200 More

I took the Clark Custom Commander out this afternoon and fired another 200 trouble-free rounds through it. Not even a hiccup. The matte hard chrome makes presentation from a holster slick as hog snot, and clean-up afterwards is a breeze. This pistol is nearing the top of my favorites list.

For those who are wondering, it's a Colt Combat Commander, a Series 70 gun with the lightened slide. The hammer has been replaced with a Nowlin Speed Demon, and the trigger is a McCormick. Thumb safety is a single sided Ed Brown tactical, and the mainspring housing is an aluminum SW1911 checkered unit. The rear sight is likely a Safariland, while the front is a serrated ramp with an orange insert. The grips are cocobolo from Fusion. The pistol has been melted by Clark's and hard chromed. All else is bone stock Colt. If anything, such as the slide stop looks custom, it's because Clark Custom melted it.

Thanks, Doc, for letting me shoot a bit at your place.

Shooting the Clark Commander

It was a gorgeous day to be at the range. The skies were blue with puffy cotton clouds, and a cool breeze whisked the sweat away. Frieda had not been back to the range since we last shot, although she had been doing a lot of dry fire practice. Truthfully, I had not made it to the range as much as I should have. The heat and humidity just kept me away. Today was a new day though, and I wanted to put some copper jacketed lead through my new pistol. I brought along my Ruger MKII fishing gun, and my Clark Meltdown Colt Commander, fresh from Jim Clark's hands. Frieda had her Ruger MKII, and Little Darling was along for the ride.

First off, the Clark Commander shot well. As usual, it was more accurate than myself, and it was totally reliable. Over the course of the afternoon, I put 200 rounds through it with no failures. I ran drills of one, then two shots using a flash sight picture. The pistol pointed naturally, and came to sights without error. I rotated between the Commander and my MKII to prevent myself from getting too comfortable.

Frieda was excited to get back to the range. She had brought along a box of Blazer ammunition. I grimaced at the sight. Call me a nut, but I just prefer the copper washed Federal bulk pack stuff. Frieda did not need my assistance though. She was able to load her own magazines, and when a cold range was called, she set her target out at ten yards.

Her first couple of magazines were shot low, and I had to talk to her again about the human sympathetic grip. As we coil our index finger, the remaining three fingers of the hand tend to tighten. When holding a pistol, this can make the muzzle drop. I reminded Frieda to take a firm grip on the gun with her right hand. If our fingers are already tightly grasping an object, the sympathetic grip is minimized when we use our index finger. Frieda listened, and applied my suggestion. She found herself shooting in the red again immediately.

After Frieda got a couple hundred rounds downrange, she began to have occasional stovepipe jams. I would have to clear her pistol for her, and I attributed the problem to the Blazer ammunition. I was still shooting just fine with Federal. Its my belief that Blazer may have a reduced charge in some rounds, and less consistency from round to round. A pistol depends on the recoil impulse to eject the spent brass from the gun. When the recoil impulse is reduced because the ammunition is loaded lighter, the bolt doesn't move as quickly and ejection problems can occur. I have not performed my Ruger magazine modification on Frieda's mags. That could have played a role as well. Frieda persevered though, and resolved to buy Federal ammunition next time.

Frieda and Little Darling kept looking at my target and comparing their shooting with mine. This is a natural thing for anyone to do, and it is one of the reasons I do not shoot when I am teaching a novice. It is also a reason why I will work on drills that impair my accuracy when shooting with someone who has established competence and needs to push themselves a bit more. Frieda noticed that I was working on flash sighting. She remembered me talking about it with her, and asked me why I was shooting that way.

"The person most likely to survive a gunfight unscathed is not necessarily the person who is the most accurate," I told her. "Almost invariably the person who is shot first will be the person who comes out on the short end of the stick. Shooting accurately is important. Shooting accurately enough, fast enough is more important. You can train for target shooting, or you can train to survive a lethal encounter. Proficiency at target shooting teaches you to use a gun in a certain manner. Under the stress of unexpected violence, we will revert back to the way we trained ourselves to shoot. I want to be the guy who gets shots on target first, not the guy who does it most accurately. I just need to be accurate enough."

Antique Allure

Frieda joined me at the range today with a 500 round box of Blazer 22 ammunition and the Ruger MKII bequeathed her by her father. She had decided to leave her Taurus snubby at home. In her hands she proudly displayed her own set of muffs. As we signed into the range, Frieda asked about a membership, and then decided to join. One more neophyte shooter is now invested into the past time of shooting.

