graycrait

My top pick is Glock 19, second is Glock 26, 3rd is Ruger SR9C and 4th on is S&W M&P, Springfield XDs. Snub nose revolvers take practice, a lot of it. I have had many, I have three right now. Stay with S&W in the light snub nose revolvers. The KelTec PF9 can work if you practice with it. I call it The Little Dragon." I've had two of them. If you get a Keltec try and get one that has a hardchrome slide. Stick with 9mm. Good 9mm self defense ammo abounds, as does comparatively inexpensive 9mm training ammo. The only factory ammo that is cheaper than 9mm is .22LR. Practice a lot. I have had many handguns, shot many more, as others have or had on this forum. I trust Glock 9mm above all others.

I have had a bucket load of .22LR rifles and still do. My No. 1 recommendation is the Marlin 795 mag fed. Marlin Model 60s are good enough also. However, two things I hold against the Mdl 60 vs the 795. One after market .22 barrel maker I have dealt with told me that the 795 stays cleaner than the 60. I have taken folks' 60's and cleaned them for them and don't really see what the issue is, but I don't clean my Marlin Papoose (takedown version of the 795) very often. Also exposed tubes can be damaged and then you have a single shot. 597s are OK, but I still opt for the 795. You may want to look at an older Mossberg 151M. Tube through the stock, accurate, reliable and sort of cool. Picture is of Mossberg 151M with Weaver B4 mated to RA Litchert 2X magnifier. Next pic is of Marlin Papoose with Tech Sights. Those sights are the bomb. I have them on my CZ Ultra Lux also. I installed a surplus M16 trapdoor buttplate on my Papoose to store mags and takedown tool.

I know it is a little extreme but I am having some fun with this. Rear receiver w/scope rail with Millet Red Dot multi MOA dot with variable intensity settings. I need 2" in LOP and a better cheek weld for the red dot.

Murgatoy, One of my retired SFG buddies got one of these which got me "re" interested in 9mm 1911s. He is now so juiced about his Phillipino 9mm 1911 he is going to get a Fusion 9mm 1911. I hope the additional 1,200.00 to 2,000.00 will bring him a quantum leap in performance. I'm thinking not, but who knows? Craig

Hopefully Deadeye is correct, and that these shorty SKS's are around every corner at a good price. If so I recommend getting one reqardless of whether its barrel length has a distinct military pedigree. I think you will have fun with it, especially in light of its modified barrel length. I'm probably going to eliminate the cleaning rod and bayonet fixtures on mine. Craig

Oh Shoot, You are so right about recoil spring weight, typing before thinking.... Maybe with +P or NATO ball the stock spring may be about right. JMB, My RIA 9mm is the twin of yours sans those finger groove inserts. I'm thinking these dovetails are Novaks cuts right? Craig

Picked it up at Tn Gun Country Clarksville, Tn Should have seen the Hungarian AK and the Mak 90 they had. I like the light weight and "sleekness" of the shorty SKS though.

eapking, My two primary carry Glocks have been grip modded by me to replicate the natural flat point of the 1911 and it is hard for me to change from those Glocks. However, right now I am confident in the RIAs ability to sling any ball ammo. I need to test it on some hotter JHPs. Also, I am not keen on carrying 40oz of steel with only 8/9rds when I can carry a Glock with twice the ammo at less weight with reliability that is proven to me. Right now I would change the following in the RIA: 1) recoil spring is a little weak, as it tosses the rounds only a foot or two, but then maybe the recoil is about right for standard ball ammo out of this pistol. Time will tell and some experimentation with different bullet weights,loadings recoil springs. I am starting to become partial to ISMI flatwire springs and seeing this has a FLGR I may try out a few different weights of these springsl 2) Needs some skateboard or adhesive sanding tape on the front strap. 3) Drift the sights a bit 4) Probably needs a fiber optic or TFO front sight for my eyeballs Craig

yes, true, but the longer (normal) versions aren't quite as fun. My shooting partner today had his "normal" length SKS at the range today also. At 172.00 OTD for this "modified" or shortened SKS I am quite satisfied. Craig

I picked up one of these the other day at my FFL. This has to be most fun and practical centerfire out there. I have an AR, have had an AK (MAK 90), even had a Remington 700 in .223 cut back to 16" with a Scout scope mounted forward. This SKS Paratrooper is more fun along with compactness, possessing a caliber with a relatively inexpensive bullet that has a bit of heft. I would recommend to try one out if you haven't had or fire one. Craig

I traded for a NIB RIA 5" 9mm 1911. Took it to TWRA range in Montgomery County and shot about 250 rds through it of mixed ball. No MALFs, accurate at the distance shot and very easy to control. If you are looking for a 9mm 1911 and don't want to spend a grand or more, give this one a try. I have had two other 9mm 5" 1911s, a Dan Wesson Pointman 9 and a .38 Super conversion. I like this Plain Jane RIA better than those other two. The only thing I did to prep this gun was to function test and ensure no obstructions were in the barrel or action, dry fired it a couple of times, wiped it down (covered in oil from the factory) and shot the thing. Trigger was acceptable out of the box, shot just a tad left for me, but that may be me, the length of trigger on this 1911 or sights that need drifting a bit. In any course would I do it again? Yes, I have a 95% condition G21 I will trade for another if I find another 5" RIA 9mm 1911 owner who wants that trade. Craig

