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Thursday, April 19, 2007
NEW FENIX FLASHLIGHT
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Ruger SP101
Range Evaluation: Ruger SP101 w/3 1/16" Barrel
By Stephen Camp
www.hipowersandhandguns.com
Revolvers continue to be popular in the age of the autoloader and one that seems to garner good reports far and wide is the Ruger SP101. It is currently offered in .22, .32 Magnum, .38 Special, as well as .357 Magnum. Barrel lengths run from 2 1/4" to 4" and the revolver is available with fixed or adjustable sights. The one I purchased was in .357 Magnum with the 3 1/16" barrel and fixed sights.
The .357 Magnum chambering is probably the most common and I suspect that it is sold more often than not in the 2 1/4" barrel length with fixed sights. Of course, .38 Specials can be fired in the .357 guns. These little magnums are five-shooters rather than six and the swing-out cylinder is used. As the gun comes from the factory, stocks are of rubber with plastic inserts snapped in and retained by the grip screw.
The SP101 is a bit smaller than the S&W K-frame but beefier than the same company's compact J-frame, some models of which can be had in .357 Magnum.
Specifications:
Weight: 27 ounces
Length: 8" (with 3 1/16" bbl)
Height: 4.5"
Cylinder Width: 1.349"
Frame Width at Barrel: 0.774"
Top Strap Width: 0.602"
Top Strap Thickness: 0.204"
Trigger: smooth
Action: Conventional double/single action revolver
Cylinder Rotation: counterclockwise
Sights: Fixed or adjustable (front sight pinned to bbl)
Twist: 1:18 3/4" (.38/. 357)
Safety: Internal transfer bar allows for firing only when the trigger is pressed all the way rearward. The revolver is safe to carry fully loaded.
Here is the Ruger SP101 compared to the 3" S&W K-frame Model 65 LadySmith. Both are chambered in .357 Magnum. The slightly larger K-frame holds 6 shots while the Ruger holds 5. Both of these revolvers have shrouded barrels that surround the ejector rods. This S&W is about 5" tall. Its cylinder width is 1.47" compared to the Ruger's 1.349", but this adds enough to allow for a sixth round. The J-frame cylinder width measures 1.34" across.
Ruger SP101 Comparison to S&W J & K-frame Revolvers
| Measurement (in.) | Ruger SP101 | S&W K-frame | S&W J-frame |
| Cylinder Width | 1.349 | 1.47 | 1.34 |
| Frame Width at bbl | 0.744 | 0.823 | 0.697 |
| Top Strap Width | 0.602 | 0.654 | 0.546 |
| Top Strap Thickness | 0.204 | 0.233 | 0.168 |
| Forcing Cone Thickness | 0.086 | 0.086 | 0.066 |
The table shows that the SP101 might be thought of as a J-frame on steroids, a compact revolver that has been beefed up in critical areas. Note also that the forcing cone on the SP101 is equivalent to that on the K-frame rather than the J.
Having been in constant production in .357 for over a decade now, complaints on the SP101 being fragile have been few and far between. Why is this? The K-frame from S&W has been associated with some parts breakage when a constant diet of magnums have been used, but the K-frame is a bit larger than the SP101. That means there is more steel around the .357's SAAMI-rated 35K CUP pressure limit each time a round is fired. What's the deal here? SP101's are regularly described as being "built like a bank vault" and praised for their ability to digest huge amounts of full-power magnum ammunition.
The SP101 is a compact revolver, but its forcing cone is very similar to that of the mid-size S&W K-frame guns.
I think the answer is two-fold. It has been my observation that most .357 factory ammunition is simply not loaded as hot as it was a few decades ago. Years ago it was not uncommon to honestly break 1450 ft/sec with various makers' 125-gr. magnum loads from 4" barrels. Now, chronographed velocities are closer to 100 ft/sec slower. Since the hot 125-gr seemed the culprit in most cracked forcing cones and flame cutting, this slight reduction in muzzle velocity probably alleviated the problem. Combine with that the reduction in size of .357 Magnum revolvers in recent times. These guns are certainly easier to carry concealed than the K, L, and N-frames of years past, but one pays for it in increased felt recoil. I strongly suspect that most owners of the compact magnum revolvers shoot a few full-power loads through them, but do the bulk of their practice with the considerably milder .38 Special. I believe that this includes SP101 shooters, but they are shooting a gun is probably a bit more rugged than the J-frame. Hence, we get the comments on the Ruger's durability. I am neither a gunsmith nor a mechanical engineer so I cannot honestly say whether the internal parts on the Ruger are stronger than the S&W, or give bold statements on which system is better. It does appear that both work quite well, but there seems to be fewer complaints of the small Ruger having problems than the small S&W when either is heavily used.
