I have a suggestion for teaching new shooters.

If your newbie is a photography dork, tell them to counterbalance like they would with their camera.  I've used this suggestion twice now and in both situations, said newbie was getting shots in the inner circle.

It's a bit of a forehead slapper, and I wish I'd thought of it before now.  It really does make sense...and it works.  Go ahead and use that tip next time you take a photography nerd out...see how they do once they internalize the idea.


In other news, got a little more time with the PX4.  Better reliability this time around.  Didn't really start to have FTFs until round 35-40.  Still need to get some +P to run through it.  Starting to like it about as much as I like my Bersa (and the Bersa is still my go-to carry pistol, so that's saying something).

Went to the range last night with my cousin, took the newest pistol, have questions.

Last night my cousin and I went to the range for a mutual birthday paper-killing event. He brought his Glock and his stainless (ooh, shiny) Springfield 1911, I brought my PX4 subcompact 9.

Observations:
We're both incredibly rusty. It took him a couple of mags to get decently small groups. It took me less time, but I'm also not quite used to the pistol, so I was trying to compensate for that.

The Springfield is a very nice pistol. Cousin agrees - he finds he likes it more than the Glock. This guy LOVED the Glock when he bought it. I guess it's that first gun bliss. Not that I can blame him - the 1911 he owns is a much nicer gun. Doesn't rattle, doesn't show any wear, doesn't malf as long as the mags are Wilson.

The Beretta...frustrates me. Since my first trip to the range with it, I get problems near the end of a mag (and occasionally midway through the mag, if I load it all the way). It's had maybe 200 rounds through it since purchase. I know the feed issues midway through the mag are likely related to user error, but I can't quite understand why it won't feed properly.

Now, I don't claim to be an expert in malfunctions, so bear with me:
1 - Fire a round. Fires fine.
2 - Fire a round. Casing ejects, gun strips new round out of the mag, slide doesn't return to proper firing position.
3 - Pull slide back and lock open. Unfired round falls out.
4 - Goto 1.

This happened VERY frequently the first 2 times I took it to the range. Frustrated, I would pack it back up instead of working through the issue. Chris has NOT had this issue when he's put a box through it. I'm thinking some of my issue may come from having shot only metal firearms until this point, but I'd like the input of the masses. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I'm going to try to go to the range with Chris, and have him take video of me firing it so I can get a better idea of what I'm doing wrong.

Got another couple of newbies lined up for range time.

I'm excited about this one. A dear friend has been talking about it since she moved into her condo, and now her guyfriend wants to come along. She's asking all the right questions. She's never handled a firearm before, so this should be a treat. Not sure about him - will suss out the important info beforehand regarding his history with firearms.

Should be happening in about 3-4 weeks, and I hope to get a post up shortly after (with their permission, of course).

Shotgun + shoulder = I'm a weenie

Now that the weather's nice, the club Chris joined last year has regular events during the week. One of those events is a shotgun clinic for newbies to learn to shoot trap.  It's free and is held by a couple of guys who really know their stuff when it comes to shotguns.  I've been anticipating this for weeks, now.

I went last night. And I learned. Oh, I learned.

• Wardrobe choice is critical.  No more "normal" bras when shooting a shotgun or rifle.  Sports bra from now on.  I had an indent in my shoulder the rest of the night from that dang bra strap
• I need to remember to grab my shoulder pad the next time I go.  I may also swap out the stock butt pad for a gel one.
• Must invest in good ear plugs, possibly a pair of custom-fit jobbies.  The butt of the gun kept knocking my muffs off my head.  Anyone have any suggestions for AFFORDABLE but worthwhile ones?  I really, really hate the squishy foam things...not only are they uncomfortable, but they tend to fall out of my ears after about 20 minutes.
• Need to get back to lifting weights.  I could handle the shotgun better than I expected, thanks to a few months of lifting, but I need more work.  My arms are still tired.
• I need to stop flinching, anticipating, and closing my eyes.  Can't hit jack with my eyes closed!  This will be remedied with time on the range, I think.
• I need to learn to move my body with the shotgun, rather than just moving my arms.  I apparently tensed my whole body up and failed at follow-through.
• Need to swap out the cheekpad on the stock.  I think the shorter pad will help me get a better sight picture.  The tall one doesn't help me in the slightest.
• I discovered I had the wrong choke in the shotgun last night...after I got home.  Heh, oops.  This has been remedied.

