Defense Articles

I’ve always detested the word “change.” Usually when that little word pops up in conversation around my home, it means I’ve done something wrong once again and need to “change” my ways, or “change” this, or “change” that. Seldom is the word “change” associated with something good, happy, or fun. It has always been a despicable, worthless, and measly idiom that I refuse to acknowledge. Having said this, if someone will loan me a ladder, or give me a shove, I’ll get off my soapbox and tell you about the one and only time I can remember the word “change” correlating to something worthwhile.

New Service Pistol For The GI

The early 1980s was a time of drastic and inventive change in the hearts and minds of shooters and the gun industry as a whole. Uncle Sam was in the process of retiring the venerable and much hallowed 1911 service auto from regular active duty. Wailing, whimpering, and gut wrenching moans could be heard from coast to coast as the old warhorse was presented its gold watch and veteran shooters gave it one final salute. John Browning’s legacy could rest easy; it had paid its dues and deserved a little rest and relaxation.

Gun manufacturers from across the globe entered the race, grabbed their ponies, and jockeyed into position for first prize–the coveted contract to produce sidearms chambered in the popular 9mm Luger or Parabellum for the United Slates government. We all know who’s mustang finished first by a nose, but the real winner in this race, the ones who took home the blue ribbon, the gold medal, and found the Cracker Jacks prize diamond ring, was none other than you, me, and Sturm Ruger and Company.

The “wondernine” years, which stretched from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, was a lucrative period for handgun manufacturers. Anyone and everyone who marketed a high capacity semiauto pistol was almost assured of success. When Uncle Sam goes “new wave” and procures the latest blaster for his troops, you can bet the law enforcement community, as well as John Q. Public, is going to stand at attention, take notes, and get one for himself.

A Different Approach

Amidst all the hoopla that went along with the search for a new military handgun, Bill Ruger quietly went about his daily business, unnerved and unshaken by events unfolding around him. For several years he had been working on and designing his company’s first centerfire semi-automatic handgun. If he happened to complete his pet project in time to enter the shoving contest with the other big name gun manufacturers that would suit him just fine. On the other hand, he had no intention of unveiling his latest adventure in handgun design until he was satisfied his efforts had produced the perfect semiautomatic pistol.

Work on the project was completed in 1985, hence the sobriquet P-85, but as is often the case these days when new products are announced, shooters were not able to put their powder stained hands on one until two years later, in 1987. By this time Uncle Sam had already selected a replacement for the 1911-A1.

Sturm Ruger and Company built their reputation by supplying quality firearms to average shooters like you and me. Often its designs were offered at a fraction of the cost of similar quality arms, and they didn’t do it by relying on the whims and demands of a government spending barrels-full of tax dollars on every fancy that caught their eye.

Ruger’s organization was built on the simple principle that if be could produce the best product on the market for the least amount of money, we the consumer, would continue to buy his firearms. This business concept has made Sturm Ruger and friends king of the mountain and no one has yet to topple them from their peak.

Anxiously Waiting

For years Ruger had claimed the lion’s share of the law enforcement and civilian marketplace, a fact that made other manufactures turn green with envy. This was due in no small part to Ruger’s firm belief in customer satisfaction. In a span of time shorter than it takes to read this “article, law enforcement agencies from across the country began placing orders for the new P-85 9mm. Civilians practically stood in line for a chance to purchase one. At the time, I was still in the retail firearms business, and I vividly recall the frustration associated with customers waiting, sometimes weeks at a time, before being able to take one home.

Orders for the new auto poured in from a variety of governments and police agencies from around the globe, the Middle East, Central America (which has long relied on Ruger performance, Europe, Asia, and many others. One the first American police departments to adopt Ruger’s big 9mm was California’s very own San Diego Police Department.

Many of you are already aware of GUNS magazine’s sister publication, American Handgunner. What you may not be aware of is Roy Huntington, resident guru and editor of AH, spent more than two decades wearing the badge of a San Diego police officer. Roy informed me the other day that he was one of the first officers to carry the P-85 as his duty weapon. It came straight from the factory, Roy gobbled it up, and the rest is history. Roy described the Ruger P-85 as, “tank tough, solid performing, and utterly reliable.” Roy’s judgement of the P-85 mirrors that of many street soldiers who have had the pleasure of living with one day in and day out.