There is an area where the S&W usually beats the Ruger: trigger pull and smoothness of action. I believe that S&W is almost always the winner here. Using full-power springs in the SP101 compared to the S&W will almost always result in a noticeably smoother action in the latter. Both the Ruger and the S&W use coiled springs to power their hammers. The SP101 spring is rated at 14 pounds, the S&W at 8.5. The trigger return spring on the SP comes in at 10 pounds while the rebound spring on the S&W is 18 pounds at factory standard. It seems like the Ruger should have the lighter smoother trigger pull, but such is usually not the case. Some folks reduce the trigger return spring a bit to smooth up the Ruger, but if a person opts to do this, make absolutely sure that the trigger doesn't have a sluggish return for the next shot.
I suspect that S&W perfected the double-action pull many years ago and that we'd have to look long and hard to find better ones on out of the box guns. That does not mean that the RUGER SP101 necessarily has a terrible trigger pull or that they cannot be smoothed up very nicely for they certainly can.
The trigger pull on the SP101 used in this evaluation was smooth, but stiff, and certainly nothing special. It has proven imminently useable however. As it came from the box, it did have sharp edges. These were taken care of using 400-grit sandpaper and a little elbow grease. Others have commented on similar experiences and applied similar corrections. Total time spent was less than 15 minutes. Other than that slight "modification", the SP101 used was as it came from the box.
Shooting: I fired the SP101 at 7 and 15 yards. The revolver was fired in double-action at a combat-type target at the closer distance. At 15 yards, the revolver was fired single-action and from a sitting position with wrists braced. Unfortunately, I only had two types of .357 Magnum ammunition available so I included quite an array of .38 Special also.
The SP101 was fired using the ammunition shown. From L to R: Winchester 145-gr. 357 Magnum Silver Tip, Remington 125-gr. 357 Magnum Golden Saber, Remington 158-gr. 38 Special LSWCHP +P, Corbon 115-gr. 38 Special JHP +P+, Corbon 110-gr. 38 Special DPX, Federal 147-gr. 38 Special Hydrashok +P+, and Remington 130-gr. 38 Special FMJ. (Note: The 115-gr. 38 Special +P+ and standard pressure 110-gr. DPX from Corbon have been discontinued. The 115-gr. is no longer produced and the standard pressure 38 DPX has gone to a +P version.)
The chronograph data is based on 10 shots fired approximately 10' from the chronograph screens.
Ruger SP101 w/3 1/16" Bbl Chronograph Results
| Load: | Average Velocity (ft/sec) | Extreme Spread (ft/sec) | Std. Deviation (ft/sec) |
| 38 Corbon 110-gr. DPX | 1141 | 44 | 18 |
| 38 Corbon 115-gr. +P+ | 1342 | 62 | 24 |
| 38 Rem 130-gr. FMJ | 821 | 28 | 11 |
| 38 Federal 147-gr. HS +P+ | 963 | 35 | 13 |
| 38 Remington 158-gr. LSWCHP +P | 906 | 23 | 9 |
| 357 Remington 125-gr. GS* | 1189 | 57 | 22 |
| 357 Winchester 145-gr. STHP | 1207 | 39 | 18 |
*Mid-range load.
The SP101 used for testing had fixed sights. Nothing fancy to be sure, but they worked fine and provided a very usable sight picture.
The rear sight notch is very similar to those of other makers' fixed sight revolvers. The serrated ramp front sight was easy to see in both slow and rapid-fire. It is not likely to snag should the revolver be drawn from concealment.
15 Yards:
The 130-gr. Remington 38 Special load was exceptionally easy to control from the SP101. These grouped about an inch below POA at 15 yards.
Remington's 158-gr. LSWCHP +P is a favored load in .38 Special. It hit slightly below the POA from the SP101. It was distinctly easy to handle in this revolver.
The Remington reduced power 125-gr. Golden Saber in .357 Magnum was easy to control and hit POA almost exactly at 15 yards.
The 357 Winchester Silvertip was exactly dead on at 15 yards from this revolver. For me, it was right on the edge of controllability in rapid-fire and especially when shooting with but one hand, but it grouped well and to POA in this slow-fire group.
This target was fired upon using Remington 125-gr. Golden Sabers and Winchester 145-gr. STHP ammunition. A two-hand hold was employed and firing was done at 7 yards. Shots were fired as quickly as a flash sight picture could be obtained. Though the resulting groups appear quite similar in size, the Remington was distinctly easier to handle; more so than the slight differences in velocities and bullet weights might lead one to believe. On paper, the differences appear pretty slim. In the hand, there is definitely a substantial difference.
Observations: Neither the double or single-action trigger pulls on my SP101 as smooth or light as on my J or K-frame S&W revolvers. It is slightly heavier but has smoothed up a bit after roughly 400 shots, about half of which were .357 Magnum handloads and factory ammunition. The gun does appear to have its fixed sights regulated toward the heavier end of the .357 bullet spectrum although POI was perfectly satisfactory at 15 yards with the slightly attenuated Remington Golden Saber load.