I didn't hit a dang thing, but I plan on going back in 2 weeks, hopefully better prepared.

It followed me home...can I keep it?

Way way back in like, November, I started talking to the good folks at my regular gun shop about a pistol I wanted. I'd handled it back at the NRA Annual Meeting and absolutely loved it. Well, over the span of a few months they looked...and looked...and looked...and couldn't find it. The owner apologized and said he had no way of sourcing one, and encouraged me to look elsewhere for it. Said he'd applaud me if I could locate one. So in January I started talking to the folks at my range, who said they'd see what they could do for me.

In early February, I got a call from them about something they were able to locate. Wanted me to come in, check it out, and tell them whether I was happy with that option. Turns out it wasn't *exactly* what I wanted, but that was OK...what they found was, in fact, a bit better. So, I put it on layaway.

Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have to put a new pistol in a new-to-me caliber on layaway? I wanted to bring it home and love it and hug it and squeeze it and call it George. But no, I had to wait.

And wait.


AND WAIT.


...Until about a week ago, when my tax return *finally* posted. Naturally, I toddled my way down there after work that Thursday to pay off the remainder and get the paperwork started. And today, I got to bring it home.

In case the picture didn't work, that right thar is a CZ P-01. From everything I've read and seen, it's basically an upgraded 75 Compact. I shot a box through it last week, and I'm thoroughly pleased with it. Thanks to the weight, 9mm isn't as snappy as I was expecting. Trigger is a typical DA/SA, with a long pull for the first shot. Chris complained about it but I'm used to it and comfortable with it thanks to the years I've owned the Bersa. 9mm will take a little getting used to, but that's only because I haven't had a lot of experience with the caliber. Give me a month...lol.

I'll have a more thorough range report soon. As it is, I have to learn how to take this thing apart for cleaning before I take it out again... The box I shot through it last week was pretty dirty stuff.

So...my buy-a-gun day came early. Woo!

Range Report: Excalibur Axiom

This is going to be a slight departure from the normal sort of range report, as we opted to take my crossbow out before we attempt to hunt with it.

While I had an opportunity to test it when I bought it, Chris didn't get that chance, so this was doubly informative. We wanted to see just how it would behave outdoors, and he wanted to see what it would be like to cock it with both the crank and the string assist.

My impressions:
1 - The crank cock device works a lot better when one reads the directions.
1a - If I were only a few inches taller, the string cocker would be a lot easier to use. I just can't pull it the last inch needed to set the bowstring.
2 - With my noodle arms, holding the crossbow is alright, but holding it STEADY is difficult. Will work on that.
3 - Even with my noodle arms, I'm still a pretty good shot. Need to get to be more than just "pretty good," but for my first time shooting it outdoors, I'm pleased.
4 - This thing is pretty damned strong. I'm seeing far greater penetration than anticipated. In the broadhead target with even the cheapest of my three broadheads, it goes in about halfway. I suspect a bolt will go all the way through a deer with little difficulty unless I hit a bone. I invite any bowhunters reading this to correct me if I'm wrong here, but I believe the foam deer target is denser than a live animal.
5 - Wind and 2 extra yards REALLY make a difference in accuracy. Will need to work more on distance practice, I think. I'm also reading a heavier broadhead/field point may help with accuracy, so I might pick up a box of 150gr broadheads to try.

Chris also seemed to enjoy shooting it, though he's gotta work a little more on his aim. ;)

All in all, the Excalibur Axiom kit is well worth the money spent for a recurve crossbow.

Our ARs finally work!

Or: Why I can't recommend Del-Ton to anyone.

To recap -
I ordered two AR15 uppers from Del-Ton on 1/31/09. This date is important, so keep it in mind.
Between February and the end of November, I made the following posts about it:
Sigh, backorders
Great googly moogly!
Yet another Del-Ton delay
Good news, better news, and bad news
Good news, everyone!

Chris's upper showed up in September, and mine showed up the first week of December of that year. I neglected to post about the upper showing up due to my grandfather's passing, but it did show up that first week in December. By the time mine showed up I was just thrilled to see anything. So: Ordered everything at the end of January, and the second upper showed up almost a YEAR later. In that time, I received absolutely no information from Del-Ton - I had to waste my time and call THEM to get the same answer over and over and over. I don't care how busy a company is, a form email does NOT take much time to write and send out to customers. Thanks to the beauty of technology, said email could have been drafted while someone dropped the kids off at the pool. Anyway, moving on...

