BarryinIN

I think it depends on how vintage you mean. As time went on, they used fewer and fewer USGI parts as they ran out, and made (bought?) new parts. I'm sure someone could look at a serial number and tell you what percentage of USGI parts it has, but not me. I bought mine in December 1987 (though it could have been made well before) and it has all GI parts but a couple. I don't know when that number changed substantially, but I would guess in 1989 when the first big "Assault Weapon" scare hit, they probably used up a bunch of their supply. My best friend got one in 1990 or 1991 when he left the Army and he said it had some new parts, but I don't know how many or how important they were. I'm talking around 20 years ago there, since I think they started running out of USGI parts around then, but I don't know how many. For all I know, it could have been another 15 years before they really started using a large percentage of new parts. I know the CMP still had quite a few M1 and M14 parts five years ago, then they were down to just a few soon after. Maybe SA ran out about the same time. Maybe not. Point being- I would think if you are talking 2011 vintage vs 2009, it wouldn't matter much. But if you mean 2011 vs 1991 or 1981, then yes, it might make a big difference.

And yes, a big reason I posted this was to sow some seeds in Pablo's mind. Since he's buying a new gun every other day, I thought I'd help him along. Nudge. Nudge.

I've heard people talking about "bucket lists" lately, as in, a list of things you would like to do or own before kicking the bucket. Do you have a "firearm bucket list"? Things you want to own before you die, or a list of what you want if you should get a bunch of money dumped on you somehow? If you have one, what is on it? I have a list. A real list, written down on paper. It has some realistic items and some pretty pie in the sky extravagant ones. I think a list is a great thing to have. I came into a little money a couple of years ago, and after taking care of some more sensible things, I got to check a few items off the list. I am convinced that if not for having that list, I would have walked into the first gun shop and bought something or somethings that would have ate up the money. But having the list, I was able to control myself and take the time to find some that I really wanted. Somebody better disciplined might not need that, but I'm sure it helped me. Of course, once I checked off some items, I replaced them with some more. My list, in no particular order: -I want an older custom 1911 or two. Something from one of the classic smiths like Armand Swenson or Jim Boland. Similar to that, I really want a mini Browning HiPower that Austin Behlert used to make by cutting the slide and frame of HPs. I foolishly passed one up about 10-12 years ago for $650 or so. That sounds cheap, but that was double what a used BHP went for at the time. I still kick myself though. -Another Bren Ten. I had one, traded it off, but wish I had another. Very interesting gun. My opinion is that it was a good design, poorly executed. -BAR. I think they are the cat's meow. I'd like a belt fed MG since I've never had one, and think the M1919 Browning .30 cal is nice, the MG42 might be the most fun to shoot, and the Vickers is so classy looking. But before any of them though, I think I'd get a BAR. Maybe I'm just too lazy to set up a belt fed. -A custom 1903 Springfield sporter from around the 1920s. Something like the ones Griffin and Howe or Sedley made. In 30-06 please. A second classic custom bolt gun would be nice. A sporterized M1917 in a heavier caliber. Not too heavy. Caliber .35 Whelen would be good. -Remington Model 8 or 81. .30 or .35 Remington or .300 Savage. Just another neat old classic sporting rifle. And John Browning