Just Wait a Second or Five While I Whip This Out....

From: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/28/south-carolina-ban-gun-concealed-carry-restaurants/

You just can't make this stuff up....OK, I see that you're left handed, but going half-cocked with a Serpa?

DON'T BE THIS GUY!
1: If you're a lefty, get a 1911 w/ an ambi thumb safety and carry it cocked and locked or don't get a 1911.
2: Get a proper belt.
3: If you want retention, get a Safariland ALS etc.

Para-Ordnance Cleaning Up Their Act?

When I first got into pistols my first gun was a Para P16-40. It was huge but I love the way it shot and having 16+1 of .40S&W was pretty cool too. Some problems with the guns were magazine related and finish related.

But overall I was really happy with the gun but not so much happy with the .40S&W.

Over the years I've have several of Paras products.

A P10 Warthawg, A P14-45 Night-Tac LDA, one of the stainless Commander-style single stack LDA, the model name / number escapes me but I think it was the CCW LDA, but I could be wrong. 

The Warthawg was of the Nighhawg variety. Black Parakote and night sights, non LDA. the Night Tac was also Parakoted. The Parakote had to be one of the worst finishes I've ever had on a gun. In no time at all it was flaking off around the mag catch and wearing off very early on in use.

Both guns pre-dated the PXT extractor and both ran reasonably well but then again they never saw hard use.

Between then and now Para has had a tough time. Hokey cocking serrations, bad finishes, spotty QC, odd extractors etc.

My brother-in-law did a group buy with his Naval unit on some 14-45s and there were a lot of QC issues reported by the purchasers.


Fast forward to today and I'm seeing a lot of things on Para's website that looks like HUGE steps in the right direction for them.

First and foremost I'm seeing a lot of guns with Ion-Bond or Black Nitride for their finish. This is huge. I've been pretty happy with the Ion-Bond on my Nighthawk and Black Nitirde has a pretty good reputation as well.

Secondly I'm not seeing the PXT (Para's attempt at improving the 1911 extractor with it's "Power Extractor") and seeing EGW components being listed on a lot of the models, particularly their HD extractor. EGW did some work on my problematic back in 2004/2005 when I lived in PA and I was quite happy with their work and I don't think I've ever met anyone that has had an issue with any of their products.



Instead of plastic grips on pretty much everything, I'm seeing a lot of VZ panels.

Para USA Stock Photo

I just wish they'd take the skull of their "Recon" line of pistols. If so this 4.25" Double Stack 9mm would find a nice home in Iowa.

 Any way, it's nice to a manufacturer fix some issues.

You can see more from Para at the following links:

Para USA
Para USA 2014 Catalog

Pistol-Training.Com Springfield Custome Report #3 is out.

Springfield/Warren 9mm 1911 Endurance Test: Report #3

6-Aug-12 – 10:25 by ToddG

6,609 rounds

3 stoppage

0 malfunctions

0 parts breakages 2 mag deadlined

For contrast:

Glock 17 gen4 Endurance Test: Week Three

8-Apr-11 – 11:18 by ToddG

5,424 rounds

5 stoppages (+1 w/non-LCI extractor)

0 malfunctions

0 parts breakages

P30 Thursday: Week Three

21-May-09 – 23:59 by ToddG 4,700 rounds
0 stoppages, 0 malfunctions, 0 parts breakages

HK45 Endurance Test: Week Three

27-Apr-10 – 01:00 by ToddG

3,659 rounds

0 stoppages

0 malfunctions

0 parts breakages

M&P Monday: Week Three

12-May-08 – 22:07 by ToddG 5,058 rounds
0 stoppages, 0 malfunctions, 0 parts breakages

Turning in good round counts, if you're following this series of tests, one thing to take serious note of are the issues related to magazines, two magazines dead lined. Finding the "right" magazine for your 1911 can be a breeze or a nightmare depending on multiple variables. If there is any singular issue to be held against the 1911s of today, it's the magazine issue. You shouldn't have to play mix and match on guns and mags to get a working combination. With .45 caliber guns it's not too bad but the "other" calibers seem to be a little harder, not sure about 10mm and .38 Super, but 9mm and .40 can be a real pain in the rear.

Excuse this pooh eating grin on my face...

