Lobo Gun Leather

Alright, I sang the praises of the holster, the holster maker, and his customer service, and today I finally got out to take a few pictures. (Forgive the slight washout; it was brighter out than I realized!) S&W 242Ti in a Lobo Gun Leather IWB holster, with 7-shot dump pouch.



















The last picture is the 642 in the JMG Holster I got. It's not a bad holster. It holds the gun securely and wears well. It is, however, not as comfortable as the Lobo Gun Leather in the first several pictures.

And the price of that Lobo work? Almost impossible to beat. $80 for the holster, dump pouch, and an extra set of belt loops.

Surprise Acquisition

I got a call from the gun shop that had my Bersa on consignment. Guy in the shop was interested, made an offer. I decided to take the offer and be done with it. Not as much as I'd been hoping for, but I wanted to be done with it and the price he offered was relatively fair. Shop owner asked if he should mail me a check or if I'd come pick it up. I chose to pick it up, even though the shop is an hour away.

Drove over this morning to pick up the check, and took along my remaining gift certificate to get some ammo or see what else caught my eye.

While he was making out the transfer papers for the Bersa and cutting me a check (and cut me a break on the consignment fee while he was at it), I happened to notice a 3rd-generation S&W in the case. I asked what he wanted for it, and he told me. The cash from the Bersa put me in the neighborhood, the gift certificate even closer - and I had a check in hand from selling some .380 to LibertyMan. $10 cash out of my pocket and I had a new-to-me S&W 4053 (stainless slide, alloy frame, single-stack compact DAO) in hand. Condition is *excellent*.

Came with three magazines (all 8-round factory, one with the pinky extension and the other two with flat baseplates). I stripped it in the shop, and the insides were immaculate. Not simply "just scrubbed" immaculate - "barely shot" immaculate. Rails still have some of the original bead blast on them. Sights were a little dirty, but in good shape.

I got it home and wiped it down, and took a q-tip to the sights. Surprise surprise! The "dirty white" three-dot sights were actually "dirty glass" over tritium night sights! Score!

(Click to embiggen.)

(S&W 4053)


(With the big-brother full-frame 5946)


This brings me to the next bit. I now own no .380 pistol but have some ammo remaining. It's for sale. I can either bring it to the blogshoot, or shipment can be arranged.
~85 (89?) rounds of WWB 95gr FMJ. Some has been handled and/or chambered but all is factory new.
25 rounds (one box) of Hornady Critical Defense 90gr. Again, some has been handled/chambered but all is factory new.
$50 for both FTF, shipping at cost (probably about ten bucks).

ALSO - a set of Redding Titanium Carbide .380ACP reloading dies - three dies with shell holder and extra decapping pin. As-new in box. I bought them "gently used" and have never used them. They are immaculate.
$50 FTF, shipping at cost (5-6 bucks?).

OR:

Ammo and dies and whatever .380 brass I can find (crap shoot, it's hither and yon in boxes and bags) for $90FTF/$100 shipped.

Arrived!

Last week I dropped a few hints on a pistol I'd stumbled into. To the best of my knowledge, only two people correctly identified it (JayG and LokiDude).

Here are the posts I was originally referring to:
Tam posted its big brother.
JayG lusts.

I quite literally stumbled into this one. A fellow had posted on the S&W Forum that he had seen one at his local shop in "pretty good condition", but was having trouble finding any solid information on it. I grabbed my SCSW3 and checked that, and posted a reply suggesting he buy it ASAP. The next day, there were eight or ten more replies of a similar ilk, and I took a chance. I asked him to pass along the shop number if he didn't buy it.

He emailed me the next weekend and said he'd been in there again, the shop still had it, and he wasn't going to buy it. I called them the next day after the aforementioned negotiations with the CFO, and the first answer was, "We don't ship guns to New York." I talked with the owner some more, and he decided he could ship to my dealer after all. Paid with my credit card, my FFL sent down information, and it was shipped out.