creation. -Double rifle. No good reason. Not a freakishly big one like a .600 or .700 Nitro, but something from 375 H&H to .470 caliber. -Actually, I could see a lot of sense in a Drilling in maybe 12 ga/.30-06 or 12/.308. -Krag. I like them anyway, and have a gap in my collection between the Trapdoor and 1903. -Johnson M1941 LMG. I have a Johnson semiauto rifle, and it has some interesting and neat points, but the LMG has even more. Melvin Johnson used to demonstrate the LMG by holding it out in front of him one handed and emptying a mag into a target. Not bad for a rifle in the class of the BAR but a LOT lighter. Some people take Johnson rifle receivers and LMG parts and combine them to make a semiauto replica, and I'd gladly take one of those. -M3 Grease Gun. They look like heck, but I've wanted one since seeing Steve McQueen using one in "[censored] is For Heroes" one Sunday when I was a kid. -Norrell 10-22 trigger pack. Drop-in full auto conversion for 10-22s. Add a suppressed barrel, and you have F-U-N! -Tanker Garand. I've got Garands, but no tanker. There is a guy in Michigan making them just a little shorter than the usual tankers. I was ready to send one off to him about a year ago, but found something else I thought I needed. -High Standard Olympic. I had the start of a High Standard collection going when they were in the price range of Ruger .22 autos, before people discovered the ripe market and prices went up. I always thought the early Olympic was neat looking, and captured a lot of "High Standardness" of that era. -Ruger 44 Carbine. The old semiauto they dropped in 1985, not the Mini14-looking Deerfield. I had one and traded it. I want another. Handy thing, that little Ruger. -Early S&W N-frames. A Triple Lock would be nice, but that's a lot to ask for even on a dream list. Any nice one in a big bore (especially .44 Special) would be good. -Colt New Service .44 Special or 45 Colt. I have one in 38WCF (38-40) that's a little tired looking. It both scratched the itch and made me want a nicer one. One in better shape in .44 Spl or 45 Colt would be real nice t have. The M1909 (military version of the New Service in 45 Colt) would be fine too. -Colt SAA. Two please. One in any caliber 38 WCF and up, with a 4-3/4" or 5-1/2" barrel for a handy, fun one. The other in .45 Colt and 7-1/2" barrel like the cavalry had (although many were cut down to 5-1/2"). -S&W Schofield. They just look cool to me. I'd want both a Schofield like the US Army had, and one of the Russian .44s. The Schofield because it's a US martial arm, and the Russian because they look so Victorian. -I'd like a Winchester Highwall or two also. A heavy one in 45-70 or 45-90 and medium weight in 38-55. Most people would want a Sharps and I can see that, but being a fan of that John Browning fellow, I'd like his single shot. -Winchester 1895. I have one (a Saddle Ring Carbine in .30 Army/.30-40 Krag) but it's pretty rough. I've taken an interest in the Spanish American War and the Rough Riders the past few years, and a lot of them used these, so I'd like another just like it but in better shape. Another one in the long barreled Sporting Rifle version in the same caliber would be good. The Browning repro would probably be best here. I'd like the Lyman #21 rear peep sight on the long one (that sight brings so much money, even in repros, it needs it's own place on the list). -Winchester 1897 Trench Gun. I have several WWI and WWII guns, but no real issue shotguns. That's the one I want. -Luger. Nothing rare or expensive like a long-barreled Artillery Model or .45 ACP prototype; just a Luger. OK, a Swiss one would be nice. There you have it. That's what I want. Some are sensible and some ridiculous, but I like 'em all. What's in your wallet? The list in your wallet, in your head, or wherever.