The 145-gr. Silvertip was right on the edge of becoming uncontrollable in rapid-fire when using two hands. Using one hand, as might occur in a defense scenario, it was not at all easy to handle. For that reason, I will be using the Remington 125-gr. Golden Saber in this gun for now. Other potential defensive .357 ammunition will be looked at as time permits, but the Golden Saber is it for now.
I found the revolver more comfortable than expected when firing magnum rounds. No doubt the heavy barrel and its shroud putting more weight up front to reduce muzzle flip were factors, but I think there's also much to be said for the grips on this revolver. I found them extremely comfortable and have no plans to replace them.
There were no malfunctions of any kind. Primer strikes were plenty reliable and well centered.
Case ejection was positive and there were no incidents of "sticking" cases.
As can be seen in the upper left photograph, the SP101 has a heavy barrel and the long shroud helps reduce muzzle flip. Seen at the right are 5 fired 38 Special cases with the ejector pushed all the way rearward. They lack a tiny fraction of an inch ejecting and falling free. To eject either fired 38 or 357 hulls, one must depress the ejector rod briskly. It sounds harder than it actually is and there were no problems in doing this with 100% reliability.
I find the SP101 a little gem. It might be a bit of a "diamond in the rough," but not by much. I will use this revolver and report back any problems that might crop up. Frankly, I expect none from what I've read and now, seen.
Some will opine that 5 shots are not enough for a serious defense arm. I suggest that it depends on the type scenario envisioned. I believe that for me, it is adequate in my now tame orbits. I no longer am involved in police service and my days of kicking in a door to a room full of crack heads are long over. That said, if you do not feel comfortable with but five rounds before a reload, the SP101 might not be your best choice as a primary defense gun. A nice fact is that the SP101 uses the same speed loaders as the J-frame S&W revolvers. A fellow could have the SP101 on his belt and an Airweight J-frame in a pocket holster and use the same speed loader(s) for both. (Obviously, the speed loader would contain 38 Special ammo if the pocket gun were so chambered.)
Some complain about a handgun of this weight for carry. I agree that it is heavier than many revolvers intended for concealed carry. I also find it too large for pocket use, but as a compact belt gun, it is just fine and carries comfortably. Its weight is appreciated when firing magnum ammunition.
Frankly, I cannot see limiting this revolver to "just" self-protection. Though its stainless steel construction makes it heavier than various lighter framed revolvers, that emphatically does not mean that these are hard to tote. Given a proper belt and decent holster, just the opposite has proven true for me. I think they would be a heck of a fine sidearm for hiking, camping, fishing, or just knocking about in the woods.
The gun has no removable side plate. The gun is easily disassembled for cleaning via very good instructions provided in Ruger's paperwork accompanying the revolver. Some suggest that the frame is stronger as it has no removable side plate as do S&W revolvers. I don't know if that's true or not, but do think that these are tough little guns that should easily last a lifetime, even with regular use over the long term. The barrel's bore cleaned about as easily as a Smith so I assume smoothness is similar.
The Ruger SP101 uses the same speed loaders as the J-frame S&W revolvers.
For its size and price, I think the SP101 offers a very trustworthy companion whether camping under the stars or walking in an urban jungle. This is a revolver that can stand lots of practice and range time and still keep ticking. You will find no key locks on this revolver.
Though I am not about to divest myself of S&W revolvers, neither am I going to ignore Ruger wheelguns. They have a lot going for them and I remain very favorably impressed with this example.
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http://www.spw-duf.info/links.html#guns
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http://www.sequiam.com/products/
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/index1.html
http://www.shootersolutions.com/teddyjacobson.html
www.crimsontrace.com
http://www.gunsmithforum.com/
www.militec-1.com
http://www.magpul.com/
www.ismi-gunsprings.com
www.wolffgunsprings.com
www.trippresearch.com
www.cdnninvestments.com
www.survivalblog.com
www.lightningarms.com
www.brownells.com
www.ammoman.com
www.mscdirect.com
http://www.midwayusa.com/
www.coldsteel.com
www.davidstahr.com
www.wowtexas.com
www.jtf.org
http://gogumogog.com/
www.kolisrael.com
www.rabbiyess.com
http://yearsofawe.blogspot.com/
www.thetrumpet.com
www.worldnetdaily.com
www.michaelsavage.com
http://www.secretarmies.com/links.html
www.staceydean.org
www.ufowatchdog.com
www.whatreallyhappened.com
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NAA GUARDIAN PISTOL - MY OPINION
Additional comment - There has been no GUARDIAN pistols for sale for about 6 to 8 months because of their separation from the KAHR Co. Even if they get a new frame and slide and barrel made it will not address the issues that remain of inferior parts and springs in MY OPINION ONLY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED YEARS AGO. THEY CONTINUE TO USE PT night sights which in my opinion are poor at best. The best and brightest night sights are Trijicon, Meprolight and X/S sights.. MY OPINION ONLY BASED ON MY VAST EXPERIENCE.