With self-loading pistols fast becoming the rage at the turn of the last century, Colt and Fabrique Nationale were at the forefront. Since both companies used designs patented by John Browning, they initially agreed Colt would concentrate on recoil-operated pistols while FN would make models operating by simple blowback. However, with FN’s overwhelming success with the 9mm Browning Long caliber Grand Modele. Colt arranged to have Browning take out a U.S. patent on the pistol in 1902.

The result was a smaller version of the Grand Modele in .32 ACP for which Browning would be paid a royalty of 40 cents each. Called the 1903 Hammerless Pocket Automatic Pistol. or Model “M” by the Colt factory, the gun would be made in a number of variations from that year until 1946 with a total production of more than 572,000 pieces in that initial caliber. Let’s look at the breakdown.

Divided by collectors into five issues, the First Issue Model “M” had a 4″-barrel with a removable barrel bushing. Made from 1903 through 1910, this version in .32 ACP had a narrow extractor, black checkered hard rubber grips with a scalloped band with the word “COLT.” above a rampant horse and ran from serial number one to 71.999. During this time changes were also made in the patent date (about serial number 10,000) and the cocking serrations (about serial number 30.000).

From 1910 to 1926. beginning with serial number 72.001. he Second Issue Model “M” had a 3.75″-barrel, but was otherwise identical to the First Issue. At serial number 95,801 the extractor was widened to accommodate both the .32 ACP and the new .380 ACP round (detailed below). Beginning with serial number 100,459 the separate barrel bushing was omitted and a few changes were made within the slide and to the recoil spring group. In addition to the bushing change, the Second Issue also saw several grip variations. The version ran to serial number 105.050.

Number Three

Except for its checkered walnut grips with nickel Colt medallion, the Third Issue Model “M” was identical to the Second Issue. and was made from 1926 to 1945 beginning with serial number 105,051. During production of the Third Issue the Tansley magazine disconnect safety was added with serial number 468,097, creating what most collectors, recognize as the Fourth Issue Model M. This variation ran to serial number 554.000.

As part of the standard commercial Fourth Issue Model “M” is the Military counterpart that ran from serial number 554,001 to 572.214. All of these .32 ACP caliber Military Model “M” pistols are stamped “U.S. Property” on the right side of the frame and have the Ordnance Department “flaming bomb acceptance mark. Initially finished in blue, the Military Model “M” was Parkerized beginning in 1944 at about serial number 562.000.

After World War II a few Military Model “M” .32 ACP caliber pistols were left over with the U.S. Property stamp, but without the Ordnance mark, and a few more were assembled from left-over parts. The latter had polished blue slides with grip straps in matte blue. The last number of the .32 caliber Model “M” pistols is believed to be 572,215.

.380 ACP Model “M”

Not only was the 1903 Pocket Model “M” made in .32 ACP, but also .380 ACP, a cartridge believed to have been conceived especially for it. However, because this variation has its own serial number sequence, it’s dealt with separately for the sake of clarity.

Making its debut in 1908, the First Issue .380 Model “M” was made until 1911 from number one to 6,251 when the Second Issue .380 was introduced. This version was made until 1926 from serial number 6,252 to 92,893. The Third Issue .380 ACP Model “M” is the same as the Fourth Issue .32 ACP, and was made through 1945 with the Tansley magazine safety added at serial number 92,894, and running to 133,349.

As with the .32 ACP Fourth Issue Military version, the Third Issue .380 ACP ACP Model “M” was made for the Military and was also stamped U.S. Property, but had a blued finish with serial numbers running from 133,350 to 138,009, some of which were preceded by the letter “M.”

Most Collectible

Even more collectible than any of the above versions of the Colt Model “M” are special order pistols, namely those with special grips, or that are engraved; various engravers applied their art to these pistols through the years. Some of the most famous included Gough, Kornbrath and Cuno A. Helfrict.

