Warbird

No offense to the OP, but I will also note that I do not consider someone a "Pro" on home defense, self defense, tactics or gear just because they are a LEO or military. A pro is someone who spends consider time researching, analyzing and debating many issues. They are often people who have spent extensive time training and training others. They have some gravitas in that they are proven in their field and often have put their beliefs to the test. The fact is most military people spend their time gaining knowledge in military tactics and gear. Some of them gain additional knowledge as security operators, a specialized field in itself. Most LEO's are astonishingly lacking in firearms knowledge in general and clueless in citizen defense. Don't confuse the LEO's you see on TGO and other gun boards, who obviously are the exception to today's rule. This is well borne out when you compare uninformed LEO's, who train citizens around this state who we have all heard stories about giving horrid advice, with the great knowledge you get from a number of the TGO member LEO's. There are also a number of other great schools around the state who are run by LEO's. Many other LEO are not at all interested in guns and have little knowledge, or skills sadly. The fact that cops need more gun training and more emphasis within departments on it is another debate for another thread. This is not an insult to military or LEO. Those who have gained additional training as well as informed themselves of citizen issues are among the very best of trainers and experts you will ever find. And many of them have truly had to put their beliefs and training to the test.

The grip safeties are in general a pain at times. The Kimber uses the grip safety/firing pin block together. I am not a fan of that design. I shoot a thumbs forward grip and being left handed and riding the thumb safety I have at times not disengaged the safety completely. So even on a non-series 80 1911 this can be an issue, even with a memory bumped grip safety. I agree that they should disengage as soon as possible. The Texas Rangers used to tie a leather strap around their 1911's to fully engage the grip safety at all times. The series 70 guns w/ the fingers is pretty easily fixed with a good aftermarket barrel as was stated above. I also have a Kart on mine. I am certain some of these things break, the issues don't come from thin air. I just think they are often overblown and turned into more hysteria than is actually worthy of note. In this day of internet boards any issue seems to be amplified.

I understand that sentiment. In general the answer is no. Your best best is to buy Wolff springs. They make the best springs in the business. If you do get a heavier spring I would get a 2lb heavier spring than the OEM part. I use them even in my 40 cal Glocks. I have never had any reliability issues with them and they reduce recoil quite a bit.

I shoot a series 70 style custom 1911. The trigger on it is very good. I can shoot a series 80 1911, that I am familiar with, in self defense drills as well as I can a series 70 1911. If you are a precision shooter, such as bullseye, you might notice a difference. But for 99% of people, they will never know the difference. If you say I can't shoot this series 80 gun, that has a good trigger to being with and that you have shot a bit, then it is likely you are just a piss poor shooter. The firing pin safety might make a difference in emergency field stripping, but again for most they will never know the difference. I have heard of these 'finger' failures, but have never seen one yet after watching 1911 shooters shoot literally hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange. Any part can fail. you are as likely to have this failure as you are of having the slides or frames crack on the softer steel of the old 1911's. My 1911 made in 1917 (which has been in my family since 1917) has yet to crack in thousands of rounds. It might though one day. Every shot makes it more likely any part will fail.

Go with the manufacturers recommendations. Usually they do suggest a conditioner which will not soften leather and you should not use it often. I don't polish any of mine, but I do have a few specialty conditioners. As was said you don't want to soften the leather. Leather is like skin, dirt and salt will rob it of its flexibility. You will drastically shorten its life if you never do anything toit. It will end of cracking.

Man these caliber debates get downright stupid at times. First the LEA's in this country are often falling over themselves to run toward whatever the FBI is using. Many allowed the 9mm when the military started using them and the FBI looked to them. The only reason they didn't hustle to the 10mm is the FBI used it too short a time. Then they slowly changed over to the 40 after the FBI went there. To say LEA's are running to the 357 is sort of a joke. Some have gone to it because of its penetration power through car doors and windows. Many think it is limited in its usefulness because it often over penetrates. It is true the old 9mm ammo often over penetrated and LA even went to subsonic 9 rounds because of several deaths which occurred to innocent bystanders. Has clothing stopped ammo before? Absolutely! It has happened many times with 380 and it has happened with every other major pistol self defense round and many that are not considered major SD rounds. Pistols cartridges are inferior man stoppers in general. They are good in a pinch, better than a sharp stick in the eye, good for fighting your way to a rifle, good for fighting your way OUT of harms way. 9, 40 and 45 will all stop people. They all have epic failures and successes. Placement is the key to stopping a human being i a gunfight and sometimes it takes many rounds to do it. Just ask the police officer who shot her suspect multiple times with a 45 including in the head and he still walked outside and shot another officer killing him. And forget the center of mass crap, aim for the surgical triangle; heart and lungs. Brain shots are good if you get them and are an excellent shooter. And if you attacker has some sort of cover shoot for the biggest area of possibility and shoot them there hoping they either give up or give you a better shot. Shoot what you like and shoot it well. You will have excellent odds of success if you practice often, shoot well under stress and have the proper mindset. W/o the last part you are toast anyway. If it's a fair fight, your tactics suck.

