I like Colt Semi-auto handguns, a lot. During the mid 70’s I purchased a Colt Gold Cup, Combat Commander, two Government Models, one blue and one nickel and a .22 conversion unit which I eventually mounted on a dedicated frame.

One day my wife asked me; “Why do you have so many guns that are the same and what’s the big deal with the guns anyway?”

I proceeded to explain to her the difference between the five guns (I couldn’t really explain why I had two identical High Standard Sentinel revolvers). It’s not that she objected to the guns, she just didn’t understand the fascination I had for the different guns I owned.

As to “What’s the big deal” I invited her to go with me the next time I went shooting.

When we arrived at my favorite shooting location we set up on a table that someone had constructed out in the middle of nowhere. This table was an old door that had been attached to four-4x4’s that had been put in the ground. Someone had actually gone to the trouble of digging post holes and placing the 4x4’s in the holes and nailed the door to it. It was nice until some nimrod decided to shoot the door to pieces.

I started her off with a .22 High Standard Supermatic Trophy. I showed her how to load the magazine, safety on and off, mag release, and instructed her in the safety rules, you know, the basic stuff: don’t shoot me, don’t shoot yourself. I shot a couple of cans of cheap beer, a ten pound block of ice and a watermelon so she could get an idea what a bullet, even a small one would do to an object.

As a side note, it was rather impressive to see what a .44 magnum round will do to a block of ice. You get shaved ice.

She shot the .22 for a while and then asked what was next. She proceeded to shoot the Colt Detective Special, the S&W M-66 with .38’s and .357’s, the Government Model and the Gold Cup. Up to that point she decided that she rather liked the Colts. “So, what’s next?” she asked.

Now, keep in mind that my wife weighed at most 105 lbs., so I was concerned about letting her shoot the .44’s but she wanted to try them. I loaded the Super Blackhawk with .44 specials before moving up to the magnums and the M-29 and the Automag. I fired a few rounds so she would see what kind of recoil to expect and I told her to hold on to the gun and don’t drop it.

After shooting a few rounds from one gun she would ask: OK, what’s next?”

My wife seemed to be gratified that she was able to hit the targets. She listened to my instruction and attempted to put everything I had told her into her shooting.

One type of target I set up were a series of balloons. We found that these reactionary targets were fun to shoot. Balloons are an especially good target for beginners as the balloons instantly disappear when hit. It tends to reinforce the novice shooters confidence.

After we had shot several hundred rounds and were finished for the day she stated that she enjoyed the Colts but liked the Automag the most. It was a big, two-handed gun but the recoil was manageable.

During the drive home she looked at me and said: “OK, I get it.”

I never had to go shooting alone after that.

When I worked for the police department my partner and I would go to the range at least twice per month, although we weren’t required to qualify with our firearms but twice per year. We enjoyed shooting but our main concern was maintaining our shooting skills. Besides, we could shoot as much as we desired as the department provided all the ammo, at least for department approved service weapons. Further, we attended every training class that was scheduled by our department.

During this time my department scheduled training classes presented by the FBI. These guys were pretty cool. For one class they brought out a full-auto Colt Carbine and an HK MP5SD. They even provided all the ammo.

I attended that FBI semi-auto and full-auto class; a firearms combat class; an officer survival class; and a night shooting class. During the night shooting class, at one point, all the lights were turned off, even the patrol unit lights that we had been using to light up the dark range. We shot with just the headlights on, then with the red & blues on before turning off all the lights.

I can’t say enough about maintaining one’s shooting skills. Many of the officers with my department balked about having to qualify on the range twice per year. I probably did some shooting every weekend. I still hit the range frequently thirty some years later.

I figure since I carry a concealed firearm every day every place I go (and I don’t go places my firearm is not allowed if I can help it) I must continually maintain my shooting skills, especially since I am getting older and my eyesight is a bit weaker, not to mention a somewhat slower response time.

I figure that if I end a person’s life with a firearm, I want to be able to justify my decision and ability so maintaining my skill with a firearm is crucial.

I do make every effort to avoid encounters that might result in a shooting however, I don’t have a problem using a firearm in defense of my life. But I am not looking forward to dealing with the aftermath.

As a side note, I don’t generally keep my targets, at least not for very long (I’ll explain why I have kept some for a short time at a later date). While you want to practice to maintain your skills let’s not leave lying around targets that have the X ring completely drilled. Also, we don’t want to have targets with excessive head shots around just waiting for someone to use against you after a shooting.

Now days many more people carry a concealed weapon and to those people I would say to them that as important as training is there is something more important to deal with and that is carrying a concealed firearm and the will to use it when the times arrives. It seams to me that one’s mindset and the desire to live should be a major consideration when deciding to carry concealed and one’s life is threatened.

In my opinion, (and remember that I am not an attorney) when confronted with a situation that is going to end with you shooting a bad guy in order to stay alive my best advice is to shoot. Shoot now and deal with the aftermath later. Don’t hesitate because you are concerned with being arrested and/or sued.

Make no mistake, you may be arrested and you probably will be sued. At least you are alive.

As my training officer told me, my main job is to go home alive at the end of my shift. Today I believe my first responsibility to myself is to go home alive every day. That should be your main responsibility to yourself and your family, too.

So, get your mind right about shooting and probably killing a person long before the need to shoot arises and don’t stop training.