Model “M” pistols engraved between 1910 and 1913 were listed as having 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 coverage, while those engraved from 1913 to 1929 were described as grade one, grade two and grade three coverage. From 1929 through 1941 the grades were changed to “A” through “C.”

Factory records indicate that of the early Model “M” .32 ACP pistols, 50 were engraved with 1/2 coverage and only three were given 3/4 coverage. The pistol illustrated is in the number 135,322, having been made in 1912, and is one of the three early Model “M” .32 ACPs engraved with 3/4 coverage. This includes the top, back and front of the gun. This outstanding example of Colt factory engraving is believed to have been done by Cuno A. Helfrict. The grips are Colt mother of pearl with the Colt medallion, indicating the pistol did not leave the factory until 1913, the first year medallions were used.

The Great Rock and Roll Swindle (1980) and The Filth and the Fury (2000) are both about the Sex Pistols. The Swindle came in the aftermath of the implosion of the Sex Pistols, and told their story mostly from manager Malcolm McLaren’s point of view. Because of that it’s pretty biased, but highly entertaining–with footage of some of the band members trying to act parts in the plot thread of the film and some great animated stuff.

For a better Sex Pistols film, try the much more recent The Filth and the Fury (2000). It’s directed by the same guy who made Swindle, but it’s a much more evenhanded look at the Pistols, with the participation of all of the band members (but not manager McLaren). One of the best scenes is the archival footage of the band and groupies (including Siouxsie Sioux) being interviewed by a lecherous Bill Grundy of the BBC, and spouting filthy words in reaction to his lechery, which garnered them a ton of press and turning them into overnight sensations. And of course the film follows their demise on their American tour.

Readers have commented they enjoy my articles on black powder cartridge rifles (BPCRs). That’s pleasing. Now how about a column on another type of BPCR–the black powder cartridge revolver? But to keep things sorted let’s call them BPCPs: black powder cartridge pistols. (Sure, I know there’s a difference between pistols and revolvers, but even the Old West gunfighters often called their revolvers pistols, so just bear with me.)

Colt didn’t begin to warranty any of their handguns for smokeless powder shooting until 1900, and Smith & Wesson began the metallic handgun cartridge era circa 1858 for rimfires, and 1870 for centerfires. Therefore, during those four decades which actually comprise the “Wild West” of fact and fiction the only propellant used in handguns was black powder. To the surprise of many shooters today, black powder can perform very well in cartridge handguns. If the ammunition is loaded properly it delivers power, precision and reliability.

Foul Fouling

What’s with this “reliability” thing? Let’s look at that first. As anyone who has fired a cap-and-ball revolver knows, black powder leaves a lot of crud upon firing. So much it can gum up a sixgun to the point its cylinder won’t even turn. Therefore, in loading black powder cartridge ammo two things are desirable: reduce fouling as much as possible and keep whatever fouling still produced soft. That latter point is accomplished by the bullet lube–it should be soft so it mixes with fouling and makes it greasy. And the more lube a bullet carries the better. There are many BP specific bullet lubes on the market today, but I’ve stuck with SPG because I used to own half the company.

To reduce the amount of fouling left by BP cartridges, I rely on primers, but even more on how the powder is dispensed. In my testing I’ve found hot primers help reduce BP fouling and I always trickle the powder into cases by means of a long drop tube. That compacts it so more powder fits in the cases, and for some unknown reason drop-tubing BP makes it burn cleaner. No, I don’t weigh out each and every charge. They are thrown from one of the new Montana Vintage Arms powder measures and then trickled down the 24″ copper tube.

Fill The Tank

An oft-asked question is, “How much black powder should I load for cartridge ‘X’?” It doesn’t matter. Just fill up the case so the bullet’s base compresses the powder slightly–say about 1/16″. The brand of case and seating depth of the bullet will determine how much powder fits. Don’t worry–you can’t get in too much black powder to harm a handgun in good condition. If it’s not in good condition you shouldn’t be firing it anyway?

