Long winter at the range

Gofirstclass said:
Many of you probably don't know that in my younger days I was a cop for a local city department. It was a small department of around 40 officers so several of us wore many hats.

I was the dept's firearms instructor, gunsmith ("armorer" to those in law enforcement), hostage negotiator and community relations officer.

When I first started the armorer work we carried S&W Model 19's (.357). I talked the chief into looking at semi auto pistols and also into paying for me to attend the 2 week S&W Armorer's School in Springfield, MA.

While there I ordered a 4006 (.40 S&W) from the Performance Center and had it shipped to me at the dept. I put about 1,000 rounds through it before deciding it was too much gun for the average cop to carry. I then ordered a 6906 (9mm) and shot it for awhile before deciding it was a much better carry gun.

View attachment 158755
I still have the 4006 and the 6906 but I'm going to give both to my son when they visit next week.

I liked shooting the 4006, but I also liked shooting the .44 Mag Smiths. On a side note, at one time I had all the different barrel lengths in the .44's in both blue and stainless.

Another side note, I still get to the indoor range about every 1.5 months and shoot the devil out of my Springfield Hellcat. It's a nice gun to shoot and to carry.
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Looks a lot like my BB pistol. My only semi. Prefer revolvers. But this thing is fun and cheap.
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Gofirstclass said:
Many of you probably don't know that in my younger days I was a cop for a local city department. It was a small department of around 40 officers so several of us wore many hats.

I was the dept's firearms instructor, gunsmith ("armorer" to those in law enforcement), hostage negotiator and community relations officer.

When I first started the armorer work we carried S&W Model 19's (.357). I talked the chief into looking at semi auto pistols and also into paying for me to attend the 2 week S&W Armorer's School in Springfield, MA.

While there I ordered a 4006 (.40 S&W) from the Performance Center and had it shipped to me at the dept. I put about 1,000 rounds through it before deciding it was too much gun for the average cop to carry. I then ordered a 6906 (9mm) and shot it for awhile before deciding it was a much better carry gun.

View attachment 158755
I still have the 4006 and the 6906 but I'm going to give both to my son when they visit next week.

I liked shooting the 4006, but I also liked shooting the .44 Mag Smiths. On a side note, at one time I had all the different barrel lengths in the .44's in both blue and stainless.

Another side note, I still get to the indoor range about every 1.5 months and shoot the devil out of my Springfield Hellcat. It's a nice gun to shoot and to carry.
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Mike, you have no idea. I was in love with the 6906 and was on the verge of buying one in the late 80's when I fell in love with a Nickel plated Sig P226. Multiple thousands of rounds through it, but the most striking thing about it is that it says "Made in W. Germany" Still wish I would have picked up a 6906 over the years.
 
GypsmJim said:
The Ruger P series are one of the most highly regarded pistols around. If the weight makes you shoot low, yes, you need practice. Personally, a heavier handgun enhances my shooting. I need to use 2 hands with a little LCP.

I have owned a Standard, a Mark 1 and Marks 2,3 and 4. I agree that the Mark 4 is one of the best semi 22's TODAY, but arguably the Mark 2 was the best of the lot. Interestingly, the Ruger Standard is celebrating it's 75th anniversary this year. Time to buy one of the new Commemoratives.
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It’s not the weight, it’s the caliber. Being relatively new to pistol ownership (12years) it seems like .40 is too much gun. Methinks I’m yanking on the trigger. Caught myself with the safety on a few times. A 9mm maybe better suited.

I agree, that little LCP shoots harder than the P94. I bought the extended grip for mine and still fits in the front pocket. The grip helps.


I never shot the Mark II. My only experience is with the IV. The reason I purchased the Hunter was for a gift for a friend. I purchased identical Hunter Mark IV’s. My buddy took my daughter and I on a Canadian fly-in fishing trip. At the end of the trip, I went to settle up, and he paid for my daughter. He wanted to make sure she had a good time and wanted to take care of it. Knowing he would never take cash, and he’s a firearm collector, I got him a Mark IV.


Now I want to go to the range……;)
 
Back in my youth (1960's) my Dad bought a 1911 since that's what he used in the War. So, I guess I could say I grew up with a .45 ACP Colt. Always thought it was fine. Recoil? Yeah, but what's the issue? In Later years I bought a Ruger P90 in .45 and found it was as good as a 1911. In recent years I went to striker nines and found them kinda anemic. It is what it is. I never owned a .40 because it seemed to be an answer to a non problem. Today, with improvements in nine ammo ballistics, the .40 has become partly obsolete. Some agencies have dropped them, but of course there is always a fan group for anything. However, I would guess that it recoils less than a .45.

