New Loud Toys

Overpaid Slacker · 09:07 AM

While I hesitate for obvious reasons to use the word "spree" to describe my latest round of gun acquisitions, I've acquired a few toys in the last month or so.

The first I've actually had for a while, it's a HK USP .45 that I sent to Magna-Port. Yep, the ports work. In addition to a cool light show, it does help tremendously keeping the front sight on target for subsequent shots.

Next up is a CZ-75 SP-01 (in 9mm), considered to be one of the finest handguns in the world. I first fired one in 1984, when not very many of them were on this side of the Iron Curtain, and I finally decided to pick one up. That's residual cosmolene on the gun. It's a bear to get off.

Then, my first revolver. Never been a fan of cylinder guns, but a couple of enthusiast buddies of mine convinced me to check out the S&W Performance Center .357 (largely b/c it's pristine and on sale for about 1/2 price. Now, I'm a fan of this gun... but I can't say all revolvers yet. This one is so much nicer than any I've fired.

This one is probably the most fun of any guns I own. It's a Beretta Storm in .45 ACP and it is an absolute tack driver. It's a joy to shoot, and the holosight makes it almost miss-proof.

More...

fastpat · 01-29-2007, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
This one is probably the most fun of any guns I own. It's a Beretta Storm in .45 ACP and it is an absolute tack driver. It's a joy to shoot, and the holosight makes it almost miss-proof.

Don't forget to use lithium AA batteries in the Holosight, they last for about 900 hours in use.

Overpaid Slacker · 01-29-2007, 09:12 AM

While I was picking up the CZ at my local FFL, I found this Model 700 in 6.8 SPC (a new caliber I'm intrigued by). With an HS stock and Leupold bases, virtually unused, it was cheap, and bridges the gap between .223 and .308 for me (essentially it's a more ballistically efficient .270). The scope and rings are en route... I can't wait.

And finally, a gun I'm giving to my brother. It was our dad's carry gun and my bro has been wanting a handgun for a while. It's a S&W 469 (which, for some reason many people haven't heard of). I think it's a challenge to shoot well, frankly; but not as difficult as the PPK .380 that was also dad's that I'm keeping. The PPK "bites" you when it shoots. This is an easier gun to use.

So, I've spent enough on guns in the last few months to tide me for a while. Or, until I see the next extremely well priced gun that I "need".

JP

TSNAPCRACKLEPOP · TSNAPCRACKLEPOP's Garage

i have not seen the gray finish on the model700. i never use my .270, just the 357 peaceKEEPER 6"colt pistol for deer, and sometimes the marlin 94 30-30 carbine(shorty)

Overpaid Slacker · 01-29-2007, 10:28 AM

What intrigued me about this rifle/caliber combination is that the 6.8 SPC is ridiculously accurate with very good knockdown, and this is a reasonably short (almost tactical short) barrel.

Now I've got a good, lightweight weapon I can take for anything smaller than bear.

We'll see... if it's not everything it's cracked up to be, I'll easily get my money back out of it.

JP

id10t · 01-29-2007, 10:35 AM

Got the hankerin for a 1911 myself... got teh money, doing the shopping now... *might* got wiht a CZ97B in 45 instead....

Eric 951 · 01-29-2007, 10:37 AM

slack,

nice collection of firearms--especially the CZ's. 2 years ago I won a CZ 20 ga. redhead deluxe O/U shotgun. Initially, I wasn't that impressed, but gradually I have found myself using it more often than my Itahca SKB O/U 20.

What is the red medallion in each of the photos?

M.D. Holloway · 01-29-2007, 10:41 AM

How many rounds does that Beretta Storm in .45 ACP hold and how fast can you fire them?

Seahawk · 01-29-2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
How many rounds does that Beretta Storm in .45 ACP hold and how fast can you fire them?

And how much? (If I may be so crass!)

Joeaksa · 01-29-2007, 12:21 PM

Excuse me? You live in NY state. Hillary and Chucky Schumer say that you do not need guns. Take them to the local police station and turn them in, now!

Never heard of the 6.8 caliber. The 645 is a good gun, had one years ago.

Overpaid Slacker · 01:05 PM

The Storm cost $550; plus about $200 for the extra buttstock spacers, the barrel protector, sling swivel and rails. the EOTech holosight was $300 to the door. A new favorite site is opticsplanet.net. They've got almost everything you could want.

The only downside to the Storm in .45 is the mag cap. 8 rnds, and I haven't found someone yet who makes larger. Now, if one had a friend, say, who was going to armorer/gunsmith school, such a person might be able to take two 8 rnd mags and make a 15 rnd mag out of them.

