Anyone have guns?

I have no doubt that a competing show sans Nannies will emerge to fill the void at some point. That's just how it works. I think SHOT went off without a hitch (as usual) already this year.

One bright note this week - I traded an unused Bushmaster BCG and charging handle for a Ruger 10/22 with stainless barrel and a nice laminate stock last night. The 10/22 even came with a now elusive 25rd magazine! Hello cheap rifle practice!

I don't know what it is with my luck, but all image uploading sites seem to have taken a dump on me. Had to create a new account with Flickr because ImageShack would not upload/load anything. Even my new camera was not cooperating!
2013 Para US Stainless Expert .45.

Been working since morning on internal work. Replaced the stock trigger with the trigger that came with the Sig. Smoothed out some rough internal edges, and upgraded springs, and reworked the trigger pull weight weight to 4lbs. Have ordered a new Caspian Trik trigger(like on the Sig), Hogue grips, stainless grip screws, and Pearce groove grips from MidwayUSA. For $580, like it, but it is definitely a 1911 that needs a little TLC to work the way I like it. The stock trigger is a joke, as is its fitment inside the trigger channel(partly to blame due to the rough internal finish). Stock grips are useless plastic junk. I'm also not a huge fan of front optic sights, but at least it's better than black sights.







I'm also glad that they 'postponed' the show. Tough luck for people who were trying to make it, but it says a whole lot for everyone to boycott at once. It would not have looked as big of a move if only a few top vendors opted out. I'm also getting kind of sick of foreign involvement/deciding how we should do things. Good way to stick it to them.

bobtomay said:

The largest Sports and Outdoors show in the U.S. is cancelled (they're calling it postponed) after the British company that now puts on the event decides to ban semi-automatic weapons from the show.

Over 300 vendors decided to drop out of the show incl'g names like Cabella's, Bass Pro Shop, Ruger, S&W, NRA...

A couple of the articles out there:

Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show in Harrisburg halted after boycott - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Nation’s Biggest Sports and Outdoor Show Postponed Indefinitely Following Massive Boycott Over New Policy Banning Semi-Automatic Rifles | TheBlaze.com

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Hey, that report is from my neck of the woods. Big loss for the local economy here as that show is a major tourism draw. I heard it mentioned on the local news, but didn't realize they canceled it entirely, Oh well, guess the bright side is we'll have less lost tourists on the roads!

cwa107 said:

Hey, that report is from my neck of the woods. Big loss for the local economy here as that show is a major tourism draw. I heard it mentioned on the local news, but didn't realize they canceled it entirely, Oh well, guess the bright side is we'll have less lost tourists on the roads!

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Yeah, one of the reports indicated that show infused up to 43 million $ into the community.

Wishin' right now I had gone ahead and gotten a permit and bought something - anything last year.

And if my post above turns this thread in the wrong direction - delete.

Plinkers are good for the economy we spend a lot on ammo,guns and tricking them out all in the name of amusing ourselves on how well we can hit a target and its just plain fun as my wife has found out recently now we will be shopping for a new one for her so I can have mine back.

osxx said:

Plinkers are good for the economy we spend a lot on ammo,guns and tricking them out all in the name of amusing ourselves on how well we can hit a target and its just plain fun as my wife has found out recently now we will be shopping for a new one for her so I can have mine back.

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I agree.

Give me a 22 (rifle or pistol) a box of ammo and a bunch of tin cans and you won't see me for the rest of the day.

Sorry - been out of town without a Mac. Iggy: great gun and they put a decent hammer on it. Triggers and grips can be changed. How does it shoot though?

BobtoMay: It is too bad the show was canceled. We would love to have it in my city though, LOL.

Raving: I like to plink too. Seems like I can put a brick through my Ruger MK2 way too fast though. I like to plink with heavy stuff too but it gets expensive. I use to load most of my own for the range and hunting.

MacNasty said:

Iggy: great gun and they put a decent hammer on it. Triggers and grips can be changed. How does it shoot though?