Three range trips and almost 2,300 rounds into the test and it’s fair to say that some sacred cows are in danger of becoming hamburger. Stoppages? None. Break-in? Not necessary. Ammo sensitivity? Three different FMJ-style rounds and two different JHPs without a problem have gone down the pipe. Magazine issues? Three different brands of magazines fed, fired, extracted, and ejected without hesitation. Expectations? Blown away.
In fact, it’s only fair to mention that by this round count during their respective tests both the Glock 17 and even my beloved HK P30 both experienced problems. They were resolved, sure, but no one expected them to have problems in the first place. Some diehard 1911 aficionados were warning me that no one — even the Springfield Armory Custom Shop — could make a 9mm 1911 that would run well out of the box.
They can. I have the box to prove it.

More here:
 Springfield/Warren 9mm 1911 Endurance Test: Report #1




While I won't say that I'm surprised about the pistol itself in going close to 2300rds with no issue, I am a little taken aback at the mag issues with Tripp and Wilson.

Have had the idea of a 9mm 1911 kicking around my head for some time now, as well as a Springfield Custom, might have to get me one of those next year or so...

PT1911 #3: Have I Ever Told You...

That I'm not overly fond of PT1911 as a result of seeing a lot of them with less than ideal quality behind them?

Here's some quick pictures of Taurus PT1911 #3, this is a different gun belonging to a different shooting buddy.


We were talking about the other two I was looking at and my friend not being much of a 1911 guy hasn't shot his much and asked if I would be willing to do a side by side comparison of this gun next to some of mine, just to see what a difference in cost gets you get.

He was not impressed with his Taurus.

Batterting of frame, not sure what's causing this as this area of the frame can not be  struck by hammer with firing pin stop in place. The joint where the ejector meets the frame looks pretty nasty as well.

Update on the PT1911s....

Or more appropriately why I don't like Taurus Products.

Both guns have been gutted, cleaned, reassembled and have passed the basic operational checks.

Some things of note on the guns, is that as I expected, the overall fit and finish were pretty rough, overall the aluminum framed .45ACP model wasn't too bad in that department. I guess my biggest grip on that is the fitment of the thumb safety, it's not done to well and appears to be scraping the frame, I can't guarantee that as I don't know the history of the gun. The grip panels on the gun as I received it were trapping the thumb safety stop lever on the right side when the grip screws were properly tightened down and made engaging / disengaging the safety harder/mushy from the drag on the panel. I had an extra pair of Mi-Tac grip panels laying around and replaced them for the user until he can replace them with something else.

Both guns have full length guide rods of the two piece variety, but thread together near the rear end of the rod and offer no ability to unscrew from outside the the gun like most typical two-piece guide rods. Why manufacturers insist on including these in builds is beyond me. They are a pain to deal with in some applications, come apart while firing in other applications, or add more tools for field stripping.

Mag catches / release in both guns were of the extended type, and a common issue I see in a lot of guns with extended mag releases is that the internal surface of the mag catch is not blended to the contours of the mag well with the magazine release pressed in which can result in the mag release trapping the magazine in place when pressed down hard.

While I had the guns apart I used some Flitz on the trigger bows and the Series 80 firing pin components and that cleaned up the trigger a pretty good amount, it's definitely more crisp than it was originally.

Colt Series 80 Firing Pin Mechanism

The only other issue I really saw with the .45 was that the extractor showed signs of "clocking" but after poking and prodding on it a little it may not be an issue.

The checkering on both guns, which is machine cut was not very nice with the lower edge of the checkering extending down to the very bottom of the gun and made for some sharp edges.

That pretty much sums it up for the .45, the 9mm variant which was stainless over stainless is a different story.

Two PT1911s to Play With....

A friend of mine has dropped off two PT1911s (.45ACP and 9mm) to be played with, while I'm particularly fond of hating on Taurus, I'm kind of interested in diddling with these two. Initially all I can say is that these are the most squishy 1911 triggers I've ever felt in my life.

More to follow...

The Les Baer SRP

Les Baer SRP

 "Ultimately, everyone who needs to carry a pistol for tactical use or who keeps a pistol for self defense wants something that's completely reliable, uncannily accurate,powerful enough to deal with any situation, and familiar as an old shoe. That was a tough bill to fill until Les Baer introduced his 1911 S.R.P., an uncompromising single stack performer. 