Nevada Castle Law

Assemblyman Harry Mortenson (D) has introduced BDR 15-255, which, if passed, will provide Nevadans with the legal protection against criminal and civil liability after a legal shooting.

Please contact the assemblyman at: hmortenson@asm.state.nv.us to express your support of this bill.

Nevada CCW Laws

In the state of Nevada, when one applies for a CCW one must demonstrate proficiency with the firearm one intends to carry. Until the last legislative session (2007) a person had to do this for every firearm he intended to carry. Currently, this only applies to semi-automatic firearms.

For example, if you want to carry your Colt Anaconda and/or S&W M-29, you need only demonstrate your proficiency with one of those guns. On your CCW there will be have a notation that you are “Revolver Authorized” indicating that you can either gun and your Colt Python and S&W M-686.

But, if you want to be able to carry you Colt Gold Cup and your Colt Government Model and your Kimber you must demonstrate proficiency with all three by shooting all three on the range.

As we all know, these three handguns are essentially the same. It doesn’t make sense to have to shoot all three guns.

Further, this bill will eliminate the caliber restriction as well. If this bill passes I will be able to carry either my Colt Combat Commander .45acp or my Colt Combat Commander .38 super without the need to qualify with both. This would also allow me to carry my 10mm Colt Delta Gold Cup or my Walther P-22.

If you live in Nevada I urge you to email Assemblyman James Settelmeyer (jsettelmeyer@asm.state.nv.us) and express your support for this bill.

The text of these bills is not yet available on the Nevada Legislature web site (http://www.leg.state.nv.us/). When it is available I urge all Nevadans to visit the web sight and express your opinion and support of both of these bills at:

(https://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/opinions/Poll/?CFID=1996972&CFTOKEN=44034316)

Next, if we can get a Vermont/Alaska style concealed carry law and eliminate the Clark County handgun registration law we would be in pretty good shape. Although, helping Harry Reid find another job would be a good thing, too.

In the mid 1970’s I acquired a Colt .22 conversion unit that I placed on one of my Series 70 Colt Government Model pistols because it is cheaper to shoot 22’s than 45’s.

I soon found that I wanted a dedicated 22 and keep my Government Model the 45 that it was.

I checked with my local gun store (no longer in existence, originally called THRESHERS SPORTING GOODS, later becoming C&H Sports Supply) about purchasing a Colt frame for the conversion unit. I was informed that I couldn’t get a Colt frame but they could order a frame from another company.

That frame was made by another defunct company called VEGA. The Vega frame was stainless steel, one of the first stainless 1911 frames available. I then proceeded to purchase all the small parts to build a .22 caliber 1911.

At the time there weren’t many, if any, stainless 1911 parts being made so I had to be satisfied with a stainless frame with a blue slide and small parts.

I have never liked two-tone guns but what could one do? Eventually, I sold the conversion unit (wish I hadn’t) but I kept the Vega frame with all the smaller parts.

I held on to that Vega frame until 2000 when I decided to build a .45 auto. I obtained a blue Para-Ordinance slide and a mil spec barrel.

Still I didn’t like two-tone guns so I found a stainless Colt Government Model slide at a gun show. I traded the Para slide for it. The Colt slide was marked “Government Model” but it had a flat top and forward slanted cocking grooves with fixed sights. It looked too much like a Gold Cup to be a Government Model. I wanted a round top slide.

Around this time I found a Colt Gold Cup Elite, with a stainless frame and blue slide. I still don’t like two-tone guns so I put the stainless slide on the Colt frame. Now I had an all stainless .45 but I also now had a blue slide and I still had the Vega frame with no slide. Additionally, I had a Colt Gold Cup frame with a fixed sight Government Model slide on it.

So, back to online auctions. I found a complete stainless Gold Cup upper which I purchased. I paid more for this upper than I paid for a new Gold Cup back in the 70’s. I installed the flat top slide on the Vega frame and I finally had an all stainless .45; two in fact.

However, I now had a blue Colt Gold Cup slide. What to do? Well, of course you buy a carbon steel frame from Caspian. This I did but it didn’t look quite like a Gold Cup without the wide Gold Cup trigger. I took the whole kit and caboodle to Kings Gun Works in Glendale, California where they cut the frame for the wide trigger. They also did a nice trigger job. I added a set of cocobolo grips that I made myself. It is as good as any real Gold Cup.

More recently I acquired another stainless Gold Cup upper and two more Colt Government Model slides, one nickel and one blue.

Again, I ordered frames from Caspian and built two more nice Government Model guns.

I have built twelve 1911 style guns since the seventies and rebuilt the Vega gun several times.

As you can tell I am very fond of the 1911.

I also like P-08’s or Lugers. I haven’t had one since the mid 80’s and I thought I might like another. The problem was I didn’t want to pay for a valuable gun because I wanted a shooter.

Once more I resorted to that online auction site and acquired the parts to build a Luger. Actually, I bought enough parts to build one in 9mm and one in .30 Luger, just because.

I took all the parts to my gunsmith (Ray Lynn) for bluing. Now I have a couple of nice shooters and the time I spent building them kept me off the streets.

So, if you need a gunsmith in Las Vegas, see Ray Lynn. If you need quality gun parts for that do-it-yourself project, give Caspian and Kings a call.

You might also like to visit me at:

http://davemcphail.tripod.com/zenoknivesoflasvegas/id3.html

I really should open my own gunsmith shop but it will have to wait till I become wealthier than I am. Anyone have any investment capital?