Well, in the same spirit of our toolaholics post...here it is. I know we have a lot of members who are in to firearms as well. Corvettes and guns seem to go hand in hand. So showcase some of your toys.

I picked this up today from a guy locally. A lightly used Smith & Wesson model 3953 generation 3 9mm single stack DAO. Fits nice in my hand and gets very good reviews online. Looking forward to getting to the range with it. This is my first stainless gun, all my others are poly frames.

So who is next?

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I never did like the trigger of the S&W automatics...

Just a personal thing... they are very well built and engineered pieces, no question.

I will dig out my stuff and post in a bit...

Since I hadn't cleaned my gauge after trap shooting this weekend, I just so happened to be going into my safe so I could run a bore snake thru the barrel. So, here's my little arsenal...

Top to bottom:
Beretta CX4 Storm - 9mm carbine
Stoeger M3500 Semi-auto 12ga
Sig Sauer P226 - 9mm
Sigarms Trailside - .22LR
Charles Daly 1911 - .45
GSG-5 - .22LR

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The trigger pull on my cheapo Smith 9mm (Sigma)is gawdawful.

I pulled it apart and did a lot of polishing, it helped a lot but I still don't like it,

That 3953 is a double action only version of the 3913 which is one of the greatest concealed carry guns ever made.... with Chi Town area gun laws like they are... well, totally sucks you'll probally never get to see how great.

I have a few Smith and Wesson 3rd Generation guns in my collection. A CS-9 (subcompact) and a 908 (blued) which are both varients of that same 3913. I love them but don't carry either of them very much.

A few pics of my favorite stuff...

First my everyday carry. I bought this as a 38th B-day present to myself back in December.

COLT Gunsite Pistol


COLT 1991 Compact (Officers ACP).. This was my everyday carry


COLT Series 70


COLT Combat Elite


COLT Commander


COLT Gold Cup National Match - I gave this one to my dad for Christmas last year.


COLT Gold Cup Elite 40 - I gave this very rare gun to my little brother for Christmas last year. Previous owner had shot it and lost the box/paperwork so at that point it's nothing but a range toy... Since my brother is a .40S&W nut I thought he'd apprecieate having it to shoot.


Les Baer Premier II


I have alot of guns but my Government Models are just my favorites.

As far as Corvettes and guns going together... I'm about out of room for maintaining both at this point in my life. I'll shortly need a bigger gun room and bigger safes.... I definatly need a bigger garage right now.

I know, I know - "To have my problems".
Will

This is what the girls pack around.... .38 Specials with crimson trace...very nice purse or boot gun...

Very nice so far, guys! I don't have all mine listed, I'll take some photos later.

I like your collection, Will. I have a desire for a nice 1911, but haven't found one in my price range at this point. One day....

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Thanks.

The art of the deal is to always be looking and be willing to spend the $$$ when it comes along.

Keep looking, don't buy anything unless you really just have to have it and your price range goes up..... I mean I didn't buy all those at one time.... Heck I aquired those over 7 or 8 years and a few of them were real deals...

Heck don't be afraid to get rid of something to help get something else you REALLY want because you'll never regret it having something yoou really want....

I remember the first real "Top Shelf" defensive pistol I ever bought. Sig Sauer P226 back in 1995. My FFL buddy got a couple LE trade in's from the FBI and the price was $425.00... I sold (2) cheaper guns (Russian Makarov and a S&W 6906) I owned at the time to buy mine... never gave a second thought to dumping those guns for the Sig and I still have the Sig.

Will

The S&W above was a trade deal...I had a collector grade Beretta 70S .380 that just sat in the safe. I listed it on armslist and after a long while a guy contacted me to purchase it. I mentioned to him I was looking for a S&W compact 9 (new one) and he mentioned he had this and was willing to trade if interested. I liked it so we traded straight up. I think mine was worth a small amount more, but I got it for a real deal when I bought it so I still came out ahead. I was good with the trade.

Just these two and some pellet guns. I may buy a few more. I've got enough cars, chairs and other stuff. Handguns and rifles are the next logical alternative.

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Tommy's political platform promise:

A chicken in every pot and a pistol in every chair. Which means he has a lot of pistol shopping to do.

Well I got a chance to shoot this s&w the other day. Very comfortable in my hand and made a nice, tight group at about 10 feet. That was point and shoot w/o sighting so I was even more impressed.

The only thing I noticed is that when I pulled the mags to top off it would strip the top round out if the mag. I've never experienced that before. Apparently common with single stacks. My glocks never do it. Strange.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-we ... 331-3913-help-please.html

I still like this gun a lot so far.

I always liked the 1911s too. Keep looking, I'll find one in a decent price. Nice collection, Will.

Btw, I mentioned armslist.com in a previous post....it's like CL for guns....and free.

Other sites are gunbroker.com and gunsamerica.com

What's a good starting point? I was thinking of a 1911 with 10 round magazine.

Any pointers? I don't know chit but I like making big holes in things.

