Mossy Creek Custom

Several years ago I purchased Combat Handugnnery by Chuck Taylor.  It covered the basics of choosing a handgun, shooting, defensive tactics, and how to properly choose a CCW system.  A new updated edition of the book, written by Massad Ayoob is now available from Krause Publications.  Ayoob is the founder of Lethal Force Institute, and is widely respected in the firearms industry as solid teacher and expert witness.

The updated version of the book is a great read, and can be found in most major bookstores.  If you are new to handguns or considering expanding your knowledge on their use you should check out the book.  Ayoob covers everything from the basics to CCW and Open Carry.  You will definitely enjoy the read and be better becuase of it.

One of the great things that the ultralight revolver gives you is the ability to carry in a pocket.  This may be the most discreet way to carry off duty or CCW.  With the right holster you never print, and your weapon is relatively secure.

A few considerations about pocket carry;

Make sure you have a decent holster that will stay in the pocket when the gun is drawn.  Everybody makes one, but you need to try them out.

Think twice before you carry an automatic in the pocket.  Autos require a little more maintenance to be reliable.  Pocket lint is not your friend.  A revolver is not quite as susceptible to things that might be in your pocket.

Don’t heavily oil your gun unless you want to wear it on your clothes.  Another reason to think about the old wheel gun.

Revolvers still have a place in the modern world, and they can be very useful.  Above all, practice with your system to make sure it works, and that you are proficient with it.

They call him The Great One, TGO for short.  Here he is shooting a steel stage earlier this year.  Notice how he misses one on the plate rack and keeps it going to finish it off.  Many of us miss a plate and completely lose our rhythm.  He brings it back in to finish the run nicely.  I’m sure he was not happy with this run, but at the end of the day you have to keep going.

If you miss on the plate rack, give a hard sight focus until they start to fall again.  Don’t hurry up and miss.

I just got an email from a friend who is new to shooting handguns.  He had asked my advice for his first purchase, and I of course told him to get a Glock.  Only problem is I forgot he is left-handed.  He looked it over at the store, but ultimately decided on the Smith and Wesson M&P because of the ambidextrous controls.

He has been very satisfied with the pistol so far because it fits him which brings us to a great point.  Don’t conform yourself to any particular gun.  The gun needs fit you.  If you are buying from Smith, Glock or Springfield, you have nothing to worry about.  The quality is great, and the guns will simply run.  Don’t get caught up in the brand name.  We all have reasons why we like a particular gun, and at the end of the day that gives us confidence in our system.  Be confident in yours.

By the way, he is doing this right.  He has taken a CCW course and is getting some training.  I recommended that he shoot IDPA once in a while to gain the skills necessary to carry CCW.  Don’t just buy a gun and think you’ve got it all figured out.  Become proficient with it.

We haven’t updated the price list to include this area of work yet, but will asap.  If you are interested in getting a J-Frame trigger job or equivalent on your Taurus or Charter Arms, it is $100.

This includes the tuning of springs, polishing the plungers, polishing the trigger itself to a high polish, and cleaning the inside of the gun.  This also includes a test fire of 38 special.  Other calibers will be charged cost of ammo.

If you are interested in getting your gun ready for CCW or simply more comfortable to shoot, email us if you have any questions.

I spent all day Friday working on revolver trigger jobs.  I mentioned the S&W J-Frame last week.  On Friday the day was spent working on a Taurus Hammerless and a Charter Arms UC Lite.   While I have been familiar with Taurus for a long time, I have never owned a Charter, and this was my first time to do a trigger job for one.

While they are comparable in price (cheaper than a S&W), the similarities end there.  The Charter came to me with very rough factory pull.  It needed a lot of work on the inside, and parts are not readily available for modifications.  One weakness with the charter system is that it uses pins and screws in the frame instead of a traditional 3 screw configuration to hold the side plate on the revolver.  In fact one of these pins had started working out of the revolver when it arrived at the shop.

The Taurus is similar in design to the S&W J-Frame.  It has some slight differences, but overall they could be considered cousins.  The parts on the inside were in terrible shape, but you can definitely tell a difference in the manufacturing from a Smith.  It’s close, but not quite on par.