We did not get any opportunity to test either upper until 7/4/10, and on that range trip both rifles had consistent issues. I posted about the problems we had here. We did not get another chance to really test anything until last month, when Chris's friend helped him diagnose the problem. After swapping bolts, uppers, lowers, and magazines they were able to determine there was an issue with the gas system in both uppers. Please note, I was quite angry...I expected better of Del-Ton. I suppose I should have used the lack of communication from them as a sign regarding their build quality.

By now, it's well past any warranty would be in effect, so this weekend we took the uppers to Dan over at Gun Connection. Dan was able to diagnose and repair both uppers while we waited. What he found, though, was a bit distressing...both because Del-Ton sent defective parts and because neither Chris nor I knew what we were doing with these rifles. I spent much of Saturday fuming at Del-Ton's shoddy build quality and my own stupidity, and I have since learned my lesson.

So, the problems: On Chris's upper, the gas block was so screwed up there's no way he'd actually get anything to cycle properly. If you take a close look at the photo, you'll see where the hole inside it was poorly drilled...it almost looks like the person who worked on the part used a small explosive to get that hole in there.

That's pretty freaking bad. It also wasn't on properly, as we could jiggle it without loosening anything. No wonder there was an issue with the gas system!

Dan replaced the gas block with one from Daniel Defense and put everything back together. On my upper, the gas tube was off by about 15 degrees and it was clogged (user error - it wasn't properly cleaned before we took it out the first time). He reseated everything and did a particularly thorough cleaning for me. A little over a hundred dollars in parts and labor later and we left with two functioning rifles, though we were charged with testing both over the weekend to make sure everything worked.

Yesterday, during a break in the nasty weather, we took them out...and they worked beautifully. Chris had some difficulty with his optic, but that's user error and will be rectified once he reacquaints himself with the instructions. I, on the other hand, landed almost every shot where I wanted it once I figured out how to use my scope. Overall, I'm glad this ordeal is over, and I'm especially glad we now have two functioning rifles that are quite a bit of fun to shoot.

To sum up:
boo Del-Ton
yay Gun Connection
thoroughly educate yourself about a firearm if it's known to be finicky
thoroughly educate yourself on a retailer before spending a significant amount of money.


The final result of two mags through my rifle (while also learning the particulars of my optics - the low shots were the first few i took, and i aimed for each box at least once to see how well i could do):

...Yeah. I'm happy now.

Another Freestate visit...I'm getting a lot of practice lately...

Yesterday I met up with an old friend, who I finally met in person for the first time. Thanks to the powers of the internet J and I have known each other for quite a few years and finally got our schedules coordinated enough to meet up for a shooty evening.

I brought the Bersa and the Rock Island, he brought a PX4 Storm in .40, a Buckmark (with a suppressor), and two SIGs (with a suppressor on one of them). Neither of us are newbs, so this wasn't like my normal range visit.

First, I'd like to make a confession: I made my first Really Dumb Mistake at the range. Somehow I forgot to put on my shooting glasses before walking into the range, and J had to remind me. Apparently my mind was elsewhere. Thankfully, my stupid mistake was corrected without incident and we continued on our evening of killing paper.

Anyway, my impressions:
1 - The Buckmark. I like this a hell of a lot better with the can OFF the front, though it was neat as hell to shoot a .22 with literally no recoil and almost no sound. The backpressure from the suppressor was distracting, however, so I took it off after the first magazine. Overall, it's a nice little .22, and that might end up on the short list.
2 - The Beretta. I asked J to bring this since I'm in the market for a PX4 Storm in 9mm. I wanted a feel for the real thing, rather than the testers they had set up at the NRA convention. My overall impression is good, but I can see why people truly hate this gun in .40 - my trigger finger went numb after two magazines. Apparently this is a common complaint of the .40 PX4. Controls are where they need to be, the slide release isn't too much of a pain in the ass, and the rotating barrel definitely helps with recoil. This was the first .40 I've had the opportunity to shoot, and while I don't see myself buying a .40, I don't really understand why people hate it. It's alright. Definitely liked the pistol, though.
3 - The SIGs. At least one of them was in .45, and this was the suppressed gun. Again, I have no love for the suppressor. I'm told they're more pleasant to shoot outdoors, and maybe he'll give me an opportunity to test this at a later date. Right now, though, do not like.