Why would anyone want gutter snipe night sights on a mouse gun is beyond me, its all about making money. THIS IS MY OPINION ONLY. The sight radius on these gutter sights is about 2 or 2.5 inches and they are so dim they are barely visible. MY OPINION ONLY, they are playing you like a fiddle.
More important items and problems could have been addressed years ago such as lightening the frame of the 380 acp model so that it does not feel like a rock in your pocket. Why would the factory have instructions to keep sending extra drawbar springs and "E" rings and firing pins to customers, answer is that they know even the new ones will fail. MY OPINION ONLY.
WHY NOT CUT A DECENT CROWN ON EACH BARREL AND HAVE DECENT RIFLING ???
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IF THEY CARED ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS LIKE THEY CLAIM THESE PROBLEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND "CORRECTED" MANY YEARS AGO. IF THEY WANTED TO GIVE YOU TOP RATED NIGHT SIGHTS THEY WOULD HAVE USED TRIJICON OR MEPROLIGHT OR TOOL TECH. YOU DO NOT LIKE WHAT I AM TELLING YOU, THATS JUST TOO BAD THEN GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WORLD OF TRUTH AND REALITY. I LIE TO KNOW ONE.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel.
A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.
"The Department of Defense's increased requirements for small- and medium-calibre ammunitions have largely been driven by increased weapons training requirements, dictated by the army's transformation to a more self-sustaining and lethal force - which was accelerated after the attacks of 11 September, 2001 - and by the deployment of forces to conduct recent US military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq," said the report by the General Accounting Office (GAO).
Estimating how many bullets US forces have expended for every insurgent killed is not a simple or precisely scientific matter. The former head of US forces in Iraq, General Tommy Franks, famously claimed that his forces "don't do body counts".
But senior officers have recently claimed "great successes" in Iraq, based on counting the bodies of insurgents killed. Maj-Gen Rick Lynch, the top US military spokesman in Iraq, said 1,534 insurgents had been seized or killed in a recent operation in the west of Baghdad. Other estimates from military officials suggest that at least 20,000 insurgents have been killed in President George Bush's "war on terror".
John Pike, director of the Washington military research group GlobalSecurity.org, said that, based on the GAO's figures, US forces had expended around six billion bullets between 2002 and 2005. "How many evil-doers have we sent to their maker using bullets rather than bombs? I don't know," he said.
"If they don't do body counts, how can I? But using these figures it works out at around 300,000 bullets per insurgent. Let's round that down to 250,000 so that we are underestimating."
Pointing out that officials say many of these bullets have been used for training purposes, he said: "What are you training for? To kill insurgents."
Kathy Kelly, a spokeswoman for the peace group Voices in the Wilderness, said Mr Bush believed security for the American people could come only from the use of force. Truer security would be achieved if the US developed fairer relations with other countries and was not involved in the occupation of Iraq. The President, said Ms Kelly, should learn from Israel's experience of "occupying the Palestinians" rather than buying its ammunition.
The GAO report notes that the three government-owned, contractor-operated plants that produce small- and medium-calibre ammunition were built in 1941.
Though millions of dollars have been spent on upgrading the facilities, they remain unable to meet current munitions needs in their current state. "The government-owned plant producing small-calibre ammunition cannot meet the increased requirements, even with modernisation efforts," said the report.
"Also, commercial producers within the national technology and industrial base have not had the capacity to meet these requirements. As a result, the Department of Defense had to rely at least in part on foreign commercial producers to meet its small-calibre ammunition needs."
A report in Manufacturing & Technology News said that the Pentagon eventually found two producers capable of meeting its requirements. One of these was the US firm Olin-Winchester.
The other was Israel Military Industries, an Israeli ammunition manufacturer linked to the Israeli government, which produces the bulk of weapons and ordnance for the Israeli Defence Force.
The Pentagon reportedly bought 313 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and 50-calibre ammunition last year and paid $10m (about £5.5m) more than it would have cost for it to produce the ammunition at its own facilities.
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I have decided to cover a number of topics as time is running out and supplies are drying up for many items you will need. The most important thing in this world is not to lie or BS yourself. Do not try and con the guy in your mirror as only you will become the loser. I see where many people will still BS themselves and carry a mousegun that has a misfire from time to time, they make all kinds of excuses for this and all it will result in is you being given your very own "TOE TAG" in a social encounter, if your mousegun goes click instead of bang. ONCE AGAIN ITS YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CALL.