In machine-rest testing I’ve done with many BPCPs over the years, it turns out the best groups were often delivered with CCI brand small or large pistol magnum primers, as the case might be. Other brands often did well, but it seemed like the CCIs usually had the edge. Along with drop-tubing the powder I made them my standard for BPCPs. Admittedly it’s not a critical factor, but since they cost no more, why not use them?

Chatter Matter

Now, on several Internet chat rooms it’s been said, “Venturino recommends all that stuff, but it’s not really necessary at the distances cowboy action matches are fired, and all you have to do is squirt down the guns with water to keep them working?” That’s all true enough, but in my mind it’s just as easy to load the ammo correctly and leave the squirt gun at home. All of the BPCPs I use will go all day without gumming up. Once at the big Arizona cowboy shoot called Winter Range, I let my pair of Colt Frontier Six Shooters (.44-40s) go uncleaned for the entire three days and they still functioned –albeit a little stiffly–at the end.

Something else I don’t do with BPCPs is “load them down.” Some shooters reduce the powder charges to a pinch and take up case space with inert fillers. My attitude is, “If I want a big bore, then I’ll shoot it big.” Maybe the sort of cowboys of Brokeback Mountain like pipsqueak guns, but most cowboys of the real “Wild West” shot .44s and .45s. And powerful .44s and .45s they were! Colt made more Peacemakers in .45 Colt than any other, and it was followed by .44 WCF (.44-40). Smith & Wesson used punier cartridges, initially due to their Model No. 3’s shorter cylinder. Eventually they got it adapted to .44-40, too. Still, they sold more Model No. 3s in .44 Russian caliber than any other, and the US Army actually issued the .45 S&W “Schofield” cartridge for use in the big Colt Single Action more than .45 Colt.

The .44-40 and .45 Colt are powerhouses in BPCPs. Original factory loads used 40- and 35-grains of BP in the same order. Today .44-40 and .45 Colt cartridge cases will still hold that much, but a little powder compression might be required. That won’t hurt anything. And if you want the utmost in power then I recommend you go to FFFg Swiss BP. That’s the hottest stuff on the market. A case full will push a 200-grain .44-40 or 250-grain .45 Colt bullet to 1,000 fps from a 7 1/2″ barrel.

Have you noticed everybody and his brother makes a 1911 pistol? To the uninitiated it is imponderable and even a cause for wonder among we who do this for a living. Some readers gripe about the amount of coverage we give the 1911, but the reason is simple: they sell. I’ve been doing this a long time and have chronicled the 1911’s history through two World Wars, a police action, countless skirmishes and the Great Southeast Asia war games.

I learned how to work on it, won me some stuff with it and it is largely responsible for me having this job. My fondness knows no bounds, but very few current buyers know–let alone care–about any of that because they buy the gun for its current utility, reliability and ability to do the job asked of it. Whether it’s seeking the elusive soda can or putting an exclamation point on a dirtbag’s last words it can do either job equally well.

The marketplace has undergone several shifts, first when Springfield Armory began to offer Colt some competition. Today, the folks who made the whole thing possible are probably the smallest player, and upstart Kimber continues to grow. When S&W entered the 1911 playground everyone wondered why and what would happen. The “why” is easy. They correctly judged there was room for them in the market and the long-term effect seems to have been positive. We’ve also seen the market divide into several distinct segments: plain-Jane GI. middle-of-the-road factory, high-end factory, custom and high-end custom. All are identifiable by various features and accessories, but each category now has an established place and price range.

Nobody knows precisely what the long-term effect on market share will be for the various players, but different 1911 s keep showing up on my doorstep and all are welcome. Which brings me to the latest arrivals: A pair of stainless steel pistols from Dan Wesson. These guns fall into the category of guns with the desirable bells and whistles, but no fancy extras. The first of them is the Pointman 7, which is a basic full-size pistol with adjustable sights.

