Rogue Elite

We’ve all  heard about how the 1911 isn’t as reliable as a Glock, but firearm reliability has increased for just about every semi-auto that is in production these days.    Guns that were made 50-80yrs ago are manufactured better, magazines have become more reliable and ammunition is far more reliable now than it was even 30yrs ago.    When using a semi-auto, we have to think about the purpose for it and what we think we need in a certain situation.   I love the people that think they are going to fight off 50 bad guys with there Glock, but the reality is that if you think you are going into that bad of a situation, bring a rifle.

I consider myself a 1911 enthusiast, but I’d take an M4 over any handgun, any day.   A 5 shot snub nose is good enough for most white colar environments, but if you think you can carry a full size auto, 7 or 8 shots of 45acp is plenty.   1911s are not out dated, but they are also not modern weapons and are being beat out by some of the firearms coming out now, so is the DI M16 by the way.   If you own or know anyone that owns a 1911, you absolutely will increase the reliability of the gun by using Wilson Combat magazines.

When training for a class or tactical situation, dealing with an unloaded magazine or an unloaded gun in the situation is expected, all guns go empty at some point.   Most of us have the ability to plan ahead and carry extra magazines, but there may be a point where loading a magazine up will be necessary.   Maglula from Butler Creek makes a great speed loader that will help speed up the process of getting rounds from a box right into your 30rd rifle in a few seconds.   They will easily cut your loading time by 75% when used properly.

If you have a revolver, you know that bad guys may be walking around with semi-autos with 15-20 rounds and that you’ve got to make every round count if your carrying a 5 or 6 shot revolver.   You may only need 5 or 6 shots to win  a fight, but it is a fact that reloading a revolver can be done quicker than loading a magazine, so carrying a caliber specific HKS Speed loader or moon clips is always a great idea.

Glocks are the toughest handgun in existance according to the most experts.   There are always arguments about the conditions various firearm manufacturers are in and how they will handle it, but the reality is the Glock pistol needs less lubrication, doesn’t rust, and the magazines are designed as reliable as the gun and there are plenty of Glock Magazines on the market to void out the mayhem that aftermarket mags can do to a firearms reputation.

Something like a 1911 has a questionable reliability track record depending on the conditions they are used in and the type of magazines they are using.   Pistol magazines have evolved and improved as much as firearms and the reality is metal guns aren’t in the same category as polymer guns just based on lubrication and climate conditions.    There are many firearms out there that will function reliable if lubricated properly and cleaned properly, but polymer guns are the future.

Everyone know that Glocks are tough.   I shoot just about all of the popular semi-autos out there and I still have to admit that Glocks are one of the least likely to break.   I’ve seen slide stops break, barrels blow out and slides crack, but none of them were Glocks.   Sometimes it’s a good idea to have a few extra Glock Parts in your safe just incase you ever need them, but since Glocks don’t use very many parts, it’s not much to store.

Things like recoil springs and firing pins are pretty much a MUST for serious shooters because sometimes it’s not always the guns fault that something wears out or breaks.  Sometimes bad ammo can wear out a firing pin faster than normal and recoil springs are going to wear out at some point.   The 2nd recommendation I would have would be to store magazine springs and followers.   Those will wear out, not as often, but as often as recoil springs.   If you’re a plinker and occassion shooter, these won’t be necessary, but if you put a couple thousand rounds through your Glock every year, something is going to wear down at some point so it’s best to have the spare parts around when it happens.

Rifle and pistol magazazines  have evolved as much as firearms have evolved in the last 100yrs.   They basically look the same, but they are stronger, more reliable and better thought out.   One of the  biggest advancements in firearm evolution were Glock Firearms.   The biggest evolution in rifle magazines are Magpul P-Mags.    There have been other similiar rifle  magazines made out of plastic, but the Magpul P-Mags are King.

Direct Impingement firearms have a questionable existance in the military industry since the design is more than 60yrs old, but the Magpul P-Mags have possible extended the life of them since the reliability of the magazines has also increased the reliability of the firearm.   Magpul P-Mags can take a beating and still run strong.   Check out some of the tests people have done with them on youtube.com

We’ve all seen the massive accessorizing of firearms in recent years.   Firearms likes SKS rifle and Mini 14s are not immune to the firearm attachements and modifications that have run rampant in the AR15 community.   In my opinion, there are a lot of firearm owners out there that had their Legos taken away from them and they brought that mindset into gun accessorizing and tactical gear stockpiling.    That’s about as harsh as I can be about why people do what they do to their firearms, but some of it is for hobbie reasons, some for practical reasons, and some because people have the obsessive compulsive behavior of needing to spend money.

There area a lot of good upgrades one can do to a firearm, a fighting rifle should be customized to fit an operator.  Advanced Technology makes some quick and easy upgrades for your shotgun or carbine that can give you better grip or balance.  Shotgun shell holders on the buttstock or riding side saddle is a practical tactical upgrade you can do on your remington 870.  The fiberforce stock for the MAK90 is a way to legally get around some firearm bans and are a big step up compared to the stupid thumbhole stocks.    Attach a rifle sling that fits yoru purpose from Blue Force Gear, they come in 1 point, 2 point and 3 point attachements. Minor firearm modifications make need to be done to attache rifle slings, but do some research on various rifle sling configurations to see what works for you.