All of this sight unseen by me. Yes, I took a chance, but the model and price were worth the risk, IMHO. I picked it up this morning. Looks like it was "carried lots, shot little". Rifling is crisp and clean, cylinder is clean, finish shows some minor nicks and scrapes and shiny spots. I'm already considering modifications - VERY high on the list is replacing the front sight blade with a tritium dot - either an XS, or a Meprolight, or possibly Trijicon, depending on who actually makes one to fit.

So, without further ado, the latest addition to the Z collection:




A Smith & Wesson 242Ti. Produced for about six months in 1999, there just aren't that many out there. L-frame, titanium cylinder, sleeved 2.5" barrel, and seven shots of .38 Special +P.




Shown here with my 642, which is a J-frame 5-shot .38. The extra two shots and the switch from steel to titanium carry a weight penalty of about 2oz, along with an extra inch or so in length and about 1/4" in cylinder diameter.




And last but certainly not least, the family portrait. From left to right:
21-4 .44 Special, 4", nickel, with S&W laminate combat grips. N-frame.
28-2 .357 Magnum, 4", nickel, with S&W "football" target grips. N-frame.
242 .38 Special +P, 2-1/2", alloy/Ti, rubber grips (Uncle Mike's). L-frame.
67 .38 Special, 4", stainless, Ajax grips. K-frame.
642 .38 Special +P, 1-7/8", alloy/steel, rubber grips. J-frame.

Obviously I need to work on acquiring an "I" and an "M" frame...

Internet Idiocy

First, a disclaimer: I think the 1934 National Firearms Act was a bad idea, the 1968 Gun Control Act was a bad idea, and closing the registry in 1986 was a horrible idea. It may strike some of you as odd, but I *don't* think the NICS check is a bad idea. I'm well aware that it doesn't do MUCH to keep guns out of the hands of Bad Men, but I do catch the occasional anecdote (not to be confused with data) of idiots with warrants and/or priors trying to buy guns. It's not particularly onerous for those of us who ARE legit, although the use of 4473 clerical errors as a bludgeon by the ATF makes me cranky. (My favorite shop got audited this winter; he's spending several days in and out of federal offices and courts explaining why someone forgot to check "no" on a 4473. THIS is stupidity.)

In any case. I spend a LOT of time on the Smith & Wesson Forum. It's a good group of folks and about as tightly knit as one can expect from nearly 50,000 members. Great mods and owner, and the depth of information available is second to none - as long as you want to talk S&W. For as long as I've been hanging out there (since I got my 28-2 a couple years ago), it's been (bluntly) a bit of a Fudd forum. This isn't a bad thing: they certainly don't frown on black rifles (just combat tupperware), but the focus is Smiths. Since Smith is known for wheelies there wasn't a lot of crossover with, say, ArfCom.

Until this past year, when they released the M&P15-22. It's an AR in that it accepts pretty much all AR accesories, but has a polymer receiver and is blowback instead of gas operated. However, for $500, it's less costly than most dedicated .22 uppers, and certainly more reliable (and accurate) than the various .223-.22LR conversions out there. Suddenly, the masses of black-rifle kids (and I don't mean that as a pejorative term!) were appearing in the S&W Forum. The conversations stayed on-topic thanks to pretty much constant effort from the mods, and a few trolls and others saw the banhammer for repeatedly breaking rules. In other words, no major changes, particularly when the 15-22s were moved to their own group.

I poke in there occasionally, and chime in on a few conversations - generally not about the 15-22 specifically, since I don't own one. Yet. (I've been considering it and if they'd make an A4 setup instead of the railfarm I'd be all over it.) Regardless, I skim through the group at least once a day and chime in where I think I can be of help.

Last night, a user posted a new topic with a title to the effect of, "15-22 full auto". Inside was a link to a YouTube video. I was curious, so clicked over, fully expecting to see a CoD-kid bump-firing his 15-22. ... Nope. Video description said something about a trigger mod, and the video was clearly full-auto, not a bump-fire or crankfire. (!!!!!!)

I clicked back to the forum, "reported" the post, and replied with something along the lines of, "you just posted a video online of an unregistered/untaxed machine gun... that'll be good for 5-10 years in club fed. Probably should undo what you did and delete the videos ASAP." There were several more posts of roughly the same content, both before and after me - and a couple of "damn that's cool man".

