quote Originally posted by jimbolaya: This is the second time we have fired the gun. First during class, and then tonight. The first time we used it the action did not open up completely after firing the last round. The instructor said it had a bad recoil spring. They replaced that before we purchased the gun. Perhaps between that, the fact that it was a used gun, and we had been firing it two nights previous, is contributing to the problem. I'll lube and clean it before the next firing session. I had assumed the gunsmith would have lubed it, after replacing the recoil spring, but you know what they say when you assume. Jim

Is it a brand new gun? If so it will have a break in period of a couple hundrend rounds before it really works its best.

Heading to the range tomorrow and will be taking 2 of my 22's, my Wilson Combat 22


and a Smith & Wesson 22 revolver


along with a Glock 23,


Kimber 9mm 1911


a Taurus 380


a Para Wartohog 45


and a Colt Defender plus 45.



It is a sickness!!!!!

quote Originally posted by Bullet: Is it a brand new gun?

No, it is used. As I mentioned, they replaced the recoil spring before we purchased it. It may very well need to be "broken in" due to the new spring. This is a totally new experience for me and my wife. Which leads me to your last comment.

quote It is a sickness!!!!!

I already feel the onset of symptoms. We are both looking at 9mm's for our next handgun purchase. (Christmas) In addition, I am looking at rifles for the boys. I have my eye on a Desert Eagle in the distant future, and who can resist the tatical weapons. When I go in the gun store, I see them on the wall, and I swear they are chanting, "buy me, buy me"! I must obey!

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 01-29-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Bullet: Is it a brand new gun? If so it will have a break in period of a couple hundrend rounds before it really works its best. Heading to the range tomorrow and will be taking 2 of my 22's, my Wilson Combat 22 and a Smith & Wesson 22 revolver along with a Glock 23, Kimber 9mm 1911 a Taurus 380 a Para Wartohog 45 and a Colt Defender plus 45. It is a sickness!!!!!

/\

This is the guy ya want for a next door neighbor!!

My Brother in Law just bought a Bersa Thunder .380 2 weeks ago. I think my wife likes that as a possible carry option.

Jim

You're not truly sick untill you have a "Safe cleaning day" where you take everything out for inspection and oiling, it is a full days job and your hallway looks like this !



And thats just the first safe not including handguns !

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: You're not truly sick untill you have a "Safe cleaning day" where you take everything out for inspection and oiling, it is a full days job and your hallway looks like this ! And thats just the first safe not including handguns !

Holy Mary, mother of Jesus!!! I want you as my neighbor!. I would cut your grass, and any other trivial task you asked of me. The only thing I will not do, is "toss your salad". I would rather take a bullet. Don't ask. Do a search for a thread here in OT, and you'll understand.


What is your opinion of my firing issues Mike?


Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 01-29-2011).]

I have a browning Buckmark circa 1999 that I bought used last year. I gave it a good cleaning and I've put about 1000 rounds through it without cleaning it again so I doubt your problems are with grime, unless someone dumped a ton of oil in it (Buckmarks run fairly dry). What ammo are you using? I've found that the Remington 550 round bulk boxes SUCK. I get tons of duds from them. However, I've had good luck with the 375 round Federal bulk pack and I think I've had maybe two duds out of the whole box.

As for your problems, try a .22 specific forum. My favorite is RimfireCentral, here is a link to the Browning section: http://www.rimfirecentral.c...1565208fd5a2292&f=17

There are quite a few Buckmark owners on the board and should be able to help you out. Off the top of my head, I'd suspect your ammo first and then your extractor spring second. I had to tweak mine a hair. Search for the "haggis spring mod" to make the trigger pull nicer and if you really want a nice trigger, search for member "Rusty22" and check out his custom triggers that he machines from billet aluminium. I've got one in my gun and my dad liked it so much I got one for his Buckmark too.

Hard to say without seeing the gun, but it could be a break in issue with the new spring, might be a little stiff yet. What it sounds like your getting is called a 3 point jam, it is usually caused by amuunition, or mag spring. Experiment with different brans of ammo, and if you have 2 or more mags mark them so you can tell them apart and see if failures are more common with a certain one. Also if you dont mind a minor mod, if you take a round needle file and file off the sharp edge at the top of the feedramp where it meets the chamber it will be less finicky as to ammunition type, you just barely break the sharp edge, to maybe a .015" chamfer.

Alibi and Bullet, pluses to you both. Don and Mike, you two already have pluses from way back. I'm going to bed now. Anybody else, feel free to contribute, but I'm headed to bed. In case of Zombies, I'm headed to Yoder, Colorado!

