Every person from time-to-time has to take an honest look at themselves and decide if they are content with what they see. I freely admit that throughout my life I have been malcontent with parts of my self concept; be they physical traits or other. My most recent foray into making a me I am more proud of being has to do with being more well-rounded with my recreational reading.
As such, I have recently started reading books by George Washington Sears, Edwin Abbot Abbot, Mark Twain, & Rudyard Kipling to name a few.
This post isn't an attempt to throw down a scholarly cock-measuring contest, but rather to point out a super awesome resource. Maybe I am late to the wagon on this, but all of these authors, and thousands more are saved online for free through things like the Gutenberg project and amazon's classics. If any of you have an E-reader, or don't mind reading from a computer screen- download the free apps necessary to get copies of these books.
Never before in my life would I have thought to buy Jane Austin books, but ya know what? For free, I'll wander my way through Persuasion. Frankly, this post has nothing to do with gun stuff or outdoor gear of any kind- but it is still pretty cool to sit down with an interesting book and read some impressively scripted and eloquent pros. I suspect many of my readers have much in common with me- all 3 of you, so I'm hoping that maybe you folks will enjoy this stuff as well.
If you are looking for some awesome free reading, check some of the following resources, or find others.
http://www.gutenberg.org/
http://books.google.com/
http://www.amazon.com
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
cz75b SA update
Another range day, another 100 rounds of trouble-free awesomeness. A fellow grad-student and myself went out to the range yesterday and had a great time. The cz75b in 40 is really a kitten to shoot. Today was a mix of more PMC-Bronze and my own personal reloads with 155 gr LTC over a charge of unique (sometimes reddot) cruising along with mild-mid loads. The American Classic II and the ruger Mk II were also along for the ride, but the cz stole the show.
here is the first few mags at 20 yards with the cz on a fresh target (warmed up a bit with the 1911 beforehand):
For me, that is pretty good shooting at 20 yards. Many people can do much better, but I was actually pretty happy with this target. There was little point in shooting at 10 yards as the gun just eats out the center if you do your part.
The more I shoot the cz, the more I want to mess with the trigger. I contacted the guys at cajungunworks and ordered some parts, so we will see how that goes. The sights on the cz really aren't bad, though I do still think the GID paint is a bit odd.
After trigger parts, this gun will climb into the mid 600 dollar range, at which point I think it will be about done. Out of the box, it can be found in the mid to high 500s (mine was 570 otd) and is a heck of a deal. The trigger really isn't bad, but for anyone who shoots 1911s often and enjoys tinkering with the trigger on their guns, a bit of tuning will be necessary.
I am really becoming a believer in the cz75 platform, and suspect one in 9mm or a kadet kit in 22 may also join the ranks of my collection. I am trying to resist the urge to fondle a 97b, as I already have three 45s (having just gotten down from 4) and find it hard to justify ANOTHER gun in that caliber. Especially considering I find it hard to keep 45acp ammo stocked on my loading bench as it is.
If I see a 75b in 9mm for 400 or less (including clones) it'll probably happen when I get my tax return. This gun has totally won me over, and I suspect I might be moving still further away from the striker-fired polymer frame 9mm / 40sw market.
here is the first few mags at 20 yards with the cz on a fresh target (warmed up a bit with the 1911 beforehand):
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| CZ75b SA laying it down |
The more I shoot the cz, the more I want to mess with the trigger. I contacted the guys at cajungunworks and ordered some parts, so we will see how that goes. The sights on the cz really aren't bad, though I do still think the GID paint is a bit odd.
After trigger parts, this gun will climb into the mid 600 dollar range, at which point I think it will be about done. Out of the box, it can be found in the mid to high 500s (mine was 570 otd) and is a heck of a deal. The trigger really isn't bad, but for anyone who shoots 1911s often and enjoys tinkering with the trigger on their guns, a bit of tuning will be necessary.
