M2

Oddly enough, just down the hall from where I am now! I was exec'ing for a two-star who had just gone to Maxwell for a course. The new one-star vice, who I knew from USAFE, had just arrived (it was his first day) and was using my boss' office. I was in my office catching up on the usual bumpf when he walked out and announced that a plane had just flown into the WTC. We were watching the news when the second plane hit. Everything after that is a blur...and it is hard to believe that eight years have gone by since.

My two most recent pistol acquisitions were both Taurus 9mm--the PT111 and PT709. Very similar in size except the latter is a single-stack therefore slimmer, but the PT111 is easier to shoot more accurately. However, despite rumors to the contrary, both have been flawless (I just put 100 rounds through the PT709 without a single FTF/FTE) and Taurus now offers a lifetime guarantee on all their guns no matter if you are the original owner or not. I have been very happy with both of these pistols and wouldn't hesitate to recommend either. For the price they are very capable weapons...

That's why I traded my P3AT for a PT111, I can find 9mm for $11.99/box and it's plentiful. Plus, I find it to be much more accurate...

I'm on a roll...after picking up a beautiful Yugo SKS last Sunday, one week later I snag a 1952 Russian SKS with all matching numbers, an original cleaning kit and sling! Here it is with my 1939 Nagant M1895 also from the Tula factory, and the end of a RBR 64 mm M80 "ZOLJA" anti-tank rocket fired from a hand-held launcher that I picked up at a destroyed communications site near Mostar, Bosnia. Everything is on a Yugoslav Communist banner I picked up in Sarajevo... Here's another pic with my new Yugo and ten rounds of 7.62x39 to represent what the original magazines hold (my third SKS, a Yugo, runs 20-round removable TAPCO mags that work perfectly with the rifle)... I paid $375 for the Rooskie, which appeared to be a decent deal. Now I am after a Norinco paratrooper SKS... Cheers! M2

Zing! on both counts! Cheers! M2

Blount should be arrested for assault, there is plenty of evidence...

Chill, these things take a while but most people do get them; at which point they are gold, pure gold...

BFM Picked up the PT709 this afternoon, and haven't fired it yet but I have compared it to the PT111 I got last week. Honestly, other than the width they are exactly the same. If you want a very flat gun (less than an inch wide) and can live with 7+1 of 9mm, then get the PT709; but if a wider pistol is no problem and you prefer the 12+1 capacity of the PT111, then that's your choice. The two aren't dramatically different from each other (the PT709 does have trigger safety), and if the PT709 performs as well as the PT111 has so far, the biggest factor in choosing may just be the price! Cheers! M2

I need help, I am getting a little out of control with this! Naw, who am I kidding! This is fun! Tomorrow I am picking up my third gun in less than a week and a half... It's a brand new, never shot (other than the factory test) aforementioned Taurus PT709 Slim. It only was released a month or so ago, and the one I am getting is $70 cheaper than the cheapest one I could find locally and $90-$115 cheaper than I saw at the last gun show. I did quite like the stainless steel one I saw at a gun shop this afternoon, but I care less about the looks of a gun than I do its functionality (well, except for 1911s!). I hope to shoot this one at Bullis on Sunday as Saturday is--yep, you guessed it--another gun show! And for anyone in the San Antonio area, we're most likely going to meet up at the IHOP on Broadway at 0800 for breakfast before the show, in case anyone is interested in joining us. The show itself is at the Freeman Coliseum, right next to the AT&T Center. Cheers! M2

Hoss I've got a Mossberg Persuader that I love--slap a good flashlight on it (I got a SureFire 6P with a 120-lumen bulb in it) and a laser sight and you'll be set! Here are some pics... Load it up with some 3" Magnum 00-buckshot, and you'll have a great home-cannon shotgun! Cheers! M2 p.s. Yeah, I know that is a cheap-o BSA laser on top, but it works!

Agreed, I would never shoot a .357 that I couldn't get all three fingers firmly on the grip... If I were to try to shoot that, it would probably end up embedded into my cranium!

