Once again we see the Conservative cause reel as a result of failed opportunity. SCOTUS should not be an issue today and the bloated monster that is Obamacare should have been still born.
The easy points first: SCOTUS should put Obamacare in the crapper. Why? No one in this universe knows what it is. That isn't why they will kill it, BTW, but it is the primary reason that it should be killed. It contains 2400 +/- pages of what is called enabling legislation. You probably missed that in Civics class cuz you were eyeballing cute little Amy something or other. Fact is that Obamacare creates a bureaucracy of epic proportions. How big? Don't know, can't know. But it will have the power to enter every aspect of your life. From, eventually, making heath care decisions for you to deciding what your end of life treatment will be to mandating that every single record that relates to you should be put in a searchable data base. Doubt it? Then go read it. Which brings me to the main point of this missive. No one knows what is in it nor can any reasonable intelligent citizen figure it out. It refers to other ponderous legislation on a regular basis and requires thousands more pages of equally turgid writing to be available in order to figure out exactly what it says. That is not the way Democracy ought to be, Amigos. Bills passed against the national will written in such a way that no one can understand them. That is the basis for tyranny.
See, what is going to happen is that a raft of bureaucrats, little teeny things in cheap suits, are going to make rules that concern your day to day life. No one will know who these bureaucrats are and they are completely anonymous. They cannot be fired and their number will grow to make and administer more and more rules. The Obamacare edifice will never get smaller and it's cost to all of us will mount and mount.
Why should it be kept? What do it's supporters cite as great reasons for opening our country to this horror? Generally four things:
1- Pre-existing conditions are covered
2- Kids can be covered by their parent's policies into young adulthood
3- You keep your coverage job to job
4- Everyone is covered
OK ladies. Do you have your heads in your ass? Do you seriously buy the need for 2400 +/- pages of opaque writing to accomplish these things? Do you think, for one moment, that this is all that Obamacare does? I have a bridge for you and I have a kick in the ass for the Republicans. The number of pages of legislation needed to accomplish those things is .... what ... 5? 10? Point is it could be done clearly and directly without the hidden stuff that will, mark my words, bite us on the ass in the future. The Republicans did nothing but whine. If this mess stays in place there is zero restraint on the Government when they want to help us in any way that they can imagine. They can force us to do virtually anything. Think that is an overreach? If so, I think you should put the bong down long enough to look up the Commerce Clause. That clause in the holy Constitution of the United States of America has been twisted to give the Feds license to regulate EVERYTHING. For the lazy, I have put a link to a write up below.
Anyway, that is enough of a rant for the moment. Just remember that you cannot hope that Government will do the right thing; you have to make it do the right thing. And providing the legal basis for oppression is just damn stupid. If there is a problem, healthcare related or otherwise, write simple laws to address those problems specifically. Simple.
The Commerce Clause in WIKI
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
More on the Contender
OK, enough about Politics for a while. Recently, I wrote a bit on my fascination with the Contender and it seems that my observations struck a cord. I've gotten a number of nice messages on the subject and I thought that I'd amplify a bit on my experiences.
First off, I got my first frame (Easy Open) a few years ago in .44 mag. I wasn't sure what I was getting into but I loved it. Today I have five frames (old original Contender. Some easy open, some converted, some not so easy open) and a bunch of barrels. "What barrels" you say? Well, take a look:
| 10" | .30 Carbine |
| 14" | .17 HMR |
| 14" | .22 LR |
| 14" | .204 Ruger |
| 10" | 32/20 Winchester |
| 10" | 7-30 Waters |
| 10" | .445 Super Mag |
| 10" | .45 Long Colt/ .410 |
| 10" | .30-30 |
| 12" | .17 Ackley Bee |
| 10" | .222 Remington |
| 10" | .22 LR |
| 10" | .223 |
| 12" | .22 WMR |
| 10" | .22 WMR |
| 12" | .357 Magnum |
| 10" | 5 mm Remington |
| 14" | .17 HM2 |
| 10" | .44 Remington |
| 10" | .357 Max/magnum |
Nice little collection. Honest to God, I'd love to say that I bang away with all of them but, truth be told, I bought a few "just because". Come on now, a .17 Ackley Bee? Before you .17 Ackley Bee guys kick ass, let me say that I intend to shoot it, it just isn't at the highest point of my list and there are only so many hours in the day.
