Musings, 1911

So, there seem to be two schools of thought about the 1911-pattern pistol:

1. It's an archaic jam-o-matic, or 
2. It's Certain Death for Evildoers.

The truth, of course, is that it's neither.

Here are some facts*:
The M1911 was designed by John Moses Browning (pbuh) to US Army specs.

The story is well known, the Army went from the Single Action Army revolver in .45 "Long" Colt¹, to a double-action revolver in .38, which proved less than adequate in the Philippines.

At the time, semi-automatic pistols² were just coming into use, and the Army included features that seemed like a good idea at the time.

• Things like multiple safeties, since it was expected that most of the Army's pistoleros were going to be on horseback.³
• And lanyard rings, ditto. (Including on magazines!)
• And sights that are nearly vestigial, since the art of combat marksmanship as envisioned by the military at the time didn't really go in for sighted fire as we know it.
• Also, of course, it was made of steel because what else was there?
• Oh, and keep the tolerances somewhat loose to allow for minimal maintenance under field conditions, not to mention so that it will cycle ammunition loaded "kinda sorta" to spec under wartime conditions.

Jump ahead fifty years or so.  A bunch of guys have been exposed to the 1911 and the .45 ACP round but, largely because of Army pistol marksmanship instruction, don't really understand it. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, of officers and technical specialists have been handed a big chunk of metal and told "go qualify", but not really told how to do so. Once again, the #2 pencil is the greatest tool for making sure the unit's numbers come out right... But what the hey, we won, right?⁴

But the war's over, and a bunch of guys are getting together to invent a new sport involving pistol shooting. And it turns out the M1911 is a pretty good tool for that.

Well, that escalated quickly...

In my previous post, as I was lamenting the fact that I had discovered by day three of MAG-40 that the three "generic" stainless steel magazines for my 1911s were crap, and the feed lips had spread to the point where, not only would they not lock back the slide when empty, but I couldn't even get one of them in the mag well, I added as an aside

the blued ones actually marked as GI mags seem to be working OK.

By the time we had finished shooting the last drills and were about to shoot the qualification several of my blued steel mags were also failing to lock back the slide.

I suppose the "COLT" marked ones have an excuse, since they came with my Combat Commander, which I purchased almost exactly 30 years ago.

Annoying, but nowhere near as annoying as getting that hot brass down my back from the Marine shooting his Ruger LC9S S&W Shield next to me was. ("Mas! The blogger is doing Saint Vitus' Dance!""Is his muzzle pointed in a safe direction...?")

That and it made the Glockenspielers even more insufferable.

Note to self...

Dear Self:
Remember writing this post? 

Turns out that when you said

• On the one hand, my habit of buying 1911 magazines over the last year or two seems like a good one.
• On the other hand, buying the cheap ones marked and packaged as GI 1911 mags may not have been so smart.

the twinge you felt when typing the first bullet was not just your bursitis acting up at the self-back-patting, it was foreshadowing.

Bullet two OTOH, was prescient. (Except the blued ones actually marked as GI mags seem to be working OK.)

Day three of MAG 40 and I now have three fewer 1911 magazines than I came with. Turns out those "generic" stainless steel magazines simply marked ".45 ACP" weren't even worth the sawbuck each they cost me.

In mitigation, I would like to point out I bought the things strictly for use in training.

Too bad they won't even go into the mag well easily enough to use them to practice reloads.

Oldest serving vet finally retires!

After 94 years!!!

World War/Cold War/Gulf War Veteran to Retire After 94 Years Of Service - Bearing Arms

M2HB Machine Gun #324 entered service with the US Army in 1921.
Photo from Bearing Arms.com

"Ma Deuce" number 324 was returned to Anniston Army Depot for it's first ever overhaul and upgrade.

First.

Ever.

And the reason it's being retired?

From (U.S. Army Found an M2 .50 caliber Machine-Gun Still Shooting Perfectly After 90 Years of Service | RealClearDefense) the original article:

Modifications made to the weapon in the field mean part of the receiver would have to be removed through welding and replaced with new metal, a process which usually means the receiver is scrap. 