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 01-30-2011).]

Was out firing my Ruger Mk II 22 today with some Armscor precision ammo and had this happen!!!!?? Checked some other cases and found some deformed also. Switched to Remington ammo had no more trouble.



Sent an email to the manufacturer asking for some help. Will see what they say.

quote Originally posted by jimbolaya: Yes! That sounds like a more accurate description, and you used fewer words. Heybjorn would be proud. Jim

Heybjorn is exasperated. Fixed it for ya, again. Use "less" for bulk or single items and "fewer" for individual items.
Examples: Less fuel, fewer gallons, less snow, fewer accidents.

I see maryjane at least edited his spelling.

quote Originally posted by heybjorn: Heybjorn is exasperated. Fixed it for ya, again. Use "less" for bulk or single items and "fewer" for individual items. Examples: Less fuel, fewer gallons, less snow, fewer accidents. I see maryjane at least edited his spelling.

Byte me! Howz dat fer feewer werds and acurat spellinz. While I'm at it, here's some extra punctuation, ;':",...:"';,,,,,,,,. Hurry, someone in Orlando has lost their comma sense.

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 01-30-2011).]

quote Originally posted by jimbolaya: In case of Zobies, I'm headed to Yoder, Colorado! Jim

Never made it, did the Zombies get ya ?

quote So you are the one the President was talking about, clinging to his guns!

LOL

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: Never made it, did the Zombies get ya ? LOL

They never showed, but I find it quite humerous that at the range they have a Zombie Bob, and Zombie Osama target. Guess which one I chose?

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 01-30-2011).]

LOL, whew ! thought you had surrendered your man card !

Hows that walther shoot ? I have heard mixed reviews on reliability, but have never tried one myself.

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: LOL, whew ! thought you had surrendered your man card ! Hows that walther shoot ? I have heard mixed reviews on reliability, but have never tried one myself.

I love it! Of course it's new, and it's only a .22, but it shoots nice, easy to control. Time will be the judge on reliability.

Jim

quote Originally posted by jimbolaya: OK, the charade is over. You really don't think that I bought my wife a gun, and didn't bring one home myself, did ya? Here is my new Walther P22. If this gun came in a 9mm or .45, I would consider it as my carry weapon. For now it is my training tool.

Jim, while not identical, that gun does come in 9mm. Its called the Walther P99.

Also if that P22 isn't as reliable as you would like and you aren't afraid to do a little bit of tinkering, check this out.
http://www.freespeech.com/1917-1911M_P22_bible.pdf

[This message has been edited by brandon87gt (edited 01-30-2011).]

quote Originally posted by brandon87gt: Jim, while not identical, that gun does come in 9mm. Its called the Walther P99. Also if that P22 isn't as reliable as you would like and you aren't afraid to do a little bit of tinkering, check this out. http://www.freespeech.com/1917-1911M_P22_bible.pdf

Wow that is awesome, thanks man.

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 01-30-2011).]

Not that anybody really cares, but the FTF issue with the Buckmark is resolved. It was the ammo. I went back to the range, and as they have been from the first day, they were very helpful. First they checked it out, and oiled the slide, then let me shoot on the range. It was consistly failing every 3rd or 4th round. Went back into the shop. They gave me some free, CCI, high velocity ammo, and the gun shot flawlessly. Bought a small box for the sweetie. If it still works the next time she goes, I'll buy a bigger box. I think these will work though. Thanks everyone for your thoughts. It appears the bad ammo guys were correct!

Jim

If you want it to feed other, cheaper ammo more reliably do as i said before and take the sharp edge off the top of the feed ramp. Its almost a standard mod I do on every magazine fed gun i have, there are very few that didnt need it !

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: If you want it to feed other, cheaper ammo more reliably do as i said before and take the sharp edge off the top of the feed ramp. Its almost a standard mod I do on every magazine fed gun i have, there are very few that didnt need it !

Any chance you got a picture of exactly what you are talking about? Either that or look at the link Brandon gave me, and tell me a page # that illustrates what your are talking about. I have an idea of what you are talking about, but a picture would be great. Thanks

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 02-03-2011).]

In this pic from that link it looks like it has already been done. Where the red arrow is a lot of times is a sharp edge, so as the case is being fed and in an upward angle the bullet hits the top of the chamber while the case rim is still in the magazine. If that edge is too sharp it hangs the center of the cartridge up becuse it doesnt have enough clearence, creating a "3 point jam." So the idea is to file just enough off there so it doesn't contact the case during feeding.