As we unpacked our gear and approached the firing line, a young man was firing a 10mm hand cannon to our left. The concussion and report of the gun shots made Frieda wince. "Don't worry, it's no different than a bass drum, and he won't be shooting it long anyway," I told her. We laid out our gear and took targets out to the ten yard line at the next cold range call. Sure enough, by the time Frieda was on her third magazine, the guy with the 10mm was policing his brass.

It was humid and sticky and a storm was brewing, with a breeze from the Gulf. But rather than wick the sweat from our backs, it stuck dust to our faces. As we checked our targets, Frieda was happy to see that after a month of not shooting, on her second trip, she was getting most of her hits in the red zone. I reminded her to concentrate on he basics. Stable platform, sight alignment, trigger squeeze straight to the rear. "Mainly trigger control," I told her. "You mustn't allow your trigger pull to move the sights out of alignment."

"But I'm doing OK?"

"You're doing fine," I replied, "But you were doing better when we left last time. A month of not reinforcing the new skills has allowed them to erode."

"How often do you practice?" Frieda asked.

"Well, at one time, when I was going into some damned spooky places, I would run at least one magazine of ammunition through my carry gun each day. I could do it then, between seeing patients. I would shoot when my blood sugar was low, and my hands were shaky. I would just pop into the indoor range, fire off eight rounds and be back outside in under fifteen minutes."

"That's hard to do with work......."

"Yeah, I know," I responded. "Nowadays, I try to get to the range at least once a week. Lately, my free time has been more scarce, so I've shot about once every two weeks."

"But you are still shooting the same."

"It's like riding a bicycle, I've been doing it longer, so it will take me longer to lose the skills. Plus, I've been dry firing. Have you been dry firing?" I asked.

"I felt silly."

"It works though. Try it. Just be sure to check your pistol's chamber at least twice before starting. You have a penny?" Frieda produced the copper coin, and when the range went hot, I showed her the dry fire trick with the pence balanced on the front sight of my Gold Cup. Thankfully, it didn't fall.

Frieda checked the chamber of her Ruger and dry fired it. She pulled the bolt back, released it, and dry fired it again. "This will really help?" she asked.

"Yep, but do it at home. We're here to shred some paper." Frieda loaded and shot several more magazines. Then the Blazer ammunition began giving her stovepipe jams. I showed her how to clear the pistol, stressing the importance of keeping the muzzle down range at all times.

"But why is it happening?" she asked.

"Probably that cheap Blazer ammo," I replied.

"Cheap? I paid $23 for this box! Is something wrong with my gun?"

"Why don't you shoot a bit of my Federal ammo and see?" Frieda loaded up another magazine and resumed shooting. She had no further failures. While she was shooting, I went to my range bag and pulled out a surprise. I knew that she collected antiques. When there was a pause in the shooting, I laid a nickel Smith & Wesson M&P revolver in front of her.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It's an old revolver from 1926," I told her. She picked up the old wheelgun and fondled it a bit. "Want to shoot it?" I asked.

"Can I?"

"Sure. It's the same caliber as your Taurus." Regretfully, I had not brought along any cowboy loads. All I had was Winchester White Box, 130 grain target rounds. It's going to kick a bit more than your twenty-two," I informed Frieda.

"It won't be bad though?" she asked cautiously.

"Nothing you can't handle. It will have a long trigger, pull it back smoothly to the rear." I let her dry fire the nickel gun a couple of times, the trigger on the old pre-depression revolver was slicker than Crisco on ice. I loaded six rounds in the cylinder, and Frieda took the gun from me.

The allure of the antique was strong, and the force was with Frieda. She jumped at the first report from the gun, but kept her composure and kept the muzzle pointed down range. Then, determined to shoot the old revolver, she pulled the trigger five more times. Six holes in the red. "And that Frieda, is what a slick trigger and a longer barrel will do for you," I told her. "Your snubby is still better for a carry gun though."

"Can the trigger be made like this one?"

"It will probably never be as good," I replied. "Different design, different tolerances, but you can get used to a thirty-eight with this revolver. Then move to your snubby. This old gun has had eighty-three years to smooth out."

"If I found one with a shorter barrel, could I carry it?"

"No reason you couldn't, assuming you had a license......."

"And you will help me get that?"

Another concealed carrier and old wheelgun aficionado is born.

A Complex Simplicity

I took two 1911s to the range today, my Springfield Mil-Spec and my Colt M1991A1. Each is an unassuming pistol, purposeful and effective. I do not know why I brought two pistols, let alone these two similar pistols.

