More Range Fun With the Kimber 10mm

Yes, that's right, friends, I went to the range yet again last week with my Kimber Stainless Target II. I didn't get to throw too many downrange because of time constraints -- maybe tomorrow or the next day, if it doesn't rain -- but I took 100 rounds of 180-grain Federal American Eagle...and 20 rounds of Winchester Silvertip 175-grain hollowpoint ammunition, one of the few even semi-widely available close-to-full-power 10mm loads. According to the Winchester website, this particular cartridge is rated at 1295 fps out of a 5.5" barrel. The Kimber is a 5-inch gun, of course, so they go out just a little slower than that, but still, I was a bit apprehensive. So after about 50 rounds of the weak Federal AE, I gingerly opened up that grey box of Winchester Silvertips and loaded a magazine with them. Slammed the mag into the gun, charged it, took aim at the target. BOOM! Okay, that wasn't so bad, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Okay, still not the rocket ride I was expecting. I finished off the rest of the magazine and thought, is that all there is?
Mind you, this was not a bad thing. I had just heard so much about how the 10mm was such a hard-recoiling cartridge (although, granted, in the original Norma loadings I am sure it does kick pretty hard), but still I was very pleasantly surprised. This is, of course, a completely unscientific wild-assed guess, but I'd guess with that shorter barrel I was driving those Winchesters out at about 1250 fps, at least...it might well have been more than that, I don't know. I wish I'd had a chronograph so I could have seen for myself...but back to the point, a 175-grain bullet at 1250 feet per second -- a bullet with about the same sectional density as the .45ACP, in a cartridge with about the same recoil as the .45ACP+P and at 400 feet per second faster than standard .45ACP, would be quite a potent self-defense cartridge indeed. I am itching to try the Double Taps in that gun...I know they have quite a following among the 10mm enthusiasts, and looking at the ballistics on those suckers, it's not hard to see why...
UPDATE! AlanDP says in comments:

Maybe you need to step up to a .50AE. (ha ha)

Come to think of it, one of these would make an absolutely hellacious truck gun...
Back to the range today, 50 rounds of Blazers, about the same of Federal AE, and the last of the box of Silvertips. Went head-to-head with the last three mags I shot...one mag of Blazer, one mag of Federal AE, and one of Winchester Silvertip. I felt the extra kick with that last one. 1250 fps? I'd believe it...

UPDATE, 5-22-07:
Seems like this post gets a lot of hits from Google from folks looking for info on the Kimber 10mm 1911s, specifically the Stainless Target II. More observations on my experiences with this fine weapon may be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Thursday Evening 1911 Musings: Dan Wesson vs. Kimber

So I've gotten some hits from the search Dan Wesson vs. Kimber. Some thoughts, as one who owns pistols from both manufacturers...
I'd almost bet money that the folks who search for something like this are in the market for a 10mm 1911, so I'll just focus my commentary on those. I think that vis-a-vis the Kimbers, the Dan Wesson pistol plays the same role as the Springfield does -- that is, the DW 1911 is just as good of a pistol as the Kimber for less money, as you'll see if you check out my previous postings on the Dan Wesson Razorback I recently picked up. See here and here.
Now, with that said, as far as the 10mm goes, there is one big difference between the Kimber Stainless Target II and the Dan Wesson Razorback -- the former has a ramped and fully supported barrel, while the latter has a traditional barrel, albeit one that has a generous bit of throating. (I seem to recall someone saying the 10mm Pointman Seven had a ramped & supported barrel but am not 100% certain on that.) Now, how much of a difference this makes would probably depend on your personal habits more than anything else -- what kinds of bullets you use, what kinds of loads you drive through the gun, how many times you reload your brass, that sort of thing. As for me, the most risky thing I ever did with my Kimber was with (I think) twice-fired Federal American Eagle brass, a CCI large pistol primer and 14.8 grains of Accurate Arms No. 9 behind a 155-grain Hornady XTP. That's a half-grain over the minimum load, and even with that minimum load I was getting flattened primers -- albeit with no other signs of high pressure such as bulged brass. With the RZ's traditional barrel it might have been different, I don't know. (For the record, that particular combo was good for about 1370 fps on average out of the Kimber. Bet it'd make for a hell of a defense round...) Maybe those concerns could be at least somewhat mitigated by using only virgin brass for hot loads, but then that's a good idea anyway. I am sure I was pushing the envelope with that twice-fired brass, especially if what I've heard about the Hornady XTP is true -- that it's a high-friction bullet design, which makes for increased pressure. That would certainly explain away the flattened primers I was getting even with the minimum loads.
But, I've said it before and I'll say it again -- don't drink the Kimber Kool-Aid. I love both my Kimbers and would certainly buy another, but in my experience, to say they're better than at least Dan Wesson or Springfield is to have fallen for the marketing hype, even in the case of the 10mm, so to speak. Buy any of them and you'll have made a great choice.