... and you know what? I agree. IT IS COOL, MAN! A reliable .22LR full-auto (and the cyclic rate was VERY high - 25 rounds in about 2 seconds) would be a GREAT way to enjoy full-auto in a slightly more affordable way. Particularly since it's possible to actually control a zero-recoil .22 much more effectively than a centerfire. I've shot a (registered, legal, and in another state) full-auto M16. It was FUN. But. Even if they were legal to have in NY, I couldn't afford to feed one enough to make it worth having. .22LR? That I could afford.

All that said: If you're going to be an idiot and make your 15-22 into a machine gun (and this is just fodder for the anti's, by the by - "he turned it into a machine gun with only a few tools!") ... don't post about it online. Don't take videos of it. Don't tell anyone. In fact, don't do it to begin with. And if you have done it, take apart your fire control group. Take out any pieces you've modified, beat them out of shape with a hammer, then cut them into small pieces. Then order new ones from S&W or whomever and call the $50 in parts a learning experience - that will save you from 5-10 years of "experience" while Bubba enjoys that sweet young thing in his cell.

Part of owning a firearm - ANY firearm - is knowing the laws in your area. Municipal, state, and federal. And following them, unless you want to go to federal-pound-me-in-the-ass prison.

I understand, when you're 18, 19, 20 - hell, even 40, 50 - that it's easy to think you're immortal, or above the law, or "they won't care about one kid doing this". Here's a hint, folks: THEY CARE. If my small-town part-time dealer is spending days and dollars in court over a checkmark on a sheet of paper, THEY CARE. And you are NOT above the law. You want to play with FA? Get your 01FFL, ClassIII stuff, or the manufacturing FFL (07?). Then see just how much they care and how much paperwork is involved. Mind-blowing.

Because they care, they will prosecute you, and you will likely lose. Fines up to $100,000 (Mom? Dad? How would guys feel about getting a second mortgage over Junior's $500 rifle?), 5-10 years in pokey ... and you come out a convicted felon, unable to ever own a firearm again, probably unable to vote, and having to explain that ten-year-gap on your work history when you try to apply for another job. None of these are pleasant options.

While I was poking around the "related" videos, a few other things in the same vein caught my eye:
- a Marlin 60 running FA
- a Ruger 10/22 running FA (I have seen these done legally by FFLs. A 14-year-old is not an FFL.)
- a 10/22 SBR ("Don't worry, it's legal*," says the teenager filming the video.)
- pop-bottle or PVC "silencers"
- etc, etc, etc

* - It IS possible to make a legal 10/22 SBR. It'll cost you a $200 tax stamp and a Form 1, along with signatures and so forth. This one, however, looks like someone took the barreled action out of a Ruger Charger and slapped it into a 10/22 rifle stock. Ruger, if you're paying attention, it would behoove you to make this un-possible without removing metal somewhere. Thompson-Center went to court over this with their Contenders, and that judgment only eliminated constructive possession, NOT actual possession!

It followed me home...

Last time I was at the gun shop - perhaps a month ago - I fondled a S&W Model 67 (no dash) that had been lying in the case for better than a year. It was in good shape and priced pretty well. I left it there then but decided it'd be a good acquisition at some point. That point came today.

I tried to talk the shop guy down a little bit, but it's a consignment from an estate, the executor isn't a rush for money and hates returning calls. Also, this dealer is my favorite and I'd rather not cause him too many headaches, and a few hours of work over $25 qualifies as a headache in my book.

Serial dates it to 1973, pinned barrel, easy 95%+ and will be pushing 98% with a little bit of Flitz and some Hoppes. Lock-up is the tightest I have EVER seen on a wheelgun. Trigger is great SA, little gritty DA - probably needs to be hosed out. The grips are fugly yellow plastic things, and will be replaced at some point, when funds allow. I'm leaning towards birds-eye maple magna-style grips. A few minor differences between this and the "book description" of the 67: it has a grooved target trigger instead of smooth combat, no red ramp in the front sight. Hammer *may* have been replaced, but not sure.

Regardless, I now have a K-38 "Combat Masterpiece" in the safe. Range trip sometime this week!

