Just musing, about better days I guess.

[Eagle223usa]

I got up early this morning, put on coffee and was enjoying a cup in the living room watching the news. A short time later my wife came down with my daughter and noticed that I had a different handgun out. I always keep one out of the safe for home protection. I must have been feeling nostalgic or something because the gun I had out was my 686. It was a change from my Glock .40 that is my current duty weapon. She asked me why I would choose my "Old gun" to protect the home overnight, you know, only 6 shots before reloading? I looked at it and had to paraphrase a quote from Obi Wan, "A more elegant weapon, for a more civilized time". At this point she just kinda rolled eyes and headed into the kitchen.

I thought about that for a few moments, back when I went through my first Academy, (1988) most of us had .357 revolvers, one guy had a 9mm. Our firearms instructor, Skippy Powell, had told us, If you plan on passing firearms, you better show up with a .38 or.357 revolver and it had better say Smith and Wesson or Colt on the sideplate. Back then us guys and girls didn't feel disadvantaged with our revolvers. The 9mm guy wanted to talk about bullets for "stopping power". The rest of us just rested our hands on our holstered .357's and knew we where ok.
Some of the "Old" guys had .38s, but with a .357, the target was either shot or it wasn't, no one so equipped talked or worried about "stopping power".

The training course included shooting from a type of roll over prone at 100 yards, us .357 guys just grinned, the 9mm guy protested. He didn't do well.

I slept well the night before, knowing that big silver "obsolete" magnum was on deck to repel any unauthorized, misguided folks who might try to do my family harm. Six shots of 125 Rem. SJHP, a couple of speedloaders and a tac flashlight, I'm sure any bump in the night was well covered.

My wife is much younger than me, she is more in tune with auto pistols and AR's than revolvers and shotguns. Six rounds left means to her that it is time to reload!

It is nice to get in touch with what really were better days.

Just the rantings of an old man...

 

[venomballistics]

once upon a time I had the opportunity to sort a lot of ballistic fact from fiction on someone else's dime.
about this same time, meth use and production was taking off in the area so all findings were measured against the possibility of having to neutralize a raging meth head.
Glock vs Sig vs Colt vs S&W vs ruger ...
9 vs 45 vs 38 vs 357, vs 44 .....

I shot up a lot of ammo in a lot of guns, into a lot of different targets that day.

then I weighed capacity vs effect.
the 629 won the contract with the 1911 taking up a supplementary role to the 44.
I still don't see any reason to change.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I kinda remember 1988......just a few guns..... 4" round butt 686 and a 3" 65 were my primary shooting ( 686 for PPC) carrying (3"65)....... had several 1911s in the 80s (one at a time/range queens) and a PPK for a suit gun.

Got my first high-cap 9mm that year a Beretta 92F Compact.......they were the 'Wonder-9s" days.....had to have one.....Bruce and Mel swore by them!!!

Still have the 686 and 65....still two of my favorite guns.......

LOL..... always good to have a "much younger wife"

 

[federali]

Remembering the 80s

That period of the 80s was when my agency transitioned to semi autos. We had recently begun retiring our Chief's and Detective Specials and we were now armed with K frame Smiths, of which the 3" Model 10, round butt, became such a favorite with me that I purchased the Model 65 variation of that gun while attending the S&W Academy. Still have the gun. Don't plan to part with it.

 

[grizz700]

I worked for a state agency and we were issued S&W mod. 28s with 6" barrels and wore them crossdraw. I was all ready working for a county agency and carried a 29 6" crossdraw so I already knew how to protect my sidearm. Our ammo was +P+38 ammo because when you went to trial for shooting someone ( which hardly everhappened) the attorney would argue that you were shot with a 38 instead of a 357 MAGNUM. I ask the Armorer what the difference was and his reply was "it will kill them just as far and hard as the 357".

 

[Sconnie]

"A more elegant weapon, for a more civilized time".

Goosebumps! I got goosebumps!

My first issued gun was a 4 inch Model 19. Also an elegant weapon.