I shot the Colt a bit more than the Springfield, but they shot equally well. The Colt just feels more "right" to me somehow, I suppose. Perhaps it's the Colt legacy, perhaps it's the more traditional style, simple sights and a high ejection port. Perhaps it was because I had to do less to the Colt to make it into what I wanted. I do not know the reason, I just shot it more.

As I shot, my mind drifted to Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai of feudal Japan. Musashi, an unconventional warrior, dressed in rags, rarely bathed, and traveled during the zenith of the samurai period, engaging in duels. Musashi was an outsider with allegiance to no lord, but he was a master of using two swords in a technique called niten'ichi. It was an effective, unembellished way of defeating an opponent. Although he engaged in scores of duels, Musashi himself was never defeated. Today, his technique is known as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.

The real legacy of Musashi though, is not one of swordsmanship. It is one of psychological combat. Once his reputation had grown, Musashi challenged one of Japan's most revered samurai of the time, Sasaki Kojirō, to a duel on an island at dawn. A traditional warrior, Kojirō prepared for the duel in prayer. He was known for wielding a katana with extra length, and was an established, well disciplined traditional warrior. Kojirō arrived on time, but his unorthodox opponent was nowhere to be found. For several hours, an enraged and humiliated Kojirō stormed the sands of the island's beach.

When Musashi finally arrived, he was carrying an elongated staff he had carved from the oar of a boat. Kojirō was brought down by a single strike to the head as Musashi side stepped a slash from his opponent's blade. A powerful thrust to the sternum crushed the renowned swordsman's chest.

What is significant is that Musashi did not bring a sword to fight a swordsman. Some would say he brought an oar. I would go further than that. It did not matter what Musashi brought. He brought his mind. He brought his self control. As he approached the infuriated Kojirō, legend has it Musashi taunted him by saying "You have already lost." There is truth there. When a man becomes so enraged that he acts on his anger rather than in a methodical manner to accomplish the task at hand, he has lost.

In his later years, Musashi studied Buddism and became an author and artist. His most widely read work, Go Rin No Sho, is still a relevant treatise on the way of the warrior. A passage reads "In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm."

I did not use my two pistols as Musashi used two swords. I shot them one at a time, trying to pare away any superfluous movement or pretense. Like the 1911 itself, it is Musashi's singularly simple but effective manner of stripping away the unnecessary flourishes to arrive at the elemental purpose of the actions needed that makes him relevant to me.

Grips and Stances

Even though the rain had abated and the sun baked the moisture from the ground, I found myself alone at the range this afternoon. I had planned to shoot a bit with Frieda again, but she had other things to attend to. Since I was alone at the range, I worked on controlled pairs with my two Teflon coated 1911s.

A double tap or "hammer" is a bit different than a controlled pair. When a shooter fires a double tap, he fires off the second shot as soon as the muzzle of the gun settles, without reacquiring a sight picture. With a controlled pair, a flash sight picture is achieved before the second shot is squeezed off. It doesn't always result in greater accuracy, and if the truth be told, most people do a blend of the two.

I have found that the isometric grip I use places the muzzle back on target efficiently. To use that grip, the shooter should wrap his support hand far enough around the other to provide for a firm backwards pull. The knuckles of the support hand should be over the first joint on the primary hand's fingers. Then, as the shooter aligns the sights, the primary hand pushes forward while the support hand pulls back. The pistol is enclosed in a fleshy vise like grip. The grip quickly springs back to it's original configuration after the pistol recoils. While Jack Weaver is generally credited with the two hand shooting grip, many believe it was Jeff Cooper who introduced isometrics into the equation for recoil management. It really doesn't matter where it came from, it works for me.

You can learn more about the big three classical stances at this link.

Old Man Guns

I took a Colt 1911 and a Smith & Wesson K frame 22 revolver to the range today. These handguns are absolute classics. Every handgunner should own one of each. Curiously, I resisted each one for a long time, for different reasons. When I began shooting handguns regularly, large capacity 9mm blasters were in full swing, and these guns were anachronisms of a bygone era.

I resisted owning a 1911 for a long time simply because I considered it to be an ugly gun, an old man's gun. Back in the 1980s, a lot of the 1911s that were pictured in the gun rags were ugly. Its still not the prettiest gun. It has a subtle beauty in its simplicity though, and it has a lasting beauty in its function.

I resisted revolvers as a whole when I was younger (and dumber.) Like the 1911, I considered them to be old man guns. Even after I had amassed a small collection accumulation of wheelguns, I did not want to cough up the necessary dough for a 22 caliber K frame. I was wrong, both times.

