Wednesday, January 31, 2007

SMITH AND WESSON


TUES. - Jan. 30, 2007

I do not recommend the purchase of any SOG knife, this is my personal opinion only as I have encountered hostility and misery with their warranty dept. The woman there is very nasty and there are far better choices in the purchase of a knife such as COLD STEEL and BENCHMADE etc, etc, etc. There is no one to talk to that seems to want to help some one like me that runs into defective SOG knives. AT THIS TIME I HONESTLY FEEL THAT THE PURCHASE OF A SOG PRODUCT IS A TOTAL WASTE OF YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. THERE ARE SO MANY BETTER KNIVES TO CHOOSE FROM MADE BY OTHER COMPANIES.


Teddy

...................................................................................


PROJECT STREET GUN #6


We are now accepting names of people that want to be in our next PROJECT STREET GUN CLASS WHICH IS NUMBER SIX. This is not a formal class, we will provide everything you need to do the work your self at your home and at your convenience. I would like to maintain about 15 people for this new project.

Please go to my website www.actionsbyt.com
and email me and we can discuss it in detail. I prefer to use the basic SA mil-spec 1911-a1 parkerized pistol. I do not want to use the stainless steel version.

I will accomodate some people if they have a new Colt, whether it be a series 70 or an 80. We can discuss it all. I have separate DVD's one for the series 70 and another one for the series 80.

Thankyou,

Teddy
www.actionsbyt.com
281 565 6977

...........................................


Smith & Wesson


DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE CURRENT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS OF SMITH AND WESSON HANDGUNS. THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION ONLY WHICH IS BASED ON MANY YEARS OF HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. THEY SEEM TO BE VERY INTERESTED IN SELLING YOU CHEAP CHINESE KNIVES AND COFFEE MUGS AND CLOTHING. MY OPINION ONLY...

SEE PHOTOS AT THE VERY BOTTOM - FEB. 1, 2006
.......................................................................................................................


Smith & Wesson Holding Corp.
Image:Smithandwesson_logo.png
Type Public NYSE: SWHC
Founded 1852
Founder Horace Smith, Daniel B. Wesson
Headquarters Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of America
Key people Michael F. Golden (CEO), John A. Kelly (CFO),
Industry Aerospace/Defense Products & Services
Products Firearms and law enforcement goods
Revenue US$190,770,000 (2006)
Operating income US$12,600,000 (2006)
Employees 832 (2006)
Subsidiaries Thompson/Center
Website Smith-Wesson.com

Smith & Wesson NASDAQ: SWHC are the largest manufacturers of handguns in the United States. Their corporate headquarters are in Springfield, Massachusetts. Smith & Wesson have a reputation for the many types of ammunition they have introduced over the years and for their revolver expertise.

Contents

History of Smith & Wesson

Cal. .44, between 1881 and 1923

Model 1, cal. .22

Smith & Wesson Volcanic, cal. .31, between 1845 and 1855

thumb|Model 3, Cal. .44, between 1874 and 1878

Beginning

In 1852 partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed a company to produce a lever-action pistol nicknamed "The Volcanic". The company became known as the "Volcanic Repeating Arms Company", and due to financial difficulties came into the majority ownership of investor Oliver Winchester.

In 1856 the partners left the Volcanic Company to begin a new company and to manufacture a newly-designed revolver-and-cartridge combination. The timing of the founding of this new company proved quite opportune for the partners, as the onset of the American Civil War five years later produced a great demand for Smith & Wesson's products.

In 1964 the company passed from Wesson family control, and subsequently a number of conglomerates took control of it.

From 1987 to 2001 Tomkins PLC, a British company, owned Smith & Wesson.

The Agreement of 2000

In March 2000 Smith & Wesson signed an agreement with the Clinton administration in order to avoid lawsuits. The company agreed to a number of safety and design standards, as well as limits on the sale and distribution of their products. Gun clubs and gun rights groups responded to this agreement almost instantly by initiating large-scale boycotts of Smith & Wesson by refusing to buy their new products and flooding the firearms market with used S&W guns, cutting into their market share. [1][2][3]

Acquisition by Saf-T-Hammer

On May 11, 2001, Saf-T-Hammer Corporation acquired Smith & Wesson Corp. from Tomkins PLC for US$15 million, a fraction of the US$112 million originally paid by Tomkins. Saf-T-Hammer also assumed US$30 million in debt, bringing the total purchase price to US$45 million. [4] [5] Saf-T-Hammer, a manufacturer of gun locks and other firearms safety products, purchased S&W with the intention of incorporating its line of security products into all Smith & Wesson firearms in compliance with the 2000 Clinton administration agreement.

