The Guns We Own

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Resp:
I spent many years in the N.O. area on business, so saw the damage up close. Sorry to hear about the Nambu, as specimens are hard to come by.
 
Glider said:
Collecting guns isn't really an option in the UK
Click to expand...
My SAKO Triace .22LR target pistol (a gun previously used in the Palace of Westminster Rifle Club's underground shooting range under the UK House of Parliament!) was one of the "weapons" banned by PM Tony "Knee-jerk" Blair. Ironically, gun crime went up after the handgun ban, which just goes to show gun control laws only impact legal gun owners because criminals already don't obey laws. I did have my shotgun certificate but I never enjoyed shotgunning as much as I did target plinking with the pistol.
 
Many years ago, I felt I needed to have a .22 semi auto pistol for practice.
I have plenty of centerfire handguns but they get a bit expensive to shoot even if you reload.
I picked up a brand new Browning Buckmark for about $200. It was their bottom of the line cheapest pistol.
I had thought about the Rugers, but the Buckmark had controls that were much more similar to those of the centerfire guns and the objective was inexpensive trigger time that would translate into useful practice.

Imagine my surprise when I tested my brand new pistol for accuracy.
With Remington Target (standard velocity) .22, I was able to put 10 shots into a 3/4 inch group at 25 yards.
With the cheaper Remington High Velocity .22, I could only get 1 inch groups for 10 shots which is still pretty good performance.
This gun served for many years as a general practice gun and I was putting about 500 rounds per week through it.
Most of that practice was speed shooting against falling plates at about 25 yards.
After a while, that accuracy started to get worse, so I figured it was about time to get a replacement pistol.
This time it was a higher grade version of the Buckmark.
For some reason, the new gun didn't do any better than what the older worn gun was doing.
I figure that at this point, the original Buckmark has about 15,000 rounds through it. The breech is dented from powder grains. The frame anodizing is now bleached white where my hand has contacted it. And it doesn't work reliably any more. The firing pin is worn out from use.

- Ivan.
 
Ivan,
Not many can claim they have actually worn out an entire firearm! Maybe a part here or there and possibly a shot out barrel that can be replaced. But it sounds like you wore out the whole gun. Congrats!
 
soulezoo said:
Ivan,
Not many can claim they have actually worn out an entire firearm! Maybe a part here or there and possibly a shot out barrel that can be replaced. But it sounds like you wore out the whole gun. Congrats!
Click to expand...

Hello soulezoo,

I am actually not that happy about it. If I had known that its accuracy was so rare, I might have gotten another gun to shoot for practice.
I don't believe the gun is actually "worn out". The bore actually looks a bit worn, but its accuracy even now when it doesn't misfire is better than many combat handguns and quite sufficient for practice. The firing pin is definitely worn out and I have bought a replacement from Brownells but just haven't taken the time to fit it yet. It is one of those "Round To-It" things I am avoiding because I know it won't be easy.
Replacing a barrel is extremely easy in this gun. It is something I have taken off every couple thousand rounds for cleaning.

- Ivan.
 
soulezoo said:
Ivan,
Not many can claim they have actually worn out an entire firearm! Maybe a part here or there and possibly a shot out barrel that can be replaced. But it sounds like you wore out the whole gun. Congrats!
Click to expand...

In about 1988 my wife bought a Taurus PT99 AF. She selected that pistol the way she quite often selects all guns , "oh look, that one has pretty gold stuff in the wooden handles...". At the time I was not a fan of the 9mm, let alone Taurus, and this was the first 9mm in the house on a more than passing basis. At about the same time she discovered practical pistol shooting, and started shooting local competitions pretty much every month, with practice a couple times every week. In the next 16 months she put over 100k rounds through the pistol. How do I know for sure it was over 100k rounds? Because she basically only shot reloads, I have a log of every round I have ever reloaded, that was the only 9mm we had, and I made and logged over 100k rounds of 9mm in that 16 months period. Because we have picked up other 9mm pistols since then I have no idea of the total round count through the weapon, but I would venture to guess well over 150k rounds. She switched to a S&W 5906 as her primary fun gun in 1990.

She still has that PT99 today, it is among her favorites. It is shot so loose that if you hold it and twist your hand real fast it rattles like a string of tin cans. The groups at 25 yards are something like 6". It is flat worn out, but it still goes bang ever time you pull the trigger. It has had one parts failure in all this time, the trigger bar broke, and Taurus sent us a new one free of charge.

Keep in mind, I am not a Taurus fan, and this is only one of two Taurus weapons we own, but it has been an outstanding value. She has more than gotten her money's worth out of it.

T!
 
Hello Token,

I also have a couple Taurus 99;s. One has a hammer drop safety and one does not.
They are big pistols but there isn't much difference in length of trigger pull between double and single action which is unusual.
I believe Taurus makes guns which are surprisingly good when compared to the models they appear to be "copied" from.
After 150K rounds, how do the frame rails look? Which parts wore first?
I also thought the S&W 5906 would make a nice combination for a carry gun until I got one and realized how heavy it was.

- Ivan.
 
Hello soulezoo,

I bought my 5906 used. The weight might have been why the former owner got rid of it.
It looked to be in very good shape and the price was right.
I picked up a S&W Model 39 quite a while back and thought it was a very nice handling pistol. Accuracy wasn't excellent but it wasn't bad either. I just didn't have much confidence in the durability of the aluminum frame and how its locking surfaces would hold up with use so I wanted a steel version, preferably stainless steel. I had not figured on the double stack version being that much heavier.
I am still looking for a Model 639 but finding one is pretty unlikely considering how seldom I actually go to shows any more.

- Ivan.
 

The frame rails themselves actually look fine. The areas under the rails, facing outward on the frame, are a bit worn, I would say that was where the greatest wear was. The barrel rattles a bit much in the bushing and at the rear lock.

The pistol is perfectly OK to shoot, just a bit loose.

Yeah, the 5906 is a full size service double stack pistol. What is interesting is it is not really any larger than the 1st and 2nd gen single stack pistols, like the 39 and 539. Those pistols had thicker factory grip panels, so the total thickness of the grip is very close, but the 5906 just feels bigger, meatier, in the hand. The 3rd gen single stacks are noticeably thinner. My most carried is typically a 3913 LS, but I have a CS9 I really like also.

T!
 
Thompson Center .50 cal Hawken, Hopkins & Allen .45 cal flintlock Kentucky, 1873 Springfield .45-70 trapdoor converted to cap and ball, Remington .44 cal 1861 New Model Army by Uberti, 1895 Chilean Mauser in 7x57, and a couple "modern" deer rifles (1952 .270 and 1965? .30-30).
 
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