I am really becoming a believer in the cz75 platform, and suspect one in 9mm or a kadet kit in 22 may also join the ranks of my collection. I am trying to resist the urge to fondle a 97b, as I already have three 45s (having just gotten down from 4) and find it hard to justify ANOTHER gun in that caliber. Especially considering I find it hard to keep 45acp ammo stocked on my loading bench as it is.
If I see a 75b in 9mm for 400 or less (including clones) it'll probably happen when I get my tax return. This gun has totally won me over, and I suspect I might be moving still further away from the striker-fired polymer frame 9mm / 40sw market.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
CZ 75B SA in 40S
Marginal pics in this post. I'm getting a new camera soon so hopefully we should see a marked upswing in the quality of photographs on this blog. In addition, my GF is actually going to teach me how to take a decent photo as well, so improvements will be had all around.
The CZ 75B SA was not actually my first choice. Instead, I had wanted an EAA elite Match in 40sw. The EAA is based on the CZ design, but departs slightly in execution. However, I could not find a distributor that had stocking 10 round 40 caliber mags, which means that the gun effectively cannot be had in NYS. I could have went with a 45 caliber version, but if I couldn't ever secure the NYS legal mags, I could never go to the caliber I actually had wanted.
I had desired a full size 40 SW handgun to fill a gap in my collection. My previous 40 caliber handgun was a midsized G23. The gun had served me well, but the midsize frame in general does little for me. I sold it, along with my Colt Commander and Kel-Tec p11 for lack of use. The Glock was a bit of a surprise sell. I had originally thought of selling one of my Ruger Security Sixes, but couldn't bring myself to do it. The glock on the other hand, moved on easily.
For me, the mid-size gun is too much of a compromise. Not as easy to carry as a compact, not as nice to shoot as a full-size gun. As such, they always existed in my collection in a form of purgatory. I neither was drawn to them nor repulsed- and as a result they received virtually no attention. After ruminating a bit on the whole problem of a good 40 caliber gun (without the EAA as a choice), I decided to go with the original platform the EAA was based on. I also decided to stay with the single action (SA) format, as I am quite used to thumb safeties and am willing to sacrifice a touch of speed for my first shot to have a better, more consistent trigger pull on every shot.
As soon as I held the gun I knew I had made a good decision. The gun feels solid in the hand, and the polycoat finish appears very durable. As is the case with the entire CZ 75 lineup, the frame and slide work on an internal rail system - which I did not find difficult to manipulate even with my large hands. Some have difficulty with this format as it removes a significant amount of area you can grasp while working the slide, but such was not the case for me.
The gun points naturally and has functional (though somewhat cheesy) three-dot sights. Instead of the standard white we see on so many guns today, CZ elected to go with a glow-in-the-dark (GID) paint that does absorb and push out a fair amount of light. My issue with the GID paint on sights is that once in the holster, the sights quickly lose their charge and do not glow. Maybe in a low light situation people give the sights a quick blast of light from a flashlight (which does work) but it does seem silly to me. In any event, my sights were well regulated for windage and fairly close for elevation upon firing.
I suspect that my preferred weight in the 40 (155-165 gr) is a bit lighter than what is used to test these guns (180gr I would think) which causes my POI to be just below my POA at 15 yards. As to ergonomics, the 75 feels phenomenal in the hand, and is approximately the same size & weight as a Government Sized 1911. My gun has fed, fired, and ejected everything with ease, despite me trying to induce a bit of jamming.
To test the gun, I took it straight to the range with an assortment of different ammo. I did zero prep to the gun. I did not clean it upon purchase, I did not add lubricant of any kind, nor did I fluff and buff any parts of the firearm. I simply started loading mags and getting ready to throw some lead.
I have only fired about 130 rounds so far, with the majority being my own 40 caliber Lead Truncated Cone (LTC) 155 gr design from a group buy I ran over at castboolits. I fired about 75 of these guys, and all fed, fired, and ejected smoothly (as is expected, if a gun struggles with an in spec TC, it will struggle with anything). Next up was some PMC Bronze 180gr FMJRNFP ammo I purchased along with the gun.
