Tag: Guns and such

My favorite toy

Gratuitous Gun Pic – S&W 1500 (7mm Rem Mag)

Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

I don’t tout stuff from Collectors Firearms as often as I used to, but this one’s a steal:

These rifles were made by Howa in Japan using S&W specs, and they’re as good as any of the Weatherby Vanguards or Browning shotguns they also made in that era.

I would upgrade the scope (if necessary), thread the muzzle and pop either a brake or suppressor on the end to attenuate the 7mm Mag’s recoil.

And I could afford to do all that because the rifle costs less than $500 (!!!).  An absolute bargain — but get there quickly because it just came into stock at Collectors, and at that price it’s not going to stay there for long.

Bypass

The Gun Thing

A comment to yesterday’s teaser about my trip to San Antonio, I got this:

That wasn’t the purpose of the trip, but on the way down, I saw signs for not one but TWO gun shows — one in Waco, the other further south in Temple — and I didn’t go to either.

The reason is quite simple, and it has nothing to do with time — I always allow plenty of it for my road trips, just so I can stop to smell the roses, so to speak, along the way.

I’ve talked before about my disillusionment with gun shows, and to a large extent this is why I didn’t turn off the beaten path to either the Waco or Temple shows.  I was in no mood to be pissed off by only seeing a surfeit of overpriced guns I wouldn’t accept as a gift (e.g. AR-15, Glock), and I had no pressing need for still-overpriced ammo either.

Besides, I know what I’m getting for Christmas, and it’s a doozy.  More on that, later.

Interesting Thought

The Gun Thing

Getting rid of the revolver:

While I’m typically kitted out with a capable 9mm, on some occasions I’ve run errands with little more than a .38 snubbie in a jacket or coat pocket. And I used to carry one in the console of my car for my “extra” piece.

Not any more, and I’ll tell you why: it surely seems like a sole attacker today is the exception, not the rule.

All sensible arguments.  I have to admit to subconsciously feeling the same way every time I run over to the booze store or 7-11 with only my S&W 637 on my hip, even though I have two speedloaders handy, and can reload reasonably quickly.

Admittedly, the above condition accounts for maybe 10% of my trips away from the house;  for the rest, it’s the 1911 with two spare mags.  But I’m thinking that “90%” should become “all the time”, because if I’m caught inside a store during a flash mob looting spree, even only eight shots of .45 ACP beats five rounds of .38+P, and reloading another eight is far quicker than reloading another five — not to mention the “New York reload” option of just drawing the backup 637 instead of reloading another mag into the 1911…

Choices, choices…

Corollary thought:  unless you live in the boonies, the old Swiss K31 or Mosin carbine is not going to cut it as a trunk gun.   During a situation of mob violence in a suburban / urban setting, it looks as though it’s SKS time…

Prestige

Gratuitous Gun Pics

Mr. Free Market points me at this wondrous gun:

…and its review.

Typically, one uses this thing to hunt birds with names beginning with the letter “p” (partridge, pheasant, parrot) in locales such as this:

However, it should be said that the Prestige costs somewhat more than $11,000 — and if I review its characteristics against my shotgun preferences (other than price):

  • side-by-side barrels:  nope (O/U)
  • double trigger:  nope (single)
  • straight “English” buttstock:  nope (pistol grip)
  • splinter forestock:  nope (heavy full)
  • weighs no more than 6.5 lbs:  nope (8+ lbs)

…it fails miserably, on all counts.

Now had he sent me a similar review on this gun, I might have been more drawn to the idea of spending about two-thirds of my annual SocSec income [eyecross]  on a bespoke shotgun.

As you can see, the Sovereign model retails for about half the Prestige, and has ALL my desired features (other than price).

One more time:  shotgun barrels should be side by side like a man and his dog, and not over and under like a man and his mistress.