Grayfox54

The actual name of the cartridge is Colt Super 38 Automatic. Over the years its been shorten and readily accepted as the 38 Super. Even ammo makers and some gun makers label the round as 38 Super.  The 38 Super is basically a hot loading of the old 38 acp cartridge with more velocity and pressure. The two rounds are dimensionally  identical. You can shoot 38 acp ammo in a 38 Super. However,  NEVER shoot 38 Super ammo in a gun made for the 38acp. These guns were not designed to handle the pressure of the Super cartridge. In fact, the original loading of the 38 acp, which was very close to the Super, ended up being watered down as the guns for it at that time couldn't handle the pressure.  Generally speaking, the 38 Super fires a 130gr FMJ bullet at roughly 1300fps. When folks unfamiliar with the cartridge ask about mine, I simply say think of it as a 9mm on steroids. :rolleyes:  Unfortunately, Colt decided to headspace the cartridge on its tiny semi-rim which led to poor accuracy. I believe it was in the 1960s that custom barrel maker Bar-Sto discovered that by headspacing the round on the case mouth, like almost every other semi-auto cartridge, accuracy greatly improved. Not long after, most makers of 38 Super guns began to do the same. But not Colt, as they have always been extremely stubborn about admitting their mistakes.  It wasn't until the Series 80 1911 that Colt changed the headspacing. If you buy an older Colt in 38 Super, don't expect it to be a tack driver. Most owners of these older guns replace the barrel first thing.  :wall: Another issue is that the correct bullet diameter of the Super is .356. Many of the ammo makers simply load their 38 Super ammo using their .355 9mm bullets. These may or may not prove to be accurate in your gun. Just depends on the individual pistol.  :shrug: Remington does make a .356 FMJ bullet for their loads and sells them separately  for reloading. These are what I use. I also have a friend who owns a bullet casting company. He makes up his 124gr LRN hard cast 9mm bullet and sizes them to .357 for me. These have worked exceptionally well in my guns.  Despite its quirks and once you know about them, the 38 Super is an outstanding round. I'm a big fan.  :clap: .       

The Hi-Power is both a piece of history and a work of art. Its my absolute favorite 9mm.  :bow:

I'm partial to the M1A. My favorite is the Scout Squad as it seems to be the perfect all around length. And what's this picky about ammo stuff? Mine will shoot whatever I put in them and do it extremely well. :up: I guess heavy is just a matter of opinion. :shrug:

Got my monthly CMP update in e-mail yesterday. One short mention of the 1911s.       The law may have passed but, CMP still doesn't know Jack. It appears that nobody in government is talking to them yet. So the whole matter is still up in the air.   

I agree. Belt or tensioner. But don't go to Auto Zone, their belts are junk. Go with OEM or Gates. 

There are a number of references on the internet. A search of his name and history will get you multiple accounts of his life which include Forrest's Klan involvement. However, you do make a valid point. It is the internet after all and things aren't always as they seem. :shrug:  

The whole mess is about selective history in which some facts are stated loudly and others ignored. Nathen Bedford Forrest was one of the founding members of the Ku Klux Klan and served as its first Grand Wizard. This is fact and why certain people want the statue removed. What is ignored is that is the fact that when Forrest saw the direction the Klan was taking, he quit and spent considerable effort to distance himself from them and denounced the Klan's activities.  Forrest deserves a statue because he was without a doubt the the finest Calvary Commander on either side during the War of Northern Aggression. Its said the Forrest was the one Confederate General that Grant feared most. Sherman held him in such high regard the he said "That devil Forrest...must be hunted down and killed if it costs ten thousand lives and bankrupts the Federal treasury."    But, of course, in memphis all anybody cares about is that he was in the Klan. So who's the real racists here?   

