The Rabbi

I don't think it will make the slightest bit of difference as long as you are equally happy with them. People get so wrapped up with "is Gold Dot better than Silver Tip" or "will 125gr work better than 140gr." The greatest single determinant of effectiveness is shot placement. So once someone chooses hollow point it won't really matter which one he gets as long as he can shoot it effectively and it works well in the intended gun.

I don't care whether you like semi's or not. I own some and like them too. What I do object to is people making outlandish claims for the 1911, like it represents perfection or that every other gun is descended from it, or that it originated features found on all guns since. You like the 1911 and it works for you. Great. But don't make ignorant unfounded claims and then not expect to get called on them.

Smith 952. SIG P210. Both top of the line products and even with price tags over $1k still cheaper than most high end 1911s.

Crazy Lincoln might disagree with you. I have never stocked any .45gap firearms. If some come along at an irresistable price I will probably take them. Discounted enough they would make good purchases for the right people.

Hey. A lot of steel guitar players find me irresistable.....Wait 'til Spring when I bring out my Speedo.

The Smith Model 10 has been around in its various forms, mostly unchanged, since 1899. It is still current production at Smith and still used by police departments (OK, in Luxembourg). I wouldn't say that makes it perfection or that every gun since then is descended from it.

I would react to this but you've proven yourself incapable of defending your position. Not that it is defensible. I will readily concede that the 1911 remains an enduring favorite, even while it's been superceded in common usage among professionals who use a pistol every day. People like the gun and it works for them. That's all that matters.

There's nothing wrong with it. All of what you say is true. But that is far far different from saying it is the perfection of pistol design or that every modern pistol is descended from it, claims that have been made but not backed up on this very thread and elsewhere.

You'd be amazed how many 9mm ex-service pistols are out there. Many fewer .45s but occasionally. It is more of a handgun area. One issue with my customers is that they often have no place to shoot a long gun. With a handgun they can go some of the indoor ranges.

Have you visited a gun shop in the last, oh, 75 years? The free world does not use some variation of the 1911. Virtually every European country uses the Beretta, the Glock, the SIG, or the CZ for either military or police or both. Israel uses the Glock and SIG. From Wiki: Not one of the those pistols has a grip safety. Not one is single action. Not one is single stack and not one is a .45acp. But other than being completely different from the 1911 in construction, caliber, action, method of operation, and capacity, yes they are all derived from the 1911.:rolleyes: Longevity of service? The 1911 was dropped following WW2 by everyone who used it except the U.S. And they didnt purchase any new ones. People in the military in 1980 told me about using WW2 issue guns that were loose and clanking from wear. Yes, the pistol lives on in a very few areas like the FBI's HRT or some SWAT teams. It remains probably the most popular civilian design. But that hardly equates to "perfection".

That's why I turned down 3 of them.

Glockster, you hit on a good point. Part of what distinguishes the handgun market from the long gun market is the availability of cheap surplus LE handguns. I couldn't count how many of those I've sold. They're great value and fit right into my price range. But outside of one Mini 14 I've gotten I never see similar long guns. This is for obvious reasons. So the used .308s I've taken on trade have done fine. But unless someone is walking through the door wanting to trade these things are few and far between. And then there is weird stuff. I have turned down offers to sell 3 different pimped out SKS's in the last 10 days. I have no idea what the market for an SKS with tactical collapsible stock, scope, and bi pod is. People do strange things to their long guns.

I'm still waiting for some kind of evidence--anything--to back up this statement. Instead of demonstrating how "perfect" the 1911 is, you default to the M2 BMG and the Hi-Power. Next you'll be proclaiming the perfection of the Auto5.

All of that is excellent advice. Part of my issue is that I'm not a rifle guy. I go through a rifle phase every 18 months before deciding that my time (and money) would be better spent on hand-guns. I mean, heck, I carry one every day. Can't say that about a rifle.

But then I'd have to look at it and :eek:handle that stuff. Without gloves. The shop is also funny. Things that sell pretty well elsewhere don't move. I had a Kel Tec PLR16, the hottest gun on the market, for like 6 weeks with barely a nibble. I ended up selling it on GB for more than I had on the tag. On the other hand I do pretty well with used Smith & Wesson autos, 3953s, 4004s etc. Also used Glocks. Used SIGs dont sell as well. I don't know why. I am leaning to the "assault rifle", "sniper rifle" mode.

I think he meant "bottom feeder" only in terms of action, i.e. semi auto, not in terms of quality. Kahrs are nice guns although pretty pricey. My first carry gun was a K40.

It's funny. I don't really have a typical customer. I often see Lamont A. Thug and his bro's here. Not that they have money or could pass a background check if they did. But they do sometimes buy stuff. Then I get the heavy users, like some folks off this forum. These are people who support 1 gun a month on the theory that it mandates buying one a month. They tend to look for the unusual. It is a poorer part of town but of course real gun buyers will travel half the state just to check what you've got. In handguns the store business plan calls for guns between $200-500. That seems to have worked pretty well and when I try to get fancy and put in something more expensive (like the 386Sc carry package I advertised here) I tend to get disappointed (that one did sell, btw). So I don't know what the comparative market for long guns might be.

So I am back to having a number of spaces empty on the rifle rack. This has been a continuing problem with my shop, namely that I have yet to find a long gun category that will sell decently. I started with a couple of HD shotguns and C&R rifles. They didnt sell well. Someone pointed out that Academy of Sports sells Mavericks for like .99 cents out the door (I exaggerate). So cheap HD shotguns were not really the way to go. Someone else pointed out that anyone really interested in C&R stuff would just get the C&R license himself and order direct. So C&R rifles aren't a good market. I don't want to sell the usual Rem 700 stuff because anyone can go to Ass Pro Shop and pick up that sort of thing. You don't need me for that. I've done OK with the AKs and ARs--not great but OK enough to get more in. So what would anyone like to see in a long gun selection? Not stuff you want to play with in the shop (I already have one or two people who think this is a petting zoo) but stuff you might actually want to buy.

Ah, just can't escape the J-frame Smiths.... They're great guns but wont work for everyone. Downside is small grip and hard trigger. If it were me, I would save the $200 on the laser sights and spend it on ammo and range time instead. General rule: stuff (especially electrical/electronic) tends to fail when you need it most.

Hey, I love Germans. My kids all have German names. My father in law was German--Jewish, of course.

And all of them prior to WW2, when choice in sidearms was pretty limited. Proves nothing. As for the VW, I've owned a bug and a Karmann Ghia. Reliable as hammers, never a problem. Never owned a Corvette mainly because they are sold to ex-frat boy types who dont know much about cars, based almost solely on their reputation from years past when there wasnt much choice in that category. Kinda like 1911s.....

All of them are good carry guns. Some will work better than others for different people. I wouldn't recommend the Walther P22 right off the bat but if that's all someone can carry then it beats a sharp stick.

Reliable, cheap to operate, easy to fix, can carry the whole family (my father had several and went on trips with my mother, two older brothers, and me). Yep, the VW is definitely better than the Corvette. I forgot about the Argentines. Easy to do.

That pretty well accords with everything (and I mean everything) I have ever heard about his classes and with my own (mercifully) brief experience meeting him. I would add to the list Eddie Barnes' classes out in Brush Creek. I have sent numerous people there, all of them came back with great reviews. He also has the lowest price going. Only downside is the 45 minute drive to Brush Creek but well worth it, imo. And no, I don't teach this class. I thought about it but 18 months of giving out cards to people interested and seeing who was likely to come persuaded me I didnt want to be around them with guns.

A blinding flash of the obvious. Clearly I meant apart from the U.S.