Saturday, July 16, 2022

Happy Ending

 

There are many like it, but this one is mine.














Once upon a time, early in the COVIDification of Operation Enduring Clusterf**k, Sumdood paid in full with cash money for a brand new pistol. A marvel of Swiss attention to ergonomics, firing a proper pistol cartridge, of which even Jeff Cooper would approve. Had it shipped to his local FFL. 

And then, probably, died. We'll never know, because no one ever showed up to claim it. Crazy, right? No wild idea who purchased it. Zip. Nada. Zilch. No e-mails. No phone calls. Maybe they went for a harbor tour with first mate Willie Gilligan and Capt. Jonas Grumby.

The truth is a mystery for the ages.

Two years and more later, long-suffering FFL decides to put it in the counter as unclaimed property. (Storage fees alone made that a done deal months and months prior, but the guy has a heart, and it's been a rough couple of years for everyone.) 

At any rate, we couldn't leave it at the pound all by itself, so it followed us home. Adding us to the tally of over 100M background checks processed since 1/1/2020.

Just because. Wasn't on our list. Not Wish, not Want, not Would Be Nice. Just "Was there - grab it!" But random factors (co-efficient of feels good, points right, great price, here now, wad of cash available for said purchase, etc.) aligned to alter its destiny, and conjoin it with our own.

BONUS: Local establishments - plural - once again have case-lot quantities of ammunition in popular calibers available for immediate purchase.

Faster than you could say "C-notes", some of that precious metal landed in the trunk next to the new pistola.

Now we get to try it out, and sooner, rather than later.

Come to think of it, there are a fair number of bits of ordnance on the "waiting for field testing" list of Things To Shoot laying around FOB Califrutopia, and now that a range trip means buying more ammunition rather than expending any of our painstakingly gathered precious hoard, we may be making the range a regular visit for a while. Which is great, because we haven't shot anything out in the great outdoors but an azimuth for some good stretch of time.

Probably after an earnest SAR mission to find all the other prodigal toys.

We sense a list in the offing.

BTW, SIG: $60 for spare mags? Srsly? Without a cuddle and kiss? Ouch. So maybe three mags, rather than the usual ten-plus. For now.

I think I see a Sure-Fire WML and a quality red dot on the slide, in its near future, followed by  taking the long-serving  .357 wheelgun to the safe, for a long and quiet retirement from Bump In The Night status. Nothing at all wrong with it, but "rear sight and target blurry" is something I can now do without even trying, whenever I wake up and open my eyes. I haven't measured, but my working theory is that my arms have gotten shorter since my 20s. 

Regardless: Did someone say Range Day?

Just kidding. There are way more than that. We need more trucks.

We salute you, Mr. COVID random MIA.
We're doing this because you cannot.




15 comments:

  1. looks to be a sig 220. you need to start looking for police turn in mags.
    pick up a bunch of them like 2 years ago. at 10-18 bucks each.
    replace the springs with new ones by wolf and they good to go.
    I picked up a turn in 220 10 years ago. had to refinish the slide and replaced all the springs. but it shot like new. just a lot of holster wear on the outside. the price was 350
    bucks with one spare mag. the old 7 round ones. I like those for carry use.
    the store had sig 226 in 9mm and 40 as well. but there a limit to spare cash back then.
    I happen to like the older west German ones better myself.
    also check out any parts you can find as well. seems like a lot of police deals include parts for the weapon as well.
    good place to start looking is recoil gunworks in Ohio and sometime cdnn sports has parts as well.
    I picked up a LOT of sig 716 parts at cdnn sports a few years ago.
    always liked having spare parts/mags for any weapon I own.
    just keep them in a box marked as such , sig 220 parts or whatever.
    enjoy it. just don't expect it to shoot like a match 1911. best I ever did with mine was
    grouping under 2-3 inches at 25 meters.

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  2. Congrats! Look at Mecgar mags for Sigs. Sig even sells in their webstore (but at higher prices than resellers). They're usually able to be found $30 range, and also usually available in stainless or blued or nickel or blued stainless VS sig's often but not always parkerized/phosphate mag finishes...

