Fun at the Firing Range

E

Eric006

Joined
Apr 5, 2006
Messages
1,551
I know there are some firearms enthusiasts here, so I thought I would share a recent experience (some of you may have seen this elsewhere):

Just got back from a trip to Virginia. I visited a friend who has a nice collection of sidearms. We spent about two hours at an indoor range on Saturday, taking turns with eleven different pieces. They were:

Semi-Auto:
Walther PPK (.380)
Browning Hi Power (9mm)
SIG Sauer P239 (9mm)
H&K P7 "Squeezecocker" (9mm)
Glock 23 (.40)
SIG Sauer P229 (.40)
Kimber 1911 (.45)

Revolver:
Colt Agent (.38)
S&W 340 (.38 & .38+P)
S&W 640 (.38 & .38+P)
S&W 66 4" barrel (.38 & .38+P)

I got my best groups with the 1911. I liked the feel of the Glock and SIGs, too. The Hi Power had previously seen a mishap and was missing its front sight. I didn't shoot it as much as some others, but it felt good in the hand.

On the revolver side, the Model 66 was the easiest to shoot. Not really a surprise to me, given its bigger frame and greater weight. I like the ability to shoot single-action with it. Not a very good candidate for concealed carry, though. The Model 640 was a nice little package. It was just stout enough to make recoil manageable. The 340 was a little painful to shoot after a while. That's the price of its light weight, I guess.

I had been leaning toward a revolver for my first sidearm, but after this weekend I am thinking about going semi-auto. Interestingly, my buddy said if he had to pick only one of his guns to keep, it would be the 1911. Based on our outing, I would not disagree.

Eric
 
The Browning Hi power is n excellent piece with or without the front sight. My brother had one that was without the front sight as well, just imaged it in and she was right on, a very nice piece, and one on my must get list.

If you get a chance try the Ruger SP101 and a GP100 both excellent IMHO
 
I must concur. The 1911 .45acp is my favorite pistol of all time.


But the Browning Hi-Power 9mm comes in a close second.


:thumbup:
 
My only handgun right now is a 1911. Beautiful gun. Man, they're not kidding when they say "full-size!" A day shooting a 1911 quickly become a test of how long your arm can hold up a big, heavy piece of beautiful, deadly steel. But there's something so damn solid about those things that I'll never give it up, and likely get more.

How was the H&K? That's been one of those brilliant, eccentric oddball guns that I've always wanted to try. I'd be interested to hear how it felt and how it shot. Certainly is a funky design! Leave it to ze Germans to come up with something like that! In their defense, definitely the next gun I'm getting is an H&K USP Compact. Haven't decided quite yet on the caliber, but the gun fits me like it was made for me. And like in my other thread, H&K's tend to "speak" to me and really click. Great guns, if a little pricy! :D

Chris
 
Sounds like fun. I'd hate to be the one cleaning those eleven guns afterwards though. I actually like cleaning my two guns, it's relaxing. But if I had to clean eleven guns at once it would quickly become a chore.

Count me in as another 1911 enthusiast. I fired a few mags yesterday. I don't know if it was the heat, the .45's recoil, or the weight of the gun, but the experience was certainly taxing.
 
kamagong said:
I don't know if it was the heat, the .45's recoil, or the weight of the gun, but the experience was certainly taxing.
Click to expand...

That's just what I mean! It's a great gun, and I love mine, but it sure can wear on you on a hot day! Boy is it good for buildin' up them muskles, though! I just take comfort that, with each shot, I become considerably more manly. :cool: :D

Chris
 
H2OCutter said:
If you get a chance try the Ruger SP101 and a GP100 both excellent IMHO
Click to expand...

I shot a GP100 a few months ago and liked it a lot. It feels really solid. I would like to get something I can use for concealed carry if I have to, and the GP100 seems a bit big for that.

I was in the local Sportsmans Warehouse the other week and looked at two versions of the SP101 - spurred hammer and spurless (if I am using the terms correctly). I like the way they fit my hand and hope to shoot both versions sometime.

Eric
 
namaarie said:
How was the H&K? That's been one of those brilliant, eccentric oddball guns that I've always wanted to try. I'd be interested to hear how it felt and how it shot. Certainly is a funky design!
Click to expand...

I shot perhaps one magazine through it - not enough to get really comfortable with the mechanism. It sort of felt like a stapler combined with a regular semi-auto, if that makes any sense.

Eric
 
H2OCutter said:
The Browning Hi power is n excellent piece with or without the front sight. My brother had one that was without the front sight as well, just imaged it in and she was right on, a very nice piece, and one on my must get list.

If you get a chance try the Ruger SP101 and a GP100 both excellent IMHO
Click to expand...

The only downfall of the High Power/P05 is the trigger pull.
In order to get the pull down in the 4-5 lb range, you have to mess with the
mag disconnect.

Take a look at the CZ 75B, based on the High Power, but double action cabable, and single action trigger pull that is much easier to tune.
The CZ's are also a great buy, and can frequently be found New, with 2 15 or 16 rd magazines for about $400 to $450 at gun shows.

I was recently talking to a retired SF Officer, now in executive protection,
whom told me me would take the CZ as his second choice only to an
accurized 1911.

