Mossy Creek Custom

What is the best Glock?  To answer that question requires a followup question; how are you going to use your Glock?  I will answer this question in several applications, and then I will give the overall answer.

Law Enforcement
The most widely used Glock in Law Enforcement communities is the Glock 22.  This full sized 40 S&W is a great gun that bridges the gap between the high capacity 9mm’s and the old single stack 45’s.   The 22 allows you to have a high capacity gun that still puts out some serious energy.  The only downside is the increased recoil.

Competition
For competition shooters in IDPA many of the best shooters are using the Glock 34 9mm.  It comes with adjustable sights and a lighter trigger pull than standard Glocks.  The longer sight radius makes shooting easier, and felt recoil is almost none.

CCW
The person looking for the perfect Glock for CCW or for all around use should look no farther than the 19 9mm.  This gun gives you a high capacity gun that will still easily conceal.  That makes it perfect.  Unlike the subcompacts you can get a full grip on the gun and the sight radius is just long enough to make all the shots that you need.

Obviously there are a lot of models that weren’t mentioned, and that is the nice thing because there is truly a Glock available to suit your specific needs.  Having shot or owned almost all Glock models available, I can truly recommend them.  Remember, only buy a gun you can shoot fast and accurately.  That will determine the caliber, length etc.

I just finished a very interesting read on the Private Security Companies that are operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries around the world.  Licensed to Kill takes a very objective look at companies like Blackwater who provide security to diplomats and companies operating in dangerous theaters.

I think after reading this book you will see the reality of a contractor’s life, the desire to serve their country and the unbelievable amounts of money that are at stake.  I appreciate Pelton’s objectivity in the book.  If you have ever wanted to go along on a contractor’s ride, this book will give you that inside look.

Here’s a link to Amazon.

The 1911 disconnector serves a very important role in the firing cycle of your 1911 trigger system, namely not allowing the gun to go full auto.  You will often see posts that will recommend modifying the disconnector in a trigger job. While there are certain things that an experienced gunsmith may do the disconnector, if you are home-hobby guy stay away.  Let me give you an example.

Several years ago I took in a 1911 from a bullseye shooter who wanted to slim down his collection.  This Colt 1911 NM was unbelievable.  What he didn’t tell me was that he was also responsible for the “trigger job” that was done to the gun.  I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the gun because I was running short on time.  I put it in the safe and left it there not really thinking about it again.  One day a customer came by to pick up a gun and saw the NM.  He immediately had to have it.  Once again, I didn’t think anymore about it  until he called to say he had a full auto pistol.

What happened?  First, I should have test fired the weapon before selling it.  Bad mistake, won’t ever happen again.  Second, I replaced the disconnector and the problem immediately went away.  Upon further investigation it was clear the first owner had altered the disconnector beyond serviceable tolerances.

Luckily this story had a happy ending because the customer was a good friend.  The disconnector was less than $20, and the problem was solved. However, it could have been a lawsuit or worse.  Make sure you leave this link in the system alone unless you have been specifically trained about its form and function.  It simply isn’t worth it.

We are getting ready for hunting season again in Nashville.  Many of you are excited about the opportunity to have some quiet time in the woods.  Before you go out, make sure you have properly serviced your gun and gear.

Now is a great time to get your gun to your local smith for a little TLC.  Scopes should be mounted now so you have plenty of time to zero them yourself.  It is also a great time to get that accessory added that you have been putting off.  We have been doing cleanings, recoil pad installs and setting up scopes.

Check your equipment.  Not a bad idea to take your tree stand out to the back yard for a practice run.  Make sure all your webbing and cables made it through storage without any damage.  It’s also a good idea to get your gear properly washed and dried outside.

Spend a few minutes getting ready, and you will eliminate the chance that the big one will get away.

I have the opportunity to serve this week in the judicial system as a juror. It is a fascinating experience! I will be out of pocket for the rest of the week, but I will answer email as I have opportunity. Have a great week.

It’s always interesting to see what is going on over the last 30 days.  Here is what most of  you are interested in:

1. The Taurus Judge.  What an unbelievable following this gun has attracted in such a small amount of time.
2. XS sights for the Ruger SP101.  Many of you saw our SP Package and have inquired about having your gun converted.
3. Glock trigger jobs, MCC extensions, Mag extensions.  Is there anyone left that doesn’t have a Glock?  It seems like everyone has one and they all want them modified.