    Mecgar also has extra capacity mags available too that are extremely reliable and in some sig models like P228/P229 Mec-Gar's base/standard capacity design alone gives 15/+2 round capacity vs Sig's standard 13 with same flush fit... Mec-gar's extended models have +2 to +3 round base plates generally.

    If your new Sig doesn't have the SRT trigger in it, it's a relatively cheap and easy DIY upgrade that has no reliability or other downsides I'm aware of.

    Definitely get your spare parts kit direct from Sig or Top Gun Supply (too many MIM parts in Sigs these days to go w/o).

    And plan to put 500 rounds or so through the gun before you know it's true reliability. Manually cycling the slide a thousand times or so, some dry firing, and leaving the slide locked back for a couple days/nights all help to break in Sigs w/o the cost of ammo expenditure and shorten the live fire break-in time.

    Otherwise, all other upgrades, etc., are all user's preference. Enjoy!

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  3. Aesop,

    A Sig 220....niiiice.😎

    9mm or .45acp?

    If .45acp, here's factory OEM 8rd for $26: https://www.buymymags.com/sig-sauer-p220-45-acp-8-round-magazine-oem/

    Another place for $45: https://gunmagwarehouse.com/sig-sauer-p220-45-acp-8-round-magazine.html

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  4. Well done, sir. I can relate. Back around 2008 while I still had my FFL ( in Chico, CA) a customer of mine found a 220 factory re-man (red Tupperware) and had me do the transfer. It was an older model without the WML rail. He was in again a month or so later and I asked him how he like his 220. Not so much he said because it "shoots low". Also said he was thinking of selling it. Despite my efforts to point out that sights and sight tools were available, he was adamant (and I'm not convinced that was the real reason). "OK, how much do you want for it?" says I. "What I paid for it, plus I'll throw in the three Novak mags I bought for it". Well slap me with my wallet.

    Still have it. Never had to touch the sights. I can knock 2lb. sized (well, used to be 2lbs.) coffee containers off a fence post at 50 yards, shooting CCI Blazer aluminum 220 gr. ball.

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  5. Thoroughly enjoyed this little vignette, well done sir.

    Similar thoughts here with my new purchase, LE trade in G22 and a new barrel, buuuuut its already 97 outside and headed for 99.

    Maybe tomorrow.

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  6. Congrats on your 220 and your good judgement. I confess to being a fan-boy, but still, you're going to love that shooter

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  7. To ALCON,

    FTR, the late revered Col. Cooper referred to Europistols in 9mm as "crunchentickers" mainly due to the godawful DA trigger creep on almost every one, and his perception of its weaker performance vs. .45. While I have no such qualms about the 9mm round, and own quite a number of same, this 220 is chambered in .45 American Communist Puncturer.

    And my sincere thanks for the tips re: parts and spare mags.

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  8. My favourite semiauto used to be an STI 1911, until I tried a SIG P226. Now my SIG goes to the range every week, and Iboull out the 1911 occasionally. They are superb firearms, and the ergonomics and trigger just work much better for me than the 1911.

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  9. The pic embiggens.
    It's a 220.

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  10. Thank you I missed place my glasses again. This time they where not on my head.

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  11. Happy to hear that. As hard as you have been working the last few years your deserve a cookie. A .45 caliber one but still. Enjoy!

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  12. No "but still" to it. As Aesop puts it ".45 American Communist Puncturer" is a fine round.
    I will admit to being very dismayed at having to turn in my 1911A1 for a P-226 in the early 90's but have grown to love SIG's. It's unrequited love as far as the manufacturer's well known "we hate you" brand of "customer service" but they make damn good pistols.
    Highly recommend/endorse laying in a couple of recoil springs, about the only thing that does seem to wear out. A sight tool is good to have as well.
    My 226 is semi-retired being a pre-rail gun but it comes into the hand nearly as well as a 1911 now.
    My usual carry gun now is a P-365;great piece.
    Boat Guy

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