Weekend Gun Fun

It rained like the proverbial cow leaking on the flat rock most of yesterday, and sprinkled a bit this morning, but I finally got out to the range later this morning with my Kimber 10mm Stainless Target II and 100 rounds of 180-grain American Eagle full-metal-jacket. I did it more than anything to get more brass for the upcoming venture into reloading, but I hadn't taken the Kimber out in a while and thought it'd be fun to pull her out and see how she was doing. Granted, the AE is a real pussycat of a load at 1060 fps, but still I wouldn't want to get hit with it, and the Kimber handles it like a champ. I was doing failure drills more than anything else to get a feel again for how she handled with that load, and I was quite amazed at how fast I was getting the sights lined back up...it seems a little harder to do with the .45 than the 10mm, though the real tale is going to be told as I work up warmer loads and start driving them through her. I guess it was more of a time-killer than anything else, but I had a blast. The Federal AE makes for a fine plinking load, though to be honest I'd rather they load it a little hotter -- what the hell's the use of making 10mm ammo if you're gonna load it down to .40Short&Weak levels? I wanted some more of the Remington UMC in the green & white box (same bullet slightly hotter @ 1150 fps), but they didn't have any of that at Gander Mountain...and the Federal was $25 a box! One of the reasons I am getting into reloading...I bet I could shoot those same 180-grain bullets at about 1200-1250 fps all day long with a 20-lb. recoil spring and a Shok-Buff.
Went back to Gander Mountain today to see what all they had in the way of reloading supplies, and it didn't look like much...I saw bullets, lots of them, but mostly they were hollow-points, and the only thing they had in the way of propellant was blackpowder. I guess I'll be off to the gun show they have every month in Pasadena to see what they have, or off to one of the local Kimber master dealers in Mid-County someone was telling me about that could get powder for me. I'd love to get my hands on some 800X or AA #9 to see what that 10mm feels like when it's loaded to its potential.
And last, but not least...while I was at Gander Mountain, at the counter in the gun department I ran into one of the guys who worked at Shooters Supply before it closed down. I never made it back up there before it closed to find out what was going on, but I got to chew the fat with him for a few and asked him what happened. He said the shop was doing fine, that it wasn't the competition from GM that got it...it was the shop owner's decision to sell the business and retire. I suppose he earned it, but still I was sad to see them go...they had some good people up there in my experience. Counter guy at Gander Mountain was the only one from Shooters who stayed in the gun business; I was surprised to see that. I figured they'd all have gone into other gun stores around the area, but I guess there are only so many gun-store jobs to go around. Whatever they're doing, I hope they're well...

Sunday Morning 1911 Musings: Kimber vs. Springfield Armory?

I was looking for data this morning on 1911 market share in the United States, and I couldn't find any hard stuff, but from what I've heard it's largely divvied up among three manufacturers: Springfield Armory, Kimber and Smith & Wesson.
Many would probably say that among the three, Kimber is the best, the cream of the crop. I know people who would say that; when I was in the market for a 10mm 1911, the folks at the gun store (Shooters Supply, Beaumont, TX) mentioned the Dan Wesson Razorback and had nothing but good things to say about them, even though they recommended the Kimbers. I mentioned this to a friend as I was showing off the Kimber I eventually picked up, and he said something to the effect of, "don't buy a damn knockoff! Kimber's the best there is!"
He'd been touting the virtues of the Kimbers for a while, and there's no doubt in my mind they're both very good guns. Hell, I have two of them. And I plan to get more -- when, though, I don't know. (Next up, incidentally, for BAG Day, is the aforementioned Dan Wesson Razorback.) But I had been lusting after one of the Springfield full-size Loaded 1911s for a while, I guess ever since I got a look at it on their website. Skeletonized hammer & trigger, match-grade everything, ambi safety & three-dot fixed tritium night sights, all wrapped up in a beautifully low-key, understated Parkerized package. It was quite pricey, though, as any quality 1911 would be. Shooters quoted me $750 before tax. I ended up getting it from my normal FFL for $763 and change out the door; it would have been about $30 or so less than that, were it not for the higher-than-normal shipping charges.
And here's where Kimber comes in. The Springfield did indeed come Loaded, with just about everything one could want on a 1911, most notably the ambidextrous safety (good for lefties) and fixed night sights. This is just another wild-arsed guess, but a Kimber -- say, the Custom II -- with those same features (the ambi safety would probably have to be added at the Custom Shop) would probably run close to $900-950. And as I say, Kimber (in my experience) makes a fine pistol. I don't know why the Springfield isn't just as good of a pistol as the Kimber for ~$150 less, though no doubt there are some out there who would still try to say that if you don't get a Kimber you're settling for less. And if anyone tried to tell me that, I'd just ask them if they wanted to pony up the dough for my next Kimber.
Incidentally, when I got the new Springfield, I told my FFL, "I bet you, when I show this to (mutual friend who made the "knockoff" comment about the Dan Wesson), he'll say, 'you shoulda bought a Kimber!'" I really thought for a while that the friend had, well, drunk the Kimber Kool-Aid. I showed it to him, though, and he said I made an excellent choice...

Memorial Day Range Fun

With what, you ask? Why, the Kimber 10mm and more real 10mm ammo, what else?
Saturday morning I sat down and took my last batch of once-fired brass and loaded it, a little bit hotter than what I've done before, and Monday morning it was off to the range. Once again, the specs:

Case -- Remington nickel-plated
Bullet -- 155-grain Hornady XTP
Load -- 14.8 gr. Accurate Arms No. 9
Primer -- CCI large pistol

The load was 0.5 grains higher than the minimum in the Accurate Arms data sheet. I think that's about as high as I'd be willing to go with the once-fired; anything higher and I'd rather go with virgin brass just to be safe, at least at this point. And right now it's more about load development than anything else; I usually set up the target at the 7-yard mark and set up the chrony at the 3-yard mark, and this week was no exception. So I started blasting, and the results were quite impressive, as they've been so far with my particular components.
The average velocity was 1371 feet per second, with an extreme spread of 58 fps and a high of 1399 fps and just over half the shots running between 1360 and 1380 fps. So we're running just about on par with the Georgia Arms 155-grain Gold Dot at 1375. And the Kimber ate every one. I must admit, that was a concern of mine initially, that I would be doing something wrong and have problems with jams, especially with the Kimber's tight tolerances. So far my fears have been unfounded, and the load was very comfortable to boot. No doubt it's different with a heavier bullet, but I'd have to say that particular combination would be just about the perfect middle ground between the 9mm Parabellum and the .45acp. And every time I shoot it, I am that much more mystified as to why the .40Short&Weak overtook the 10mm as the accepted middle-bore autopistol cartridge. It works, but still, it's such a shame that the 10mm was relegated to niche status.
Before I go any further, though, the gun will get some stiffer springs and a Shok-Buff -- at least a recoil spring, maybe a mainspring as well, and a flat-bottom firing pin stop. (I've heard those help with cutting down on standard deviation, too.) I'd really rather not be posting here some horrible day about cracks in the frame or that sort of thing...

