Grayfox54

The Model 13 was designed to be a .357 fixed sighted cousin to the Model 10. I believe S&W was expecting a lot of police sales since it was so close to what many LEOs were using at the time. But it just didn't happen. It seems that most officers, agencies and even the general public that were in the market for a .357 went for adjustable sighted models. Such as the Model 19 or the N-frame Model 28. There's nothing wrong with a 4" square butt. Its just that other choices were more popular. OTOH, the 3"round butt Model 13 has always been very popular. It gives .357 power in a sleek, no snag configuration that's ideal for concealed carry. My most carried revolver is my 3" Model 13. The 3" Model 13 was the last issue revolver for the FBI during the mid 70 & 80s. By all accounts, the agents loved them. A 4" Model 13 will often linger on a dealers shelf for a long time and sell pretty cheap. If you run across a 3", snag it quick. It won't be there long at whatever price its marked.

I'm a big fan of the old small frame Colts. My first carry gun was a 3rd Issue Detective Special which I still have and will never sell. Many years ago I made the mistake of letting my late wife shoot it and it took more than 20 years for me to get it back. She loved that gun. However, due to its collectability and current value, I just can't see carrying it again. I own a few S&W J-frames and they are excellent guns. But I've always had problems shooting them well because they are just too small for my hands. By the time I put a set of grips on it so that I can shoot one well, I've lost all the advantage to its small size. The DS, being slightly larger, fits me perfectly and has always been my preferred snubbie. The sixth round is a bonus. So I do see a market for the new Colt. Here's the problem with the new Cobra. It looks like a Detective Special and that's what people will compare it to. That is an extremely high standard to live up too and I don't think the Cobra can. More realistically, I think this new gun should be compared to the late Colt small frames. Namely the SF-VI, DS II and Magnum Carry. These also looked just like the DS, but had a completely different lock work based on the Trooper design which required much less hand fitting and was cheaper and easier to make. Unfortunately, these guns did not go over well with consumers and didn't sell. They also had some problems. Poor accuracy, a too light SA trigger pull and sharp edges that actually skinned holsters and cut shooter's hands just to name a few. Colt decided to end revolver production before the bugs could be worked out of them. Oddly enough, these later small frame guns now have some collector value due to their short run. I have hopes for the new Cobra. But will reserve judgement until I can get one in my hands. IF its as good as advertised, I'll probably buy one.

As Sam Elliot's character said in "We Were Soldiers": "If the tome comes when I need one, I'm sure there"ll be plenty of 'em layin' around."

Levi Strauss & Co has a long history of being ultra-liberal and extremely anti-gun. They are based in San Francisco and go out of their way to fit in perfectly with the left coast culture. I quit wearing levis many, many years ago.

I saw and handled one at the Jackson show last weekend. I liked the look and feel of it. Price was $799. But, I'm just not an AR guy, so I left it there.

From what you describe, I'm guessing that the hand spring is broken. This is a small spring inside the trigger which pushes the hand forward to engage the ratchet. Its nothing major, but it can be a bit of a pain to replace due to its small size. Any decent gunsmith can do it about half an hour. If you're familiar with the S&W lockworks and fairly skilled, you can do it yourself.

I understand the let down for you AR guys. Ho-hum, just another AR.... I'm not an AR person. Never owned one, never wanted one. This goes back to dealings with Army issued M-16A1s back in the early 70s. But I do accept the fact that they are very popular and here to stay. However, I am a huge fan of Springfield Armory. I own M1As and 1911s plus Springfield has some of the best customer service in the industry. As such, the Saint has caught my eye. I like the furniture on it. The thinner forearm and 1911 angle grip appeal to me. I also like the flat top receiver as my old eyes need help to shoot rifles these days. Being made my one of my favorite gun companies is a big plus for me and the price seems reasonable. So IF, and that's a big IF, I was gonna buy an AR type rifle, I think this would be the one I'd get.