I have found the 1911 (in its original form) to be one of the most effective fighting handguns available. Holes blast through a target quickly with a 1911. It is quick into action, it packs a sizable round, and it is durable and reliable assuming it meets the original specs.

The S&W 22 K frame is simply one of the finest fun guns ever made. Startlingly accurate, unfailingly reliable, and cheap to shoot. Money spent on an old shooter grade Model 17 will be recouped in fun for a lifetime. I like to use the Model 17 to "decondition" my finger to the 1911. I want to know what my ability is with the 1911 is when I am unpracticed. The Model 17 is different enough that when I return to the 1911, it is as though I have not shot a 1911 in a week.

It was a good day at the range. Only one other person, a young man with a Springfield XD was there. We talked a bit and I realized that now I was the old man at the range shooting the anachronisms. Strange how that happens.......

Fancy Shooting

At the range today I shot my Colt Sistema carry gun, and alternated with a Ruger MKII. The old Sistema isn't the prettiest pistol at the range, but I like it. It is the first 1911 I ever fitted a barrel to. I chose a Wilson Combat barrel and bushing for it, and worked slowly but surely over the course of a couple of weeks to fit them. When I first shot the pistol with the new barrel, I was in awe. Other modifications include an Ed Brown grip safety, a Commander hammer, a McCormick trigger with a trigger job, a flat mainspring housing, rubber double diamond grips, a Wilson Combat magazine, and a belt clip. The old Sistema was designed to be a car gun, and the belt clip gave me a way to carry it away from the car without a holster if needed. I had it finished in a green and gray teflon coating. It was accurate enough and quick enough with the military sights, so I kept them on the gun.

A couple of fellows were shooting one of the curly cue FN rifles with a can and holographic optics on it a bit further down the line. I was shooting double taps from low ready, and during a cold range call/target change they wandered over to take a look at my target.

"That's a Wilson you're shootin', isn't it?" one of the asked.

"No, it's just one of his barrels in an old Argentine 1911, nothing fancy" I informed them.

"Forty-five?"

"Yeah."

"I have a Wilson pistol back there," one of them piped up. "It shoots real good." He went back to the line and retrieved a target frame and set it out at the 15 yard mark a couple of spaces down from me. Then he opened up an embroidered carry bag to reveal a grey Wilson Combat pistol. When the line went hot again, he began stuffing hardball rounds into the magazine and blazing away at the target. After several magazines, his target and the cardboard behind it looked like a sieve. Holes were evenly spaced out across the cardboard backing and the targets. Nothing was untouched. A wooden leg of the target frame was splintered. Finally, he dropped the slide from slide lock on an empty chamber, and blew the smoke from the muzzle with pursed lips in an exaggerated display of aplomb.

"That's pretty amazing," I told him. He grinned. I started to ask him if I could take his photo to remember the event by, (and to post here) but I refrained. I decided it was time to leave and try again another day.

Know Your Enemy

"We're not working with no marksmanship... We just putting it in your direction, you know... It don't matter... as long as it's gonna hit you…if it's up at your head or your chest, down at your legs, whatever... Once I squeeze and you fall, then... if I want to execute you, then I could go from there....." from Stoppingpower.net.


Chilling. Ruthless. It was wet, but I made it to the range today. As I trained shooting one handed, and weak handed, these words of a killer kept rumbling through my mind.

"The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable."
~Sun Tzu

Car Guns

I took the Model 66, the Colt New Agent, and the M1991A1 to the range this afternoon. I was feeling the need for some recoil therapy, and while none of these handguns deliver massive wrist snapping recoil, the dose was enough to do the trick.

The Smith & Wesson Model 66 is the quinissential stainless steel revolver. A K frame chambered in 357 magnum, it is a size that's quite handy, while packing an undeniable punch. The market for the Model 66 is a lot like the Model 10. It is ubiquitous, and therefore usually inexpensive to purchase used. Four inch barrels are commonplace, but the pinned and recessed versions are getting harder to come by.

The more I shoot the Colt M1991A1, the more I like it. The simplicity of this pistol is the charm of it. There is absolutely nothing pretentious about it. It's just a purposeful handgun for putting a big hole in a target fast. I usually carry it or my modified Sistema as a car gun. Either pistol is perfect for resting underneath a newspaper on the seat beside me. With a pistol holstered at 4:00, it's difficult to effectively draw and fire when a seat belt is fastened on top of the rig. Lately though, I've been thinking a 357 revolver might be a better choice.

Shootin' Nines

I still consider the 9mm Commander to be a best buy in a 1911. A person's first 1911 really should be in 45 ACP. After all, it's the round the pistol was designed to shoot. However, for inexpensive practice, it's hard to beat the 9mm for half the cost. I have not owned a 22 conversion for a 1911 although I have shot a few. None of them had enough recoil to knock a gnat off the front sight. 9mm in a Commander does.