My Friday Gun Shop Adventure

So last Friday after I picked up my new gun, I was on the hunt for some half-decent factory ammo to run through it, namely the Remington UMC. It's about the hottest factory practice ammo you're gonna find on the shelf, drives a 180-grain FMJ at about 1150 fps, or so they advertise. I'd only seen it at one gun store around here, Shooters Supply, which of course closed earlier this year. I'd seen references to another little shop in Vidor here and there, Gary's Guns out on Highway 12 just northeast of where it runs into the interstate.
So after I took care of my Friday business, I rode out there to pick some up. I'd called 'em before and the clerk told me they had plenty of it.
"You might wanna stock up now, my friend, 'cause it's only gonna go up from here." One more reason I am quite glad I took up reloading.
Anyway, I got out there late Friday afternoon. They had a pretty good selection of pretty much anything gun-related you'd want, at least with what I could tell with my somewhat cursory glance around the store. The guy at the counter told me, "We got anything you could want, what do you like?"
Bet you could guess what I told him, too. "Well, I have a bit of a fetish for 1911s."
The ole boy didn't miss a beat. "What caliber? .45, 9mm, 10mm? How 'bout a .38 Super?"
"Well," I said, as I glanced down at a Kimber 10mm identical to the one I picked up last year, "I do like the 10mm, in fact, I picked up a Dan Wesson Razorback earlier today."
"Well then. You need a .38 Super. Check this out." With that he pulled out one of the most beautiful Smith & Wesson 1911s I'd ever seen -- a Doug Koenig model from the S&W Performance Center, with the square trigger. As far as I remember, the price on that thing was somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500.
"Try it out and see what you think."
Lord have mercy. They say the 1911 generally has the best trigger pull of any pistol, but this was out of this world. The trigger pull alone would have been worth the price tag, you just wouldn't belieeeeve. But I'd have been paying it off forever. Speaking of that, the store clerk piped up again.
"We got this little thing called layaway..."
"Yeah, and I have this little friend in my pocket called a credit card, but it'd hate me forever, and I already shoot one esoteric caliber, I can't quite afford another right now..." I did say that as I laughed and grinned, though. "But I do have another little friend at home, an RCBS turret press."
And off the discussion went into reloading. He said he loaded a bunch of calibers, though I don't remember which ones he said he loaded the most. 9mm, 10mm, .45, .38 Super, 9x23 were some of the ones he mentioned, though. I asked him if he had any pet loads for the Centimeter, but he said he only played around with that one. My impression was pretty favorable, though. The guy sounded like he knew his stuff pretty well. All that and virgin 10mm brass, to boot -- the only place in the Golden Triangle I've seen it! No once-fired, but none of the other shops I'd frequented had that either. As far as I remember it was about $15 per hundred, With that price, and the other components, one could load 10mm at a price that runs neck-and-neck with factory .45acp, and that's hardly a bad thing. Like I say, I'll be checking them out more...

Range Report No. 1: Kimber Stainless Target II, 10mm

Actually, this is two range reports in one, and more of a preliminary report -- the REAL ones will come when I can get my hands on some REAL 10mm loads. ;-) I've put two brands of ammo through her so far, two different weights and loads:
50 rds. of CCI Blazer -- 200 gr. @ 1,050 fps
100 rds. of Federal American Eagle -- 180 gr. @ 1,060 fps

So far, I am very impressed. 150 rounds through the pistol, no jams, failures to feed or duds. The slide did lock back prematurely just once about a quarter of the way through the Federal, but I think that was due to limp-wristing. I ran her through my normal range regimen -- half at the 3-yard line, half at the 7-yard. Would have tried my luck at the 15-yard mark were I not mainly concerned with how smoothly she'd run through what I fed her, because this gun is arguably more accurate than I am. I know that might not be saying much, considering most guns no matter the brand are more accurate than the people who are shooting them, but still, it's just amazing. Ragged holes, anyone? I found out that no matter which of my guns I am shooting, though, I tend to shoot low and to the right. Next trip I am going to start working on that...I've been shooting the Springfield GI on most of my recent range trips and the same thing's been happening. I was thinking it was the gun, but apparently it isn't. The recoil of the Kimber 10mm with those light loads seems to be similar to that of the .45, so it didn't take long to get used to, but I know what's really gonna tell the tale is those real 10mm loads. When the founds come, so will they -- and it won't be too long. I look forward to it...

Interesting news on the gun front this Sunday morning...

from Utah gun dealer Larry Correia, making the rounds at the SHOT show...

Vltor is making a Bren 10.

I see this and think, "Bren Ten? As in the very first pistol chambered for my beloved 10mm cartridge?" So off I went, and teh Google-fu was strong this morning, as it yielded this, via the Calguns forum:

"Tucson, AZ - Feb 01, 2008 - Vltor Weapon Systems today announced the launch of the Fortis Pistol Project, a modern version of the famous Bren Ten style pistol.
Originally released in 1982, the Bren Ten pistol was designed to advance the state of the art in handgun technology. Designed to fill the need for a full size, full power, double action pistol, the Bren Ten created immense interest as a potent choice for law enforcement and military use.
Developed as a pistol and cartridge combination, the Bren Ten was the first production pistol to chamber the powerful 10mm Auto cartridge. In its original loading, the 10mm Auto was capable of launching a 170gr buller at 1,300 fps - generating over 600ft/lb of muzzle energy.
Unfortunately, the original Bren Ten and its successor fell victim to business management and financial problems - but the demand for a high quality American made, full size, double action pistol has still not been filled.

According to Eric Kincel, the General Manager for Vltor, the Bren Ten may have truly been a design that was ahead of its time; "Now is the time to make this pistol. With today's precision manufacturing techniques and the superior materials available, the Fortis will be a pistol line that is everything people hoped previous attempts would be."
Eric pointed out that the Fortis is nearly identical to the original Bren Ten in exterior appearance and ergonomics, but that some changes have been made to improve reliability, safety and strength. "The Fortis, while based on a twwnty-five year old idea, is very unique. It offers a high tech, high quality pistol that more than fills the demands for a full size, magnum power auto loader."

The first released Fortis will be a "duty gun", a full size, all steel, high capacity 10mm Auto that will reliably answer the call of professionals and sportsmen that rely on a good pistol. However, Eric is quick to point out that the Fortis Project is a line of pistols based on one common design. "There will be other versions of the Fortis...different calibers, sizes and options specific to certain applications." When asked if they intend on releasing a faithful reproduction of the original Bren Ten, Eric's answer was simply "We sure want to".

