count the times I've embarrassed myself on the range with my other Walther (the P22) by flipping it to safe and pulling the trigger. All I can say is there's a reason the Hon. JMB built his the way he did.
The other problem, the mag release, is also a European idiosyncrasy that this American will never fully appreciate I guess. It's the long standing heal clip type.
I suppose it qualifies as "ambidextrous," but it definitely slows down your reloads. On the plus side, we also had the CZ52 out at the range the same day, and when compared to it's mag release, the P1's seem amazing.
The P1 does have the distinction of the first loaded chamber indicator that I didn't find more annoying than of use. It consists of a simple spring loaded plunger that protrudes from the rear of the slide, just above the hammer, when there is a round in the chamber.
Marty did find a problem with the indicator though, as once during firing the slide failed to return to battery, and a sharp tap on the rear of the slide can be a bit painful when there's more or less a nail sticking out. No blood was drawn, but it looked like it smarted a bit.
I also found that the bottom edge of the slide can be a bit painful if you've got bigger hands and aren't wearing gloves. Some blood was drawn during that magazine. I just need to be more mindful of my high-thumb grip when shooting this one.
Aside from the little bit of a learning curve, the operating system and tail heavy design makes for a surprisingly pleasant shooting pistol. The somewhat wide (for a single-stack 9mm) grip spreads the recoil out nicely, and the rearward balance point makes for less strain on your wrist during extended sessions. The relatively light slide also keeps the muzzle flip to a minimum, much less than what I had expected due to the overall balance of the gun.
As this was simply a "familiarization" range, we didn't test for accuracy (the target stand uprights at that range are made from giant cardboard tubes the local paper mill uses to make giant reams of paper, so they sort of self destruct in the winter...) but it was good enough to peg some bowling pins at 7 yards.
The double-action pull is obviously an early design. While smooth, there is some noticeable stacking and it maxes out my trigger pull gage, placing it in the 10+lbs category. Single-action is a crisp 5-6 lbs, well within the realm of "service pistol." The feeding angle between the magazine and chamber is quite shallow, and aside from the one failure to return to battery (possibly user induced) it ate 80 rounds of Winchester White-box 115gr. FMJ without any other issues.
Another point of interest is that the extractor is on the left side of the gun, so the empties tend to get flung in the opposite direction of most autos.
Overall, I'm more than pleased with this gun, and it is a fantastic addition to anyone's collection. Plus it's C&R eligible, which is always great (who doesn't enjoy the big brown truck of happiness delivering fun right to your door?)
In 1938, Germany adopted the P.38 handgun for military service, joining twenty-seven various handguns adopted between 1914 and 1945. Approximately 1,200,000 were manufactured during the span of WWII, and the design was adopted by the post-war West German Army, as well as numerous police units throughout the country. The design also has a great historical significance, as it was the first double action automatic for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 1957 the Bundeswehr (German Army) adopted an updated version, the P1, which is little more than a P.38 with an Aluminum-Alloy frame in place of the original steel frame. This lowered manufacturing costs, and also lowered the overall weight of the pistol (840 grams down to 770 grams.) The design utilizes a short-recoil operating system, with a tilting locking block that mates the barrel to the slide at the start of the firing cycle. There are two small recoil springs that run along the sides of the frame and inside the slide, rather than a single large spring around or under the barrel as typically found on semi-auto pistols.
Users of the M9 will be familiar with the system, and it's no accident that the open slide design on the Baretta is reminiscent of the P.38's open design. The M9's locking system is a copy of the P.38/P1 system. (I do, however, like the P1. The M9, not so much.)
A problem with the operating system and recoil spring combination became apparent when the frame material was switch to the more brittle aluminum. It was found that cracks would start to form around the area of the locking block and front of the recoil springs, and a steel cross pin was added to the later manufactured P1s to help alleviate the problem. It is suggested that you avoid firing +P ammunition through aluminum framed P1s.
