Firearms Friday: Wish List

#1 on my wish list... IWI Tavor IDF.

It really doesn’t matter what you collect of what you enjoy as a hobby, everyone has a wish list of some kind. I can remember when I was younger collecting baseball cards of teams and players as well as filling coin catalogs with every date and mint mark… there was always a certain card or coin that I was looking for at any given moment. Even now, whenever my wife and I are in a new place or walking through an old bookstore, we try and find something Wizard of Oz related to fit into her collection. She may not have a defined wish list but there are certain things that she looks for when browsing through the aisles.  

Generally speaking, for some people it is one or two items while for others the list is far longer than that which you own. I definitely fall in the latter of the two and it is actually a pretty diverse list of firearms ranging from the inexpensive Diamondback DB9FS, Zastava CZ999, Walther CCP, and Smith & Wesson SD9 to a Cabot Guns 1911, Detonics Defense STX, IWI Tavor IDF, Smith & Wesson 500 Performance Center, Binelli M4, IWI 50AE Desert Eagle, and FN PS90. Like I said, a rather diverse group. Heck, I just like things that are a little different and it really doesn’t matter what the price is… it is a wish list after all, a mix of the realistic and completely unreasonable.

And, of course, there are the mid-range, easy to find items. The ones that you regularly pass up even though you ask to see it every time you walk into the door of the gun shop. Sometime they will even have it ready for you. Many of these firearms are on most lists like the Sig Sauer MK25 (P226 Navy), Walther PPQ M2, Smith & Wesson M&P 45, CZ P-09, FNH FNX45 Tactical, IWI Jericho 941, and many other similar guns. Then there are the ones that occasionally come in and you end up kicking yourself for not picking it up when you see it put out in the used case. Prime examples of this for me include the Khar K9, Smith & Wesson 39-2, Styer Mannlicher L-A1, and Walther PPS.

Finally, there are the ones that you have yet to find either new or in the used case… Sometimes it is all about timing and just being the lucky one to find it in the case soon after it is put out. My timing is rarely a positive attribute which is why I have yet to find a Colt All American (2000), BUL M5, IWI SP21, or LionHeart LH9. None of these are particularly expensive firearms especially when well used examples are found but they just don’t surface often.

As many of you know, wish lists can be both a means to focus your efforts and also a frustrating practice. Most lists, in the end, wind up being “if I win the lottery” lists but that doesn’t mean that you can’t just keep track of the items that have piqued your interest. After all, there may be an inexpensive but relatively good quality alternative on the market that you don’t know about yet. And, you never know, maybe you find that unbelievable deal on one of those unreachable items on your list… the kind of situation that you usually only hear about second hand. You just never know so keep working on that wish list.

Firearms Friday: Always Consider The Caliber

Sig Sauer P238.

A couple of years ago, firearms chambered in .380 ACP surged in popularity. This spike in sales was largely due to the compact nature of the firearms being produced. Heck, I was one of the people that purchased a firearm for that very reason (the Sig Sauer P238 to be exact). Since that phase, 9mm firearms have definitely caught up and have been shrunk down to approximately the same size. With size now pretty much out of the equation, more and more .380 firearms can be found in the used cases than ever before (my Sig suffered the same fate) and many of them are discounted heavily due to the number of firearms that are coming back in and the significantly decreased demand.

Another deterrent keeping the .380 market subdued is the simple fact that ammunition prices for the necked down cartridge are still high when compared to 9mm. Essentially, you can get the same sized firearm with the same round count and spend a lot less on ammunition (a difference big enough to justify the slightly larger price tag for 9mm). All those small firearms don’t make much sense anymore even though the upfront cost is much lower.

However, in the end that is now the biggest draw of these firearms. People go to the used display cases, see the price difference, and decide to save a few dollars. The rude awakening (most commonly with new gun owners) doesn’t happen until later when they keep spending more and more money on ammunition with the price of 9mm, sitting right next to those pricy boxes, staring them in the face. Overall, anyone who has been around firearms knows that this is not a new dilemma just the current incarnation.

This is still something that happens when you aren’t quite paying enough attention before buying that surplus rifle or dusty revolver. I still see people, many with a pretty good background in firearms, bring back their ‘bargain’ buys once they feel the pain of the prices associated with uncommon calibers. Primarily I see with 32 and 38 Smith & Wesson revolvers. These firearms frequently rotate in and out of used cases with nominal price tags… seeing a price in double digits pretty much ensures that the firearm will be sold quickly. What many buyers don’t realize as they are filling out the forms is that they will actually spend more money on ammo during a single day at the range than they spend on the gun itself (if they can even find the ammo).

So, in the end, whether you are buying your first gun or your hundredth, don’t forget to factor in the price of ammo especially in a market that retains some volatility. Make sure that you consider both the price and availability of the ammo for the ‘bargain’ that you just discovered in the used (or new) case. Practice is an essential part of firearms ownership and if you can afford to practice it really isn’t a bargain after all. Buy what makes financial sense in the long run not just in the short term. Of course, if you really want that PPK and you can afford to feed it by all means go right ahead just stay away from the Martinis.

Firearms Friday: Inexpensive Alternatives

Anyone familiar at all with firearms knows how expensive this hobby can be. I have been at the store and seen some of the astronomical totals that people have spent on firearms. It doesn’t matter who you are, you always get that feeling of ‘if I only had the money’. Barring some sort of lottery windfall, that isn’t going to happen for most of us. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some interesting options out there that are considerably less while retaining a decent level of quality.