In a way, the Pointman 7 is remarkably plain, which may just hide some of the neat stuff. The slide has only the smallest of markings on the left with the “DW” logo and PM7. It has forward grasping grooves, which seem to be a real polarizing factor these days. People love or hate them with little middle ground. The top of the slide is matte and the sides are nicely polished. In fact, the finishing on both frame and slide is really excellent. The amenities are nice, too. There’s a beavertail grip safety with a “memory groove” hump, flat, checkered, stainless steel mainspring housing, modestly extended magazine release and a single-side extended thumb safety.

The frame bears only the markings “Dan Wesson Firearms Norwich, NY U.S.A.” and the serial number. The markings are electro-etched and much nicer looking than today’s more common pin stampings. It is impossible to tell who really makes what these days, but several informed sources report the frame is imported in a partially complete condition with no slide rail cuts (therefore it is not a firearm) and all further machining and fitting completed at the Wesson shop. And they do a really bang-up job with those rails too. The slide-to-frame fit is comparable to what you would expect on an expensive custom pistol. There is no play at all–either horizontal or vertical.

In fact all the typical fitting points are very well done. The headspace extension of the barrel shows only a tiny sliver of daylight in the slide, the bushing is snug–not too tight–but it clearly marks the barrel as it should. Only the bottom barrel lugs lack the contact with the slide stop identifying a well-fitted barrel and those don’t miss by much, for when the barrel is locked in battery you can’t move it.

The other pistol is a Commander size with all the same compliments given the full-size pistol with extra credit for having the Ed Brown Bobtail treatment of the frame. For those who haven’t felt this modification, I think it is one of the best things done to the 1911 since people learned how to fit barrels and do trigger jobs. It is especially effective for a concealed pistol because it eliminates the sharp corners of the butt known often to print when concealed. It think it also is very comfortable to shoot and might be attractive for someone with smaller hands who still likes the 1911.

Two valuable additions to the Commander size pistol are Novak-style night sights and checkering of the front strap. The pattern looked a bit unusual and it took a ruler and fingers and toes to determine it is cut at 16 lpi. Of course your hand can’t tell the difference.

Shooting both pistols has been entirely uneventful. They went bang only when directed, functioned without complaint and produced groups some custom guns would find enviable. The accuracy was entirely predictable because of the nice fitting of the slide and barrel components and this illustrates something involving both these pistols and the entire generation of new 1911s as well. Back when I first started shooting them you would be lucky to get 5″ to 6″ groups from a new gun and they simply had to be accurized for any kind of serious target shooting. Some needed considerable help just to function at all.

Once a stepchild among the more popular gun stages, Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP) fell just one contestant short of CDP. Eighty shooters chose ESP, which encompasses single-action semiautomatics in 9mm through .40 S & W.

An example of an “enhanced” firearm is a Glock that has been modified with a Robar-type grip. Ditto all variations of the increasingly popular Springfield Armory XD pistol, since ATF has ruled the XD to be a single-action, semiauto pistol. Originally geared around the Browning Hi-Power, ESP is now ruled by single-action 1911 pistols, chambered for 9mm Parabellum or .38 Super. Those who prefer .38 Super generally choose ammo loaded down to 9mm power factor.

IPSC ace Taran Butler took the ESP champion plaque this year. If one of your customers wants to do the same in ‘07, he’ll be off to a good start with a target-grade CZ 75, S & W Performance Center 9mm single-action like the Model 952, or a match-grade 9mm 1911 from Para, Springfield Armory, STI, etc.

For most of IDPA’s history, there was only one class for “wheelguns,” the Stock Service Revolver (SSR). Almost from the beginning, this category was dominated by the Smith & Wesson Model 625. The gun’s .45 ACP ammo can be loaded into the 625 with full moon clips faster than any conventional rimmed revolver cartridge can be loaded using even the most modern and efficient speedloaders. A couple of years ago, these guns were placed into their own category: Enhanced Service Revolver (ESR). This year, nine contestants entered ESR.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Revolver great Jerry Miculek is the once and future king of this corner of IDPA. His choice is that of almost all the ESR winners: the S & W 4″ Model 625 in .45 ACP.

Obviously, if you have a customer who wants to shoot the ESR category, sell him a 4″ 625. It’s also a fun gun for anyone who likes the caliber, and a “garbage disposal” for .45 ACP reloads that are too light to work in the customer’s autoloader. Good home defense revolver, too.

