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WELCOME TO THE NO BS ZONE OF TEDDY JACOBSON


I wanted to continue this commentary while it was fresh on my mind and expand into other areas. I am quite saddened to see how the gun industry has cheapened most of their products. They will all tell you quite the opposite but I know better. Years ago a SW revolver was what every one wanted, I am referring to the 1960's where an SW revolver was very hard to find and they were in such demand that I can not begin to explain it. I had such a very hard time trying to find my model 60 and then my model 66, that not only had a pinned barrel but recessed chambers and stainless steel front and rear sights. I still have those two very same guns. The 66 was never fired to this day as it has been on display at many gun shows and it has been in magazines and has been dry fired at least 3000 times. It is as smooth as any Colt Python ever made.


I want to first continue talking about semi autos and go from there. I have worked on an awful lot of Ruger "P" series semi auto's and they are a very inexpensive handgun. Ruger with out a doubt still makes the very best castings in the business. It is a very budget minded series of handguns that work and work very well. Do I own one ?? NO, because I like refined handguns for a south paw that are not as bulky to carry and that is why I have stuck with Glock and the HK P7 handguns all these past years. I have worked on many Ruger "P" series pistols for many well known people including the famous gun writer John Taffin. I have done a lot of trigger work on these pistols thru the years when everyone said that nothing could be done to improve the action. Most everything can be refined if you know how.


Most everything in these Ruger series "P" pistols is a casting. There are a few stamped parts but with Rugers expertise in the casting business it is and always has been a very reliable handgun, that I would stake my life on. Its a pistol that is too bulky for me to carry on a daily basis. There are things that I like and certainly things that I do not like about the "P" series handguns. I have found in current production pistols the Single Action trigger pull is more of a problem than the Double Action trigger pull. When dealing with rough castings you must know how to refine them very carefully. Its like what Gila Hayes the famous woman gun writer once told me, no one should be allowed to purchase a dremel tool unless they have a license. That is the truth and she is right and I never forgot what she told me.


There have been some upgrades in the Ruger line through the years and I never liked the way they retained the trigger in the frame but it worked. Take down for field stripping can be tricky but once you understand it there is no problem. I once did a "P" series handgun for a woman that used it in competition and she did remarkably well with it, it was totally reliable and I would not have hesitated to take her Ruger to a social encounter of any kind. I can not keep up with all the various model numbers that all the companies use, thats why I keep a ton of reference manuals in my office area. I have books on everything you can imagine. I have worked on many of the plastic frame Ruger pistols and its more of a fiber glass resin that is reinforced than the standard polymer you usually see. They use a straight wire type trigger bar spring that has been modified through the years.


All in all I think these pistols are good working handguns although I have no desire to personally own one. My tastes run differently than the average person as I never shoot a handgun as much as I used to and I just want a small carry gun that works well and is fairly accurate as I do not put a big demand on choice of caliber like other people do. I know that its BULLET PLACEMENT, always has been and always will be. For those that are looking for a reasonably priced semi auto pistol this Ruger "P" series may just be what you are looking for. Now that high capacity magazines are fully available I would think that Ruger would offer them again to the public. I do believe that they have a carbine in 9mm or 40 sw caliber that will use these same pistol magazines.


The only thing that bothers me about most of these companies is that they restrict certain items for sale to the public and that includes me. If they have a critical part they put on their not for sale list, you must return the gun to the factory for them to install it. Replacing the front sight on a "P" series handgun is not that easy as it require you to drill two holes exactly in the right spot on the new sight, so it will line up with the holes in the slide for the two pins to be inserted properly so that you do not scratch the slide. This little operation is not as easy as you think.


Moving on to other semi autos lets talk briefly about the CZ line of handguns. These are economically priced and they fit nicely in your hand. Would I buy one ?? NO, because I find the internal quality on the rough side but they are very reliable and many people around the world carry this pistol because they like it, even in Israel it is well accepted. I do not like the flared roll pin they use for their trigger pin. I have replacement solid steel metric pins I can use in an emergency. I do not really like to work on this pistol but I have done a great many of them which include the CZ 75 and 85. I have made slave pins to make it easier to install the trigger assembly. Trying to put many of these pistols back together without the use of slave pins and other tools I have made would be a nightmare.


