5||0|747|0|yes
0|0|0|||1||For those who enjoy fine guns...|Laudre||01:06:46|02/03/2003|%28I know there%27s a few people who are also into guns here%2C so I thought I%27d reproduce this blog entry%2C for those who might appreciate it.  I%27ll be doing a followup in my LJ after we head out to the range on Tuesday%3B if anyone%27s interested%2C I can dupe that here%2C too.%29%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%2C as was planned%2C I went out hunting today for my first entry into the world of gun ownership. I had a list of pistols I was rather interested in%2C and I saw examples %28at reasonable prices%2C no less%29 for every single one of them.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut there was one model in particular I wanted%3A a Browning Hi-Power Mk. III .40 S%26W.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd I got one. At a steal%2C too -- I paid substantially under both going market price and MSRP%2C and got one with night sights%2C to boot. %28In fact%2C I suspect that it was the same one I fondled at the Dixie Gun and Knife Classic%2C as it was from the same dealer who had it last time. This time%2C it was priced substantially lower.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AInitial impressions%3A not too thrilled with the Pachmayr grips. %28I%27m not sure why this one has Pachmayr grips -- they%27re only factory standard on the Practical... though night sights aren%27t factory standard either.%29 Wrap-around grips look kinda like a good idea on paper%2C but%2C in practice%2C they%27re not terribly good-feeling%2C especially with that ambidextrous thumb ridge sticking into your palm. %28On the side where your thumb actually is%2C it feels fine%2C but on the other side%2C you hafta kinda shift your hand around until said thumb ridge lines up between two of the bones in your hand.%29 But I%27m not even bitching too much about them%2C because the gun just feels utterly amazing in my hand. Balanced and comfortable -- when I change out the Pachmayrs for a pair of Navidrex Black Micartas%2C it%27ll be perfect. The only other customizations I%27m planning on making are a%29 one of Cylinder and Slide%27s extended safeties %28though%2C since I have an ambi safety now%2C I might get the ambi version%29%2C and b%29 eventually%2C when the current night sights fade%2C is putting on Heinie Straight Eights. %28This is subject to change%2C seeing as I have yet to put any rounds through her.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnother neat thing%3A the factory Browning magazine has a spring at the heel%2C which goes into tension against the underside of the backstrap. This way%2C when you hit the mag release%2C the magazine actually kicks itself out -- this is a very good thing in a Hi-Power%2C since magazines have a tendency to get hung up on the way out of the gun %28so that you have to finish pulling them out manually%29%2C thanks to the magazine safety. %28For those of you not familiar with it%2C the magazine safety renders the gun unable to fire if there is no magazine inserted. This is not a feature I am fond of%2C for several reasons.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AField stripping is as easy and straightforward as you could ask. You pull the slide back as far as it will go%2C and then put the thumb safety into the on position%2C so that it goes into a slot designed for the purpose%2C holding the slide back. Then%2C you push up on the slidestop and push it out from the other side. With the slidestop out%2C there%27s nothing holding the slide into the gun%2C so you carefully disengage the safety%2C and hold the slide in place so that it doesn%27t shoot off the frame. Then you take the slide off%2C and once it%27s out%2C you take out the recoil spring and the guide%2C and then you can remove the barrel from the slide. Reassembly is just reversing the process -- though%2C in a .40 S%26W Hi-Power%2C the recoil spring is ungodly heavy. It took me several tries to get the spring back into place the first time I went through the process%2C while my roommate%27s 9mm Hi-Power was far easier to reassemble.