Wheelguns

There is something satisfying about revolvers. Don't get me wrong, I like autos. I've got three autos, of three different makes, and they're all decent guns. I like 1911s best of the autos I've shot (although the Steyr that Marko had at the NE GBS was a HELL of a nice 9mm), and honestly, I do shoot an auto better than a double-action revolver... but that's a matter of practice, which I can find time to do.

I just picked up my new carry gun on Monday, and took a few pictures yesterday. Here's the newest member of the family:



Five shots of .38+P in a 15-ounce package. It's definitely snappy (and I have the scab on my thumb to prove it), but entirely controllable and really not unpleasant to shoot. I'll be working on accuracy in the next few weeks, I hope.


Size-wise, it's really not much smaller than the Thunder .380 I've been carrying:


What it doesn't have, though, is an exposed hammer, or a beavertail to make a conspicuous, pointy lump in my cover garment. In addition, the round butt and the round of the cylinder should blend into the belt line a little bit better, and the shorter, narrower barrel won't be as obvious. Or at least that's the theory. I'm sacrificing three shots (7+1 in the Bersa, 5 in the S&W) and quick reloads, but also losing about 10oz of weight. It's an acceptable trade-off.

Somehow, along the way, I've developed a taste for S&W wheelies. Don't get me wrong - Colt, Ruger, etc, all make some nice guns. I've shot an SP101 that was a joy, and the Super Alaskan in .454 Casull was just spiffy. I'd love a SAA .45LC at some point. So far, though, S&W has been my focus... evidenced by the fact that better than half my pistol collection says "Springfield, MA" on it.

A quick family portrait:


Top: S&W 647 .17HMR
Right: S&W 21-4 .44Spl
Left: S&W 28-2 .357Mag
Bottom: S&W 642-1 .38Spl +P

Gun Nuttery

... or, How To Make Sarah Brady Cry.

JayG recently wrote a post about "you might be a gun nut if..."

High on my list is this:
- if it's gun related and makes you giggle or Sarah Brady cry, you're probably a gun nut.

MrsZ and I have been packing and moving to our new house recently, and today I cleaned out the ammo closet and cabinets and shelf and loaded it into the truck.

Things like this:



Make Sarah Brady cry.

Admittedly, I have a smaller truck, and it's not filling up the WHOLE bed... but in those crates and ammo cans, neatly labelled, are Winchester 9mm, Wolf 9mm, 12ga galore of various flavors, and a fair pile of 20ga as well. And some .270Win. And more than a few bricks of .22LR.

In the front seat is a crate o' reloading stuff - brass, powder, and bullets. Primers (a large box full) have already been relocated.

In the back seat are three shotguns, a rifle, a muzzleloader, and an evil-looking assault bow (Oneida Black Eagle, also known as the Uncle Ted Special).

Oh, and a magic blue briefcase of joy on the front seat (a S&W box - currently empty, but I have things to put in it).

And a gun vault full of .45 goodness.

Rolling doom, baby, rolling dooooooom!


Side note: ran through the Mart of Wal last night for some home sundries. Stopped by the ammo counter on a whim. They had, no kidding, WWB .45, .40, 9mm, and bricks of Winchester HV .22. MrsZ said I had to leave it all there.

IDPA July 09

Match results won't be up for another day or two. Shot the match this morning after a poor night's sleep and felt wonky the whole time. Rhythm was off, etc. First stage I got dinged by splash from a plate, leaving a nice crease on my left forearm. By the fifth stage my gun was refusing to go into battery consistently; I'm inclined to blame the wax on the cast bullets I'm using. It seems to gum up the action pretty quickly. Next batch from someone else...

Ran a couple cylinders through the 647... tack driver. Almost zero recoil. Just a pleasant gun to shoot.

Gun Porn!

I finally had a moment to snap a few pictures of the latest acquisitions. I'm in some hot water, but it was worth it. (As always, click to embiggen.)