The acquisition of Smith & Wesson was chiefly brokered by Saf-T-Hammer President Bob Scott, who left S&W in 1999 due to disagreement with Tomkins’ policies. After the purchase Scott became the President of Smith & Wesson to guide the 157-year-old company back to its former standing in the market.

On February 15, 2002 the name of the newly formed entity was changed to Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation.

Corporate governance

As of 2005 Smith & Wesson have the following members on its board of directors: Jeffrey Buchanan, John Furman, Michael F. Golden, Colton Melby, James Minder, Barry Monheit, Mitchell Saltz, Robert L. Scott, and Marie Wadecki.

Ammunition types introduced by Smith & Wesson

Famous S&W revolvers

Smith & Wesson Model 60, 3 inch barrel
Smith & Wesson Model 60, 3 inch barrel
  • S&W Model 3 — first automatic ejection of used ammunition
J-Frame (small) Models
K-Frame (medium) Models
L-Frame (medium-large) Models
N-Frame (large) Models
A Modern Smith & Wesson Revolver (Model 629)
A Modern Smith & Wesson Revolver (Model 629)
Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum stainless model 686
Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum stainless model 686
  • S&W Model 25 — both .45 ACP and .45 LC
  • Model 27 — first .357 Magnum; usually a custom or limited-run revolver, with a deep blue lustre
  • Model 28 — "Highway Patrolman" .357 Magnum; fewer frills than the Model 27, same performance; marketed to police due to its reduced price and equal performance.
  • Model 29 — first .44 Magnum, made famous by its appearance in the film Dirty Harry
  • S&W Model 1917 — first revolver chambered for .45 ACP
  • S&W Model 66 — Combat Magnum; the definitive S&W revolver when police officers still used wheel guns
  • S&W Model 624
  • Model 625 — used by Jerry Miculek to set the world record for 12 rounds (with one reload) on target in 2.99 seconds
  • S&W Model 627 — replacement for Model 27
  • S&W Model 629
X-Frame

Famous S&W semi-automatic pistols

Classic semi-automatic pistols

.45 ACP Chief's Special Model CS45
.45 ACP Chief's Special Model CS45

Sigma series

A Sigma pistol
A Sigma pistol

Smith & Wesson introduced the Sigma series of recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-auto pistols in 1994 with the Sigma 40, followed by the Sigma 9. Sigma pistols bore so much similarity to Glock's that users could reportedly interchange many parts between Glock and Sigma models. The similarities were so great that many pundits referred to the Sigma series as 'Swocks', a playful contraction of S&W and Glock. As a result, Glock initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against Smith & Wesson, which paid an undisclosed sum (the amount of three million dollars has been theorized) to Glock for infringement of their patents. S&W thereupon received the rights to continue the production of Sigma line, but they were forced to redesign the pistol's trigger mechanism so that it did not infringe upon Glock's patents.

The gun frame is manufactured from polymer, while the slide and barrel use either stainless steel or carbon steel. In 1999 S&W updated the Sigma by shortening the barrel (from 4-1/2 to 4 inches) and added an integral accessory rail for lights and laser target designators.

SW99 Series

S&W also reached an agreement with Walther to produce variations of the P99 line of pistols. Branded as the SW99, the pistol is available in several calibers, including 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, and in both full size and compact variations. Under the terms of the agreement, Walther produced the receivers, and Smith and Wesson produced the slide and barrel. The pistol has several cosmetic differences from the original Walther design, and strongly resembles a hybrid between the P99 and the Sigma series mentioned above finale.

M&P Series

Pistols

In 2005, Smith & Wesson debuted a new polymer-frame pistol intended for the law enforcement market. Dubbed the M&P (standing for Military and Police), its name was meant to evoke S&W's history as the firearm of choice for law enforcement agencies through its previous lineup of M&P revolvers. Though similar in appearance to the still-produced Sigma lineup, the M&P is a new design. Many of the ergonomic study elements that had been incorporated into the Sigma and the SW99 were brought over to the M&P. The improved trigger weight and feel, and unique takedown method (not requiring a dry pull of the trigger) were meant to set the M&P apart from both the Sigma and the popular Glock pistols.

It is available in 9x19, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG. A .45 ACP model will be released in early 2007, after making its debut at the SHOT show. Compact version are available in 9x19, .40 S&W and .357 SIG.

Rifles

In January 2006 Smith & Wesson entered into the AR-15 market with its M&P15 series of rifles. Unveiled at SHOT Show 2006, the rifle debuted in two varieties; the M&P15 and the M&P15T. Both are basically the same rifle, chambered in 5.56 NATO, with the T model featuring folding sights and a four-sided accessories rail. At it's debut, the M&P15's suggested retail price was $1,200, while the M&P15T retailed for $1,700. [6]

Shotguns

Smith & Wesson produced the Model 916,916T,916A 12 gauge shotguns which were plagued by poor quality control and had cascading minor issues in the field, prompting them to move on to the model 1000 and 3000 shotguns. Smith & Wesson exited the shotgun market in the early 70's to return to their "core" market of handguns.