Features include:
Baer steel NM frame • Baer steel NM slide with front and rear serrations • Slide fitted to frame • Baer NM barrel with stainless match bushing • Baer deluxe fixed combat sight • Baer dovetail ramp type front sight • Lowered and flared ejection port • Baer checkered slide stop • Baer extended ejector • Baer tactical style ambi safety • Baer speed trigger • Baer checkered flat mainspring housing • Checkered front strap @ 30 lpi • Fitted and tuned extractor • Beveled mag well • Complete tactical action job • Baer beavertail safety with pad • Baer deluxe Commander hammer and sear • Tritium night sights installed front and rear • Deburred for tactical carry • DuPont® S coating on complete pistol for maximum corrosion resistance • Baer Premium Checkered Cocobolo grips • Tuned for total reliability • Test fired with Federal 230 grain Hydra-Shok ammo and Remington Sabre 230 grain H.P. ammo and guaranteed to shoot 21/2" groups at 50 yards • (3) 8-round premium magazines • Special wooden presentation box with glass lid."

 This is basically what Les & Co spec'd out for the FBI SWAT ( not to be confused with the FBI HRT ) pistol, that contract ended up going to Springfield Armory, but needless to say, the SRP is one heck of a gun.

This SRP is not 100% stock and the mag catch lock is buggered up, but I like the exisitng mods so far. The rear sight is a 10-8, I will probably remove the S&A magwell and re-install the original main spring housing that was included. Haven't shot it yet but plan on running it this weekend if the opportunity presents itself.

The presentation case is the older one that doesn't have the glass lid, the gun came to me with some G10 grip panels from either VZs or Mil-Tac (think of the factory grips on a current TRP) and Torx grip screws. The stocks on there now came from my other Baer and the slotted grip screws were floating around somewhere. I will probably replace the wood with more mild textured G10 panels from 10-8 and will be ordering some Dupont S grip screws along with the catch lock from Les Baer...

Range report to follow

Squashing the gun bug...

The Ruger SR1911...

Just in case you haven't heard, Ruger released their 1911 the other day. Surprise, surprise, another gun maker introducing a 1911 in 2011.

Now that being said, I would probably buy a Ruger 1911, they have a very good reputation as far as their guns are concerned, however that's usually after a recall or two.

The gun looks clean and crisp and in stainless which I generally prefer. the gun features everything you would expect in a mid-grade 1911, but at a $799 MSRP, figure average retail to be around $650-$700 and I think it will be one great seller.

The plunger tube is integral to the frame which is a nice touch, but the frame is CNC machined from a casting. Some people are anti cast frames, I really don't have an opinion on the matter. What does concern me is that somewhere I read that they (Ruger) has claimed to "improve" the extractor....many others have tried this, such as Kimber (failed miserably), Sig and Smith and Wesson (mixed results) and Para with their PXT (mixed results), and maybe one or two others that I'm looking over. While most of the above were ventures into the external extractor, Ruger has stuck with the internal extractor.

Given Ruger's previous recalls on the SR9, LCP, and one other "P" Series Pistol and the news that they are mucking with the extractor, I'll be letting someone else guinea pig this one.

It comes with one seven and one eight round magazine, no word yet on if they are made in house or are of the Checkmate, Metalform, Mecgar variety or something else. Will definitely be watching these. If they perform well, they very well could replace Springfield Loadeds as my "go-to" recommendation for a decently priced and equipped 1911.

Want to watch me fumble a reload w/ retention?

Here ya' go....




For being the first match of the year and not really practicing all winter I did OK, I fumbled two reloads throughout the match and totally blew on stage by initially forgetting to put head shots into four targets but picked them up due to a very gracious RO that reminded after asking me if I was done...Head shots? What head shots? Oh, those head shots...crap.

All that being said, I came in 5th, if not for those three screw ups I would have been in 4th, maybe third, not bad for shooting CDP against the SSP crowd.


The Nighthawk ran as expected, I do like the 10-8 gen II slide stop and will probably keep going with it.


And yes, I should have just let the mag go as I almost missed my window of opportunity on that mover, surprisingly I was only down 1 on that stage.

Know What You Have...

Before you start sanding on it...

