Category: The Gun Thing

Not just the guns, but all the stuff that goes with them

Oldie But Goodie

Gun/Ammo Tests, The Gun Thing

I saw this ad a couple days back, and it brought back fond memories.

The Silvertip has been around for donkey’s years, and I recall that of late, its effectiveness has been somewhat derided by the usual tests (ballistic gel, whatever).

Here’s what I know.

Back in the early 1980s, I saw an autopsy of a corpse in a police morgue (long story, not important) of a man who had been shot once with a .45 ACP Silvertip.  The entry wound was, well, .45 inches, and the exit wound about double that.  Nothing much to report, there.

What really impressed me was what damage the bullet had caused along the way.  It hadn’t hit any rib bone on the way in, but the guy’s insides still looked like they’d gone 5 seconds in a commercial blender.

After seeing  that, I carried Silvertip ammo in my carry guns exclusively until the early 2000s, when it just got too expensive.  I see that Lucky Gunner, among others, now has the 9mm Silvertips on sale for about a buck a round, which is expensive but not massively so, in today’s Bidenflation World.

In .45 ACP, however, the cost per squeeze (IF you can find any in stock) is between $1.80 and $2 (!!!), which is definitely too spendy for my wallet.

But if you want to put only the best ammo in your carry gun for those unexpected antisocial occasions (and there’s nothing wrong with that), do consider the Silvertip as well as your usual suspects in premium self-defense ammo.  I’ve seen first-hand what it does, after all.

And of course, I get no kickback from Winchester or anyone else from my recommendations.

Other Fine Guns

Friends and Family, Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

Comment by Reader Velocette about our little TDSA excursion:

“That Winchester High Wall is the class act of the lot, unless you were enjoying an 1873 Colt or a P 35 Hi Power”

Not quite an 1873 Colt, but we did have a 1980 Colt Python 6″ (.357 Mag), not mine, alas for I own one not:

…and yes, a Browning High Power:

…and sundry 1911 variants, of course:

  

…as well as several .22 pistols and revolvers, and a few other .357 Mag/.38 Spec revolvers.

Also on hand, a Winchester 1894 lever rifle (.30-30):

…a Taurus (Winchester copy) Model 63 ( .22 LR):

…the aforementioned Browning High Wall (.45-70 Gov):

…and lastly, my M1 Carbine (which Doc Russia managed to break;  Mr. FM’s comment:  “It survived WWII and Korea, but not one range session with Doc”):

There were other guns, most of them high-tech / gadget-loaded 9mm and .223 EVIL BLACK RIFLES WITH SILENCERRRRRRRS, but of them we will not speak.

I can’t believe that we blew through so much ammo, but considering that firing commenced at about 10:30am and the guns finally fell silent at 3:30pm, perhaps it’s not all that surprising.

In conclusion, I cannot say enough good things about TDSA and its owner Len Baxley.  If you haven’t ever been there, you should.  Mr. FM has been there twice (two separate trips Over Here), and says it’s the most fun he’s ever had, on both occasions.  If you want to try the place out, let me know and I’ll give you advice on what to take and not take so you can have a great time.

Visitors Etc.

Good Stuff, The Gun Thing

The secret is out:  Mr. & Mrs. Free Market are Over Here for Doc Russia’s nuptials, so of course while Mrs. FM went off to deplete his millions do some shopping, her husband, Doc and I went to TDSA to shoot off, as it turned out, well over a thousand boolets.

Here’s Doc, doing his bit to keep noise pollution down:


(note the pattern on his shirt)

…Mr. FM shooting what turned out to be his favorite gun of the two dozen or so we took out there:

Then he and Doc did a little run-and-gunning:

…and later, Mr. FM went all Warsaw Pact:


(no, he wasn’t shooting at the paper target blowing around in the wind)

Your Humble Narrator was to busy taking pics and loading mags to shoot much (maybe a hundred .45, and the same of .357 and 9mm), but the most fun for me was going old-time .45-70:

A full report to follow once I’ve got all the product descriptions from Doc.

A day at the range with BBQ sandwiches and ribs, good friends and no range Nazis, shooting whatever we wanted, in whatever quantity  we wanted, teasing each other mercilessly and friendly, no-score competitions followed by a little beer time afterwards… we all agreed that it just doesn’t get any better than this.

I love these guys.

Great-Uncle Jimmy

The Gun Thing

Your great-uncle Jimmy was a lifelong lover of Smith & Wesson revolvers, but when he passed away, he left his entire collection to his sons.  However, in order to spread the goodness, he sent Collector’s Firearms a gift card in the amount of $2,000 in your name,  with the proviso that it could only be spent on a S&W revolver.

So feel free to peruse the lists  (old and modern) thereof, and tell me in Comments which one (or ones) you’d buy, and why.

Me, I’m partial to this old M&P, at $1,495:

The pre-war Target Models are wonderfully accurate, and while I’m not especially partial to the pearl grips, it would make a fine Governor’s BBQ gun.

A very close second would be this Model 624, at $1,395:

Not quite beautiful enough to be a BBQ gun, but damn close.  (And amazingly, .44 Special ammo is not as expensive as it used to be — or maybe it’s just that the other calibers have caught up with it.)

Bad Idea

The Gun Thing

I carry guns all the time, but I never carry openly, except at the range.  In fact, I’m kind of paranoid about letting anyone know I’m carrying, even acquaintances.  (All my friends know that I’m carrying, just as I know they are, and we seldom if ever even talk about it.)

I’m not interested in “making people comfortable about seeing guns in public” for the simple reason that some of those people will want to take my gun away from me.  Not going to happen.

Here’s someone who agrees with me, and has some good reasons behind his position.  I agree with all of them.

You may or may not agree with me, but argument is pointless because I’m not going to change my mind about it.

Carry On

Politics, The Gun Thing

Looks like Alabama has joined the ranks of the “Constitution Carry” states, thus closing off a revenue stream to various county sheriffs, boo-hoo.

As has Ohio — well done, everyone.  That makes 23 states who agree with the Second Amendment’s “keep and bear arms” provision.

Georgia is likewise poised to the same, their House Bill now with the Senate for “reconciliation” with their own (already passed) bill, thence to the GeorgiaGov’s desk for his (promised) signature.  Get it done, kids, let’s make it 24.

What makes it all the better is the socialists’ response: