All About Pocket Knives

Quick Steel wrote:CheckSix: Don't know for sure what the finish is on your Kimber but it looks terrific.

Colonel26: I have always found the Commander size .45s to be the best balanced of the species in my hands.

Howdy QS!
The Kimber is brushed stainless and matte black hard coat. It shoots better than it looks.

I don't think I've ever shot a Commander size 1911. The full size is what I'm used to... a little muzzle heavy in the hand but I like it.

Good looking shotguns for sure.

QS I really like the balance of the Commander size 1911's. I've shot full size government models, commanders, officer models, and the CCO size with the officer frame and the commander slide. As much as I love the full size government models, there's just something about the balance of the commander size that's just sweet.

Colonel that was my experience too. We are all different and and what works best for one person may well be different for another. For me it has been the Commander size.

I wonder if you ever experienced any of the Para USA models. An interesting company; its founder introduced the high capacity .45 mags. Eventually they manufactured the guns to go with them. Came up with some innovative ideas. One was the power extractor, increasing the normal sized extractor by 50%. The casings were ejected so vigorously they could have almost been used as a weapon in themselves.

Also developed the LDA trigger (light double action,) now only offered apparently on their officer's models with the popularity of concealed carry. I realize most .45 aficionados will recoil at the thought of anything but a single action. But that trigger was amazing, only slightly heavier than a single action and permitting hammer down carry on a loaded chamber with no safety to deal with; just like a revolver. I think it was a fine development for the person who may not be so well experienced or who cannot overcome a reluctance to carry cocked and locked.

There are so many good .45 autos available today. It would be awfully hard for a person to be unable to find one that suits them I think.

I've heard of para, but I've never shot one. I knew that they did some innovative things with the 1911 design, especially the high capacity stuff, but I have no experience with them.

This is the first 1911 I've owned. The others I've shot have belonged to friends. I traded a Springfield XDs 45 to this 1911. The Springfield was a fine gun, but with these big hands of mine I just couldn't get along with the smaller grip. There just wasn't enough room there for me.

You're right there are so many handguns out there chambered in God's own caliber that it'd be hard to find one that didn't work for a person. 1911 commander size pistols just happen to work for me.

If I remember correctly, Para was bought by Remington last year. Para had a number of reported quality issues.... MIM parts breakage, FTF, slide stop hole location in the wrong spot, etc. Innovation? yes! ...but often-times poor manufacturing execution.

Interesting discussion on triggers though. I made my 1st foray into a striker fired polymer handgun at the beginning of this year. I had it down to choosing between a H&K VP9 and a Walther PPQ. I had a hard time deciding. Neither trigger compares well to my Kimber 1911 but for striker fired pistols, out of all of the ones I demoed, these two had the best triggers. Still had some creep and a bit of a mushy break but they are usable. I can adjust to it, as long as it feels the same, every time. I mostly come from the rifle world and precision shooting side of things. There, we work on the triggers for break, pull weight and over travel. I have some revolvers that have really fine triggers too... the striker fired thing is new to me and I have to say, some of the triggers I tried were just horrible by comparison. The H&K and the Walther triggers were the best of the striker fired, in my humble opinion. I now own the VP9. LE version. I like it a lot.

CS I think you're in the right track with Para. I believe that they, like Remington are owned by Freedom Group. I've read more than one place that Para makes the fame for the Remington R1911.

I liked my striker fired XDs. It worked well and had a decent trigger. But shooting it one day I had some light primer strikes. The primer was dented but not enough to fire the round. We dropped those rounds into a 1911 and they fired right off. The issue we diagnosed was that I'd gotten some oil in the striker channel when I last cleaned it and powder residue was enough to gum up the striker. It was enough that I decided I didn't want to depend on a striker. Give me a hammer!

Moral of the story, keep that striker channel dry.

With you all the way Wade. No offense to you striker fire guys. To each his own just not for me.