Many people out there should not even own a gun.....period unless they have proper training. Before you buy anything you must be sure that parts and springs are available, you must be able to buy a holster for that very model. When you personally eat "GARBAGE" food you will get sick, when you feed your handgun cheap ammo because you want to save money then you deserve what you get. I would never use steel case ammunition in any gun that is not set up with a very heavy duty extractor such as an AK 47 or a Makarov. I have seen quite a few chipped extractors in my work shop because of very cheap steel cased ammunition.
In many ways you control your destiny with the choices you make, whether its personal or the weapons and even the lubrication you choose, most boil it down to actual cost. I do not now nor have I ever let money influence my decisions within reason, I bargain with no one, I accept no gifts and I help decent people every where but when they turn out to be sleezy I wash my hands of it all. Many people in the "SMITHING" world that are my age and were good are now in cemetaries or nursing homes. I only take in limited trigger work at this time and I never turn down Police or Military or Special Ops.
I am not very optimistic about this world as the clock continues to tick to end times which I believe we are in and in a short period of time we will see if I am right. I do hope I am wrong.
I think all of you should think about survival weapons and forget the glamour and the BS you keep reading in the nice publications and on public forums because its mostly BS. YOU DO NOT NEED ANY NEW CALIBERS, WE HAVE HAD ALL THE CALIBERS WE WILL EVER NEED, THIS IS DONE BY MARKETING GENIUSES TO GET YOU TO BUY ANOTHER UNPROVEN GUN.
When I was a kid in Brooklyn most everyone shot and killed was with a 38 special, if it was a contract hit they just shot the person many times in the right place and dumped the bodies in Canarsie. No one carried special guns or calibers, they were non existant, they used colt and sw revolvers. There were no speed loaders, there was nothing but the basic handgun and firearms training and practice. It was very easy to buy a rifle in Sears in Brooklyn, I used to carry my Remington 550 that always jammed in a zippered cheap case in the subway all the time with hundreds of rounds of 22 ammunition on me to the Manhattan school of firearms range, and no cop ever stopped to ask me one question at anytime. I only made 12 dollars a week so there was a limit on what I could buy.
REMINGTON ARMS was just purchased by a company that owns Bushmaster.
S&W revolvers made today are about the very worst revolvers that I have ever seen coming out of their factory.
I still have no doubt that colt is up for sale.
Winchester is no longer making any rifles at this time that I know of. I tried to locate some Win. 5.56 ammo that was advertised and they were out of stock. They told me they had 7000 cases on order from olin.
Dan Wesson is now owned by CZ from the Czech Republic.
Everyone is on the 1911 bandwagon and they are playing us like a fiddle.
Everyone is now starting to get into the AR 15 business and its becoming a multi million dollar parts business. I still believe Bushmaster is the best buy for the money.
Glock in my opinion is the best there is out there for reliability and availability of parts. A basic Glock pistol wholesales for $440.00.. You just can not beat this handgun, the competition does not even come close in my opinion. Our people in the "SANDBOX" are mostly using GLOCKS.
The SA "XD" from Croatia is nothing that I would consider buying. Parts of a critical nature are very hard to get. Try changing your "XD" extractor - good luck... need a new trigger bar - get real - its not for sale, send the "XD" back to the importer if there is going to be a way to ship at that point in time. You show me what magazine or editor or writer will ever expose the truth when they are taking in tens of thousands of dollars in advertising money. ITS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY BUCK.
I put up the militec website because I wanted you to see how well our troops like this product but the people that buy lubrication for our troops have another agenda. Militec sends "FREE" lubrication to our troops to keep them alive because the weapons jam in the "SANDBOX" using the wrong lube as the sand over there is like talcum powder. DOES ANYONE CARE, YES THE OWNER OF MILITEC CARES ENOUGH TO LOSE A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR MEN ALIVE. WHY DOESN'T THE ARMY BUY THIS PRODUCT ???
The basic M16 large buffer spring has a cycle life of about 25,000 rounds, this spring is made of music wire. NOW THIS VERY SAME SPRING MADE OF HEAT TREATED FLAT CHROME SILICON WIRE HAS A CYCLE RATE OF 500,000 ROUNDS. The government uses music wire.
American forces have fired 250,000 rounds in IRAQ for every insurgent that has been killed. They had to buy ammunition from Israel, and there is a photo showing a us soldier painting the label on the ammunition crate with black paint that says "MADE IN ISRAEL"...WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE COUNTRY I COME FROM ??
I CAN NOT RECOMMEND MOST CURRENT PRODUCTION HANDGUNS BECAUSE THEY HAVE EITHER CUT CORNERS OR THEY USE CHEAP PARTS AND HAVE MUCH LESS OF A QUALITY PRODUCT.
The HK USP is very popular but parts are very hard to find. I have owned one, I like them but I would never buy another one because of the parts availibility problem. WITH OUT BEING ABLE TO BUY PARTS AND SPRINGS YOU HAVE "NOTHING"...
