I recently ran across this article from a 2013 issue of Backwoods Home magazine at the website.
It reminded me that sentiment and practicality are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Of late I’ve again been carrying an old favorite, the 1911 pistol, albeit in the more modern dress of my Wilson Combat SFT9. Accurate as heck, utterly reliable, carrying sixteen rounds of Winchester Ranger-T +P+ with a 127 grain jacketed hollowpoint, a 9mm with ballistics only 100 feet per second short of standard velocity for a .357 SIG. And it fits my hand perfectly.
What’s not to like?
SWEET‼️
I mix and match as well, Mas. But like you, present time also finds me with an old favorite, a S&W .40c M&P 1.0 with slick slide ie no 1911 safety. I prefer these over the newer models because of the much less aggressive grip surface, but I also find them to be much faster getting on target. Carry load atm is 165 grain Ranger SXT; I feel quite safe with it, and usually carry a 15 round magazine with a sleeve as my reload.
Interesting. You’ve inspired me to dig out one of my favorite pistols from the vault…as you imply, a carry sized 1911 is a nostalgic, comfortable option, so it’s not hard to love the the Sig Nightmare Fastback Carry. I appreciate your appreciation for the .357 Sig, one of the most underrated duty/carry loads that exist, and the Nightmare I’m digging out actually is chambered in that hot little round. To my knowledge, not many other 1911’s ever came in that chambering, but in that platform, it really, really works well….
So far, all firearms except my Cowboy action .22 plinker have been acqired for a working purpose. Although my first, a 6″ S&W 686 .357, would be my best current BBQ carry, it would certainly be replaced by my yet-to-be-attained Schofield. Not sure how much sentiment will be playing a part but I can get a bit glassy-eyed when holding one.
Sentiment plays a bigger and bigger role in our lives as we age. I still have my mom’s .22 Stevens bolt action that I learned to shoot with as well as a picture of her shooting that gun into a creek bed when she was about 15 years old. I still have mom’s and dad’s Winchester Model 12 shotguns in 16 and 12 gauge, respectively, that they hunted dove with over many years in north Texas, both of which have very little if any bluing left.
As far as 10-22’s, I also have one that I sent to the Clark Custom bunch back in the 90’s, I h had them put a bull barrel with match chamber, slightly extended bolt lock lever, and a trigger job on it, and I fitted an inexpensive Burris 6x scope on it. It remains one of my favorite guns to shoot, and I taught my kids how to shoot with that rifle.
Is it peculiar that whenever I pick up any of those guns, memories of times spent shooting and cleaning them with parents, children, spouses and friends come flooding back? Guess that’s what being sentimental is, isn’t it?
Good article!
SFT9 -my everyday carry. As a long-time 1911 fan, it fits my hand, my training, and my needs. My dream gun come true! Thanks Mas and Bill!
I think I’m gonna take my old sig p6 with me to drop off a relative at a doctor appointment tomorrow. Its gonna rain all day so I’ll have a cigar and coffee while i watch the people mill about in downtown Pittsburgh, and I’ll have a nice classic piece in my mitch rosen leather while doing so. Im into old 90’s thru early 2000’s CT and SWAT stuff, so those old sigs remind me of the days before everything was an 12lb AR with a 10″ barrel and sidearms are the size of a King James Bible with all the stuff screwed into them. My main AR is a colt sp1, my main “sniper rifle” is a husqvarna carl gustaf 9000 in 308win. And i still have a plain jane 90’s looking mp5 and a remington first year made 870 riot gun. You just cant beat the aesthetic. I went with Tisas a few years back as a base 1911 so i wont feel too bad if it gets eaten by the evidence locker monster. You only get to live once, keep it inspired and unique.
An SFX9 with Trijicon RCR red dot is my preferred carry (much of the time) in a Milt Sparks VM-2 holster.
But, heading to California to visit my daughter in the Navy, I will be taking a Sig P365-XL with the Wilson Combat grip module, for which I have the California-mandatory 10-round limited magazines. It shoots well, but not as well as the SFX9 (for me).
Can’t CCW in CA; but, I can in most of the states between here and there (traveling by car to make other stops on the way). I’m envious of all those who can take advantage of LEOSA. California does not offer non-resident CCW permits.
I strongly believe that my 2A rights ought not stop at a state border. However, I respect the law, so I’m currently limited to supporting the future enactment of national universal reciprocity for CCW permits. Mainly, I’ll just be happy when my daughter changes her duty station out of the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia. Beautiful states, awful governance.
Great choice of hardware!
Check with the Second Amendment Foundation in Bellevue WA about CA Non Resident carry permit applications.
We get attached to things…. As much as I like my PX4 compact on my hip, every now and then I go back to the one Beretta that got be started 32 years ago.. my 92 FS.
One of my favorites, a “first big rifle” as a kid, i was gifted a Chinese SKS… i love that thing. Accurate, reliable and easy handling… and at one time was very cheap to shoot when cases of copper washed 7.62×39 was $100 a case
To me they are tools. I don’t get sentimental about screw drivers and I almost never switch except among guns with the same operating system. Only exception is when in big bear country, I carry a big revolver.