Liberal Forum

POM » 02 Feb 2024, 2:17 pm » wrote: ↑

02 Feb 2024, 2:17 pm

Bought a CZ 75 B Omega today. 
I tried many times to get one last year (discontinued in 2023) no luck.
Today they show up at $549, free shipping, no tax.
done

That's the one where you can swap out the decocker for straight safety - a useful feature, although I'm partial to the decocker.  Great price on that!!!  I'm a big fan of the 75b.  I have one but I really don't shoot it.  For an all steel gun of that quality, it really is a steal.


 

The Brit's SA-80 Carbine really is a clunky looking piece of hardware.  The Brits do make some of the ugliest guns - I guess they like 'em.

Skans » 06 Feb 2024, 8:06 am » wrote: ↑

06 Feb 2024, 8:06 am

The Brit's SA-80 Carbine really is a clunky looking piece of hardware.  The Brits do make some of the ugliest guns - I guess they like 'em.

                         Supposedly there's been improvements made to this Gun, but for years British Forces considered it a useless piece of **** ---- especially in Desert Warfare with sandy conditions, where it would constantly jam up and couldn't be fired. 

         
      

Kobia2 » 06 Feb 2024, 10:47 am » wrote: ↑

06 Feb 2024, 10:47 am

                         Supposedly there's been improvements made to this Gun, but for years British Forces considered it a useless piece of **** ---- especially in Desert Warfare with sandy conditions, where it would constantly jam up and couldn't be fired. 

         

Even just looking at the gun (never seen one in person) it looks clunky and cheap.  The internals somewhat resemble the old AR-180, except the bolt looks a little weak.  I get it, it has a modular fire control unit (which looks cheap too) which makes it easy to assemble and disassemble, replace parts, etc. 



But, remember, the British used to have some very handsome weapons:


 

          The Round that changed Warfare forever......  Introduced on a large scale during the American Civil War, the Minie Ball, invented by French Arms instructor & inventor Claude-Etienne Minié and fired through a Rifled Musket increased the accuracy range of a smooth bore round ball projectile from 100 to over 300 yards..   The combination of this conical shaped round fired through a rifled Musket put a spin on the bullet, much like a spiral on a thrown football ----- this dramatically increased velocity, distance & accuracy... 

           And because the interior of the round was hollow, it flattened on impact causing catastrophic wounds to flesh & bone.... If it hit someone's limb, they were likely to have it blown off or amputated.. The Minie Ball & Rifled Musket were probably the best example of how advances in weaponry far exceeded the primitive open field combat tactics which were being deployed. 



     
 


 

Kobia2 » 06 Feb 2024, 5:30 pm » wrote: ↑

06 Feb 2024, 5:30 pm

          The Round that changed Warfare forever......  Introduced on a large scale during the American Civil War, the Minie Ball, invented by French Arms instructor & inventor Claude-Etienne Minié and fired through a Rifled Musket increased the accuracy range of a smooth bore round ball projectile from 100 to over 300 yards..   The combination of this conical shaped round fired through a rifled Musket put a spin on the bullet, much like a spiral on a thrown football ----- this dramatically increased velocity, distance & accuracy... 

           And because the interior of the round was hollow, it flattened on impact causing catastrophic wounds to flesh & bone.... If it hit someone's limb, they were likely to have it blown off or amputated.. The Minie Ball & Rifled Musket were probably the best example of how advances in weaponry far exceeded the primitive open field combat tactics which were being deployed. 



     
 

Yes, an effective round, for sure.

I once wondered how might 10 well-trained men armed with M16's have changed the outcome of the Civil War.  I came to the conclusion - not buy much.  Weaponry was advanced enough by then to, not easily but eventually, defeat the men with M16's.
 

This is a Smith and Wesson 659.  A double-stack 9mm from the late '80's.  Do any of you know the truly extraordinary things about this pistol?

• Engraving?
• Elephant Ivory grips?
• Other?

Well, I'll give you a clue - it's "other".  Since only a few of you will ever look at this post anyway, I'll give you the answer.  Its the sights.  The ugly dog-eared sights that were typical of this gun have been removed and replaced with a sleek, low-profile adjustable target sight.  The rear sight on this gun has always been the problem, because no one makes an aftermarket sight that nicely dovetails into the slide.  But, this one is freaking perfect!  This is how the gun should have been made in the first place.  I believe the maker utilized the internals of the original sight, but milled a perfect base for it. Also, the front post was milled to accept a dovetail bright red ramp. Another excellent performance improvement.  The third improvement which is really a nice touch, is the color-coded safety - I'm not quite sure how this was done, but a nice functional touch. Moreover, I can see where a lot of refinements were made to the frame as well.  I would love to know what has been done on the internals. 

The work that went into this gun probably cost thousands of dollars  - even in the over 20 years ago. It won't sell for a big premium because the gun itself is not all that collectible.

Not to mention, the engraving is rather nice and the engraver died over 20 years ago.  The 659 was a very ordinary, police workhorse in its day.  These guns never became very collectible on their own.  Out of the box, they were rugged and well made, but not very precise.  Then again, they were designed to be duty guns, not range toys. 

This gun "speaks" to me!!!  
WHAT THE GUN LOOKS LIKE IN THE RAW
(grips not original)  
 
 

Skans » 08 Mar 2024, 9:51 am » wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2024, 9:51 am

This is a Smith and Wesson 659.  A double-stack 9mm from the late '80's.  Do any of you know the truly extraordinary things about this pistol?

• Engraving?
• Elephant Ivory grips?
• Other?

