The Cobalt Kintetics BAMF Edge.

 Cobalt Kinetics BAMF vide here.
We began our range day adventure around 9 a.m. The clouds had moved in over night, giving the world a slight dull grey hue,dampening the mood in the world around us. Our drive to Rowdy's Range was full of upbeat chatter despite the weather outside. The parking lot was empty, as one might expect on a Monday morning. With breakfast in tow for the hungry purveyors of the range, we lively stepped on in. A classroom and a competition grade rifle lay just mere minutes away.

With trusty MSR in hand we made our way to an empty classroom to film the introduction. As I stumbled through my own intro of the rifle a hero appeared who had a vast array of knowledge about the rifle. It was as if Colby was born with the Edge rifle in hand. To our dismay, the moments flew by and our short intro was at an end. Though our exciting voyage did not stop there.

The muffled sound of firearms being discharged made the last few steps to the rental counter almost unbearable, with hands shaking and hearts pounding we donned our protective eye and ear pro and headed through the door. 6 lanes of climate controlled freedom lie in wait, lucky for us we had the run of 2 lanes for our shorter than we wished trip.

Cameras set on tripods, phones on selfie sticks we went to work. During our shoot we recovered many fine moments of sheer bliss; as round after round sped down range at 3165 feet per second. Trigger pull was crisp, light and single stage. No creep and reset was almost instant. Recoil easily mitigated and the smell, Oh the smell of expelled .223 rounds is almost heavenly. 20, 40, 60 rounds later (and just mere minutes) our time at the firing line had come to an end. Sadly we packed our gear. With warm empty rifle in hand we trudged back to the rental counter.

Though our brief moment with Cobalt Kinetics was over; we managed to solved the world's problems at the counter. Our discussion with the range cast hit almost every point plaguing the world of firearms and stories of kooky firearms owners. As business picked up we wandered the store perusing their myriad of wares. Particularly their Glock section. Purchases were made, final goodbyes said, we vowed to return for another day at the range.

Left Hand Right Gun would like to thank our local firearms manufacturer Cobalt Kinetics for building a damn fine rifle. A hearty thank you to Rowdy's Range for an unforgettable experience and superb customer service. If you find yourself in our lovely (normally) sun soaked city, drop by for a chat and a shoot at Rowdy's Range. 

Glock 19, for the lefty in your life.

Glock video here!
Yes, this is my personal CCW. So I must apologize for the "customization" that has been done to it. So much for Glock Perfection. I have been accused of being that guy; you know, the Glock fanboy. In some cases they might be right. I enjoy my wife's FN FNS a whole lot more, just because it fits me better. This Glock was anything but perfect until I took a dremel and a burning tool to it. It is close now but so far not yet perfect. I run a Glock because it is easy to manipulate, it is as no frills as I have found in any firearm for CCW. So I guess in that aspect it is perfect, Just not in fit to my hand straight from the factory. But I digress.

When Gaston Glock first began as an entrepreneur he was far from being a Firearms manufacturer. That all changed in 1980 when the Austrian military received an invitation to create a new side arm for the Austrian military.

In 1983 Glock was awarded the contract and an order for 30,000 Glock 17's was placed. In 1984 Norway claimed the Glock as it's new side arm for their military.

in 1986 it caught the eye of many United States law enforcement agencies and became their firearm of choice. in '87 the Glock 18 (select-fire) machine pistol was introduced.

By 1989 more than 350,000 Glock pistols have been sold in 45 different countries. Just ten years later Glock sold it's 2 millionth pistol. Glock has become one of the most innovative and ground breaking successful designs since John M. Browning. Don't forget to check out Color Country Firearms on Facebook for purchase of any Glock models. They are an FFL dealer that can ship to any of the 50 States. Don't forget to subscribe to Left Hand Right Gun on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

A pocket Kimber that is not 1911?

Kimber Solo Video here.
It is striker fired as well. There is plenty about this gun I would love to see work better than it does. Although the specimen I had for demo was not new it still had a few failures ( some you can see in the video.) I am a fan of the 1911 platform, but not for CCW. The Solo was not designed to be a 1911 but it sure has some of the features of one. Some I like, Some I don't.

As much as I hate to say it this history portion can be found on Wikipedia. There is not much on the 'net about Kimber save a few articles from Newsmax and a couple of forum threads. So as with all Wiki material, please take with a grain of salt until you can verify the validity of these statements.

From Wikipedia:

"Kimber was founded as "Kimber of Oregon" in 1979 by Greg and Jack Warne in the small town of Clackamas, Oregon. Jack Warne moved to Oregon in 1968 after Portland-based Omark Industries purchased the Australian firearms manufacturer, Sporting Arms (or Sportco), he founded in Adelaide, South Australia, following World War II.

Following its founding, Kimber of Oregon, which quickly built a reputation for accurate .22 long rifle caliber rifles, began to expand its product line and eventually acquired a second manufacturing plant in nearby Colton.

