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Gun Thread: Second March Edition!

Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!

Big Time has decided it's now an hour later. Did you set your clocks ahead, or are you a domestic time denier? Who gets to decide what time it is, anyway? Is there a Federal Time Department? Do they have guns? How long before the Time Police show up at your door?

In other news work has calmed down to a dull roar, and now I'm waiting on the weather to cooperate to head down to the farm-o for some R&R. Weasel needs some farm time and R&R! Oh, and I moved the NoVAMoMe stuff downstairs, so keep looking there for updates (none this week).

With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?

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Last week we had a question in the comments from our pal RedMindBlueState.

Weasel... what are your thoughts on the Protektor rabbit ear rear bag? Posted by: RedMindBlueState at March 05, 2023 07:57 PM (Wnv9h)

What is my opinion? Are you asking me for my opinion of the Protektor bag? Am I to understand you would like to know what I think about the Protektor bag?

I am now prepared to announce the official WeaselOpinion of the Protektor rear bag.

Weasel Statement on the Protektor Bag - For Immediate Release
The Protektor bag is nothing less than the finest shooting accessory in the history of the Planet of the Earth, and the company which produces it is nothing less than the greatest shooting bag and accessory manufacturer in the history of the Planet of the Earth.

** END OF STATEMENT **

Show of hands - who out there has heard me talk about wobbly shit? C'mon, Man! If you have been reading the Gun Thread for any time, or simply looking at the Gun Thread pictures, I know you have heard me talk about the insidious and evil nature of wobbly shit and the deleterious effect is has on your shooting. Even those of you without strong reading and comprehension skills would have picked this up, as the Gun Thread practically oozes contempt for wobbly shit, in all of its hideous manifestations.

Are we clear? Are we clear now on wobbly shit? No? Well then it occurs to me I have not said enough on the subject of wobbly shit.

When you are shooting from a fixed position, whether it be prone or from a bench, your front and rear points of contact have to be a solid as possible. I am not talking about a little solid, or sort-of solid, but really very bigly solid. I know some people like to stack all sorts of random shit making little Jenga towers for the gun to rest on, but that is far, far, far from ideal and in some cases, comically useless.

ANY movement in the rear bag under recoil translates to a lot of wobbling around of the muzzle, or the "business" end of the rifle where the bullet pops out. When working with a new shooter, the instant I see vertical dispersion on the target, I immediately suspect a) goofy ammo with inconsistent velocities, and 2) wobbily rear bag shit.

The solution at least for the rear bag part? Well, just get a solid rear bag setup. The Protector Model Co. in Galeton, PA, has been making leather shooting accessories since 1938. That's right, they have been making quality products in the U.S.A. for 85 years, and I am here to tell you that's what I used exclusively in competition. You absolutely cannot go wrong with them, and if you are unsure what you need, simply give them a call and tell them what sort of shooting you like to do as well as a little info on the style gun stock you have. It's that simple.

The 'Dr.' model in the picture above is what I use. The bag height and ear width are customizable to fit both the shooter and the gun. Do yourself a big favor and order the bag pre-filled with sand from the factory. Yes, it may cost you a little more in shipping, but they have 85 years of experience with filling leather bags with sand, and they know what they're doing to get it just right.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of this rear bag deal. It is absolutely essential if you want any sort of consistency beyond a couple hundred yards. They weigh about 10 pounds and aren't for toting around in the woods on a hunting trip unless you have hired a Sherpa, but for shooting from a fixed location, you cannot go wrong here. I know a few of our pals here on the ol' GT have purchased these bags and I invite them to share their experience with them in the comments.

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Guns of the Horde
First up, our pal and delightful 'ette, Screaming in Digital sends in this beauty for us all to enjoy.

My S&W model 1917, Brazilian contract of 1937, and I have the receipt from when Jesse's dad bought this gun in 1988 for $160 at American Arms in Gaithersburg. According to the Indiana Jones wiki, Indy carried a modified model 1917 in Raiders, but this is not what he shoots the swordsman with Here is a Brownells From the Vault video about the model 1917.

Jesse transferred this to me before our big Montana-Idaho-Cody road trip. He wanted me to carry it while hiking in Glacier, in case I pissed off a grizzly. However, at the time I didn't have enough experience with revolvers to use it competently, so I carried my P365 and bear spray. I'm pleased to report I never had the opportunity to observe a grizzly bear's reaction to my tiny 9mm.

Eventually I had more opportunities to practice and discovered a deep and abiding love for revolvers. I can shoot this reasonably well, except with these wood grips I can't comfortably get my finger in the right position on the trigger. I can only handle about 18 rounds before my hand starts tingling and aching. Still, it's fun to shoot if a bit awkward for me. I'll report back when I switch out for Pachmayr grips - sorry it won't be as pretty - and have a chance to shoot it again.