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: In this pic from that link it looks like it has already been done. Where the red arrow is a lot of times is a sharp edge, so as the case is being fed and in an upward angle the bullet hits the top of the chamber while the case rim is still in the magazine. If that edge is too sharp it hangs the center of the cartridge up becuse it doesnt have enough clearence, creating a "3 point jam." So the idea is to file just enough off there so it doesn't contact the case during feeding.

That's what I thought you were talking about, but wanted to make sure before I did any irreversible damage. thanks again. I love this forum!

Jim

Almost any .22 cal firearm will be ammo picky. It just goes with .22's. You just have to find what works well in your gun. CCI Mini-Mag (or just about any CCI .22 ammo) is considered good, reliable .22 ammo although its more expensive than bulk stuff you can buy. If you want to be able to run about anything then you will likely need to do some tweaking.

Thought it was time for a bump since my wife, and I are going to our CCP class tonight. Looking for more opinions. For the moment I have narrowed my choices down to the following for a carry weapon. Of course the list is not concrete. I'm always open to ideas on the next great gun.

Glock 23 (.40 S&W) Pros- Legendary quality, I liked shooting it. Cons-Too thick. It is light, but still a little bulky
Glock 19 (9mm) Same as above

S&W SD40 A recent new contender. Pros- Nice weight distribution, light, good size, I liked the safety features, and good reputation. Cons- I haven't shot this yet, range doesn't have a rental in this model, but I am hoping it is as nice as the 9mm which I have shot.
S&W SD9 Everything same as above, but range did have this model, and I enjoyed shooting it.

Walther P99 AS (9mm) Pros- I love the feel of Walther guns, I own the P22. I like shooting them. The Walther models are also the thinest of the ones I have tried. A plus for carrying under a jacket or shirt. Cons- A little more pricey than the others. The price is not a stopping point, but is it worth an extra $200 on average, and not really receive anything extra in quality?
Walther P99 QA (.40 S&W) Same as above.

Dark Horse Candidates:

Ruger SR9 or Ruger SR40 Haven't shot either of these, but I like the feel in my hand. Familiar with the Ruger name, but not these models.

Those that know guns realize that none of these are true concealed weapons. They are considered compact sizes. Which means they are not full size, nor are they subcompact, which would be considered conceal size. My wife, I think, (never can really tell) has made up her mind on a Bersa Thunder .380, which is a nice conceal carry size gun. I like it also, because it has a pinky extension, and I can hold it without issue. I'm thinking, when I open carry I would choose one of the guns above, but with the flexibility of concealing it under a jacket if wanted. However, if I wanted to do a true conceal (not visible at all/ belly band carry), I would just carry her Bersa. Thoughts?

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 03-02-2011).]

You will find the Bersa is a good all around gun. Reliable, sturdy, and easy to conceal. Carry it in the hammer down double action mode with the decocker/safety in the fire position. It is just like a revolver to fire it the first time. Don't carry it with the decocker/safety in the down position. I find that it is a little awkward to flip the lever up to the fire position. I suppose that with lots more practice I could do it better, but 380 ammo is a little expensive still. The supply of it is getting better but there is still a high demand for it.

One comment I'll make about the Bersa. Keep it wiped down with a gun and reel cloth. People have reported that they will rust if body moisture remains on it for extended time

I use Federal Hyda-shocks as the primary carry ammo. It's expands well and doesn't have a tendency to over penetrate.

If you need an extra mag for the Bersa, Pro Mag makes one for it. If you get one test fire your hollow point ammo through before carrying it. I have seen a complaint on a firearms forum that said they had a feed problem with hollow points with these mags. I haven't had the problem with the Hydra-shocks. Haven't tried any others.

I carry mine inside the waistband in a clip on ACE holster designed to allow you to tuck in your shirt if you so desire. Only the holster belt clip will show in this mode. Most of the time I keep the shirt untucked for easier access.