Here's my latest purchase, I've only fired about 20 rounds through it so far, but I have a feeling it's going to see alot of target use as soon as I catch up on my reloading...WW

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A 9mm or .40 cal auto is good to start with. Your choice of manufacturers. The downside is they are very popular and ammo is tough to get. I have a Colt .38 Super which is fairly rare but I have been able to get the ammunition for it because of that fact. I have also been able to get .38 Special ammo for the girls since everyone thinks it does not have enough stopping power. Which I don't buy in on....it will stop someone...that's why you can keep shooting it.

I like the Colt Commanders but Glock and S&W and everyone else make good pieces....

If you want to blow big holes in stuff then consider a home protection 12 Guage with the sawed off barrel....even a crazy man knows the sound of a shell being chambered in a pump shotgun.....

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With you being in Ca, I would look at the approved guns list first.

A lot of Colts are not on it... The Colt XSE is and its a real nice gun in the 1k price range. The Colt model number is O1980XSE for blued or O1070XSE if you like stainless.

As far as 10rnd mags for the 1911... They are kinda finiky. I sold all my 10rnders and use Wilson 47D mags in my carry guns which are 8rnd mags. Of the 10rnd mags, Wilson and Chip McCormick are the best but I'd steer you away from them for anything other than range use.

The factory Colt XSE mags are 8rnd Checkmate mfgr mags... IME they are always fine with ball ammo but some are finiky with defensive ammo.

S&W has some 1911s that are on the list, as well as Kimber. If your 1911 taste run to the higher end stuff Dan Wesson, Gun Crafter Ind, Wilson, Ed Brown and Les Baer.
Will

Kevin - first thing to ask it what the intended purpose of the gun is. There are a lot of guns available for much less than the cost of a 1911 that are good quality and nice to shoot.

Darn I kinda read your post as if you were interested in a good starting point for 1911's....

If your more interested in a staring point for handguns in general there are definatly other ways to get into this hobby than a 1911...

I have a 45 and a 44 revolver that puts big holes in stuff.... I know some scoff at revolvers because they have limited ammo capacity but IMO if you train and learn to shoot 5-6 rnds is more than enough. Often they are less expensive and definatly less complicated than auto's.... Once you learn to shoot a double action revolver you'll find everything else easy to shoot.

Smith and Wesson 625 .45ACP (5" barrel)



IF you want really big holes and lots of noise...

Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag (7.5" barrel)



A little smaller but still big holes none the less

Smith and Wesson 66 .357 Mag (4" barrel)



I recently sold this 6" barrel model 66 for $450...



We can discuss the .38 Special...

Smith and Wesson 15 .38 spl. This gun was a trade in from a local Armored Car company.... I paid about $250 for it and put another $150 in the refinish and an action job. I used this revolver to teach Elsie the finer points of marksmanship...



Smith and Wesson 10 .38 spl. Again another trade in from a local company. I think this one was $230.... much nice condition compared to the Model 15 so I just left it as is.... I also bought a 2nd one of these for my sister and her husband to keep for home defense.



This is a 1959 COLT Cobra... 6 shot with and alum frame. Very lightweight compact gun.



This is a 1972 COLT Cobra... You can see how COLT changed the barrel profile in the second generation of these guns.... I also have 2 COLT Detective Specials which are identical to this gun except the frames are made of steel instead of alum.



Smith and Wesson 36. 5 shot... These "J Frame" Smiths are very small. Great concealed carry peices.



Any of the above are 100% top quality firearms that will last multiple lifetimes. The 38's, 357's and 45 are great for home defense or hiking/camping in the lower 48. The 44 Mag is great for hunting or hiking/camping should you find yourself in Alaska....

Like Matt said - Decide what you need it to do, then it's much like everything else in life.... decide how much you have to spend and go shopping from there.
Will

indoor range, home defense. I won't be carrying it anytime soon unless I move out of state.

I've tried a few but liked the feel and size of the 1911.

I had a Ruger Blackhawk in a .41 Mag and that gun hurt my hand so bad when I shot it that I finally sold it....it made a big boom when it went off....cool gun though....

.357's used to be the hot ticket back a few years ago and I still think they make a great personal defense weapon.

I think for a combo home defense / range gun you would be fine with any common caliber (9mm /.40/.45) semi auto with a medium to large frame (avoid subcompacts).

Some people love revolvers...I have no real experience with them. In terms of reliability/function/ease of use I think they beat a semi-auto any day. But having a double stack mag of anywhere from 10-20 rounds is nice at the range (not sure if Cali has magazine restrictions).

I prefer a 9 or 45, I've shot a couple .40s and didn't care for the feel. For a pure range gun you can't beat a .22. Accurate, fun to shoot, and cheap for ammo.

The best thing about a revolver is you never have to worry about a jam. A lot of the home defense experts still suggest a revolver because of the simplicity of the weapon.. .Personally, If I can't hit something with 6 shots, an extra few shots aren't going to do me much good...WW

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Like our Rugar MK II's ??