Have you noticed everybody and his brother makes a 1911 pistol? To the uninitiated it is imponderable and even a cause for wonder among we who do this for a living. Some readers gripe about the amount of coverage we give the 1911, but the reason is simple: they sell. I’ve been doing this a long time and have chronicled the 1911’s history through two World Wars, a police action, countless skirmishes and the Great Southeast Asia war games.

I learned how to work on it, won me some stuff with it and it is largely responsible for me having this job. My fondness knows no bounds, but very few current buyers know–let alone care–about any of that because they buy the gun for its current utility, reliability and ability to do the job asked of it. Whether it’s seeking the elusive soda can or putting an exclamation point on a dirtbag’s last words it can do either job equally well.

The marketplace has undergone several shifts, first when Springfield Armory began to offer Colt some competition. Today, the folks who made the whole thing possible are probably the smallest player, and upstart Kimber continues to grow. When S&W entered the 1911 playground everyone wondered why and what would happen. The “why” is easy. They correctly judged there was room for them in the market and the long-term effect seems to have been positive. We’ve also seen the market divide into several distinct segments: plain-Jane GI. middle-of-the-road factory, high-end factory, custom and high-end custom. All are identifiable by various features and accessories, but each category now has an established place and price range.

Nobody knows precisely what the long-term effect on market share will be for the various players, but different 1911 s keep showing up on my doorstep and all are welcome. Which brings me to the latest arrivals: A pair of stainless steel pistols from Dan Wesson. These guns fall into the category of guns with the desirable bells and whistles, but no fancy extras. The first of them is the Pointman 7, which is a basic full-size pistol with adjustable sights.

In a way, the Pointman 7 is remarkably plain, which may just hide some of the neat stuff. The slide has only the smallest of markings on the left with the “DW” logo and PM7. It has forward grasping grooves, which seem to be a real polarizing factor these days. People love or hate them with little middle ground. The top of the slide is matte and the sides are nicely polished. In fact, the finishing on both frame and slide is really excellent. The amenities are nice, too. There’s a beavertail grip safety with a “memory groove” hump, flat, checkered, stainless steel mainspring housing, modestly extended magazine release and a single-side extended thumb safety.

The frame bears only the markings “Dan Wesson Firearms Norwich, NY U.S.A.” and the serial number. The markings are electro-etched and much nicer looking than today’s more common pin stampings. It is impossible to tell who really makes what these days, but several informed sources report the frame is imported in a partially complete condition with no slide rail cuts (therefore it is not a firearm) and all further machining and fitting completed at the Wesson shop. And they do a really bang-up job with those rails too. The slide-to-frame fit is comparable to what you would expect on an expensive custom pistol. There is no play at all–either horizontal or vertical.

In fact all the typical fitting points are very well done. The headspace extension of the barrel shows only a tiny sliver of daylight in the slide, the bushing is snug–not too tight–but it clearly marks the barrel as it should. Only the bottom barrel lugs lack the contact with the slide stop identifying a well-fitted barrel and those don’t miss by much, for when the barrel is locked in battery you can’t move it.

The other pistol is a Commander size with all the same compliments given the full-size pistol with extra credit for having the Ed Brown Bobtail treatment of the frame. For those who haven’t felt this modification, I think it is one of the best things done to the 1911 since people learned how to fit barrels and do trigger jobs. It is especially effective for a concealed pistol because it eliminates the sharp corners of the butt known often to print when concealed. It think it also is very comfortable to shoot and might be attractive for someone with smaller hands who still likes the 1911.

Two valuable additions to the Commander size pistol are Novak-style night sights and checkering of the front strap. The pattern looked a bit unusual and it took a ruler and fingers and toes to determine it is cut at 16 lpi. Of course your hand can’t tell the difference.

