plain, worn, and strangely evolved

[Curly James]

I was casting boolits today and started thinking (actually my mind wanders when I cast and it wandered onto this subject) about carry guns. I have three in particular, at least one of which is always with me. The first and the one that is always with me is a Ruger LCP 380 ACP. It shows the wear and tear of being carried every day and also the 1400 rounds fired through it in the past two years. Probably a third of which was Lee 102 grain round nose cast from range scrap. The second is a Glock 27 in 40 S&W that has been my duty gun for quite a few years now and has been worked over by me, I'm a Glock armorer, and wears an extended Lone Wolf barrel and Warren tactical sights, sorta. The rear is a Warren tactical, the front is a Trijicon night sight. (long story) The barrel is extended for the simple reason I got it really cheap and it was made for a slightly longer slide. Works fine in the 27 and is quite accurate with the LEE 175 grain TC boolit. Last and definitely not least is a S&W mdl 13 in 357 mag that I have bobbed the hammer on. It is scary accurate with Lyman's 358477 and a Unique powder charge I won't discuss here. These are MY guns and are the ones I carry these days. So here is a little gun porn for those interested. Now let's talk about yours too.

[Jack Stanley]

Though I do like the "K" frames a great deal , the rare times I carry anything is a four inch model twenty-nine . I'm not sure I need to carry it but the neighbors say there is a cougar that stalks these parts . Now ....... I've never seen the beastie but if I'm out using the chainsaw ( which should deter the critter I'd think ) or walking I normally have that under the coat . It usually gets fed a diet of the Lee cowboy bullets at just over nine hundred and fifty feet per second . If I happen to have the six inch twenty-nine out , it carries two hundred forty-five grain cast hollow points with a goodly charge of twenty-four hundred .

I'm not sure just what I'd put under the coat if I had to go into town . More than likely the four inch .

Jack

[dubber123]

I love that Model 13. I have yet to come across one of those 3" models.

[Multigunner]

Speaking of evolution of a carry piece. I once ran across a 1911 that had been kept by the manager of an icehouse for decades. Mostly office protection and transfering funds and such.
The entire outside of the pistol had been rusted over many times by salt air and salt on the owner's hands.
It looked as if he'd scrubbed surface rust away every so often with steel wool. The pistol looked as smooth and slick as a well used bar of soap, and a deep brown like a Brown Bess musket barrel, or an old hammerhead.
Every sharp edge had been worn to a radius.
I mentioned this pistol to a avid 1911 collector and several weeks later he brought over one of his less collectable 1911 pistols which he had carefully radiused and smoothed just as I'd described the icehouse pistol.
The pistol seemed to jump out of a holster or pocket when drawn, no drag at all.

[warf73]

My normal carry is a XD 40 and it also is showing wear, the Ruger SP 101 doesnt show any wear. The wife is wanting a Ruger LCP 380 ACP, she says her XD 40 wieghts to much. I've given more thought into carry a LCP for my summer carry as it would be easyer to hide than the 101.

How do you like the LCP? And were did you get your brass?

[Dale53]

Here is one of my carry guns - a Kimber Ultra CDP II in .45 ACP:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers5Selects-0206.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers5Selects-0210.jpg

This piece continues to amaze me with it's capabilities. The first time I took it to the range, in front of a couple of shooting buddies, I shot it at 25 yards, standing, at the 25 yard timed fire target and the worst shot was a NINE! Frankly, I was as surprised as my friends were. 3" barrel and shoots all nines and tens...

I have had this one for a VERY long time:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers5Selects-2-4.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers5Selects-2-5.jpg

Dale53

[Blammer]

my constant companion for the last 10 yrs or so
it's the only 45 I own, put 200 rnds through it last week

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Stuff/DSCN7943.jpg

[Curly James]

How do you like the LCP? And were did you get your brass?

I cannot begin to tell you how fond I am of this little gun. It has been very reliable and way more accurate than expected. I can honestly say I haven't been this enamored with a pocket gun in a long time. This one rides on my ankle in a Fobus holster or in my back pocket most all the time.

As far as the brass, I always pick up my brass and any other brass abandoned on the pistol bays at my club. I also got lucky and found about 750 pieces for sale on the club swap & sell board. So far, with the load I use they have held up very well. I will tell you that I have discovered that sorting by brand and in some cases length is very important before reloading. take care, CJ.

[9.3X62AL]

Some evolution in CCW going on here, too.

I "downed" the 9mm (SIG P-226) when my agency re-enforced the "issue ammo only" rubric as a part of their reaction to H.R. 218. That 147 sub-sonic JHP Fackler Special junk is barely humane for jackrabbit hunting. They DQ'ed my CZ-75 in 40 S&W as well. JERKS.

What to do.......the Manna From Heaven Department checked in early this year, and a like-new Glock 23 landed in my lap for a very good price. We run good ammo in 40 S&W (WW SXT 180s), so that was a timely acquisition. I am really liking this pistol for CCW, and it is no slouch as a range critter either. Lotta fun to shoot.

More Manna From Heaven, and more recently--at last month's annual CCW quals for us old retired reprobates, I learned that 1911A1 pistols were now approved for carry in a fairly wide variant range. BIG surprise, that. I'm still weighing that option and the SIG P-220, all in 45 ACP. Being broke at present helps with the R&D process, adding much-needed objectivity while collecting nickels and dimes for The New Toy Fund.

If in the back-country, the side iron is a S&W 686 x 4", and a Mini-14 or Win 94 in 30-30 goes behind the seat of the truck. I am quite fond of the 357 Magnum revolver, and a Model 13 x 3" is well-nigh perfect for a street gun--every bit as good as my Glock 23.

[Curly James]

Al,

The Glock 23 is an excellent handgun and I strongly recommend getting an aftermarket barrel. I've practically turned my Glock 27 into a mdl 23. It has a 23 barrel in it most of the time and a 23 magazine with a spacer added to form a longer gripping area. Thinking about that fact strikes me as just weird on my part and I'm not too sure how I got there. Despite the claims made by the Glock reps at the shows and in armorers school, a tighter chamber does wonders for the accuracy of these gun.

As for your 686, that was my first duty gun and I still have it and it has a permanent home in my nightstand along with a handful of speed loaders and a good light.

A photo of the S&W 13 and the Glock 27 wearing the factory barrel and the extended magazine.

[machinisttx]

I love that Model 13. I have yet to come across one of those 3" models.

I, very stupidly, passed on one a couple of years ago. Still kicking myself over that.

Edit: Even though I'm pretty well set on S&W revolvers, I don't care much for J frames. I'm extremely fond of the K frames, but my 2.5" M66 doesn't conceal as well as my Ruger SP101. The Ruger is my constant companion, has seen more magnums than specials, and is still as tight as the day I bought it(used). It's nearly bomb proof and lots more comfortable to shoot than a J frame, or the previously mentioned M66.

[davestarbuck]

Heh, I too have 3 main carry guns...

Glock 26 either in IWB holster or in a fanny pack when out walking/jogging. This is my not at work gun (wink wink).

S&W 642 Airweight or Ruger LCP in a pocket holster. My "at work" guns, for various reasons I can't wear a concealed gun around my waist at work. I tend to carry the S&W more though.

-Dave