Friday, June 24, 2011

Ballistic Soulmate

So, I got the idea from a Gunbroker.com commercial.  A guy holding a 1911, saying that it was his "ballistic soulmate" and how he got it on Gunbroker.  It made me chuckle and I obviously remembered it, so it must have been a good ad.  So, on to the point.  What is your "ballistic soulmate"?

This is not just a gun porn or "look at my gun(s)" post.  It is more born of my curiosity about the connection we have with these tools.  I'm just very interested in how some firearms seem to "speak" to certain people.  It doesn't have to be particularly fancy or expensive to feel like an extension of you.  It may not even be the one you carry all of the time.  For me it certainly isn't.  It's just the one that always seems to "feel" right.  It seems to almost shoot itself. 



Don't look at me like that, I know you know what I'm talking about.

Here is my conundrum on this post:  I can't decide, so I went with a handgun and and long gun.  I'm already blowing up my own meme, I know.  So, moving on to the meat of the matter, this is my handgun that just absolutely is my ballistic soulmate.

Love at first sight
It is my Les Baer Custom Comanche 1911.  It was sold to me at cost as a tip from a client waaay back when I was hunting guide.  The extra-special tip was the 3,000 rounds of .45 ACP that came with it (long since gone).  The gun also came with advice regarding the high thumb grip which improved my performance dramatically.  This gun holds my hand when I pick it up.  When my wife reads this I'll probably have to be supervised around it from now on.  I love to carry it, but as we know sometimes it just isn't practical and that's why we tend to have a gun safe full of options.  At least that's my excuse.  These aren't all toys, they're options.


In a more recent picture:  The new grips are Cocobolo and are inset with a Texas quarter.  They were a gift from a friend on last year's big shooting trip that we do annually.  They're awesome.  I also acquired some Chip McCormick Power Mags, though I also still use the Wilson mags that came with it.


So, moving on to my other love...
Uhhh, hey baby


It is an engraved Remington 700 BDL in 7mm STW (Shooting Times Westerner).  What a love/hate relationship this has been.  I love it when I shoot it, I hate it when I try to find ammunition.  My wallet generally despises this rifle.  It is the main reason I've been considering getting into reloading.  Two years ago (out of desperation) I scoped my AR-15 for deer season.  It turned out to be an awesome culling rifle and I saved a ton, but it didn't "do" anything for me. 

Comparison: 7mm STW (top) and .223 (bottom) - obviously

The Two Towers
7mm STW (L) .223 (R)
Then a situation transpired that put the STW back into my hands.  Last season we were culling a lot of trash bucks and one particular fork was being a persistent pain in the hind quarters.  I didn't shoot him early in the season while I was still trying to monitor and determine the worst offenders for which to use my limited tags.  D'oh!  This guy became a legend on the lease within the next month.  He would literally run through the hunting area and you had no chance to react.  Why he even continued to move through the same area if he was so spooked is beyond me.  Well, out came big Mr. 7 and a change in tactics. I moved from the blind up the hill.  The above picture was taken sitting on an overlook where he came through.  I ended up shooting a different deer that day, but it was so much more memorable than all of the deer I shot the year before with the AR.  A friend ended up finally getting the fork later in the season.  The STW has taken Aoudad at 400 yards and Red Stag at 50 yards.  It has taken 6 Axis from the same herd in one sitting.  Now, that was a wild time with a rifle that holds 2+1 (3+1 if you really squeeze them in).  The point is that gun made the hunt fun again.  I just seem to exude confidence when I use it, but not in me... in the rifle.

With Versa-Pod
So, tell me if you have a "ballistic soulmate".  Is it just a "feeling", or are you more left-brained about the technical reasons?  The curiosity regarding guns that "speak" to their owners has stirred me and I'd love to hear more.
Mmmmm, Axis

11 comments:

  1. I have several Firearms that are "ballistic soulmates". Not so much because of caliber, model, manufacturer, or performance, just the "provenance" they have. These mechanical devices link me to my heritage and youth. Some I bought new over a quarter a century ago, some were handed down to me from previous generations. Some I learned to shoot with in my youth with my Fathers guidance. I have several "new guns" but I don't think they will ever speak to me as much.

    They DO speak to me. I am proud to go to my classes teaching CCH and Basic Pistol for new shooters with my Colt Commander on my hip. There is no "left brain" here. I know I can go get a wonder polymer pistol with twice the capacity and such. I just love the feel of that pistol and it faithfully served on a three day class at the US Training Center recently.

    This M1911A1 speaks to me. A Colt Match Target .22LR pistol, Winchester 9422 lever action rifle, and Colt Mustang Plus II in .380 all add to the effect.

    Excellent post! I should add more but perhaps a theme for my blog later!

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  2. Take it and run, please! I'd be honored for you to make a post. Feel free to post a link in the comments. I did some updating to my post to put more recent (and just more) pictures in.

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  3. I'm going to have to think about this one.

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  4. 45er, a slightly belated welcome to the blogging community. I found my way here via Say Uncle. I really liked the whiskey brownie recipe idea. I will be trying that later this week after a trip to the liquor store. As to my ballistic soul mate, can I just say "All" and be done with it? If I had to pick one handgun, it would be the 1911 style. I don't care if it's the cheapest RIA or a top of the line Wilson Combat, the design in all its permutations just speaks volumes to me. It's the one that I think of when someone mentions pistols. For rifles, I always find myself coming back to the Remington 700 bolt action.

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  5. I was anti-gun before I shot my first 1911. The first gun I ever bought was a 1911. The gun I carry almost every day is a 1911.

    Also on a side note I have some SERIOUS love for my Mix-Master FAL.

    All above 1911s were in .45 ACP the FAL in .308 natch.

    You have a point indeed!

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  6. Shepherd: thanks for stopping by. I get where you are coming from on the 1911s. I carry tactical tupperware a lot, but 1911s just get me. The Remington/Winchester thing is the Ford/Chevy of bolt rifles. I'm with ya on the Rems. Do the brownies, trust me. We're going to try them with bourbon next.

    Weerd: good to have you, too. It has been a while since I shot an FAL, but I'm a fan. Seems like 1911's are trending here. (Unscientific poll)

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  7. I don't get to carry or nuthin', but what gets me giggling like a schoolgirl is my M1909 Colt New Service in .45LC, it's like shooting .38specials, and I had to get it as THE effective sidearm for a M1898 .30-40 Krag - Remember the Maine!

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  8. DirtCrashr: I'm so sorry you don't get to exercise your 2A rights. If you can squeeze a permit out of your state (I know, blood from a turnip) we'll gladly let you carry in Texas. Texas has reciprocity with pretty much every state. I like the guns you referenced, especially that Colt. When you toss those out there it just reminds me of a friend over at http://rockinaseaofchaos.blogspot.com/ (in the blogroll to right as well) You should check him out, he digs the unique and oddball stuff.

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  9. http://cdn.okcimg.com/php/load_okc_image.php/images/0x0/0x0/0/8377710055134975531.png___1_500_1_500_cb94de6a_.png

    that is not mine (dad hocked it, thankfully hasn't sold it) but this is the type of weapon i inherited from my grandfather when he passed - it means more to me than any other item i've ever owned - and yea it fits my hand like a glove

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