In November 2006 S&W announced that it would reenter the shotgun market with two new lines of shotguns, the Elite series and the 1000 series, to be unveiled at the 2007 SHOT Show. Along with the new shotguns S&W debuted the Heirloom Warranty program, a first of its kind in the firearms industry. The warranty provides both the original buyer and the buyer's chosen heir with a lifetime warranty on all Elite Series shotguns. [7]

SW1911 Series

A SW1911 pistol
A SW1911 pistol

In 2003, Smith & Wesson introduced their variation of the classic M1911 .45 ACP semi-automatic handgun, the SW1911. This firearm retains the M1911's well known dimensions, operation, and feel, while adding a variety of modern touches. Updates to the design include serration at the front of the slide for easier operation and disassembly, a high "beaver-tail" grip safety, external extractor, lighter weight hammer, and trigger, as well as updated internal safeties to prevent misfires if dropped. S&W 1911s are available with black finished carbon steel slides and frames or bead blasted stainless slides and frames. They are also available with aluminum frames alloyed with Scandium in either natural or black finishes. These updates have resulted in a firearm that is true to the M1911 design, with additions that would normally be considered "custom", with a price similar to entry-level M1911 designs from other manufacturers.

Internal Locking Mechanism

All Smith & Wesson firearms have been equipped with an internal locking mechanism since the acquisition by Saf-T-Hammer. The mechanism itself is a relatively unobtrusive lock which, when activated with a special key, renders the firearm inoperable. While the lock could simply not be used at all, some gun owners refuse to buy "post-lock" guns, fearing the extra part might fail when they need it most. Smith & Wesson have repeatedly stated that the locking mechanism does not affect reliability. More, however, dislike it as it reeks of government interference, and is symbolic one of the country's oldest firearms makers "giving in".

Police bicycles

In addition to firearms, Smith & Wesson has also licensed its name to a line of bicycles designed by and for police. These bicycles have features such as higher handlebars and silent hubs. [8] [9]

Flashlights

Smith & Wesson Flashlights are also now available to the general public. They are designed and produced by PowerTech, Inc. in Collierville, Tennessee with Smith & Wesson's approval on every product.

Miscellaneous

Nineteenth century Japanese samurai and revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma carried a Smith & Wesson revolver. [10]

In 2005, the History Channel released a documentary about Smith & Wesson titled "Tales of the Gun: Guns of Smith & Wesson". [11]

In November 2006, Smith & Wesson announced that it would begin manufacture of shotguns for the 2007 model season, a market it has not been a part of since the 1970s [12]

References

  1. ^ Gun Owners call for boycott
  2. ^ Action America News Story
  3. ^ VCDL.org News Story
  4. ^ Article on Sale of Smith & Wesson
  5. ^ Phoenix Business Journals on Smith & Wesson Sale
  6. ^ S&W press release on new M&P15 Rifles
  7. ^ S&W press release on new line of shotguns
  8. ^ S&W press release on new line of bicycles
  9. ^ S&W press release on Police Bicycles
  10. ^ Things Asian article on Sakamoto Ryoma
  11. ^ AETV Store
  12. ^ Nasdaq News Story

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26_Wesson"
Posted by at

Friday, January 26, 2007

NEW ADVANCED FEDERAL AMMUNITION

TUES. - Jan. 30, 2007
I do not recommend the purchase of any SOG knife, this is my personal opinion only as I have encountered hostility and misery with their warranty dept. The woman there is very nasty and there are far better choices in the purchase of a knife such as COLD STEEL and BENCHMADE etc, etc, etc. There is no one to talk to that seems to want to help some one like me that runs into defective SOG knives. AT THIS TIME I HONESTLY FEEL THAT THE PURCHASE OF A SOG PRODUCT IS A TOTAL WASTE OF YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. THERE ARE SO MANY BETTER KNIVES TO CHOOSE FROM MADE BY OTHER COMPANIES.


Teddy

...................................................................................



We are now accepting names of people that want to be in our next PROJECT STREET GUN CLASS WHICH IS NUMBER SIX. This is not a formal class, we will provide everything you need to do the work your self at your home and at your convenience. I would like to maintain about 15 people for this new project.

Please go to my website www.actionsbyt.com
and email me and we can discuss it in detail. I prefer to use the basic SA mil-spec 1911-a1 parkerized pistol. I do not want to use the stainless steel version.

I will accomodate some people if they have a new Colt, whether it be a series 70 or an 80. We can discuss it all. I have separate DVD's one for the series 70 and another one for the series 80.

Thankyou,

Teddy
www.actionsbyt.com
281 565 6977

................................................


