|
Forum Rules | Firearms Safety | Firearms Photos | Links | Library | Lost Password | Email Changes |
Register | FAQ | Calendar | Today's Posts | Search |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
May 5, 2013, 01:19 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 20, 2011
Location: Alabama
Posts: 349
|
Military Unit Commemorative firearms
This is a new trend of the past few years of which I have only recently become familiar. My current unit did a group purchase of Colt 1911's during their AF deployment a few years ago (I was not with the unit then), and we are now planning another commemorative for our current deployment. No Colt this time, but a choice of SIGs: Scorpion .45 ACP, and a P250 in .40 S&W. Another unit with which I am familiar hasn't even gotten downrange yet and they have already gotten their purchase planned. In most cases, the mfgr will engrave the unit name and/or motto, patch, campaign, etc. It's a great idea for gun guys, although it can get expensive for frequent deployers! Too bad my unit back in 2007 didn't have something like this for our OIF "Surge" deployment.
My topic of discussion: what to do with such a piece? Most of they guys I've talked to say they're gonna shoot it some; others say it'll remain unfired, especially to avoid solvent possibly getting on the inlay. I'm most likely in the latter category: it will be a conversation piece and a keepsake, probably nothing more. I already have a 1911, and I have two .40s, so it's not exactly filling a niche that I don't already have covered. by the way, I have made it a practice to buy a new firearm immediately after a deployment ($$ already set aside for it), and was mulling over what to get when I get home when I found out about this. Now, the commemorative may be a splendid idea, but as I told the wife "this is special--it doesn't count". I'll still be making MY unique purchase when I get home! Thinking about a big-bore SA revolver....don't have that angle covered as I sold the only one I ever owned back in 1992 |
May 5, 2013, 02:17 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 22, 2010
Posts: 221
|
My unit did the Sig 250 in .45ACP a year or two, I shot it once and it's lived in the safe ever since. Only reason I picked one up was for the memory.
Bummer was that nobody wanted to spend the $700'ish for the 1911 when they saw the $500 pricetag of the 250. Had we purchased the 1911's I'd probably shoot it frequently and have a much better pistol. |
May 5, 2013, 02:41 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 15, 2013
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,416
|
Buy two -- one to keepsake and one to shoot.
|
May 5, 2013, 03:59 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 12, 2010
Location: Lake Martin, AL
Posts: 3,311
|
Thanks to you Men/Women serving our Country. The sacrifice you are making is hard to fathom. I know how tough one tour in Nam was, and it pales in comparrison to today's multiple deployments.
I say you certainly deserve a reward for your sacrifice. One day many years from now, your unit(s) will have reunions as my unit does now from 40 to 50 years ago. Several of my comrades did not get to enjoy this almost half century of earthly life, and many more have not survived to the next reunion. It will be nice if you can wear and show off your commemorative pistols at your future reunions. Also a big thanks to your spouses for their sacrifice. Their back home time has been very demanding on all of them especially those with children. Please make sure if you are going to reward yourself, that you also provide them with a very special gift. |
May 5, 2013, 04:08 PM | #5 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 19, 2006
Posts: 452
|
Quote:
As for Det pistols we were considering 1911's as well but nobody can agree on one pistol so it will probably fall through. |
|
May 5, 2013, 07:12 PM | #6 |
Junior member
Join Date: June 21, 2009
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 1,176
|
I've seen a recent unit purchase of a "commemorative" SIG P250 .45. It was o.k., but had it been me, I would have MUCH preferred a Colt 1911, or even a Beretta 92FS/M9 (current sidearm of the Army, where I served and the friend who is currently in serves) done up for a unit. For some reason, those two guns have a true "link" to the Army, and both are maybe more interesting, etc, because of that. The SIG just seems wrong. Maybe a bright blued gun, either Colt or Beretta, with gold accents along with the special engraved unit stuff.
|
May 11, 2013, 08:46 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 11, 2006
Posts: 2,519
|
Why not a classic...
BHP?
|
May 11, 2013, 08:58 PM | #8 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: November 30, 2010
Posts: 3,513
|
Quote:
Quote:
Last edited by Dragline45; May 11, 2013 at 09:10 PM. |
||
May 11, 2013, 09:27 PM | #9 |
Junior member
Join Date: June 21, 2009
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 1,176
|
They chose it because Sig was doing the marketing better than Beretta and Colt, and the price was low.
|
May 11, 2013, 09:31 PM | #10 |
Staff
Join Date: September 25, 2008
Location: CONUS
Posts: 18,468
|
Para-Ordnance was doing unit pistols several years ago -- very nice ones, in fact. Have they stopped doing that since morphing into Para USA and being sold from private ownership to the Freedom Group?
|
May 11, 2013, 09:44 PM | #11 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 30, 2010
Posts: 3,513
|
Quote:
|
|
May 14, 2013, 08:40 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 6, 2007
Location: E. Oregon
Posts: 563
|
I have a SIG 250 engraved with my daughters (a 68W FET) company and infantry battalion emblem on it. She bought it for me. I shoot it a lot and really like it.
I do not care what it is, 1911, M9, P226. I do care a great deal for what it stands for and symbolizes. |
May 15, 2013, 10:10 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 1, 2004
Location: Remote Utah desert
Posts: 224
|
Over at the Smith & Wesson forum, in February 2009, in the Wish List section I posted a wish that Smith & Wesson would issue a commemorative Model 15 .38 Special to honor the U.S. Air Force.