Fortis Pistol Proposed Specifications (subject to change in final production)

Manufacturer - Vltor Weapon Systems
Model - Fortis (original release)
Type - autoloading pistol
Operation - Semi-automatic, Double/single action
Caliber - 10mm Auto (others to follow)
Barrel length - 5.00"
Overall length - 8.75"
Height - 5.75"
Width - 1.30"
Weight - 38 ounces
Safety - reversible thumb and firing pin block
Sight radius - 6.88"
Sights - Adjustable, 3-Dot combat style
Rifling - 5 Groove, radiused, RH twist
Stocks - Engraved polymer panels
Capacity - 12 rounds
Finish - Black Steel Slide and Subdued Finish Stainless Frame"

Gonna be keeping a sharp eye out on this one. From everything I've heard about the Bren it was a hell of a gun, just with not-so-good quality control; since the demise of it and the S&W 10xx series there hasn't been much of a choice for the 10mm enthusiast at least as far as non-1911 platforms go, beyond Glock and EAA. I had been considering the EAA Witness for a while, but honestly I'd be afraid of getting a lemon -- and from everything I've heard about EAA, its customer service is nonexistent. And as far as 1911s go, both Kimber and Dan Wesson will set one back at least $850 for one of their 1911s NIB, though in my experience they've both been worth the price. I don't know if the Fortis will be any cheaper than that, as I don't know anything about them, but in any event the pistol sounds VERY appealing. Kurt Hofmann, if you want an affordable 10mm that isn't a Glock, this might be your chance, buddy...

Ooooh, my favorite Reba tune! "If I siiink any more, I'll go under, if I cry anymore, I'll go blind...oh, there ain't no relief, for this missin' you grief, how looong can you torture my mind...How bluuuuue, can you make me....how looooong, till I heal..."

UPDATE: Bloody hell, I'm gonna go even more broke...I heard the Colt Delta Elite was also re-introduced at SHOT...

What's Better Than Having One 10mm Pistol?

Having TWO 10mm pistols, of course!
So, to that end, a few weeks ago I asked my friendly local FFL to get on finding me a Dan Wesson Razorback, the company's famed 10mm 1911. I've heard many good things about the Dan Wesson pistols since CZ bought them out a couple of years ago, namely that they're pretty much the best 1911s on the market for the prices they fetch -- more or less a custom pistol for an assembly-line price, with fewer MIM (metal-injection-molded) parts than just about any 1911 manufacturer save for the higher-end makers like Wilson, Baer and Nighthawk. For a long time I was under the impression that CZ/Dan Wesson was like Kimber in that they only dealt through a master dealer network and not through the distributors like Davidson's and Lipsey's. There was only one CZ stocking dealer around here, Shooters Supply, and of course it closed earlier this year. The next closest CZ stocking dealer was Carters Country in Houston. I thought I'd have to go there to get the Razorback, but as it turned out, of course, I was finally able to get it through my normal FFL. So I went and picked her up yesterday afternoon and last night sat down and stripped her down and cleaned her with BreakFree CLP. The fit and finish on that gun is absolutely impeccable, and the trigger breaks like glass. So far I'd say it's every bit the equal of the Kimber, far from being some second- or third-rate "knockoff" (and I have a feeling my old friend who made that comment will agree once he sees her). She's getting her first test drive today, with 100 rounds of Remington UMC; I thought I'd replenish my brass supply a little bit. ;-) Wanna see it?

Range report to come. ;-)

Monday Morning 1911 Musings: Kimbers, External Extractors and Short Barrels

Sigh...
From Loving, Texas, this referral, handguns better than Kimber?
There are those who say the Kimbers are the best production 1911s out there, but I am not sure I agree with that. They are great guns indeed, but I'm not so sure that they're really worth the higher prices than, say, a comparably equipped Springfield Armory or Dan Wesson. (More on that in a moment, stay tuned!) I've heard good things about the Smith & Wesson 1911s but as of yet I don't have one. Although I've heard lots of hell-raising about the external extractors featured on the S&W pistols, from some of what I've read, Kimber was the company that soured the American gun buyer on that deviation from the original design. They had it on their 1911s for a while but eventually went back to the internal extractor. I will say that the only trouble I've had with either of my Kimbers was a weak magazine spring on the Tactical Ultra II -- and that gun is not only one of the external extractor models, but it is also one of those infamous 3-inch-barreled pistols. And if you visit the gun boards for any length of time you'll find people raising ten kinds of hell about the micro 1911s. They're either very good or very bad -- if you get one that runs you're golden, but if you get one that doesn't run, it'll NEVER be 100%. Fortunately mine works, but again, I've heard a lot of people say that the shortest 1911 you'll be able to deal with is one of the Commander-size pistols with the 4.25" barrel. I'd say that for the .45 or the 10mm that's a pretty good compromise -- anything shorter and I'd be more worried about the corresponding velocity loss, more so with the .45 since it's big and sloooow to begin with. But then many of the worries about said velocity loss, from what I understand, come from the fact that many if not most people use hollow-points in their personal defensive weapon. I've never driven anything across the chrony with my micro 1911, and no matter what, at closer ranges with ball ammo it's still going to beat the hell out of a sharp stick.
Back to the Kimbers in general, though (back to you, Bob!)...I've heard people say that when you buy a Colt, you pay a premium for the name. To what extent that's true of the Colts I do not know, but I tend to think you definitely pay for the perceived prestige of the name Kimber when you plunk down the cash for one. I still would like to have an Eclipse Custom II in 10mm one day, though.

So I Got A Call Yesterday...