In the late 1980s, the company began to struggle after a private stock offering fell short of covering the costs of developing the M89 Big Game Rifle. In 1989, Kimber of Oregon was sold to Oregon timber baron Bruce Engel, who founded WTD Industries, Inc. Engel had difficulty running Kimber and soon the company sought bankruptcy protection. However, Kimber of Oregon's assets were liquidated.

In 1990, several Kimber employees, including Dan Cooper, left to found Cooper Firearms of Montana.^[2]

In the mid-1990s, Greg Warne tried to revive Kimber, but much of Kimber of Oregon's original tooling had ended up in a junkyard north of Portland. Greg soon found a financial backer in Les Edelman, who owned Nationwide Sports Distributors. The two purchased the original tooling and partnered to found Kimber of America. The company grew quickly, but Edelman forced Warne out after acquiring a majority interest in the company.

While Edelman was partnering with Greg Warne, he had also invested in Yonkers-based Jerico Precision Manufacturing, which manufactured hand tools and mechanical components for the defense industry, which was adjusting to cuts in defense spending. Edelman decided to connect Jerico Precision's existing infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities and Kimber's reputation and extensive network of dealers to build a line of M1911-style handguns. He eventually moved Kimber's production line to Jerico's facilities in New York, ending Kimber's presence in Oregon."

 

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimber_Manufacturing

Do you have B.U.G.s?

And no I am not talking about an insect infestation. The acronym for Back Up Gun. Now to set the record straight I personally do not carry a back up gun. My personal excuse for this is, I carry way too much crap day to day. Now, I am not saying that a back up gun isn't right. It is just not the right choice for me right now.

I know plenty of people that do carry a B.U.G., most are much smaller in size and caliber, which the size is intended to be. The choice of carrying a back up gun truly comes down to dedication. For instance; You have decided to carry a .38special airweight revolver (or the like) it will most likely ride either on the ankle or in a holster in a dedicated pocket. I run cargo pants on a daily basis. If you have watched our EDC pocket dump video then you know I carry a plethora of stuff. Another pound and the loss of a pocket, I am not dedicated to do. Plus I already sound like a junk truck on approach. But the fact is that a back up gun needs to be fairly accessible. The  ankle is the last place I would place one. Leave the ankle to your trauma kit for after the encounter with a bad guy.

But here is my issue with most choices in a back up gun. most back ups, again, are in a Different caliber than your primary. Let me explain, I am the type of guy I like everything streamlined and simple when it comes to carry. I run a Glock 19 because it is simple to operate whether it is in a stressful situation or not. All of my EDC knives are razor sharp and have an assist opening with either a button (for out the front) or a flipper on the back strap to engage the knife one handed. Hell, even my writing pens need to be clicker pens for one handed operation. Sound a bit OCD? Not in my world. So running with that same logic I would be more inclined to carry a 9mm back up. If my primary goes down before I run out of ammo I can switch to my secondary and utilize all of my unused primary ammo to feed my secondary. Carrying an off caliber to my primary just does not make sense to me. Not that your choice is wrong, it's just wrong for me. I want the versatility to use every damn thing I have at my disposal to make sure I get home every night.

Now I know back up gun means just that. In case of SHTF with your primary. It's that Hail Mary or your one saving grace. I know it's supposed to play the roll of deep cover.  But if your Hail Mary turns into your primary, 6 to 10 rounds later you are out of luck.  I cannot compete with the argument that a NAA 22 mag revolver is a great backup due to it's size and relative effectiveness. But I cannot take the chance that if my trusty super dooper plastic wonder 9 has a catastrophic failure after 2 rounds that a 22 mag with 5 rounds is all I have left. Yes, carrying another 9mm may not be as easy as a NAA or (name your favorite petite deep concealed firearm of choice). But I would be willing to throw on a Beretta Nano, Ruger lc9s, Bersa BP9cc, etc for my backup.

In conclusion, K.I.S.S. has always been a model I try to employ in every aspect of my life, but never more so in my choices for my personal protection. I am positive you have done the same. If that Keltec P3AT is your back up to your M&P Shield I am sure you have your reasons.

CZ 83 and CZ 82. Double your fun!

 Czech video here!

Seeing double? you should be, we tested two classic Czech pistols. One in .380 ACP and the other in 9mm Makarov. both are extremely well built pistols and ambi to boot!

From CZ firearms site:

History

The story of Czeska Zbrojovka (CZ) is one of high quality gun manufacturing in spite of invasion by Nazi Germany in World War II and occupation by the Soviet Union through the Cold War.
CZ originated in 1936 when Czechoslovakian arms production was moved away from the German border due to fears of invasion.  Initially, the factory produced anti-aircraft guns, but later began manufacturing small arms.
Even though CZ was born in world war, and spent much of its history behind the Iron Curtain, the majority of the firearms produced are sporting guns.  Each year about 125,000 guns are made by CZ with most staying in Europe and about 30% going to the United States.
In addition to being a prolific firearms manufacturer, CZ is also a major producer of gears, gearboxes and air conditioning manifolds for auto companies like Ford and Jaguar.  During the cold war, the CZ factory also made gears and gearboxes for light aircraft.
CZ makes some of the finest handguns, shotguns and rifles in the world.  After touring the state of the art Uhersky Brod factory and speaking with their employees it is easy to understand why CZ is one of the top firearms makers in the world.