Well, I'll give you a clue - it's "other".  Since only a few of you will ever look at this post anyway, I'll give you the answer.  Its the sights.  The ugly dog-eared sights that were typical of this gun have been removed and replaced with a sleek, low-profile adjustable target sight.  The rear sight on this gun has always been the problem, because no one makes an aftermarket sight that nicely dovetails into the slide.  But, this one is freaking perfect!  This is how the gun should have been made in the first place.  I believe the maker utilized the internals of the original sight, but milled a perfect base for it. Also, the front post was milled to accept a dovetail bright red ramp. Another excellent performance improvement.  The third improvement which is really a nice touch, is the color-coded safety - I'm not quite sure how this was done, but a nice functional touch. Moreover, I can see where a lot of refinements were made to the frame as well.  I would love to know what has been done on the internals. 

The work that went into this gun probably cost thousands of dollars  - even in the over 20 years ago. It won't sell for a big premium because the gun itself is not all that collectible.

Not to mention, the engraving is rather nice and the engraver died over 20 years ago.  The 659 was a very ordinary, police workhorse in its day.  These guns never became very collectible on their own.  Out of the box, they were rugged and well made, but not very precise.  Then again, they were designed to be duty guns, not range toys. 

This gun "speaks" to me!!!  
WHAT THE GUN LOOKS LIKE IN THE RAW
(grips not original)

              Agreed on the Engraving..... 
For the price & quality of that Engraving, it should have been put on a more collectable or value-retaining piece.... Given the choice, I think it looks fine stock... 

        First Gun.....
Winchester Single Shot Breech Loader... I got it for Christmas when I was 12.... THat and my first 22 were great beginner Guns.... Wished I'd kept that 410, I would have passed it on to my Nephew... Think I traded it and some cash for a used Remington 20 Gauge with a Choke. 

Kobia2 » 08 Mar 2024, 11:27 pm » wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2024, 11:27 pm

              Agreed on the Engraving..... 
For the price & quality of that Engraving, it should have been put on a more collectable or value-retaining piece.... Given the choice, I think it looks fine stock... 

I would buy that gun just for the enhancements.  It is a rock solid 9mm to begin with.  A lot of what was done, even ignoring the engraving, are good improvements.
 

Kobia2 » 08 Mar 2024, 11:34 pm » wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2024, 11:34 pm

        First Gun.....
Winchester Single Shot Breech Loader... I got it for Christmas when I was 12.... THat and my first 22 were great beginner Guns.... Wished I'd kept that 410, I would have passed it on to my Nephew... Think I traded it and some cash for a used Remington 20 Gauge with a Choke. 


 

That's a nice looking single-shot for a beginner.   I wasn't lucky enough to own a real gun like that when I was 12.  First real gun I got was when I was 15-16 - an INA 38 revolver.  It was a fairly well made knock-off of a S&W Chiefs special.  First real rifle I bought for myself when I was 18 - a Remington 788 22-250.  While I wish I still had the INA revolver, I sold off many of my handguns and rifles I bought in my late teens/early 20's and don't regret it.  I shot the heck out of that 22-250 with hot handloads. Probably needed to be re-barreled.

Would you pay $10,000 for a 9mm handgun?  Nothing historical about it.  No fancy engraving.  Nothing like that.  But.......its a Korth. 



Arguably, thee finest 9mm semi-auto pistol ever manufactured, manufactured in Germany.  The fitment is impeccable - notice even the fitted wood panel in the backstrap.  And, it uses the proprietary Korth rolling locking block system.

Still, the finish is nothing but a satin blued finish - nothing special.  And, functionally, it does the same thing as any other 9mm semi-auto pistol.  I have never worked the action on one of these, but I'm assuming its like polished glass. I have a C-series Hi-Power where the action feels like polished glass, fitment is amazing and the finish is significantly nicer than the Korth.  It would be valued somewhere between $1,100 - $1,500.  However, my Hi-Power is not and will never be a Korth.
 

 

Below is a Browning Hi-Power C-Seies.  The C-series and especially the T-series, made and assembled in Belgium, are some of the best Hi-powers ever made.



Well made, but standard Browning style operating system employed by many semi-auto handguns.

 

Here is another unusual handgun.  The Megastar, made in 10mm and 45acp.  Fairly large capacity at 14 rounds of 10mm, 13 rounds of 45.. And, a rather large handgun.  As hard as the 45's are to find now, the 10mm's seem to be as rare as hen's teeth. This thing was designed from ground up to shoot hot 10mm.  So, the 45 version can handle some of the hottest 45acp you can feed it.  It's a beast!!

Kobia2 » 24 Jan 2024, 1:44 pm » wrote: ↑

24 Jan 2024, 1:44 pm

              My ideal Gun for home defense...... 
    Simple -- effective --- not too many moving parts --- can keep it in a drawer untouched for 20 years, and when needed aim, pull the trigger and it will fire... 

              The Python is back.

Building on Colt’s Snake Gun legacy, the legendary double-action revolver is now available in stainless steel in 3", 4.25” and 6” barrel lengths. The 2020 Python features modern stainless steel alloys and a re-designed rear sight. Thirty percent more steel beneath the rear adjustable target sight gives you a stronger revolver and more robust shooting experience. A recessed target crown, user-interchangeable front sight, and Walnut grip with the iconic Colt medallion make this a gun you’ll want to shoot AND show off. The Python is chambered in .357 Magnum and also accommodates 38 Special cartridges.

That's actually a really, finely brushed satin finish on that stainless Python.  If I were going to buy another one, this is the one I'd get.
 

Best SHTF gun???  Here's my choice
Does anything really beat a Browning 1919 for
capacity, usability and ease of getting ammo?