...from one of our friendly local gun stores, Shooters Supply in Beaumont. About five weeks ago I ordered a Kimber Stainless Target II in 10mm, and as the weeks wore on, I started getting more and more, ah, impatient. Well, I got outta the shower yesterday right before I hit the door for school, and this message was on my voice mail...
"Yeah, Pistolero, this is Friendly Gun Store Guy at Shooters Supply, that Kimber Stainless Target II in 10mm is in whenever you want to come pick it up..."
I seriously thought about skipping class to go and get it, but considering the gun is my graduation present to myself, I thought it might have been bad luck, so, I went to class and afterwards on to Shooters. Filled out the 4473, wrote the check for the gun and two extra mags, had them put on the Hogue finger wraparounds I ordered for her, and brought her home, cleaned and oiled her. And here she is:



I was going to pick up some ammo for her too, but as it happens, they were completely out of 10mm...they had a few boxes of 180-grain Remington UMC last time I was in there, but I asked them to order some for me. Not sure when it'll be in, a few days, I suppose, but when it gets here, you know what that means! Range report to come...

Dirty Range Fun

not THAT kinda dirty, just keep readin'...
So last weekend I loaded up a few more rounds of 10mm, as I had a few more primers here and there I needed to put to good use as well as some more Berry's 180-grain plated flat-nose bullets.
I had a few left over from the last range trip with the 10mm...it's been a few weeks since I've taken the 10mm out, because I nailed my Shooting Chrony as I was testing a load I'd worked up before I even got the first reading on how hot it was. But I ordered a new one late last week and it came in Monday, so today I took it to the range to see how it worked out. I picked up another Shooting Chrony, but I took a step up to the Alpha model, the red one that will hold one 2- to 32-shot string and calculates average velocity, standard deviation and extreme spread. I took about 60 rounds today, with the following specs:

Case: Federal and a few Winchesters, three times fired
Bullet: Berry's 180-grain plated flat-nose
Charge: 12.1 grains of Accurate Arms No. 9
Primer: Remington 2 1/2 (large pistol)
OAL: 1.260"

Firearm: Kimber Stainless Target II

The only difference between this load and what I've loaded before was the primers, as I'd been using CCI large pistol primers before. And there was a bit of difference that I could see, from both the velocity readings and inspection of the pistol after shooting.
The load with the CCI primer was running just over 1150 fps on average, with individual shots running anywhere from 1120 to 1190, while the load with the Remingtons was running about 1120. I only took a seven-shot string, but the load was amazingly consistent through the string, anywhere from 1115 to 1128 feet per second; that's the lowest extreme spread I've had with ANY load I've worked up. I don't know how it would have changed if I had taken a longer string; maybe I'll try that next time out and see how it works.
But then again, I might not. The lower velocity I could deal with -- that much could be remedied with a higher charge, as examination of the cases showed it was running at about-normal pressures -- but it seems that not all the powder is burning, as the gun was a good bit dirtier when I was finished shooting than it usually is. I suppose one could also try magnum primers -- I've read of people using them a lot with the 10mm -- but I just don't know if I want to try that with a stock gun, as it'll ramp up both pressure and velocity if what I've been told is right. In any event, other than the dirty gun, it was a fun range day. But to twist the old saying, even a bad day at the range beats a good day at work. Better too that I managed to recover well over half my brass. I think I recovered about 50 out of 65, and it didn't take me that long either. Maybe I'm gettin' better at that too!

Interesting...

A search for you know what yielded this, with an interesting bit of information...

The First release of the Fortis is being developed in both 10mm Auto and .45ACP, there will be other calibers available in the future.

Interesting, very interesting, especially if all one has to do for a caliber change is to change uppers. As of yet the only pistol line I've seen that has this capability is EAA's Witness line, which is basically a clone of the highly-esteemed CZ75. Coincidentally, the Witness is one of the very few non-Glock and non-1911 pistols out there chambered for the 10mm. The reports I've seen on the Witness have been mixed, evocative of the old poem...

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.

Contributing to the horrid part of that equation is what I've heard about EAA's customer service, which is pretty much that it's the absolute worst in the gun business. From what I've heard about the Witness it's built like a bank vault, much like the Ruger P-Series pistols, and for that reason I had considered making a Witness my first 10mm -- but I heard about said customer service and decided to bite the bullet, so to speak, and get a Kimber. For what I paid for that gun I probably could have bought TWO Witnesses. It'll be interesting to see how much of a dent in the sales of the Witnesses the new Fortis will put in, and how said dent causes EAA to respond vis-a-vis customer service. If it causes them to change things that would be nothing but a good thing, even if the Fortis is priced competitively with a mid-level 1911, as Fortis GM Eric Kincel said on the blog. I'm guessing that would be between $700-900, compared with about $450 for the Witness from what I remember when I was looking for a 10mm way back when. I'd pay for it. Quality costs money, but when it comes to things like firearms, that quality is -- at least up to a point -- always worth more than you pay for it.
More info on the Fortis here.

