Future Shooty Goodness?

Alas, another year goes by and I am unable to fulfill my duty on Buy a Gun Day.

Not for lack of wanting, mind you. We were out last weekend to get some shoes for The Little Girl. She wanted some sandals, and I quickly got tired of El Cheapo Shoe Emporium Payless, so off to Academy Sports we went. We found her some Sketchers pretty quickly. Of course, I could not leave without perusing the BBQ stuff and the gun counter (in that order).

At the gun counter, happiness was located. There was nothing for us in the bolt-action rimfire selection, so we moved down to the handguns where, lo and behold, there was a boomstick who's time had passed (and, apparently, come back 'round). Beretta is making the 92 Compact L again!



From a distance, it looks just like a 92FS. For the most part, that's true. It still has the same open-slide design, just shorter. The barrel is also shorter, and the tip of the barrel doesn't protrude as far from the slide as the bigger pistol; in fact, the barrel is only a touch shy of being flush with the slide. The grip is shorter as well. Enough so that the magazines come with a slight pinky extension. My hands are big, and I juuuuust needed that extension, so the smaller-handed may never need it. To accommodate 13-rd double-stacked 9mm magazines, the width is the same as its big brother, which is a major selling point for The Wifey (who has no use for thinner pistols. She selected our 92FS because of the grip size, not in spite of it). If you pine for a thinner pistol, fret thee not. According to Beretta International, they are also making the Type M variant: a thinner pistol with 8-rd single-stacked 9mm magazines.

Needless to say, The Wifey quickly fell in love. She was not alone.

I've been after a 1911 for some time now. I know I'll get one; it's just a matter of when. I've always like Springfield 1911s, so I grab them whenever they're there for the grabbing. Now I've grabbed the one I'mma buy one day.



That, ladies and gentlemen, is a Parkerized Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 in .45ACP. Ain't she a beaut? Comes from the factory with a slew of options; some of which I want on a gun I intend to carry (Novak sights with Tritium inserts, a beavertail grip safety), some of which I don't need but like anyway (skeleton trigger/hammer), and some that have a fair or better chance of being replaced (mainspring housing with ILM, full-length guide rod, ambidextrous thumb safety). I've held a ton of 1911s. I've never found one I didn't like, but this one was magic. This one will be mine. And for $850 at Academy, I'd be crazy not to!

So there you have it, folks. The Wifey gets the next gun, and there's a very good chance she'll wait on the bolt gun and get the compact 92. I'm all for either choice. I have no doubt what my next gun will be, though.

Now, we wait...



tweaker