First:
Winchester Model 1894 .30-30. There are multiple flavors of these out there. "Pre-1964" is considered the most desirable and commands a price premium. "Post-64" is still a nice rifle, but due to less expensive manufacturing techniques, isn't as sought-after... and last is versions with a cross-bolt safety. This version is a post-64, pre-safety. The bluing is in fair condition - there are a few speckles of rust here and there and it's thinned out a little on the receiver. The bore is shiny and smooth - *no* visible throat damage or erosion. The classic "carried lots, shot little". Only one picture because time was short:




Second, and perhaps more interesting:
Smith & Wesson 647 .17HMR. I've already discussed the model at length, so on to the porn!









For the record - that's a Government 1911A1. The 647's barrel alone is as long as the entire 1911.

A cartridge comparison, .45ACP 230gr JHP next to a 17gr V-Max .17HMR.



No range report yet - time has been at a premium as we prepare for a move. Hopefully Saturday morning I'll have some free time at the match to run a couple cylinders through.

(I know, Oleg I am not ... I'm way out of practice too.)

IDPA results

I try to shoot the monthly IDPA match at the local club. Last year I was somewhat irregular because of wedding planning. This year I've been a couple times and missed one due to forgetfulness.

I was reading back in my old blog and found my results from the first match I shot - one year ago. Shall we do a comparison?

June 2008:
Brian C
Catgeory: UNC[lassified]
Stage 1: 61.94s
Stage 2: 75.70s
Stage 3: 53.50s
Stage 4: 61.74s
Stage 5: 54.54s
Pts Drop: 77
Total: 307.42s


June 2009:
Brian C
Category: UNC
Stage 1: 27.47s
Stage 2: 33.14s
Stage 3: 44.09s
Stage 4: 26.07s
Stage 5: 20.55s
Pts Drop: 43
Total: 151.32s

The top two shooters in my class (Custom Defensive Pistol, mostly 1911s) had times under 100s. Obviously, I'm not exactly competitive with them yet... but I have a hell of a lot of fun, and my shooting is improving markedly. Switching from my Galco "Fletch" retention holster to a simple Yaqui slide shaved a second or two off each stage.

Beyond that, I really have no easy explanation. I've adjusted my grip a little (when I remember to), put a dab of white paint on my front sight blade... I'm still shooting my Springfield 1911A1 "GI". Low dark sights, loosey-goosey construction - it's no match gun, never will be, and was never designed as such. I can generally ping 8" steels at 15-20yd with one or two shots, and keep CoM out to 25yd without trouble. Headshots ... well, not so much my strong point with this gun.

A couple months ago we did a bit of show'n'tell after the match and I got to try a couple other folks' pistols. A match 1911 (IDPA, not IPSC racegun), which was slick and accurate. And then the S&W M&P9L (long slide). Had a worked-over trigger and a new front sight "BigDot". Holy crap. Dumped the mag into headshots at 15yd without even thinking about it. Yeah, smaller cartridge with less recoil, but still, HELL of a nice gun.

One of the guys was selling its twin this past weekend for a VERY good price. If I hadn't just dropped my wad on the 647, I'd have jumped on the M&P. Just a VERY nice pistol.

Next match is the first Saturday of July ... the 4th. If anyone is local and interested, feel free to join me. Good friendly club match.

I have decided to resume some blogging here. Not much; certainly not the volume I used to post in LiveJournal. As the title indicates, if you know your latin, this is about entertainment, and to me, entertainment is the shooting sports. Of all kinds. Hunting. IDPA. Trap/skeet. Target. Plinking. Appleseed. Working on guns, shooting guns, cleaning guns, reloading ammo for guns, etc.

So what's my background? I don't have one, really. First air rifle when I was about 12, a Crosman 760. Around age 21 I bought a Remington 597 .22, and it's been downhill ever since. I've shot handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Bolt-action, pump-action, revolvers, semi-autos, and single-shots. From the diminutive .17HMR up the massive .50BMG.

I don't have a particular preference in guns - I like most of them. The mechanical intricacies fascinate me. The elegant lines of an Italian double are as attractive to me as the blocky functionality of an AK. Admittedly, I have a penchant for older guns... but many do.

I'll start you off with one photo, and I expect there will be more as time goes on.


(Smith&Wesson 28-2 "Highway Patrolman" .357)