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Shoots fine, but I already lost interest in it. I'll be selling it soon. Bought a new Caspian Trik trigger for it, new springs, Hogue grips, and it looks nice, but is nothing compared to Sig. Not worth having. A Rock Island, Tisas, or ATI 1911 is a better deal for the price. The thing about this Para that I just can't get over is how rough the metal finish is(exterior and interior). The buyer should not have to take part in finishing work of the gun for it to be 100% functional. I actually had ordered a RMA to send it back, and got it a few days ago, but it's just not worth my effort. I'm sure someone might have a different opinion, but I like to own guns that I enjoy. I don't enjoy this one.

Brought home a new little friend to retire my Smith 3913 from carry detail. I picked up a Sig P938 Nightmare a month and a half ago, and it is now officially broken in and running 100% Crazy accurate for something that barely measures above mouse gun size at 16oz, and comfortable to shoot. Not quite so much with the 124gr +P Gold Dots I have loaded in it, but even they aren't as unpleasant as light loads in my friends little LCP, let alone the defensive loads.

After a couple failure to feeds right out the gate with some underpowered Wally World Winchester White Box junk the little gun has been flawless, 750+ rounds of Blazer, WWB, UMC 115gr, 124gr Speer Lawman and the Gold Dots without a hitch, much of it in at or below freezing temps. The trigger started a hair gritty, but has long since gone smooth, and the pull is perfect for a carry gun.

All I want to do to it is get a stainless trigger once they are available again (guy that makes them is having machining problems) and some stainless grip screws. The factory night sights are fantastic, and the grips are perfect in feel, though at some point I'll probably get a pair of wood ones because they are pretty

iggibar said:

Shoots fine, but I already lost interest in it. I'll be selling it soon. Bought a new Caspian Trik trigger for it, new springs, Hogue grips, and it looks nice, but is nothing compared to Sig. Not worth having. A Rock Island, Tisas, or ATI 1911 is a better deal for the price. The thing about this Para that I just can't get over is how rough the metal finish is(exterior and interior). The buyer should not have to take part in finishing work of the gun for it to be 100% functional. I actually had ordered a RMA to send it back, and got it a few days ago, but it's just not worth my effort. I'm sure someone might have a different opinion, but I like to own guns that I enjoy. I don't enjoy this one.

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Yeah I always liked Hogue grips. I started ordering them direct from the company before they were even sold in gun stores. I usually had to wait 3 - 5 months to get them but it was a totally custom deal (your choice of wood, style, etc). I got them for a bunch of my S & W forty calibers and my PPK/S. I bought a set for an S & W model 19 but it has the serial number on the bottom of the grip and would be covered by the wood - a BATF no-no. The serial number isn't also stamped on the inside of the crane like on the more recent models. I know what you mean about the finishing being bad - it's why I quit buying Colt and Remingtons.

AngryRedTicTac said:

Brought home a new little friend to retire my Smith 3913 from carry detail. I picked up a Sig P938 Nightmare a month and a half ago, and it is now officially broken in and running 100% Crazy accurate for something that barely measures above mouse gun size at 16oz, and comfortable to shoot. Not quite so much with the 124gr +P Gold Dots I have loaded in it, but even they aren't as unpleasant as light loads in my friends little LCP, let alone the defensive loads.

After a couple failure to feeds right out the gate with some underpowered Wally World Winchester White Box junk the little gun has been flawless, 750+ rounds of Blazer, WWB, UMC 115gr, 124gr Speer Lawman and the Gold Dots without a hitch, much of it in at or below freezing temps. The trigger started a hair gritty, but has long since gone smooth, and the pull is perfect for a carry gun.

All I want to do to it is get a stainless trigger once they are available again (guy that makes them is having machining problems) and some stainless grip screws. The factory night sights are fantastic, and the grips are perfect in feel, though at some point I'll probably get a pair of wood ones because they are pretty

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I had a gunsmith in NH polish off the trigger on my Sig 9mm. He basically rounded it off and polished it mirror smooth. It made the long trigger pull at least seem smoother. Best you could do at that time. I'm all in favor of stainless. When I bought my Colt Mustangs (one for me and one for the better half) I threw out the nylon recoil rod and trigger (plastic crap!) and bought a stainless recoil rod and aluminum trigger from Scott MacDougal. Beautiful! Oh, and ebony grips.

MacNasty said:

I bought a set for an S & W model 19 but it has the serial number on the bottom of the grip and would be covered by the wood - a BATF no-no.