I generally avoid factory ammo, but on new guns I like to be certain of what the gun will digest, so I splurged for a couple boxes. The gun digested a full box with no issues, and no discernible differences in recoil or functionality. Finally I ran a single mag of 155gr Federal Hydra-shoks through the gun, as they are what I have the most of for JHP in the 40sw at my disposal. I'll probably be moving away from the Hydra-shok soon, as it is getting more and more difficult to find the 50 round boxes of this ammo by me locally, and I hate purchasing the smaller boxes because I always feel like you get screwed on the per unit cost. I'll probably switch to a fiocchi load, as I have had good luck with them in the past and they are pretty reasonable as far as price goes.
The shooting was as good as I can do with any gun, and the trigger pull was pretty good- not 1911 good mind you- but very shootable. I much prefer it to any striker-fired gun I have ever used. I may putter around with the trigger at some point and get one that is adjustable for both pre and post travel, as well as have the hammer and fire controls worked on by someone.
The gun carries well and has left me very impressed. I paid 570 OTD for mine, and it comes with a fairly decent case and 2 mags. For what it is, I would give this gun a definite buy. It has one of the better triggers for guns in its class I have ever used, and for those in non-ban states standard capacity mags hold 12, with 14 round mags being readily available from Mec-Gar. I suspect I will be buying more CZ products in the future, as this one has left me extremely satisfied.
 |
| the joys of metal |
I had desired a full size 40 SW handgun to fill a gap in my collection. My previous 40 caliber handgun was a midsized G23. The gun had served me well, but the midsize frame in general does little for me. I sold it, along with my Colt Commander and Kel-Tec p11 for lack of use. The Glock was a bit of a surprise sell. I had originally thought of selling one of my Ruger Security Sixes, but couldn't bring myself to do it. The glock on the other hand, moved on easily.
For me, the mid-size gun is too much of a compromise. Not as easy to carry as a compact, not as nice to shoot as a full-size gun. As such, they always existed in my collection in a form of purgatory. I neither was drawn to them nor repulsed- and as a result they received virtually no attention. After ruminating a bit on the whole problem of a good 40 caliber gun (without the EAA as a choice), I decided to go with the original platform the EAA was based on. I also decided to stay with the single action (SA) format, as I am quite used to thumb safeties and am willing to sacrifice a touch of speed for my first shot to have a better, more consistent trigger pull on every shot.
 |
| Ambi-Safety |
 |
| internal rails |
The gun points naturally and has functional (though somewhat cheesy) three-dot sights. Instead of the standard white we see on so many guns today, CZ elected to go with a glow-in-the-dark (GID) paint that does absorb and push out a fair amount of light. My issue with the GID paint on sights is that once in the holster, the sights quickly lose their charge and do not glow. Maybe in a low light situation people give the sights a quick blast of light from a flashlight (which does work) but it does seem silly to me. In any event, my sights were well regulated for windage and fairly close for elevation upon firing.
I suspect that my preferred weight in the 40 (155-165 gr) is a bit lighter than what is used to test these guns (180gr I would think) which causes my POI to be just below my POA at 15 yards. As to ergonomics, the 75 feels phenomenal in the hand, and is approximately the same size & weight as a Government Sized 1911. My gun has fed, fired, and ejected everything with ease, despite me trying to induce a bit of jamming.
To test the gun, I took it straight to the range with an assortment of different ammo. I did zero prep to the gun. I did not clean it upon purchase, I did not add lubricant of any kind, nor did I fluff and buff any parts of the firearm. I simply started loading mags and getting ready to throw some lead.
 |
| Barrel uses a linkless system |
I generally avoid factory ammo, but on new guns I like to be certain of what the gun will digest, so I splurged for a couple boxes. The gun digested a full box with no issues, and no discernible differences in recoil or functionality. Finally I ran a single mag of 155gr Federal Hydra-shoks through the gun, as they are what I have the most of for JHP in the 40sw at my disposal. I'll probably be moving away from the Hydra-shok soon, as it is getting more and more difficult to find the 50 round boxes of this ammo by me locally, and I hate purchasing the smaller boxes because I always feel like you get screwed on the per unit cost. I'll probably switch to a fiocchi load, as I have had good luck with them in the past and they are pretty reasonable as far as price goes.