At the moment, I am riveted by two calibers: the .17HM2 and the .204 Ruger.
This is the steel frame in .204. Neat. Only problem is that the grip is a bit too small for my hand. Not a big issue since I use it from a rest or bipod.
A note on optic: I have an NCStar rice rocket on this piece. I gotta say that for ~$40 from Amazon I have to wonder about the sanity of someone who would go out and spend half a grand for a sight picture that is indistinguishable from this one. Hell, if you're worried about the damn thing breaking, buy four of them. Buy ten for Chrissakes. It's still cheaper. Slam it on your Contender and use the cost difference to buy another frame or a couple of barrels. If you're worried about fashion go watch Project Runway and leave firearms to guys who look for functionality at reasonable cost first and whether the name is "right" second.
So ... the Ruger .204. I've shot it a couple of times now, nice muzzle blast. Not quite as "interesting" as a .223 but it certainly gets the attention of anyone to your side. The target shows 10 shots at 100 yards. Rest, naturally.
I stand by my notion of shooting being "Loud Zen". There is only one problem: when you pay a buck for every flyer, it is tough to be real mellow. There is a solution, though. Next time I'll discourse on why rim fires are the preferred calibers of the Zen masters.
Share your Contender thoughts Amigos, I am waiting.
Till next time ...
MJ
A note on optic: I have an NCStar rice rocket on this piece. I gotta say that for ~$40 from Amazon I have to wonder about the sanity of someone who would go out and spend half a grand for a sight picture that is indistinguishable from this one. Hell, if you're worried about the damn thing breaking, buy four of them. Buy ten for Chrissakes. It's still cheaper. Slam it on your Contender and use the cost difference to buy another frame or a couple of barrels. If you're worried about fashion go watch Project Runway and leave firearms to guys who look for functionality at reasonable cost first and whether the name is "right" second.
I stand by my notion of shooting being "Loud Zen". There is only one problem: when you pay a buck for every flyer, it is tough to be real mellow. There is a solution, though. Next time I'll discourse on why rim fires are the preferred calibers of the Zen masters.
Share your Contender thoughts Amigos, I am waiting.
Till next time ...
MJ
Monday, March 19, 2012
More on Mr. Woozer
You know, I've been watching the Republicans self destruct over the past couple of weeks and I gotta say that it has the attraction of watching a train wreck. I'd really like to write about some other stuff but I find myself staring like a lunatic at their antics. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't a litmus test of conservative principles the belief that the central government should keeps it's damn paws out of your personal business? I'm not crazy, right? The latest is that Mr. Woozer (the vile Santorum person) has decided that the feds should regulate porn. WTF is that about? Like the War On Drugs is such a smashing success that we need the Feds to wage war on porn. And what is that going to cost us? And what bureaucracy will that require? And what liberties will be infringed as the feds go galloping thru every one's computer records to find evidence of ... Porn ... Jesus Christ. And, BTW, what the hell is the definition of porn in the first place? What Woozer thinks it is?
And, naturally, it's for the children.
I'm telling you: This guy is a liberal of the worst sort. He thinks that the government can cure all ills, and that to do so all we need are more laws. And, by the way, he knows whats Right and Wrong. Idiot. Like I would ever ever ever trust a politician to determine what I should or should not be doing. The louder one of these lowlifes howls about something the surer I am that whatever it is they are concerned about and don't want you to do is a big part of their lives. So far Mr. Woozer is upset about gays and porn. Draw your own conclusions.
I'm ill.
Edited to add:
In case you think I am making this stuff up, let me assure you that even my fertile imagination could not create the madness that is Rick Santorum. Read his approved message here:
http://www.ricksantorum.com/enforcing-laws-against-illegal-pornography
Mark my words folks, this guy is going to destroy the Republican Party if he is nominated and will ensure four more years <shivver> of Mr. O.
And, naturally, it's for the children.
I'm telling you: This guy is a liberal of the worst sort. He thinks that the government can cure all ills, and that to do so all we need are more laws. And, by the way, he knows whats Right and Wrong. Idiot. Like I would ever ever ever trust a politician to determine what I should or should not be doing. The louder one of these lowlifes howls about something the surer I am that whatever it is they are concerned about and don't want you to do is a big part of their lives. So far Mr. Woozer is upset about gays and porn. Draw your own conclusions.
