All posts tagged Pistol Magazines

The importance of drop free magazines

You need to test your gear and accessories out to know for sure that they work on your firearms because there are so many variables in manufacturing that even the same company can slightly alter a mag well or magazine.   There use to be enormous problems with some AK magazines because not all Communist block countries made them the same.  I had a friend that picked up about 20 AK mags at a gun show and thought he’d stock up on them, only to find out that he had to take a file to most of them because they wouldn’t lock up in the rifles.

When it comes to handguns, the biggest problem that can occur once you get away from Factory magazines for a 1911 are that they don’t drop free.   1911 guns are not know for being very tight when it comes to tolerances and they are for the most part drop in guns.   Wilson Combat magazines are very sleek and are the number one magazine I see at IDPA competitions.   I have 5 1911 handguns all from different companies and Wilsons 7rd and  8 rd are all I ever use.  I think  the guns look better with flush fitting magazines, but reliability is the most important.

Top

Did the M14 replace the Garand?

That is a sure thing, and in my opinion it was a big step forward for semi-autos.  It really is too bad the gun was not fielded during the Korean War because it would have made a difference for the USGI.   As much as the Garand was a useful weapon to the American Rifleman, it was quickly out dated in the battle field and from what I have personally witnessed, is not very versatile when it comes to being used by different soldiers.   Many Vets that I have spoken to did not think the gun was fun to shoot and couldn’t hit anything at 100yds with it.   I’ve seen that type of shooting before, it’s called “fear of recoil”.

When the M14 was first issued, it pretty much did in the M1 Garand and the BAR, but modern warfare made the riflemen’s  usual combat engagements take place at well under 400yds.   Most engagements that I know of from personal stories took place at under 100yds.   The M1 Carbine still was very practical for soldiers until the M4 Carbine came out, now many enthusiasts in California and New Jersey can use the Promag magazines that are 10rds and from what many of our customers have said they worked very well for this old relic.   If it were not for the limited availability and reliability of M1 Carbine ammo, I think the gun would be more popular.

Top

Ruger Mini 30…what’s the point of having one of these?

That’s a far out dated question is  my opinion.   Sure you can get an SKS or an AK for less money and higher capacities, but for the most part, the AK and SKS are not very friendly to mounting rifle optics and given it’s tradition scope ring mounts, you can mount a nice Leupold rifle scope on the gun and get more out of it than you would from a surplus Com-block rifle.   Can I also say that the gun is lighter and has a better trigger?   There are certain products that we sell that are sold to many of our customers in California and New Jersey and can’t use gun magazines that usually are standard issue.

I got an incredible deal on a used Ruger Mini 30 for just about $200 from a disgruntled owner that tried to make the gun into something that it wasn’t.   Promag magazines makes a reliable 10rd magazine that worked for me.  I have no interest in trying to make this gun take 30rd magazines.   There are now domestically manufactured brass hunting rounds for the 7.62×39 and I wouldn’t hesitate to tell someone to consider one of these Ruger puppies for yard work.  I also wouldn’t hesitate to consider reloading for your Mini 30 because you should  be able to get your gun to pretty close to MOA with the right ammo.

Top

A debate about guns, caliber and concealment

I’m mentioned many times before that I have witnessed many CCW holders go from full size autos to j-frame revolvers and I don’t think they are under gunned at all.   Many of my friends are now carrying  .380 pistols and 38 Specials.    If you are not on a hit list and not a LEO, you are more than likely  only going to deal with a minimal number of threats to your life and if you train to use  your firearm properly, you should be able to take out 1 or 2 bad guys with any firearm.   I’m not going to guarantee it, but having 2.5rds per target should make a 5 shot S&W worth it’s weight in gold.

I’m also not going to argue with someone that wants to carry a full size 1911 with a 7rd magazine.  I personally have never had a problem with my Wilson Combat Magazines, whether they are 7rd or 8rd.   I’ve heard many debates that the 8rd magazines are not as reliable, but I have never used anything but the 8rd magazines and I don’t have issues.   The real advantage of the 1911 design for CCW is that it is very thin.   I would say that my 8rd Sig 239 is actually thicker in the frame than a 45acp 1911 and it is easily concealed IWB.

Top

Tactical holsters for secondary firearms

One of the first holsters I ever purchased that was not specifically for concealed carry was an Uncle Mike’s gun holster.   It had a metal clip that that was very secure on a belt, and it was made of nylon.   It worked very well for me for several training sessions and it had a front pocket that could hold a double or single stack magazine with a velcro strap to secure it.   I never had a real problem with the holster since it is made of nylon and isn’t as harsh to lay down on as a paddle holster.  Many paddle holsters aren’t going to tolerate roll overs.

I have thought long and hard about what type of handgun to have with me as a secondary firearm and the thought came to me that it really should be all about up and close fighting and then flee the situation and clear my primary and get back into the fight with that.   I don’t carry about caliber wars between 9mm and 45acp, I will gladly fight a handgun battle with an M4 Carbine.   My secondary firearm is a  fitted with Wilson Combat magazines for a Colt 1991A1.   I carry one mag in the gun, and 2 in a vest pocket.   I don’t think over loading myself with handgun ammo is a good thing and 24rds of 45acp is good enough for me to fight my way out of a situation.