He seemed to like the Bersa despite his big bearpaw hands, and I think he's got 1911 envy. :D Thanks, J, for hoofing it all the way up to my range. Next time I'll head down your direction.

Freestate Gun Range

I think this is the first time I'll be naming a range near us, but this one is worth talking about.

A few months ago, an entrepreneur came to Maryland Shooters with a question for the forum: "What do you want to see in a range?"  Naturally, the masses responded with enthusiasm.  This was unbelievable...a range actually wanted OUR opinions before opening?  REALLY??!?  Everyone listed their grievances with the other local ranges and specified things they absolutely wanted to see in this new location, and the owners took it all in...and thus far, they've made something excellent with it.

The range in question is Freestate, and out of all the ranges I've been to in Maryland, they're the one I'm actually going to join.  They have TWO bathrooms (where most have one, if you're lucky), classrooms, a waiting area with chairs and tables, an onsite gunsmith, a location where a  snack bar will be (in the works right now), and air conditioning on the range itself.  The guys who own and operate the location are courteous, friendly, and welcoming.  The range itself is modern, with an electronic target deployment system and active targets, and a bag bench behind the shooting stalls.  Oh, and they allow .223 rifles AND silhouette, zombie, "bad guy," and animal targets  They have a decent class offering including Tactical Pen.  Memberships are under $300 (cheapest around, from what I've seen...), and I'd say it's worth it.

I waited until my third visit to the range to do my writeup because I wanted to see them under different situations.  Here's a summary of the three visits.

First visit: Fourth of July weekend with Chris, friends MB and P, and myself.
The visit itself was nice enough.  We were given the tour of the place, shown how to use the target deployment system, and set up with two lanes.  Overall the experience was pleasant, but we could tell they were still working on things.  The women's bathroom was lacking fixtures and had a unisex sign on the door.  I brought this up and was told it would be better by the next visit.

Second visit: Two weeks ago with Chris and his coworker, my coworker, coworker's SO, and myself.
This visit was more pleasant (despite a malfunctioning AC system).  We showed up around 10:15 and they were still setting up for the day - apparently they had people waiting outside before they opened at 10.  We were set up on three concurrent lanes and had our shooty fun.  My coworker and their SO had to leave early, so we closed out our two lanes while Chris and his coworker continued to shoot.  While I waited for them to finish up, I waited at the tables and had a nice chat with Randy, one of the owners.  We discussed the range, how business was going, and my opinions of other local public ranges.  I noticed he would not share any opinions of those other ranges and consistently steered the conversation back to his business.  This was incredibly professional, and made me feel more confident about the range sticking around.  Oh, he bought me a soda, but he didn't need that to win me over.  Promised I'd get a membership when I had the disposable funds for it.

Third visit: Last night with my cousin V.
They were busy! It took a few minutes to get us signed up for a lane (part of that was V filling out the initial waiver).  I did notice the clientele differed drastically from previous visits - most notably in the amount of female patrons.  For once, I wasn't the only female adult!  That said, I think the owners/ROs need to clearly define the rules regarding entering and leaving the range area.  There is a two door "airlock" sort of setup, where you must shut one door before opening the other to reduce noise between the range and the lobby.  The doors do not automatically shut, and apparently the individuals who were there last night assumed otherwise.  I had to correct the group more than once (because no one else was doing so).  This is a problem, and one I hope the range addresses.

Overall, I'm pleased with Freestate...and I'm never going back to the range we used to frequent.

I think the best birthday gift...

Is time spent with good friends.

Chris and I went to Virginia for the weekend to celebrate my birthday.  Newbius, NFO, Mike V, my old buddy S, and even my dearest friends L and his wife H (who trucked down from PA) hit the NRA museum and range with us.  We did the museum tour, then hit a restaurant for lunch and had a crazygood time while noshing on some pretty good food and having high-larious conversation.  After lunch Mike and Newbius had to skeedaddle, but the rest of us blew through a good bit of ammo at the range.