Very nice, SiD!! Thank you so much for sending this in!

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Next up, our pal Ed L makes us jealous!

This M1911A1 was one of 1,296 manufactured in 1938, the fewest pistols Colt built in any year of M1911A1 production. This a rare firearm. Few in number to start with, heavily attritted during WWII, and post-WWII rebuilding and service reduced their numbers even further.

This Colt letter shows that Colt shipped this pistol to Springfield Armory, MA on August 25, 1938 as part of a shipment of 246 pistols. This was the fourth and final shipment of M1911A1s by Colt to the US Army on the 1938 contract. Although the 1924 and 1937 production pistols are M1911A1 pistols, the 1938 production pistols are the first ones to be marked "M1911A1 US ARMY" on the pistol itself. This was due to an error in that the US Army didn't change the original 1924 manufacturing drawings until January 1938. Because of this error, the 1924 and 1937 pistols are marked "MODEL OF 1911. U.S. ARMY" even though they were built as M1911A1s.

Thanks to the Springfield Research Service, we know about this pistol's military service from a report of survey dated February 14, 1942. This pistol was assigned to the USS Mayo (DD-422) in September 1940 at the Boston Navy Yard, shortly before or immediately after its commissioning on 18 September 1940. This report of survey included a statement from Lt. Commander Irving T. Duke, the captain of the USS Mayo at the time. The US Navy promptly wrote off this pistol from its books. What would have been a huge problem in the peacetime USN was a minor concern in the dark days of WWII. The pistol's loss did not hurt Lt. Commander Duke's career. In the fall of 1942, the USN promoted him to Commander. At the end of WWII, he was a Captain. He commanded the heavy cruiser USS Rochester before taking command of USS Missouri in June 1950. Captain Duke took USS Missouri to cover the Inchon landings, then covered the USMC withdrawal from Chosin to Wonsan in 1951. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1952, Irving T. Duke retired as a Vice Admiral in 1959. He died in 1979 and was buried in Arlington Cemetery.

Can I get a Holy Shitballs people?! Man, that's a gorgeous gun and very nicely documented, too. Congratulations, EdL!

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Our pal No One of Consequence has been back to the range!

I've finally made it back to the range.

My first attempt to go shooting this week was unsuccessful. I showed up by myself, needing to rent a gun, which apparently is a red flag, and so requires either a CC permit or a permit to purchase a firearm, neither of which I had. Someone from the Horde (Oddbob, I think) suggested it may be due to the potential for suicides, which I can understand. So I went to my local PD to apply for a permit to purchase. I was told that it can take up to a week and a half, and so was pleasantly surprised when it showed up in the mail today (Friday - so it only took a couple days to issue it). With permit in hand, off to the range I went.

5 yards

This time around, I used a Glock 17, as the Glock 19 was unavailable. I got two targets, and used one at 5 yards, and the other at 7.5 yards. I stayed with 50 rounds, but followed the advice I got on a previous gun thread to load 5 rounds at a time. It gave me ample time to study my shooting as I was reloading. I was pretty pleased with my results at 5 yards.

7.5 yards

7.5 yards began poorly. I'm fairly certain I missed the target entirely with 2-3 shots, and you can see another shot that hit the lower left of the paper. I adjusted my aim, and things began to improve, though I'm still mostly hitting a bit low.

Next time I go, I want to try a different gun, though I'd like to stick with a 9mm. Any suggestions on where to go from here?

Very nice NOC! My suggestion to you is to find an instructor, or even an experienced shooting buddy who can observe your technique. You may be anticipating recoil which is something all shooters must contend with. My main shooting buddy, WeaselBuddy Geoff and I laugh at each other because we still catch ourselves anticipating shots sometimes.

This all goes back to the caveman days when we became conditioned to flinch whenever a bright, loud explosion happens right in front of our faces. I wish I had one weird trick to give you that would absolutely solve the problemo, but I don't. When anticipating recoil, it's natural to sub-consciously depress the muzzle to offset the tendency of the muzzle to rise when the gun is fired. I will tell you what I do to help though, and that is as I pick up a gun and make ready to shoot, I make a quick mental review of grip, stance and sight alignment while telling myself to make a smooth trigger pull and not to flinch, which seems to help. I also like to suggest focusing on one element of proper fundamentals each and every time you pull the trigger.

What about all y'all? Any other suggestions for No One of Consequence?

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Toy Gun Commercials
Who doesn't wish for a return to the simpler time when our favorite toys guns were advertised on TV?

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When I saw the title for this video, I quite naturally assumed they were referring to me.

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NoVAMoMe 2023

Not so fast on the gun stuff, buckaroos! We have a little bit more on the NoVAMoMe to discuss. In fact, this will be the first of a long and seemingly endless series of reminders to get yo' big butt off the couch and come out and meet some of your online friends. Let's kick things off with a few NoVAMoMe FAQ.