Most self defense revolvers, the type you are looking at, should, in mind, only be used in DAO. It is very easy to get quite good shooting and nice DAO revolver. Most S&W revolvers, if SA is operational, break in SA about 1.5lbs, way too light to use in self-defense mode anyway. The 6" 686 in .357, .44 Mag, .460 and .500 are hungting revolvers best suited to either optics or iron sights for longer shots where a nice SA trigger break is a big advantage. However, the S&W trigger mechanism is pretty much the same across all its revolvers whether J, K, L or large frame. So most S&Ws will break in SA around 2lbs or less if they are broken in. Most DAO S&W or Rugers I have seen that were security firm or law enforcement turn ins not only had the hammers bobbed but the SA notch is gone also. The problem with bobbing the hammer spur it changes the mass of the hammer which can affect your shooting if you are used to shooting that particular revolver with a full hammer. It changes lock time slightly also. It is whatever you train and get used to. I would have no problem whatsover with a S&W with bobbed hammer spurin DAO. But I bet most of those guns have a hammer I've owned several of the type of revolvers you mentioned. They were all carried a lot, shot little, and with a little cleaning and sometimes a new spring or two they ran like gangbusters. My recommendation would be to get one in DAO and learn to shoot it accurately DAO. I recently had a Mdl 64 I tuned up and it was the best shooting S&W I have owned out of maybe a dozen or more. A good friend of mine had no decent handgun so now he has it. Lastly, get a copy of the DVD, "Trigger Job" by Jerry Miculek. With a couple of relatively inexpensive handtools Jerry shows you how to disassemble, reassemble and how to lightly tune a S&W revolver. Watch it once. Then have a gun and tools ready with your remote, stop, repeat, etc. as necessary. Once you do your own tuning you will be amazed how easy it is. Craig in Clarksville

I have had 7 or 8 1911s, the most interesting was a Dan Wesson Pointman 9mm and another "half" of a 9mm 1911 that I got in a box of completely disassembled parts. I traded a G17 for the box, assembled 1&1/2 9mm 1911s, both long gone. Other than that I have SA Loades, Operators and a few others, including a .38 Super converted to 9mm. I have this friend who is a great shooter, who claims I could also be quite good if I practice more, but I am "adeaquate" for my purposes. He brought me back to 1911s, knowing that I am an inveterate tinkerer and kitchen table gunsmith. He has challenged me to learn everything I can about "short" barrelled 1911s and how to keep them running. I currently have two I am messing with. I recently took an old friend's NIB Armscor 1911 and took the trigger from 12lbs to 4.75lbs through the normal combination of small tweaks that add up but don't make the gun unreliable or unsafe. I need to learn more about barrel lug lockup, the link and the legs so that if I want to fit a Kart barrel to the Norinco I can do that. I knew that when I saw the Norinco I couldn't pass it up knowing what I know about them, and for the possibilities when I learn a bit more. Here are a couple of links that highlight Norinco steel and some issues they may have. I'll find out if mine is a shooter in a couple of days or if I am going to have to tinker. Steel composition The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - Norinco Metal Question Some have barrel slide frame fit issues. The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - Norinco!!!?

The Norinco 1911 is on Gunbroker all the time for 4-600, some unfired in the box. I think there are generally a few on Gunsamerica. TN Gun Country in Clarksville got several wall lockers full of guns recently, including my Norinco, some collectables, many just plain good serviceable firearms. PF11 for 100.00. I fixed a 6" S&W 686 that was in pristine internal condition for 225.00. Same price for a nice Ruger Security Six. Used Glocks for 300.00, used P95s for 200.00, Rossi SS J-frames for 75.00, crazy prices on loads of used guns. I picked up a Glock 21 that appears to have fewer than 20 rds, if that, down the pipe for 300.00 and I just couldn't pass on a Ruger MKII 22/45 for 125.00.

If money is no object get a Walther GSP. If Americana status is your game then get a S&W 41. If good plinking is your game then get a Ruger MKII or III or look hard and find a S&W 2206 or 6" 422 or 6" 622. I have have or have had 7 Ruger MKIIs/IIIs, about that many S&W 422s, a S&W 22A, shot several S&W 41s, have had other semi auto .22s and have shot some Euro match .22s. I work on Rugers and S&Ws. It is really easy to take a Ruger MKII to the next level. The Ruger MKIII is little bit harder. I have an unnatural affection towards S&W 6" 422s. Craig in Clarksville