Many of us have been there. One of our guns break or has to go back to the maker for warranty work. The wait is often months and sometimes the repair ain't right. And sometimes you even have to pay the shipping! In 40+ years of shooting and collecting, I've had to deal with most of the major gun makers at one time or another. Most have been an exercise in frustration. The one notable exception is Springfield Armory. I've told this story before. To make it short, Springfield has absolutely outstanding customer Service. So anyway, I have this stainless Interarms/Ranger Walther PPK .380 which I bought used. A couple of weeks ago the decocker quit working. The lever would move about 30 degrees and then just stop dead. I couldn't make it go any farther. Now this raised a couple of interesting questions. Since I'm not the original owner, would Walther Arms honor their lifetime warranty? And would Walther Arms even work on an Interarms/Ranger gun? Even the folks over at the Walther Forum weren't completely sure. I gave Walther Arms a call. BTW: for those who may no know, Walther Arms is the American version of Karl Walther Inc and located in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. I talked it over with the customer rep. They e-mailed a shipping label and repair form and off it went to Ft. Smith. I got it back today. According to the invoice, they replaced the decocker and hammer strut, serviced the gun and test fired it. The pistol works perfectly. Better yet, from the time it was shipped to them and when I got it back was ELEVEN DAYS! Warranty covered it all with no charge to me. Now let me add this. While I had the rep on the phone, I mentioned that I had recently bought a used PPK/S .22 and would like to purchase the little wrench for the muzzle nut. No problem! They sent me one in the mail for free. Folks, you just can't beat customer service like that! I'm more than happy to pass the good news on. KUDOS TO WALTHER ARMS!

Cubs vs Indians Trump vs Clinton And Halloween is on a Monday. Geez, 2016 has been a screwed up year.

I voted yesterday. Lots of people, but it went smoothly. Took about 45 minutes. My girlfriend voted last week. Again a crowd and it took her about an hour. I voted early because my usual polling place generally gets pretty crowded. The wait is normally 1-2 hours. I'm expecting a huge turn out for this election. The law says that if you are in line when the polls close, you get to vote. This year I wouldn't be at all surprised if many polling places didn't finish until 9:00pm or later.

Are automatic knives (switchblades) legal in Tennessee? I don't know much abut them, but lately I've been pondering getting one. I'd be interested in one not too big, three maybe four inches, good quality, easy to handle, quick to open, with an easy to manipulate safety and doesn't have a tendency to open by accident in your pocket. I'd also like to keep the cost under $100. Does such a blade exist? Suggestions?

Good Grief! Anything I might be interested in is already at retail prices for brand new. What are these people thinking?

You won't do any better than an old S&W Model 34. Classic gun, extremely accurate and adjustable sights. It'll cost you, but its worth every cent.

I'm not an AR guy. But I agree that if you want one, now is the time. The next Jackson gun show is the weekend following the election. That could get real interesting depending on how things turn out.

I'd say your did right well there. Congratulations!

I'm finding it kind of interesting. Its an unusual twist on the SHTF scenario. Yeah, it does have a definite liberal bias. But then so does any TV show that deals with politics. I'm more interested in the lady FBI agent and who done it. I think it'll turn out to be an inside job. As long as it doesn't get too political or soapy, I'm gonna give it a chance.

I've never owned one of the Ruger .22 pistols. I have friends who do and I have shot them, but I never cared for the grip angle. I've also heard many fussin' and cussin' about taking it apart and putting it back together. So that was another turn off. When they came out with the 22/45, that caught my eye. But by then I had already fallen in love with the Browning Buckmark. I'm sure that very soon there will be a 22/45 Mark IV. And I'm sure that I'll take a serious look at it. But I think I'll wait a while to see how the new pistol holds up. While this new take-down system seems to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, I wonder about durability. The gun is pretty much held together by one little spring loaded button. Will the parts wear and become loose? Will the pistols accidentally disassemble themselves while firing? Only time will tell. You know the old adage. If it seems too good to be true.......