“I’d rather put this one on display than send it to the scrap yard,” said Clark, adding the weapon’s age makes it appealing as a historical artifact. 

Currently, the 389th M2 is on display in the Small Arms Repair Facility. There is an approval process the older weapon would have to go through in order to be similarly displayed. Clark and Jeff Bonner, the Weapons Division chief, are researching and beginning that process.

So there's hope.

For the vets reading this, the replacement M2A1 will  have has* fixed headspace and timing, so they don't need to be adjusted every time the barrel is changed.

For those who have no experience with this, take my word for it that this is a major improvement.

Also, the fact that the "A1" model of a weapon is only being introduced after 94 years...!

Yet another bit of proof, if proof were needed, that John Moses browning (pbuh) was the greatest firearms designer ever.


*Updated to reflect the fact that upgrades have already begun.

Oh, please, oh please, oh please...

Remaining Government Stock of WWII M1911's Handguns to Be Sold Off to The Public.....

Random thoughts

It is not a good sign when the server at dinner doesn't know the special of the day.

• Not just "What's the special?" "I don't know", but "We'll have the Hummingbirds Tongues in Aspic", and you have to explain that it's the special.  "Did you see it on a board some place?"
• Proof: she doesn't bring you the wine until you're halfway done with the entree.  
• EDIT:  Mrs. Drang reminds me that when she did bring the wine, it was the wrong one.
• And then brings you the Special Of The Day white chocolate bread pudding with butterscotch sauce at room temperature, served with a scoop of ice cream.
• We could have done without all the proof...

The weather alert I posted a day or two ago has been rescinded and then re-alerted several times.

• Don't be surprised if you hear soon that Spokane is the newest west coast port...

One thing I've learned, or had confirmed, hanging out on Internet firearms fora is that every handgun manufacturer has it's fanbois, as well as it's hateh's.

• One guy can post an innocuous question about, say, getting his gat refinished, and someone will be along shortly to warn him that, because it's the make and model it is, it will blow up in his hand and he should get something else¹.  Usually a specific "something else."  Which a third party will be along to villify in a post or three, the cycle repeating itself until pretty much every manufacturer and model out there (including some waaaaay out there) has been claimed to be simultaneously the greatest thing since Friar Schwartz²  had his little lab accident AND the greatest danger to the operator imaginable.³
• Pistol-forum.com is far better than most, if not all, others, although talk about 1911s will inevitably draw Glock or HK fanbois who will solemnly avow that one must first pay $1000+ for a 1911, and then spend another $1k on it to ensure it doesn't simply fall apart at the first shot.
• Admittedly 1911 sights as John Moses Browning (pbuh) designed them for the Army are practically vestigial. And the 1911s running from $4-500 new are imports from countries which do not necessarily have great metallurgical quality.  But that doesn't mean you just bought a grenade...

Another thing I've learned specifically from Pistol-forum.com is that, not only is the answer to the question "How many magazines should I buy?" "Even more", but the magazine is probably the most sensitive part of the semi-automatic pistol.

• If the magazine does not present the bullet to the chamber at the proper  angle and in the proper orientation, it doesn't matter if the feed ramp has been all smoothed and polished.
• On the one hand, my habit of buying 1911 magazines over the last year or two seems like a good one.
• On the other hand, buying the cheap ones marked and packaged as GI 1911 mags may not have been so smart.
• I went to Joanne's Fabrics yesterday and bought a paint pen, and now all the magazines are marked with my name and an identifying number. Magazine goes bad? Smash it and toss it.
• Tamara uses cute stickers on some of hers, but I have my image to keep up...
• Also, I've ordered some Pachmeyr magazine bumper pads, and stickers won't stick to the rubber.

Have I mentioned that taking a "Basic, Fundamentals" handgun class was totally worth it? Maybe if I'd done that 25 years ago I wouldn't have this unreasonable prejudice against Beretta handguns.

• Please note that I do refrain from telling everyone that just because I couldn't shoot well with one that obviously means no one will, or that they're just one round away from blowing themselves up...
• Mostly this speaks to the Army not really caring about handguns or handgun training.
• Think about that when someone says "This guy at work  was in the Army and he says..."  "This guy at work" is probably That Guy, so at least find out more about "this guy's" actual qualifications.