I had a little time after work today to go to the range with my Colt 9mm Commander and my Model 10 snub. The 9mm Commander is the ideal pistol to introduce new shooters to a 1911 with. I purchased my 9mm Commander three years ago for the take home price of $650. At the time, I considered it a novelty. Little did I know that in three short years finding 45 ACP target ammunition would be a difficult process. As long as the shelves are bare in the stores, I am reluctant to shoot up my supply. The 9mm allowed me to not only shoot for less, but to shoot with an alternative ammunition that is easier to purchase.

Two Twenty-Twos

After work today, I took two 22 handguns, a Ruger MKII and a Smith & Wesson Model 17 to the range for a little relaxing plinking and stress relief. The Ruger seemed to be shooting consistently a little to the right, and when I looked over the pistol, I found that the fixed sight was indeed a bit off. I had placed an Allen wrench set in my range bag after my last trip, but I did not have a brass punch and hammer. I made a mental note to knock the sight back into alignment when I got home.

Often I will be asked which is more accurate, a revolver or a pistol. The truth is, when the barrel of a pistol is fixed, as with the MKII, the accuracy is often more than the individual shooter can live up to in either gun. Even a person who practices diligently with their handgun of choice seldom out shoots the potential of a quality barrel.

There are just too many factors involved in offhand pistol shooting that affect each shot. The shooter who has their basics aligned with each and every pull of the trigger is a rare shooter. It is the consistent application of the basics of sight alignment and trigger pull that make for accurate marksmanship.

The value of the accurate 22 caliber handgun is that it allows the shooter to repeatedly shoot for very little expense. The constant reinforcing of the basics on a real gun with undeniable holes in the target providing instant feedback builds marksmanship quickly. That is why I advise people to start with a 22 caliber handgun, and also why so many people who own a 22 caliber handgun never let go of it. They are one of the best investments in shooting a person can make, for fun, relaxation and proficiency.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetl

I was shooting the Kimber Pro Carry and the Model 17 at the range today. During a cold range call, one of the range officers rode over in a golf cart and beckoned to me. "You got a Glock?" asked Jack.

"No, I used to have one, but no more."

"Well next month, in Thibodaux, the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation is putting on a tournament," explained Jack. "You have to shoot a Glock though."

"You mean no 1911s can apply?"

"Nope."

"Well, I used to have a Glock 26, but the rear sight kept coming loose and sliding around. I eventually sold it, I just didn't care for the thing."

"If you can beg, borrow or...... Well.... Get a Glock, let me know. We'll get you signed up."

"What if I just paint my 1911 black and get some Bondo to put on the frame to make it ugly?"

Jack chuckled and drove on.

I returned to the firing line when the range went hot. I began to notice a gradual decline in my accuracy with the Kimber, and then, it all went Titantic on me. I had hits all over the target. Damn. Someone had said Beetlejuice Glock. The Tru-Glo rear sight on the Kimber loosened, and I did not have a Allen wrench in my range bag to retighten it. It was so loose I could easily move it from side to side with my fingers. No wonder my shooting had hit an iceberg and sank!

I put the Kimber in my range bag and continued to shoot a while with the 22 caliber revolver. When I get home, either I will shim that rear sight, or I will use red Loc-Tite on the screw.

Old Guns

There is something gratifying about a gun that has honest wear. It does not create concern over the first patch of silver peeking past the finish. It asks for no special treatment, just a bit of lubricant and a steady diet of ammunition.

I find myself more and more attracted to basic 1911s. To make their pistols stand out from the competition, many manufacturers have produced 1911s that border on the pretentious. Weird two tone frames. Strange slide serrations. Flamboyant curves and blended edges. Browning's masterpiece is not a pretentious pistol though. It's a basic tool designed to save a soldier in a last ditch effort when his rifle is empty.

The more I shoot my Colt M1991A1, the more I like it. I have had a couple of failures of the slide to lock back on a Chip McCormick magazine, but a magazine change remedied that quickly and effectively. The pistol has been otherwise reliable, and surprisingly accurate. I had considered changing out the rear sight for a Yost Retro sight, but at this juncture, I don't see the point. I like the pistol as is. A set of walnut double diamonds and a plain black aluminum trigger put this gun exactly where I wanted it to be. Simple. Durable. Reliable. Accurate. Less is more.