NEW FEDERAL AMMUNITION

This article appeared in the April 2000 issue of Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement. The pictures that accompanied the article in the magazine are at the bottom of this on-line version. There are also a couple of material penetration test pictures that were not included with the magazine article.

New Federal Expanding Full Metal Jacket

By Shep Kelly

In 1973 when I entered law enforcement, the newest, most controversial, bullet was Lee Jurras' SuperVel hollow and soft points for the .38SPL/357MAG, 9mm, .380 and .45 ACP. Lighter in weight than standard bullet weights, and at a much higher velocity, the theory behind the SuperVel said that increased expansion from the higher velocity translated into tissue destruction, which produced better incapacitation with less danger of excessive penetration. And for the next 27 years, virtually every bullet from every manufacturer was a variation on the same theme--hollowpoints were THE law enforcement bullet designs. The ammunition industry, at the urging of the law enforcement community, made bigger, smaller, soft/hollow, higher velocity, subsonic, plated, unplated, serrated jacket hollowpoints. Now familiar names such as Gold Dot, Hydra Shok, Silvertip, Black Talon, XTP, Tactical, Golden Sabre and so on, emerged from the marketing departments of the ammunition manufacturers, big and small. And each of these designs was heralded as an improvement over what had come before, and in many cases, were.

These efforts continued at an even more frantic pace after the infamous Miami shootout involving the FBI against two very determined and well-armed suspects. That tragedy gave rise to what has become an accepted standard for ammunition that was established by the FBI in their 8-protocol performance criteria test. The law enforcement readership is familiar with these events that include bare 10% ordnance gelatin, gelatin with heavy clothing, wallboard, plywood, car window glass, car door metal. These media demonstrated for the first time what many experienced forensic ballistics investigators had known for some time but had never quantified. That bullets shot into bare gelatin, do not display the same expansion and penetration when fired through the practical media used in the FBI protocol.

It was determined that while the hollowpoint was a clear improvement over what had existed before, and certainly improved officer survivability through increased wounding features, there still was a problem in consistent bullet performance of the traditional hollowpoint. And the causal factor for this inconsistency of performance was, as the FBI clearly demonstrated, the barrier that the bullet had to go through before it hit flesh. Some designs worked better than others. But the test barriers of clothing, wallboard and plywood contributed the most to the inconsistency of performance by the hollowpoint. And for a simple and quite apparent reason. The mechanism for expansion for any hollowpoint projectile is the hollow cavity. When it fills with tissue, expansion begins through a hydraulic effect against the wall of the hollow cavity. Expansion is usually facilitated through internal and external notching or jacket serrations. The result should be a uniformly expanded bullet with the core and jacket intact and arrayed in a symmetrical pattern of fins resembling a mushroom.

That's the way it's supposed to be! But the FBI tests showed, and pathologists empirically proved, that when a hollowpoint projectile has to penetrate a barrier such as clothing, which a majority of criminals do wear, the mechanical function of the hollowpoint is impeded. The hollow cavity fills with clothing and precludes fluid filled tissue from exerting its influence on the interior walls of the cavity, and so what's produced is essentially a plugged hollowpoint that performs very similarly to a full metal jacketed bullet. It goes through the target with very little wounding effect, i.e. tissue destruction, and penetrates excessively. And the infamous term "stopping power" is diminished and danger to bystanders is increased. But the hollowpoint was a compromise and since it was a mechanical device and nothing mechanical works 100% of the time, it was accepted and adopted in the LE community as the best game in town, which it was until the emergence of the new Federal Cartridge Company's Expanding Full Metal Jacket (EFMJ) projectile.

EXPANDING FULL METAL JACKET (EFMJ)

Over three years ago, the Research Group of Federal, under the leadership of Dave Longren, Bruce Warren and Larry Head, began a serious analysis of the performance of all hollowpoint bullets of every manufacturer, including Federal's Tactical and Hydra Shok. The validity of the FBI test protocol had long been established and with the assistance of the Law Enforcement and Military Sales division of Federal, which gathered actual shootings information from agencies, the need for a more consistent "through barrier" projectile became apparent. In a joint program with Tom Burczynski, of Experimental Research, Inc., Federal focused its efforts on the FBI events that included heavy clothing, plywood and wallboard. They knew that the hollowpoint had to be capped or covered, and yet achieve the expansion characteristics that the LE community demanded from current bullets. The solution became the new Expanding Full Metal Jacket (EFMJ) projectile that Federal introduced at the IALEFI and IACP conferences in the late fall of 1999.