On a G22, 23 or 27 you can use an OEM Glock 357 Sig barrel. If you were to go down in caliber you would need a conversion barrel such as Storm Lake or Lone Wolf specific barrel. The OEM Glock 357 Sig barrel is the same size as the 40 in diameter. Personally I might look at a couple pound heavier recoil spring with it. Actually I prefer a heavier recoil spring with the Glock 40 anyway. It is the same as the 9 and I have always thought they shoot better with a heavier spring. It lessens recoil, lessens the pounding on the frame and I have never suffered reliability a bit. You can even use the stock mags with the 357 Sig round. That all said I still prefer the Glock 9mm to my 40's.

For some thug hopped up on some drug there is no such thing as fear factor. These people have been known to jump straight on at a person they know will shoot them holding a shotgun. Once the gun comes out they will get one last command to back off. If they don't you probably have no choice left.

ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded. Every gun should be handled always with this respect. The fact that this person did that shows they are an a** and an ignoramous. The fact that the owner apparently wasn't concerned that a customer had one of their guns pointed near a child, or anyone, is even more disturbing. How does the owner know the guy didn't have a full mag in his pocket, that he switched? Absolutely absurd.

If you did not have any major bruising it is not torn. I'm not sure how you even get a strain if you weren't putting some sort of stress inducement on it. I guess if you had a serious cramp and bent your knee quickly you might have strained a muscle.

Oh man I am sick reading this. I haven't priced these in years. I had a Russian SVD with a case and Night optics. I paid nothing like these prices. Jeeesh I wish I had it back now so I could sell it again. LOL.

The high percentage of criminals with communicable diseases, many being drug addicts, ensures I would not try any sort of medical assistance on anyone I just shot in self defense. Not to mention if they aren't dead they are still a threat. I want no part of their bodily fluids. Some good info in there along with a lot of not so good info and some downright bad advice.

Depends on what you wear most often. I have both and wear both. For casual wear nothing beats the Wilderness belt. It is comfortable, but thinner than leather. It is very, very sturdy. What I mlike most about them is the ability to always set it with just the right tension. Because it fastens, with velcro that doesn't slip by the way, you can set it anywhere. With the leather you have to set it by the holes in the belt. That may be slightly too loose or too tight. A quality nylon is less expensive than a quality leather. Don't skimp on either. If you need a belt for casual and dress casual get the leather.

Nothing like giving advice 3 years after the question. I certainly hope he has a pistol by now.

Salt bluing does require tanks and is somewhat dangerous. Rust bluing does not require tanks but does require pans large enough to hold a gun in boiling,water. t is actually pretty easy, but it is time consuming. It is much more labor intensive than salt bluing or the more modern paint coatings. Rust bluing is still used on the finest of hand made guns. It is extremely durable as it is actually in the metal, not on top. Rust blued guns develop a wonderful patina with age. Sme don't like this patina,but I think it just gives them more character.

Traditional bluing was done in hot tanks of bluing salts. Bluing is actually a controlled rust or oxidation if you will. I think his question of whether you blued the gun with this method or the more traditional rust blue method not requiring salts, but using hydrocloric and nitric acid. You actually allow the gun to rust somewhat and then boil it. This is a method essential to old double barreled gun that utilized soldering. Since you did not know what he was talking about I guess you didn't use this method. I guess you cold blued the gun. While salt bluing was very popular n some places, others, like Germany used rust blue for many years.

Congrats to you on a great rifle. It is one of the all time classic rifles used in Africa and Asia. I have one and absolutely love it. It has taken some great animals. I have mostly moved over to the 416 Remington because the ballistics are somewhat better (though not significantly) and it kicks less than 375 or 416 Rigby. Also though I have always loved the profile of the 550, being a left hander shooting right handed rifles, my newer CZ with less cheek swell is easier for me to shoot. I don't plan to ever let the CZ 375 go though. A good friend of mine uses that rifle as the staple of his big game guns and has taken buffs, lion, elephant and giraffe with his. Being left handed and not trusting myself on left handed bolts I prefer double rifles for most dangerous game. But, that gun will do the job. Great rifle, now go take something big with it.

I own an HK4 with all of its barrels. For several years I carried the 380 as a back up. They are essentially a copy of the Walther PP. It is without a doubt the most accurate 380 I have own or have ever owned. And I have owned a bunch of them. I don't carry it any more, but it has always been a quality pistol. Sorry you had a lemon. Everyone makes one once in a while.

Curious which pound COC grip you are using? And did you start with that weight?