Shooting both pistols has been entirely uneventful. They went bang only when directed, functioned without complaint and produced groups some custom guns would find enviable. The accuracy was entirely predictable because of the nice fitting of the slide and barrel components and this illustrates something involving both these pistols and the entire generation of new 1911s as well. Back when I first started shooting them you would be lucky to get 5″ to 6″ groups from a new gun and they simply had to be accurized for any kind of serious target shooting. Some needed considerable help just to function at all.

Once a stepchild among the more popular gun stages, Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP) fell just one contestant short of CDP. Eighty shooters chose ESP, which encompasses single-action semiautomatics in 9mm through .40 S & W.

An example of an “enhanced” firearm is a Glock that has been modified with a Robar-type grip. Ditto all variations of the increasingly popular Springfield Armory XD pistol, since ATF has ruled the XD to be a single-action, semiauto pistol. Originally geared around the Browning Hi-Power, ESP is now ruled by single-action 1911 pistols, chambered for 9mm Parabellum or .38 Super. Those who prefer .38 Super generally choose ammo loaded down to 9mm power factor.

IPSC ace Taran Butler took the ESP champion plaque this year. If one of your customers wants to do the same in ‘07, he’ll be off to a good start with a target-grade CZ 75, S & W Performance Center 9mm single-action like the Model 952, or a match-grade 9mm 1911 from Para, Springfield Armory, STI, etc.

For most of IDPA’s history, there was only one class for “wheelguns,” the Stock Service Revolver (SSR). Almost from the beginning, this category was dominated by the Smith & Wesson Model 625. The gun’s .45 ACP ammo can be loaded into the 625 with full moon clips faster than any conventional rimmed revolver cartridge can be loaded using even the most modern and efficient speedloaders. A couple of years ago, these guns were placed into their own category: Enhanced Service Revolver (ESR). This year, nine contestants entered ESR.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Revolver great Jerry Miculek is the once and future king of this corner of IDPA. His choice is that of almost all the ESR winners: the S & W 4″ Model 625 in .45 ACP.

Obviously, if you have a customer who wants to shoot the ESR category, sell him a 4″ 625. It’s also a fun gun for anyone who likes the caliber, and a “garbage disposal” for .45 ACP reloads that are too light to work in the customer’s autoloader. Good home defense revolver, too.

Have you noticed everybody and his brother makes a 1911 pistol? To the uninitiated it is imponderable and even a cause for wonder among we who do this for a living. Some readers gripe about the amount of coverage we give the 1911, but the reason is simple: they sell. I’ve been doing this a long time and have chronicled the 1911’s history through two World Wars, a police action, countless skirmishes and the Great Southeast Asia war games.

I learned how to work on it, won me some stuff with it and it is largely responsible for me having this job. My fondness knows no bounds, but very few current buyers know–let alone care–about any of that because they buy the gun for its current utility, reliability and ability to do the job asked of it. Whether it’s seeking the elusive soda can or putting an exclamation point on a dirtbag’s last words it can do either job equally well.

The marketplace has undergone several shifts, first when Springfield Armory began to offer Colt some competition. Today, the folks who made the whole thing possible are probably the smallest player, and upstart Kimber continues to grow. When S&W entered the 1911 playground everyone wondered why and what would happen. The “why” is easy. They correctly judged there was room for them in the market and the long-term effect seems to have been positive. We’ve also seen the market divide into several distinct segments: plain-Jane GI. middle-of-the-road factory, high-end factory, custom and high-end custom. All are identifiable by various features and accessories, but each category now has an established place and price range.
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Nobody knows precisely what the long-term effect on market share will be for the various players, but different 1911 s keep showing up on my doorstep and all are welcome. Which brings me to the latest arrivals: A pair of stainless steel pistols from Dan Wesson. These guns fall into the category of guns with the desirable bells and whistles, but no fancy extras. The first of them is the Pointman 7, which is a basic full-size pistol with adjustable sights.

In a way, the Pointman 7 is remarkably plain, which may just hide some of the neat stuff. The slide has only the smallest of markings on the left with the “DW” logo and PM7. It has forward grasping grooves, which seem to be a real polarizing factor these days. People love or hate them with little middle ground. The top of the slide is matte and the sides are nicely polished. In fact, the finishing on both frame and slide is really excellent. The amenities are nice, too. There’s a beavertail grip safety with a “memory groove” hump, flat, checkered, stainless steel mainspring housing, modestly extended magazine release and a single-side extended thumb safety.