Q: Is it fun?
A: Yes. Just ask anyone who has been to one. You will have fun, or else.

Q: When is it again? Did you say June?
A: Yes. A thousand times yes! June 10th, from 1pm til 6pm or so.

Q: I'm sort of a dork. Can I just slink-in, watch for a bit and then slink out without having to actually speak with anyone?
A: Yes. In fact, we have strategically placed large potted ferns for lurkers to hide behind.

Q: Will bluebell be there? I really want to meet bluebell.
A: Of course! Well, assuming things go well at the parole hearing.

Q: Is there food and drink?
A: Yes! $30 for a bigly buffet, and a cash bar. We had to bump up the food price a bit to cover costs this year.

Q: Can I make references, even veiled references to the secret MoMe location on the blog?
A: NO! Seriously, please don't.

Q: Sounds great, Weasel! How do I sign up?
A: We will again have an online page with registration and payment specifics, however, it's not yet live as we're still working out a few of the details. Keep an eye out here on the ol' Gun Thread or the main page sidebar for more info in the coming weeks.

OK, I'm talking to YOU Mr. or Ms. I'll Go Next Time. Guess what? The next time is here. It's a really fun event and we would love to have you join us. Hopefully some NoVAMoMe veterans will speak up in the comments and encourage the introverts to stop being big baby chickens and make this the year to come out of the shadows!

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Musical Interlude
Here is Joe Bonamassa at RAH with Mountain Time. Seriously take the time to listen to this.

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Gun Basics 101
New video from the She Equips Herself gal! This week's video is on the Sig 365 vs Glock 42! In the beginning SEH gal discusses renting a gun at the range to try-before-you-buy and I really endorse this approach!

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Cigar of the Week

This week our pal rhomboid scores again with this excellent review of the Alec & Bradley Kintsugi

I've been looking forward to burning this one, and was not disappointed. In fact one of the stand-outs so far. On the mild side of medium, definitely some flavor notes (don't ask me to ID them), just real good. As the review explains:

"One of the big brands in premium cigars is Alec Bradley. The founder, Alan Rubin, named the company for his two young sons, Alec and Bradley. Well they've grown up now, and have followed dad into the business. Despite concerns by some that it would prove confusing, when they established their own line they decided to call it "Alec and Bradley". Well Alec and Bradley now have a few releases on the market, and they started out strong, with several (including today's cigar) making the top 25 list the year they hit the market.

The Kintsugi is named after a style of Japanese ceramics using broken pottery to recreate objects. My local had only the gordo vitola (6 X 60), larger than I usually prefer - but that ended up being a good break. Because this stick was a very nice smoke. Beautiful light chocolate-toned wrapper (from Honduras), good construction, voluminous "chewy" smoke - and smooth and flavorful. On the lighter side of medium-bodied. ID'ing specific flavor notes continues to be a challenge, let's just say there was an overall subtle sweet tone throughout, with various notes like baking spices popping out here and there. Overall, one of my favorites so far. Kintsugi is available online for $5-7 depending on the vitola. Fans of medium bodied cigars will want to try this one when they come across it."

Photo attached. And BTW, you'll want to read the book in that photo, if you haven't already. An amazing story.

Excellent, rhomboid! Thank you!

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Here are some different online cigar vendors. You will find they not only carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines. It's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar.

Cigarsinternational.com
Cigarpage.com
Famous-smoke.com
Cigarsdaily.com
Neptunecigar.com
Smallbatchcigar.com
Bobalu Cigar Company
Cigarbid.com

A note about sources. The brick & mortar/online divide exists with cigars, as with guns, and most consumer products, with respect to price. As with guns - since both are "persecuted industries", basically - I make a conscious effort to source at least some of my cigars from my local store(s). It's a small thing, but the brick & mortar segment for both guns and tobacco are precious, and worth supporting where you can. And if you're lucky enough to have a good cigar store/lounge available, they're often a good social event with many dangerous people of the sort who own scary gunz, or read smart military blogs like this one. -rhomboid

Anyone have others to include? Perhaps a small local roller who makes a cigar you like? Send me your recommendation and a link to the site!

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Ammo Link-O-Rama
I'm really very seriously not kidding around anymore. Buy Ammo
AmmoSeek - online ammo search tool
GunBot - online ammo search tool
SG Ammo
Palmetto State Armory
Georgia Arms
AmmoMan
Target Sports USA
Bud's Gun Shop
American Elite Ammo NEW!

***Mail Bag***

This week's mailbag entry is from our pal That SOB Van Owen. Great one!

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Please note the new and improved protonmail account gunthread at protonmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. Future expansion plans are in the works for the site Weasel Gun Thread. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!

That's it for this week - have you been to the range?