My example was built in April of 1979 and saw use in the West German Army according to the markings. It was imported by I.O. Inc., and sold by AIM Surplus.
 |
| The steel cross pin can be seen between the take down lever and slide release. (Also Photoshop magic has happened to the serial number.) |
The overall fit and finish of the pistol is what you would expect from a Walther, that is despite being an Army issue gun, it still shows a high level of care in the machining, and a nice even finish throughout all the parts. Either the Germans took really good care of their pieces, or they seldom left the holster. (The later is quite likely, given they were jokingly referred to as "eight warning shots and a well aimed throw" according to some.) While the finish is a more utilitarian parkerizing rather than blued, it is still a nice even finish.
The I.O. Inc. import mark is cleanly electro-penciled along the bottom of the exposed portion of the barrel. AIM Surplus also included two magazines and a Flectarn holster with each gun (the holster requires a German web belt however. I am contemplating finding another one (they're cheap) and replacing the funky plastic clip with some regular belt loops or something.)
My only complaints in regards to the design are a matter of preference, That being the slide mounted safety/decocker, and the mag release.
The safety, on one hand, is very positive and easy to manipulate. Unlike some slide mounted safeties it is easy to reach with your thumb (assuming you're a righty) and moving it to the safe position will also decock the hammer. My complaint stems more from the fact that I'm a 1911 shooter at heart, so the positions are backwards. I can't count the times I've embarrassed myself on the range with my other Walther (the P22) by flipping it to safe and pulling the trigger. All I can say is there's a reason the Hon. JMB built his the way he did.
The other problem, the mag release, is also a European idiosyncrasy that this American will never fully appreciate I guess. It's the long standing heal clip type.
I suppose it qualifies as "ambidextrous," but it definitely slows down your reloads. On the plus side, we also had the CZ52 out at the range the same day, and when compared to it's mag release, the P1's seem amazing.
The P1 does have the distinction of the first loaded chamber indicator that I didn't find more annoying than of use. It consists of a simple spring loaded plunger that protrudes from the rear of the slide, just above the hammer, when there is a round in the chamber.
 |
| Empty |
 |
| Loaded |
Marty did find a problem with the indicator though, as once during firing the slide failed to return to battery, and a sharp tap on the rear of the slide can be a bit painful when there's more or less a nail sticking out. No blood was drawn, but it looked like it smarted a bit.
I also found that the bottom edge of the slide can be a bit painful if you've got bigger hands and aren't wearing gloves. Some blood was drawn during that magazine. I just need to be more mindful of my high-thumb grip when shooting this one.
Aside from the little bit of a learning curve, the operating system and tail heavy design makes for a surprisingly pleasant shooting pistol. The somewhat wide (for a single-stack 9mm) grip spreads the recoil out nicely, and the rearward balance point makes for less strain on your wrist during extended sessions. The relatively light slide also keeps the muzzle flip to a minimum, much less than what I had expected due to the overall balance of the gun.
As this was simply a "familiarization" range, we didn't test for accuracy (the target stand uprights at that range are made from giant cardboard tubes the local paper mill uses to make giant reams of paper, so they sort of self destruct in the winter...) but it was good enough to peg some bowling pins at 7 yards.
The double-action pull is obviously an early design. While smooth, there is some noticeable stacking and it maxes out my trigger pull gage, placing it in the 10+lbs category. Single-action is a crisp 5-6 lbs, well within the realm of "service pistol." The feeding angle between the magazine and chamber is quite shallow, and aside from the one failure to return to battery (possibly user induced) it ate 80 rounds of Winchester White-box 115gr. FMJ without any other issues.
Another point of interest is that the extractor is on the left side of the gun, so the empties tend to get flung in the opposite direction of most autos.
Overall, I'm more than pleased with this gun, and it is a fantastic addition to anyone's collection. Plus it's C&R eligible, which is always great (who doesn't enjoy the big brown truck of happiness delivering fun right to your door?)
 |
| Or cute girls with guns for that matter? |
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
On the State Assembly
they are the desperate, pathetic lover that clings to his photographs of his time in the majority and can’t accept that the majority left him for another guy.For some reason, that made me laugh a bit. If you're too lost, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed Gov. Walker's budget repair bill, and the Democrats were less than enthused about the prospect.
It’s worth noting that Kramer was ridiculed by Democrats and in the press for daring to clap during a State of the State speech, yet many of those same Democrats were shouting and throwing things in the chamber last night.Unfortunately, the Dem. Senators are still on the lamb, so the bill is still effectively dead-lined.