Top

Favorite guns for IDPA

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend some of the IDPA National competitions in recent years and it has still amazed me that the 1911 is the number one firearm that is being  used.    I’ve spent enough time on the range to know that the 45acp is more consistent in knocking down targets and makes bigger holes.   The triggers on the 1911 design can be sweetened and even though there are some draw backs to the 1911 design, for competition, there aren’t any.   Glocks have a good showing because they have a consistent trigger design like the 1911, but they are very different to shoot.

I understand that many shooters will probable shoot a 9mm more proficiently over a 45acp and I have done personal evaluations of novice shooters and done comparisons.   The 9mm is easier to shoot and will most likely get you a higher hit percentage. For more advanced shooters, they won’t have problems with the 45acp.  Wilson Combat magazines are still the number one 1911 gun magazine that I see at these events followed by Chip McCormick.   Every 1911 design can be tweaked and modified just like a pile of Legos.

Top

Wolff gun magazines and Wilson Combat

I finally got to pick up a few of the Wolff gun magazines that some of my friends have raved about and I’m still trying to find out how I didn’t know about these for so long.  I guess getting stuff made in the  gun accessories and firearms industries is getting easier now and many companies can go out there and just find somebody with the tooling.   These did feel more like Chip McCormick magazines and they were fairly close in design.   The one thing I know to monitor on 1911 metal magazines are the followers which is something I’ve had problems with in the past.  Usually it was the less expensive and practically considered to be thrown GI 1911 magazines.

Something I’ve seen happen on less durable 1911 magazines it that they will not hold up very well at all if you one up the guns.  If you have an 8rd magazine and put one in the chamber and then load it back up to capacity, you are putting slightly more tension on the magazines and the cheaper mags, and the magazine springs will fail you.  Wilson Combat magazines, Wolff 1911 magazines and Chip McCormick magazines will hold up.  I had problems with Colt magazines, GI magazines and some MecGar magazines when I did this and always had 2nd round malfunctions.   I’ve learned to not on up the guns, but single stack magazines seem to handle this better than double stack.

Top

10rd magazines and living behind enemy lines

I guess we are all living behind enemy lines if you consider what we’ve been dealing with since the 2008 election.   I recently go around to reading some of the bull shit that is listed in the Obamacare bill and it’s loaded with nothing more than crap.   We have a bunch a lunatics in Washington DC that are trying to say that a vending machine operator has to list how many calories for each individual item they are selling.  This is all brought to  you by the people that are afraid to call Islamic terrorism what it is and want an average American Citizen to not be allowed to own a firearm that holds more than 10rd of ammunition in it.

We have a diverse group for our customer base.  We  have the concealed carry apparel crowd and we have many, many Government employees and private contractors.   Our customers that live in California and New Jersey tend to be more restricted in the gun accessories product line and when it comes to selling gun magazines, we’ve been selling a lot of t he Promag magazines to them.   The Mini 14 is a very popular firearm in California because the gun doesn’t have to be modified from the Factory configuration, but it still shoots the .223 or 5.56 ammunition that the AR15 does.

Top

The AWB is over, so buy Factory Mags

When I stopped and thought about writing this, I couldn’t believe how many years it has been since the AWB has expired.  It feels like it was just yesterday that I could get Glock or Sig Sauer magazines without having to spend $60-$90 for them.   Factory magazines are still more expensive than some of the other magazines out there, but they are always the best option for handguns.   There are plenty of decent manufacturers for AK or AR15 rifles, and most problems I have seen with AK mags can be fixed with a simple file to the tab on the mag wells.    I recently picked up a couple Glocks and XD handguns because I wanted to bring something to the next class I teach that wasn’t a Beretta, Sig Sauer or 1911.   Some people just have issues shooting 45acp and I didn’t own anything other than a Sig 220 and a 1911.

I have found the Springfield Armory XD 45acp to be the most comfortable 45acp gun to shoot that was not a steel gun.  I find the Glock 21 to be too bulky especially for my female students.   The factory gun magazines for my Glocks are less expensive than  Sig Factory magazines, but I have never had to replace anything on my Sigs other the springs.   Wolff Gun springs work very well in all of my rifle and pistols and I have stockpiles of them so that if I notice any slowness in cycling, I can just swap them out.   Rotating your gun magazines is a good way of making sure you don’t wear out the same magazine, because it’s a pain in the neck when you are trying to determine if the magazine is bad or if a shooter is limp wristing a firearm during a training session.

Top

Valley Forge Gun Show in PA, finding gun parts

It has been  year since I got out to the Valley Forge Gun Show here in Pennsylvania.  It is probable the 3rd largest gun show after the Pittsburgh NRA Convention, and the Harrisburg Farm Complex.   There are some pretty big fluctuations from year to year.   Two Years ago there was a run on ammunition and firearms because Obama was elected.   Then move forward 2 years and there are a lot of good deals on used firearms because all of the people that lost their jobs are looking to get there money back.   I predicted that and I also predicted that there would be a reset on ammunition prices.

This weekend I went to the show to price gun magazines, ammunition, rifle accessories and reloading supplies.   I picked up large primers, small primers, pistol primers and rifle primers just because I could.   That was another thing that just flat out disappeared.   Primers seem to be under $30 now and that’s not too bad.  I next went to the pistol and rifle magazine section and picked up Glock 19 magazines.  I saw piles of Wilson Combat magazines, but I never noticed any shortages on those magazines, EVER. I noticed the Korean Glock 19 magazines looked well made, and they were only $10 each, but I didn’t want to take the chance since I knew nothing about their reputations.

Top
1 2 3 4 Page 2 of 4