Posted on 11/23/2010 6:16:52 AM PST by Kaslin
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a column offering firearm recommendations. Some of my readers are getting so mad and whining so badly they sound like unarmed liberals. So I’ve written today’s column in an effort to appease them. Actually, I’ve written today’s column in order to fire off a few hints at those who intend to buy me Christmas presents. The following are presented in no particular order of importance:
1. Ruger Mark III Hunter (22 Long Rifle). My Ruger Mark II was the most reliable and accurate pistol I have ever owned. After thousands of rounds at the range I passed it on to my nephew. I am replacing it with this new Ruger Mark III. With a barrel nearly seven inches long this will make an excellent varmint hunting pistol. The cocobolo grips have a nice feel – better than the plastic grips on my previous model. I doubt I’ll be giving this one away any time soon. But I may be able to give away some coon skin caps after I take this one out in the woods a few times.
2. Smith and Wesson Model 629 (44 Magnum). I could have used this weapon last summer when I had an unanticipated encounter or two with some black bears in Colorado. There is a temptation to go with a longer barrel for greater accuracy. But with anything longer than five inches it gets harder to find a good holster – not to mention harder to balance while shooting. In addition to bear stopping, this also makes for a good home defense weapon when loaded with the more tame and controllable 44 Special rounds.
3. Remington 870 Tactical (12 Gauge). This shotgun will be a nice replacement for the old 870 Express HD I just gave to a friend. The seven shot tube will allow me to offer two rounds of number 6 birdshot to an intruder before I release five rounds of double-ought buckshot. I can release seven shots pretty quickly so I’m pleased this one has a compensated barrel.
4. Remington 1100 Tactical 4 (12 Gauge). I had a very difficult time choosing between this gun and the Model 870. Fortunately, as I was mulling the decision, the song “Free Will” by Rush (one of my favorite bands, by the way) came on the radio. One line of the song says “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” So I chose not to decide between the 870 and the 1100. I chose to get them both.
5. Ruger 10/22 Jacaranda laminate (22 Long Rifle). Sometimes I like to buy a gun just because it’s pretty. This one is no exception. I once had a guitar that was made out of this wood. But the guitar couldn’t kill the possums that get into my bird feeders. This one should get the job done. After picking one up and handling it at Bass Pro Shop I knew it felt too good to be kept off this year’s Christmas list.
6. Smith and Wesson M&P .357 Sig. I’m really getting sick and tired of all my friends telling me that their new Smith pistols are better than my Glocks and Sigs. So I’ve decided to buy one in order to get them to shut up. I’m also sick and tired of the whining noise coming late at night from that pack of coyotes that lives in my neighborhood. Actually, they live back in the woods near the inter-coastal waterway. So I’m going to get this full sized Smith M&P before I head out to silence those coyotes. I may not need all fifteen rounds to get the job done but, hey, better safe than sorry.
I’m already anticipating a lot of hate mail from my friends at PETA. But, don’t worry guys, I promise to send you pictures of everything I kill with my new Christmas presents. I may not eat those coyotes or make a coyote fur coat. But at least I’ll be feeding the turkey vultures – unless I get a wild hair and kill some of them, too (just kidding, Ingrid Newkirk.).
I’m also anticipating a lot of not-quite-hate mail from those who think my firearm choices were less than stellar. But I don’t mind those. Just send an email and tell me what you would have chosen instead. There are so many more Christmas lists to come. And so many more animal rights activists to irritate.
I've always thought they look and feel too "squarish" for my tastes. Personally, that's an issue for me.
[.45 ACP is ok. If you have thin wrists. ;-)]
Makes me smile! 10mm ammo is not common enough. I’m good with the 45 auto, though I handle the 10mm just fine. How dead is dead enough?
Love these threads, and always love yer posts!
The suggestion to get to a range ASAP is so you can chew the fat with guys who know poop loads about guns and such. It is LOADS of fun to be with like thinkers. Trust me on this.
PS + you may have the opportunity to pick up spent brass...
yeah, thanks. I did finally get that after several attempts at getting clarification. Sometimes on FR people will offer up good concise information/advice - other times you have to drag it out of them. Even then once you think you’ve gotten there with someone, they provide some vague non answer like “try googling best self defense gun”. Not real helpful... in whose opinion in a given gun the best self defense gun and for what person in particular? I know how to google quite well, but what I don’t always get out of search engines are good links to information that hides out there in the ether that someone else may have found and might be hit 100 thousand and five.
I might take a trek down to a local gun shop when I’m visiting in Green Bay this weekend. The guy there is a vet who tends to be pretty salty, but he might be willing to share some knowledge with me if I approach him the right way. Other than that, the nearest range to me that I know of is about an hour away and I generally can’t steel myself away for as long as it would warrant whenever I’d like.
I do know what you mean about how fun it can be to hang with like thinkers and plink away though, hat can be therapeutic (I generally experience that hunting and such).
I'm still not sure how to accept compliments like this with grace. But thank you... ;-)
As for the debate over preferred caliber, the bottom line is the "best" caliber is the one you carry consistently. A .22 in hand is far superior to the .460 XVR you left at home when you are facing down a thug in a dark parking lot.
Joe that’s sweet! Except for the pink stock, that looks just like my father’s old Stevens .22LR that was passed down through the years to all his boys, me being the last. That was the gun that taught me how to shoot. It as amazingly accurate and I wish I had kept it though the bolt and firing mechanism was badly worn out. I hope your daughter finds much enjoyment shooting it, and cherishes it for the rest of her life.
Great gift dad!!!
[As for the debate over preferred caliber, the bottom line is the “best” caliber is the one you carry consistently. A .22 in hand is far superior to the .460 XVR you left at home when you are facing down a thug in a dark parking lot.]
And I concur.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.