Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Guns and blue jeans and stuff.

It's down to the wire for laundry day. We're down to either baggy SigTac pants (and I'm just not feeling that tactical today,) or an old pair of jeans that haven't seen wear in a while. They were starting to show wear on the knees and a bit of fraying along the seams and therefore weren't dress code compliant, but the dress code is pretty relaxed around VFTP Command Central these days.

When I put them on, I was a little baffled at the amount of rise in the waist before I realized that it's been so long since I wore them that they are now rather completely out of style. Hmmm... Combine that with laundry-induced shrinkage, and there's no way that a 1911 and holster is fitting in there with me. Comp-Tac to the rescue! I have a Comp-Tac Gurkha holster for 3"/4" N-frames that actually positions the cylinder of the gun slightly above the belt-line, making for surprisingly easy IWB carry.

I reached down and scooped up my 3" Model 657. It's a nice gun, fits my hand well, and I shoot an N-frame pretty okay. The only downside? My choices in .41 Magnum ammo on-hand were Buffalo Bore's 265gr LSWC, which lobs a big, hard-cast flat meplat bullet at over 1300fps, and some Winchester Platinum Tips, which throw 240gr bullets that take their jacket design from the Black Talon/Ranger Talon downrange at 1200ish. Neither one's going to be exactly fun to shoot from the N-frame snubby, but in the absence of escaped rhino reports from the local zoo, I think I'll go with the Winchesters.

17 comments:

Matt G said...

I've always liked a high-ride holster, but when they get that high, it takes an extremely stiff, full-beltloop-width belt to keep the gun from wanting to flop out away from the body during anything but the most sedate and smooth walking. Running or jogging creates a slap-slap-slap to my love handle, and that's no fun...

Tam said...

Milt Sparks belt + Kydex holster that has a fair amount of "tadpole tail" = amazingly little flop for 40 oz. of steel, carried largely above the belt.

Anonymous said...

"Does this Smith 657 make my ass look big?"

Tam said...

Remember before answering that: 833 ft/lbs of muzzle energy.

Anonymous said...

What? No Silvertips? They work for me.

All The Best,
Frank W. James

theirritablearchitect said...

.41 Mag.

How very...alternative.

I was going use that "P" word that is so beloved by the political left, but that would have probably turned your fire toward my twenty, even at a distance of 600+ miles.

Even at that distance, I fear your wrath.

Tam said...

No, way! Frank James just commented on my...

Er, what I meant to say, all calm-like and everything, was that I somehow found myself slap out of Silvertips. I do think they're the berries for carry duty in a .41 Mag.

Anonymous said...

Man, am I glad to see someone else appreciates Milt Sparks. I don't know if I was just hanging out in the wrong corners of the internet or what, but for a while every time I'd suggest their stuff people would give some variation on "Never heard of 'em."

Until I paired one of their belts with a VersaMax II, I didn't think it was possible for a full-frame double stack to be comfortable OR concealable with just a T-shirt.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, my hi-ride holster for my .41mag requires a bush jacket(minimum) for concealment. 'Course, it's an X15 Bianchi, for a Redhawk 71/2".

Carteach said...

Galco JAK slide.

That will carry the 1911
inside the belt, but outside the
pants. No way it will make your
...... oh never mind.

My JAK carries my M+P as easily as the commander. No retention device but gravity, luck, and a tight belt. Still, I have carried all day for days on end with nothing less than full confidence.

Yes, I did the jump up and down and run in place crap too.... but not where I could be seen... (g)

Only deal is you gotta wear a loose shirt. I like tucked. Other than that, the JAK is a cool piece of leather.

Anonymous said...

From the Winchester site: "Application: Thin skinned game such as Whitetail Deer and Boar"

I'd imagine they work quite well on goblins, too.

Tam said...

Carteach,

Just don't like the way the Jak Slide carries.

I have a humongous box of holsters sitting in the corner to remind me how I arrived at my current carry choices. :(

(And that's after having gotten rid of all the Glock / SIG / Beretta / HK /etc. holsters. It's a humongous box of nothing but holsters for 5" 1911s and J/K/L/N Smiths.)

Anonymous said...

Push comes to shove comes to shoot, and no one's paying much attention to recoil. And, no that rig won't make your butt look big -but you may look a little lopsided!

Be well! OldeForce

Matt G said...

"I have a humongous box of holsters sitting in the corner to remind me how I arrived at my current carry choices."

Bite your tongue, woman! When you talk about big boxes of used holsters, I see JPG getting all twitchy-like, and then the whole day is shot. Seein's how you're 14 hours distant, he'll be gone for a weekend, and then who'll I get to provide me with quality handloads at a moments' notice?

Lergnom said...

OldeForce,
The way to avoid looking lopsided is to carry a gun on both sides. Of course, sitting down may be problematical, but a New York reload(Chicago, Kansas City, Philly) would be considered fashion forward in serious social situations.

Stay safe

J.R.Shirley said...

"3" Model 657"

Rub it in.

Hey, does one of those holsters fit a
stubby Taurus .41 Special?

Tam said...

For a Taurus .41 five-shooter, you're going to need a K/L-frame holster.

The Gurkha appears to be discontinued, and its replacement (the CTAC) is only offered for J & N frames. I'd call Comp-Tac and see if they can help you out.