Posted on 10/25/2019 4:03:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
My last two columns really have my leftist detractors panties in a wad. Im not just speaking metaphorically about the feminists who dont wear them. Im also talking about the anti-gun Beto males who do. Given the fact that these columns on recommended firearms have caused so much emotional distress to my adversaries, there is only one reasonable thing to do: Keep writing them!
In this installment, we are sticking to the theme of a mans three principal responsibilities; defending the family at home, defending the family away from home, and raising responsible gun-owning children. But in this segment, we enter into the realm of non-essential firearms choices. In other words, these three are not necessarily needed if you have the six I have already recommended. But the first two in this installment are awfully fun to shoot and the third will extend your deer hunting capabilities, which is a legacy you will want to pass on to your children. So here goes:
Winchester Defender 20-Gauge. Please allow me to be blunt. I like big shotguns but I dont like big women. If youre like me, then you might end up with a discrepancy between the two. At night, you have a large frame shotgun underneath the bed and a small frame wife on top of it. You have to consider what happens if you are out of town and she is left in charge of defending the home. Obviously, many women do not feel comfortable shooting a 12-gauge especially those who are smaller in stature. So the simple solution is to have a 20-gauge home defense weapon in your arsenal. It will get the job done. It is also better for yard pests (e.g. raccoons, armadillos, and snakes) than a 12-gauge.
By way of confession, providing the woman with something comfortable to shoot is not my only motive here. I just love shooting this gun at the range. It is lighter and has less recoil than a 12-gauge. And if you really want to have fun at the range you can find a semi-automatic version of a 20-gauge defensive weapon. Mossberg offers an SA-20 tactical that is hard to beat for that purpose.
Kimber 1911 Model .45 ACP. I previously recommended two carry weapons one in each column that could be comfortably shot by both a man and a woman. But this selection is a mans weapon. Sadly, some people shy away from using 1911-style .45s because they have lower magazine capacities generally only seven rounds. Such criticisms are misinformed. Put simply, you dont need as many shots with the .45 ACP round. If you are shooting a 230-grain hollow point then you have a tremendous amount of knockdown power. Firing these heavy loads is like hurling a cinder block in a bar fight. Unless you are an actor in a bad Hollywood action movie, youll never be in a position to reach for the eighth cinder block. The fight will be over by then and your opponent will be leveled.
Also, note that the seven-shot magazine is an advantage in that it is a single stack, which makes it easier to conceal. And, speaking of ease of concealing, I like Kimber because they make 1911s with three, four, and five inch barrels. I find the intermediate option to be small enough to conceal. It is also easier to manage the recoil relative to the three-inch option. Others will disagree. And that is precisely why Kimber offers several options.
Browning A-Bolt .270. I recommended a good brush gun in the last installment of this series. But as you continue to teach your children to hunt you will want to expand both in range and in the type of game you are hunting. The .270 can really reach out when you load it with a flat shooting 130-grain round. This can help when you are trying to take out game that is found in wide-open spaces and is therefore difficult to approach. (Please accept my apologies for those who now have an obnoxious Dixie Chicks song stuck in their head). Indeed, it is accurate and powerful enough to take down a pronghorn antelope at 200 yards. Stepping up to the 150-grain bullet allows you to take down any deer including mule deer and axis deer (which often requires through-the-shoulder penetration to hit the deers heart).
Of course, this .270 is not capable of taking down some larger game found in the western (and far northeastern) United States. And that is precisely why this column series must continue with another installment.
To be continued.
Nice to know Mike and I agree completely on the Kimber for CCW.
JoMa
Firing these heavy loads is like hurling a cinder block in a bar fight.
The metaphors are killing me.
Current production Kimbers are pretty bad. Of the five bought by friends in the last three years, 100% required the intervention of a gunsmith to run properly.
70cal matchlock
12ga Ithaca ‘Super Single’
All Winchester 22cal pump action rifles made since 1995.
Kimber 1911 Model .45 ACP. I previously recommended two carry weapons one in each column that could be comfortably shot by both a man and a woman. But this selection is a mans weapon.
With all due respect, Professor Adams married a girly girl. Mrs. L handles her Kimber 1911 AND her 12 gauge shotgun just fine. Her first handgun was, and still as, a Smith and Wesson Model 629 with a 4 barrel.
Not for everyone, I know. But for once Ill quibble with the man.
If Mrs L were to read this shed snort and say he married a wimp.
L
We have a set of Kimbers, both stainless variants, and neither one has given us a single issue. Sorry your friends had such trouble. Ours did require a few hundred rounds to smooth things out but other than that they run like sewing machines.
L
If you check around online, you’ll find that problems with Kimbers are becoming increasingly common - unfortunately. Looks like they’ve let QC slip in recent years. Lots and lots of Kimber horror stories and photos of crappy machining on recent production guns.
Kimber’s excuse in all five cases of my personal knowledge was that “it has to break in” - entirely aside from whether this should be the case, if it gets to 500 rounds and it’s still not ‘broken in’, it’s broken.
.36 caliber LeMat revolver, an StG 44 rifle and a Stoner 63, for when I’m just not sure what to wear to the dance.
I love non-essential firearms.
You show your enemies your Glock.
My wife carried a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44SPL before we had CCW in Texas. That 5th round is quite a wrestling match.
Not a very good rifle.
Not a very good hand gun.
Loads of fun.
Kimber started out with a reputation for exacting quality and precision. Sounds like they’ve been milking their original good graces while letting things slide. Years ago I bought a CZ75B in .40. It required no break in and will hold its own with any out of the box Sig on the range. My only issue with it was an aesthetic one as the factory black plastic grips (which were perfectly functional and ergonomic) just made it look cheap. I swapped them out with some stippled walnut from the CZ factory store and now it looks as good as it shoots. Never needed any break in, and the only malfunction I ever had with it was due to a faulty primer...which was cleared with a second hammer strike.
Weve had ours for 4 years or so and shoot them pretty often so Im saddened to hear this about Kimber. Theyre beautiful guns. Ours our both the Raptor line, fairly high end.
Ive replaced springs twice so that will give you some idea how much use theyve gotten. But still very, very few failures of any kind. Even with reloaded ammunition. They havent been finicky about bullet variety either.
The only thing they wont feed is wad cutters but thats no matter to us as we dont shoot those and the guns werent designed for them in the first place.
Maybe we got lucky.
L
I love my 1911. When I bought it I didn’t know the reputation of Kimber or the others, Colt was WAY expensive, but Remington I knew. So I bought the 1911R1, and have had no issues with it.
I found that the 1911 is a little large and heavy for me to conceal carry, so now I carry an M&P compact .45. One issue, cover the grips with heat shrink they are like having nonskid against your back.
My wife carried a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44SPL before we had CCW in Texas.
Great little gun in a very under rated caliber. Weve got one and it is a fine shooter. Picked it up used for about $100 or so. Nobody shoots that caliber anymore.
We do, LOL. A 210 grain JHP going about 850 fps is nothing to trifle with.
L
I’ve wanted a 1911 for as long as I can remember now (given my advancing age...) I’m going to have to check out the Kimber.
Can you recommend a well made 1911? I have some cash burning a hole in my pocket and am in the market. Likely looking to buy this weekend or next.
I'm not well versed on the different manufacturers and am an HnK bigot when it comes to sidearms. This will be my first non-HnK sidearm purchase.
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