A Few Words on an Old Debate: Glock vs. 1911

I know this one's been hashed out on blogs and Internet gunboards perhaps an infinite number of times, but a couple of posts from Porta's Cat and JR got me to thinking yet again, most notably PC's reference to the "1911 Kool-Aid drinkers."
Glocks are no doubt great pistols. Reliable straight out of the box and will eat just about anything you put through them, reasonably accurate, and you can't ask for much more from a combat pistol than that.
Now, you'll notice I did NOT say, "you could not ask for ANYTHING more than that." Because, well, you can, and that's where the 1911 slams the ball out of the park. What are those things? Ergonomics and a good trigger -- although if you think about it, I guess a good trigger IS part of the ergonomic package. Glocks are great pistols indeed, but they feel like bricks in my hand and with that striker-fire system, the trigger feels so damned spongy it feels like shooting a water gun. Perhaps that package is an acquired taste, something to get used to (no doubt it would be worth it with the plastic pistol's reliability), but I do so tire of the Glock fanboys who pooh-pooh the 1911 design simply because it's "old" and "unreliable." As PC points out, the 1911 is a pistol designed for ball ammunition and is noted for feeding issues (although I've heard here and there that issue is at least mitigated with a ramped barrel). I know very well that buying a 1911 can be a dicey endeavor; my Springfield GI had to go back to Geneseo for a new extractor and my Kimber Tac Ultra II had feeding issues with ball ammo (I eventually found out the problem was a weak spring in one of the three mags I got). Knock on wood, my Stainless Target II 10mm has yet to hiccup and I've just about it gotten it broken in with around 370 rounds through it so far, though, once again, with that one the real test is gonna come when I start putting real 10mm ammo through it instead of this slightly-hotter-than-.40Short&Weak through it. It handled the Silvertips (at about 1240 fps) with nary a problem. But I digress. People raise hell about the 1911's issues, and rightly so, but I would be willing to bet that outside of magazine-related issues, the vast majority of the problems that spring forth with modern-day 1911 pistols are due to deviations from JMB's original design...varying barrel lengths, external extractors, alloy frames, tighter tolerances, etc. Now, that's not to say that a stock 1911 built to JMB's original specs with a ramped, throated and polished barrel is going to be a Glock-reliable weapon, but it'd be interesting to see how close it came. As for me, right now, though, I'll admit that it's my Ruger P90 sitting in the nightstand loaded for goblin with 230-grain Hydra-Shok. That's more due to money issues than anything else, though, i.e., I don't have the money to run ~500 rounds of quality hollowpoints through any of my 1911s like they say you should to be reasonably enough sure that it works. I didn't even run that much through the P90, though...I've put perhaps 100 rounds of HS (and maybe 100 more of Winchester 230-grain JHP) through it and it works fine. But then, the P90 has a hell of a reputation for durability, one I'll surely vouch for -- and have before. I've heard it said that if it won't feed in a Ruger, it just won't feed. Back to the 1911, though, I know that getting one to work right can indeed be a trial-and-error process, and many people don't have the time for that. Such is the nature of the beast, I suppose, but it doesn't have to be like that. I would absolutely love to see how widespread these reliability issues are -- and not just going by anecdotal evidence on Internet gun boards. They can be reliable to an extent, but then, the bashers (of both the Glock AND the 1911) will come out of the woodwork always; that's the nature of THAT beast, and it can't be avoided. As for right now, I know I wouldn't have any problem carrying that little Kimber with 230-grain ball ammo (again, haven't tested it with JHPs), never mind the plastic pistol worshippers.
(Oh, and Porta's Cat? If you read this, I don't mean to sound like I was calling you out or calling you any derisive names. I don't worship at the altar of John Moses Browning...I just think his pistol is the best design for me.)

Range Report: Dan Wesson Razorback

So late yesterday morning, the Razorback and I ventured out to the gun club, with 100 rounds of 180-grain Remington UMC in the green box. And just for grins, I brought along the chronograph to see how the actual velocity of that particular load compared to the advertised velocity of 1150 fps. I set up the target at the 7-yard mark and loaded the two magazines the pistol came with and it was off to the races. I was a bit disappointed, though, as the ammo didn't quite get to the advertised velocity; if I remember right it was running somewhere between 1080 and 1100 fps. I was shooting ragged holes, though, more or less. The Razorback shoots every bit as good as it looks. :-) Seems I was shooting a bit to the right, but it ate every round without a problem, and the trigger's nice and crisp. Of course I'd expect nothing less for what I forked over for that pistol, but again, it's just extremely well-built -- and at about $200 less than the Kimber Stainless Target II, well, I just cannot say enough good things about it. (Of course, I won't be getting rid of said Kimber any time soon. ;-) And to be fair, the price of the Kimber did include two extra magazines.) If you're looking for a good 10mm 1911-type pistol, this one gets the Live from the (upper) Texas Gulf Coast Seal of Approval. Can't recommend Dan Wesson highly enough. I may just have to get another once I pay off the credit card...

National Ammo Day, and Sightseeing at Shooters

As my luck would have it, I had to work Sunday and was going out of town Saturday, so I thought I'd just make my National Ammo Day purchase early. So Friday afternoon I fired up the truck and rode up to Shooters Supply to pick up some. I had my eyes on more 10mm for the Kimber...I could have gotten the Blazer cheaper at Academy, but I also wanted more 10mm brass for when I start reloading after the first of the year. So I went in and picked up 100 rounds of 180-grain Federal American Eagle. (Why, why, whyyy don't they give us 10mm folks full-power ammo?!?!) I looked toward the back of the store...and what did I see? One of these...



That's right, a Barrett M82A1 .50BMG, live and in the metal! I've heard quite a lot about this legendary rifle but had never actually seen one in person. It was really cool...if I could have stayed longer, I'd have asked the folks there what they knew about it, if they'd ever shot one. Could I afford it? God, but I only wish. I do love the way they advertised it, though...

Cost - about the same as a good used pickup or a new 4-wheeler. But, everybody already has a pickup and a 4-wheeler, right?

I gotta say, I got a kick out of that. ;-)You'll have to call 'em if you wanna know how much it is; I don't know that they want it advertised, but I will say it's right in line with what I thought it'd be, with that scope and case. I seriously wish I could afford one on general principle alone, though. I have an enormous amount of respect for Ronnie Barrett after what he did when the LAPD sent one of their M82A1s back for repair. Would that all gun manufacturers anted up like that.

More Anti Media Mendacity

Welcome, visitors from A Keyboard And A .45 and SayUncle!

Via JR over at A Keyboard And A .45 comes yet more evidence that the folks in the mainstream media must think gun people are blithering idiots:

Two years ago, Florida enacted a law that allows anyone who feels threatened anywhere to use deadly force. Today the National Rifle Association (NRA) is shepherding similar laws through legislatures across the country.

Uh, no, Ms. Graves, that law did no such thing; it merely codified into the law that you don't have to take the seldom-prudent option of running away before using such force. If you're gonna tell people about the law, at least be accurate about it. I realize that's a lot to ask for many mainstream journalists when it comes to any gun-related issue, but your credibility demands no less. I see you're all too willing to flush that.

Paradoxically, the NRA's Goliath status forces the group to work harder to make people believe that it has potent enemies – a challenge to which it has risen. The cover of one issue of America's 1st Freedom, one of the NRA's several magazines, threatened that the United Nations will seize Americans' guns, an idea that is laughably implausible. The NRA also exaggerates the impact of other stock enemies, including the Brady Campaign itself, the French, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is trying single-handedly to curb the flow of illegal guns into his city.

After hurricane Katrina, officials tried to ban guns from the streets of New Orleans and from temporary housing for refugees. The NRA halted the efforts in federal court. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's chief executive officer, painted the attempts to check violence as proof that the US government would take away its citizens' guns.