Please be very careful when you're carrying. A mistake can have dire consequenses. Get all the training you can afford. It will instill instinctive responses to many situations. The best situation is to never have to draw your weapon, but be ready to take it to the ultimate conclusion if you do draw it.

i have a sw sigma 40 close to sw sd40 it is a good gun weight is right on not a wide handle and can get 14 round mags so can bring the pain mine is a year old so only 10 for me . but no carry here

quote Originally posted by fierobrian: i have a sw sigma 40 close to sw sd40 it is a good gun weight is right on not a wide handle and can get 14 round mags so can bring the pain mine is a year old so only 10 for me . but no carry here

The SD series is the next step up from the Sigma. As it has been told to me, the Sigma, was developed for security guards and such. Security companies wanted to switch from 6 round revolvers to higher capacity semi autos. However, they did not want under trained personnel to have their itchy trigger fingers on a sensitive trigger. So S&W developed the Sigma which has a heavy trigger pull, similar to revolvers. Supposedly, earlier Sigmas suffer from some quality issues, which reportedly have been resolved, but they still suffer a bad rap from the Police community. The SD was to be a bridge between the Sigma and M&P series. Reports I have read seem to say they were very successful in building the bridge.

The Ruger SR series is very similar to the S&W SD. However, it suffered a major recall in 07-08 because of accidental discharges (AD"s). They fixed the problem with a Glock style trigger safety. Reputation still suffers, but experts say the problem was fixed properly, and there were no other issues other than they did not remove the now redundant manual safety. A few complain that it is possible to engage the safety with the thumb while engaging an assailant, and that it is not necessary to have in the first place.

The above is not my opinion, just a few remarks of experts I found while doing research on the guns.

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 03-04-2011).]

I shot a S&W, Bodygaurd, .38 special, revolver two days ago. DID...NOT...LIKE!!! This is a lightweight frame revolver, and has way too much kick for me, let alone my wife. (she shot it too) We were all over the map with shooting. I actually missed the target with my first shot, and it took me 25 rounds before I started getting zeroed in on center mass. That particular gun will take too much practice to be an effective conceal weapon. I think a few well placed, lower caliber bullets are a better option, than 5 high powered rounds that miss the target. I will still give revolvers a second chance. It was suggested I try a solid steel .357 frame, but only use .38 ammo. The steel frame, and heavier construction will help absord some of the recoil, but for now revolvers are not high on my list. The Bersa Thunder is still #1 on my list of conceal guns, and the S&W SD9 is #1 as an open carry, range gun.

Jim

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: Some of my toys as long as we a sharing pics ! The two pointing up are Black powder revolvers From top left moving down There is a High Standard "High Sierra .22", Uberti SAA 45Colt, Ruger MK-II .22, Rossi 971vrc .357, Russian Makarov 9mm x 18 Center row top Springfield XD45 LE, Taurus 24/7 .40, Springfield 1911-A1 .45, Springfield 1911-A1 Champion .45, Sig Sauer P238 .380 Last row High Standard "High Sierra .22", Uberti SAA .22, Ruger MK-I .22, Taurus .357, Astra "Constable" .32.

I thought I spotted a Mak in there. I just recently bought a Bulgarian Makarov! LOVE THE THING

Yup Its a Russian Makarov, I got it when they first started being imported. They are a solid little pistol !

I came home from work Saturday night and my wife greeted me with a receipt for this...



This woman has gone nuts for guns, and I couldn't be happier. Its a Bersa Thunder .380 ACP Concealed Carry model. It basically has the same features as the regular Bersa Thunder except all the edges are rounded, the grip is thinner, the sights are lower profile and the magazine does not have an extended pinky grip. All these feature are for added ease of concealment. Just in case you think I'm letting my wife outgun me, you're wrong. I bought the same gun in a private sale from a friend at church. Only difference is I'm getting an extra magazine, and paid less. It was a real bargain at $250, and I pick it up on Wednesday. The gun I bought has only had 50 rounds run through it, so it's practically new. The friend I bought it from is using the money to fund a 1911 purchase. All in all a good weekend.

Jim

This may have been covered before, didn't check the whole thread. I have the same P22, I like it a lot. One thing you might want to check: there were a couple revisions in the magazine. The earlier ones had issues with the top curvature or something to that effect causing failure to feed issues. You want the later ones (marked with a -B). Also, download the P22 Bible if you haven't already, it's a PDF that covers issues and how to fix them.

Edit: it is a sickness, I started with a ruger sp101, within a year I had four guns. I'd have more right now but I'm saving money for the race car right now.
Bullet: How's the warthawg? I wanted one a while back but no one within a 2 hour drive had one.

[This message has been edited by kwagner (edited 03-14-2011).]

I just picked this up a few weeks ago at a gun show for $430.00. Came with 2 mags, original case and all the paperwork.

Smith & Wesson 469 9mm

Holds 12 in the mag and 1 in the chamber. 1st shot is double action and every shot thereafter is single. 3 1/2" barrel with alumn. alloy frame.