First and foremost I am a rabid fan of the Mdl. 1911 in .45 caliber, even with my small hands I can handle it easily. The only double stack 9mm I can handle well is the Browning High Power. I own a Springfield standard grade 1911-A1 "BB" ("Before Bankruptcy", when the pistols were made in the United States, not Brazil.). I have already turned down $700.00 offered for this pistol from a friend who wanted one made in the US, even though I understand the Brazilian made models are very good and a lot less expensive than what he offered me. IT IS NOT FOR SALE.

For the venue of this forum, I don't feel a need to discuss anything for getting along in an emergency in the Midwest larger than a .22 long rifle cartridge, preferably in a rifle. If you are talking about hunting, collecting, or combat, then the field would be a lot broader.

What brought about this post is that I was reading old posts and ran into one with all kinds of data being thrown back and forth, primarily about the 9mm. .45 auto, and .380 for their intended purposes by the posters.

Look at the pictures of the attempted assasination of President Regan and observe two very important things.

1) The shooter was able to keep tracking his target due to the light recoil of the .22. Hitting your target means a lot more than loud noises or force of impact.

2) A Secret Service agent trained and conditioned to run into the field of fire reacted from the impact of the .22 to the point of being thrown back and leaving an opening for the one bullet that went between the car door and the roof pillar and hit the President.

For the venue we cover, no one needs a big gun other than possibly aviators who fly over large areas of land where large animals may be a threat. A .22 may not be able to kill a Grizzly in a hurry, but if you put a few shots into the nose, eyes, and face, you will dissuade said Grizzly, and while it is hurt or blind, you should be able to put a couple .22's behind his ear into the brain which will give you food, and one really warm blanket.

The big guns I own are for the house (No CCW in Wisconsin yet, and even if there were, .380 is preferred for carry, and a .22 is an easy choice.), personal enjoyment, and collecters value.

Bountyhunter

Just a Side Word on Brazil, and it's Products / Industry /, and Development. For any of us who may Not be so Familiar.

(This is No Comment, Pro or Con, on the Brazilian Made Gun you Mention. I Know Not on That.)

One may Think Brazil as a Rather Undeveloped, Third World, Banana Republic, "Cheap or Crappy Products" Country. Regarding the First Three of these anyway, -Much of Brazil is Such.

But Much of Brazil is also Not! Much of it is Quite a Longstandingly Developed, Industrious, Country! Brazil is Such a Mixed Picture and Bag. Many Outsiders may Not so Readily Know that!

This Largely Hinges on What Part of Brazil you are In! Of What Part of Brazil One is Talking About!

The Southeast and Far South, are this Country's Industrial and Manufacturing Center, as Well as Most of it's Agricultural Breadbasket. Much Mining and Minerals there as well. A Quite Sizeable Middle Class exists there.

By Contrast, -It's also Populous Northeastern Coastal Bulge, is Predominantly a Poor, Hard Scrabble, Agrarian, Un/Underdeveloped, Third World, Banana Republic Area.

It's been the Historic Seat of Brazil's Yesterday. But it's South, Amazon, and Other Interior Areas, -are Brazil's Today!

Many may Think Brazil Only to be Amazonian Jungled Rainforest, -"What Industry or Development can they Have?!". But that is Only Half or so of Brazil!

Broadly Speaking, -There are at Least Two Brazils! Very Contrastive, Different Brazils! It again Comes Down to Which of these Two Major Brazils, that One is Referring to!

Brazil is perhaps Within the World's 10 Greatest Industrial and Manufacturing Economies! That is Nothing to just Sneeze About!

So a Brazilian Made Firearm or Other Product, -Does Not Neccessarily Equate into "Hong Kong Trinkets"!

However, Beyond This, -I am in No Knowledge or Position, -to Comment any Furthur on your Brazilian Made Firearms, of which you Speak. So I am Not Making any such Further Comment.

I just Wanted to Apprise a More Accurate Picture, -of Brazilian Products, Industry, and Development and So Forth. Towards Any such Area, that Any of us may Not so Readily Know of.

The Gun May or May Not Approach or Be Up to American Snuff. But it Does Come from Quite a Long Industrialized and Developed Country and Economy! And Not a Third World Amazonian Outpost!

I'm Not Saying that you Suppossedly Thought, Said, or Implied the Latter. Just So thats Known! And that may Already be Understood and Known in Any Event! I Do Want to Get Ahead of any *Possible* Mis-Appearance here, though!

Once Again, -It's a Matter of Which Brazil that One is Talking About! Brazil as a Whole is and Has Long Been, -Quite a Mixed Bag! It's Something of a Backwater on the World Scene, -But Also Quite a Potential Powerhouse!

The Latter Potentiality is Going to Come Down to, -When, How, and If, -Brazil May Find That in Itself!

Brazil and it's Culture / Affairs, -is a Continental Sized Country to Keep an Eye Towards and Watch! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]bountyhunter[/email]

One of the happy ironies of our preparedness mindset is the greatly decreased likelyhood of getting in trouble to begin with. Paradoxically, possession of firearms seems to diminish the caliber of reason as the caliber of weapon increases. Reading the various forums, I get the impression bears, mountain lions, chupacabras and Hilary Clinton are hiding behind every tree ( at least those unscathed by knifeforum fieldtests) wiggling derriers anticipating their next unprovoked attack. But, who provokes who? More bears are killed yearly; legally hunted, killed by cars,poached for asian pharmaceuticals, apple orchardmen and would be nimrods blundering into harm's way because Marlin sells a dedicated bear defense rifle than all human deaths attributed to bears in the last 200 years. I'm afraid ego and hubris effect firearm performance, and stupid results more than any compass developing a bubble. At least I can see the bubble affecting true north.

Scott:

I own a Taurus Model 85 Stainless Steel 5-shot revolver with a 3" barrel because I felt the 2" was too small and 4" a little bigger than I wanted at the time. Taurus is a superb manufacturer of high quality firearms and they stand behind their products. They are cutting edge in new semi-automatic pistols and revolvers, yet still appreciate beauty of the ages by making Winchester Mdl. 62A and Mdl. 52 copies in .22 and the new .17 calibers. They are a Brazilian manufacturer.

I own a genuine Winchester Mdl. 62A that I bought more than 40 years ago in a pawn shop in Milwaukee, WI for $19.00. It is my pride and joy and I consider it my most beautiful gun in my small collection. Its current value is in excess of $750.00, and due to financial considerations, I currently have it up for sale at $650.00 (Milwaukeeians are very tight with their money). If I sell it, I can buy a used Rossi or Taurus copy of the Mdl. 62A for $100.00 to $150.00 dollars and I will do so because even though I can not afford the real thing any more, it will be nice to have something similar.

My friend wanted the "Real McCoy" of US manufactur not because of quality concerns as Springfield has an excellant reputation and I am sure they will maintain it no matter where their guns are made, but simply because it is something no longer available and he wants the history that goes with it. You may wonder why I do not sell the pistol instead of the rifle as the money is actually more and the reason is because I can get a very close and excellant copy of the rifle for less money than the original, but I can not do the same with my Springfield .45.

Bountyhunter

Oh I Wasn't Wondering anything about Selling the Pistol Instead of the Rifle.

I Hear, Understand, and Agree with the Points you've Made, -concerning Both your Firearms / Manufacturers as you Mention, and about it's being of Brazilian Manufacture.

As I said, -and I Think you Understand and are Aware of it Already, -I'm certainly Not Commenting on the Firearms Themselves. You and Others Here Know Far More on That than I ! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> [color:"black"] [/color] [email]bountyhunter[/email]