Guns
& AccessoriesGuns
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accuracy, power, speed DVC is for Diligencia, Vis and Celeritas which is "accuracy, power and speed" in Latin. These are, of course, the "combat triad" or the basis of defensive pistol shooting (you could extrapolate them to ALL shooting with pistol or rifle, of course, but it originated in reference to pistols). Jeff Cooper originated this to make people understand that there is a critical balance in shooting, that one mustn't concentrate on one to the detriment of the others. None of the 3 is superior to the others in necessity or primacy. They form a 3-legged stool, so to speak, such that without any of the 3 being equal the stool falls. If you have a powerful gun (Vis) which you shoot quickly (Celeritas) but you miss or shoot inaccurately (Diligencia) then you still lose. Likewise, shoot accurately but too late, even with a powerful gun, and you lose. Shoot fast and accurately, but strike a puny blow, and you lose. So you see, you have to shoot the most powerful gun that you can manage quickly and accurately. Failing in any of the 3 might lose the fight for you. thanks go to Charles Riggs for providing me with this information. |
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| My current favorite handgun is the 1911
style .45 ACP. I have several Colts of various sizes and finishes
that I have become very comfortable with.
My first was a Colt 1991A1 that has had 'some' custom work done to it. It was perfectly functional right out of the box, but there were a few things that I decided to have done to it after owning it for a while. Mepro-Light night sites were the first addition. A beaver-tail grip safety was added later, with an accompanying rounded hammer. A trigger job, by my friendly local gunsmith (FLG) included a light aluminum trigger with cut-out holes. I think this was for looks only! I then replaced the rubber grips with checkered wood grips. It is nothing fancy, but suits my needs. With an inside the pants (ITP) holster from Hoffner's I can comfortably carry and conceal this pistol all day. I use it for CCW and IDPA. Currently, to avoid the rust and corrosion problems with the blued 1991A1, I am using a Colt GunSite Model, a series 70 stainless steel Government Model. So far, it has been serving me as expected. A Colt LW Officer's ACP is my only 'short' 45, but it too serves a purpose at times. I have two basic loads for these pistols. The 230 grain Hydra-Shok marketed by Federal Cartridge Company and a practice load using a 200 grain lead SWC. All three pistols have good accuracy and 100% reliability with these loads. Not too long ago I succumbed to the ugly gun. Yes, that is a 1911 guy's description of a GLOCK. I had toyed with the idea for some time. After all, everybody and their brother had one right? Well, I finally decided that I would buy one 'for my wife'. It was simple to operate, light weight, utterly reliable, and practically indestructible. Perfect for a woman. But that is perfect for anybody! My (our) Glock 19 is beginning to grow on me. Coupled with a good leather holster from Galco, some extra magazines, and plenty of cheap ammo, this little gun has proven to be a nice package. With S&B FMJ practice loads and Pro-Load +P JHP it can suit anyone's needs. My wife has yet to shoot it (that's another story) but my daughter has claimed it as her own. Long before I ever considered self loading pistols, I bought a Ruger Security-Six .357 Magnum revolver. Stainless, with a 4 inch barrel, this was my first handgun. Soon , I started reloading and this rugged handgun took everything I ever loaded. I finally settled on using 158 grain lead SWC bullets from Bull-X and seldom ever shoot anything else. This was the first handgun I ever owned. More recently, I purchased a Taurus Model 85 Concealed Hammer .38 Special. This 2" revolver holds five rounds of 129 grain Federal Hydra-Shoks. Surprisingly easy to control, this little gun will slip right into your jacket pocket and is ready at all times. The DAO trigger pull has slowly but surely smoothed itself out. There was a time when I considered the 38 Special as too weak for serious self defense, but no more. It may not be my first choice for a carry gun, but sometimes it is a definite alternative to carrying nothing at all. If it is not hunting season then it is plinking season. I have two similar handguns for these two seasons. Both Ruger single actions, one is the Blackhawk in 45 Colt, which I use to deer hunt, the other being the Super Single-Six in .22LR. In the Blackhawk I use Hornady 300 grain XTP bullets for hunting and 255 grain Bull-X lead SWC bullets for practice. The 22 gets whatever's on sale at Wal-Mart. By the brick. I recently bought a Sure-Fire 9Z Combat Light. Talk about bright! Comparing any Sure-Fire to a regular flashlight is like comparing a jet to a paper airplane. It is the brightest hand held flashlight that I've ever seen and with statistics showing that most defensive uses of the handgun occur at night or in low light situations, a dependable, bright light is a must. With 9 volts of lithium battery power the 9Z has an output of 105 lumens that will not only light up an area but can be used as a blinding flash to disorient an attacker. I also use Surefire's 6P, which is a 6 volt 2 cell white light and have shot with individuals using the one cell 3 volt version. For what it's worth, I can tell no difference in the actual output. They're all expensive, so try some different models yourself if possible; you may find that the smaller version is handier to carry and just as useful. Regardless of which model you choose, it is my belief that a hand held tactical light is a must-have accessory. |
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| While I handle, carry, or shoot handguns almost daily, my rifle use
is very specific. I hunt white tail deer 13 months out of the year.