I only care about survival weapons. The only current production revolvers that I would consider buying is the Ruger SP101 and the Ruger GP100. I would also buy a NAA mini revolver in 22 LR or 22 Mag. I would never buy their 17 cal. revolver. AS FOR THE NAA "GUARDIAN" there is no way I would ever buy one anymore.
I do believe the best tiny last ditch survival semi auto handgun in the mouse line is the Keltec. It is no work of art but it is very good for a 200 dollar mouse gun. THEY WORK AND HAVE SUPERIOR CHROME SILICON SPRINGS.
THE VERY BEST 1911 pistol out there for the money is the "PARKERIZED" SPRINGFIELD ARMORY MIL-SPEC in 45 acp caliber. These pistols are not expensive but are very hard to find. The only reason that we have not started our PROJECT STREET GUN #6 IS BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN NOT FIND THESE PISTOLS AT THIS TIME. I DO HOPE TO HAVE ANOTHER PROJECT STREET GUN SOON.
YOU should all own a good 22 cal rimfire rifle like the Ruger 10/22 or a Marlin or a good Remington. These will be worth their weight in gold someday for survival. This is not a high dollar item but it is a priority item, its a must have now item.
The cost of ammunition is escalating and it is becoming harder and harder to locate what you want. If you can find what you want do not hesitate buy it now and tell no one.
Do not put pictures and lists of what you own on public forums. It could come around to haunt you in days or weeks or months to come.
Guns that I would never buy are as Follows in addition to what I have already stated. I would not buy anything made by Para Ordnance, I would not buy a Walther, I would not buy any high dollar 1911 pistol of any brand.
I would not buy a Sig Sauer pistol of current production. I would not buy anything that parts were not available for. The only exception is the HK P7 M8 because I think this is a wonderful pistol right out of the box.
I would not buy a Browning 22 pistol. I would not buy a Ruger Mk. III if I could locate a Mk. II which in my opinion is a superior weapon.
Many of todays currently manufactured weapons are poor quality by my standards and in my opinion. The big selling items today are ammunition. If you do not own a weapon to protect your family you will become a victim.
The BS you read in publications are total nonsense and I have never seen so much BS because they will say anything to protect their high dollar advertisers. Remember its all about "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN"...
You must have very good tactical knives that will hold a razor edge. The only two companies that have "SAFE" liner locks are COLD STEEL and CRKT, this again is my own opinion. NO ONE MAKES A SHARPER KNIFE THAN COLD STEEL.
Another favororite Tactical folder of mine is the BENCHMADE "RUKUS". These are very well made knives and its the old story you usually get what you pay for, do not buy a bargain as there is a sucker born every minute that thinks hes outsmarting everyone. In the end hes only fooling the schmuck in the mirror.
You want a good holster, then do not look for a bargain, buy a good quality "MILT SPARKS HOLSTER" from LIGHTNING ARMS.
TO BE CONTINUED......
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http://www.sequiam.com/products/
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/index1.html
http://www.shootersolutions.com/teddyjacobson.html
www.crimsontrace.com
http://www.gunsmithforum.com/
www.militec-1.com
http://www.magpul.com/
www.ismi-gunsprings.com
www.wolffgunsprings.com
www.trippresearch.com
www.cdnninvestments.com
www.survivalblog.com
www.lightningarms.com
www.brownells.com
www.ammoman.com
www.mscdirect.com
http://www.midwayusa.com/
www.coldsteel.com
www.davidstahr.com
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Pfgrone
Message Board Member
Username: Pfgrone
Post Number: 32
Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - 02:35 pm: |
Yesterday I posted under another thread -Which NAA handgun do you trust most? - that my Guardian 380 had failed to fire at the range and the trigger stuck to the back. Today when I cleaned my weapons, the trouble was a broken drawbar spring which I replaced. Back when my trigger broke several months ago, NAA (Carl?) sent a couple of drawbar springs along with the new trigger. I appreciated that very much.
However, maybe Teddy J. knew what he was talking about when he was warning us about NAA springs and maybe Carl knew that the drawbar springs had an inherent weakness when he sent me some that I did not request.
So my point is, would it be better to just replace the drawbar springs and maybe the recoil spring every X number of rounds as preventattive maintenance instead of waiting until there is a problem. I personally have no problem with this concept since "replace before failure" maintenance is often common on mission critical equipment. If you agree, how often would you replace the springs?
Incidentally, the G380 is now OFF of my concealed carry list after two breakdowns. But it's a fun gun to shoot so I'll probably keep it for the range.
Paul G
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Brad3529
Message Board Member
Username: Brad3529
Post Number: 6
Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 11:20 am: |
Hello all-
Went to the range for the first time today with the G32. After I cleaned/lubed/etc.