Either of these guns will prove acceptable.  The Taurus is most like a Smith and has that feel if you are looking for a cheaper version of the Smith.  It also comes with that notable lifetime warranty.  The Charter comes in several colors and is very lightweight.

If I had to rank my preference for a small revolver it would go like this; S&W, Taurus, and Charter.

I have been working on a S&W J-Frame for a customer recently and thought I might share some of the insights that you need to consider with trigger work on a J-Frame.  These guns are great for pockets, purses and backup carry situations.  The one gripe that we here is that the double action is hard to use, especially for women.

There are several things that can be done that will make the J-Frame more pleasant to shoot.  First, you can lighten the double action (DA) pull.  The DA pull can be reduced to a certain extent, and it can definitely be cleaned up.  One thing to consider if you are going to try this at home, DO NOT go too light or change the geometry of the trigger system.  You will end up with a gun that won’t fire.  You need a certain amount of pressure for the primer to ignite.

Second, do not change the Single Action pull.  These are generally great from the factory, and you shouldn’t monkey around with this part of the trigger system.

Third, you can have the trigger itself polished.  When we do a trigger job we always ask if they want the trigger polished.  The face can be made smoother making the it feel so much better to your finger, and it allows your finger to move on the trigger as you pull it rearward in DA firing.

What you shouldn’t expect is a 1911 style trigger pull from a trigger job.  It will be smoother, and a little lighter so it will definitely feel better.  However, every gun or system has its limitations.  This is one of them in the J-Frame series.  Your gunsmith has to strike a balance between comfort and function.

It has been a very wet week, and it got me thinking about the new Woolrich Breathable Parka.  You by now know how much we think of the Woolrich Elite Series of clothing.  They are well constructed, a great value, and are highly functional.

Recently we tested their parka.  I took this parka to Ukraine with me two weeks ago because our host told us we would probably need a good raincoat.  Not only did it serve to keep me dry, but it was a great outer layer when the weather turned cold.

The coat has all the tactical pockets you expect from Woolrich, but it also looks great.  My favorite feature is the hood that is contained in a velcro pouch so it’s not flopping around.  The hood can also be unzipped from the jacket if you want to take it off completely.

These are a great addition for your fall.  Not only will they provide you everything you need for CCW or duty needs, but they also look good enough to wear around town.  Check them out at Woolrich.

I recently had a customer bring in a Remington Model 58 to get it cleaned in preparation for a pheasant hunt in South Dakota.  The gun was his father’s so it carrys some sentimental value, but one thing it needed was a recoil pad.

He needed a pad for several reasons; 1. the length of pull 2. the gun kicks like a mule.

Length of pull is something that does more than just make the gun comfortable, it allows the shotgunner to mount the gun quickly without adjustment.  When you raise the gun you shouldn’t have to adjust your sight line if your length of pull is correct.

Obviously it makes sense that you don’t want to get hammered every time you pull the trigger so the pad helps there as well.  You will be able to shoot more rounds without developing a flinch.  Most guns now come with a pad, but many of the older ones don’t have them.  This is an inexpensive fix for your old gun.  You should be able to get the pad and have it installed for less than $100 in most shops.  We did his for around $65.

I just got back from Ukraine where I was on a mission/humanitarian trip.  This explains my absence from writing up to date information.  We had a great time, but as you can imagine, the Russian keyboard is not friendly to those of us who have never seen it before!

One of the interesting things I got to do was go to a sporting goods store that was a short walk from our hotel.  It was a chain store that I had seen in other parts of the city.  It was decorated very nicely with tons of trophies on the wall.  They sold all things sporting goods.  Most knives and apparel were about the same price that you would expect to pay in the us.

They had a small selection of pistols.  Most of them were off brands that looked used even though they were new.  Several autos, but mostly revolvers were available.

It was obvious that rifles and shotguns were the main attraction.  I even got to see my first Kreighoff rifle.  Probably the most expensive rifle I have ever seen.  The wood on the gun was unbelievable.  Perfect checkering and great color and contrast made it a perfect match to the gun.

It was neat to see the sporting goods of another country.  If you are interested, I read an article in an English language paper over there that advertised full auto excursions.  If you ever go, that would be a neat way to spend the day.