BULLET DETAILS

The EFMJ is not a variation of the classic hollowpoint. While some initial consideration was given to simply filling a hollowpoint with a material that would prevent plugging and yet allow expansion, tests proved this to be unworkable and inconsistent in performance. The design started literally from the bottom up. The bullet begins with a conventional copper jacket of a truncated cone design with a small flat nose or meplat. The interior of the jacket is heavily scored in a radial fashion. Inserted into the jacket nose is a rubber core or plug, followed by a lead core. The jacket is then "heeled" over at the base to hold the plug and core in place. Upon impact, the scored jacket flattens, and with the rubber plug sandwiched between the jacket nose and the lead core in the rear, expansion begins. And expansion is consistent and symmetrical.

When I interviewed Bruce Warren, we spoke about its applicability to the wide range of weapons in today's LE arsenal. Federal tested the design through submachine guns, carbines and virtually every barrel length autopistol in use by the law enforcement community. The expansion characteristics remained consistent through gun type and barrier. With virtually every police agency of any size incorporating submachine guns into their tactical inventory, such as the MP-5 variants, and carbines, the performance of the typical pistol round was found in many cases to be somewhat lacking when driven at the longer barrel velocities of the shoulder weapons. Many of these bullets blew up and created surface wounds. The Expanding Full Metal Jacket overcomes these problems.

While it seems we take questions of functionality for granted these days, I continue to hear about failures to feed with some handgun models, a problem that's exacerbated through poor shooting techniques. The EFMJ design is outwardly a full metal jacket. Its nose configuration facilitates feeding. When tested through my military Browning Hi-Power, which will not feed anything but FMJs, six magazines (84 rounds) fed flawlessly.
The ammunition tested was production run 9mm +P 124-grain loads. We must remember that when

Gorge Luger designed his pistol in 1904, the 9mm Parabellum cartridge contained a 124-grain bullet. Since then, pistol manufacturers have continued to remind ammunition manufacturers that the camming surfaces, springs, magazine design and other features of 9mm pistols are designed for a 124-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1120 feet per second (fps). While we have been extraordinarily successful in using bullet weights from 95 to 147 grains and at varying velocities in the 9mm, remember the cartridge was designed with a 124-grain projectile, which caused Federal to produce for their first Expanding Full Metal Jacket ammunition, in the 124-grain weight. Of course, other weights in 9mm are on the drawing board.

Federal has also applied this design to the increasingly popular .40 S&W and the .45 ACP. Prototype designs are being finalized as this article is written. Bullet weights in the design phase for the .40 S&W included 155 and 165 grains, and in the .45 ACP 185 grains. Included in this article is a chart showing expansion, velocity and accuracy of the production/preproduction 9mm, .40 and AS ACP. All production and preproductions samples met the FBI minimum penetration criteria of 12 inches in the mediums tested.

Questions are often raised about a new design's accuracy, which is somewhat surprising when the close ranges of actual gunfights are considered. I won't say the EFMJ is the most accurate 9mm bullet I've shot, but it's close. Consider the EFMJ's weight, jacket shape/configuration, the center of gravity and center of pressure, all of which determines whether some projectiles fly true and others don't. Federal, quite obviously, has the formula correct.

This projectile should receive immediate and serious consideration by both law enforcement agencies and the military. Some departments in the U.S. are still required to use a non-hollowpointed projectile. The European police community has labored under similar prohibitions for many years and the EFMJ should be a natural for their considerations.




"ADDING MORE SPECIALS EVERY DAY SO STOP BACK"

http://www.AMMOMAN.com

E-MAIL Eric@ammoman.com

Posted by at

Sunday, January 21, 2007

www.hipowersandhandguns.com

Springfield Armory Mil-Spec "Progress Report"

By Stephen Camp

Since I wrote "A Critical Look at the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec" in January 2005, many more rounds have flown downrange and I thought that it might be of interest on how the pistol has held up and any problems. (That article is in this section of the site for those interested.)

The pistol worked fine as it came from the factory, but had a less-than-stellar trigger pull and the hammer spur nipped me regularly. I bobbed the hammer and eliminated that and also used a Pachmayr drop-in grip safety to eliminate the wear and tear caused by the sharp edges of the factory grip safety. Not happy with that set up, I eventually rounded the edges of the factory GI-type grip safety and this pretty well solved the problem.

I find that with the rounded GI grip safety and a slightly shortened spur hammer, I can comfortably shoot the pistol about 200 full-power loads without problems. I much prefer the wide grip safety, but wanted at least one 1911-pattern pistol that somewhat resembled the unmodified 1911 stalwart. (Some seem to think that because they have no problems with the GI type grip safety, no one else should either. Frequently, comments like, "If beavertails were needed, John Browning would have put them on the gun," and other such information-filled eloquent pearls of …crap. Different folks find that different things work for them and if you are one better served with the wide grip safety, go for it. If the standard type works fine for you, great, but I submit that it is up to the individual user to make the decision.)