DaddyDett
 
DaddyDett said:
The only downfall of the High Power/P05 is the trigger pull.
In order to get the pull down in the 4-5 lb range, you have to mess with the
mag disconnect.

Take a look at the CZ 75B, based on the High Power, but double action cabable, and single action trigger pull that is much easier to tune.
The CZ's are also a great buy, and can frequently be found New, with 2 15 or 16 rd magazines for about $400 to $450 at gun shows.

I was recently talking to a retired SF Officer, now in executive protection,
whom told me me would take the CZ as his second choice only to an
accurized 1911.

DaddyDett
Click to expand...

Looking at one next week in .40 S&W comes with two 10 round mags $399-
Thanks for the input.
 
When I was six yo or thereabouts and when we lived in Prescott AZ my Uncle Bud and family came for a visit and he had a 1911 that I was lusting to shoot and had been ever since he first brought it out to show my old man.:D
He kept promising me that he would let me shoot it and finally down in the desert on the way back from seeing another uncle in Phoenix everyone had had enough of my begging and Uncle Bud told my old man to pull over at the next cut bank in the road so I would have a safe place to shoot it with no danger of the spent bullets hurting anything or anyone.:rolleyes:
Remember that this was in 1946 or '47 and that the world was a whole lot less populated and if you were real lucky you might see ten cars go by on the highway on a busy day out in the middle of the desert.:foot:
Well the old man pulled the car over and Uncle Bud and I got out and went to the front of the car. Uncle Bud showed me how to hold the pistol and how to shoot it and then guided me to shoot it across the road.
Well you don't hand a six yo a pistol with a full mag if you only expect him to shoot it once.<VBESEG> Once the first round went off and I had a taste of that I just kept on squeezing the trigger.:cool: :D
Now remember what I said about the world being less populated back then. All of a sudden Uncle Bud grabbed my arm and held it straight up and I kept on squeezing that trigger!!!!
I have often wondered since I got old enough to understand what those two guys on motorcycles thought when they flew by and here was this little kid with a great big gun firing straight up in the air.:eek:
I have also wondered if a little further down the road if they didn't have to stop and change underwear.;)
I know that if I had of experienced such a thing that I would have had too.:o :D
Some things you just never will forget.:cool:

Whew, thought I never would get done with this post. -wink-
 
Second on the CZ Products -- I have a 97B -- once it was broken in its performance was comparable to my kimber gold match.
I have the sp101, with hammer spur in .357 mag as well. *great* little revolver.

I almost forgot to add, I would strongly advise you to get a .22 as your first pistol or revolver -- master the basics with it first before moving up
to centerfire -- its very easy to develop bad habits in marksmenship with a larger caliber first handgun.
 
So, what's a good .22 for a 14-year old, and his petite mother to start out with? I have grave doubts that mom will actually go to the range, but she says she wants to...
 
Aardvark said:
So, what's a good .22 for a 14-year old, and his petite mother to start out with? I have grave doubts that mom will actually go to the range, but she says she wants to...
Click to expand...
Check out the Ruger 22/45 series. I have the MarkII P-4, its very accurate.
2245P4.JPG
 
I'll second that, the 22/45 is a great little pistol, as is the Mark III. The Mark II is a great deal as well if you can find one used. There isn't too much that can go wrong with them.
 
Great story, Yvsa!

I don't know too much about .22 pistols, Aardvark, but I know it's a great round to learn on in general. Cheap to shoot and virtually no recoil. Good stuff.

Chris
 
Thanks for the advice, guys. I'll be on the lookout for Rugers, then.
 
Yvsa said:
When I was six yo or thereabouts and when we lived in Prescott AZ my Uncle Bud and family came for a visit and he had a 1911 that I was lusting to shoot and had been ever since he first brought it out to show my old man.:D
He kept promising me that he would let me shoot it and finally down in the desert on the way back from seeing another uncle in Phoenix everyone had had enough of my begging and Uncle Bud told my old man to pull over at the next cut bank in the road so I would have a safe place to shoot it with no danger of the spent bullets hurting anything or anyone.:rolleyes:
Remember that this was in 1946 or '47 and that the world was a whole lot less populated and if you were real lucky you might see ten cars go by on the highway on a busy day out in the middle of the desert.:foot:
Well the old man pulled the car over and Uncle Bud and I got out and went to the front of the car. Uncle Bud showed me how to hold the pistol and how to shoot it and then guided me to shoot it across the road.
Well you don't hand a six yo a pistol with a full mag if you only expect him to shoot it once.<VBESEG> Once the first round went off and I had a taste of that I just kept on squeezing the trigger.:cool: :D
Now remember what I said about the world being less populated back then. All of a sudden Uncle Bud grabbed my arm and held it straight up and I kept on squeezing that trigger!!!!
I have often wondered since I got old enough to understand what those two guys on motorcycles thought when they flew by and here was this little kid with a great big gun firing straight up in the air.:eek:
I have also wondered if a little further down the road if they didn't have to stop and change underwear.;)
I know that if I had of experienced such a thing that I would have had too.:o :D
Some things you just never will forget.:cool:

Whew, thought I never would get done with this post. -wink-
Click to expand...

I liked the story. I took my kids out when they were 7 and 12 and let them EACH fire a .357 mag round out of my duty S & W Model 66.

Scared the heck out of them and they never wanted to go near that gun until they passed 18 years of age.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top