"thought you guys might like to see what ive done to my gun i havnt owned for a week.....i know some purists are going to hate it but i thought i would like the bead blasted and black it was from factory but after shooting it and cleaning it i hated it.....so being an all stainless gun i took it apart and started sanding on it...i love the brushed stainless look but i left the grooves and the entire top of slide the blasted look.....what do ya think....be kind now........lol....a few before and after pics"

"Did you know that your gun was a Limited Edition special run and not a standard model ever offered by Kimber? It was one of the few guns Kimber made in two tone with a stainless frame.....key word being "was."  CUSTOM DEFENDER II (2001): 290 produced. Two tone stainless frame and slide. Black oxide coating on frame, slide natural stainless. Fixed low profile rear sight, double diamond rosewood grips. Sold only through stores affiliated with National Buying Service. 38 oz. MSR: $839

I'm no big fan of Kimber, but I almost want to shed a tear over this one. Where's a good fail poster when you need one.


Edited to add:

  So it gets better, apparently the happy sander was well aware that this was a special edition and that when he was buying it "everyone" told him that it was worth no more than any other Kimber and that Kimber made special editions all the time etc" That's true, Kimber does make special editions every now and then, ant currently they don't cost any more than any other model they have (generally speaking of course) that does not mean that long term value will stay along the lines of non-special edition Kimbers. The thing about value is that right now when items are plentiful they are not as valuable, but later on down the road who knows. My father-in-law was the proud owner of a GTO Judge that be bought brand new off the show room floor, he drove it like a regular car....because that's what it was back then, a regular car. He later traded it for a washing machine and $200 after he got married. That car today is worth quite  or rather would be worth (the guy who bought it painted it purple and wrapped it around a telephone pole within three months) a bit more than a Maytag.

Bottom line is that you can't see the future and maybe it's not such a good idea to take sanding paper to your special edition gun. Yes it's your gun and you can do whatever you want to do with it, but we can all still call you a bonehead for it.

On the subject of the 1911 and "Clinical Unreliabilitry"....

I have to throw the BS flag. There's often a lot of talk about the 1911 being unreliable, finicky, requiring gunsmith attention before it's ever fired, or needing an abundance of user end maintenance.

Some of this is true, some of it isn't, and some of it's just flat out regurgitation without comprehension. Too many times I see people quoting bits and pieces of quotes and snippets from sources that are in the know and either try to pass it off as their own point of view or don't give any additional information on what's formed their viewpoint. I don't mind if someone quotes a "Somebody" provided that they give accreditation to the source in it's entirety

Getting back to the topic:

"So, I know this is going to start a firestorm...but frankly in my 31 years if there's one thing I've learned about 1911's is that they are without question the most beautifull class of handgun, but are tempermental by nature to the point of extreem annoyance. I've owned 3 1911's in my lifetime and now I am a die hard fan of my Sig p220 SAO. It does every thing the 1911 does but better except the pretty thing. I like to think of my sig as my more even tempered cute brunette. Like red heads I've sworn off 1911's. To trust one to run with your life, you better have spent the better part of 2 grand. The worst of the 3 was a SA "loaded model." What a load of crap...I spent $900 on a beautiful 1911, get it home and take it apart only to discover it's full of tool marks, then I notice it's an embel frame made in brazil! A $900 sig would never let you down. You know what they say, 1911's have been keeping gunsmiths in business since...1911. thoughts?"

Officially jumping n the 10-8 bandwagon

I've referenced material from 10-8 before, and read/forward their articles to many, so I might was well do it here as well.

If you own a 1911 you owe it to yourself to check out this stellar reference site: 10-8 Articles, also of interest is their blog. I recently picked up one of their Armorers blocks and it's proved useful in the short time I've had it. Just the other day their Gen 2 Slide Stops were back in stock and I decided to get one as my Nighthawk was not consistently locking open on empty with Wilson ETMs, so far it seems to work as advertised, the pad is nicely oversized without being overly large. I also picked up some 10-8 Lube and some Armorers Tools. We'll see how this slide stop performs now that IDPA is getting to start back up as well as some scheduled training this Spring. The wife and I are heading back to TDI for Pistols II & III to fill the prerequisites for Team Tactics. 

I totally spaced during my ordering process as I meant to get some of their nifty slotted screws designed to work with a .45ACP casing, oh well, there's always next time. If the slide stop works well for me I'll probably order another for my Springfield.

100 Years of the 1911

On this day today in 1911, the M1911 was patented.

Now say what you will about the 1911 and it's perceived and legitimate short comings, you have to admit that for a basic handgun design to still be in use, largely in it's original form for 100 years says something about the genius and ability of the design. From new gun owners to Military and Police hi-speed / low drag types, to gun collectors, carriers, competitors, the 1911 fills the hands of many of shooters and is still thought of in some circles as "the" handgun to have.