Taming a Trigger

I was out shooting my Smith & Wesson Model 15-9 today, and I know it will shoot better than I am allowing it to. The Model 15-9 is a Heritage gun, but it is also built by the Performance Center, and has a Doug Turnbull color case hardened frame.

Back when the Heritage revolvers first came on the market, Smith & Wesson collectors sneered and scowled. The color case hardened guns were derided as kinda old timey guns that never really existed. I purchased this one as they were being liquidated at greatly reduced prices. The first time I shot it, I was amazed at it's accuracy, and the gold bead on the gut hook front sight actually grew on me after a while. The smallish wooden grips were the revolver's weakness though, so I replaced them with a Hogue Monogrip. The result was a colorful 38 special revolver with a tapered barrel and the tolerances and accuracy one expects from the Smith & Wesson Performance Center.

I shot the blue, brown and black wheelgun at ten yards, alongside my Ruger 50th Anniversary MKII. I shot the Model 15-9 in double action, as I usually shoot revolvers. Many people, in a quest for greater accuracy out of a double action revolver, will shoot it in single action only.

Shooting double action offers several benefits. First and foremost, if one carries a revolver, chances are it will be used in double action if it is ever needed. The ability to get consistent hits with the long heavy trigger pull is important. Secondly, if a shooter can learn to shoot accurately with a double action revolver, then they can shoot almost any handgun accurately. The double action revolver trigger is that demanding. Taming it becomes a endless challenge of maintaining proficiency.

Shooting the Bodyguard Cold

I was back at the range this afternoon, and I intended to shoot my Smith & Wesson Model 649. I purchased the 649 to alleviate some of the wear on my old aluminum framed Model 38. They shoot pretty much the same, but the Airweight 38 is much easier to carry in a pocket holster.


I had been shooting the Model 649 for a bit when I realized that my Colt Defender was still holstered on my hip. I unholstered it and put it on the table.

I ran 150 rounds of Winchester White Box through the 649, enough to turn the barrel blue with soot. I like having a snubbie in my pocket. Such a carry arrangement allows me to converse with a person with my right hand placed casually in my pocket, in a firing grasp on the weapon. The potential threat never knows it is there, unless I need it. That is a decided advantage. It gives a person time to assess the threat and make an accurate determination on whether lethal force is warranted, and have the gun into play in the blink of an eye. Or, if the conflict can be de-escalated, a person using pocket carry can do so with a gun in hand and nobody is the wiser.

One of the oft disregarded advantages of a snubbie in a pocket is speed. The short barrel of the snubbie revolver is frequently thought of as an aid in concealment, but it also enables the shooter to clear leather and bring the muzzle to bear quicker. While peak muzzle velocity may not be reached with a snubbie, clearing leather first and getting hits on target first has it's benefit.

I alternated shooting the snubbie with shooting the Ruger MKII. I wasn't so much working on marksmanship with the Ruger as I was attempting to decondition any advantage I gained from firing the Smith over and over. I wanted to shoot each cylinder cold, as though I had just drawn it from my pocket after a week or two of not shooting. I would draw and put two on target, then three. Other times, I loaded four rounds only. When I clicked on the empty chamber, I had to make a quick decision to pull that trigger again for another shot.

Shooting a snubbie revolver accurately in double action is demanding shooting. Shooting a snubbie revolver double action to get controlled couplets or trained triplets with holes where you want them to be, as fast as you can pull the trigger is a skill that eludes many shooters. Many shooters eventually move on to easier guns to shoot in a search for greater accuracy. I can not place the holes as close to each other with a rapidly fired snubbie as I can with a Government Model. But I can place them close enough with a snubbie for government work. The other advantages of a snubbie frequently out weigh the more difficult shooting, and the more difficult shooting presents a challenge.

I have given some thought to dropping this revolver off at Clark Custom when I pick up my Colt Commander. A couple of years ago, Jim Clark had a matched set of S&W 629 snubs that he had melted and bead blasted for a customer planning on going into Kodiak country. That brace of pistols was one of the sharpest best thought out sets of guns I have seen. I'm thinking that a Clark Meltdown and bead blasting on this little pocket pistol might just make it ideal.

Colt M1991A1 and Springfield GI45 Comparison

"Xavier, What is the real difference between the parked Colt 1911 and the Springfield GI 45?"

Well, not much really. The Colt has the Series 80 firing pin safety, but the Springfield comes from the factory with an integrated locking system. The Springfield's lock can be easily removed by replacing the mainspring housing. A shim can be obtained from Brownells to remove the Series 80 firing pin mechanism. However, a gunsmith I highly respect advises against using the shim long term.