Congratulations. I had no use for rails at all, then won a railed 1911 in a raffle about four years ago. While I doubt I ever would have bought one, it has been handy to have. It's especially nice on trips, where it's a lot easier to take that gun into the hotel room than the AR-15 or shotgun with mounted light. At home, it has spent some time in a chest rig, so I have an all-in-one grab-and-go handgun, light (two), cellphone, and mags for both handgun and carbine. Anyway... Love them Colts. They may not all have every bell and whistle made, but they have everything that's truly needed, made of good stuff for the most part, and perhaps best of all, they are usually fitted not to tight and not to loose; just right.

Cool. I'm not the biggest fan of the S&W DA autos (I don't hate 'em or anything; but I don't love 'em either) but would like to have a 4006 just for their historical significance.

That isn't the silliest thing I've seen done with guns, but I can't name a better one right this moment. Eliminate recoil? No. Eliminate muzzle climb? I suppose it would be theoretically possible. Besides the obvious fact that the muzzle climb would be reduced by shooting the gun on it's side (trading muzzle climb for muzzle side twist), the two guns would have to be fired at exactly the same moment. Even if that were possible, variations in primer ignition, powder charges, etc, would prevent an absolute cancellation of forces. I would think the best you could achieve would be offsetting actions, though not exactly equal in amounts and timing. Given a super efficient compensator with a cartridge making enough gas pressure and volume to make it work, you can eliminate muzzle climb that way...and you don't have to fire two rounds in exact unison to do it. Rob Leatham's mid-90s 9x25 Dillon proved that. When loaded with light 90 grain bullets at ridiculous velocities, photos showed the muzzle actually dropped when it was fired. The gas from the comp was more than enough to offset the muzzle flip. To get there, however, it was loaded to a power factor that was way over what was required by IPSC/USPSA and not worth the trouble. He said the actual recoil that came more or less straight back into the hand was pretty stout. If one's goal is to simply say they eliminated muzzle climb, shoot the gun upside down.

That's the one. Here's mine:

Get a Ruger Blackhawk in 44 Spl!

OK, 11 rds does sound familiar now. My Winchester 92 is more picky about oal than the Browning was. But then, the Winchester is a older caliber conversion.

Series 80 started the firing pin safety. It adds a little to the trigger pull, and extractors have been known to break at the half-moon cutout they have to clear the fp safety plunger. I have both. I haven't had any breakages, and triggers can be better or worse depending on the individual gun. I prefer Series 70, but I haven't passed any up only for being a Series 80, either.

I'm thinking the B-92 .357 I had held 12 rds in .357, but I guess it could have been 10 rds. I don't recall if I ever tried to see if I could gain a round or two by loading 38 Spls. It got a little funny about feeding when the cartridge overall length got too far out of ordinary. Not too unusual with the 92 design. I have a couple of moulds that cast .44 cal wadcutters. I bet you could gain at least one more round loading those. Why? Beats me. Curiosity, I guess. Same reason I've shot the heavier ones (around 210 grains) from my Ruger 77/44.

Yeah, too bad they don't make that in a GM size.

One cool thing about any Colt made this year is the roll mark for the 100 year anniversary. Nothing gaudy; tastefully done. I might have to add another this year. Another stainless GM would be OK, and I don't have a Lwt Cmdr from Colt. btw- These are kinda neat if you wanted a Lwt Cmdr: http://www.coltsmfg.com/Catalog/SpecialEditions/21stCenturyCommander.aspx

There is one on Gunbroker for $869.

I hate to sound like I can't wait to bash every one of your gun choices, but I have to say this: Although I love Colt 1911s, I'm not a Gold Cup fan. I'm not sure what edge they have over a plain old Gov't Model except for adjustable sights, and that might be of questionable good. They have a few negatives of their own, too. I've never had a Gold Cup, so I'm probably speaking where I shouldn't, but... The biggest negative I have against buying one is that they use a few parts unique to them. The barrel and trigger are different from a Gov't, and correspondingly, so are the slide and frame. The barrel has a narrower hood, and therefore the slide has a narrower cut to match. A regular Gov't barrel won't work unless it's hood is milled down. The trigger is wider, with the frame having a wider slot cut for it. A regular GM trigger will slop around in there. Gold Cups have used different lock parts at times over the years, but I think they may be the same across the board now. For a long time, the Gold Cup was considered less durable than the GM, but that has nothing to do with my apprehension on getting one. The alleged "weaknesses" are corrected by swapping out two easily changed parts. They used to come with a lighter recoil spring installed. They also used to come with two springs- a lighter target spring in the gun and a standard spring in the box, but they later went to including only one spring. I'm not sure now which one it was, but I think the standard. No matter, the reputation was set in people's heads that "Gold Cups couldn't take anything but target loads", which is nonsense. The other weak point was the cross pin on the rear sight, the pin it pivoted on for elevation adjustment. They used a puny roll pin, which broke or simply disappeared while shooting. Nothing wrong with a roll pin if it's the right size, but there's was a little small for the job. Most people replaced it with a solid pin and had no trouble. So for a $7 recoil spring, a 50 cent pin, and 15 minutes' time, the "weaknesses" were fixed. If Gold Cups actually had better triggers or were more accurate guns than a regular old GM, I'd feel better about them. From what I can tell, they are no better fitted than a GM (although that hasn't always been the case). Any of the ones I've tried made in the last 30 years had triggers that were no better than a typical GM. I don't know how to say this that isn't harsh, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure what the Gold Cup's reason for existence is. Competitive Bullseye shooters don't use them, except maybe as a basis to build a custom gun on, and then they usually use a GM for that since it's cheaper and is only serving as the basic chassis. IPSC/IDPA shooters don't buy them. I don't know of anyone anymore who carrys a Gold Cup. Truthfully, the only people I've seen buying Gold Cups in the last several years are people who have a bunch of Colts and didn't have a Gold Cup. Other than that, I'm not sure who is buying them, and don't see that Colt can sell enough to warrant making them. They were dropped for a while, then came back as a Custom Shop-only item after that. I can see why it's a limited production item, and that's probably why you are having trouble finding one. I'm not trying to say they are crappy guns. It's just that I'm not sure what they really offer over a GM except an adjustable sight, and that may not be all that big an advantage, if any.