Whoa...so much inaccuracy and misinformation packed into two paragraphs that, once again, I don't know where to begin!
Gun owners don't need any help whatsoever from the NRA to believe we have some very potent enemies, from these shores and others as well. From Joe Biden's deriding AR-15 owners as mentally unstable morons to Rebecca Peters' contention that we shouldn't be able to own rifles that can hit anything more than 110 yards away, most of us gun owners -- indeed, all but very few of us -- know good and well that there are people out there who will stop at nothing to see us all disarmed (and once again, no evidence is offered of the "laughable implausibility" of UN disarmament of Americans), no matter what supposedly good intentions they try to wrap their proposals in.
As for the New Orleans situation -- checking violence seems to be an incredibly thin reed to hang your argument on, considering people were being disarmed who were doing nothing but trying to protect their property from looters and such. And then there's the fact that members of the police and the National Guard joined said lawlessness. I seem to recall New Orleans police being caught on tape looting one of the local Walmarts. It wasn't an attempt to check violence; it was a brazen violation of the Second, Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution. And it's a beyond-shameful commentary on the Christian Science Monitor that they would let one of their employees pass off such an outrageous untruth to their audience.

Certainly, most Americans would say that the shootings at Virginia Tech should never, ever be forgotten either. But somehow, though school shootings continue, though an average of 32 homicides are committed with guns in the United States each day, though dozens of suspected terrorists are known to have passed background checks to legally purchase guns, the gun-control side cannot gain traction.

And of course we all know it's the guns' fault, right (and, of course, that of the eeevil gun lobby)? Never mind the fact that the creature that shot those kids at Virginia Tech was a deranged lunatic who should have been locked up tighter than Dick's hatband, never mind that none of his victims were able to shoot back, no, it's all the gun lobby's fault and those evil, evil hunks of metal and wood. I guess I should be trembling with fear right about now, as I glance back to where the Ruger .45 sits beside my bed...and I guess it's just a good thing my Kimber 10mm is locked up, because the ammo I roll for it is pretty hot...there's no telling what that thing would do if it weren't locked up tight in that steel safe.
Once again, there are many factors behind the violence committed by thugs with or without guns, that go far beyond the supposed easy availability of weapons. (Which, by the way, is an anti argument I don't quite understand. Have these morons ever tried to get a quality sidearm in a gun store? They're not cheap, at least not if you want a quality weapon -- even one of the Ruger P-Series pistols will run you at least $400 -- and don't even get me started on what I've paid for my 1911s...) Many factors are behind said violence, and until we get a handle on those, absolutely nothing is going to change. Why the media just focuses on the tool I will never understand. Granted, the tool is important to an extent -- consider what Tim McVeigh did with a Ryder truck full of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and diesel fuel -- but if that's all we focus on, nothing is ever going to change. One would think someone supposedly so educated as a journalist would grasp that simple fact. But we're not done with Ms. Graves yet:

What the two sides don't acknowledge is that reasonable people can oppose civilian ownership of machine guns or .50-caliber rifles so powerful they must be shot using a tripod while still supporting hunting and owning guns for self-defense. Americans can support background checks on guns sold everywhere – not just by licensed dealers – without putting gun companies out of business. The United States can require registration of guns and proficiency tests for gun owners, just as we do with cars, without making it impossible, or even difficult, for law-abiding citizens to buy guns.

Ah, yes, the old "reasonable people/middle ground" canard. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Graves, but I don't see the first thing wrong with .50-caliber rifles or fully automatic weapons, as it can and should be argued that both of those weapons are exactly what the Founding Founding Fathers intended the common citizen to have as a check on a tyrannical government. Once again, it's not pretty or romantic, but it's the truth -- which is exactly what you should be trying to present instead of so much emotion-driven rhetorical bullshit. And I would argue that you absolutely cannot support registration of guns without supporting their ultimate confiscation, because what registration does is make it that much easier for those who would take our tools of liberty from us -- without any sort of attendant crime prevention benefit. Not that said benefit would actually justify registration, as it would be another case of the cure being worse than the disease, I think -- but of course we see all too many journalists think of guns as some sort of disease anyway. As for the other side supporting guns for self-defense -- well, it should be obvious to anyone who's actually been paying attention that the other side by and large doesn't support the private citizen using guns even for self-defense. I recall very clearly in November 2005, after Arlington grandmother Susan Buxton made national headlines for being recorded on tape shooting an intruder in her home, Michael Beard of the Coalition To Stop Gun Violence went on Hannity and Colmes and said, "The privatization of public safety is a dangerous issue in our society. And I've always seen that as the beginning of the loss of liberty." Which is really weird, because I always thought self-reliance was an integral part of liberty, as opposed to, well, depending on the police to pull your chestnuts out of the fire.
And, of course, there's the concluding restatement of the previously dissected canard:

The name-calling and breath-holding have made us all forget that a middle ground is possible.

It's not that all of us have forgotten it; it's that some of us were keen enough from the start to realize that there is no middle ground. Mark my words -- the antis won't stop at registration, banning and confiscation of handguns, AR-15s or .50BMG rifles. Nothing, absolutely nothing they've gotten so far has been good enough to get them to leave us alone, from the outright ban of all guns in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, to the Scary-Looking Weapons Ban in New Jersey, to the .50BMG ban in California, to the background checks conducted nationwide as per the Brady Bill. Nothing has been good enough for them. They're not going to stop. And as long as they don't, neither will we. At least we certainly had better not, if we treasure our liberties.