I'm ill.
Edited to add:
In case you think I am making this stuff up, let me assure you that even my fertile imagination could not create the madness that is Rick Santorum. Read his approved message here:
http://www.ricksantorum.com/enforcing-laws-against-illegal-pornography
Mark my words folks, this guy is going to destroy the Republican Party if he is nominated and will ensure four more years <shivver> of Mr. O.
Friday, March 16, 2012
"Pay heed to the man who carries a single shot rifle, he likely knows how to use it."
Actually, that fine quote should read:
Pay heed to the man who carries a single shot weapon,
he likely knows how to use it
Today we are going to consider the idea of waste and why Crockett and Tubbs should be hunted down and eliminated.
In the day a man knew how to shoot. He'd pick up a weapon, draw a bead and the story was over. Think about it, the 1903 Springfield was used in at least three of our wars and compared to modern firearms it might as well have been single shot. Guys could shoot. Civilians could shoot. We shared a connection all the way back to the murderous Kraut bastards that created the Western firearms ethos in the 14th century. "Make every shot count", "don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes" and so on. Men with a purpose: squeezing off shots. Considered shooting one might call it. Even with the advent of semi-automatic arms,
Enter Crockett and Tubbs. We do have a bit of a debt to them. Thanks to Miami Vice a certain grittiness, a welcome grittiness if you are a guy, became the norm on TV cop shows. They get a couple of points for that. Where they loose points is with their championing of what I call Ethnic Sideways Shooting or ETS for short. See, Crockett and Tubbs had a raft of bad guys to deal with but just as they couldn't be normal schlub cops, their adversaries had to be extreme in the other direction. They had to sneer, they had to look threateningly ethnic and they had to shoot sideways. You might not remember the impact of this on the guy community.
"Shit!!!! You see that !!!! That damn greaseball was holding his piece sideways!!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!! It's just WRONG!!!"
Naturally, every real life lowlife followed suit, as did some other folks who should have known better. Every moron who had a semi automatic handgun held the damn thing sideways as they emptied their magazine into parts unknown. Now, they not only hold their piece sideways, they have a good foot of boxer shorts showing above their belt. Thanks Crockett. Thanks Tubbs. You are responsible.
Here is a picture of an idiot holding a firearm sideways. Just so that there is no misunderstanding.
Let me be clear on one point. If I feel that my life is in jeopardy, I am in favor of sending many pounds of lead downrange in as short a time as possible. The trend now in many places is to not only hold firearms sideways but to pollute distant berms with devilish mixtures of copper and lead and other stuff in mass quantities delivered with remarkable speed. The term is, I believe: "Spray and Pray". Apt. This has had an effect on me and on many others.
Over the past couple of years I've bought a lot of guns. But what I have bought the most of are Old Model Thompson Contenders. I now own 5 frames and maybe 25 barrels. Why? Because shooting a single shot is like a loud form of Zen: it helps me relax. It is considered destruction. It is the antithesis of what that moron in the picture above does. It is civilization as opposed to anarchy. So, what am I shooting? Couple of things, 204 Ruger, 17HMR and the 17HM2. Think about the .204 Ruger for a minute. If I shot at your nose when you were standing 300 yards away from me, that bullet would only have to arc 4.2 inches above the point of aim. Put another way, I could shoot thru a 300 yard 6" drainage pipe and not touch the sides. Pretty flat. Here is a shot of the .204. The barrel and frame are stainless. The scope is a 3-6x NC Star which is surprisingly nice and a tremendous value.
These are fun calibers, things that make a noise, wreck havoc at the other end and don't break the bank doing it. Now, the Old Model Contenders have a bit of a limitation. As I recall they are not warranted to handle pressures north of 30k psi which means that the .308 and more powerful cartridges are out. I'm over it. You can pick up frames for $300 or less, particularly when bought with a barrel and the cost of individual barrels is laughable. Even stupid, arrogant, nasty eBay allows the barrels to be auctioned off (think they are smelling the cash that Gun Broker generates?). Now, shooting a single shot pistol is not everyone's cup of tea. You'll be on your first box of ammo when Mr, Cool, above, opens his second crate but you will be one calm SOB at the end of the day. That's a firm guarantee from the Sandman.