Well, not quite, but... with a 5 week modern gun season and about
25 days of muzzle loading, it just seems like a long time! My requirements
for a hunting rifle are simple - it must be 100% reliable in all conditions
and as accurate as possible within certain limits. I don't demand
bench rest accuracy because I don't shoot from one, but I do require that
my bullet do its job when I do mine. I use either a Model 700 Mountain
Rifle or a Ruger M77, both in .280 Remington, with 140 or 150 grain Nosler
Ballistic Tip (BT) bullets. Everyone has their favorite load or bullet.
This
is mine. I'm convinced that for the way I hunt and the animals
I hunt, the BT is the best bullet.
Because it was my very first hunting rifle and because everyone needs a backup gun in case something happens to your main gun, I still have my Marlin 30-30. It is a 336T. It is not exactly rare but it is one of the few modern straight stock Marlin 30-30's you'll see. With a Leupold 1x4 on top and 150 grain Remington Core-Loks inside, it too is a very dependable deer rifle. For the occasional squirrel hunt or tin can session, I have a Ruger 10-22, a Marlin bolt action, and a Remington auto, all in 22LR. To round out the rifle section, I have a Thompson Center Hawken .50 caliber muzzle loader that I built from a kit many years ago. Still a good shooter, it mostly reminds me that I can draw file a flat on a barrel, cold blue metal in the white, and finish a wood stock. I recently acquired a Knight inline .50 caliber muzzle loader that is suprisingly accurate with Pyrodex pellets and saboted bullets. |
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| I have a 20 gauge Remington 870 that I bought when I was 13 years old. I also have an early Ithaca Model 37, also in 20 gauge, with an improved cylinder (IC) that I used to use for quail hunting. Since quail birds are nearly extinct around here now (not because of me!) I use it occassionally for informal clay bird shoots. It is light and handy and over 50 years old. Most recently, I am adapting another 12 gauge 870 pump into a home defense tool. Time will tell how this project works out. Last but not least is a 12 gauge Remington pump that belonged to my grandpa. He used it for deer hunting, squirrel hunting, shooting crows out of the garden, and as a pointer to show a young kid (me) where a sneaky squirrel was hiding. It too will never leave my possession. |
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| There has to be a miscellaneous section to cover everything else.
Those guns that don't fit into a particular category or slipped away once
upon a time. Like the extremely accurate and reliable SIG P228 9mm
that I could never get comfortable with due to its DA/SA trigger.
Sold.
The old 3 screw Ruger Blackhawk 357 that I sold because I already had another 357. ?? The Star Firestar M-40 in .40 caliber that is a neat little shooter but can't displace my 45's. The Taurus PT-99 15 shot 9mm that I sold because I didn't think I needed a 15 shot anything. The T/C Contender in 30-30 with a 12 inch barrel and Burris 2x scope. Sold it after killing one deer and one coyote because it was TOO loud. My ears still ring. The Winchester Model 94 in 30-30. Sold, because I couldn't mount a scope on it. ?? An Astra Constable .380. Sold. A real man wouldn't shoot a 380, right? ?? A set of S&W DA revolvers. N frame 45 Colt, K frame .357, and K frame .22LR. He had cash and I already had something else in each caliber. ?? A 12 guage Western Field double barrel shot gun that I killed my first deer with when I was 11 years old. It was my Dad's, it's now mine. Another keeper, though seldom used. Springfield Armory 1911-A1 Loaded Model 45 ACP. Can somebody have too many 45's? I guess I did. It was a good pistol, but I sold it to a friend. There's probably more, but perhaps you've done some of the same.
Most every gun I sold or traded I did in order to obtain something else.
I wish I had them all back.
The firearms I have and the one's that I wish I still had represent a part of me that encompasses everything from deer camp in the fall, memories of my Dad and Grandpa, setting up my first reloading press, timed matches on the IDPA range, teaching my daughter how to shoot and respect guns, browsing the aisles of gun shows, jawing with gunsmiths or gun shop owners, reading Skeeter Skelton articles, and shooting claybirds with my brother out by the barn. In other words, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. |
| If you would like to submit a short story or essay on your favorite firearm, please use the email link below. I will add it exactly as you write it. If you want credit include your name and specify that you give permission to display your name; otherwise all entries are ANON. Use your own words, but supply any information about your favorite ammunition, accessories, custom work, accuracy, opinions, etc. The following have been submitted for your enjoyment: |
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Browning BLR .243 Win
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