T-bonez Thanks for the compliment on the Yugo, I was cleaning it earlier and am still impressed at what a deal I got! Concerning the S&W Airlite .357, even the guy going on about it admitted he had never shot one; he was too fixated on how lightweight it was and seemed oblivious to my comments about how bad the recoil would be. I'm not even considering one, if anything I will snag one of the PT709s... Cheers! M2

BFM First, your questions... Based on your posts so far, double stack. Capacity? 12+1. Last round or two are tight, but it is suppose to, and will hold, 12 rounds. I see three levers just under the rail. I'm guessing takedown/slidelock/safety? Anything ambidextrous? (I can't find any right-side pics) DAO, DA/SA, SA? Nope, everything (takedown, slide lock and safety) are all on the left side. Does the safety have a decocking function? Again, nope, no decocking capability; once it is condition 1, you have to clear it the old fashion way. Hammerless? Any first shot SA capability? Yep, first round is SA, subsequent rounds are DA but the trigger pull is light. Have you found a holster you like yet? I am using the same Uncle Mikes size 15 neoprene holster I use for my XD-45 Service. Seems to be the right size or at least close enough. And of course, any good links that you can clue me into? The best is the Taurus Armed forum. Secondly, a little editorializing on my part. I shot my new PT111 again today and I am really becoming enamored with this gun! It will never replace my beloved XD-45, but for the price it is really a great weapon! Taurus has a bad reputation and some of that may have been earned; but the guns they are selling these days are impressive and the fact that they have a lifetime warranty quells any fears. I would not hesitate to recommend the Millennium Pro series, but I have to add that I've heard the earlier series had a few problems that were fixed on the later generations. Mine is a Gen 3 (it says 'Millennium' on one side and 'PT111 Pro' on the other, the pic I posted was actually an earlier model) and it would probably be a good idea to look for one of those. But I have done a 180° on 9mm pistols, mainly based on my hatred of the Baretta 92F (M-9) POS that the USAF made us carry. I liked the MP5s we trained on in Belgium, but I will always hate the M-9. My next pistol will most likely be the PT709 Slim, simply because I am impressed with the PT111 and secondly because I did like the ease of which I could conceal the P3AT despite it being such a crappy shooter that ate very expensive and hard-to-find ammo. Overall length of 6" and a grip width of under an inch, plus 7+1 rounds of 9mm makes for a good BUG, and its got better sights than the Heinie's on the PT111 (I forgot to mention that the 'straight 8' sights on the PT111 are one aspect that I am overly thrilled with). But let me conclude by emphasizing that I have not had one FTF/FTE with the PT111 and don't expect to, it is probably the best gun in that price range (~$300). As a matter of fact, that is my new recommendation...if you need an inexpensive but reliable carry and self-defense pistol that has cheap and relatively plentiful ammo, look at the PT111. If you can spend a little more and like the .45, get an XD. If you can afford a 1911, get one as well, every red-blooded American male should own at least one. And if you are strictly looking for a home defense weapon, find yourself a pistol-gripped 12 gauge! Cheers! M2

Yep, Frank's the "little" brother... This is when Frank Gorenc was really thin, it almost looks like he's gained a little of the weight back. That's a good thing, as he looks a little too emaciated in this photo... p.s. Here's the story behind the above photo.

-9- I got a great deal at $275; but I saw one at the show this morning that was $100 more and in not nearly as nice shape. At last week's show I saw several that were horribly refurbished and going for ~$450! Look around GunBroker.com, there are some better prices there. Cheers! M2

Well, it's been since....errr....Monday that I got a new gun, so today I went and picked up a companion for my "bubba-ized" Yugo SKS... This is another Yugo SKS with all matching numbers (to include the stock) and in pristine condition. It has no import markings and it doesn't appear to have been refurbished or anything. I have a nice supply of stripper clips already (they came with bubba, although neither the AK-type magazine nor the TAPCO 2-rounders I got can use them) but they work in the 5-round attached magazine on this one. Here are the cousins... I hope to get out to Bullis tomorrow to shoot it, it's heavy but well balanced. On a different note, we went to a gun show this morning and I saw what might be my next pistol, a Taurus PT709 Slim. I have been very impressed with the PT111 I got earlier this week and the 709 is a slimmer, single-stack version of almost the same pistol. It is what I liked about the Kel-Tec (easy to conceal) without the crappiness (it has decent sights and uses 9mm). Another guy had my hold the S&W AirLite 340PD, the lightest .357 revolver I have ever held! I wonder how that bad boy is to shoot, it is a 12oz scandium snubby! I would imagine that the power of the recoil in such a light gun would be painful, possibly too painful! Heck, even with the tank that the Ruger .GP100 .357 I have I "feel" the magnum rounds after a while (well, compared to a .45). It might be better with .38 +P; but that thing was impressively light; and anyone who prefers carrying a concealed revolver over a semi-auto should consider this pistol! Cheers! M2