Cheap Sunday Range Fun

...relatively speaking, anyway...
I got a call Friday afternoon from BZ Gun & Repair in Groves. The clerk told me he had gotten some Berry's 180-grain .40S&W/10mm bullets in if I was interested in them. Never heard of 'em before. So I did some research. Come to find out they were copper-plated instead of copper-jacketed. Which means, of course, that you can't drive 'em as fast as a jacketed bullet because the plating could come off and you'd get leading. I'd seen some conflicting reports of how fast one could load them to before getting adverse effects, anywhere from 1100 to 1300 feet per second -- and one brave soul was loading them to about fourteen-and-a-half, with what I am guessing was .357 Magnum, with no leading. 'Least that's what he said. Anyway, I bit the bullet, so to speak, and swung by there yesterday morning to pick some up. Just a box of 100, to experiment with. Later I sat down at my bench and loaded 50 rounds, with the most conservative data I could find for my components. Finished product:

Cartridge: 10mm Auto
Case: Federal twice-fired American Eagle
Bullet: 180-grain plated flat-nose
Powder Charge: 12.1 grains of Accurate Arms No. 9
Primer: CCI large pistol
OAL: 1.260"


I took it to the range this morning, with my Kimber Stainless Target II. Accurate rated that load for 1086 fps, albeit with a different bullet, and I was thinking it would shoot faster than that rating as did the 155-grain Hornady XTPs I've been using so far. I figured right. I took a 20-shot string and was averaging 1153.35 feet per second, with a low of 1112 and high of 1190. Only two of the shots were below 1120, though, and if you take those out it works out to about 1157 fps, with most of the shots running between 1130 and 1170. Very nice, and accurate, little midrange plinking load, runs about even with the Remington UMCs' 1150 fps. Seems like the recoil was a little heavier with these than with the 155-grainers, even though the latter was running about 200 fps faster. But it was still very manageable, with, just as important, no leading. I think I've found a winner here, for about $20 for a box of 100 completed rounds; it could go lower than that, of course, if I order components in bulk. Beats the living hell out of $25 for a box of 50. The more I roll my own, the more I like it!

Mmmm, don't think I'll use any more of that...

Or alternately titled, You Get What You Pay For, And That Goes For Ammo Too...
So I went shooting yesterday. I took out my Dan Wesson Razorback and didn't have any handloads on hand for it (note to self -- always load more than you shoot), and so I decided to swing by the local Academy and pick up a couple of boxes of the 200-grain Blazer 10mm ; at 1060 fps and 499 ft-lb of energy it's not balls-to-the-wall like I like it, but it'll do in a pinch. So I got up there, set up the target & started merrily blasting away. Seems like I was shooting low and a bit to the right, but I had some pretty good groupings.
But on about round 61 or 62, things went south for the day. I thought I had shot my last round, but I looked and the pistol was almost back into battery, but not quite. The cartridge was at an angle, and the pistol was locked up tighter than Dick's hatband. The slide would go back and forth just a little bit, but it wouldn't go all the way back, no matter how hard I pulled it. I had to get this old guy to help me with it, and he braced the bottom of the muzzle on the bench there and pressed down as hard as he could. It took a couple of tries, but we finally got it out. The case was bulged slightly toward the middle, and the bullet was set back further in the case than it should have been. I am thinking that had to have been the cartridge itself, because the recoil spring on the Razorback is only about 20 pounds, if I remember right. After I got home, I inspected the pistol as I was cleaning it and it looked like nothing was amiss, including the extractor. I remember thinking, "if it messes up my extractor, I am gonna be ticked!" It looked fine, but the next time I take it out I am going to take some of the Federal American Eagle or Remington UMC 180-grain FMJ. Both of those have the reloadable brass case as well, so I can recoup some of that extra cost. In any event, I don't think I'll be messing with the Blazers anymore. Oh, I bet you wanna see the pistol....


She's a beauty, and shoots as good as she looks! 5" barrel, chambered for the 10mm, fits 8 rounds, all steel with beautiful cocobolo wood grips. I had considered getting a set of Hogues for her like I have for my Kimber Stainless Target II, but I am thinking I'd rather save up for the wood grips with the finger grooves in the front. It may be a while before I get those, but even so I am more than happy with this pistol in its stock configuration.

'Twas a good Wednesday...

...because I went shooting, ordered a new gun and got one back in from the shop!
The day started early, out at the gun club with my stainless Ruger P89 and half a box of 9mm. After a year of shooting .45 -- I don't even remember the last time I shot the 9mm -- it felt almost like a BB gun. A rather snappy BB gun, but still, it seemed like it was a LOT different than what I remembered. I suppose that might have something to do with my 10mm adventures as well, but in any event I did have a lot of fun. But as they say, even a bad day at the range beats a good day at work! Somebody left a good number of .38 Special cases laying on the concrete, and I thought, hey, that's free money there! So I picked them up, as well as my 9mm and a few .40S&W cases and am going to save them to recycle later when I get more. From what I understand, the price of brass has been going up as well, though I don't know what that price is. I've been pondering the idea of getting a household-size trash can and filling it up with brass people leave, whether or not I reload it. I'd be a little skittish about reloading range pickups because of the uncertainties -- how many times it was loaded (if any), how hot the loads were and all that. As far as 9mm, .38 and .40S&W go, I don't shoot enough 9mm to really justify the time involved, I'd rather shoot .357 Magnum to avoid crud buildup in the chambers, and as for .40, well, regular readers already know I shoot a REAL middle-bore pistol cartridge. ;-) Ah keed, Ah keed, of course...but once again, I still think it's what should be on the shelves instead of the .40.
Speaking of the big bad Centimeter cartridge, I swung by my friendly local fun dealer FFL today and asked him to find me a Dan Wesson Razorback to keep the Kimber Stainless Target II company in the safe and double the 10mm fun. I think it'll be running me about $800-850 depending on the markup, but we'll see. I would have gotten it earlier this summer, but I found myself in a bit of a bind and have been working my way out of it. Such is life, though, and it could have been a lot worse. I am unsure how long it will take for him to find the pistol, but it may be no more than a couple of weeks.
Finally, as I was at said FFL's shop, he opened his safe and pulled out a box and said, "I think this is for you." It was my Springfield Loaded 1911 that had to go back to the shop to remedy a jamming problem. That was actually what I had primarily gone down there to find out about, to see if it was in. Springfield has a pretty good turn around time and I was thinking this time it'd be no different. And it wasn't! According to the work order, Springfield's 1911 wizards replaced the extractor and modified the breech wall. I have about 80 rounds on hand of .45acp, and this weekend I'll be going to pick up a box and see how she runs now.
So yeah, it was a good day, and more fun is yet to come!