Ruger's Mark II was the first with a 10 round mag. The fit and finish was better than most, and it shot really well. The Mark IV was an answer to a non-problem. Prior to Mark IV, takedown for cleaning was an issue. Simply, though, if you read the freaking owner's manual, it was a breeze. I never realized the problem until I read about it on the internet. The funny thing, though, is that on any of the Marks you can run literally thousands of rounds down the pipe and never do a takedown anyway.

Smith & Wessons Rule and are No.1. Rugers are also #1. Sometimes hard to distinguish. And that's just my opinion after 61 years of sending lead downrange.
 
A really thorough cleaning of the TH-9 loosened up the trigger dramatically. Punched the roll pin, removed and disassembled the hammer box, lapped the sear with a stone chamfering the edge that locks into the hammer hook, and cleaned everything in a pan of gasoline before reassembly. Taurus recommends cleaning their new guns!
I also inadvertently weakened the sear spring which is a possible cause of my improved trigger. This spring just clicks the sear under the hammer hook where it is held by the heavy hammer spring. In reassembly, I found I had bent it so I bent it back to "good enough" tension. Funny it should be malleable but now I have a great trigger. Ran 102 rounds through it and had one inadvertent double tap but that is normal for me, no other anomalies.

Now I'm cutting down the top of the sight post to coincide with the top of the white dot. There was 1/16th" of post above it which confused my sight picture. My milling machine is an old drill press and a Dremel side cutter. I may square up and finish with a flat file as I have not ruined anything yet, taking up the play in the vertical bearing with a handheld block of wood. I just don't like that blur around the white dot overlaying the target. I might even round off the corners. Finish will be with spray flat black self-etching paint; it is thin.
DSCN0093[1].JPG
 
Took my modified front sight to the range and the result was good. Not an overnight expert but misses are high as often as they are low. Before, I was low whenever I failed to concentrate on compensating. I think I am lining up the 3 dots and partially overlaying the center dot on the target. I guess there is parallax with varying ranges too. I buy my ammo in bulk.
 
I've been waiting for someone to comment about cleaning a polymer pistol with gasoline.
 
OllieC said:
It’s the precision and care that I love the most. Great idea cranking down that metal vice onto the metal upper on yer’ hand gun.
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Not a problem.....That's how my cousin Bubba does it. Wrap a little duct tape around it and it'll be just fine.

Actually, the vice is required! It'll squeeze her together a little bit. Then it'll fit tighter after the polymer rails got eroded from the gasoline.
 
Or, just install a better set of sights. Or am I missing something?

:cool:
 
Betraying my age, I cut the kirksite molds for the 747 wing panels on the 40' planer at Plant 2.
 
Bill Curtis said:
Or, just install a better set of sights. Or am I missing something?

:cool:
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Personally I hate white dot sights as much as I hate red front sight inserts. I have several late model polymer pistols with fiber optic sights and they are great. Almost as good as a reflex.
 
Gofirstclass said:
May I ask "why?"
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Are you asking why do I hate white dots? Not a simple answer. All I can say its a personal preference. With my bifocals if I focus on the target the dots are blurry. Not so with a fiber optic. My first preference would be a Patridge with a square notch.
 
Actually I was wondering more about your dislike of orange/red blade sights.

Many years ago I was a cop and got into a shooting against a guy with a 12 gauge. It was after dark with only ambient lighting. Because of the orange blade insert I had put into the Model 66 I was able to line up the sights and put my round exactly where I wanted to.

The other guy was wearing dark clothes and was about 45' away from me. He fired one shot at me, I fired one shot at him.

End of story.
 
Gofirstclass said:
Actually I was wondering more about your dislike of orange/red blade sights.
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Again, personal preference. I guess it goes back to my days of shooting bullseye, where the top of the front post is aligned with the bottom of the bull. Having the contrast of red vs. the black rear notch just didn't compute with me. I always painted the red with a black magic marker.

Maybe if the particular gun were used for personal protection I would feel differently.
 
GypsmJim said:
Again, personal preference. I guess it goes back to my days of shooting bullseye, where the top of the front post is aligned with the bottom of the bull. Having the contrast of red vs. the black rear notch just didn't compute with me. I always painted the red with a black magic marker.

Maybe if the particular gun were used for personal protection I would feel differently.
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Isn't that what we/you practice with a hand gun at the range for.
 
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