These are fun calibers, things that make a noise, wreck havoc at the other end and don't break the bank doing it. Now, the Old Model Contenders have a bit of a limitation. As I recall they are not warranted to handle pressures north of 30k psi which means that the .308 and more powerful cartridges are out. I'm over it. You can pick up frames for $300 or less, particularly when bought with a barrel and the cost of individual barrels is laughable. Even stupid, arrogant, nasty eBay allows the barrels to be auctioned off (think they are smelling the cash that Gun Broker generates?). Now, shooting a single shot pistol is not everyone's cup of tea. You'll be on your first box of ammo when Mr, Cool, above, opens his second crate but you will be one calm SOB at the end of the day. That's a firm guarantee from the Sandman.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Another Damn Jihad Suicide Liberal Sneaking In To Destroy Us
Yup. It's happening again. A Jihad Suicide Liberal is in our midst. What is a Jihad Suicide Liberal? It's a person who pretends to be a righteous, sane thinking conservative who is actually so bat shit crazy that he gives the rest of us a bad name. An SOB who works his way into the system to such an extent that he could actually alter the outcome of a Presidential election by making the rest of us look insane. Just as the Palin chick cashed in at Fox (and sensible Conservatives breathed a sigh of relief), we got another one slithering about. What the hell is going on for Chrissakes?
Listen up: real guys don't believe in Fairy Tales. Real guys, when presented with a stupid story say "WTF! Prove it, asshole!". Some guys says to me "Yo, Mike. Want to make 100% on your investment?" I knock his ass on the floor to get his attention and then say "You got two minutes to show me that you are not stealing my money, numb nuts". If I don't get the desired explanation (with references and footnotes) in the allocated time that little lying bastard is going to be celebrating Dia de Muertos from the other side. 100% my ass.
So why am I taking your precious time? Simple. We are looking at disaster of unprecedented proportions this November. And you know who I am talking about, don't you. Yup, Mr. Weezer himself, the execrable Rick Santorum. Why am I issuing a Liberal Alert about this clown? Are you serious? Have you been living in a cave in Bora Bora eating grubs for the last year? Jesus Christ, WTF is wrong with you? Pay attention. This guy is claiming to be a conservative. Fine and good. Most real guys are. But to "Prove" it he is taking issues that are complex (and some not so complex) and blathering on like he is a serious Oxy abuser.
OK ... case in point. The American President has a serious-as-death role in leading our charge economically against the ravenous hordes from China, India, Malaysia, Viet Nam (Jesus, can't believe I wrote that) and a host of countries to the east of us (spare me the wise ass comment that "everything is to the East of us, if you go far enough". I got your IP address and I will come and get you). So how are we going to compete? Banging drums in some sort of gay Men's Empowerment Circle? Lighting candles to Gaea? Grovelling in front of some damn graven image? Damn no. We are going to kick economic ass by being smarter and being smarter means science. You with me Amigos? Science means, for those of you who where checking out the cute chick two rows over when you should have been paying attention in High School, the organized testing of contentions. You got that? It means "You got two minutes to show me that you are not stealing my money, numb nuts". It means "show me". It does not mean wave your arms and insist that you are right, it means data, it means proof. The same proof that you want when a Doc is shooting some new drug into you or some clown tells you that they are going to make you rich.
So, what does this have to do with Mr. Weezer? Simple. Read this and don't upchuck on your keyboard.
Rick Santorum proposed the "Santorum Amendment" to the No Child Left Behind Bill. Let me let him tell you what it purported to do.
Wiki article
OK, ladies, what have we here? Seems reasonable, no? No, it sure as hell does not. What he is saying is that religion is on the same platform as science. What he is saying that there is controversy where there is none whatsoever. What he is saying is that he does not understand the difference between contention and proof. What it means is that this despicable Crypto-Liberal does not know what Science is. Dunno but when I look at him I somehow don't think that he spent his youth staring at chicks. Just sayin'. That means that he was listening up in school, that means that he knows better. That means he is trying his damnedest to throw the election. That means that he is a Liberal out to get Obama reelected. Because we all know that a person whose ideas of intellectual discourse are rooted in the Middle Ages will have a wee bit of trouble competing with the atheist eastern hordes. That means that nobody except some religious honkers are going to vote for him. That means Mr. O is back for 4 more. Right?