Not readily visible from the outside, this Mil-Spec's internal parts have been replaced with upgraded ones done by trigger specialist, Teddy Jacobson. This "hidden" work has resulted in a very good 1911 pattern pistol and one that I would absolutely trust in a serious situation.

Even though the pistol was working fine and in stock condition, I did upgrade the internal parts with those supplied by trigger specialist, Teddy Jacobson of Actions by T. The trigger was initially just shy of about 5-lbs, with the break being both crisp and clean. It settled in at about 4 1/2-lbs and has stayed there. The gun was equipped with a steel firing pin as well, but the slide stop and single-side thumb safety have been left alone. The wide EMC spur hammer he provided is finely checkered and has been bobbed and recontoured to eliminate hammer bite.

I kept the factory short trigger, but smoothed it up. I also replaced the mainspring housing for another arched one that I already had. It has no lock and standard size parts work in it. Though not at all necessary, I replaced the checkered plastic stocks that came with the pistol for a set I simply think looks better while still offering a secure grip.

This Mil-Spec .45 auto has proven itself utterly reliable with a wide selection of bullet types and is one I trust for "serious matters."

I have not kept an exact round count, but it is in excess of 4K as this is written. Most of these have been either 200-gr. CSWC handloads at about 870 ft/sec or 230-gr. CFP and CRN at roughly 840 ft/sec. It has also gobbled up several hundred 230-gr. Federal HydraShoks, Golden Sabers, Gold Dots, Ranger JHP's, and ball rounds.

With any full-power load, it has had zero malfunctions, not one. There have been no failures to extract or eject and the slide stop consistently locks back when the last shot's fired and not before.

The sights on this gun are as they came from the factory. They were properly regulated and I've seen no reason to change them.

Slide-to-frame fit both vertical and horizontal has very, very little "slop." The barrel-to-slide fit has remained solid as a rock, with wear marks evenly distributed on the rear edge of the barrel hood. I have no intentions of changing either the factory barrel or bushing as the gun groups very nicely as is.

The pistol's parkerized finish is holding up nicely, though a ding or two is now present.

Wear marks are not excessive and evenly distributed on both sets of slide rails.

It is my understanding that the Mil-Spec is not so easy to find as in the recent past. I do not know if that is because gun dealers sell them as fast as they get them or if SA is focusing on other models, or what, but if you want a relatively inexpensive no frills 1911-pattern .45, I would give these a long and hard look.

I own several 1911 pistols, most being more costly than the Mil-Spec, but I trust none of them more than I do this one.

This Mil-Spec has proven itself to me. It groups adequately and has demonstrated extreme reliability while being essentially a "basic" type 1911 pattern pistol. The 9mm/38 Super firing pin used has presented no problems with either breakage or firing. The gun runs on everything I've tried with the exception of a very light target SWC that was loaded too lightly for the gun's standard power ISMI 16-lb recoil spring. All standard pressure and +P loads have worked flawlessly.

Four thousand full power loads are certainly not that many compared to what more than a few serious shooters crank off in a year's time. I think that they've been enough to prove to me (at least) that the old saw that a 1911 has to cost thousands to be reliable is pretty much false…but many already know that.

Do I believe that all Mil-Specs will run flawlessly out of the box? Nope, but the last 5 or 6 I have seen sure have. With the immense continuing popularity of John Browning's enduring design, factories crank them out as fast as they can and some that shouldn't have got past quality control simply do. It is not right, but such seems to be the case. That said, I believe that the Mil-Spec is a very, very fine choice for folks wanting a quality 1911 without breaking the bank.

A gun does not have to be ultra-expensive to be special. I would not hesitate to use this one in a fight if required. When I carry a 1911 for self-protection, it is almost always this one.

...................................................................................

We are now accepting names of people that want to be in our next PROJECT STREET GUN CLASS WHICH IS NUMBER SIX. This is not a formal class, we will provide everything you need to do the work your self at your home and at your convenience. I would like to maintain about 15 people for this new project.

Please go to my website www.actionsbyt.com
and email me and we can discuss it in detail. I prefer to use the basic SA mil-spec 1911-a1 parkerized pistol. I do not want to use the stainless steel version.

I will accomodate some people if they have a new Colt, whether it be a series 70 or an 80. We can discuss it all. I have separate DVD's one for the series 70 and another one for the series 80.

Thankyou,

Teddy

Posted by at

Friday, January 19, 2007

HANDGUNS

Pistol

This article is about small firearms. For other uses, see Pistol (disambiguation).
A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power
A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power
Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism
Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism
Derringers were small and easily hidden.
Derringers were small and easily hidden.
A Walther P99 pistol disassembled.
A Walther P99 pistol disassembled.

A pistol or handgun is a small firearm intended to be used with one hand.