I brought with me 2 boxes of 71g. Win FMJ. to give it a good test and to break it in a little. From my prev. posts, this gun only had 10 or so rounds through it. Here are my results:
1st clip: 2 fired OK. Next 2 - feed issues. Nose up in barrel. The tip was stuck directly up from the feed ramp on top of the barrel. The top of the rear was stuck right under the fire pin. If that makes any sense. Im sure there is some "word" for it but I dont know it.
After this clip, I couldnt get more than 2 rounds off without this happening.
Issue #2 - Most of the time the above happened but there was another issue. The exact opposite. Tip down, jammed into feed ramp.....butt of round stuck above firing pin.
I asked the range master to take a look and he advised the mag spring seemed to be OK and was not sure what the issue was. He tried to fire it a few times and had the same result. The only thing he suggested is to fire a few hundred rounds through it and see if that helps. Well that’s fine but with a jam every 2 rounds, that’s going to take a while.
I understand "breaking in" a gun but don’t you think this is a little odd??? He also suggested that I take a look at polishing the feed ramp - even though it looks good. Also to use Fed. Hydra-Shock with a little more power behind them to see if that works. I don’t want to use HP due to penetration issues with the .32. Not to mention the cost of Fed. Hydra-Shocks.
What do you all think?? Again, I don’t want a project gun that I have to send off to NAA all the time to get tweaked. Maybe I am lucky....I also bought a Taurus PT-111 Pro 9mm a few months back and that gun is the best I have ever had. No issues at all......and I have almost 1000 round through it. New it was only $325.00. The NAA new is over $400.00. Out of apx. 50 rounds - I would say 30 had an issue. Not a great confidence builder at all.
I love the fit and feel of this little gun but do not want a project gun by any means.
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Hiflight
Message Board Member
Username: Hiflight
Post Number: 76
Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 05:35 pm: |
I own both a .22LR Mini and a customized (by NAA and TJ) Guardian 380. Both are as close to 100% reliable as I could wish, but cartridge size aside, I much prefer the DAO of the Guardian to the necessity of single-action cocking and recocking in a moment of high pucker-factor! Squeezing until empty is easier for me than the single-action drill on the NAA revolvers.
The only problem I have ever had with any of my NAA firearms is one broken trigger spring in my Guardian. NAA sent me a couple replacements, and I have never had to replace another one. Probably about 700 rounds thru the G380 without a jam or malfunction of any type since I got it back from TJ.
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Nchornet
Message Board Member
Username: Nchornet
Post Number: 8
Registered: 03-2007
| Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 04:09 am: |
The company that NAA uses to perform their gutter sniping, they are also a small but growing company in the night sight industry. Most warranties I have read about is 10 years, PT is unusual at 15 years. Most say some dimming is normal and that is their way out of most warranty claims. Unless they are totaly out they say "it is normal aging", mine could hardly be seen at all, both Sandy, Carl, and Jennifer stated that they will be replace, especially if the slide is sent in by NAA and not me personally. Check out PT sights, they have sights in many different colors. I am thinking about ordering a set for my primary carry gun, a Glock 23, with rear blue and front orange, I really like the contrast between those two colors. I will let y'all know how it comes back. I talked to Jennifer yesterday and they were mailing my mag release kit out, so that will all be fixed by the time the slide comes back.
Take Care
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I AM GOING TO ANSWER THIS MAN ON MY BLOGGER BECAUSE I NO LONGER WILL POST ON ANY FORUM. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE POWERS THAT BE AT NAA HAVE NOT PLAYED IT STRAIGHT WITH THE BUYING PUBLIC. THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.
THE SPRING IN THE GUARDIAN SUCH AS THE DRAWBAR SPRING HAVE BEEN BREAKING FOR YEARS BUT THE OWNER HAD THE CHANCE TO CORRECT ALL THESE PROBLEMS BUT HE CHOSE TO IGNORE THEM, MY OPINION ONLY.
THERE IS A REASON THAT I SOLD MY GUARDIAN PISTOL, I HAD NO FAITH IN IT. I LIKE THE NAA REVOLVERS AS I STILL CARRY ONE BUT MY GUARDIAN DAYS ARE OVER. YOU CAN NOT LET A MARKETING PERSON OR A SHOP SUPERVISOR CALL THE SHOTS WHEN THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR JOB AND INCOME.
I HAVE ALWAYS PUT YOUR LIFE FIRST. I HAVE TOLD THESE PEOPLE THE TRUTH FROM DAY ONE AND ALL THEY EVER DID WAS TO ATTACK ME. SO NOW THEY LIVE WITH THE MISERY OF THEIR JUDGEMENT CALLS WHICH HAVE NOW CAUSED THEM MISERY. I CAN NO LONGER OFFER ANY ADVICE TO A GUARDIAN OWNER BECAUSE MOST, NOT ALL WILL NOT FACE REALITY.
