Hey there....

I wanted to tell of a neat comparison that I did yesterday with a buddy of mine. We went to the local indoor range here in town to shoot off some rounds. Here's the firearms used:

Me: Taurus 85, .38sp snubby
Rented by Me: Auto-Ordinance M1911-A1 .45ACP

Buddy: Smith&Wesson 5906 9mm
Buddy: Marlin camp carbine 9mm rifle.

I started out with a standard bullseye target strung out to 10 yards. The Taurus 85 with the 2" snubby barrel couldn't hit the broadside of a barn! [:'(] I had shots all over the 9 ring. No consistency groups at all. The buddy of mine was in the next lane and we swapped. He took my Taurus 85 and I took his S&W 5906 9mm. I fell in love with the 9mm and at 10 yards I punched the bullseye repeatedly. The buddy of mine didn't care too much for the Taurus 85, because it's hard to control and get groupings. The velocity is not good at 10 yards.

So, we swapped back and put them down. Out comes the Auto-Ordinance M1911-A1 .45ACP and my buddy got out his beloved Marlin camp carbine 9mm (you can shoot it and a small .22 rifle in an indoor range). As soon as I picked up the 1911-A1, it felt like a long lost friend (I qualified on it during USCG bootcamp - my buddy remembers qualifying on it in the Marines too. Heck, everybody at one point or another has shot the 1911! ) I fell in love with that handgun! The balance, the feel, the weight, etc.... That was it. It was like my buddy's S&W 5906 9mm, but beefier. What's pretty wild is the recoil from both is about the same.

After realizing that I can control the 1911 a lot better than a .38sp snubby, I reeled in my target, tacked up a new one, and my buddy did also. We strung them back out to 10 yards. He used his S&W 5906 and I used the Auto-Ordinance M1911-A1. We both bunched out the bullseyes with them!! Then we swapped again. I fired his 5906 and he fired the M1911-A1 and we continued punching out the rest of the bullseye.

Then, I still wanted to go back to my Taurus 85 .38sp snubby, so I strung up another target. But this time, I strung it out to only 5 yards away. It was so close I could have spit at the target. But sure enough. BAM! I had nice groups in the 10 ring.

The snubby is not accurate at all past 5 yards. It is most likely meant for close up concealed carry, personal protection, where someone is right up in your face.

The S&W 9mm is a heck of a nice 9mm. Nice balance, nice feel, and for me, it's got ambidextrous safeties (I'm a southpaw). It's an excellent 9mm! Never ever heard of it jamming or misfiring.

The M1911-A1 is a legend. There is a certain feeling you get when you pick it up. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers/sailors have defended our great country with the 1911. It is built like a tank and has such a nice feel and balance to it. I was using CCI 230gr FMJ rounds and never had it jam or misfire at all. Being retired military, I felt a strong bond and had memories of bootcamp on the range. Shooting the M1911-A1 was excellent. It was like an old friend.


Now, as far as getting another firearm (wonder what my wife would say!), I have to weigh the differences between a 9mm and the .45ACP. My first and foremost choice would be to get a Springfield Armory WWII reproduction M1911-A1. Or, maybe look at Glock 9mm, or Ruger 9mm. I know that I have the small Taurus 85 .38sp snubby, but I now want a full sized firearm with tack driving accuracy. What do you think?

Butch