While last week I wrote about some of the interesting firearms that I have come across at the gun shop (Tanner's Sports Center), this post will focus on the budget firearms. These are the ones that are affordable even if you bought them new. Of course, if you buy a used firearm you can get a lot more for your money and expands the budget minded options considerably. While I may write about the used market in a later post, today I am going to focus on the new models (which you can also find used to save even more).

SCCY CPX-1

While cheap firearms are not something that are usually well received, inexpensive ones are and the CPX-1 falls in the latter (Hi Point would be a good example of the former). With a MSRP of $334 and unfired used examples on the market for below $200, this is a great firearm for the budget minded. Having come across these in the local shops on numerous occasions, the quality was rather surprising even if the trigger is far from average. Overall reliability has been good with little wear to be found on many of the more heavily used examples that I have come across. And you can’t really argue with a lifetime warranty which follows the firearm. This minimal investment is definitely worth picking up especially if you find one in the used case.

Smith & Wesson Sigma / SD9 / SD9VE

Shortly after Smith & Wesson introduced the Sigma, they were sued by Glock for infringing upon their patent. While there have been a variety of similar accusations made over the years between various manufacturers, few have been successful. That was not the case in this instant as Glock won and now Smith & Wesson has to pay royalties for every Sigma / SD9 / SD9VE they sell. When you handle one of these Smith & Wesson introductory models you realize why they lost in court. However, while there are numerous similarities that this line has with their Glock counterparts there are a couple of glaring differences namely in the trigger and the price. While a Generation for Glock regularly sells for around $550, the Sigma can easily be found for right around $300. 

Zastava CZ999

I previously mentioned this firearm as a Sig Sauer P226 clone. While no one can deny the quality produced by Sig, not everyone can afford the price tag associated with the name. However, for those interested in Sig’s flagship pistol but don’t have the means to spend $700, the CZ999 is a decent alternative which can easily be found for $300. While you may not get the same high quality and finish (machining marks are notable on the inside of the slide) the firearm is well constructed and reliable. Not a bad alternative for half the price.

1911 Alternatives

For those who want to practice more often without spending the money on thousands of rounds of 45 ACP, the 1911-22 has proven to be a great alternative. With rising ammunition prices in recent years, the 22LR variant has grown in popularity. Besides being a heck of a lot of fun to shoot, the practical training aspect cannot be overstated. Of course, it helps that previous reliability issues have been addressed and they are now a much more effective training aid. Current models made by Walther / Colt, GSG / Sig Sauer, Chiappa, etc. are pretty much on par with one another and can easily be found for under $300 new and under $200 used.   

Cobra Derringer

While there is a practical purpose (and has been for over a century) for a derringer these tiny firearms are falling further and further out of favor as semiautomatic firearms get smaller and smaller. However, Cobra is making a half decent effort on the old design offering small bore models for just north of $100. At that price, even given the questionable fitting of the firearms, they are worth picking up for the heck of it. Of course, if you want the same size and better quality I would consider either the North American Arms mini revolvers (22LR and 22 Magnum) or the Double Tap derringers (9mm and 45 ACP) both of which can be found brand new for around $200.

While you’re not going to win any competitions with the aforementioned options (although Jerry Miculek could probably win with just about anything), they are decent options for those of us without the means to buy the top of the line. And, honestly, there are a number of high end firearms that aren’t really that much better than some of the lower cost alternatives. If you take your time and consider the options that are available (which go far beyond those mentioned above), you can find something that works for you so that you can both enjoy the shooting sports and, if need be, protect yourself and your family.

Saturday Afternoon Detour

Final decision... Smith & Wesson M&P 9C

On Saturday I alluded to a stop that I made on the way back from Scranton with my mentee. Well, it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone, at least anyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time, that we stopped by my local gun shop. It was actually one of those instances that everything seemed to work out perfectly… we left Scranton earlier than expected, the trip was fast than anticipated, and it turned out that my passenger didn’t have to get back right away and was free for the afternoon. All of those things added up to a slight detour to enjoy looking at a variety of firearms.

It all stemmed from previous conversations that we had discussing additional carry options for him. An upgrade if you will. I kept telling him that we would eventually make it up to Tanner’s Sport Center so that we could take a look around and see what worked for him. This trip put everything into place so that our side trip made sense. We had the time to drive over there and we had plenty of time, up to Scranton and back, to discuss all the things that he wanted in a new carry gun. By the time we got to the shop I had a pretty good list of things that I wanted to show him for consideration.

Now, I want you to keep in mind that I am fully aware that a firearms purchase, especially one that is going to be carried, is a very individual process. Something that works for me, whether it be caliber, size, weight, action, etc., may not work for someone else. I am not a brand loyal shooter. There are too many options and high quality firearms out there that I couldn’t really settle on one brand, model, and caliber. I have my preferences but I am not going to rule anything out (even the cheaper options have their place).

His list was pretty basic: 9mm, smaller, double stack magazine (10+ capacity with larger magazine options as a plus... we live in a free state), and striker fired. Keep in mind that he was carrying a Ruger LCP at the time. So, with those options as a starting point we walking into the gun shop and began browsing the used gun case. While he was asking the sales person if they had a used Glock 26 I spotted a Smith & Wesson M&P 9C off in the corner of the case. While he had a few doubts at first, he soon realize when he put the two side by side that they were the same size with many of the same features. The only real difference is preference in both appearance and feel.

There were also a few single stacks that we pulled out of the case (Walther, Kahr, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, etc.) but capacity weighed heavily on his decision. What finally pushed him to make the purchase was the various holster options that seemed to work well for him and the extra magazines that were available on the rack. So, in the end, I guess you could say that I helped to guide my mentee in more than just Freemasonry. In both instances, I am really just there to offer advice and guidance with the final decision being his to make. I’m just glad that I am able to help him with two things that he enjoys.