I WILL NOT WASTE MY TIME BECAUSE THE NAA OWNER WILL NOT LISTEN. I WASTED A GREAT DEAL OF MY TIME TRYING TO HELP HIM AT NO CHARGE AND THE THANKS I GOT WERE MORE ATTACKS ON ME. I HAVE NO DOUBT THESE ATTACKS CAME FROM WITHIN.
ENJOY YOUR "GUARDIAN"
Teddy
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Additional comment - There has been no GUARDIAN pistols for sale for about 6 to 8 months because of their separation from the KAHR Co. Even if they get a new frame and slide and barrel made it will not address the issues that remain of inferior parts and springs in MY OPINION ONLY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED YEARS AGO. THEY CONTINUE TO USE PT night sights which in my opinion are poor at best. The best and brightest night sights are Trijicon, Meprolight and X/S sights.. MY OPINION ONLY BASED ON MY VAST EXPERIENCE.
Why would anyone want gutter snipe night sights on a mouse gun is beyond me, its all about making money. THIS IS MY OPINION ONLY. The sight radius on these gutter sights is about 2 or 2.5 inches and they are so dim they are barely visible. MY OPINION ONLY, they are playing you like a fiddle.
More important items and problems could have been addressed years ago such as lightening the frame of the 380 acp model so that it does not feel like a rock in your pocket. Why would the factory have instructions to keep sending extra drawbar springs and "E" rings and firing pins to customers, answer is that they know even the new ones will fail. MY OPINION ONLY.
WHY NOT CUT A DECENT CROWN ON EACH BARREL AND HAVE DECENT RIFLING.
IF THEY CARED ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS LIKE THEY CLAIM THESE PROBLEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND "CORRECTED" MANY YEARS AGO. IF THEY WANTED TO GIVE YOU TOP RATED NIGHT SIGHTS THEY WOULD HAVE USED TRIJICON OR MEPROLIGHT OR TOOL TECH. YOU DO NOT LIKE WHAT I AM TELLING YOU, THATS JUST TOO BAD THEN GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WORLD OF TRUTH AND REALITY. I LIE TO KNOW ONE.
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UPDATE ON MILITEC - I DO NOT KNOW ONE PERSON THAT IS AS DEDICATED AS BRAD TO HELP OUR MILITARY FORCES SPENDING HIS OWN MONEY TO KEEP THEM ALIVE. I AM GLAD TO BE ABLE TO CALL BRAD MY FRIEND. THIS IS A TRUE AMERICAN HERO.
Government Abuse Page Created on April 1, 2007 - Updated April 2nd, 3rd and 9th
1. On August 9, 2006, Militec’s counsel emailed Mr. Michael S. Child, Associate General Counsel (DoD IG), with an extensive complaint. This Inspector General complaint was to the attention of Mr. Thomas F. Gimble, Acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DoD-IG).
Mr. Thomas Gimble did not reply directly to my complaint. However, Mr. Leonard Trahan, Jr. (DoD-IG Hotline Director) did respond. Mr. Trahan’s answer was non responsive and was hiding behind dated correspondence that had nothing to do with the problems of the complaint and the problems our troops are encountering in theater.
The DoD-IG’s report titled Joint Warfighting and Readiness The Army Small Arms Program That Relates to Availability, Maintainability, and Reliability of Small Arms Support for the Warfighter (D - 2007 - 010) Dated November 2, 2006 | PDF Version | Problems with IG report
This report specifically singled out (page 18) MILITEC and no other commercial product. This biased report states "A little Cleaner, Lubricant, Preservative does wonders, not MILTEC." This proves that the DoD-IG Hotline Director is biased against Militec, Inc. and is paying us back for the years we have posted Leanord Trahan and his office on our website. Four years ago Militec Inc. contacted the DoD IG and Director Trahan did nothing and additional facts were also provided to the director on September 19, 2003.
LTG Thompson blessed the DoD-IG report and convinced his boss to sign off on it and background information is @ http://www.militec1.com/Thompson21.html
2. Patrick J. Finegan's Letter to Militec,Inc.- May 31, 2006 | Unethical Conduct by DSCR | (PDF)
Mr. Patrick Finegan's unethical conduct is one reason why our troops still cannot get the gear they need to do their job. As long as Patrick Finegan can play judge and jury and hide behind his battery of government lawyers, the system will stay broken until the proper oversight is instigated by Congress.
The Defense Supply Center, (DSCR) is broken and Mr. Patrick Finegan should be held accountable for shafting our troops and my company.
3. Major General Roger A. Nadeau is protecting this broken system http://www.militec1.com/RogerANadeau.html
I will continue to fight the system bureaucrats that place their comfortable jobs over the immediate needs of our troops in combat. This page will be constantly updated to include other federal agencies and individuals that abuse their power.
Bradley Paul Giordani
President
Militec, Inc.
Work 301-893-3910 Home 301-274-4129 Cell 240-682-0810
Private email Brad.Giordani@militec.com