It's no secret that I'm a 1911 fan, and this year is being hailed as the year of the 1911, every maker under the sun is offering a commemorative 1911 celebrating the 100 year anniversary.

Kimber, Remington, Para, Colt, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk Custom, and many others are all offering something special for this year. Colt is even roll marking models with "100 Years of Service" on the slides of 1911s made this year on top of their commemorative models. The two models I'm most interested in this year are the Colt ANVIII an the Ed Brown Executive Elite Centennial Edition  . When you look at the likes of the Kimber and NHC model that Ed Brown isn't too outrageous compared to their other models.

Most likely I'll be ordering a Colt ANVIII, but those Browns sure look nice. Maybe an ANVIII and another Colt with the roll mark are in order...

Don't Shoot the Messenger: Another Reason to Not Endorse Kimber...

ALE's pricey guns prove unreliable.

"ALE Director John Ledford said the Kimber pistols repeatedly suffered such problems as rounds jamming during training exercises, broken sights and the weapon's safety button sometimes falling off. He made a deal with a local firearms dealer to swap the pricey pistols for less expensive handguns without spending any additional money."

I'm sure that those guys are just haters and gun snobs and that there's really nothing wrong with the guns...

Oh, my favorite part.

"In an effort to fix the problems, Ledford contacted Ralph Karanian, the chief operating officer of Kimber America of Elmsford, N.Y. Karanian promised to fix the problems, and the company replaced a key spring on the pistols, according to the memo. Agents also fired as many as 1,500 rounds with each pistol on the suggestion they needed to be "broken in.""

If you buy crap, don't be surprised at the stink.

Shot Show

Sorry guys, we're not here on media passes so no pics for you....

I plan on taking my time today and tomorrow and writing up some details on some products of interest.

I talked with some Colt people about the rail guns, the Cerakoted Rail Gun looks pretty sharp and of interest is that they are bringing back the Mustang Pocketlite. I'll be taking a deeper look at the Colt booth today as well as dropping in on Nighthawk and VZ Grips.

Overall, I'd say the most interesting item to me so far is the much talked about Kimber Solo Carry, provided it goes relatively problem free I plan on eventually getting one.

Just in Time for Shall Issue...

A brand spankin' new Milt Sparks Versa Max II for my Nighthawk Bob-Rail that appears to have been made by the man himself.

Much thanks Tony K, I still have to give the VMII "Best" (if there really is such a thing) IWB holster available. I ordered this just after I ordered my Nighthawk in June, while I wish I would have had it before now I understand backlog and lead times. Besides, it's not like a VMII for a railed 1911 is a stocking item anywhere.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the Sheriff's office to renew my neutered permit to carry and will hopefully have my unrestricted 5yr permit in hand when I leave.


Good times.

Kudos to SOG

So I was killing a little time on Facebook when the guy who does SOG's page sent me a message regarding their upcoming change. Something about how they can't have a personal page, must be a business page etc. etc. Any way I ask the guy if I can get a new pocket clip for my Spec Elite 1 and he's like "Sure they give them away" to which I thought "Yeah right" but as it turns out, they do just give them away.

Just thought that was kind of cool and wanted to share.


...Also, I didn't get to run the Nighthawk over the weekend, only one of us got to go shoot IDPA and I let my wife attend. You can watch some match video below.



Yes, that was a stage where you stake a vampire in it's coffin, my idea.stage design and I didn't even get to shoot it. Sometimes it sucks taking the high road in life.

Don't Shoot the Messenger, Why I Don't Endorse Kimber

Anyone that's asked me about which 1911 to buy would probably say that I have a soft spot in my heart for bashing Kimber...

I'm not going to go into my issues with any of the four Kimbers I've had (three of them being CDP "Custom Shop" guns), I'm not going to talk about rust-prone barrels, I'm not going to talk about crappy magazines, I'm not going to talk about MIM parts (hey my Nighthawk has a MIM Kimber thumb safety) as a matter of fact I'm not going to say anything other than read this:

10-8 Performance: The Kimber Warrior

And yes, my thoughts on Kimber have been negative before I even knew who 10-8 and Hilton Yam were.

In all honesty, if I could stage a successful boycott of Kimber products until either the price went down to match their quality or their quality went up to match their price I would, but as long as people keep buying them the way they are Kimber has no reason to change.

It's your money folks, you can spend it any way you want, but if you ever ask me what I think about Kimber don't be surprised when I get a little sour on them.