I learned:
1 - Gold Dot .45 ammo?  Holy Hannah.  I'm definitely not used to it!
2 - HK USP .45 = Heavy...and thick. Not my bag, but it shoots nice...it's just danged big for me.
3 - I am entirely too likely to drop the muzzle in anticipation of recoil when shooting .45, but I don't do so at all when I switch back to .380.  I really need to get some snap caps to practice more, I think...
4 - I need to lose weight so my holster fits better.  More on the holster later this week...Michael, we've got another winner!

Today we went to the newer Air & Space Museum...and it's well worth the $15 parking price.  Seriously.  Saw the Space Shuttle, the SR71, and a whole mess of other cool stuff.  If you're in the DC area, GO THERE.

Also, we stayed at the Springhill Suites Fairfax, and I can honestly say it's in my top 5 list of non-resort hotels.  If you find yourself needing a hotel somewhere near DC, GO THERE.  The room is EXCELLENT, the bed is comfortable, the staff is pleasant and helpful, and the breakfast is pretty good.  Oh, they'll have a flyer for a local pizza joint in the room...definitely order from there if you've got a hankering.  It's one fo the better delivery pizzas I've had in awhile.

All in all, this was a really nice weekend and I'm glad we decided to stay down there.  I'm also very thankful those who could make it out did.  I love you guys, and I'm glad I got to meet/talk with Mike. 

Things on my brain.

Part Two of the weekend happened today - we went to the new local range with our guests.  We were there about an hour, killed some zombie (targets), and had an excellent time.  Well...excellent, aside from Chris's AR15's feed problems and a couple of feed issues with my (admittedly dirty) Rock Island.  UMC bulk pack .45 is some dirty stuff, since that's all I've shot through it for the past 100 rds.



I was going to be more chatty about the 4th, but Newbius covered it for me.  Go, read the whole thing.

"How did you become gunnies?"

Jennifer asked and lots of people are answering, so I figured I'd toss in my little story.

I remember, as a child, not being allowed guns.  The boys in the neighborhood had these neat guns that actually went bang, and I was insanely jealous...but terrified.  Y'see, my parents always appeared to be incredibly anti-gun.  They didn't like me having squirt guns, cap guns were a no-no, and BB guns?  Yeah, they didn't exist in my little world.  Heck, even snap-caps were absolutely verboten.  At the time, I though it was because my parents never wanted me to have any fun EVER because they were the MEANEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.*

This got long, so hit the jump for the rest!

Well this is interesting - attention Maryland people!

Every morning I get deals in my inbox from both Groupon and LivingSocial.  Today's "deal" from LivingSocial is particularly interesting.  Apparently you can get a package deal for Horst & McCann, up in Harford County.

Now, I've never used LivingSocial, and I've never been to Horst & McCann, so I can't vouch for this one way or another...but this might be a great idea for those people who've never been to a range before and want to learn how to shoot.

Who'dathunk we'd see package deals to the local shooting ranges on a deal site?  I sure didn't...

Range Report: Rock Island Armory Match

I'm finally getting around to posting this...I figured today's as good a day as any, considering it's been 100 years since the pistol was given a "home" with our military.

Chris, my cousin V, and I took the pistol out to the range last Wednesday (and by "last Wednesday" I mean a month and some change ago)...and, well, I'm pleased.  This was an excellent choice for a "big kid" gun - until now my only pistol was my Bersa, and it's incredibly different from the 1911. 

So, my opinions...

The trigger is nice and light.  There is almost no effort involved, especially compared to my little Bersa.  This surprised me - I expected the trigger to be much heavier, even knowing it's a 3.5lb trigger.

The sights are nice.  I like the large black rear sight, as it helps to make the front sight seem a bit more visible than the three-dot setup on the Bersa.  The pistol is really accurate out of the box thanks to the upgraded sights, and any accuracy issues I had were entirely operator-related.

So far, there are no reliability issues.  The three of us put 100 rounds downrange - I know, it's not enough to really test it, but it was enough to make me happy.  We had one malf, and that was due to the cheap extra mags I brought along.  With the original mag, it ate all the cheap Remington I put through it.  Next visit will involve other brands - we've got Winchester and UMC in the box at home, and I look forward to seeing how it handles those.