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich brings me to my next topic -- the differences between the 9mm and the .40 S%26W. Instead of simply rechambering the 9mm version for the larger round%2C FN actually reengineered it%2C and it shows. Looking at a .40 by itself%2C the only obvious difference is that there%27s a groove cut in the slide so that the additional beef on it will clear the slidestop%2C and if you%27re really familiar with the 9mm version%2C you can tell that it has been beefed out somewhat. The differences in scale don%27t become apparent until you examine two Hi-Powers%2C one chambered for 9x19 and the other for .40 S%26W%2C side by side. The gun is scaled up just slightly%2C with the most obvious extra meat being on the slide%2C so that it can accomodate the larger .40 barrel without giving up the slightest bit of structural integrity. The .40 bore is also visibly larger than the 9mm bore%2C as one would expect%2C but it%27s surprising just how much bigger it looks -- going from a reasonably sized hole to something that looks like it%27s going to eat you. %28And then there%27s .45%2C which looks like it can accomodate a small car.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AOverall%2C I am very%2C very pleased with my new purchase%2C and I%27m really%2C really looking forward to taking her to the range on Tuesday.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.thebrokenlink.org%2F%7CThe Broken Link%5D %0D%0A
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A For those who enjoy fine guns...|Gryphon||09:25:14|02/03/2003|[updated:LAST EDITED ON 02-03-03 AT 01:08 PM (EST)]I%27ve got a standard 9mm Hi-Power - wooden grips%2C plain sights%2C regular hammer%2C nothing at all fancy about it.  It%27s my favorite gun to shoot%2C and not bad to look at either.  I wish I%27d taken it up to my grandfather%27s place on Christmas%3B my cousin Alan%2C whom I haven%27t seen since he was about 10 %28he%27s now a Marine%29%2C was there with his new Springfield Armory compact .45 %28not the model DJ carries in %5Bi%5DNXE%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but built on the same frame%29.  He and his brother Mike and I had a pleasant little shoot-a-thon in the snow.  I%27d have liked to have had my Hi-Power with me%2C or my .32 pocket Colt.%0D%0A%0D%0AAh%2C well.  It was fun anyway.  I hadn%27t seen Mike or Al for years%2C and that%27s a sweet little gun.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor in Chief%2C Netadmin%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0A
2|2|1|||1||RE%3A For those who enjoy fine guns...|Laudre||11:48:21|02/03/2003|%3EI%27ve got a standard 9mm Hi-Power - wooden grips%2C plain sights%2C regular %0D%0A%3Ehammer%2C nothing at all fancy about it.  It%27s my favorite gun to shoot%2C %0D%0A%3Eand not bad to look at either.%0D%0A%0D%0AAmen to that.  It was shooting my roommate%27s Hi-Power that sold me on the design%3B the caliber decision was a separate one.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI wish I%27d taken it up to my %0D%0A%3Egrandfather%27s place on Christmas%3B my cousin Alan%2C whom I haven%27t seen %0D%0A%3Esince he was about 10 %28he%27s now a Marine%29%2C was there with his new %0D%0A%3ESpringfield Armory compact .45 %28not the model DJ carries in %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DNXE%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but built on the same frame%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AMy roommate actually has DJ%27s model of V10 exactly %28near as we can figure%29%2C and it%27s a damn fine gun.  Springfield Armory%27s engineering is damn good%2C and it amazes just how well that little gun shoots.  Even the finger grooves -- something I tend to be of mixed mind about -- feel really good.  Though I%27m somewhat biased towards 1911s in general -- I%27m a fan of J. M. Browning%27s designs -- I can make a pretty strong %22buy%22 recommendation for it.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.thebrokenlink.org%2F%7CThe Broken Link%5D %0D%0A
3|1|0|||1||RE%3A For those who enjoy fine guns...|Laudre||14:38:30|02/05/2003|I%27m not gonna reproduce my follow-up entry%2C but I will say this%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AMec-Gar aftermarket magazines for the .40 S%26W Hi-Power %5Bem%5Dsuck%5B%2Fem%5D.  Hard.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.thebrokenlink.org%2F%7CThe Broken Link%5D %0D%0A