Intermediate class tomorrow.  We'll see how I do...

• Including whether I need to buy a dozen new/replacement 1911 magazine springs and followers.

***

1. Although sometimes the warning is followed up by "Send it to me for disposal", which is a sign it's a desirable piece of gear.
2.  Or Roger Bacon.  Or Francis Bacon, I can't remember who. Whom. Yes, I know black powder was first formulated in China.  They don't seem to have had the necessary mindset to look at a mortar launching it's pestle, and visualizing the AK47...
3.  At the first Gun Blogger rendezvous I attended, the local gunsmith who was handling FFL duties made the claim that the M1911 as issued in WWII was an unreliable piece of crap, that all 1911s since were even worse, and that the best handgun for self-defense was the Hi Point 9mm.

Interesting

UPDATE:  A couple of errors corrected.

Went out yesterday to test-shoot the Colt Rail Gun. (She talked me into it!)

First I attached the Official Crimson Trace Rail Master Green Laser Sight (CMR-203) I got at Gun Blogger Rendezvous last year.

I have to say I am not thoroughly thrilled with the way it attached, I feel it's a bit too far forward, but that may just be an aesthetic mater.  It works just fine, as we shall see...

Black plastic laser on a matte stainless 1911, just doesn't seem right, somehow...

I tried to mount it further back, but short of trimming away material, it just wouldn't fit.

The first mags were at 15 feet and were down to my usual barely adequate performance levels. Actually, the first targets were mostly trying to get a feel for the gun, and where the sights were regulated to.

Top target was a 6 O'clock hold, bottom one was 12.  (I got used to a 6 O'Clock hold with the Commander, using anything else is taking some getting used to.)

No champion shooters are metaphorically looking over their shoulders for me... Although...

I am not entirely unhappy with for a first time shooting the gun at 25 feet.  (Was adjusting to 1 O'clock, since I seem to be pulling to the left.)

And then I turned on the laser.  After trying to use the laser AND the iron sights, I shot one last magazine with just the laser, looking over the irons, ignoring them.

Alrighty then!

Odd angle seems to make the Commander larger than the GM...

She talked me into it!

I'm pretty sure it actually had nothing directly to do with the previous post*...

(*But see also this one.)

Soul-searching, gringo pistolero edition

I've been a gun nut for as long as I can remember.  I always liked to look at guns, read about guns...

But, oddly, I never owned that many guns.

I mean, sure, I probably have more guns than most Americans -- which means, of course, more than 99.9% of humanity -- but compared to the people that I like to read blogs by, and participate in online fora with, I'm a piker.

And I've averaged maybe two range trips year for years.  Basically, I may have been a Gun Crank (as Elmer Kieth would put it) but really, for all practical I was a dilettante. (I hope not a Gun Store Commando!)
 
So, a while ago, I decided to get serious.  At least one range trip a month.  Replace all the cut-rate gear I've accumulated over the years, discard it or relegate it to the "spares, loaners, and giveaways" box.  Better holsters, better magazines, carrying a flashlight as well as a gun and reloads... I also joined Pistol-Forums.com in hopes of learning a thing or three about shooting.

Now, my primary interest in shooting has long been self-defense. And one of the things I picked up, articulated best by Tamara although others seem to follow the same philosophy, is that, since guns are machines, and machines are unreliable, one should have one's carry  pistol, and a spare carry pistol, and a range/training pistol, and a .22 caliber version of the carry pistol.   Plus the regular holster, the weak-hand holster (in case your strong hand is incapacitated), maybe the back-up holster.  Magazines -- when asked "How many should I have?" the traditional answer is "more."  And mark them individually somehow so that when one goes belly-up on you you can tell for sure which one it was and discard it.  (Smash it flat...)  And, of course, you need a way to carry those.

If one is really serious, one will get an inert trainer with which to practice draws from concealment. (Blue, yellow, or red, I'm not sure it matters except to the manufacturers each of whom uses a specific color.)(Depending on model of pistol, there may be a laser simulator available...)

