Back in the saddle again, the reloading saddle

Speaking of older cartridges, I shoot an "antique" cartridge that nobody shoots anymore and it blows me away- the .40S&W. It was ragingly popular in the 1990s, and is the best choice for what is called major caliber scoring in competition, but unless I'm at a higher tier match, nobody shoots it anymore. Nobody buys them anymore. When the FBI did their big terminal ballistics study, the .40S&W was on par with the .357 magnum in terms of crush cavities and penetration. Both outperformed the devastating but shallow 45ACP. All the cops carried 40s. There has been a massive shift toward 9mm all around. Best I can say is people want capacity and low recoil. Recently, carry optics have exploded. Red dots are 60% of the USPSA and IDPA turnout. Optics are killer fast, and are made faster and more functional with low recoil, so 9mm is king of the hill. For concealed use, all the new toys are nines too. Smaller frame, more ammo. I always carried just the mag in the pistol, and all the kiddies these days are carrying a spare. I'm old because I don't give a hoot about staying in a gunfight, six is plenty if it comes down to it. So yeah, times are changing.
 
And I shoot its older big brother the 10mm. Seems like the 40 was spawned from the 10 in an attempt to get the 40 cal projectile to stay in the wall and not pass thru. It enjoyed an even shorter run with the FBI but I love it in my Delta. Speaking of .357 like performance, how about 357 Sig? Sits in the the safe as well. Finicky to load for with its short bottle neck but an OK round. They all have to pay homage to the Python tho. The .357 has seen them come and go but quite frankly Hutch didn’t care to point anything else when he was sliding over the hood of that Ford Tomato.
 
I have to admit that there is one 1911 that I really, really want in my safe, and that's the Colt Delta Elite. I worked in a gun shop in the early 1990s, and I spent plenty of time drooling on the glass counter over it. The fit and finish are impeccable, it's a pro shop gun, and 10mm is major power factor heaven.

I took a semester course through the police academy on firearms when the FBI research was gospel. I think the .357 Sig was an innovative cartridge based on those studies. I still find those necked cases on the bay ranges now and again when I'm policing up my .40. It's less common than 5.7mm, so that's something.

I keep everything locked up, but I have one accessible and loaded. I live in a rough neighborhood and have had numerous incidents in front of my house because of drugs and homelessness. I chose my Dad's favorite, the Ruger Security Six .357, which is a 1970's modern stainless revolver that was a bit less expensive than a Python. Dad kept this in his glove box when he had to be in LA for work during the riots. Revolvers are nice and safe in nervous hands, and you get to ask the perp if he feels lucky... punk.
 
pontiac428 said:
XDs were all the rage in the earliest years of the 2000s. A lot has happened in the industry since then, most notably Sig re-inventing itself and the Glock action patent expiring. There are literally hundreds of new designs out there. It's an interesting time in pistols, particularly carry pistols and compact designs. I don't think I've seen anyone shoot an XD in IDPA matches (where you would expect to due to the nature of the organization) for many years. I think they apexed with their exposed hammer XD-E, though putting exposed hammers on polymer guns is how you make a nice action feel spongy.
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I really like my XD, it does not have an external hammer and it is well balanced and comfortable in my hand. I am really not a pistol guy, I have 3 "modern" pistols and I have a 44 Walker and a 44 Navy colt reproduction which I enjoy shooting; but, my greatest enjoyment is the satisfaction of long range shooting and the satisfaction of connecting with the target at 500 to 1000 yards. I also have a number of old rifles which I load for due to special requirements such as the M1 Garand which is a 30-06 but you should not fire commercial loads through, among others.
 
My passion is rifles, but I live in an area where getting to a proper rifle range (not a 100 yd zeroing range) and doing organized competition involves navigating through or around a city of 4 million people. Luckily, pistol ranges require only as much space as a golfer's driving range, so they are plentiful. A rifle range takes up the space of 18 holes of golf, so they are spread a lot further apart. So I shoot what I can access, which is lots of practical pistol. When I lived in Reno, I had easy weekly access to a world-class 1000 yd Camp Perry style range and an active club, and it was all rifle all the time!
 
I haven’t hand loaded in a long time
I did thousands of 12ga , hundreds of .30-06 , 7mm Rem Mag, .357 Mag, .38 special.
Bought the rest when prices were reasonable.

I was in on a run of .270 Weatherby Mag for a couple friends who were going for elk
That was fun, but time consuming .
I liked the testing :grin:
 
Alright John, a little pistol porn just for you.
I don't normally open my kimono on the interweb, but here is those 3. The Delta is a first edition with a low serial, the Sig is the 229 Elite in Stainless, and the Python is a'70's vintage that has been reworked at Colts custom shop. I keep the snake a little oily because I don't want it to change color if you get my drift. Both Colts have their respective hardwood grips in the original boxes with the rest of the purchases. Pacy's installed for grits and shiggles.

I really enjoy shooting the 10 but for an unusual reason. When I am out practicing with it, someone will invariably ask what it is and when I say "10mm", they always try and correct me by saying "You mean 9mm right?" I've been told that I look pretty stupid.


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On a funny note, the snake is my sons favorite. He is 30 now but when he was 12, he picked it over the rest because it was specifically called out as a pickup weapon in his Grand Theft Auto video game.
pontiac428 said:
I have to admit that there is one 1911 that I really, really want in my safe, and that's the Colt Delta Elite.
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You sir have good taste. That P229 is a rare bird, nice choice. I've been feeling the all-metal drive lately, as I'm disillusioned with polymer. In terms of handling and feel, steel is real. There are surprisingly few all-metal guns that make the 42 oz IDPA cutoff. The Sig makes it, and was meant to be a plain clothes duty weapon so it still is concealable. I bet that one is selling used for more than you paid for it. All three of them. Colts don't lose value, and revolver prices have been through the roof for a decade. All nice choices.

I know what you mean about the kimono, I'm the same way. I have posted a few projects here, but I usually don't document the 'smithing because it's too much like advertising.
 
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