Front Sight, Press

was lucky to have a Dad that took the time to take me hunting and fishing. He instilled a lasting love and respect for firearms in me. He taught me to shoot while I was still unable to hold the gun by myself. I will never forget how he managed to aim and hit a little frog in a pond while I clumsily pulled the trigger on a little .22 rifle. I will never forget the amazing biology lesson that followed, using the frog that we just shot.

The Smith and Wesson M +P 3. For a female shooter considering something to carry concealed for the first time, it’s a nice alternative to the G-22 and has less recoil due to a low bore axis. Like the G-22 it will stay tight and accurate, but even more so, necessary if you’re using it for self defense.

What defines the “1911″ Pistol?

Two of my favorites are working on Ruger revolvers this weekend.

I do love the .38 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge. Everyone agrees that it is one of the most accurate cartridges ever developed, sharing those honors with the .44 Smith & Wesson Special. I have several .38 Special revolvers, but next to my S&W K-38 this one is my favorite. It’s an early Model 67, Combat Masterpiece.

A friend of mine and I have an ongoing debate about which snubby is uglier, the Centennial or the Bodyguard. The camel hump hammer shroud on the back of the Bodyguard’s frame, while eminently sensible, has never appealed to my eye.

For those on a budget who want a reliable out-of-the-box, no-frills five-shot .38 Special, they might want to look at the Taurus M85. Unfortunately, the name Taurus has been synonymous with being an unreliable and cheap gun, of the likes of Raven Arms, who makes low quality pistols. Let me clear up this rumor, they make an affordable and reliable self-defense gun. Nothing more and nothing less - simply the best bang for your buck. I won’t fool you; this isn’t the gun to do trigger jobs on or to customize, just a great self-defense weapon.

Xavier has an excellent article on Choosing Your First M1911. He’s the only guy I know who is a passionate about the M1911 as I am. Read it. You won’t regret it.

I don’t sell my reloads very often, but with the price of ammo these days, reloading is like printing money. I stopped by the local range to pick up a couple of boxes of ammo on the way to a match. It was two boxes of S&B 230 grain FMJ. The clerk rang up the bill: $38. What’s different now is that the war happened; ammo got scarce; metals went through the roof, but I don’t want to give up shooting because ammo has tripled in price. My aching pocket book brought to my remembrance the reloading press that had been carefully packed away and stored in the basement.

News from The Sight M1911, 2/16/08