Now, call me a traditionalist, but I've been a 1911 man for... well, ever.  I've noted before that I can't seem to get a decent grip on a Block, er, Glock.  I never cared for the Berettas the Army issued me, and I can't afford an Heckler and Koch.  Tried the S&W M&P at the local range, and was not impressed.  Sigs are OK...

...In fact, the dilemma I've arrived at is that I am wrestling with whether I should stay with the 1911 platform, probably by getting a Colt Rail Gun¹ and maybe a .22 LR trainer^2, or to switch to the Sig P229 or 226, probably in 9mm.  Or one of each, and a .22 version.
The biggest advantage the Sigs have would be magazine capacity, and ammunition economy.  (Assuming 9mm doesn't become as rare as .22 Long Rifle.)

(Some Many communists idiots misguided individuals will argue that 1911s are unreliable, but one thing I've learned reading the Internet is that the least reliable pistol brand in the world is a tie between Sigs, Colts, Rugers, HundKs, Springfields, Berettas, CZs, Kel-Tecs...
(Seriously, though, there is nothing inherently unreliable about the 1911 design, as long as quality materials are used and the design isn't "improved" upon.)

OTOH, Sig includes military retirees in their "Law Enforcement Sales" program.  (As do Glock and Smith & Wesson.)

At the moment, I'm leaning 1911, for reasons of familiarity, and having to replace less "stuff."  Saw a Rail Gun in a local gun shop yesterday.

But... I dunno.  Maybe I'll win the lottery and do both.



1. Why the Rail Gun?  I want a full-size 1911, and this has a Picatinney Rail for mounting a light or laser, for use as home-defense pistol.  The laser also doubles as an excellent training tool. The foremost experts on these things say that Colts are the most reliable 1911s made today. &nbspIf I go with Sigs I'll obviously opt for the railed versions.
2. Got a Ruger 22/45 with that in mind, but a Colt Ace would be closer.

Range Day

Well, Range Hour-And-A-Half...

So, I'm not really the only member of Pistol Forums.com to NOT have a Shooting/Training Journal on there, but if I have any New Years Resolution it's to shoot more, and, in fact, to attempt to shoot some of the drills on there, so that I can cease embarrassing myself when shooting in front of people I know...

So, having spent the last several weeks stuck at home pending a plumber or appliance technician, or dying of the creeping crud, I told Mrs. Drang I was hitting the range no matter what.   She, alas, is still dying of the creeping crud I gave her for New Years (Sorry, Sweetheart!), and declined to join me, which is a shame, since one of my plans was to test fire her Star BKM. ("Bearcat gets her gun")

A word about the range: Federal Way Discount Guns actually has two ranges as part of Federal Way Indoor Range, one with standard rental bays, and another, used for training,  which can be configured in several layouts, and which is also used for competitions and leagues.  As a shot trap it uses the newer (to me, at least) rubber bullet traps.  Lighting is excellent, and environmental controls are also very good.  I highly recommend the facility to anyone in South King County or northwestern Pierce County.

Back to the guns: Since the Star is a 40-odd year old gun of uncertain history, and (frankly) rattles when you shake it like GI lore says a 1911 will, I loaded one round into each of the four magazines we have, and tried them.

Offhand, seven yards, Federal Eagle 115 grain Full Metal Jacket.  I am particularly gratified that shot number one broke the ten ring, especially since I was mostly wanting to ensure the darned thing would fire.  Slide locked back on each empty mag.  You might recall that of the four magazines Mrs. Drang got with the pistol, two had metal followers, and two had plastic ones.  The plastic followers seemed to work as well as the metal ones.

Subsequent targets, same ammo, looked like this:

Still getting used to the sights, and the grip and feel is slightly different than what I am used to.  All these were at 7 yards; I did put one mag down at 15 yards, which didn't go so well...

We'll see if this is going to be a range gun, or if we need to get a holster for it.  Even if Mrs. Drang goes for "off-body" carry  (i.e., concealed in a purse) I think we'll want some leather to keep it in.  (Interestingly, even the PX is carrying Concealed Carry purses these days!)