And I concur, They do make some fantastic firearms!

The cost of refinishing may just be more than money.

The real question is; should you or shouldn't you restore. The honest answer in my opinion is, it depends. My guidelines on this subject are as follows: age, monetary value both in current condition and mint and manufacture.

Take for example an early Remington model 512 in 22lr from 1941. It was brought to me in pretty rough shape. I discussed with the customer his plans for the firearm. He wanted it in shooting condition. I agreed to clean, inspect and repair worn and used parts. though not an extremely valuable piece, I felt the age of the rifle was enough to warrant not refinish the firearm itself. I delicately removed surface rust but left the patina intact and replaced the few parts that were needed. The stock itself had a few dents, which of course were left alone. The trigger guard, bolt and buttplate had seen their fair share of abuse. none of it a detriment to the function of the firearm.

The day came to return the piece. To my surprise, the owner was not very happy with the work that I had performed. He expressed that he thought I was going to refinish the rifle. I explained that due to the age and rarity of the rifle I was not going to ruin the value of such a firearm by doing such work. Needless to say he was more interested in having it for his grandchildren to enjoy for many years as a good looking firearm. I reiterated the fact that doing so would drop the value of the firearm. When it was all said and done, the man walked away with a bright shiny new looking rifle.

Now before you pass judgement, hear me out. Short of begging the customer to leave the firearm alone and enjoy a great piece of history. I did manage to get him thinking. Instructing him on value of "as is" being more than refinished. Sadly, he expressed it did not matter to him because he was not going to sell (famous last words). He expressed as well if I was unwilling to do the work he would just do it himself. I felt at that point I was backed into a corner. Either I did it the right way or the customer would ruin an otherwise functioning historical firearm.

There has been a craze going around for the last few years of coloring firearms. We at Color Country Firearms do quite a few ourselves. Cerakote being our go to coating. We have coated Taurus, Keltec, Ruger, Sccy, Glock, Sig and many others. Most of newer manufacture and valuing less than $600.00. Which to us is within the realm of possibility. Yet there is a few newer manufacturers we would not do. Kimber being one, unless that Kimber was in rough shape and the work would not devalue the firearm more than already has been. Korth being another brand left well enough alone. But if you have the cash to drop on a fine made firearm you are more than likely to keep it looking as best you can. To say the least, the opinions on this subject run the gamut. Some would have no qualms about spraying any newer firearm, regardless of cost/value and make.

Older firearms are a class all their own. Usually anything 15 or so years old, of course depending on manufacture, I will not refinish. For example, a first Generation Glock is out of the question. Though a second generation is not. Even though a first gen is not overly valuable, I will not based on my own principles. Military surplus is another I have no problems makin' pretty, albeit it is not rare or extremely valuable. M1 Garand, Russian made Mosins, Early model M1a etc. are off the list. Though AK's and even newer high dollar AR pattern rifles are well within scope to be done.

When it comes to refinishing your firearm, do your homework. The internet is full of values for almost every firearm out there. If you can't find much information on the firearm you own I would hazard a bet it is worth more than money. Candidacy for refinishing must be scrutinized thoroughly before proceeding. There are plenty of Gunsmiths and good people that do refinishing and coating. Find them and ask questions. Not that a firearm forum on the Net is not a good place to find good opinions, but there are many who would lead you astray. In the firearm comunity it is hard to get across to some folks that not all rust is bad. A firearm is nothing like a 1969 Chevy Camaro, once restored it can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.  Sometimes it's just better to leave well enough alone.

Taurus PT 99 the Beretta 92FS clone

Taurus PT99 video here!

I must admit right off the bat there has been some Taurus pistols on the market that have not been up to snuff. But since certain information has come to light I believe we are about to see some interesting changes in Taurus. Now not to say all Taurus pistols are sub par, I will say there has been a few that really have caught my eye. The PT738 .380acp pistol is simple in design and functions quite well. The older manufactured PT99's fit in this same category. When Beretta left Brazil in the 80's they sold the factory and the tooling to Taurus, who still manufacture the Beretta 92 clones using the same tools. All without a license from Beretta. since the design is based on the original Beretta 92, of which the patents are now expired.

Not much should surprise us from Taurus. They have always been on, for a lack of a better term, the cutting edge of the firearm Industry. They have designed and produced many interesting firearms over the years. With the advent of the new American made and engineered Spectrum line of pistols, Taurus is at it again.