Whatever the gun, if I ever pull the trigger and no boom, out the door, Moving to all SIG SAUER, have 10 now just in my slide guns. Of 10 of thousands of SIG shooting with all sorts of different guns, never one jam, Never!, No FTF, no FTE, never. Good enough for me but they are expensive pieces. Well worth it in my opinion. 1 SIG AR-15 also. As to striker versus hammer. Just like see the hammer position, makes me feel comfortable. Plus besides the SIG mini 1911 models that I have (minus the grip safety), I am an SA/DA guy with minimal if any safeties. Not that I am not safe, but as I said previously...
You have 2 poisonous fanged snakes. Both are Gaboons which are likely the deadliest, most venom injected and longest fangs of any snakes in the world, as I recall. One has fangs removed, one did not. What snake do you handle more carefully?
That is my opinion on gun safeties.
Just my opinion.Google if you want but that was my recollection. Please if I'm am incorrect on the snake, don't quote Google as the darn snake could kill you and was used as an analogy. I know a guy that had one as a pet when we were young and dumb. That one had fangs, yea, "You want to hold it Jerry"? Yea no thanks.

Nice guns Blue, Bruce and Garry. All are really fine but partial to the double barrel trigger shotgun Garry.
Wade, glad you like your new hardware. I like it, just not my bag as I am SA/DA guy as I said. Similar to my love of balance for the SIG 229. Balance accuracy with rapid fire, all there.
Dave, great guns my friend! Good stuff. So that is a SIG and Italian collaboration? Whatever the case I like it.

Picked up several guns lately. One was a SIG P220 Combat TB (threaded barrel). Got to shoot with a can recently twice. Loudest sound without earplugs was the slide. Great .45. SA/DA, one in the pipe, hammer down with decocking lever versus trigger/thumb down, Military spec salt tested, all phosphorus coated parts for corrosion, 20,000 round accuracy testing by Military and the whole 9 yards. Great gun.

No personal pics yet. Factory photo and link only at this point. Factory pic does not do the color of the finish justice for sure. Beautiful gun and so comfortable to shoot. 8 rounds per mag plus 1. But, if I carry will have 5 mags total. Just how I roll.

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductD ... at-tb.aspx

CheckSix: Would be grateful if you could point me in the direction of those Para reliability issues. I spent a couple of hours on google, youtube etc.but have come up empty. I've been away from Para for a few years. My own experience was truly flawless right out of the box. More importantly, serious gunners like Massad Ayoob, those in Gun Test magazine (no ads) etc. were quite favorable. But things can and do change. I did learn that currently all major parts are forged, hand fitted and fired even their least expensive model. Well, all this is relevant because I have been developing an itch for a 1911.
Better I learn the bad news before putting down any money. On the other hand I do increasingly like revolvers in their various iterations. Hmm. So many guns, so little time.

zp4ja: Besides being able to do serious duty, that coach gun is a lot of fun. I'm going to introduce my sister to it in another week or so. We'll be shooting light loads...to protect my shoulder not hers.

QS,
On a quick check, here's a 2015 article you can skim... but more importantly, read the comments after the review from actual users. A lot of problems.
https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/goodby ... ed-review/

CheckSix: Appreciate the info. Para's decline is unfortunate. Most of the issues appear to have developed in recent years [14-15-16]. In better times they were making some remarkably good firearms. You probably noticed how many praised the older guns and especially that LDA trigger. Wish you could have experienced a Para in its heyday. I'm sure it didn't help when the founder Szabo died so young, about 50. Well, time to move on. Thanks again.

Jerry I've looked at the 220's. I really like the feel of them. I'd love to pick one up eventually. They have quite the reputation for accuracy.

zp4ja wrote: Dave, great guns my friend! Good stuff. So that is a SIG and Italian collaboration? Whatever the case I like it.

Jerry,
Yes, from 2000 - 2003. Mine is an SA5, Sig Rizzini. Sig failed to generate enough sales, so B. Rizzini realigned with Rich Cole and they formed Rizzini USA to get the sales volume up. Sig then killed the partnership. The SA5 was carried on for years after the initial Sig offering. I must have gotten mine in 2003, when the Sig sales people dumped their samples. IIRC, they were msrp selling in the $3000.00 range back in 2000-2003... and I got mine for $1500.00. Near the end of the SA5 run a few years ago, I remember seeing them new for close to $10K. Personally, I think that is over priced but it is undoubtedly a very fine shotgun. Not the pinnacle but in the mid to upper end scale of quality.