4|2|3|||||RE%3A For those who enjoy fine guns...|pfloyd||15:06:13|02/05/2003|%3EI%27m not gonna reproduce my follow-up entry%2C but I will say this%3A %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EMec-Gar aftermarket magazines for the .40 S%26W Hi-Power %5Bem%5Dsuck%5B%2Fem%5D.  %0D%0A%3EHard. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AI had heard a while back that Mec-Gar magazines weren%27t all they were cracked up to be. That%27s why I went with factory mags for my Glock%2C and I%27ll most likely keeping buying factory mags for whatever else I purchase. %28Oddly enough%2C I%27ve been thinking about a Browning 9mm as of late...%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-- pf%0D%0A
5|3|4|||1||RE%3A For those who enjoy fine guns...|Laudre||00:57:30|02/06/2003|[updated:LAST EDITED ON 02-06-03 AT 03:39 AM (EST)]%3E%3EI%27m not gonna reproduce my follow-up entry%2C but I will say this%3A %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EMec-Gar aftermarket magazines for the .40 S%26W Hi-Power %5Bem%5Dsuck%5B%2Fem%5D.  %0D%0A%3E%3EHard. %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI had heard a while back that Mec-Gar magazines weren%27t all they were %0D%0A%3Ecracked up to be. That%27s why I went with factory mags for my Glock%2C %0D%0A%3Eand I%27ll most likely keeping buying factory mags for whatever else I %0D%0A%3Epurchase.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C Mec-Gar makes factory magazines for the great and vast majority of the firearms industry.  My Browning factory magazine was actually made by Mec-Gar%2C but they make the OEM magazines differently than the aftermarket mags.  The problem I was having was misfeeds%2C which were caused by the follower actually being shaped differently in the aftermarket mag%2C leaving a small gap between the front edge of the follower and the feed ramp -- rendering it possible for the back end of the cartridge to fall out of line with the chamber and breechface%2C so that when the slide fell%2C it%27d hit the side of the shell casing instead of the rear.  To be fair%2C that only happened once while I was shooting hardball%2C but once I put in Remington Golden Sabers %28hollow-points%29 I discovered that the aftermarket mag couldn%27t feed those at all.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn the future I%27ll be buying factory Browning mags -- they may be made by Mec-Gar%2C but at least they%27re being made %5Bi%5Dright%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E  %28Oddly enough%2C I%27ve been thinking about a Browning 9mm as of %0D%0A%3Elate...%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a wonderful%2C wonderful gun%2C in either caliber.  %28I%27d expect it%27d be wonderful in .30 Luger or .41AE... but good luck finding those %3B%29.%29  If you haven%27t fired one%2C I urge you to do so -- the ergonomics are just amazing%2C and it shoots unbelievably well.  It%27s actually a decent time to go hunting for one -- since the FN-branded Hi-Powers are appearing now%2C new Browning ones are going down a bit in price%2C too%2C from their high of over %24700.  There%27s also the Argentinian surplus Hi-Powers -- though I have no idea how good they are.  As they%27re manufactured on actual FN equipment%2C though%2C I can%27t imagine they%27d be too bad%3B at least%2C they%27d be good base guns for a custom job.  You might get lucky and find something like my roommate does -- he has a surplus Israeli military Hi-Power.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor all that I%27m a huge fan of the Hi-Power%2C I will concede one design issue%3A the magazine safety.  It%27s a bit of a pain in the ass%2C for a few different reasons%2C and it%27s not even part of Browning%27s design -- it was added after his death%2C before the gun went into production%2C IIRC.  I%27m still debating about whether or not I%27ll have it removed -- the one problem with removing it is that if I do end up having to use the gun in self-defense%2C I set myself up for being nailed to the wall for having removed a safety feature.  Also%2C depending on which Hi-Power you get%2C you may find the factory safety less than pleasant -- the one on my roommate%27s Israeli Hi-Power is woefully undersized%2C for instance.  %28Mine is long enough%2C but I%27d like the C%26S safety for the nice%2C wide shelf on it.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.thebrokenlink.org%2F%7CThe Broken Link%5D %0D%0A