I love Gunbroker, but I like trading away my dead wood too, and I can't do that there. I mostly use it for things I just can't find on a regular basis. GB's variety can't be beat then. Guns I'll see one of every five years, I'll see 20 of them on Gunbroker at any given time. But I've never bought a new gun through them. If I was going to, a Colt might be it. I like Colts, but their production schedule and supply system can be pretty frustrating. It's feast or famine. In my local shop (which is pretty good) I won't see more than one or to new Colts one year, then they will keep a half dozen of them in stock for months even though they are selling. People are always clamoring for Colt to add new models and start making DA revolvers again. I'd like to see that too, especially the D-frame revolvers, but they need to do better with supplying what they catalog now. We can't buy them if they aren't on the shelves. I want some more guns from them, but just putting them in the catalog won't do much for getting me one. They did better last year, and I could usually find at least one Colt 1911 in the local shop, but I'd like to see better. If they can just keep that up, it would be an improvement.

While I'll be the first to admit Colt has had some problems over the years, I think the are making some fine guns now. I've had three new Colt 1911s in the past two or three years (WWI Repro, 38 Super Gov't, and a Delta Elite) and they've all been really good guns. The shoot well, work well, and are finished very nicely. I got that new 38 Super within a week of a mid-90s 38 Super that was like new. The difference between them is amazing. I think Colts are running somewhere between 800 and 900 for 1991s or Gov'ts around here, which isn't that much over an SA Loaded. I'd rather have the Colt. The Colt might have less gee-whiz stuff on it, but I think it's a nicer made gun.

My Para experience has been mixed but mostly negative. The first was OK (though not great), the second was junk (broke the ejector before finishing the first magazine, and never did work well), and the third was somewhere in the middle (the middle of OK and junk still isn't so good). That seems to fit in about average with the experience of others. Being not much less than a similar level Springfield, if any, and not that much less than a Colt, I have decided they aren't worth bothering with.

Still thinking about that 357 B&D? Here's one in the making. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=107860

I've heard varying stories as to his business acumen. One thing Cooper pointed out in his thesis was that while his early ventures were financial failures, he had very little control over the actual operations because the gun manufacturing was contracted out. The Walkers were also a money loser, but made in Whitneyville CT by the company ran by Eli Whitney Jr, for example. He argues that in addition to having the sense to retain all rights to his design and patents, "the Hartford armory must be regarded as the best example of his manufacturing policies". The Hartford armory started up by Sam Colt in 1848, only 14 years before he died. I don't know, but I can see the points. Sam Colt did die a very wealthy man, leaving an estate valued at just under 5 million 1862 dollars (maybe 120 million now?) which is not bad for starting a factory from scratch and operating it for only 14 years. I doubt that the current Colt's Firearm company has done so well in the past 14 years, with an existing facility. OK, bad example!