Friday, February 25, 2011
A Rather Elegant Design
The local coffee house just started carrying these
, and if I hadn't just sent out a rent check I'd pick one up. That's easily the prettiest press I have ever seen. They've also got Highwave MoJOEmo mugs
now too. I've got a standard Joemo
and a larger one with a tea basket
, and they are indeed fully leak-proof. The only downside is if you are one of those heathens that add sugar and cream to your coffee the seal mechanism can get pretty gross.
I've actually been rocking a Nissan Thermos
that's just as leak proof, quite a bit simpler, and so effective that I've burned my tongue up to four hours after putting coffee in it. I've lamented that it works too well.
, and if I hadn't just sent out a rent check I'd pick one up. That's easily the prettiest press I have ever seen. They've also got Highwave MoJOEmo mugs now too. I've got a standard Joemo and a larger one with a tea basket, and they are indeed fully leak-proof. The only downside is if you are one of those heathens that add sugar and cream to your coffee the seal mechanism can get pretty gross.I've actually been rocking a Nissan Thermos
that's just as leak proof, quite a bit simpler, and so effective that I've burned my tongue up to four hours after putting coffee in it. I've lamented that it works too well.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Vintage AR10 Sales Pitch
It's about 15 minutes long, but pretty cool. The music alone makes it worth watching.
(found and converted by Bladeworks123 at Military Firearm)
(found and converted by Bladeworks123 at Military Firearm)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Galco Solo Options
The site tracker says a lot of people have ended up here looking for info on the new Kimber Solo, so I thought I'd mention Galco Gunleather has announced they'll be offering 5 different holster options for the gun.
Idaho
Eyeing up Constitutional Carry as well now. This makes the current list (that I know of) Idaho, Montana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, Colorado, and Iowa; as well as Wyoming having already passed it through the Senate.
KSG Update
Fixes and tweaks for the production version, including fixing the "dead trigger" problem. Also talks of a choke adapter and breacher attachment. The later has potential to make for a pretty cool looking gun, in my opinion.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Reliability
Caleb makes some good points on The Shooter's Log regarding what to look for and some tips for researching carry gun reliability.
I'll admit, I followed a small piece of it, the fact that the city police and county sheriff departments here carry M&Ps did have a bit of weight in my choice to buy one (although they carry .40s and I'm confident with my 9 with good HPs.) And to date, the only issues I've had with my sample have been two failures to eject with cheap Russian steel cased rounds, and that was out of nearly 1,000 rounds of it. I've never had a problem with any brass cased stuff though.
I'll admit, I followed a small piece of it, the fact that the city police and county sheriff departments here carry M&Ps did have a bit of weight in my choice to buy one (although they carry .40s and I'm confident with my 9 with good HPs.) And to date, the only issues I've had with my sample have been two failures to eject with cheap Russian steel cased rounds, and that was out of nearly 1,000 rounds of it. I've never had a problem with any brass cased stuff though.
Conspicuous in the Coffee House
Caleb's video just made half the place turn around and look at me. Something about the dialog at the beginning. (Thankfully I had headphones on...)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Snowplow Drivers...
I'm starting to think the city ones around here must be part of a union and are all down in Madison. I have seriously been down smoother tank trails than the roads around here are right now, not to mention how close I've come to getting the car stuck in the few hours I've been working tonight.
Firefly Returning
Well, the original series, but in HD, and in the right order at least.
The Science Channel has acquired the rights to the cult-hit and will air the series in its short-lived entirety, plus some new extras. Science Channel will wrap each episode with interstitial segments starring renowned physicist Dr. Michio Kaku, who will discuss the theoretical science behind the show’s sci-fi concepts.Plus an interview with Nathan Fillion, the actor who played Mal. He says he'd play him again in a heartbeat.
Cold Steel Trench Hawk
My Tomahawk showed up a couple days ago, and here's some photos and initial impressions of the beast.
I managed to snag a Cold Steel Trench Hawk
the other day from an Amazon seller. This particular tomahawk tends to sell out quickly, and it's pretty understandable. First off, it's relatively inexpensive. I paid less than $40, and got free shipping to boot. Compared to the hundreds of dollars some modern "combat" tomahawks are going for, it's a steal. Secondly, it is a good looking piece.