The Ruger mk ii/iii is a great gun for target practice. I'd like to pick one up for a good price.

Soooooo....let's just say you guys jinxed me. All this talk about revolvers. As it turns out a good friend of mine received one and wants to unload it, so I'm paying him a couple bucks more than the gun store offered him.

1974 Colt Trooper Mark III. 357 Magnum 6" barrel in excellent condition.

Looking forward to shooting it!

Matthew

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Matt .........




Matt Dillon ............

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Matt
The COLT J Frames are considered the strongest medium frame DA revolver ever made. Back when S&W started having problems with their K Frame Mags shooting loose and cracking forcing cones with 125gr .357 Mags, COLT came out with the Trooper and Lawman MKIII (J Frames).

The fit and finish were a notch above S&W... usually the blued finish was absolutely beautiful... and people could shhot an unlimited amount of full house 357 mags without worry of ever hurting it.

That is a great revolver. Once considered a budget gun for COLT (compared to the top of the line Python), they have been gaining in popularity the past few years and the value is much higher than some people know.
Will

Thanks for the info, Will. I got a really good deal since it was a buddy selling it.

was at the range with a friend

they had these for rental, need to buy the rounds from them.

Here are some auto's that my Dad brought back with him from WWII. I have the documentation papers on each that declared them a war prize.

The first one is a Beretta Gardone VT 1936 XIV in a 9MM Corto or what we would call a .380....I have carried this on occasion back in the day to the wilds of Sturgis as it works well as a boot gun. It's a nasty little auto...

The next one is a Luger 9mm and has the German eagles stamped on it. I have seen my Dad dispatching wild dogs with this gun in the wilds of Brazil back in the mid 50's where my parents served as missionary's.

I have no idea of the worth of these guns. Someone once said that the Lugers were valuable until Russia opened up and then there were a flood of them on the market...

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More political drivel. Nonsense.

On a positive note, I picked up my limit of 3 boxes of ammo at Walmart tonight...they surprisingly had some in stock! That never happens. No .38 or .357, though. I have a buddy who is supposed to have some for me though, so I can shoot the revolver this weekend!

The Luger is still pretty valuable.

The Russian Captures that flooded the market a few years ago brought around a thousand.... Most of the pistols they had were P38's which some people mistake for Lugers.

A gun like your fathers with the clam shell holster and bring back papers is worth $2500-$3500 depending on mfgr and condtion.

From the numbers I can see on it everything matches and it has a little wear on the side plate and muzzel from the holster.... It's a nice gun and the paperworks means alot since it can be documented....

IF your still storing it in the holster - Stop. Store them seperately and keep the metal on the gun covered with a light coat of oil or grease. They still sell little vapor bags and similar things to keep valuable guns away from oisture and they are not expensive. Keep the holster lightly oiled with mink or wax and keep it in a gallon zip lock bag.
Will

Ok....good advice Will thanks.....I will do just that. I do have a can of something in the gun safe that is supposed to keep the humidity out of the air. I would never sell them but it's good to know their basic worth. Dad's been gone since 88. I also have a Canadian Centennial 30-30 Winchester of his and I about 15 or so years ago I bought a John Wayne Commemorative 32-40.....hell, I will just post some pics of them all in a bit....

Here is my Grandpa's 25-35 that was on his Saddle for 40 some years....no one knows how many deer this rifle has taken....




This is my 94 Classic that I got when I graduated High School. 30-30 I have taken Deer with this carbine...its a good brush gun.




My Dad's Canadian Centennial....this rifle has been fired. It's also a 30-30





Then there is the John Wayne Commemorative that I will give to Uboy when he graduates from High School this spring.
Its a 32-40....never been fired or even cocked....

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Those are really nice!

The rifles, too!

I've recently added a few pieces to my collection. Consequently, time to inventory and update my insurance policy.

Nelson, I'd say so!

I'm still casually looking for a 1911. No new pieces for me since the last update.

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Yeah, I went a little nuts this year. The legislature of the People's Republik of Kalifornia was threatening my Second Amendment rights. So I had to take some preemptive measures.

Interestingly, the Charles Daly 1911 shown is the only one that doesn't belong to me. My best friend keeps it in my safe. I keep threatening to pay him for it; but for now it's cheaper to borrow.

DO NOT LIKE DAO PISTOLS. HAD A SIG DAO .45 THAT LIVED IN MY TRUCK. TRIGGER PULL LIKE STARTING A LAWN MOWER, PULL AND PULL AND PULL. SMOOTH BUT WAY TOO LONG. SOLD IT AT THE LAST WANENMACHER SHOW. NOW I'M WATCHING FOR A NEW TRUCK GUN.

MY FAVORITE CC PIECES ARE 1911 STYLE .45'S, OFFICER SIZE AND THE SIG 239. I'M A TRUE BELIEVER IN THE .45, BUT .357 SIG SURE SHOOTS NICE.