For those that want one of these pistols they are readily available. You can buy the original CZ which is made in the Czech Republic and it has a baked on finish. You can also buy the clones that are made in Italy which are of equal value and also work well. Remember that the size of the sight dovetail may varie with the country of origin. These CZ pistols are too heavy for me to consider for a daily carry gun. I have had no problem in getting parts for these guns in the past. Now that Dan Wesson (DW) has been purchased by CZ you need to ask yourself what is next for the classic 1911 that DW is owned by the Czech Company. I hear all kinds of rumors about new 1911 pistols that are coming out but I can not tell you truth from fiction, I simply do not know.


I understand there is a new 1911 manual out on the market written by Robert Campbell, I had a call about it today but I have never seen it. I have known Robert Campbell for a great many years and he has always been a very honorable man. I have done a lot of work for him and his "CHIEF" in years past. I do not think Bob knows that I have been forced to semi retire due to declining health. I sincerely wish him success with his new manuals.


I want to briefly touch on Kimber pistols, they make an extensive line of 1911 handguns and they look nice but Kimber is known for their use of MIM parts. That is not all bad but there are failures in any part that has an air bubble in a strategic area of stress. If you buy a Kimber I suggest you stay with the full size five inch government model and stay away from the very small kimbers. This is strictly my opinion as there is not enough slide weight and they compensate for lack of slide weight with spring power. That does not always work very well. Would I purchase a Kimber ?? NO... that does not mean that you should not, its strictly personal opinion.


I will touch on revolvers real quick by saying the current S&W revolvers in my opinion are a mere shadow of the older models from years gone by that were made and assembled by true craftsmen that are now in cemetaries. I can still get a superb trigger pull on current S&W revolvers but they are not the same. I am not holding politics in my opinion and I do know what happened in years past and that many people refused to by S&W products. I am not one of those people. I know many of the officials at the S&W factory and they are doing what they must to be competitive and survive in todays market, but I do not have to like it.
In my opinion there is no reason to have the new lock on the very left side of the frame. I would guess it was a LAWYER that made them do that. To some one like me it makes no sense, but a lot of things do not make any sense to me, I would like to know who is making all these MIM parts for everyone, are they made in places like China or Pakistan or India, etc, etc. Fortunately I still have a few of the older S&W revolvers that I will never sell.


Ruger revolvers for the most part are the very same and I see no reduction in cheapening the parts or the gun. Ruger has never had a refined action although it can be greatly refined. What Ruger needs to do is come out with a light weight small revolver that will compete with the centennial S&W revovers. I think that is only a matter of time. Its much more difficult to work on Ruger revolvers unless you understand how they work and you can correct problems by defining the symptoms as I have done all these years. At this point in time I would have to say that the Ruger SP101 and the Ruger GP100 are the only two revolvers that I would buy for myself. Having said that the downside is that Ruger will not sell you or me any part they deem critical and you must return the gun to the factory for them to install critical parts. That is not a good thing if we get attacked again and there is no way to ship a handgun.


I will comment on Taurus revolvers and this is my personal opinion only. They are not the equal to the current S&W or Ruger revolvers. The positive side is that Taurus gives you a lifetime warranty. I regret that there is not a Taurus gun made that I have a desire to own. My only question is when will they start to make a 1911 pistol and join the rest of the gang. I have worked on many Taurus revolvers and semi autos and many people like them and they are priced right but only you can decide what is best for you. I have worked on a great many of their models and some I liked better than others. Their revolver design is not a copy of the S&W design. Rossi was a copy of the S&W design as was the Ruby revolver of Spain. I am a very big fan of North American Arms mini revolvers and I like the company and their employees and their owner.


Before I end this commentary let me say a few words about Surefire flashlights, they are superbly made and they no longer sell to wholesalers, but in order to buy one its best to go directly to the company www.surefire.com
I think all other flashlights are measured in relationship to these very superior lights.


For those that want to get a very well made flashlight that uses LED lifetime bulbs I suggest you go to www.inovalight.com
These products are also top of the line and it should be understood that even though they are much cheaper they are very high quality.


I am going to end this commentary for now and I hope I have helped you by giving you my opinion. All my commentaries are my personal opinion and my personal viewpoint based on my extensive experience I am sharing with you.


Thanks for all your nice emails.

Teddy