The head is the shape I've been looking for, with enough of a beard to hook things and a good hefty spike on the back. I look at a tomahawk as more of a breaching tool and extreme last line of defense (ie., my rifle's out, I dropped my pistol, and the zombies are still coming...)
The steel is a quarter inch thick, and wedged into the handle and held in place with two hex bolts.
It's not too heavy either, and has a fairly decent balance point (at least to my untrained hands.) The blade is sharp enough out of the box for basic choppy business, but I'll probably put a decent polish on it just because I like my axes sharp.
The handle is textured, but it could be a little grabbier. This could be easily fixed by some judicious use of a soldering iron or grip tape, but I'll probably go for a clean 550 chord wrap. I may hit it with some tan krylon as well, not so much for the tacticool thing, but to keep it cool in the sun.
Cold Steel does have replacement handles listed on their website for about $7 a piece, a nice thing to keep in mind, and a great thing to have on hand if you're in a hot dusty place on the other side of the world (if I take it on my next deployment I'm sure I'll have at least two stashed in a footlocker at least.
The sheath is rather ingenious in how it securely stays in place covering the blade and the spike, and simply hinges away after undoing a single snap. The downside is it's simply a blade cover, and has no mounting points or loops to attach it to any gear. There is, however, enough clearance between the center section and the blade that you could potentially thread some webbing through there and rig something up, and I'm contemplating hard mounting some sort of Molle friendly system in that spot (plenty of room for some Chicago screws.)
Overall, so far I'm more than pleased with the purchase. If you're looking for a basic entry level "combat" tomahawk, the Cold Steel Trench Hawk is a great place to start.
I managed to snag a Cold Steel Trench Hawk
the other day from an Amazon seller. This particular tomahawk tends to sell out quickly, and it's pretty understandable. First off, it's relatively inexpensive. I paid less than $40, and got free shipping to boot. Compared to the hundreds of dollars some modern "combat" tomahawks are going for, it's a steal. Secondly, it is a good looking piece.
The head is the shape I've been looking for, with enough of a beard to hook things and a good hefty spike on the back. I look at a tomahawk as more of a breaching tool and extreme last line of defense (ie., my rifle's out, I dropped my pistol, and the zombies are still coming...)
The steel is a quarter inch thick, and wedged into the handle and held in place with two hex bolts.
It's not too heavy either, and has a fairly decent balance point (at least to my untrained hands.) The blade is sharp enough out of the box for basic choppy business, but I'll probably put a decent polish on it just because I like my axes sharp.
The handle is textured, but it could be a little grabbier. This could be easily fixed by some judicious use of a soldering iron or grip tape, but I'll probably go for a clean 550 chord wrap. I may hit it with some tan krylon as well, not so much for the tacticool thing, but to keep it cool in the sun.
Cold Steel does have replacement handles listed on their website for about $7 a piece, a nice thing to keep in mind, and a great thing to have on hand if you're in a hot dusty place on the other side of the world (if I take it on my next deployment I'm sure I'll have at least two stashed in a footlocker at least.
The sheath is rather ingenious in how it securely stays in place covering the blade and the spike, and simply hinges away after undoing a single snap. The downside is it's simply a blade cover, and has no mounting points or loops to attach it to any gear. There is, however, enough clearance between the center section and the blade that you could potentially thread some webbing through there and rig something up, and I'm contemplating hard mounting some sort of Molle friendly system in that spot (plenty of room for some Chicago screws.)
Overall, so far I'm more than pleased with the purchase. If you're looking for a basic entry level "combat" tomahawk, the Cold Steel Trench Hawk
is a great place to start.
SCAR-17 Review
At Gunblog.com. I was definitely more excited about the SCAR-Heavy than the Light, and I'd love to get my hands on one some day.
At the range, the SCAR 17s is much like a Ferrari - everyone knows or expects it to be great, everyone knows you paid a significant amount of money for it, and everyone is watching you with it.Lots of good stuff, plenty of pictures, and a video.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
On the Up Side
As the Democratic standoff enters its third day on Saturday, Fitzgerald is considering what other bills the GOP could pass without the presence of the Democrats who haven't been seen in the Capitol since Thursday. -
- Some of the most controversial issues Republicans have discussed revisiting this session include... ...allowing Wisconsinites to carry concealed weapons.Sounds like a plan to me.