The shooting was as good as I can do with any gun, and the trigger pull was pretty good- not 1911 good mind you- but very shootable. I much prefer it to any striker-fired gun I have ever used. I may putter around with the trigger at some point and get one that is adjustable for both pre and post travel, as well as have the hammer and fire controls worked on by someone.
The gun carries well and has left me very impressed. I paid 570 OTD for mine, and it comes with a fairly decent case and 2 mags. For what it is, I would give this gun a definite buy. It has one of the better triggers for guns in its class I have ever used, and for those in non-ban states standard capacity mags hold 12, with 14 round mags being readily available from Mec-Gar. I suspect I will be buying more CZ products in the future, as this one has left me extremely satisfied.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Blu
CZ-75B SA is fantastic. I'll do a full write up soon (hopefully this weekend). As of right now, I would definitely buy another- only got about 130 rounds through it, but it has been a big success.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
CTone of Legion's Fate has honored me with an award!
The rules:
1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award.
3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs.
I'm unapologetic when I say that of all the blogs I link to, there are a few which I prefer above others. CTone is among those and I am proud to be linked by him. I'm going to buck tradition here and name only 3 blogs.
at the top of the list of other bloggers who I enjoy and would like to buy a beer for:
Mike W of Another Gun Blog
Outback Notes
and Derek of the Packing Rat Little known fact about Derek- reading his blog is actually what motivated me to start blogging with frequency and fervor.
I would link others, but many have already won the award.
Thanks!
Monday, February 6, 2012
picking up CZ75B SA tomorrow
I'm excited- but to be honest, the gun is being overshadowed by another character. I am adopting my brother's dog- a very excitable and likable blue nosed terrier. My brother is working a few jobs and doesn't have time for ol' blu like he used to.
Getting guns are awesome, but getting a super cool dog is superior. Pics of both to follow.
Getting guns are awesome, but getting a super cool dog is superior. Pics of both to follow.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Packing Rat
Some time ago, I bought a combat cock. It was hilarious, but sadly when my car was broken into last year and my bag stolen, the CC went with it.
I was lost. devastated. How ever could I enjoy the comedy that exists within the gun community without my beloved charlie (as I named my combat cock- or C^3 for those in the know). Derek of the packing rat came to the rescue.
Perhaps even more awesome than the CC, the packing rat has actual practical use as a rear rest while shooting a rifle. It is also armed with a novelty Glock 17 in an ambidextrous holster.
The rat is made of a heavy 1000 D cordura. It feels sturdy and obvious effort went into the construction. Color and minor modifications available.
If you are looking for the gunnie gift for the guy or gal with everything, these little gems might be just the ticket.
I'm not sure what to name my Rat yet, though I'm leaning towards Inga. Why I chose Inga I'll never know- but it seems to work.
If anyone is interested in purchasing a rat from Derek, contact him at Derek@the packingrat.net.The rats go for about 30 bucks plus shipping. Are they cheap? no- but they are well made and I have no regrets about purchasing mine.
 |
| Note the packing rat patch |
The rat is made of a heavy 1000 D cordura. It feels sturdy and obvious effort went into the construction. Color and minor modifications available.
If you are looking for the gunnie gift for the guy or gal with everything, these little gems might be just the ticket.
 |
| Packing Rat, Packing Heat |
I'm not sure what to name my Rat yet, though I'm leaning towards Inga. Why I chose Inga I'll never know- but it seems to work.
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| professional enough to carry a glock. |
If anyone is interested in purchasing a rat from Derek, contact him at Derek@the packingrat.net.The rats go for about 30 bucks plus shipping. Are they cheap? no- but they are well made and I have no regrets about purchasing mine.
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