I had been sent links to that video probably three times over the past week before finally watching it this morning. I'm glad I did. I had read they had an air rifle along, but knew next to nothing about it, didn't know they had several of them, and sure didn;t know it was a repeater. Interesting about the "demonstration" they put on at their stops. In Jeff Cooper's book "Another Country", he tells about the 1962 expedition he and three others took down the Rio Balsas river in Mexico. This river was known as a "river of no return" down which only savages and murderers dwelled. As such, it was considered off limits, nobody had charted it, and everyone warned them off of making the trip. Whenever they stopped where other people were present, there was a danger of being attacked because they were almost always outnumbered. So they would put on a shooting demonstration, either with the rifle (a Savage 99) or Col Cooper with his 38 Super pistol. This was done in a friendly way, but delivered the message that they were not to be messed with. After seeing that piece on the Lewis and Clark air rifle, I had to think they were the inspiration for that trick. Cooper was a rabid historian, and had to be aware of it.

I just read Col Cooper's paper. Yes, Sam Colt was 48 when he died in 1862. That also means he was only 22 years old when he got this patent. Wow.

Very cool. Too bad he didn't live to see the SAA it evolved into (eventually), which is perhaps the most famous revolver with his name on it. As I recall, he died rather young- under 50, I think. As his Senior thesis at Stanford, Jeff Cooper wrote "Sam Colt, the Progressive Industrialist". It told how Sam Colt changed manufacturing methods everywhere, a fact lost in history. I think I'll read that today in honor of the patent anniversary.

Basically, Failure to Eject is a broader term and Stovepipe is a specific type of FTE. An FTE could mean anything from an empty case that stayed in the chamber to one that was extracted but didn't quite make it out of the ejection port. Maybe the slide never moved at all. Any of those things could in turn be caused by numerous other things. For example, a case could remain in the chamber because it's rim sheared off so the extractor couldn't remove it, or because the extractor broke, or because the case split and gripped the chamber walls too hard. Or it could be something else entirely. If it did make it out of the chamber but not completely out of the gun, it could be from the extractor losing it's grasp early, or the ejector tip being broken off, or the case rim being damaged, etc. It could even be that it did get out but bounced back in. Almost any of the above predicaments could come from a bad cartridge and not a gun's mechanical failure. A Stovepipe however, is a specific failure, where the case got most of the way out but not quite, to be pinched between the slide and barrel. The cause may be one of a few different things, but the result will be the same. Usually, they are trapped vertically as the name implies, but some guns tend to have what some call "horizontal stovepipes" where the case is trapped longitudinally. I'd rather have neither, but would prefer a Stovepipe. With the Stovepipe, the case almost made it out so there is a chance most others will. At worst, it will repeat every shot but is easily cleared. A FTE on the other hand could be caused by a much more serious problem, and it might not be correctable on the spot. You might be able to get the old case out, and that might be the last shot you ever fire. Just one reason of many I carry more than one gun.

Welcome! The video shows a stovepipe well, but Glocks actually tend to do it a little differently than what he set up. And yes, contrary to what the guy in the video thinks, Glocks DO malfunction, just like every other mechanical object. For whatever reason, when a Glock fails to fully eject the case, they will usually, but not always, leave the empty case trapped horizontally, rather than sticking straight up. Sort of like this: That is a Kahr in the picture because it was what I had handy, but it is close. The case will sit higher in a Glock because the breech and slide are shaped a little differently than the Kahr I used. Used to be, the common procedure taught for clearing stovepipes was to "sweep" your hand briskly across the top of the slide. The heel of your hand caught the case and flipped it out, running the slide enough to chamber a fresh cartridge. Pretty quick and slick, but the problem came when the case was trapped horizontally like that. Look at my picture of the "horizontal stovepipe" again, except imagine the case sitting up a little higher. Now imagine sweeping your hand briskly across the top of the slide. Now try to imagine the semicircle scars I've seen on hands from trying to sweep that clear. You might get the case clear that way, but it could be because it stuck to the hand when it sliced into it. The sweep move was slick, but it really only worked on that particular malfunction. Luckily, that malf was evident from the case standing up in your sighting plane, but a one-fix-for-all would be better. Now instructors teach the Tap Rack Bang (or Tap Rack Assess or whatever it is this week), and I think that is good because it covers just about anything except a double feed, and it's part of that process.