Little things like lanyard loops and such make up the bulk of the difference. The Colt does have more visible sights. The Springfield has a two piece barrel in contrast to the Colt tube. A used Colt M1991A1 with the old style rollmark and parkerized finish is generally priced a bit less than a comparable new Springfield GI45 with a parkerized finish. The Colt will hold resale value better, but the real difference is in the shooting. Or is it?

I took my Springfield GI45 and my Colt M1991A1 to the range for a comparison. Each pistol has some bits and pieces that were added by myself, but each one retains the original sights, barrel and bushing. Neither pistol has been tightened. Both have trigger jobs.

I shot at ten yards, alternating between the two pistols. The Colt target is on the left, the Springfield target is on the right. The accuracy of the groupings is about equal. The Colt was pretty much on target for me. The Springfield shot a bit high. I attribute that to the Springfield's arched mainspring housing. I learned long ago that I shoot better with a flat mainspring housing and a long trigger. My Springfield GI45 is set up to resemble a military pistol, while the Colt is set up to my preferences. I suspect a swap in parts on the Springfield would put me in the ten ring.

I have owned and regularly shot my Springfield GI45 since 2003. The two piece barrel (which I think may be a Storm Lake barrel) has been a non-issue. The pistol has been durable, reliable and accurate. The Colt is new to me, but frankly, I don't envision it being any different. The fact that many top notch 1911 'smiths keep a Colt barrel in a custom 1911 instead of routinely replacing it with a Barsto speaks volumes for Colt's barrel quality.

It was difficult impossible for me to determine whether one pistol actually shot better than the other. The groups were remarkably similar, except the pistol with the arched mainspring housing and short trigger shot higher for me. If you want a Colt, and are concerned about resale value, a used Colt M1991A1 is a perfectly adequate pistol. If you want a new gun and the Colt name is meaningless to you, the Springfield is a very fine substitution.

Lantern Light

It was late when I finally managed to go shoot. As a result, I did not shoot much, but afterwards an old friend and I got to brainstorming. Such activity can be fraught with peril.

If we do night practice, what is to stop us from using floodlights to illuminate the area downrange? Obviously, we would be using a berm, and we would use regular target frames. The floodlights, however, could be used as a visual signal for short durations of illumination to have the same effect of pepper poppers while dealing with with constricting pupils. The problem, of course, is how to make absolutely certain the area down range is closed.

I decided to research it a bit further. We traded a few more stories, and it was time to go. As I drove through the night, I remembered some of my boyhood camping trips. We would sleep out under a sky as black as a coal mine, with stars twinkling overhead. We would use the same type kerosene lanterns to cast light through a forest of pines and dancing shadows. Dark spectres were seen among the shadows as ghost stories were swapped about. All I wanted to be was a hobo back then. Ah the aspirations of a twelve year old boy.

Later, as a college student, I went on a float camping trip with a buddy from North Carolina. The gates were open at the dam of the spillway we launched at, but we had come too far to turn back. Everything downstream was inundated with water, and dry ground was scarce. After paddling through an afternoon of never ending treetops, we finally found a patch of dry land to make camp. We would have to share with raccoons, 'possums and armadillos. As we sat drinking Coors in the lantern light, I told Carl that D'arbonne Creek used to be called something else. He fell into the trap. "What's that?" he asked innocently.

"Boggy Creek," I replied. The movie had been released few years previously, and along with The Town that Dreaded Sundown, a huge impact was still in the mind of youth unaccustomed to Blair Witch type movies. Carl, hearing the local creatures rustling through the leaves on the soggy ground could not take it any longer. I had a hammock. He had a sleeping bag. He took his sleeping bag, climbed into the aluminum john boat and cast off to tie up among the tree tops for the night.

When I awoke Carl was surrounded by what appeared through the morning mist to be bicycle tubes hanging in the branches. As my crusty eyes adjusted, I realized they were snakes. "Carl! Don't move! No! Move slowly! Don't shake the branches!" I yelled. It took a lot to get Carl to go camping again.

The world seems so different now. Or maybe it's me. Age will do that, I suppose, but by the light of kerosene, in a black tar night, it seems very similar.

Defender Dump

I have decreased the amount of time I am shooting my Colt Defender now. While I have experienced 100% reliability, and the pistol has shown no signs of failure, I am cognizant of the lightweight aluminum frame. I am shooting it enough to remain proficient, all the while monitoring it for any sign of frame cracking.









I continue to be amazed at just how accurate the little three inch 1911 can be with slow fire.

Today, I took the Defender to the range and shot off both magazines of carry ammunition. It was time to rotate it out.