I also needed to put some rounds through the Ruger Mark III 22/45 she gave me for Christmas. ("I have the bestest wife in the world").  No pics, but I did manage to keep every shot inside the "7" ring, which, considering that I was shooting off some of my stockpile of "Not sure what is is other than .22 Long Rifle" ammo, is OK.  (Actually, I'm trying to figure out where that one round of .22 Short came from...)

(The McFadden Machine Ultimate Clip Loader works pretty well, BTW.  I think it was Barron who recommended it at GBR a couple of years ago.)

That done, I discovered that the "rental" privileges that go with my range membership have been upgraded, and I now get unlimited rentals, with the caveat (which applies to all rentals) that I must use their ammo.  I've been thinking about expanding my horizons beyond the 1911 (Forgive me, JMB!), so I borrowed a Glock 19, Gen 4, and a Sig P229R, and put a box of Winchester White Box 124 grain FMJ through each.

I just can't get used to a Glock.  Maybe if I owned it and could do some Dremel work on the grip, but the combination of holding a 2 x 4 with the silly finger bumps in the front just doesn't work for me.

The Sig, OTOH, is excellent.

Shot at seven yards.
 Didn't take a pic of the target I shot at 15 yards,
it obviously wasn't as tight as the 7 yard one, but it wasn't too bad.
 "Combat accuracy" and all that.
 /gun magazine writer

Note that I said that "the Sig is excellent", not that "I am excellent".  I still suck.  This is why I need to be hitting the range at least twice a month.

Maybe I'll even start keeping a training journal.

Bearcat gets her gun

Mentioned last month that Mrs. Drang had been looking at Star Model PD .45 ACP handguns.  They're nice and light, certainly lighter than her Star Firestar .40, and a little more compact than my Colt Combat Commander.

No PDs in sight at last weekend's gun show, but she did find nearly the same thing...

Star BKM, aluminum alloy framed 9MM; this is actually the gun the Star PD was designed after.  Being 9mm, it should be easier to shoot than the PD.

Unfortunately, there are fewer parts out there, compared to the PD.

It came with 2 mags, so we stopped next at one of the magazine vendors; an interesting contrast between what he had and what came with the gun:

The one with the steel follower came with the gun.  Not sure of brand of one with plastic follower...

A closer view:

Not sure it'll make a difference.  We'll see...

While the BKM, like the PD after it, is styled after the 1911, it is a little smaller. Here's a comparison between the BKM and my Combat Commander:

Happy Birthday

John Moses Browning and Tamara K!

Happy Birthday...

Tamara.

Which means it is, once again, time to wish the greatest firearms inventor of all times a happy belated birthday.

One of these I'll start entering blog-significant dates into a calendar...

1911 Day, Take Two

Ok, gave up on finding the charger for the digital SLR, and went and bought one--and a spare battery, too.  Some pricey stuff, there.

Anyway.  Here are the Befores and Afters of Dave Nielson's excellent work.  Clicking the picture should get you a large picture...

"Before." Yes, that top grip screw bushing is missing; it was already stripped out, and stuck to the grip panel when I removed it.

"After"

"Before", stock Colt Combat Commander rear sight, with a dab of allegedly "high visibility" paint.

New rear sight--Novaks.

Old front sight--stock

New front sight--also Novaks

New sight picture--no, I'm not a southpaw, I was holding the camera in my right hand.

Before--just looking at that grip safety makes my hand hurt...

Extended beavertail.  Look, Ma, no slide bite!

Hogue's Ivory Polymer, from Midway USA. 

Pretty enough for open carry...

I was trying different camera settings, never really messed around with different settings on the DSLR before. Hope the multi-cam doesn't make for too confusing a background, thought of that late, which is why a couple of the pics have a towel as background...

Happy (Belated) 1911 Day!

Picked up my Combat Commander from Dave Nielson at Southridge Arms and Refinishing yesterday morning.

As soon as I uncover the Safe Place where I put the DSL battery charger in the move, I'll post more pics, including before-and-after comparisons.  For today, however, my usual mad, leet photography skillz elude me with the cell phone and camera mode on the Kodak Z3 camcorder.

In other words, today I'm more of a fauxtographer...