Yep, both he and his older brother, Maj Gen Stanley Gorenc, immigrated to the United States in 1962. And JC, Gorenc lost a lot of weight when he got picked up for his star; he almost looks anemic compared to his old self. But I will agree as I also hope this is just another step towards bigger and better things for him. He is truly one of the finest Air Force officers I had the pleasure and honor of working with, and it is understandable why he is so well liked and respected. Cheers! M2

The guidon has been passed...a great day for USAFE and the Air Force indeed! Cheers! M2

Honestly, I was quite impressed with this article O'Grady wrote, despite the rhetoric... "Strong Proponent of the Second Amendment" I like; but "Bosnian War Survivor?" Give me a fucking break! Still, I will give him credit for being on the correct side of this issue! Cheers! M2

Well, I now know I did get the much better deal! I shot about 50-60 rounds through the PT111 this afternoon and it is very accurate. Honestly, my bias against 9mm has dramatically decreased; I think it had a lot to do with that piece of shit Beretta 92F (M9). Regardless, the Taurus was flawless for me (I had a bud and his family out there who also shot it, they had a few problems but I think that was due to limp wristing the weapon when shooting). I had no problems whatsoever, and the only drawback I found was that I forgot it was a compact and gave myself a nasty pinch doing a quick reload exercise. Overall, I am very happy with the deal I got, the Kel-Tec P3AT wasn't a fun gun to shoot and I couldn't get accurate with it. Such small guns require a different technique that I haven't bothered to learn, I know some people can master them but personally I would rather have a larger weapon. The PT111 fits that bill nicely and whereas it isn't nearly as concealable as the Kel-Tec but I wasn't really looking for that as much as I was something both the wife and I could use. Cheers! M2

All yours, my friend!

Yeah, I see them all the time at Lackland and I have to admit, I think they are pretty cool looking... Cheers! M2

Even trade, which I think I got the better end of but I am noticing that one of the magazines has the slightest bend/dent in the top of the lip keeping the rounds from feeding smoothly. I am trying to figure out if I can fix it or just find another mag (I got two). It's no XD, but for the price (I got a great deal on the P3AT, so an even better deal for me), it's seems to be a decent compact. Cheers! M2

Well, I found out how to improve the accuracy of the P3AT I got...trade it for a Taurus PT111! It's a 3rd gen and looks like the above. It probably has a 200-300 rounds down it, and is in pretty good shape both inside and out. It needs to be cleaned a little but I am gonna shoot it first. It is a lot bigger than the Kel-Tec, and I am still not sure if I am a fan of the 9mm (I never really have been) but I am willing to give this gun a chance. If I like it, I'll keep it; and if I don't I will see if the wife like it and then I will pawn it off on her and buy myself something else. If we both don't like it, I will trade it for an XD-40SC or something... Stay tuned for a range report, most likely later this week but Saturday at the latest. Cheers! M2

Trace That's was a well-established fact about he-whose-name-shall-also-not-be-spoken(a former CSAF renown for new uniforms is the original HWNSNBS, y'know, the one that scored a DUI later on in life that never made the news), but HWNSANBS did finally score some "combat hours" by being a box lunch consumer aboard and RC-135 over Kosovo or some other neutralized airpsace. About the only productive contribution HWNSANBS ever provided was comic relief on AFN when he was fucking up USAFE, but even then he screwed it up by overplaying his cards. Now that Time has made this forum more famous, maybe HWNSANBS will get curious and Google himself on here (the decrepit old bastard loves to read about himself), and he'll learn how much the vast majority of his "troops" hated his fucking guts and thought him to be the ultimate assclown! Cheers! M2