GARY'S GUN NOTES

What a crazy world we live in. So much hatred on the side of the liberals. So much not wanting but demanding change and a change that would destroy America as we know it. But with all the bad news from the liberal democrats there is some good news from some of the conservative states. Arizona, along with several other conservative states has passed a bill making this state a sanctuary state and saying that if Biden passes any gun control bills we can just give him half a peace sign. Another troubling thought is the defunding of our police. Even here in Flagstaff our extremely liberal mayor is talking about defunding our police. Totally insane.  And this alone makes for a good reason to go armed at all times.  But some states are preparing for any craziness on Biden’s part.  I don’t know how many states have done this, make the state a 2nd amendment sanctuary  state.  I hope and pray that will hold up in court as I know Biden will try.

 There is some good news, although I have to search around to find it. A lot of law enforcement agencies are switching to the fairly new FN 509.  I have also seen one or two that have gone to the new SAR 9C. The FN I am familiar with and it is a fine pistol. Fits the hand very well and the one I shot was also very accurate. The SAR 9C I have seen and handled but not shot, but they seem to a good pistol at a very decent price, retail at around $450.  This trend has surprised me a little but I guess we all knew this was coming. Glock was the #1 pistol of choice for so many years, almost 30. Now a lot of new guns are popping up that have as good a feel in the hand as the Glock and seem to be made as well if not better.

Smith & Wesson keeps coming up with new versions of the Shield and all are very popular. Their new Shield EZ is extremely popular with the ladies. The slide is very easy to pull back which solves a lot of problems many ladies have. The new Shield EZ comes in 9mm and in 380.  

   Speaking of which, the 380 is making a good comeback with several new guns and some older ones are now being chambered in the 380. The ammo for the 380 is doing what the 9mm did a few years back and that is that they are now stronger, hotter and more powerful than in years past. The only problem with these guns and ammunition is the fact that they are almost totally unavailable. We have a few of the EZ models in stock but they go out as quick as they come in and getting another one can easily take 2 or 3 months.

Trying to explain this shortage that is killing the U.S. is hard to do. But for those that don’t know I will try. When the virus Covid hit, any manufacturing company shut down. This included not just guns but everything. Cars, furniture, hardware, guns, everything. Many were shut down for over a year. This caused many to go under, others to hang on but barely. Today most are trying to get started again. Like the Arkansas Remington plant. They are under new ownership and are trying to get rolling again but it is hit and miss. 

Other companies like the Prescott Ruger plant is going again but I hear they are at 25% capacity. The new Smith & Wesson plant in South Carolina is doing the same, as is Glock in Georgia and Mossberg in Texas. So some guns are coming out. When they do they are shipped to our distributors.  All gun shops have to buy thru distributors. Our distributors call every morning and say things like “we got 10 guns in last night, we can let you have one of them” or “we got a case of 9mm in last night and we can let you have 6 boxes” That is how things are going. No gun shop can just get on the phone and call in an order as the ammo manufacturers are over 1 Billion rounds behind. I was told the gun manufacturers are 1.2 million guns back ordered, So they won’t accept any more orders. We do get some back orders in every couple of days.

So is it getting better? Maybe, but not enough to really count.  The folks that have to do with all the ammo makers say if everyone would stop buying ammo today and not buy another round until January 1st, it would still take the ammo makers 2 years to get back to normal.

And I get folks in every day saying it is the government holding back the ammo to make us vulnerable to government firearm take overs. To put it plainly that is pure bullshit. I know several of the ammo makers and call people like Steve Hornady a friend and I know for a fact that his company is working 24/7 every week. Yes the prices of ammo have gone up a bit, maybe a bit more than a bit but the manufacturers have had to add more new equip to be able to put out more ammo plus running 3 full shifts. That costs money so the prices have had to go up a bit. But on the other hand there are scalpers selling 9mm for over $100 a box, and primers for $750 to $900 a brick. The main thing is don’t buy from then and let them pay the price for being scalpers.

How about a change of pace. Some hunting news. My Africa hunt was a real success as the 7 folks with me took great record book animals and had the time of their lives.  I had a good time also even though my guns, and duffle were stolen in Qatar (on the east coast of Saudi Arabia). I had 3 full custom guns in my gun case, plus lots of hunting gear in my duffle and all gone. They eventually found them and the 2 guys that were involved. Knowing the laws over there, I am sure the two were executed. They still have my gear and say they will have to keep it until the investigation is over, which probably means never. But I still had a great hunt, even though I had to borrow clothes, guns and ammo and hunted for 10 days in my houseshoes. I had my mind set on a big mean Cape Buffalo. Thanks to John Abraham, my PH and good friend for 30 years, I took a monster Cape Buffalo the last time over there 3 years ago. That one went #1 handgun in the record book but was beaten a couple of months later. This time I was determined to take even a bigger one. And John came through as I knew he would.  We talked to a couple of the local villagers who said they knew of a herd of Cape Buffalo with at least 2 big bulls in the herd. Taking their directions we drove around in the Land Cruiser searching for the herd. Finally we found them about 2 hours before dusk. We went as far as we could in the truck, then got out and John said “let’s walk straight toward them”. He said they would either take off or they would stand their ground and dare us to come closer. They stood their ground. At about 60 yards they were pawing the ground and saying bad things about my Mother. John said “let’s get to about 40 yards, any closer and they will charge”. We did and John  asked me if I could take the shot from there. I have taken shots a lot farther than that so why not. Using a Freedom Arms 454 Casull that I borrowed from Michael Mendes I put the crosshairs on the big bulls left shoulder and gave him a 300 grain 45 caliber jacketed soft point Sierra bullet. At the hit he ran a slow trot to my left slowing down at each step. I hit him again just above the first shot and he plowed down nose first. The first shot had broken the left shoulder, the second had blown up both lungs. My first buffalo 3 years ago I took with my 450 GNR, that has close to the same power as a 458 Winchester magnum.  This time using a 454 Casull Freedom Arms, a much much less powerful round but Lady Luck smiled on me that day and I took a bigger Cape Buffalo that I am hoping will go at least top 2 in the world.

For the next couple of days John badgered me about hunting one of the super rare Golden Wildebeest found in the Kalahari Desert a few miles from camp. Finally I borrowed a 338 GNR TC from Erik Stenberg  and we went to the edge of the Kalahari. We found the herd the first day but they were extremely wild and I didn’t get a shot. Early the next day we went back to the area where we last saw them and they weren’t there. But a couple of hours of driving and searching with our binocs we finally found the herd. In the flat desert there is very little scrub brush to hide behind so we ended up on a high sand dune taking a shot almost straight down. John using his range finder said it was 187 yards. A long way for a handgun but the only shot I would get. Trying to hold the shooting sticks steady in shifting sand I took the shot. As usual I didn’t hear the shot but I did hear the bullet hit the animal. At the shot the Wildebeest ran about 30 yards and piled up. They are an amazing animal, as red as the Kalahari Desert sand with dark red stripes on their rib cage. John said none had been taken in the wild with a handgun so it was worth all the hassle of losing my guns and gear to get 2 amazing trophies.

I said that was going to be my last hunt but now John is badgering me again, this time about a big black maned African lion. A true handgun trophy. I have some health problems but if I can get past them I can hear a lion calling my name.

That is it for this time but hopefully I will have some good gun news for you next month. Until then get out and waste some ammo and take a lady or youngster with you. These days especially they are our future.

God bless,

Gary