Right.
QE fucking D.
One other thing. I had a real bad thing happen outside a little place named Borci. Who, what when are not important. Thing is a guy named Charlie "Shakes" saved my life, pulled my sorry shot ass out of a bad spot that I had no business leaving. Thing is Shakes was queer as a $3 bill, as the saying goes. Thing is that if Mr. Weezer wants to tell Shakes that he can't get married he is going to have to take the issue up with the Sandman. And it won't go well for him. Chickenhawk bastard.
Why is it that the guys with physiques like a Perdue chicken always seem to be the guys that want us to finish it after they pick a fight?
Another thing, Guy Rule #2: One gentleman never asks another what they do with their private parts.
Sometimes you just don't want to know. That said, it's never your business.
We have a problem this year. We got a moonbeam SOB in this Paul guy, we got a serial adulterer in that Gingrich lout and we got Ken without Barbie in Mitt. Last thing we need is this fifth columnist swine making things worse. As we get closer I'll have more thoughts. You bet your ass I will. Meanwhile, if you are voting, give Weezer a pass.
Adios compadres
MJ
Listen up: real guys don't believe in Fairy Tales. Real guys, when presented with a stupid story say "WTF! Prove it, asshole!". Some guys says to me "Yo, Mike. Want to make 100% on your investment?" I knock his ass on the floor to get his attention and then say "You got two minutes to show me that you are not stealing my money, numb nuts". If I don't get the desired explanation (with references and footnotes) in the allocated time that little lying bastard is going to be celebrating Dia de Muertos from the other side. 100% my ass.
So why am I taking your precious time? Simple. We are looking at disaster of unprecedented proportions this November. And you know who I am talking about, don't you. Yup, Mr. Weezer himself, the execrable Rick Santorum. Why am I issuing a Liberal Alert about this clown? Are you serious? Have you been living in a cave in Bora Bora eating grubs for the last year? Jesus Christ, WTF is wrong with you? Pay attention. This guy is claiming to be a conservative. Fine and good. Most real guys are. But to "Prove" it he is taking issues that are complex (and some not so complex) and blathering on like he is a serious Oxy abuser.
OK ... case in point. The American President has a serious-as-death role in leading our charge economically against the ravenous hordes from China, India, Malaysia, Viet Nam (Jesus, can't believe I wrote that) and a host of countries to the east of us (spare me the wise ass comment that "everything is to the East of us, if you go far enough". I got your IP address and I will come and get you). So how are we going to compete? Banging drums in some sort of gay Men's Empowerment Circle? Lighting candles to Gaea? Grovelling in front of some damn graven image? Damn no. We are going to kick economic ass by being smarter and being smarter means science. You with me Amigos? Science means, for those of you who where checking out the cute chick two rows over when you should have been paying attention in High School, the organized testing of contentions. You got that? It means "You got two minutes to show me that you are not stealing my money, numb nuts". It means "show me". It does not mean wave your arms and insist that you are right, it means data, it means proof. The same proof that you want when a Doc is shooting some new drug into you or some clown tells you that they are going to make you rich.
So, what does this have to do with Mr. Weezer? Simple. Read this and don't upchuck on your keyboard.
Rick Santorum proposed the "Santorum Amendment" to the No Child Left Behind Bill. Let me let him tell you what it purported to do.
This is an amendment that is a sense of the Senate. It is a sense of the Senate that deals with the subject of intellectual freedom with respect to the teaching of science in the classroom, in primary and secondary education. It is a sense of the Senate that does not try to dictate curriculum to anybody; quite the contrary, it says there should be freedom to discuss and air good scientific debate within the classroom. In fact, students will do better and will learn more if there is this intellectual freedom to discuss. I will read this sense of the Senate. It is simply two sentences—frankly, two rather innocuous sentences—that hopefully this Senate will embrace: "It is the sense of the Senate that—
(1) good science education should prepare students to distinguish the data or testable theories of science from philosophical or religious claims that are made in the name of science; and
(2) where biological evolution is taught, the curriculum should help students to understand why this subject generates so much continuing controversy, and should prepare the students to be informed participants in public discussions regarding the subject.
It simply says there are disagreements in scientific theories out there that are continually tested.
