Carothers and Guns

The only time I feel old is when I am playing basketball with my 9 year old and getting crushed.. or at one of her birthday parties sitting with 30 something parents. I was at one party chatting with a lady and found out she was the birthday girls grandmother, and graduated high school a year after I did 😐

The late 80’s and into the 90’s were definitely the golden age or rebirth of the 1911. In 1990/1991 I used to hang out at Steve Nastoff’s 1911 shop. He and Rob were buddies and we’re doing some pretty cool stuff for the time. I bought my first 1911 in 1991, a Colt Officer’s ACP. Actually I paid for it and my dad bought it for me because I wasn’t 21. I had Nastoff do a trigger job and dovetail sights before I even took it to the range. Should have had him do a reliability job because it was the most unrealizable 1911 I have ever owned.

Steve never got to be a huge name because Springfield offered him the moon to come run their custom shop after they got the FBI contract. After that Rob got into a medical career and had a family. He never got out of 1911 builds as far as I know but it was always a hobby side business. I may have posted pics of it here but the custom I have from him is one of my prized possessions.

Honestly what I think really thrust the 1911 into prominence again was the 94 Assault Weapons Ban. Since size no longer equates to round count it helped refuel a lot of interest in the platform and drove in a lot of new buyers.

IIRC while a lot of LEO’s were getting more modern equipment the vast majority didn’t start until the north Hollywood shootings. I remember hearing reports that some were being reduced back because of the AWB just to re-arm up again after 97. Real world needs being trumped by politics.

I’ll post another CPK and Guns pic later just to make up for my rambling 😉
 
cpirtle said:
IIRC while a lot of LEO’s were getting more modern equipment the vast majority didn’t start until the north Hollywood shootings. I remember hearing reports that some were being reduced back because of the AWB just to re-arm up again after 97. Real world needs being trumped by politics.
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I started in LE, (federal side), in NYC in the early 80's. We were issued 2" S&W Model 15's at the time. The FBI, upstairs, was carrying revolvers as well. When I transferred in 1987 to Miami, the first issued firearm from my agency was a 2.5" Model 19.

When we finally got issued autos within the next year or two, it was double action only 3rd Gen S&W 9mms. By then, many of us were carrying our own privately purchased Glocks or other semi-autos we qualified with. Then the agency eventually went to Glocks and in the mid to late 90's they mandated that everyone carry either a G19 or G26...and it had to be theirs, not our own.

I carried a Colt Gov't Model Series 70 for a couple of years, but the gun had several issues, and the agency finally decided that cocked and locked was no longer welcome, especially for those of us on the entry team.

A lot of folks still loved their 1911's which they owned privately, but they really haven't had much of a presence in LE for many a year now.

That's my experience, primarily working in NYC and Miami.
 
Blues said:
I started in LE, (federal side), in NYC in the early 80's. We were issued 2" S&W Model 15's at the time. The FBI, upstairs, was carrying revolvers as well. When I transferred in 1987 to Miami, the first issued firearm from my agency was a 2.5" Model 19.

When we finally got issued autos within the next year or two, it was double action only 3rd Gen S&W 9mms. By then, many of us were carrying our own privately purchased Glocks or other semi-autos we qualified with. Then the agency eventually went to Glocks and in the mid to late 90's they mandated that everyone carry either a G19 or G26...and it had to be theirs, not our own.

I carried a Colt Gov't Model Series 70 for a couple of years, but the gun had several issues, and the agency finally decided that cocked and locked was no longer welcome, especially for those of us on the entry team.

A lot of folks still loved their 1911's which they owned privately, but they really haven't had much of a presence in LE for many a year now.

That's my experience, primarily working in NYC and Miami.
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2.5” k frames were bringing unnatural amounts of dollarydoos recently, probably still are. Sold a snubby L frame 586 last year and miss it. RIP
 
Uncle Slayton said:
2.5” k frames were bringing unnatural amounts of dollarydoos recently, probably still are. Sold a snubby L frame 586 last year and miss it. RIP
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I miss my old blue steel J frame model 36 which was my first purchase when I got the job. I, (unfortunately), traded it in at the cop shop in Hialeah, FL when I got my first Glock 26. Now I miss it a lot. I wouldn't mind a Model 15, though I always preferred the Model 19. I didn't care for the square butt vs. a round butt. (Funny, I still feel that way, and not even about guns. 🤣 )
 
Blues said:
I miss my old blue steel J frame model 36 which was my first purchase when I got the job. I, (unfortunately), traded it in at the cop shop in Hialeah, FL when I got my first Glock 26. Now I miss it a lot. I wouldn't mind a Model 15, though I always preferred the Model 19. I didn't care for the square butt vs. a round butt. (Funny, I still feel that way, and not even about guns. 🤣 )
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Have this one from my grandfather:

1k125Hnl.jpg
 
Man, I'm a sucker for snub nose K Frames. Love the story/lore behind why they came to be and think they are the ultimate "contradiction in terms" pistol. I have a Pre-19 Nickel snubbie that is among my favorite wheel guns. Hate to even shoot it any more because they have gotten so stupid expensive.

wheels.jpg
 
Blues said:
I started in LE, (federal side), in NYC in the early 80's. We were issued 2" S&W Model 15's at the time. The FBI, upstairs, was carrying revolvers as well. When I transferred in 1987 to Miami, the first issued firearm from my agency was a 2.5" Model 19.

When we finally got issued autos within the next year or two, it was double action only 3rd Gen S&W 9mms. By then, many of us were carrying our own privately purchased Glocks or other semi-autos we qualified with. Then the agency eventually went to Glocks and in the mid to late 90's they mandated that everyone carry either a G19 or G26...and it had to be theirs, not our own.

I carried a Colt Gov't Model Series 70 for a couple of years, but the gun had several issues, and the agency finally decided that cocked and locked was no longer welcome, especially for those of us on the entry team.

A lot of folks still loved their 1911's which they owned privately, but they really haven't had much of a presence in LE for many a year now.

That's my experience, primarily working in NYC and Miami.
Click to expand...

Great insight, thanks!
 
mb> said:
I guess S/M/L was already taken?! Haha thx man.
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What'll really blow your mind is that the K and L are dimensionally almost identical. The L frame was brought out to handle the snappier 125 grain magnum loads that were cracking K size frames.

Here's my favorite contradiction in terms revolvers.. believe it or not the 327 (right) is a dream to carry IWB and equally so to shoot full house magnum loads.

snubs.jpg
 
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