Melvin Tyler invented the T-Grip back in the 1950s when there really weren't a lot of great options for revolver grips. They proved to be very popular as they weren't expensive and worked very well. Tyler Manufacturing always was a small, family owned business and even at its best had trouble keeping up with demand. When Melvin died, the company went to hell. Orders were taking way too long to be filled and there were long periods of no production at all. His heirs were poor business people. There was a lot of bickering, in-fighting and I do believe they eventually ended up in court. The company was finally sold. The current owner is trying to get the company back on its feet, but is having trouble doing so. From what I understand, its a part time thing for him. With all the good grip options available today, demand isn't what it once was. Tyler Manufacturing is still in business and taking orders. But last I heard current wait time is running 3 months or more and nobody answers the phone if you call to check on your order. So you pretty much send in your money, wait and hope for the best. Pachmyer and Smith & Wesson both made their own version of the T-grip in the past. I've tried the B.K. Grip adapters, but didn't care for them as the early versions tended to shift around a bit. I hear they are better now. FWIW: I have several guns fitted with T-Grips and am very happy with them.

I dearly love the Smith & Wesson revolver and have a bunch of them. But being the ornery old cuss I am, S&W hasn't made a wheel gun I've been interested in for about 20 years now since they started making "changes". I never could warm up to the GP-100. Bulky, clunky and has the ergonomics of a brick. The SP-101 is a nice little gun. But I'm not sure if I'd want to shoot a lot of .357s through one of those light things. I think I'd give out after just a few rounds. JMHO, but I think the old Ruger "Six" series revolvers were the best they ever made. Perfect size, good looks and Hell for stout. I think the dumbest thing Ruger ever did was to discontinue these fine revolvers. I've been watching out for a nice 2 5/8" Security Six for several years now. So if I was you, I'd be looking at used guns. Either the older S&Ws or a Ruger Six series. Either would serve you well.

When I was much younger I got myself into debt problems because of my credit cards. That is a very common story these days. I don't know how many times I've waited in line while the person in front of me tried multiple credit cards to find one that had enough on it to make their purchase. I hate to think how many people are struggling each month just to make their minimum payment. Once you're that deep, its almost impossible to get out. Debit cards are almost as bad. Sometimes companies hold the withdrawal for days or weeks before posting them with the bank. You think you have money and suddenly, OOPS, you're overdrawn! I decided years ago that with the exception of large purchases that require financing, if I couldn't pay cash for it, either I don't need it or I'll just have to save up to buy whatever it is. This philosophy has served me well and today I am out of debt. My home and vehicles are paid for. I have only the usual monthly bills such as utilities, phone, groceries and such. I do have one credit card that is used mostly for on-line purchases. I'm careful to limit my spending on it to an amount that I can pay off at the end of the month. BTW: my credit card number has been stolen twice. Both times it was caught and didn't cost me anything but the inconvenience. But its still a PITA. Electronic money is too easy. You never see it, many don't keep up with it as they should and lenders make a lot of money on interest and overdraft fees. Besides, in times of power outages, storms or natural disasters, people with cash can get what they need.

this is an area that needs an official legal ruling. I certainly hope when one does come that it favors the land owner. I live inside the city limits, so I can't shoot one. But I got a water hose with a good nozzle.

That's an old EoTech 512 that I've had for years. Yeah, I know, they're supposed to be bad, lose zero, whatever. Mine's never given me a bit of trouble. The bayonet lug came on the barrel, but I don't have a blade to fit it. If you can find one, the prices are nuts.

The M1 Carbine is a fun little rifle and excellent for home defense. I have two. One is just like Uncle Sam issued them, but the other I've played with a bit. Max Brooks, author of "The Zombie Survival Guide" and "World War Z" feels that the M1 Carbine is the ideal Zombie gun. Who am I to doubt the expert? So I built myself a Zombie Rifle.

Give Range USA a call. They might have one in their rental case.

The gas piston is probably being held by a ring of carbon fouling. Hit it with a good spray cleaner like Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner. Let it soak for a while. In severe cases you may have to use a small tool to scrape the ring out. When you put the piston nut back, be sure to peen the edge of the gas chamber at one of the nut openings to prevent it from working loose. It doesn't take much.