Some of this is surprising.  Certainly Taurus was not the only company to ever offer a revolver chambered fro the .410, but they sure are a hot topic out on the web.  I have sent enough 45 Long Colt down range to be a big fan of the cartridge, but truthfully I never thought the Judge would be this popular.

I must confess that I never knew there was such a following for the SP101.  Perhaps it’s not really a wide following, but we seem to be in the small group of gunsmiths that are actually working on them.  The addition of the XS sights just makes that gun’s cool factor climb even higher than it already was a factory gun.

The Glock accessory that is the most popular right now is the MCC extended mag release.  We have several requests every week for this modification.  Interesting how the smallest things can make your shooting better.

It will be interesting to see what the next 30 days hold.  I expect to see an increase in the used market as people get ready for hunting season and Christmas.  There are going to be a lot of people who have decided they don’t really need the gun they bought last November.  If you stay ready you might get a good deal.  If you are wanting to sell, check out our Wanted page and trade us something for work.

Many times people ask me to compare MCC to other custom gunsmiths that are doing similar work.  They want to know what the differences are which is a hard question to answer because we don’t measure our success in competition with other shops.  So here is my best answer.

What makes MCC stand out from other shops is the commitment to a relationship with you.  Most of business comes from referral or repeat customers because of the relationship that we have with you.  Sure, we offer quick turnaround time on all our standard packages, but its the ability to get to know you as a shooter and person that makes us better able to serve you.  Yes, we feel like our prices are fair for the work we do, but what does that matter if you end up just being a number for someone.

We are not worried about setting the world on fire.  We will leave that to other shops.  Our goal is to get to know you so that we can serve you.  That’s why we always have time for your emails, comments on the blog, or phone calls.  We want to know you and be known by you.  I guess its simply our belief that at the end of the day “You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”

For us its that simple.  We don’t compare ourselves to other shops.

I mentioned the other day that I was having a little difficulty because of a mistake I had made in modifying the gas port on a Remington 1100.  I had to replace the customer’s barrel with a factory new 21″ barrel that came with two choke tubes, a wrench and rifle sights.

Yesterday I took it to the range for function testing and evaluation.  It was a great expereince.  It gobbled up every bit of ammo I threw in it and forcefully ejected the empites into a nice clean pile.

The rifle sights made a huge difference in long range shooting.  For me they make the sight picture clearer on all shots.  There is a lot of debate out there about which sights make you faster.  If memory serves me correctly, D.R. Middlebrooks has said that the bead is faster on everything in the testing that he has done.  He is certainly a reliable source, and one that I trust.  If you are going to be shooting stages with lots of steel where you will be using slugs, this could be the setup for you.  Likewise, it would be a great home defense setup.

Either way it made the gun handle great.  For $100 more you can add this to your SM-1 package saving you almost $100 off of the average sales cost.

I guess there is a first time for everything.  Last week, I was performing one of our SM-1 conversions when I accidentally used the wrong drill bit to open up a gas port making the gun not only kick like a mule, but unsafe to use.  You can imagine my despair.  Not only had I wrecked a barrel, but I had to call a very nice customer and explain the error of my ways.  Luckily, he was completely understanding, and I offered to replace his barrel with a factory new barrel from Remington.

This barrel was a surprise and a pretty cool upgrade so I think it is going to work out for both of us in the long run.  The barrel comes with many features that are not available on a standard SM-1.

The first are the rifle sights.  They are mounted to the barrel and give an unbelievable sight picture.  The second is that it is threaded for choke tubes.  The third feature is that it comes with Improved Cylinder and Rifled choke tubes and a choke tube wrench.  The barrel itself is 21 inches which makes it a very manageable self-defense or woods gun.

The barrel sells for almost $200, but I’m thinking I might could work this into an SM-1 package that will sell for $100 more.  The advantage to you is that you can keep your standard barrel for hunting or shooting clays, and the advantage for me is that it takes away any possibility that I will grab the wrong drill bit.

I’m going to the range tomorrow so I’ll give a report on how it performs.