About 10-12 years ago I got in on a group buy and picked up three EOTech 512s at a really great price. One went on a rifle right then and is still in use.. One has been on several different rifles over the years and currently sits atop my Socom 16.. The third, still new in the box, was used as partial payment on a rifle I bought last year and I was credited 1 1/2 times what I paid for it.  All three still work perfectly. I understand that real battlefield conditions can be hard on equipment and failures do occur. But for my uses, the EOTechs have done very well.  So rather than just saying EOTechs suck, I think the real issue here is that the company hid a known problem.  

Its unusual to hear of a Springfield with problems that even the factory can't fix. Exactly what model is it? Is it an Ultra Compact? Many of the short guns from many different makers tend to be troublesome. The 1911 just doesn't seem to like going shorter than 4" no matter who builds it.  

Several options: A thin shim in the dovetail with the new sight Add material to the top of the original sight A bit of solder added to the new sight dovetail area. Peen the dovetail on the barrel.  Peen the dovetail area on the new sight.   I'm a bit surprised that a competent gunsmith wouldn't at least suggest one of these options.     

I'm a big fan of Springfields. I own four of 'em and couldn't be happier.  :up: But I also believe that spending more money doesn't necessarily mean you have a better gun. The real difference between a good gun and a bad one is often the shooter.    I do love the 1911, but never cared for the Ruger. I'm not even sure why, but something about these never quite seemed right to me.   OTOH, your's if the first one I've heard of problems with. So maybe its just me.  :shrug: Most 1911 problems are pretty simple. Often a slight adjustment or tweak here or there fixes 'em right up. Unless you just want to get rid of the Ruger, I'd suggest you let a good gunsmith have a look at it first. Who knows, you might just come to love it. 

Oops, Quickbiscuit is right. I totally missed that. I love my 1911s, but I ain't never claimed to be any kind of expert.  :doh:

Older S&W revolvers are very hot in the collector market right now. Your 15-4 would have been made between 1977 and 82. The target hammer and trigger will bring a slight premium.  Judging by the pics, it appears to be in excellent condition. Easily a $500 - 600 gun, The 1911 is an early WW I model. Serial number dates it to 1913. A very desirable collector's piece. However, Colt collectors can be a finicky lot and small details can make a big difference. A big plus in your favor is that it does appear to be all original, but the finish is worn. Best guess would be $2000+. This one really needs a professional appraisal.  BTW: If that is an original WW I issue holster, its worth a pretty good amount on its own.    If you really want to get top dollar, do some research and list them on an auction site with as many details as possible.   

I was there just about two months ago. No signs, no metal detectors, I carried, no problems. 

I was there just about two months ago. No signs, no metal detectors, I carried, no problems. 

Another vote for the Colt Mustang. I have two. One older one from the first run back in 1999 and just a few of months ago I picked up a poly and stainless Mustang XSP  as I was looking for something sweat resistant for my daily walks. I've really come to like the XSP as its very light and compact. The locked breach design makes recoil very manageable  and the gun is surprisingly accurate.  Yes, the gun is single action and basically a mini 1911. But I'm an old 1911 guy anyway, so it suits me just fine.  I've never cared for pocket carry, so I tote it in a belt holster and hardly even know its there.  Did I mention that I really like this gun?  :D  

if, and its a big IF, congress manages to pass the necessary legislation, the guns still have to be unpacked, inspected, rated, categorized  and who knows what else by CMP  before being offered for sale. CMP barely has the man power to keep up with the few Garands they still have.  I figure 5 years minimum before you see any civilian sales. 

If drones bother you, all you need is a plain old garden hose with a good nozzle.  Oops, did a spray your toy?  :x:

On another board I visit there's a discussion going in regard to using a walking cane as a defensive weapon. Of course somebody had to bring up sword canes. I always thought those were illegal in Tennessee, but then realized that I've never heard for absolute certain or seen it in print anywhere. So how 'bout it? Legal or not?  No, not planning on getting one. It just aroused my curiosity.  