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As long as the serial number isn't removed, they don't care if it is covered up by grips. Perfectly legal as long as the SN can be viewed by removing the grips. The BATFE only cares of you grind the SN off.

AngryRedTicTac said:

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I love the Sig P238 and P938! Awesome handguns! I'm waiting on a P238 to pop up locally at a reasonable price. I like the 238 a bit more due to it having more manageable recoil for such a small gun, but if it came down to one being locally available at a decent price, I wouldn't hesitate on either one. I hope to be able to find a 938 Blackwood/Equinox/SAS, or 238 Blackwood/SAS/DiamondPlate/Equinox.

Do you guys carry these single-action pocket pistols as condition-one in a pocket holster? I've always wondered if anyone does or if they go condition-two. When you train, do you draw them from out of your actual pocket "live" in condition one before firing? I've played with 1911's my whole life and easily put 15-20k down range drawn condition-one from an IWB or duty rig. But, I've never had the cajones to pocket carry a cocked-and-locked SA, let alone practice presenting and firing thousands of rounds drawn "live" from the pocket to become competent to carry it that way in public. I do it from the pocket with my S&W 442, but that's a bit different (to me at least).
Thanks.

I do carry the little critter cocked n' locked, but not in my pocket. IWB for me. I've started looking at pocket holsters, but haven't tried one yet. The P938 is just enough bigger than the P238 to make a real difference as far as pocket carry goes, but since I wear a lot of jeans and shorts with cargo pockets it will be workable.

I would go the trigger polishing route, but alas, Sig stuck a plastic trigger on the P938, so I have to wait for my new one :-(

If you haven't tried a 938, they really aren't bad at all to shoot, but it is a noticable step up from the P238. It isn't that the 938 is rough, it's just the 238 is such a sweetheart. Makes an LCP feel like it's been accidentally loaded with .357.

XJ-linux said:

As long as the serial number isn't removed, they don't care if it is covered up by grips. Perfectly legal as long as the SN can be viewed by removing the grips. The BATFE only cares of you grind the SN off.

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Yeah, that's what I USED to think but having talk\ed to the local BATF I changed my mind about letting the model 19 wear the Hogues. Seems that HERE the guys consider the serial number obscured if the grips cover the serial number and it requires anything more than a glance to check it. The fact that I'd loan them the screw driver didn't seem to change anything. It's like a 10 year penalty so I deferred preferring not going to jail. Yes, they're being asinine, but they have the stinkin' badges amigo. I have considered sending the revolver back to Smith to have the crane area engraved with the SN like they do on all the more recent revolvers. Just being lazy as I have two other pistols to send back to Smith: a hair trigger (on single action) .44 magnum backpacker 3" barrel and a 622 target pistol where the rear site broke free and bit me in the forehead during one range session.

For pocket holsters, it's condition 3. I get made fun for that, but I don't care.
For IWB, condition 1...always.

XJ-linux said:

Do you guys carry these single-action pocket pistols as condition-one in a pocket holster? I've always wondered if anyone does or if they go condition-two. When you train, do you draw them from out of your actual pocket "live" in condition one before firing? I've played with 1911's my whole life and easily put 15-20k down range drawn condition-one from an IWB or duty rig. But, I've never had the cajones to pocket carry a cocked-and-locked SA, let alone practice presenting and firing thousands of rounds drawn "live" from the pocket to become competent to carry it that way in public. I do it from the pocket with my S&W 442, but that's a bit different (to me at least).
Thanks.

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I've always carried my .45's cocked and locked in either a paddle holster or one of Mitch Rosen's IWB holsters and belts. I have a Scott MacDougal pocket holster for my Colt Mustang .380 but I carry that on "light days". My instructors beat into me that the .380 was the next best thing to being unarmed so the .45 is my usual preference.

Ended up selling the Para for more than I paid for it. I practically got paid to shoot it. No joke, the Rock Island 1911's are higher quality(at least for the new Expert model, which is still almost 150 more than a comparable Rock Island).

Para has been junk since the late 1990's IMHO. Consider yourself lucky to have gotten out of it without taking a hit. Much as I hate to admit it, many of the Asian-based manufacturers build a better 1911 for the price than many North American manufacturers.