Yesterday I picked up a pretty nice Norinco - serial in the 500,000s. It had Uncle Mike slabs and finger groove insert. Blueing is excellent with minor wear along the edges of the slide. No holster marks. An old friend, dead now two years, told me to buy any Norinco I saw for 250.00. Well, 10 years later I saw and bought this, my first one seen in a gunshop, for 300.00, no box. The only odd things I found were a two-piece guide rod and the Uncle Mikes. I converted it to GI recoil set-up and took out the finger groove insert. I detailed stripped and cleaned the pistol and soaked it in my mix of tranny fluid & CLP, reassembled and it seems to be a fine 1911A1. Upon examining the sear hammer hook interface it appears, along with breech face and barrel bore that this pistol was fired little, cleaned infrequently, but in overall excellent shape. What do I do now? Craig in Clarksville, TN

I've owned an AMT Backup in .45ACP and fired it with no issues. I bought it in great shape for 250.00 last year and sold it for 250.00 a few weeks later. I have a Springfield Champion 4" that I like a lot, but am still in the eval stage. If I were going to put up my Glock 9mms as my daily carry guns I think I would look at a Glock 36 single stack. I like the grip on my Champion better than the G36 but the 36 weighs much less and can take abuse.

Here is a pic of one of my Glock projects, a 17L upper with Bomar sights and a CCF stainless frame. It weighed a "ton". I was trying to make a silk purse out of "sows ear." Really, I wanted to try and make a Glock as accurate as possible. I also tried an aftermarket G34 slide and after market barrel. What I recommend now is stay stock and get new sights, spend your money on ammo and few key replacement parts.

I doubt many would need more than these two websites to do anything to a Ruger MK series Gun Talk Online www.1bad69.com

I've "customized" half dozen Ruger MKIIs and one MKIII. I have probably dis and reassembled MKII and III's 50 times or more. If you have a problem contact me. I've seen most of the problems and I can probably help you get it right. I am doing an action job on a fella's MKII this week, completely disassembling and honing friction points then installing new springs, sear, trigger and bushing. Of the plinking .22s I put the Ruger MK series at the top of the heap. I have owned at least a 5 gallon bucketful of .22 handguns. My favorite is the S&W 422, but the Ruger MK is a close second. S&W 22A would be 3rd and Buckmark 4th. Walther P22 is next. I don't recommend Sig Mosquito. I've had and have some other brands and models and shot many others, but it is hard to go wrong with a Ruger MK series. I do recommend Glock Advantage Arms .22LR conversion kits but I really dislike the magazines, although they do work. Some folks suggest I just start a business tuning handguns.... maybe if I could come up with some kind of business model that makes sense. Craig in Clarksville

I have had two 905's. I got the second some time after the first thinking I must have missed something. I have neither now and say good riddance. I do quite a bit of work on revolvers and don't recommend any Taurus revolvers any longer. Their semiautos seem to work OK, but their revolvers have some issues from time to time. The most significant issue with the 905 are the flimsy moon clips. They bend easily and all the bullets fall out. They work fine installed. If you don't use the clips the 905 will work but the shell casings are often difficult to extract. The superior 9mm revolver is the discontinued Ruger Speed Six in 9mm, but it is bulky. S&W used to make a 9mm revolver but it is in the collectable stratosphere and one has not passed through my hands. With the right ammo the 905 is a fire breathing dragon. Look at 9mm ballistics. If you want some real 9mm fun get a Keltec PF9, that little dragon is right snappy.

Thanks for the tips. They give me a options to start with. I have seen one 4" straight barrelled Champion Super Tuned that has been converted to standard type bushing and recoil spring with short guide rod and it works well. The Champion I have has the two-piece Glock 26-like recoil set-up with bull barrel and it has no function issues at this point. The Compact has been converted to a two-piece FLGR with hole for take down and a modified plug. Craig

Due to a lengthy series of errors in judgements and missteps in gun trading I currently find myself in possesion of two 4" Springfield Armory 1911s. One, the Champion, has a recoil system remininscent of the Glock 26 two piece spring system. The other, an "alleged" prototype SA Compact that was a prototype has a hinkey bushing and spring system that has been corrected by another "gunsmith. I am looking for an expert in 4" Springfield Armory 1911s. I want to talk reliability, recoil systems and how to change them to reliable "standard" systems that use a short plug, recoil spring and bushing or in the case of the Champion just a plug and spring with its "bull" barrel. The Compact has a straight barrel and has been converted to a notched bushign while retaining the two-piece recoil rod. Craig in Clarksville, TN

Thanks for all the advice. I have had 5 or 6 steel 5" 1911s, and have shot a G36 some years ago. I have had a couple of commander all steel 1911s to work on and shoot. I just never had an alloy framed 1911 to shoot so wanted some opinions. My buddy who is encouraging me to get an alloy framed 1911 or an EMP is going to have a fit when he finds out I picked up a Star BM instead;)

I took the new 20" Delton AR with leuopold 1.5-4X to the range for the first time today. Boresighted by looking through the chamber and barrel then through the scope. Took 6 rounds to "one-hole" this thing at 50 yards. Then commenced to shoot clay pigeons at 400 meters. Had a longe range coach and spotter. Ended up shooting fast and accurate enough at 400m. Thanks to the fellas at TN Gun Country in Clarksville for putting the AR together then helping me set it up for 400 yard varmint shooting as well as minute-of-felon at closer ranges.