Sturm, Ruger & Company was founded by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm in 1949 in a small rented machine shop in Southport, Connecticut. Just prior to their partnership, Bill Ruger had successfully duplicated two Baby Nambu pistols in his garage, from a captured Nambu that he acquired from a returning US Marine, at the close of WWII. Although deciding against marketing the Nambu pistols, he incorporated the Nambu’s rear style cocking device and a modified Nambu’s silhouette into their first commercially produced .22 caliber pistol, which became so successful that it launched the entire company. Ruger firearms are the nation’s fourth largest firearms manufacturer, and the only one producing firearms in all four market segments: rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers.

Ruger is a dominant player in the .22 rimfire rifle market in the U.S. with its Ruger 10/22. The 10/22 is popular due to being relatively inexpensive and of good quality as well as the wealth of aftermarket accessories and parts available for it. In fact, it’s possible to build a 10/22 using only aftermarket parts, several of which are marketed to target shooters at prices starting at approximately $1000.

Ruger similarly dominates the .22 rimfire semiauto pistol market with the Ruger MK II and Ruger MK III. Like the 10/22, the MkII is extremely well supported with a variety of good aftermarket accessories.  The Ruger pistols are amongst the most popular.

Ruger Casting has plants in Newport, New Hampshire and Prescott, Arizona, making ferrous, ductile iron and commercial titanium castings. Ruger Golf makes steel and titanium castings for golf clubs made by a number of different brands.

Sturm, Ruger stock has been publicly traded since 1969, and became a New York Stock Exchange company in 1990.  After Alex Sturm’s death in 1951. William B. Ruger continued to direct the company until his death in 2002.

From 1949 through 2004, Ruger manufactured over 20 million firearms, and currently offers Ruger magazine and gun models for hunting, target shooting, self-defense, collecting, and law enforcement.

Gun magazines are designed for the caliber or manufacturer that they are meant to.   Some rifle or pistol magazines can work in different firearms, for instance, the Beretta Storm 9mm can take Beretta 92 magazines and you may be able to find capacities for your guns that pistol magazines aren’t usually for.   Putting anything more than a 10rd or 15rd magazine in a 9mm Pistol can be awkward, but put a 20rd mag that works in your Beretta 92 into a Beretta CX4 storm is an advancemnet.

Any AR15 or M16 Operator will know that what the military uses for these firearms is lightweight and funded by Uncle Sam, so nobody really cares about fixing springs or followers once they get old, they usually get tossed.   MagPul Pmags are hands down the most durable Carbine magazine on the market and have greatly increased the reliability of many direct impingement firearms.    There are several gun magazines manufacturers that are 2nd rate, but sometimes a good deal on magazines for training or range use can save you money.   If you’ve got good magazines like Chip McCormick or Wilsons Combat mags for your 1911, you may want to use those for your carry guns, but not want to wear them out when  you’re testing your handloads or just sending lead downrange at your local gun club.

Finding magazines that work in your 1911 shouldn’t be a project.   If you have been using the best magazines on the market, you are down to probable only 2 or 3 manufacturers.     The 1911 pistol design is a very durable design, but part of the problem we see in the gun is it can take a toll on the magazine slide stop tab and some manufacturers have remedied that.   Wilson Combat and McCormick are two that we see.    Chip McCormick  has known the competative shooting sport and knew since his companies inception that the guns were great, but the magazines on the market were all based on the chinsy, slimsy throw away design the military used.

Chip McCormick  pistol magazines come in 6, 7, 8 and 10rd variants.   The Chip McCormick power mag is hands down one of the top tier 1911 magazines for durability and reliability.   For those that like the more traditional metal look over the plastic Wilson Combat magazine, this is your mag.   There are also various styles of McCormick pistol magazines.  Some will come with different magazine bases and some come flush fit.   You can decide which mag fits your style.

The title pretty much says it.    The 1911 has been around for a long time now, but the reality is the guns and the magazines have improved since 1911.   Sure machining and accuracy has improved for all firearms, but even to this day I still see guys with 1911 malfunctions regardless of the type of gun.   Whenever I see these malfunctions I always ask what kind of ammo they use and what magazines.    Most 1911s are even to this day still designed for ball ammo.   Check with your manufacturer on what kind of ammo  your 1911 will tolerate so you don’t make a fool out of yourself during training.    I see it happen every year when new shooters show up at a class.

Magazines matter.    In my opinion the DI AR15 variants got a life extension once Pmags came out since part of the weakness of the Ar15 system were flimsy GI Magazines.   The same goes for the 1911.   GI Mags are nice range mags, but they really were intended to be thrown away on the battlefield and not reused.   Wilson Combat Magazines helped keep the 1911 on the market for LEO and CCW owners.   The balance of the magazine followers is superior to what you’ll find at gun shows and that can increase your versatility.    Some GI 1911s will run ammo that is non-ball, just because Wilson Combat Magazines put the bullet in the chamber without as much movement as the old GI mags and will increase reliability.