Valentine Shoot

"I hear you know a bit about guns," said Doc Duchesne one afternoon.

"Well a few folks think I do," I replied.

"You know, I got me a little pistol in case some yahoo breaks in on Gertie and me.

"How do you like it?" I asked.

"Well, I haven't shot it yet. Gertie don't know about it."

"Then let's make plans to go shoot the thing Doc. You know what caliber it is?"

"38 I think."

"You bought it new, right?"

"Yes sir!"

"OK, I'll bring the ammo, you just bring yourself and your gun."

So it was that Doc's old maroon Delta 88 followed me to the range today. He carried his Taurus revolver in a plastic briefcase wrapped in an oily rag. Doc was no high speed low drag operator, but he had made the choice to do what was necessary to defend himself and his bride.

My main thrust for Doc was simple safety and familiarization with the gun. We discussed the range rules and the Four Rules before going on the firing line. Once there, we shot at seven and ten yards. I stuck some high visibility targets up to help Doc's aging eyes see what he was aiming at.

Even though I encouraged double action shooting, Doc really preferred to shoot single action. His arthritic fingers lacked the strength to reliably pull the trigger without tremors. Doc could use some work on widening his stance, and a critique of his targets had to take into account that he might have been saving the ten rings for later. He did manage to stay on the cardboard, and there were times that he made the ten ring shiver with fear. All in all, I was happy with Doc's performance. The main thing is he has taken the step towards no longer being a potential victim.

Once Doc was on his way back home (with a stop on the way to pick up some bread, aspirin and a bouquet for Gertie) I turned my attention to my own guns. I took the new to me nickel Model 10 out of my range bag, along with my Gold Cup.

The Model 10 shot well, although I could not live up to it's potential today. The magna grips are not my choice when it comes to a "shootin' Smith" but I will probably keep them on the gun anyway. The Gold Cup, on the other hand, would likely shoot a smaller single hole if it were in more competent hands. Even so, it consistently amazes me when I shoot it.

I thought about Doc as I shot. Like many older people, the world he once knew had changed into something unrecognizable, something fearful. Unwilling to simply acquiesce to the inevitability of time, Doc decided to continue living, but to fortify himself against the dangers inherent in becoming old and frail. By choosing to arm himself, he chose to refuse frailty and again become the master of his fate. He would not be prey.

I would not want to be at the other end of Doc's revolver. He is a man of conviction, purpose and uncommon wisdom. Although the bulls eye laughed at him today, I have no doubt that Doc would not go down without a fight if he or his Gertie were threatened. Such is often the case with old men who have lived and loved long. They are the last victim a criminal would want to tangle with once the playing field is leveled with a gun. They are ready to accept death.

On the way home, I stopped to purchase my own bride a bouquet.

An Old Friend

I took a couple of 1911s and a MKII to the range today. I wanted to work on reholstering the gun. Often we spent beau coup time with a 1911 building muscle memory with the draw, snicking off the thumb safety on presentation, acquiring the front sight and squeezing off the shot.


Yet we often fail to build muscle memory to make the weapon safely stowed again under stress. So I worked at drawing the weapon, squeezing off two shots, snicking on the thumb safety and reholstering.

At the range, I was happy to bump into an old friend who runs a pharmacy on the seedy side of town where I used to work. On a cold December afternoon few years back, Roy (not his real name) was dispensing meds when an armed teen burst into the store with a bandanna over his face.

The teen demanded money, and the cashier emptied the till for him. The bandit pocketed the cash while waving his chrome Lorcin wildly. When the teen began to exit the store, he swung the pistol towards the cashier who was cowering behind the counter. "Die bitch!" were his last words.

Roy shot him center of mass with a .357 revolver. The slug blew apart the masked teen's aorta, and shattered his spine. The criminal managed to crawl outside the pharmacy to bleed out and die in the parking lot. The shooting was declared justified, and Roy was never charged.

The community that Roy's drug store was nestled in split into two factions, one which accused him of murder, the other ambivalent and uncaring. Little did it matter that many of those people obtained medications for their family on a tab from Roy. He became ostracised in the community he supported, a community Walgreens would never invest in.

I asked Roy how he was doing. He said fine. I told him it was good to see him shooting again. Roy said he never stopped. He just continued to shoot privately. He related that he had lost some sleep for a couple of years, and he still thinks about the shooting every time the bell on his drug store door jingles. He still watches customer's hands closely, but business is good again, and the threats of retaliation have stopped. He has no regrets, although he still occasionally asks himself "What if....."

Thankfully, Roy does not carry the burden of "If only I had a gun......."