Shopping

Went gun shopping yesterday after work. I shoulda gone to the range, but my next gun isn’t going to buy its ownself.

I don’t know, I don’t know…

It just ended up being a window shop lookie-loo

It’s ostensibly to get the S&W 640 snubby, but spring and summer is a long way off and pocket carry (caveat: where I CAN) isn’t an immediate concern. Maybe this is a 2 gun purchase year. I could something else NOW and in a month or so get the 640. It’ll still be bulky holster wear weather in a month, so, no super hurry.

But what to get?

Check the list. A S&W 617 would be nice for inexpensive plinking. Did I mention I got 2 more Ciener mags for my 1911 conversion kit, bringing the number up to 4? I go to the range with 2 guns, typically. I could have an all-.22 range session for cheap. Getting the 617 now would allow me to hunt for 640 that had no damned verklempt trigger lock

What else? I got a hair to get a second Colt Pocket Hammerless in .380. That would REPLACE the snubbie on the list and be my pocket carry gun. That’s the idea at least. No, the .380 caliber isn’t as good as +P .38 or .357, but it IS a pocket carry gun. Some guys carry a .25 caliber Beretta Jetfire. And do JUST fine with it.

[note, NOT a Colt Jetfire, but rather Beretta.]

Lots more folks carry a .380. Much better than a point-ted stick.

But why a second Pocket Hammerless? Just carry the one I got? Well, yeah… about that. The one I have is nice, and extra antique-ey, being made in the early 20’s, with the classic black fancy Colt grip panels. I’d rather carry one a bit more beat up, and maybe of 1940s vintage.

But why not one of the newer .380s? Not like there aren’t a crapload to choose from. Heck I wouldn’t care about the antique-ey value to one of them. Well yeah… about that. They all have a single flaw that makes them less than desirable to me. No place for a pinky finger. The Colt Pocket Hammerless is really the smallest gun that still allows my whole hand to hold it.

But don’t worry. There are argument AGAINST the Pocket Hammerless too. I don’t know if the safety is a dual safety, with a firing pin or hammer block as well as just stopping the trigger. I doubt it has this. Not that big a deal, there IS a grip safety on the pistol as well. And, naturally, the hammer is not exposed. It’s about as safe in my pocket as a Kel Tec, even though the Colt is a single-action. The problem is the safety is small, and on the wrong side of the gun. And so I carry it with one in the pipe? Seems I should.

I don’t have to worry about those things with a snubby. The only thing I worry about with them is the slow reload and the damned trigger lock on the frame. (I really hate the whole idea of that lock…)

Anyway, maybe I’ll do some more gun shopping today.

(and btw... BIG long conversation in Caleb's comments about my aversions to semi-auto .22s and why I have been looking at .22 revolvers. I've never known .22s semi-autos to be that reliable, but folks that know a smart piece more than me think my reluctance is all wet. That I should give semi's a second look. Ok, ok, I'll think more on it.)