I shot the Ruger 1911 cmd. Some more tonight. Wow! The trigger on this thing. I actually had a couple of fliers in my groups because the trigger surprised me. Going from a striker fired hand gun to this is eye opening.

At 15 yards three shot groups with touching holes was doable if I did my part, I'm definitely the weak link here. I'm shooting a tad high, which I don't mind so much, about and inch, and three inches to the left. If I can't dial that in with practice and better grip I'll drift the rear sight.

All she needs is more ammo! If you're looking for a commander sized 1911, made in the USA, at a relatively reasonable street price I highly recommend the Ruger SR1911cmd.

More eye candy.....

But that I could get one of them Rogers. But that I could.

Colonel26 wrote:I shot the Ruger 1911 cmd. Some more tonight. Wow! The trigger on this thing. I actually had a couple of fliers in my groups because the trigger surprised me. Going from a striker fired hand gun to this is eye opening.

At 15 yards three shot groups with touching holes was doable if I did my part, I'm definitely the weak link here. I'm shooting a tad high, which I don't mind so much, about and inch, and three inches to the left. If I can't dial that in with practice and better grip I'll drift the rear sight.

All she needs is more ammo! If you're looking for a commander sized 1911, made in the USA, at a relatively reasonable street price I highly recommend the Ruger SR1911cmd.

Howdy Colonel!
You mentioned a couple of fliers, so I'm just curious about how you're doing your group shooting... I have no idea what you technique is, so here goes!
Are you shooting your groups standing? or sitting?

and what kind of paper target are you using? The typical pistol Bullseye B-16 target? (I use these at 25 yds)

and what is your sight picture? 6 o'clock hold on the bottom of the bull? or on the center of the bull?

When I'm shooting a handgun for accuracy, I sit at a bench and I have a couple of sandbags I've made up from lead shot bags, filled with aquarium gravel and sewn back up. I set them up so I rest the shooting hand with the pistol in hand, is resting on top of one of the bags and just comfortably hold the handgun lined up to the target, with the front sight nested in the rear sight and the 6 o'clock hold with the whole bullseye sitting on top of the front sight. I've found I can more accurately see any deviation this way. Then I carefully shoot 5 shots, slow-fire. Taking my sweet 'ol time. I use the same technique as I employ for precision rifle shooting on calming, breath control, hold and then start the trigger press using the first distal pad in contact with the trigger. If the shot doesn't go off within 6-8 secs, I start over.

All of this may not be of any use to you but I thought I'd share it, just in case something here is useful to you.

All the best!

The old 16 GA Stevens Springfield M1929 single barrel shotgun came in this week. I picked it up on Wednesday afternoon, but didn't have a chance to take pictures until today. I am pleased with this acquisition (buying much more slowly nowadays) - it sure brings back memories. OH

What a beautiful gun. Beautiful receiver.

Great shotgun OH!

Checksix, I haven't been shooting from a bench. I've been shooting off hand. I've never really enjoyed bench shooting. But I have it dialed I think. It was my stance and grip. The Ruger is shooting like a dream now. As I said before, I'm he weak link. This thing is definitely more accurate than I am.

Nice shotgun OH! I noticed the color case hardening on the receiver. I've got one firearm with color case hardening.... a Colt Single Action Army in .45 Colt, Blued, Sambar Stag grips and color case hardening. That finish is beautiful to look at!

Nice looking pistol.

Nice Colt you have Dave - I like the color case hardening on guns that have it. OH

......anyone get the SMKW catalogs???....in the tin sign section, I always look for new john wayne signs....this current issue has a sign for "LESTER"S"-America's cheapest ammunition......it usually works !!.......I'm still laughing at the picture.....got to have one of those!!!................... ...................

Spent some time last Saturday sighting in a Savage Model 99 F 308W at both 50 and 100 yards in preparation for opening day here in PA Monday after Thanksgiving. Also took a Model 99 H carbine in 30 30 to shoot off hand just because.

Steve,
It must be a PA thing! Years ago, a friend loaned me his old Savage 99 to use. It was chambered in 300 Savage though. And it was shot so much, it was borderline on headspace spec. The brass was ballooning in the case head.... but it shot okay, minute of venison, if you will.

Steve GREAT 99's I have one in a .300 Savage by far my best shooter