Contents

Overview

All handguns are divided into one of two major groups depending upon the location of the chamber. Revolvers have a revolving chamber (which is to say, a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers); other pistols have a chamber integral with the barrel. There are various sub-types.

Some handguns include single-shot pistols, revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and fully automatic, or machine pistols. In the 15th century the term "pistol" was used for small knives and daggers which could be concealed in a person's clothing. By the 18th century the term came to be used exclusively to refer to hand-held firearms.

Etymology

The term "pistol" is derived from the French pistole (or pistolet), which has these possible origins:-

  • From the Czech píšťala (flute or pipe, referring to the shape of a Hussite firearm).
  • From the city of Pistoia, Italy, where perhaps a manufacturer was one Camillio Vettelli in the 1540s.
  • That early pistols were carried by cavalry in holsters hung from the pommel (or pistallo in medieval French) of a horse's saddle.

Types of handguns

Luger or P08 Parabellum, used by the German military
Luger or P08 Parabellum, used by the German military

Varieties of handgun: "automatic" self-loading pistols, revolvers (including black powder revolvers), multi-barreled pistols, single-shot hunting or target pistols and finally flintlock pistols. In a pistol, the chamber, in which the cartridge is held for firing, is the rearmost portion of the barrel. Thus the term "pistol" technically excludes revolvers, although this distinction is often ignored in colloquial usage, where revolvers are commonly referred to as "pistols."

Flintlock

The flintlock firing mechanism dates back to the 16th century, although it was another hundred years before it was generally used in infantry muskets, by which time it had been perfected. It survived well into the 19th century and was often known as the French lock because Marin le Bourgeoys, a French gunmaker working in Paris for Henry IV's Louvre, had invented it - in about 1610. He had modified a much more complicated mechanism into a simpler one-piece mechanism. It was also called a firelock. The basic action is that the trigger is pulled and a spring causes the striker, the frizzen, to strike the flint which showers sparks on to the gunpowder in the priming pan.

[edit] Multi-barreled

Multi-Barreled pistols such as some variants of Derringer and Pepper-box pistols are still in circulation today. The Pepper-box pistol is a multishot handheld firearm, which was popular in North America around the time of the American Civil War. The pepperbox was invented in the 1830s and was meant mainly for civilian use. It spread rapidly in the United Kingdom and some parts of continental Europe. It started disappearing gradually in the 1850s with the manufacture of true revolvers by Colt, Webley and others. It was similar to the revolver since like it, it held bullets in a rotating cylinder, in separate chambers. Unlike the revolver however, each bullet had its own barrel.

A 1930s vintage Enfield revolver.
A 1930s vintage Enfield revolver.

Revolvers

Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action). These nominally cylindrical chambers, usually numbering between five and ten depending on the size of the revolver and the size the cartridge being fired, are bored through the cylinder so that their axes are parallel to the cylinder's axis of rotation; thus, as the cylinder rotates, the chambers revolve about the cylinder's axis. Due to simplicity of construction and operation, revolvers are considered to be more reliable than semi-automatic pistols.

Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from late 1990s
Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from late 1990s

Semi-automatic pistols

Semi-automatic pistols fire one round after each pull of the trigger, without the need to manually cock the hammer. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately. One of the main advantages of semi-automatic pistols is that many of them can hold more rounds than a revolver. Their flat profile also tends to make them more concealable than revolvers. A potential disadvantage is that the traditional recoil-based operating mechanisms limit the power of available rounds. Many users, however, feel that the added ammunition capacity and faster reload times make up for this deficiency.

Some terms that have been, or still are, used as synonyms for semi-automatic pistol are:

  • automatic pistol
  • autopistol
  • self-loading pistol
  • selfloader

Machine pistols

Micro-Uzi machine pistol
Micro-Uzi machine pistol

A machine pistol is generally defined as a firearm designed to be fired with one hand, and capable of fully automatic or selective fire. While there are a number of machine pistols such as the Glock 18C and later models of the Mauser C96, these are rare; the light weight, small size, and extremely rapid rates of fire of a machine pistol make them difficult to control, making the larger heavier submachine gun a better choice in cases where the small size of a machine pistol is not needed. Most machine pistols can attach a shoulder stock (the Heckler & Koch VP70 would only fire single rounds at a time unless the stock was attached); others, such as the Beretta 93R, add a forward handgrip. Either of these additions technically create a legal non-pistol under the US National Firearms Act, as pistols are by definition designed to be fired with one hand. The addition of a stock or forward handgrip is considered a design change that creates either a short-barreled rifle or any other weapon, and therefore such additions are generally only found on legal machine guns.

Operating Mechanisms

Single-action (SA) handguns have a trigger mechanism whose sole function is to drop a pre-cocked hammer to discharge a cartridge. For revolvers, the popular Colt Peacemaker of Old West fame is typically thought of. Its hammer must be manually cocked for each shot. For auto-loading pistols the Colt 1911 or Browning Hi-Power are typical examples. They must be cocked for the first shot, but subsequent shots are cocked automatically. These types of guns typically have a very light and crisp trigger pull, making for more accurate target shooting.