Building a 1911 from parts isn't all that difficult. Building a reliable and accurate 1911 takes some skill.  I built up a bare Essex frame to permanently mount a .22 conversion unit on. The project came out much better than I could have hoped for. However, getting everything fitted "just right" was a pain in the rear. Not all 1911 frames are equal. You get what you pay for and the cheaper ones require a lot of hand fitting as QC isn't one of their strong suits. Very minor differences in the specs can lead to major headaches.  :wall: OTOH over the years I've purchased a couple of "know to be troublesome" 1911s  from fed up owners which just needed some minor adjustments or tweaking here and there that turned out to be excellent pistols. In one case the previous owner did indeed buy a bunch of parts in an effort to build his own custom gun and did just about everything wrong. Took me quite a while to straighten that one out, but its a great gun now. The 1911 isn't that difficult to work on, but it does have a few quirks and tricks that you need to learn. Kuhnhausen's books are an excellent place to start.  Rather than trying to build a gun from scratch, I would suggest you find a used gun of decent quality that you can get fairly cheap. Then 'customize" it as you please while you learn.  ;)    

The Model 39-2 is one of my favorite 9mms.  :up:  It just feels right in your hand. I had mine out to the range just last weekend. It was the first DA 9mm pistol made by an American company and caused quite a stir when it came out. It was also the first DA 9mm to be adopted by a major police dept. IIRC: The Connecticut State Police. (?) The steel framed guns are indeed rare. Only 927 were produced. They are all marked Model 39 (no dash). Here's an odd bit of trivia for you. The steel frames were made in the mid-1950s. However, they weren't assembled and sold until 1966. So the alloy framed guns actually came out first. Steel frame guns are highly collectible and nice examples are now worth several thousand dollars. There was no Model 39-1. It never got past the prototype stage at the factory. Rumor has it that it was intended to be a target model and later evolved into the much loved Model 52. There was also an extremely rare Model 39 variation called the Model 44 which was SA only and had a solid trigger resembling a 1911. Only 10 were made with six of those sent to the Army for evaluation. One reported to sell in the $20,000 range.  Info courtesy of The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd Edition by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas 

I have yet to run across one of the RIA revolvers. I'd like to get one in my hands to examine. From what I've heard, they got good reviews at the beginning, but now there are reports that they aren't holding up well to a lot of use. Mostly timing issues and wear on the internals. But hey, its the internet. Use your own judgement as to what that's worth.   Charter Arms makes a decent gun for the money. They're ok for self defense and occasional range use, but I wouldn't put a lot of rounds through one on a regular basis. The older guns are best, the newest aren't bad. Its the middle group that had problems. Definitely avoid any marked Charco.   I don't know why Taurus gets such a bad rap. They actually make a very good gun. I know several Tauri owners who just love them and I've been keeping my eyes open for a nice used one for myself. 

I realize that the show is supposed to focus on one families struggles with what's happening. But I'm having a hard time getting into these characters. Is the average Californian really this stupid? As already pointed out, there's too much that just doesn't make sense. I suppose that this is leading to some sort of "awakening" where they suddenly develop a survival mindset and become hardcore zombie killing machines? JMHO, but in a real SHTF scenario, zombies or not, these people wouldn't stand a chance.  Daniel is the only one who even seems to have a clue. He just might make it if the others don't get him killed. What I do find interesting is the way society is falling apart around them. To me that's about the only redeeming value this show has.  But, being the TWD fan that I am, I will ride it out and watch the rest of it. How knows, maybe the writers can make something out of it after all. 

I not familiar with that particular pistol, but quite often the Novak style sights have a set screw running down through the dovetail from the top. If it does, just loosen it and it should move with no more than a light tap. If not, I just lay the pistol on a padded surface and gently tap it with a brass or nylon punch. 

The Colt Mustang and the Sig P238. Both are basically a miniature 1911 in .380. Same manual of arms as their big brother.  I recently picked up a Mustang XSP which has a poly frame and stainless slide. Its small, very light and darn near rust proof. This is what I carry on my daily walks. Excellent little gun. I might also mention that I'm not a fan of pocket carry and I do carry it in a belt holster.