Vintage '94
I need to look up some tutorials on this type of style. I'm ok with how this one turned out, but I know I could do better.
Yuck.
Last week we saw temperatures pushing close to 50. Today I woke up after a post-work nap (worked nights this weekend...) and found nearly 6 inches of fresh snow on my doorstep. Good day to get some photos edited and some research done for some upcoming blog posts I suppose. However I am enjoying the fact that the property management pays somebody to clear the snow from the parking areas and sidewalks, and that my car is nice and cozy in the garage, not under a snowbank. It's the small things.
DIY Kydex
A guide from ITS Tactical. Lots of good advice and great pictures. I wouldn't mind giving it a shot sometime.
Madison...
...continues being Madison.
Fake doctor's notes being handed out to keep people at the protests, and certain legislators are still MIA.
Stay classy Mad Town!
Fake doctor's notes being handed out to keep people at the protests, and certain legislators are still MIA.
Stay classy Mad Town!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sad Really...
I tend to avoid talking much politics outside of 2A on here. Partly because it doesn't really fit here, but primarily because I really just don't care. However the current goings on in Madison are getting to be pretty big news, and being a Wisconsinite, I thought I'd at least mention it (plus I'm a whore and I know it'll get the hits up.)
The problem, in my mind, is that a ton of schools were forced to close for multiple days this week due to teachers feeling it necessary to go down to Mad Town and whine about what the Governor is proposing, and then a bunch of Dem. State Senators have decided to hide out in Illinois to postpone voting on the proposal (that's the part that really pisses me off.)
More importantly, some of us state payed employees realize that our jobs are, well, our jobs. There's a reason I'm awake at four in the morning to be typing this, and that's because there's a lull in activity around here so I'm taking a break and refuelling my caffeine reserves. To you senators hiding out of state, I hope your constituents wake the hell up and vote you out for running away when it's time to work hard. To all you teachers playing hooky, I'm glad I don't have children yet. As it is, I do pay taxes, and a large chunk of that goes towards public education, and you're kind of messing that up pretty hard core.
It's a shame I'm working nights all weekend, the Tea Party is supposed to show up to join the fray tomorrow, and I'd be pretty tempted to head down and watch the fun and take some pictures; but, like I said, I've got to work (and I like getting paychecks more than spending any amount of time in Madison anyway.)
Of course the main problem is that it's all slowing down the CCW legislation. That was supposed to come after the budget was hashed out. Jerks.
The problem, in my mind, is that a ton of schools were forced to close for multiple days this week due to teachers feeling it necessary to go down to Mad Town and whine about what the Governor is proposing, and then a bunch of Dem. State Senators have decided to hide out in Illinois to postpone voting on the proposal (that's the part that really pisses me off.)
Really? A bunch of tax-paid people walk off their tax-paid jobs to demand more money from taxpayers, and that might play badly with . . . taxpayers?Personally, I'm not a fan of unions. I've found them to be a pain in the ass in the past (my Explorer Post pretty much died off because of the Firefighter's Union not allowing us to do ride-alongs because they thought it would be "unprofessional" to have minors on the rig. That was the start of a steep downhill slide.)
More importantly, some of us state payed employees realize that our jobs are, well, our jobs. There's a reason I'm awake at four in the morning to be typing this, and that's because there's a lull in activity around here so I'm taking a break and refuelling my caffeine reserves. To you senators hiding out of state, I hope your constituents wake the hell up and vote you out for running away when it's time to work hard. To all you teachers playing hooky, I'm glad I don't have children yet. As it is, I do pay taxes, and a large chunk of that goes towards public education, and you're kind of messing that up pretty hard core.
It's a shame I'm working nights all weekend, the Tea Party is supposed to show up to join the fray tomorrow, and I'd be pretty tempted to head down and watch the fun and take some pictures; but, like I said, I've got to work (and I like getting paychecks more than spending any amount of time in Madison anyway.)
Of course the main problem is that it's all slowing down the CCW legislation. That was supposed to come after the budget was hashed out. Jerks.
Friday, February 18, 2011
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