Now here’s something interesting and quite out of the norm!  Considering how expensive it is lately to just go to the range and shoot that nice 1911 you have, a company has taken a bold step at venturing where most would never dare.  I’m talking about a $299 1911 pistol converted to support .22 LR rim-fire ammunition.  Yes, you heard right…a .22 1911 on the cheap.  Considering the lack of ammo lately and just how expensive it has become just to go shoot a few boxes at the range, this seams like an enticing alternative.  We’ll have to wait and see if this will indeed be offered but based on the specs below and one who actually owns a full-sized 1911, I just don’t see how the mag will only hold 10 rounds of .22.

Dayton, OH --(AmmoLand.com)- Yes you read right, a complete .22 caliber 1911 .45ACP clone pistol for under $300!

For a price under most 1911/.22 conversion units MKS Supply, Inc., is making available a fantastic buy for gun owners across the country.

“We feel this affordable, accurate, reliable pistol will be exceptionally received by those who want a 1911 ACP clone in the popular, affordable and fun .22 LR rimfire round.”

Details: This is a full size clone of the standard 1911 .45 ACP. The weight is less than the original 1911 because both the slide and the frame are constructed of aluminum alloy. The lighter slide in particular also allows for reliable functioning it has much less mass for the recoil action of the diminutive .22LR round to function.

The internal components of the 1911-22 are all steel of course. The barrel is fixed to the frame to provide better accuracy. The fixed barrel also eliminates some not necessary parts found in the original .45 which was designed for full disassembly due to battlefield conditions.

Finish on the slide and frame is a tough flat black oxide finish. MKS Supply is also going to make available models with olive drab and desert tan powder coated slides.

Magazines are made of industrial-grade polymer and have been proven in extensive testing to be incredibly reliable as the polymer forming process ensures they are identical thus eliminating steel assembly and fit variances. And yes, MKS Supply will offer extra magazines at a no-gouge price around $20 MSRP.

Specifications:

• Stocks (grips): Walnut with laser cut checkering.
• Sights: Dovetail rear-drift adjustable sight (like original military sights).
• Barrel length: 5-inches.
• Physical dimensions: Same as the standard 1911.
• Weight: 32-ounces (a standard military 1911 .45ACP is approximately 40-ounces).
• Models: Standard black finish, olive drab finish, and desert tan finish.
• Magazine capacity: 10-rounds. One magazine is included.
• Warranty: Full-year parts and labor.
• Manufacturer: Chiappa U.S.A., Dayton Ohio.

Consumers and dealers may gain more information by going to www.1911-22.com NOTE: the website is currently under construction and is expected to be up by about October 5th.

Source: AmmoLand

Somehow, I have a seriously hard time believing the first sentence in this latest article.  I’m also not alone…

NEW ORLEANS — Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can’t keep up with the nation’s demand for ammunition.

Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.

Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before

Source: AJC via Topix

Think of Gunbroker.com as the Ebay of everything related to firearms.  That’s really what it is and is the only site on the internet that provides such a robust service to all looking to buy or sell anything other auction sites simply do not support.  I personally love GunBroker, as I have been able to not only easily sell handguns, but also find everything from highly custom grips to extremely rare ammo.  It’s simply an excellent resource for all gun enthusiasts.  With that said, it is no doubt they apparently are doing quite well…

GunBroker.com continues to grow, with more than 1.4 million registered users. The site currently draws around 2.7 million unique visitors per month and hosts over 300,000 auctions daily.

GB Investments, which operates GunBroker.com, is number 1,749 in the latest Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Hitwise, a Web site measurement service, ranks GunBroker.com third in the United States’ “Shopping and Classifieds—Auctions” category, exceeded only by eBay and eBay Motors. Quantcast, another online measurement service, ranks GunBroker.com among the 1,000 largest U.S. Web sites of any kind.

Source: AmmoLand

Those looking for a quality, highly concealable pistol with a bit of a punch, Sig Sauer has released the P238 .380 pistol.  It’s a beauty and appears to be incredibly difficult to find.  I personally haven’t been able to get a hold of one for a review here.  My local Range and Gun Shop has 30 of them on order but have not yet received any.

The P238 is quite a small pistol, measuring in at only 5.5 X 3.9 X 1.1 inches and weighs 15.2 ounces (without mag).  While I personally would prefer to carry a 9mm Kel-Tec PF9 which is slimmer and weighs less, I’m a huge fan of 1911 style pistols and the Sig Sauer P238 looks like a “baby 1911″.  It certainly looks nice, and I tend to like the Nitron model with night sights standard.  I have been also told it is extremely accurate as well.  The only problem with it is the ammo.  .380 ammo is not only impossible to find, but when you do find it, you’ll likely pay a hefty price for a box of 50!  In addition, note that it is an SA pistol, so before you decide to purchase it, you should be comfortable carrying it cocked and locked.

Anyone out there one this little beauty?  Feel free to share your opinions, both good and bad.  I do know there was a safety recall with this pistol so that’s something you’ll want to research before you decided to invest your money on one.

There’s actually a gun show here in my area this long weekend.  While I would normally attend them in the past simply to buy cheap ammo, that’s obviously no longer the case and I no longer have an interest in them.  However, this latest article does not surprise me one bit after attending them for years now and getting to know most of the vendors…

DAVIS — From pocket-size assault weapons and sniper rifles that can kill a man a mile-and-a-half away to incendiary armor-piercing bullets, you can find what you’re looking for at gun shows across the United States.Even if you don’t want your name to appear on any paperwork.

In hidden-camera photos and videos captured by researchers at the University of California, Davis, men roamed gun shows with assault rifles slung over their shoulders and pistols tucked in their belts, available for sale with no waiting period, background check or paper trail.

Full story here…

Source: The Reporter

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008.

So far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.

This latest jump in background checks show that Americans are solidly in-favor of keeping firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens and clearly shows that proponents claiming the USA wants more gun control are blatantly wrong.

more…

Source: AmmoLand