Wiki article
OK, ladies, what have we here? Seems reasonable, no? No, it sure as hell does not. What he is saying is that religion is on the same platform as science. What he is saying that there is controversy where there is none whatsoever. What he is saying is that he does not understand the difference between contention and proof. What it means is that this despicable Crypto-Liberal does not know what Science is. Dunno but when I look at him I somehow don't think that he spent his youth staring at chicks. Just sayin'. That means that he was listening up in school, that means that he knows better. That means he is trying his damnedest to throw the election. That means that he is a Liberal out to get Obama reelected. Because we all know that a person whose ideas of intellectual discourse are rooted in the Middle Ages will have a wee bit of trouble competing with the atheist eastern hordes. That means that nobody except some religious honkers are going to vote for him. That means Mr. O is back for 4 more. Right?
Right.
QE fucking D.
One other thing. I had a real bad thing happen outside a little place named Borci. Who, what when are not important. Thing is a guy named Charlie "Shakes" saved my life, pulled my sorry shot ass out of a bad spot that I had no business leaving. Thing is Shakes was queer as a $3 bill, as the saying goes. Thing is that if Mr. Weezer wants to tell Shakes that he can't get married he is going to have to take the issue up with the Sandman. And it won't go well for him. Chickenhawk bastard.
Why is it that the guys with physiques like a Perdue chicken always seem to be the guys that want us to finish it after they pick a fight?
Another thing, Guy Rule #2: One gentleman never asks another what they do with their private parts.
Sometimes you just don't want to know. That said, it's never your business.
We have a problem this year. We got a moonbeam SOB in this Paul guy, we got a serial adulterer in that Gingrich lout and we got Ken without Barbie in Mitt. Last thing we need is this fifth columnist swine making things worse. As we get closer I'll have more thoughts. You bet your ass I will. Meanwhile, if you are voting, give Weezer a pass.
Adios compadres
MJ
Saturday, March 10, 2012
ATI 1911 in.45 ACP - A Commentary
There are a few rules about Guy Stuff that I will impart as we go along. The first one is that a Guy cannot own too many firearms. A subset of this rule, a clarification so to speak, is that a Guy cannot own too many of one type of firearm. What do I mean by this? Simple. When it comes to guns get 'em and keep 'em and if you come across one that is like one you own, get it anyway. Case in point (and a clever segue to the matter of this entry) the venerable Model 1911. Now, if you wonder what that is and are hoping that you will find an explanation a few lines down just get the hell outta here. Leave. Now. Jesus. Who the hell would be coming to a site about Guy Stuff (says it right on the top for Chrissakes) and not know what a Model 1911 is?
Anyway, I own a total of four 1911 type firearms. A Series 80 Gold Cup, a Colt Defender, an German .22 and, the subject of this little write up, an ATI 1911 replication.
Now, any Guy can tell you, particularly if you have visited SHOT this century, that the number of manufacturers making 1911's might, and I say "might", only be exceeded by the number fabricating AR style platforms. 10,000? 35,000? Just funnin' ya. There are a lot though and the quality is reasonably good. Recently I came across an interesting version. It is imported by American Tactical Importers (ATI) from the Philippines . "Hey, where the hell are you going with this, Cobb? The bloody Philippines? Don't they make everything out of Teak there? Who the hell wants a Teak 1911? What are you playing at? You trying to kill me?"
Ease up there, private. I thought the same damn thing. Philippines, Teak, Shoes, graft, Monsoons. This one is made by an outfit with the silly sounding name "Shooters Arms Manufacturing". Ever notice how names in the far east always sound like what they are? Anyway, this outfit makes weapons for the military and they seem to have the bases covered. The copy I got felt like the original and sounded like it too when I cycled the slide. At the range I put about 500 hardball rounds through it for an informal workout. I had a couple of jams early on but as the parts went through the final fitting that every auto goes through when you first use it, the jams stopped. Damn "clunk clunka chunk" noise didn't though. That's a good thing since if it didn't sound like a washing machine rolling down a hill it wouldn't be a 1911, right?
Here's a picture from the ATI site:
Anyway, I own a total of four 1911 type firearms. A Series 80 Gold Cup, a Colt Defender, an German .22 and, the subject of this little write up, an ATI 1911 replication.