I have arthritis in my hands from breaking each of my fingers several times racing motorcycles growing up. Personally for me strengthening my hands helps immensely. I have just ordered a new hand strengthener to get even stronger. I also do deadlifts. While my hands do ache or cramp after a lot of shooting, for me the biggest problem is shake after they get tired. I could never be a surgeon, or even a bullseye shooter again, that's for certain. I have struggled with shooting fatgiue this summer more in sporting clays than anywhere else. In May I got a partially torn rotator cuff in a car accident. I am left handed and hurt my right shoulder, which only made it worse. With the shoulder and the heat I was really fatigued by the end of one round of shooting, 100 shots. It was really crappy when I was shooting 200-300 rounds some days. Usually I can make 250+ shots before starting to get tired. Scores go south quick when you get fatigued.

I go there quite often and usually stay in Ballwin or Chesterfield. It isn't right downtown, a good 20 min drive dues west. It is probably as good an area as you will find in St. Louis. Staying downtown is much more expensive and while it can be neat to stay down there, I am not crazy about having to be confined to where I should and should not go, only blocks away. Be sure to visit Cabela's while you're there.

Well I don't know if they are the best IWB, but they are pretty good. I have several IWB's, inlcuding several Milt Sparks, Occidental TT Gunleather, MTAC and more. I was honestly hopeful when I bought the CBST as my first kydex/leather hybrid, but I was skeptical. I can tell you that I have been very pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it is and how well it works. I like it much better than the Kholster that I have and probably even with my MTAC. The MTAC is finished out better and has more attention to detail, but in the end they are about equal in comfort each having its own pros and cons. My Sparks are VMII> I have never liked their Summer Special as I don't like any holster with narrow retention points. That is just me and my preferences. I like a holster that is wide and spreads itself out over a larger area. What does that mean, it means it can also get hotter and means you have more direct contact with leather than the narrower profile of a Summer Special type rig. It is all up to the individual. Is it better than leather, I don't know. I wore leather so long I am used to them. A high quality leather I think wears on a gun better. Leather takes a lot longer to break in. The CBST will be conforming to your body within a couple of days. It is nice and thin and you will acclimate to it quickly with a good belt. It is very quick to draw from and easily reholsters. The kydex on them is quite thin, will this make it more likely to break n the future, I have no idea. Mine has been worn a lot and no problems. It doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, though in the summer sweat can get through to the gun quicker than thicker leather. But, they will all allow sweat to get through. Just make sure you keep your gun wiped down every few days. This is a must for any gun and IWB combo. I personally don't think this holster will be around as long as my Sparks, but it didn't cost half of what the Sparks did. I had it in a couple of weeks, versus a year and I can easily replace it. And a Sparks takes quite a while to break in and conform to your body as well as break in for the gun and easy draw. I said this a few weeks ago and still can't believe I did, but I find the CBST and MTAC to be as comfortable as my Sparks and other IWB holsters of equal quality. Leather still has these hybrids on several fronts, but I now use my CBST more than any other holster. ALL IWB's will take some getting used to, there is no question about that. I typically find I prefer one size larger pants, unless I am wearing my 5.11 pants. They have elastic on each side to make additional room for carry purposes. I am not much into tactical stuff, from a clothing point of view. However, the 5.11 pants I am a TRUE believer in and I am sevral pairs of them in different non=tac colors. They are w/o a doubt the most comfortable pants I have ever worn. I wear mine anytime I can dress casual and I have even worn mine hunting in the mountains.

TW25B and STOS are both great examples of quality grease. Even with grease on the rails if I am about to run a 1911 hard I lock the slide back and and put a couple of drops of Slip2000 on each rail and let it run down and rack the slide several times. Is this gun new? How tight is the frame to rail lock-up. If it is super tight then run very wet and it might loosen up in time. IF this is the case it is doubtful a stiffer spring would help much. Could be the barrel is out of spec on lock up, check for peening or damage on the lugs. It is doubtful, but possible. It could be the chamber is out of spec. Try taking the barrel out of the gun and drop several different types of ammo into the chamber. It should go in fairly easily and easily drop out when the barrel is turned over. If not, then have the chamber opened up a bit. If the ammo seems to feed properly into the gun and the fit of frame and slide are already fairly loose then it is certainly possible the spring is weak or out of spec. It never hurts to have a few extra springs anyway. The 1911 runs best when those are changed often. And different weight springs also seem to run better with different types of ammo, though all of this I still don't have down on my own 1911 for carry.

^^ This

What is the weight? I didn't where it said on the site. I could have just looked right over it. Certainly looks like it would fit the bill for flying. A key lock like they have would work well. Certainly that is a better style than you see on most small gun cases. Having the tether cord is nice for a car, I just don't know that it is worth anything in a suitcase. I may have to pick up one of these and give it a whirl. I don't care for the one I have in my truck at present, but I need one in there as I travel in it a lot and sometimes have to take it off when I have a meeting in a place where I can't carry.