The grips are alright, but I intend to swap them out sometime soon.  I'm just not a fan of the checkered look (or feel - my hands is delicate!), so I'll pick up a set soon.  If Wilson ever gets the set I've been eyeing back in stock, that is.

And now, here's what you've all been waiting for (click to embiggenize):

And now I realize I need to oil it up...DANG that rear sight got rusty quick!

Rock Island

I was waiting for falnfenix to post pics and stuff of the Rock Island Match, but I'll just go ahead and give you my impressions. It might possibly jolt her into posting :)

I have owned a Colt 1911 since the day I turned 21. I'm not an expert about them, but I'm quite familiar with the various manufacturers and parts available for them. I am not a brand whore in any way and I generally look for good quality products not names. I was skeptical of the Rock Island 1911's though. I was familiar with the names history, but had never seen or checked one out in person. I had no idea who was actually making them. After reading a few reviews and talking to a few people I was impressed with what I was reading and hearing. Especially looking at the price and features of the match pistol she was interested in. I can't believe the current prices on 1911's. One would think they're made of gold. Why are they so expensive? Of course they're all metal and not plastic, but it can't cost any more to tool up for them than to make other handguns. I realize it has a lot of parts that have to work together, but come on. These aren't custom jobs that are precisely hand fitted for competition. I'm talking about basic off the rack pistols costing 1k and up.

Knowing this and considering her intended purpose, unless it was completely horrible I couldn't see a down side to ordering one. At least I'm sure It will stop her from drooling on mine. I came home from work and there she was the tiny dinosaur gleefully flitting about the kitchen. I got it! I really like it! come check it out. I looked. It came in a nice plastic case with one magazine and a lock. Walnut grips looked nice. The parkerized finish was even and looked well done. I could feel her staring at me waiting for my reaction as I picked it up. EWW it's all greasy. You didn't even wipe it off? No she said, I wanted you to see it the way it came. They had packed it in quite a coating of oil. A good sign I thought, It shows they care enough to make sure you receive the product in its intended condition. I pulled the slide back to check the chamber and after verifying it was empty noticed 2 things. The ejection port had been worked at the factory for better cycling and the barrel was thick and chromed with a mirror smooth finish on the feed ramp. My eyes traveled forward down the slide and I saw a full length guide rod. I looked at her and said. Ok I'm impressed. She smiled in that way only cartoon caricatures of T-rexes can. I released the slide and it slammed home. Solid I thought. There's no wiggle. Ambidextrous safety, beaver tail grip safety, spur hammer and skeletonized aluminum trigger. Nice features. The fiber optic sight was new to me and looked useful. Overall it looked great. Lots of expensive features, fit and finish were excellent. At this price point it has to be too good to be true. We'll see how it shoots. The T-rex grinned and said isn't it great? She put it back in the box and bounded off to the safe to put it away.

The next night I showed her how to take it apart for a proper cleaning without shooting springs and things around the room. The parts looked well made. The machining was smooth with no stray marks on anything. The barrel is heavy duty, thick walled with nice polishing and deep rifling. I added a spare Wilson Shock Buff I had and we put it back together. Tomorrow we'll see how it shoots.

At the range as she stood at the line I could see her tense for the big bang. .45 ACP is a bit different when you're used to shooting .380 . It can be loud and pushy like a bully to some. BANG! the first shot went. She hit the 8" target at 25ft a little high but in the black. Bang! Bang! Closer to the X ring. She relaxed a little and finished the magazine. Not bad at all. In the black and a 3" group with one stray. I'm thinking this can't be. Is it that good? I know shes not used to it, and we didn't even adjust the sights. She said you're good with yours see how it is. I walked to the line changed the target. I reloaded, and put the fresh mag in it and thumbed the slide release. I took aim and thumbed the safety off. Blam! dead center. the trigger was light and crisp with very little creep. When the slide locked back the X ring on the target was gone. Like those carnival games where you shoot out the red star with the completely off sight bb gun. I had done it to this target. I can't always do it with my Colt I thought. This fiber optic front sight really helps. I think this thing is too good to be true. We tried various distances with consistant tight groups and she relaxed and got better and better. I tried some old crappy surplus mags in it that I have and it didn't like one of them, but with it's included mag it never jammed once and we had no problems at all.