Now, any Guy can tell you, particularly if you have visited SHOT this century, that the number of manufacturers making 1911's might, and I say "might", only be exceeded by the number fabricating AR style platforms. 10,000? 35,000? Just funnin' ya. There are a lot though and the quality is reasonably good. Recently I came across an interesting version. It is imported by American Tactical Importers (ATI) from the Philippines . "Hey, where the hell are you going with this, Cobb? The bloody Philippines? Don't they make everything out of Teak there? Who the hell wants a Teak 1911? What are you playing at? You trying to kill me?"
Ease up there, private. I thought the same damn thing. Philippines, Teak, Shoes, graft, Monsoons. This one is made by an outfit with the silly sounding name "Shooters Arms Manufacturing". Ever notice how names in the far east always sound like what they are? Anyway, this outfit makes weapons for the military and they seem to have the bases covered. The copy I got felt like the original and sounded like it too when I cycled the slide. At the range I put about 500 hardball rounds through it for an informal workout. I had a couple of jams early on but as the parts went through the final fitting that every auto goes through when you first use it, the jams stopped. Damn "clunk clunka chunk" noise didn't though. That's a good thing since if it didn't sound like a washing machine rolling down a hill it wouldn't be a 1911, right?
Here's a picture from the ATI site:
It's a 1911. Hell, what is the point of even having a picture? Finish is a powder coating that seems durable. The trigger seemed a bit tinny to me and the mag is all you would expect from a far eastern manufacturer in the 1950's, ie. flimsy crap. The grips are some sort of weird, red far eastern wood that, frankly, gave me the creeps. That said, the damn thing patterned better than my Gold Cup with the same ammo at the same distance.
WTF?
Seems like what they did, smartly IMHO, is to cut a few corners on things that the average shooter is going to monkey around with anyway. You keep wood grips on your 1911 if you are into pain, most of us have a favorite mag manufacturer that we keep in business and a trigger job is cheap and almost always called for. With this 1911 you might want to save some money short term and see how the trigger out of the box is. Mine was crisp and, frankly, for the money I am not sure that I would do anything to this weapon. The fit and finish is generally excellent. A word on costs. As of today I see it hovering around $400-$415. Jesus Christ surfing on John Browning's corpse!! This is a must buy. Get out there and get one. Thank me later.
Now, all that said, no one here is dumb enough to think that for $400 you are going to walk away with a Colt quality firearm, right Amigos? This thing is a serviceable, seemingly reliable weapon that you can throw in your Go-Bag with out feeling like you just took $500 off the value because it got scratched. In many ways it is an authentic .45 since, like it's service issue forebears, it is not only made (and priced) to take a beating, it actually expects it. Mine is a Government replication but it comes with a shorter barrel, carved hammer and the usual useless alterations. Pay yer money, take yer choice.
I'll be checking in on this weapon as time goes on. You guys share your thoughts too.
Adios.
MJ
References
Friday, March 9, 2012
What we're about here
Hi all. Listen up.
I've been looking around the web for some time now, trying to find a good source for straight up information on stuff that guys care about. Important stuff: Guns and Movies and Toys for Big Boys. And there was nothing, just a lot of gassing by pantywaist wannabes. Seems all they are doing is selling crap or trying to get freebies from manufacturers. I decided that I'd take some time to tell you guys about things that you care about. I'll do it with simple sentences and I'll just do it once. So pay attention. I only write about what I know about and I am here to tell you that when I tell you something you can take it to the bank.
Stay tuned.
MJ
ETA: I am not going to do formal reviews here, no ornate range tests or Master's Level treatises on movies or anything else I feel like commenting on. I am going to tell you what works and what doesn't.
MJ
I've been looking around the web for some time now, trying to find a good source for straight up information on stuff that guys care about. Important stuff: Guns and Movies and Toys for Big Boys. And there was nothing, just a lot of gassing by pantywaist wannabes. Seems all they are doing is selling crap or trying to get freebies from manufacturers. I decided that I'd take some time to tell you guys about things that you care about. I'll do it with simple sentences and I'll just do it once. So pay attention. I only write about what I know about and I am here to tell you that when I tell you something you can take it to the bank.
Stay tuned.
MJ
ETA: I am not going to do formal reviews here, no ornate range tests or Master's Level treatises on movies or anything else I feel like commenting on. I am going to tell you what works and what doesn't.
MJ
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