 Anyway.  Work done:

• Novak sights
• Ed Brown extended beaver tail grip safety
• KG Gun-Kote, semi-matte black
• Trigger job
• Re-staking the pivot pin and one of the grip screw bushings

The grip panels are new, too.  Going with ivory polymer seems to have been a good choice with that finish.  I may start open-carrying...

Here's the first target from the quick range trip.

Still shooting low, but that's on me.  At least I can see the sights now, to put all (well, most) of the rounds on the target!  Even at 25 yards, my flyers (about one per mag) were close enough to the silhouette that I can tell myself that I am simply getting used to the feel of the gun, and new sights.

I put about 100 rounds through it in half an hour or so, and "Look, Ma, no slide bite!"  Folks who were at GBR-V are able to attest to the fact that the web of my right hand looked hamburger after our Steel Challenge match Saturday AM.

1911 Day

So, today is the 100th anniversary of the United States Army adopting John Moses Browning's (pbuh) Model of 1910 as the M1911 pistol.

My Colt is still "in the shop", getting sights I can see and a beavertail that won't chew up my hand put on, but I figure I ought to observe the occasion somehow:

Others have as well:
Chris: Happy 1911 day
The NRA: American Rifleman highlights the Colt .45
Bobbi: The Sun'll Come Out, To-morrow...

Tamara hasn't posted anything today, but...: View From The Porch: 19ByGod11
Turk merges 1911s and amateur radio: Turonistan: 1911 Call Sign
M1911.org looks at The M1911 Pistols History as well as John Moses Browning (pbuh).

GOAL Post 2011-12

From: Joe Waldron [jwaldron@halcyon.com]
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 7:27 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: GOAL Post 2011-12

GOAL Post 2011-12

Legislative Update from Olympia 25 March 2011

SHB 1923 PASSES OUT OF SENATE JUDICIARY

CHAMBER CUT-OFF PASSES

TITLE-ONLY BILLS FILED

WSP BACK-PEDALS ON AR-15 RECORDS

100th BIRTHDAY OF THE .45 AUTOMATIC

On 22 March the Senate Judiciary Committee passed out SHB 1923 (Goodman D-45) on a 7-0 vote. The bill now goes to Senate Rules awaiting a pull to the floor. The bill prohibits anyone who fails to pass a NICS check from receiving a CPL, in effect harmonizing state and federal law (only with regard to CPL issue).

The second policy committee cut-off passed a few hours ago. Bills that have not passed out of the policy committee (Judiciary in the case of most gun bills) are dead for the session. At this time, all three gun-related bills listed below are still in play for the session.

Twenty-two "title only" bills were filed in the Senate by Senator Ed Murray (D-43), chairman of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. This is a typical maneuver to "reserve" bill numbers, usually for fiscal bills. But two of the bills, SBs 5891 and 5892, carry the title "relating to criminal justice." While these are probably intended to be fleshed out as budget bills relating to criminal justice spending (or spending cuts), a broad title like that opens the door to games being played and things slipped into the bill(s).

The Washington State Patrol is back-pedaling swiftly after firearms dealers, the gun owning public -- and nearly three dozen state legislators, led by Rep. Matt Shea (R-4) -- raised the alarm over the WSP letter to firearms dealers seeking broad information about the sale or acquisition of AR-15s (and clones) and AR-15 lower receivers a week ago. It seems there may be ONE RIFLE missing, possibly from the State Patrol inventory. Rather than work with the BATFE, who has jurisdiction over federal firearm licensees, they decided to keep it in-house -- except for their clumsy outreach to more than 1,000 licensed
Washington firearm dealers! The Patrol still seeks cooperation and information from dealers (legitimately so, in my opinion), but acknowledges it has no authority to ask for the records.

As I opined last week, it's more a case of overzealousness on the part of the WSP's investigative division and a lack of understanding of federal laws regulating firearm dealers and insensitivity to the privacy concerns of gun owners. No nefarious schemes to create an AR-15 registry in the Evergreen State -- for now.

