Which revolver/pistol?

[cp1969]

I didn't even know Charles Daly made handguns. I thought they were a high-end shotgun; didn't know they made inexpensive ones.

In my opinion, the Baer's are at least equal, if not superior to the Kimbers and Paras.

 

[Hawkflyer]

The TZ has another advantage that fixes some of the problems mentioned here. The slide rides on rails inside the frame, unlike the "Classic" 1911 design. This allows the slide to be mounted lower (reduces apparent recoil and muzzle climb) and the slide is narrower, reducing target coverage at longer ranges. Also because of this design, the slide is supported for its full length. If you look at a 1911 designed pistol, the rails are not full length. As others have pointed out, the .45 in its semi auto configuration is designed for close range use. You can shoot it further than 50 yards, but the trajectory is a bit "rainbow-like", and as such you do have to compensate. Most factory sights are regulated to 50 yards, and as others have mentioned are usually not the best you can get. Also note some front sights are pined in place and some are milled into the slide. The pinned variety are more easily changed, the milled are more certain to stay in place.Most people cannot shoot pistols "off hand" beyond 50 yards well enough to match the inherent accuracy of the pistol. Put it on a rest and practice a bit and you can routinely hit 3" targets at 100 yards with most factory weapons.

 

[Hawkflyer]

While rattlers are not a problem here in the mid-Atlantic, copperheads are. I feel the same way about killing them, they DO serve a purpose. If you got copperheads, you got mice. They only go where there is food. Problem is they REALLY do not like to get stepped on, or "sniffed" by the family dog (2 bites so far, to 2 different dogs). So we dispatch the ones around the house. Those that choose to live on the rest of the property get left alone. Now as to method, I would use a garden hoe but I never seem to have the dang thing with me when I need it. Besides mine won't fit in a holster. So I have found that a S&W 629 with a 3 inch barrel, loaded with snake shot produces the desired result. Out to about 10 feet (beyond that the snake is of little threat) it will cut the snake into more than 2 parts, AND throw it 2 or three feet away from the shooter. The snake never knows what hit it (i.e. there is little if any suffering).I have tested every caliber of snake shot you can buy or load. The .38 is the smallest I can recommend for actual snakes, and it usually takes 2 shots. The .22 is good for plinking butterflies and moths, or if you can shoot a lot of it very fast it might get bigger things. The .45 works well in revolvers, it will produce a really great pattern if you can get it to reliably feed in an auto. In that regard the CCI shot capsule has it all over Remington and others that use crimped brass to contain the shot.Test your shot on a potato at 10 feet, and you will have a good idea how it will work when you need it.

 

[jimmoore]

Here is my carry, colt detective special. 38 special with silvertip hollowpoints.

 

[chim]

Gotta love those Colts. Looks like yours is nickeled. One of mine was done in electroless nickel at the factory (still have the original Custom Shop box it came in back in the early '80's). The other is blued and was bought cheap because the cylinder has some discoloration. I stopped at the gunshop this afternoon on the way home, and they have one in electroless nickel that looks like new for $349. It's the only other one I have seen with that finish since I got mine around 20 years ago. I can't recall seeing any in the same finish as yours before. Most of the shops around have never stocked much in the Colt line except for AR's. The most common snubbies they have carried were stainless Rugers and some S&W. Most recently the Taurus, including Titaniums seem to be pretty common. I shot a bud's Taurus Titanium .357 with the porting and it was remarkably controllable............chim

 

[RanchMan]

The Charles Daly field grade 1911's I've seen are made in the Philippines. Although the finish is very good out-of-the-box, it is what I call "functional." - not bad, just not "fantastic" either.

Yes, it has some things on it that are nice, but it is not "glassy" as some others are. Of course, like most guns, this can be addressed.

If you are looking for a inexpensive 1911 shooter or something as a base to build on, I think it makes a great gun for the price. If you want a "race gun" out-of-the-box, well, the CD 1911 isn't for you then. (again, talking about the "field grade" - I have no experience with their other grades of pistols)

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.charlesdaly.com/HTML/products/firearms/pistols/pistols.asp>Charles Daly Pistols</A>

 

[Ozarker]

There is a long history of 1911 and Colt revolver copies being made in the Philippines. There were a large number of people making these in grass huts using nothing but hand tools during WW11 so they could arm themselves against the Japanese.

 

[TresCrows]

I reload also and have put many reloads through the Glock chambered for 40S&W from mild to wild. I generally do not reuse brass more than a few times. I have never had a case bulge but sometimes, often the Glock buggers up the case mouth. This works out OK when reloading but still limits case life. Not a reloading expert but I have put many rounds of 40S&W downrange. It is a potent cartridge.
For Grizz I would like Ruger to chamber a single action wheel gun for a 50 caliber, that would be my carry gun for those puposes (Grizz country), the Glock does fine for packing when I lived in mountain lion country and the 22 cal single six or Mark2 for small game and plinking. Not even a Loiusiana cotton mouth needs a 50 cal to stop it.
When I was home recent I learn that the tail of a nutria brings four bucks bounty. Many a nutria I have popped with 22's. J

 

[knucklehead]

Hawk, Ozarker, Ranchman (& everyone else) - thanks for the info. I'm a lever gun and revolver person, and have little experience with the "auto" world other than .22's - only book learning, for what it's worth. The CD is a Phillipine gun, and seems to have an aluminum frame - either that or a brushed stainless finish, which I doubt. I had forgotten about the CZ, products. Doesn't SIG also run the slide inside the frame rails? They have a good reputation (again, book learnin') for accuracy.

And thanks for cluing me in on another thing: what are we going to use this for? Well, to be honest, plinking at less than 50 yards, and concealed carry. So it seems, from all the things you've been saying, that we should bypass the race guns for now. The local dealer thinks the Springfields are a good choice (& he doesn't stock them, so I trust that opinion a little more) - Hawk, are you talking about competition when saying they are "a little rough" out of the box? I have to study the Charles Daly a little more, if only because of its price. I guess we need to choose something that is upgradeable, or go as high as the threshold of $pain$ allows for good features.

That brings up another subject - which upgrades give the most bang for the buck? Most opinions and experiences I have had lean toward trigger work. I've been boggled by the vast array of parts available for the .45 - maybe this is too early, since we don't actually have one in hand, but what sorts of things does everyone find valuable? I have to admit, that Glock 21 at under $600 is looking better all the time, if I lean toward just buying and shooting. And I have to go check out the TZ's, now.

This is as bad as buying a tractor - and twice the fun!

 

[Bird]

When I took the FBI pistol course at Quantico in '86, it was still primarily a revolver course, but a couple of day were devoted to the automatic. I told the instructor that I liked target shooting with an automatic, but that it would be a waste of their ammo since I would never carry one in any situation in which my life might depend on it; too unreliable, subject to jamming, accidental discharges, etc. He said, "You never know, you might have to some day," (many police departments were changing to the automatics 'cause they hold more bullets) but I assured him that I would resign and get out of law enforcement before I'd carry one of them. So he assured me that the new generation of autos were much more reliable, almost never jam, etc. So with him standing there, the second round jammed!/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Lots of officers prefer the automatic for one or both of two reasons; it's flat, less bulge if you're carrying concealed, or (most common reason) more bullets. I don't happen to believe in the "spray and pray" method of shooting; still believe 6 in a gun I can depend on is better than 14 in one that might work.