Via Email sales@collectorsfirearms.com 3/16/2018
March 2018 newsletter
Shop Talk
Best gun ever?
“Ruger Blackhawk…Best Gun Ever?â€
The Ruger Blackhawk was introduced by Bill Ruger’s still new company in 1955. A modern take on the venerable Colt Single Action, production of the Blackhawk was propelled by huge public interest in Westerns, cowboys and related items. Colt had discontinued the Single Action after WWII and Bill Ruger saw the opportunity to fill that demand with an updated and much improved design that was more reliable and yet also less expensive to produce. Just about all of firearms evolution and progress until then had been a race for the latest and greatest. Ruger specifically chose to make an “outdated†style of gun, counting on the consumer’s nostalgia to make it a success. Add to that, the excellent production quality and near unbreakable design, branded it a resounding success. It has become a perennial best-seller in its many variations ever since.
The classic Ruger Blackhawk could be…The Best Gun Ever!
Smith & Wesson has had a phenomenal year, and is not showing any signs of slowing down. The long time American company has recently released the M&P 380 Shield EZ. It is an 8+1 round every day carry, that targets those who want a lighter caliber but do not want a handgun that is the same size as their house key. It is "EZ" in every sense of the word; easy to rack, easy to load, and easy to clean. It is also as safe as a handgun can get. It features both a grip safety, as well as an ambidextrous thumb safety. We are now carrying these handguns, but supplies are limited. So please call our Modern handgun department for availability Today!
Sig Sauer has no intention of losing the ever fierce race for the best EDC(every day carry) hand gun. The Company has recently seen great success with their U.S ARMY contract with their full size P320, and are looking to corner the civilian market with their P365 handgun. It both looks and feels like a P320, only scaled down and altered for minimal "snagging". Where it shines, is in its capacity. This little guy blows its competition out of the water with its 10+1 and 12+1 double stack magazines.It has a high capacity, and yet feels just as slim in the hand as its Glock and S&W counterparts. There are a lot of options for EDC guns right now, but few can offer the reliability and capacity that the P365 does.
A look into the past...Springfield 1866 2nd Allin Conversion .50-70 rifle.
The model 1866 .50-70 caliber rifle was Springfield Armory’s second attempt to produce a single shot breech loading rifle. The 1866 2nd Allin conversion “trapdoor†was an updated version of the 1865 1st Allin conversion which proved to be under-powered in its .58 rimfire configuration. The 2nd Allin conversion was chambered in .50-70 Govt which proved to be a better, harder hitting round. These rifles were still put together from leftover muskets parts from the Civil War.
This rifle would prove itself on the plains of Wyoming on August 2nd, 1867 in a battle that would become known as the Wagon Box Fight. The 1866 Trapdoors were able to keep up a steady stream of fire to hold off multiple attacks from the Native American forces. The soldiers that day would give credit to the new rifle for keeping them alive during the battle. Sgt. Gibson said after the fight, “Thanks to God and Lt. Gen. Sherman, we were armed with the new weapon!†The model 1866 .50-70 caliber army rifle made the pages of history that day. The Trapdoor rifle would experience many changes in the years to come, and the 1866 became outdated and was put into armory racks to be forgotten. Nevertheless, the soldiers who fought on that August day knew they could always stake their lives on it.
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And I'll have to admit that my favorite handgun is a Ruger Blackhawk in 45LC with the 4-5/8" bbl. In the past, I abused it with loads that were starting to obliterate the case head markings. I don't load near that hot anymore. I've been shooting it since 1983.
