Not just the guns, but all the stuff that goes with them
Looks as though the ammo pipeline is opening up a little:
Sadly, it looks as though the “7-cent” days are gone forever, but at least it’s there for the taking.
I’ve heard good things about this RHT stuff (see link for explanation), and 65 cents per isn’t too bad for .45 ACP.
I can’t afford either at the moment, but there ya go.
I know, I know… Smith & Wesson has decided to leave Massachusetts because the MassGov hates them, wants to tax them out of business, and wants to make it illegal for them to manufacture products (AR-15s) which account for 60% of S&W’s sales.
So unsurprisingly, S&W said, “Fuck you” and are planning to move to…
…Tennessee?
I mean, I have nothing but love for the Davy Crockett state, but what are we Texans? Chopped liver? S&W didn’t even consider Texas for relocation, and surely we could compete with Tennessee in the “nice places to do business” competition.
All that said, the Maryville area is a pretty area. I’ve been there several times to call on a former client (hi, Pat!) and it’s only a stone’s throw from the Smoky Mountains.
Of course, the announcement could have been wrong, in that S&W are planning to move to Marysville TX, which is a little unincorporated area just south of the Oklahoma/Texas border; but then again:
…probably not.
I still think we should have been given a chance, though.
It’s Italy Day here on this back porch of mine:
…and here are some fine Italian things.
First up, a matched pair of Rizzini shotguns:
Next up, a 1955 Fiat 8V, styled by Zagato:
…and a 1967 Fiat 2400 Dino Spider:
Speaking of fine Italian models of yore, it’s about time we looked at Sophia again:
…and her younger compatriot, Monica Bellucci:
And speaking of yummy:
Where could one buy such things? Well, in Milan, for instance:
That’s all Italian style, folks, and it’s pretty much unbeatable.
Okay, once again I am compelled to stand athwart the tide of gun trends, and cry “STOP!”.
The object of my discontent is this trend towards “assault pistols” such as the ones which appear here and feature guns like these:
Let me make my feelings on this type of gun quite clear: if they were full-auto (select fire), i.e. sub-machine pistols, I would take one in a heartbeat. But as pistols, they’re shit.
Bulkier and heavier (ergo unconcealable) than a regular Glock, 1911 or S&W semi-auto, firing the same Europellet poodle-shooter ammo as most pistols nowadays seem to be doing [sigh], and beloved of SWAT-fanbois everywhere, they fail as pistols and are inferior to pistol-caliber carbines in terms of accuracy and punch.
Aesthetically, they look like shit — cobbled together by some Bubba in his workshop somewhere — and they’re overpriced. Such is fashion, and it’s as true for guns as it is about, say, shoes:
(The one on the left looks like the shoe equivalent of an assault pistol, and the pink disasters are actually from Balenciaga.)
I think the problem started when CZ converted their wonderful Skorpion subbie into semi-auto:
…and all of a sudden, AR and AK variants of the same concept started sprouting like poisonous mushrooms.
Your taste, your choice (and dollars), of course, and if you think that owning one of these makes you look like some kind of “operator”, be my guest.
On the other hand, if you want one of these because it causes anti-gunners, the media and gun-fearing wussies [some overlap] to reach for their smelling salts, go right ahead.
Just don’t expect me to join you.
From Reader Greg S, a question via email:
Might I ask you to share your thoughts on “English” stock vs. American stocks for shotguns? As I imagine many do here in the USA, my shotgunning experience started with the typical “pistol grip” style of butt stock. There’s also a similar style called “Prince of Wales” that I’ve seen.
A few years in, I was fortunate to try the straight English butt stock and became an instant convert. Strictly for myself, I’ve found that recoil management is better and the shotgun seems to point more naturally.
Those would also be my reasons for choosing the straight stock, but I also just love the way they look. Compare the pistol-gripped Beretta Silver Pigeon and the “English” Browning Superlite (both lovely shotguns) below:
Now compare even the Browning to an English stock and splinter forearm on a side-by-side H&H Deluxe:
More graceful, lighter (by several ounces), quicker to shoulder and point… pretty much perfection. (We can argue about twin vs. single triggers at another time.)
Your opinion may vary, but neither Reader Greg nor I care.
I often get promo emails from Classic Firearms, and occasionally a couple items will jump off the page, so to speak. Yesterday’s was one such example:
That’s not the Lee Harvey Oswald version, but the earlier 6.5mm one. I’ve fired several of these before, and although the bolt is a little clunky, there’s nothing at all wrong with it as a fun gun, or even, dare I say, a truck/trunk gun. And ammo, thanks to Prvi Partizan (may they stay in business forever), is actually not too spendy, as seen at Graf & Sons:
The only problem with the Carcano rifles (of any chambering) is that their condition is often questionable — and I’m not talking about beat-up stocks, either. Sometimes, the bores are almost smooth or else pitted like the surface of the Moon. So caveat emptor.
The above is certainly not true of the next offering, the fantastic Schmidt-Rubin 1911 rifles and carbines:
As I’ve said many times before, this rifle is one of the unsung wonders of the modern age: made to Swiss-watch tolerances, just about every one I’ve ever fired has felt like ball-bearings on velvet, with accuracy to match. I prefer the longer 1911 over the K11 carbine simply because it’s better-made, but either way, you’re going to get a fine rifle. There’s hardly a day goes by without me looking back with regret at having had to sell my 1911 rifle because Poverty.
Now, about the 7.5x55mm ammo:
I am delighted to see that RUAG has restarted manufacture of their superlative mil-spec ammo, and Graf assures us that they’ll have it back in stock within a month or so. And at 62 cents per pull… yikes.
And just for the hell of it, here’s the last item:
I don’t know anything about this little example of Central European gunny goodness, but given the exorbitant cost of the HK / SIG offerings, this might be worth a look.
Man, I love this Gun Thing.