We put about 150 rounds through it and it performed flawlessly. When we were done at the range she said so what do you think? I said I think it's too good to be true. I think there's something wrong with it. It's that good and it didn't cost 1500 bucks. She smiled that cartoonish grin she gets all the way home after that. My opinion of the Rock Island Match is: If you're in the market for a 1911. Go buy one now! Quick before they realize what they have done and raise the price. Lots of features and quality build come in this package. Other than the limited finishes If you're overly concerned with that I can't see a reason not to buy one. It makes me think all those other manufacturers are ripping us off.

Range visit tonight with the cousin.

Expect a full write-up of the RIA, possibly from both of us.

Holidays!

I realize I'm a week or three late, but: Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holy-Crap-I'm-Glad-It's-Over to my 4 readers.

I hope you were treated well in your preferred gifty holiday...I certainly was. C purchased a shotgun with the intention of the two of us using it for skeet/trap shooting. It's a Mossberg 500 Bantam Field and Deer package - two barrels, optics, wood furniture, and it's in 20ga since his 12ga hurts me something fierce. I'm still floored he picked it up, and ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT to hit the range with it.

In other news, I'll be picking up my first 1911 after tax time.

In still OTHER news, I'm planning on going to the NRA meeting in 2011...since it's being held in a city that's a day trip away from here, I really should go. Are you going?


Other other news: I have a few people who want to hit the range with me as first time shooters. Most of them are WOMEN. I love being in the position to introduce them!

I still have a small backlog of range posts, BUT...

My cousin and I met at the range tonight to try out a 1911 and a 9mm of some sort.

Can I say how much I continue to love a 1911 in .45? If it weren't for Breda, I probably never would have shot C's 1911...and now I'm infatuated.

So. Springfield 1911 with a few upgraded parts (full length guide rod, lightened trigger, extended beavertail) makes me happy in places it shouldn't. I'm pleased to say V enjoyed it as much as I did...I think he'll be getting into the pistol game come Christmas. I'm so pleased. :)

On the other end of the spectrum, I encountered the Sig P226. Again. And neither of us liked it. It must be the gun itself, because this thing rattles like an old domestic pickup truck...and I had one feed failure out of 50. Thankfully it was easily cleared, but...it doesn't speak well for it. On top of that, I could feel the slide every time I shot it, and that was more than a little disconcerting. It almost felt like the slide was going to fall off. I think, henceforth, I'll be shooting *other* 9mm options.

I have to finish the write-up from V's first-ever range visit, but I haven't had much time. I'll get around to it, though.

URGENT(ish) question for those of you in the know...

A friend intends to visit us in October, and he'd like to bring his pistol along. Problem is, he wants to send it to himself via UPS.

How does one go about doing this? I've checked the Google machine, and it seems the consensus is one MAY be able to ship to oneself. Maybe. Can anyone substantiate this?

Thanks!

Range time with a friend. Also: Ooooooooooowwwwwwww.

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful, and C and I decided to hit the range for an hour. I still hadn't shot my Plinkster, he still hadn't shot his 12ga pump. We invited my best friend, L, as he hadn't seen any firearms in the past decade.

Turns out, dude needed the range time.

Anyway, here's a couple of short reviews.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster: GREAT little semiauto .22. This little bugger is accurate right out of the box. I attribute it to a good set of sights - the hooded front really helps when shooting all the way to the end of the range.* It had no feed issues, but the magazine definitely needs some oiling. At $125, it was well worth the money - it ate through a box of Remington target crap ammo like it was nothing. Overall, I'm pleased with it, C is pleased with it, and I think it'll be in the safe for a good, long time.

IAC Hawk model 982: decent shotgun. I believe it's based off the Mossberg 500 design - it certainly looks like it. There are options out there to modify it - C's has an extended tube and a new stock/grip, as well as a side holster for extra shells. He seems pleased. I only know the pain of shooting a shotgun not meant for my stubby little hobbit arms (though after our Hunter Safety course came to a close last night, I have since realized the beauty of a well-fitted shotgun).

We didn't rent any, since L got enough jollies from that which we brought along to shoot. I also got a chance to talk with the guys who work at the range, and apparently I can, in fact, get my hands on a Para GI Expert ESP - I merely need to bug them to get it. They certainly seemed to like it more than I expected...I'd say they liked it as much as the STI Spartan (which they really do like). This gives me a good idea of what I'm doing by the end of the year.