Jericho 941 F (DA), 9 mm with magazine removed
Jericho 941 F (DA), 9 mm with magazine removed

Traditional double-action (DA) handguns have a mechanism that can be either pre-cocked, like the above single-action gun, or can be fired with the gun uncocked. In this case, the gun has an additional mechanism added to the trigger that will cock the gun (and rotate the cylinder in the case of revolvers) as the trigger is pulled. Once the trigger is pulled far enough, the hammer is released and the gun fired. For autoloading pistols the self-loading mechanism will also re-cock the hammer after the first shot is fired so that subsequent shots are fired single-action. For revolvers, each shot is fired with the hammer initially uncocked unless the shooter manually cocked the gun. Popular auto pistols in this category include the Walther P38 and Beretta Model 92. These guns typically have a longer, heavier trigger pull for the first shot then light, crisp pulls for subsequent shots. Popular revolvers include the Ruger Redhawk and Smith & Wesson Model 629. These have long, heavy trigger pulls for all shots unless the revolver is manually cocked.

Double-action only (DAO) handguns do not have the ability to be cocked and is usually evidenced by a lack of either the hammer spur or the entire hammer. A typical autopistol in this category is the Ruger KP93DAO and Taurus Millennium, and a typical revolver is the Smith & Wesson Model 640 "Chief's Special". All pistols in this category have a long, heavy trigger pull for all shots.

Pre-set triggers are only on autoloading pistols. In this case the pistol mechanism is always partially cocked while being carried and during firing. The partially-cocked firing pin or striker is not cocked enough to cause an accidental release to discharge a cartridge, adding to the safeness of the design, but is cocked enough to remove much of the trigger pull and weight of a purely double-action pistol. These types of pistols do not have external hammers and do not generally have a decock function. Common pistols in the category are the Springfield Armory XD and the various forms of the extremely popular Glock. The trigger pull of these guns is between double-action and single-action pistols. Pre-set triggers may or may not have a second-strike feature on a dud cartridge.

Some automatic pistol models such as the HK Heckler & Koch USP (Universal Self-loading Pistol) come in a variety of mechanism types and can be easily changed by a gunsmith for both left- and right-handed shooters and for different operating mechanism and safety features.

Advantages of pistols

In comparison to longer guns such as shoulder weapons (rifles and shotguns), pistols are smaller, lighter, easier to conceal, and faster to bring to bear. Another important tactical consideration, in the context of civilian self-defense, is that an attacker in close quarters with the defender can more easily wrestle a shoulder weapon's muzzle to a position where it is not covering him, and can more easily wrestle the gun away from the defender, whereas a handgun offers little to grab, and is more likely to still be covering some portion of the attacker during the struggle.

Disadvantages of pistols

Generally being a self-defense weapon for use under 50 metres, most handgun bullets neither have the energy nor the accuracy of a bullet shot from a rifle or shotgun.

Pistols and gun politics

Smaller pistols are easily concealed on a person—a trait that is particularly useful to people wishing to carry a handgun for self-protection or for criminals wishing to bear arms. Larger handguns, including many hunting pistols, are often much longer and thus less concealable. For these reasons, handguns are a particular focus of debates on gun politics, and in many jurisdictions their ownership is much more heavily regulated than long arms.

In the United States, 48 states allow some form of concealed carry by citizens meeting training or other requirements. 39 of these states, called "shall-issue" states, require issue of a permit if there is no compelling reason not to issue a permit (such as a prior felony conviction, a restraining order, or history of mental illness). Generally, in a shall issue state, if a person cannot obtain a concealed weapons permit once training requirements are met, that person also cannot lawfully own a firearm. The remaining 9 states, called "may-issue" states, may deny a permit for any reason, usually at the discretion of local law enforcement.

In the United States, a person must be 21 years of age to purchase a handgun or ammunition intended for a handgun from a Federally licensed dealer, which is higher than the age requirement of 18 for rifles and shotguns.

In the United Kingdom, civillian ownership of almost any pistol has been outlawed since the Dunblane massacre of 1996; the only exclustion were single shot rimfire and muzzleloading pistols; all cartridge firearms were later banned in 1997. Air pistols are still legal, however, those with power levels over 6 foot pounds (half the limit for air rifles) are classified as firearms.

See the main gun politics article or the article on concealed carry in particular for more details on this debate.

Other related info

In the 1780s, Alessandro Volta built a toy electric pistol ([1]) in which an electric spark caused the explosion of a mixture of air and hydrogen, firing a cork from the end of the gun.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

External links

Ammunition

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