But, as has been observed, I'm in New York, and Hilllary and Chuckles (and, soon enough Spitzer) and they've decided I don't need such magazines. And, if you've seen my other thread this past week, I've had enough of them They can find some other sucker to pay for their social engineering.

The only thing with the Storm series is the trigger is awful. Knowing this, however, I put 100 rounds through it, sent it to Beretta, and they did a trigger job on it (for free) and it's insanely good now (about 3.5 lbs, crisp and clean). So you can fire it as fast now as you can fire just about any semi-automatic weapon.

The CZ is great -- every single CZ I've fired has been amazing; and a friend is looking at the 97. I hope he gets it, so I can play with it. I almost bought the CZ750 (their .308 sniper) but for the money that cost, I've got the CZ75, the S&W Performance Center and the 6.8 rifle for what the sniper would have cost (without optics!) And I don't do much of my shooting over 200 yds... so I'd have been paying for a whole lot of capacity that I'd hardly use.

The coin is a challenge coin from another board I visit that's dedicated to knives and tactical/CQ weapons.

I'm very excited about the 6.8.. Barrett designed a new AR-15 upper just for the 6.8 cartridge and it's incredibly cool (though expensive). It's got an edge over the 5.56 in energy and trajectory, and is a much more efficient killer.

It's not quite .308 powerful, but if I wanted that power, I'd get a .308. Now, the new 6.5 Grendel looks incredible, with power/kill that exceeds the .308 in many aspects... but it hasn't caught on nearly as well as the 6.8 SPC.

JP

fastpat · 01-29-2007, 09:15 PM

Beretta Storm takes model 92 magazines, which are available in several sizes up to 30 rounds.
http://www.copesdist.com/beretta.htm

Jeff Higgins · 01-30-2007, 06:49 AM

While I really don't follow this aspect of the hobby, I can't help but pick up a few tidbits through osmosis or something. Some of what I think I remember might even be reasonably accurate.

So... seems I recall that Remington developed the 6.8 SPC on a kind of unsolicited bid as an improvement over the 5.56 NATO (aka .223 Remington). It uses standard diameter, although light for caliber, .270" bullets. I think it is simply a necked-up .223 case, but I could be wrong. Think slightly smaller caliber version of the old 7mm TCU (Thompson/Center Ugalde) that was popular in longe range pistol silhouette years ago.

These are very efficient calibers, using relatively small cases and powder charges to achieve fairly impressive performance. They are well to left on the curve of diminishing returns, achieving their utility with small fractions of the powder used in the modern beer can sized mega-magnums, while not being far behind in real-world performance.

I'm not sure that Remington ever secured a contract with any military unit to supply these rifles and ammunition. Too bad if they didn't. Just about anything would be an improvement over the old "poodle shooter". The 6.8 beats it hands-down ballistically and gets us closer to the 7.62x39 in performance. Just something about the thought of our troops carrying rifles in my prairie dog caliber has never seemed quite right.

fastpat · 01-30-2007, 07:27 AM

The Remington 6.8 SPC is interesting.
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammunition/remington_0303/
http://www.demigod.org/~zak/firearms/6.8SPC/faq.php
http://www.defensereview.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=383
http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_Ammunition,,00.html
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_3_51/ai_n8709810

Twenty-five rounds of 6.8 SPC will occupy the same magazine volume as 30 rounds of 5.56mm NATO.

Overpaid Slacker · 01-30-2007, 11:55 AM

Pat -
Thanks for the heads-up, but I don't think those mags are .45 ACP. There are huge 9mm clips available for the Storm, but I haven't found larger than 8 rnds in .45.

According to the Beretta website 2 weeks ago, that's the largest they make, and I haven't found an "aftermarket" mag any larger.

JP

fastpat · 01-30-2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
Pat -
Thanks for the heads-up, but I don't think those mags are .45 ACP. There are huge 9mm clips available for the Storm, but I haven't found larger than 8 rnds in .45.

According to the Beretta website 2 weeks ago, that's the largest they make, and I haven't found an "aftermarket" mag any larger.

JP

Oh, yes, I forgot yours is .45 ACP. What's likely to happen is, unless your magazines are like the weird ones ParaOrdnance made to prevent conversion into larger magazines via mag tube replacement, a company will go into mag tube manufacture, allowing you to use the follower, and magazine base with the new tube and a new spring. Brownell's sells lots of magazine tubes.