The Overdue Gun Pron

As luck would have it, I left my camera out in the car when I went into the Syracuse Gun Show yesterday. I was not there to take pictures but taking a few would not have killed me. So let's see, I forgot my tackle box (which did not completely rule out fishing but I had to go to bass Pro Shop to buy some tackle first) then I forgot my camera. If I had also forgotten my cash that would have just totally ruined the trip but I was not that careless, I had a good amount of cash on hand. In fact, I emptied the jar in which I have been saving both change and dollar bills for, I guess the last year now. I wound up with about 250 extra dollars in my pocket for the gun show trip. Add to that my income tax return and I was virtually loaded (pun intended).

So, if I did not take pics of the guns show - actually I think I took 3 or 4 of them with my phone camera but those were of folks waiting on the line to get inside - then what kind of gun pron can I show you. Well, that cash I had along seemed to just about burn a hole in my pocket after a certain gun caught my eye. It was a rifle, no a shotgun, no a pistol, yep a few caught my eye but only one started to get that cash in my pocket to smolder and that was a pistol - one in a caliber that I have never before owned. That alone made it appealing to me, and that it was in a man sized caliber and not a poodle shooter caliber (like the 9mm, and I already own 4 poodle shooter caliber pistols) also gave it some oomph in the appeal regard. I guess there were other things that had me considering buying it. I first saw pics of one, online, last year. Being that it was made by one of my favorite gun manufacturers right here in the good old US of A also tickled my fancy. Then that it was and is manufactured right here in NY State just about sold me on it. How many gun manufacturers still make guns here in the Leftist RepubliK of NY! Of course, it also looked one one heck of a nice handgun.

All of that would not necessarily had that cash more than smoldering, I guess what set it to burning the hole in my pocket was the price. It was for sale at this dealer's table for  $49 and $99 less expensive than at two other show dealer's tables. They were the only three I saw with this particular handgun being offered for sale. It was also $109 less expensive than I had seen it while at Bass Pro Shop the day before. Yep, when I went to buy some tackle, being I had forgotten my tackle box, I took a look at the guns there too. Regardless of the name bass pro Shop, they are not limited to fishing gear but also sell hunting and shooting supplies and gear. While the price was better than those of the other three dealers, it may still have been just a it higher than MSRP. (Edited To Add: Remington shows this with an MSRP of $729.00. Thus, I stand corrected - I got it for well under MSRP. My source prior to Remington was a gun price book and they showed it as going for $600 new in the box.) I did not let that bother me because whenever I have seen it, it has been listed for more than MSRP - thanks to the greed of gun dealers that resulted from the gun buying mania fueled by the prospects of another 4 years of the Obamessiah. Oh well, I figured - what the heck - I owe myself a really nice retirement gift and it could double as an I kicked cancer's ass gift from me to me.

Speaking of kicking ass, what pistol, in the entire history of the U.S.A. is best known for its stopping power (whether in fact that stopping power is real or imagined). If you guessed that it was the veritable 1911 in .45ACP then you at least have guessed what type of pistol I bought. The brand should not be that hard to guess if you have come this far. just the fact that it was made in NY state should be enough, if not let me just say it was made by a company that currently manufactures only a single handgun. In addition let me add that this company produced virtually the same pistol (although the current manufactured one has safety improvements) starting in 1917 as part of a contract for the U.S. Government and those pistols are one of the most highly sought after of all model 1911s.

Okay, so you figured it was the Remington 1911 R1. Enough with the words and my incessant rambling, let me show you a couple of pics. I am not the best photographer so these snapshots will have to do. I think you will agree they are pretty good gun pron nonetheless.

Finally, I am the proud new owner of a 1911 in .45ACP - a true manly man's gun and the gun of choice of many a manly gun loving woman too and I perhaps even the gun of choice of quite a few wussies too. Heck, everybody seems to love it. I am not so sure, yet, that I love it but it sure seems nice. I like the way it looks and how it feels in my hand and the size of the bore/bullets (wow - really huge when compared to poodle shooter rounds) but have not shot it yet. I will let you know what I think of it once I order some ammo for it (ammo prices at the gun show were ridiculous for .45ACP, so I will order 500 rounds online later this week). While waiting for the ammo to arrive, I will read the manual from cover to cover, maybe two or three times. Then I will strip the pistol down and clean it, then reassemble it. That way it will be ready to go to the range for an immediate range trip once the ammo arrives and I will be somewhat more familiar with it than I am right now.

Before I get all the way off of the subject of ammo for this beast, let me ask: Does anyone have any suggestions for bullet grain weight choices. I see they run in weights like about 180 grains to 200 too 230. I was thinking of the mid weight rounds as a starting point. As for bullet type, I am just going to order cartridges with FMJ bullets at first and buy HP ammo once it is broken in and once I am familiar with the gun.

I usually hate waiting but am being patient relative to my new 45. I figure why get in a hurry and possibly screw something up and besides that, I have waited well over half a century to buy a 45 so why start hurrying over it now!

All the best,
Glenn B