Tuesday, 29 March 2011, marks the 100th birthday of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911. It was on that day in 1911 that the U.S. Army adopted the now-famous .45 automatic. Designed by inventive genius John Moses Browning under contract to Colt, the 1911 served as out standard service pistol until 1985, when it was replaced by the Beretta M9 in 9mm. Several specialized military units still use the 1911, as well as police departments and private citizens all across the country-- and all over the world. In addition to dozens of manufacturers in the U.S. (Model 1911s and clones), it was produced under license in Norway and Argentina, and was even pressed into service by Nazi Germany as the Pistole 657(n).

BILL STATUS:

The following bills are still under consideration for the 2011-12 biennium:

Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
HB 1016 Suppressor use Blake (D-19) S. Rules
HB 1455 Restoration of rights McCune (R-2) S. Rules
SHB 1923 CPL qualification Goodman (D-45) S. Rules

Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary

GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

HB 1016 SUPPORT
HB 1455 SUPPORT
SHB 1923 SUPPORT

HEARING(S) SCHEDULED:

No public hearings remain for gun-related bills.

LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!! 1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993

OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's web site at "www.leg.wa.gov". Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need "RealAudio" to do this, available free at the TVW web site).

By reading the House and Senate "bill reports" (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the "roll call" for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.

GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to "jwaldron@halcyon.com". Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at "jwaldron@halcyon.com" or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at "jwaldron@halcyon.com" with the words "Unsubscribe GOAL Post" in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list's admin to unsubscribe.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Puyallup 26-27 March
Monroe 9-10 April

"The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."

Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington

Copyright 2011 Gun Owners Action League of WA

Colt 1991 Combat Commander

1911.org's e-zine looks at new-manufacture Colt 1991 Combat Commanders.

While I sit here and try not to be antsy, waiting for South Ridge Arms and Rfinishing to call and tell my "old manufacture" Mark IV Series 80 Combat Commander is ready to pick up and go shoot...

Plagiarism! That's what it is! (Update)

Got up this morning, thinking about The Blog Post that would prove once and for all why the 1911 Haters are misguided... only to sit down with my coffee (and a cat on my chest, thus making it almost impossible to post anyway) to discover that Tamara¹ just said what I was going to...

Kindly ignore that fact that she said it much far more eloquently and authoritatively than I could have.  Or that this one post of hers will get more hits than my poor blog will in a week.³

Or a month, for that matter.

I'll have to figure out how to work that plagiarizing someone else's words before they write them thing, and work it on, I dunno, Dave Weber and John Ringo.

Anyway.  The things seen as weaknesses in the 1911 design are all traceable to the fact that it was intended to be a mass-produced military-issued sidearm; just like the mighty M2HB .50 caliber Machine Gun² (AKA Ma Deuce), it was expected that it would be carried and used under conditions that the word "sub-optimal" does not begin to describe, and shooting ammo that was mass-produced in wartime and might not be manufactured quite as precisely as might be desired on the target range.

I am convinced that, were John Moses Browning (pbuh) alive today, he would be designing firearms using modern materials and techniques that would have Gaston Glock going back to... well, whatever it was he did before coming up with one design for, and hundreds of minor variations on, Tactical Tupperware.

***

1.  Other wisdom from Tamara on the subject of 1911s can be found at her Subject Tag "19ByGod11"
2.  Disassembly and reassembly of which is a painstaking process, what with not putting the recoil spring through your body, and using the "Go/No Go" headspace and timing gauges...
And the barrel that, when it overheats in the middle of a battle, your choices are three:

1. Keep shooting and hope it'll last until the battle is over
2. Wait for it to cool down
3. Piss on it.  Literally.  You probably already drank your canteens dry, hopefully, your bladder isn't.

3. UPDATE:  As of this morning, Tam's post has more comments than my blog sees in a day.  Good thing I'm only doing this for me...

Motivation

Posted this in the 1911 forum at AR15.com, thought I'd share it here:
They have a "1911 Motivational Poster' thread going.

Imagine my embarrassment when I posted that and realized the guy who had made the poster directly above mine had used nearly the same line, although he used a fancy-schmancy Les Baer 1911 and his caption ran something like "Care enough to shoot the very best."

I like mine better.