Gun Thread: Pre-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!

Holy Shitballs! How in the ever-loving Hell did it get to be the end of February? I suppose it's time to start working on tax returns which typically puts me in a bad mood for about six months. However, since the government has been spending our dollars so wisely and carefully, I really shouldn't complain. How about you? Do you prepare your taxes early or wait until the last minute? If you're getting a refund, are you going to buy shooting stuff?

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

Fundamentals. Practice them and share your story of great personal achievement in the comments below!

At first glance, this Colt M1911 looks no different than any other old, worn M1911. Only a close look at its serial number and right-side slide markings reveals that it's a milestone firearm.

Serial Number 561 was part of the first shipment of five hundred M1911 pistols delivered to the US Navy on March 9, 1912 (one month before RMS Titanic began her ill-fated maiden voyage) at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, NY. It is the 561st M1911 delivered by Colt and the 61st delivered to the US Navy.

The M1911 pistols delivered in the early months of 1912 had several distinct features. The monogramed "WGP" above the magazine catch are the initials of Major Walter G. Penfield, the US Army Ordinance inspector at Colt. His initials signified US Army acceptance of the pistol. The left rear of the slide has the Colt rampant pony within a circle (and a slightly goofy facial expression upon magnification).

M1911 pistols delivered in 1912 have rounded rear sights. This reduced wear and tear on the M1912 holsters carrying the M1911. Complaints about using this sight in service changed it to the more familiar rectangular rear sight used to the end of M1911A1 production. The "H" stamped just below the rear sight is the acceptance mark of Frank Hosmer, Major Penfield's civilian deputy. His "H" was placed on all major parts of the pistol (slide, barrel, frame) prior to final assembly.

The magazine catch release has a concave (aka "dimpled") shape. In service, removing the magazine catch release proved difficult. A slip by the soldier attempting to remove the magazine catch would result in the spring holding the catch in place shooting off into the unknown. The Army ordered Colt to change the mechanism to use a convex screw so that a screwdriver could be used to remove the magazine catch. This is the only moving part in John Browning's 1911 design that required changing after entering service.

As delivered, this M1911 would have had Colt's commercial "fire blue" finish, with the small parts sporting a bright blue color contrasting with the darker finish of the rest of the pistol. This example has had virtually all of the finish worn off with use. Only a remnant of the bright blue finish is still visible on the trigger and underside of the hammer.

The magazine is one of the few surviving original magazines, identifiable by the exposed edges of the base plate. Magazine problems dogged the M1911 during its first year of service. The feed lips would bend with use. Cracks would form in the corners where metal was bent to shape the magazine. Colt had problems obtaining and working with an acceptable sheet steel with a low enough carbon content to prevent cracking. These problems would not be solved until well into 1913.

It appears that the USN continued to use these early M1911s until their complete replacement by Beretta M9s. Serial number 538 now resides in the US Navy Museum's collection. The US Navy Museum received it from a decommissioning ship in 1991 after 79 continuous years of USN service.

Wow! Holy Crap! Thank you so much for sharing this EdL!!

And just for funsies, a WA video:

Q: Weasel, do you have a Stearman video?
A: Why yes, yes I do.

This week our pal Diogenes scores with this excellent review of the CAO Pilon.

CAO Pilon

So on New Year's Eve afternoon, I finished the last cigar of my 2024 surprise package of assorted sticks. Fortunately I was good boy last year, so much so that Santa brought me another pack for 2025. Now that I think about it, Santa and Mrs. D look a lot alike. Except for the beard. Well, the length anyway.

Anyway, I concluded the year with the CAO Pilon, of the signature series by Rick Rodriguez.

Now I don't enjoy a cigar that when I first put it into my mouth to moisten the end, th first thing I am hit with is that burning, peppery taste. It's not a big thing mind you, but an annoyance that I endure. And I'm glad I did.

This was the 5 x 52 stick that after the first 5 minutes, turned into pure smoking pleasure. I forgot about how chilly it was (smoking outside) and how cloudy it was (the Pacific NW after all) and I found myself enjoying a real fine cigar. This pilon boasted a smooth draw, even burn, and a real pleasant flavor. I saw nice smoke development and almost no after-taste. I paired it with a generous dollop of Buffalo Trace bourbon and was sorry to see both the end of the cigar and the bottom of the glass.

I fully recommend this cigar to smokers. Again, if you are a beginner, work through the pepper flavor at the start. You will be glad you did.

Excellent, Diogenes! Thank you very much!!

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
Nicks Cigar World New!

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!

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!

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?

posted by Weasel at 07:00 PM

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