The frame bears only the markings “Dan Wesson Firearms Norwich, NY U.S.A.” and the serial number. The markings are electro-etched and much nicer looking than today’s more common pin stampings. It is impossible to tell who really makes what these days, but several informed sources report the frame is imported in a partially complete condition with no slide rail cuts (therefore it is not a firearm) and all further machining and fitting completed at the Wesson shop. And they do a really bang-up job with those rails too. The slide-to-frame fit is comparable to what you would expect on an expensive custom pistol. There is no play at all–either horizontal or vertical.

In fact all the typical fitting points are very well done. The headspace extension of the barrel shows only a tiny sliver of daylight in the slide, the bushing is snug–not too tight–but it clearly marks the barrel as it should. Only the bottom barrel lugs lack the contact with the slide stop identifying a well-fitted barrel and those don’t miss by much, for when the barrel is locked in battery you can’t move it.

The other pistol is a Commander size with all the same compliments given the full-size pistol with extra credit for having the Ed Brown Bobtail treatment of the frame. For those who haven’t felt this modification, I think it is one of the best things done to the 1911 since people learned how to fit barrels and do trigger jobs. It is especially effective for a concealed pistol because it eliminates the sharp corners of the butt known often to print when concealed. It think it also is very comfortable to shoot and might be attractive for someone with smaller hands who still likes the 1911.

Two valuable additions to the Commander size pistol are Novak-style night sights and checkering of the front strap. The pattern looked a bit unusual and it took a ruler and fingers and toes to determine it is cut at 16 lpi. Of course your hand can’t tell the difference.

Shooting both pistols has been entirely uneventful. They went bang only when directed, functioned without complaint and produced groups some custom guns would find enviable. The accuracy was entirely predictable because of the nice fitting of the slide and barrel components and this illustrates something involving both these pistols and the entire generation of new 1911s as well. Back when I first started shooting them you would be lucky to get 5″ to 6″ groups from a new gun and they simply had to be accurized for any kind of serious target shooting. Some needed considerable help just to function at all.

Once a stepchild among the more popular gun stages, Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP) fell just one contestant short of CDP. Eighty shooters chose ESP, which encompasses single-action semiautomatics in 9mm through .40 S & W.

An example of an “enhanced” firearm is a Glock that has been modified with a Robar-type grip. Ditto all variations of the increasingly popular Springfield Armory XD pistol, since ATF has ruled the XD to be a single-action, semiauto pistol. Originally geared around the Browning Hi-Power, ESP is now ruled by single-action 1911 pistols, chambered for 9mm Parabellum or .38 Super. Those who prefer .38 Super generally choose ammo loaded down to 9mm power factor.

IPSC ace Taran Butler took the ESP champion plaque this year. If one of your customers wants to do the same in ‘07, he’ll be off to a good start with a target-grade CZ 75, S & W Performance Center 9mm single-action like the Model 952, or a match-grade 9mm 1911 from Para, Springfield Armory, STI, etc.

For most of IDPA’s history, there was only one class for “wheelguns,” the Stock Service Revolver (SSR). Almost from the beginning, this category was dominated by the Smith & Wesson Model 625. The gun’s .45 ACP ammo can be loaded into the 625 with full moon clips faster than any conventional rimmed revolver cartridge can be loaded using even the most modern and efficient speedloaders. A couple of years ago, these guns were placed into their own category: Enhanced Service Revolver (ESR). This year, nine contestants entered ESR.
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Revolver great Jerry Miculek is the once and future king of this corner of IDPA. His choice is that of almost all the ESR winners: the S & W 4″ Model 625 in .45 ACP.

Obviously, if you have a customer who wants to shoot the ESR category, sell him a 4″ 625. It’s also a fun gun for anyone who likes the caliber, and a “garbage disposal” for .45 ACP reloads that are too light to work in the customer’s autoloader. Good home defense revolver, too.