17 Saturday Jun 2017
Oh Ruger, you are a cruel mistress. You roll out yet another new firearm which temps even the most resolute of us to add it to the collection. The new SR1911 in 10mm is already receiving great reviews. Luckily I am not in the market for another 1911, but if I was this one would certainly be under consideration.
12 Monday Jun 2017
Ruger just announced a recall for Mark IV pistols manufactured before June 1, 2017. If you own a Mark IV which was manufactured prior to June 1, please visit their website to determine the appropriate steps to return the firearm and have it updated.
23 Thursday Mar 2017
OMG do I hate Ruger! When Talo posted their GP100 in .44 Special which will be available soon I got a little weak in the knees. I guess I need to hate Talo as well!
16 Thursday Feb 2017
I was disappointed recently by a fellow instructor who discouraged a former student of theirs from pursuing a firearm which has not yet been released. It was obvious the student was drawn to the firearm which IMO is one of the first steps in deciding if you want the firearm or not. Sure if you are going to conceal the firearm you need to think about many, many other topics, but to discourage someone from considering a firearm you have not held, touched, read range reports on, and fully investigated is the equivalent of poor parenting. As an instructor you should assist the student to the best possible firearm for their budget and needs. Had this particular firearm been out on the market with substandard reviews then my opinion of the situation would be much different, but because the only tangible reports were tactile from Shot Show 2017 and the gun is not on the market, to tell a student to overlook it is bad form. I’ve actually had my eye on this particular firearm and believe it may turn out to be a winner. I’ve been wrong many times in the past, but this one looks to me to be on the right track to be a great firearm for IWB carry. Anyway, if you are an instructor and have a favorite manufacturer do not allow that bias to carry over into the decision making process for a student. Just because I am a Ruger fanboy does not mean I would tell someone to avoid an S&W, Bersa, or Taurus, I would fully research the firearm they are considering and would probably head to a large firearm store to put my hands on it and decide for myself before offering an opinion. There is no way I would tell a student anything about a firearm which is not yet on the market other than to read the articles out now and I will be glad to assist them with an evaluation once the firearm has been released.
30 Friday Dec 2016
I just came across an article discussing the new trigger available for the Ruger Mark IV pistol. In fact many inexpensive firearms have affordable yet expensive trigger replacements. This new one from Volquartsen is $105 according to the article, but the firearm it is for retails for about $500. I’m sure the trigger is tits, but putting out 20% of the price of the firearm designed for plinking seems a little steep to me. People like to customize their firearms, but I’ve found my old 22/45 to be just fine the way it came although I did make some minor modifications. The Ruger 10/22 has a trigger set for it from Ruger which runs about $70. I purchased a 10/22 a few years back for $180 so I would be hard pressed to put 40% of the gun value in a new trigger. In the end all that matters is what you actually want for your firearms. If you want to customize with a semi-expensive or expensive part I say go for it, but I’m probably not going to spend the money when the firearm is solid out of the box.
23 Friday Dec 2016
Ruger just rolled out a few new wheel guns and it makes me hate them even more. One was a reworked GP-100 chambered in 44 Special. I gotta admit I don’t get all weak in the knees about a five shot 44 Special when I can get the same gun in a six shot 357 Magnum. Perhaps someone will be all giddy about it, but for me it is a pass. What I do get giggly about is an eight shot Redhawk 357 Magnum. Wowser is that a fantastic look and combination. With a 2.75″ barrel it could easily be carried while out and about, but is not really designed for concealment. I’d prefer a longer barrel and I assume eventually they will roll out more options in terms of barrel length.
09 Friday Dec 2016
It seems Ruger just wants to get under my skin. They continue to tease me with new firearms, many of which are made of unobtanium or I need as bad as another hole in my head. I was on the hunt for a Precision Rifle for awhile, but thus far have come up with a big fat zero at a non-gouge price. I continue to peek every now and again, but have resigned myself to it will happen when it happens. Then recently they rolled out a new SR1911 Target model to tempt me yet again. This one is over a grand so I won’t be bringing it home to meet the family, but this continued temptation is just not healthy. This continued testing of my will power is why I hate Ruger!
05 Saturday Nov 2016
Recently Ruger rolled out the Mark IV pistol and since I don’t particularly need another .22LR I did not take notice. Then I viewed he Hickok45 video and realized the new takedown procedure is a stroke of genius. Anyone who owns an earlier variant knows the procedure to reassemble takes skill and the gods shining down upon you to get the firearm back together after disassembly. The new model only takes a second and the push of a button to prepare for cleaning and reassembly is just as easy. Now all of a sudden I might need another .22LR. I hate you Ruger.
16 Tuesday Feb 2016
I noticed the NRA Instructor Discounts are starting to populate at remat457, but for some reason he has not yet included the Ruger Program I sent him. Ruger has two full pages this year, but sadly no Precision Rifle in the list. Anyway, if you are an instructor, also check the NRA portal, there are a few others there including Beretta, Daniel Defense, FNH, and Crimson Trace.
20 Wednesday Jan 2016
Suppressors fall into the scratching my head category and so I am a little surprised to see Ruger decide to enter into that business. Ruger has created the Silent-SR and knowing their eye on quality and durability it will be a winner. The MSRP is $449 and of course you must fill out all the Form 4 paperwork and allow the ATF to spend six months processing the forms.
Suppressors being part of the NFA items just doesn’t compute to me. I believe it is a result of reading too many spy novels and seeing too many Hollywood movies. I suppose gangsters were using them to suppress gunfire in the 30’s, but I’m not sure how regulating them somehow stopped mob violence and crimes.
Today a suppressor is an attachment to the firearm which lengthens it, makes it less concealable, and also lessens the noise created when in operation. It doesn’t make it silent and the pew pew you hear on television is pure fiction. Watch this video if you want to see what a .22LR actually would sound like through a suppressor. That wasn’t quite pew pew was it now?
Suppressors should be taken off the NFA list and should not require a $200 tax stamp and six month waiting period to acquire. At worst they should be transferred like a firearm through an FFL or even better simply sold as an accessory which can help with noise. With a $449 MSRP and the requirement of a threaded barrel for the attachment, gangsters will not be lining up to get one, especially not for .22LR. Take them off the list so I can quit scratching my head!