I also suggested that Model 10s be issued to honor the Army, Navy and Marines. Many people do not realize that the .38 Special revolver was carried in all the services, as regular issue or for special applications, from the 1940s through the early 1990s. Most of these .38s were Smith & Wessons. The Air Force had the best issued .38 Special in the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece: 4" barrel, adjustable sights, target trigger and target hammer. It was light on the belt, very accurate, utterly reliable and easily maintained. Alas, the USAF load was weak: 130 gr. full metal jacket at 800 fps. I just checked, and my four-year-old suggestion has collected 129 messages and had 32,081 hits! I have also written Smith & Wesson three times through the years, but never received a reply. I still think that a .38 or .357 revolver makes a fine commemorative gun. A good .38 is about the handiest and most versatile pistol extant. It will function with very light loads, shotshells, blanks, +P loads, etc. I love my Kimber 1911, but the .38 is a pleasurable gun to shoot, cheap to feed, low recoiling with target loads, easy to collect the empties for reloading, and with the right loads can be a good self defense gun. Through the years I've introduced many confirmed semi-auto shooters to the pleasure of a 4" .38 Special with adjustable sights, and most were hooked. Yes, the .38 is not authentic to most modern units, but it does offer utility and its own panache. Don't overlook it as a commemorative that will be welcomed.
__________________
"And lo, did I see an ugly cat. Smoke. Brimstone. Holes in parchment. And this ugly cat was much amused." --- The Prophesies of Gatodamus (1503 - 1566) |
May 16, 2013, 12:18 AM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2007
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,299
|
We had 38 Specials on the ship...but they were Ruger Service Sixes, and nobody could tell me how they got there.
Commemorative firearms, interesting idea...we didn't have that, or challenge coins, or any of that interesting stuff nowadays, just a cheap belt buckle engraved with a poor drawing of my ship. |
May 16, 2013, 09:37 AM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 27, 2009
Posts: 3,968
|
I think the 1911 has become the "De Facto" gun for commemorative pistols. The large flat slide is easy to engrave and has a large surface area to fill with artwork. Not to mention the long service record and nostalgia it has with the US military. I would look into having my own 1911 done.
__________________
Sic Semper Tyrannis |
May 16, 2013, 02:44 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 14, 2009
Location: Sunshine and Keystone States
Posts: 4,461
|
My son just got back from Afghanistan and while he was gone ordered a really nice Colt M1991A1 Stainless with a number of customizations - general task force and specific unit markings on the slide (both sides), a custom serial # (his unit's call sign and a two-digit number) and custom grips with his unit nickname. It's very cool and I thought it was a bargain at $825. We picked it up just this week and he intends not to shoot it. Only 7 guys in his unit bought it (vs. a cheaper plastic gun) so it's practically one-of-a-kind. Since he lives on base I get to keep it for him.
|
May 16, 2013, 08:26 PM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 27, 2009
Posts: 3,968
|
It deserves to absolutely be shot!
You don't drive a fast car at only 30 mph around the neighborhood. You don't convince pretty girls to become nuns. (Unless they are YOUR daughter.) You don't play rock music on the low volume settings. And.... You don't let good guns collect dust in the safe. As "rare" as it maybe, the collector value is very low because of the market. (The only guys who want it already bought one.) To everyone else it's just another 1911 and probably worth less than a standard one. He should really take it out and enjoy it. (At least occasionally.)
__________________
Sic Semper Tyrannis |
May 17, 2013, 10:35 AM | #18 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 14, 2009
Location: Sunshine and Keystone States
Posts: 4,461
|
EdInk -
I agree with your points, but that's his decision so I'll leave it up to him. It's his first (of I hope many) handguns so he will have lots of other opportunities to shoot and may want to leave this one untouched. |
May 22, 2013, 12:28 PM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 20, 2011
Location: Alabama
Posts: 349
|
Military Unit Commemorative firearms
So now that I've had time to mull it over, I ordered the Scorpion 1911, and I'm going to shoot it. I pretty much arrived at the conclusion stated above; it won't have any collector value to anyone but me and the others who are also buying one. I'll just be careful with the Hoppes #9!
|
May 22, 2013, 01:42 PM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 27, 2009
Posts: 3,968
|
You can't have too much money or Hoppes 9! I am glad you choose the 1911 variant and that it will not just collect dust in the safe. Thank you for your service and enjoy the pistol.
__________________
Sic Semper Tyrannis |
May 23, 2013, 10:14 AM | #21 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 26, 2005
Location: The Bluegrass
Posts: 9,142
|
This is a little off topic but I saw a custom handgun/holster/grips combo a veteran had made to commemorate his service. They are awesome looking:
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=418518. For more photos of the gun: http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=357743 |
May 24, 2013, 12:00 AM | #22 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 25, 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,951
|
I my unit armory we had Ruger Security sixes, Colt Police Positives, Smith Model 15's and 143 1911,s. The revolvers were for special duties or for personel who couldn't shoot the .45,s
__________________
http://www.armsmaster.net-a.googlepages.com http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/f...aster270/Guns/ Retired LE, M.P., Sr. M.P. Investigator F.B.I. Trained Rangemaster/Firearms Instructor & Armorer, Presently Forensic Document Examiner for D.H.S. |
May 25, 2013, 02:02 PM | #23 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 8, 2004
Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
Posts: 2,457
|
Re: Military Unit Commemorative firearms
My unit decided to do commemorative guns. Some other "gun guys" and I begged for Colts. They went with Sigs (M400, P229, Scorpion 1911). I didn't buy one.
My last tour, the unit did Paras. Mine became a safe queen, but only because it slide locked every other round as the round on the left side of the magazine hit the slide release as it moved up into position for feeding. |
May 25, 2013, 05:22 PM | #24 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 13, 2011
Location: Carolina
Posts: 3,415
|
I have 2 unit guns---SIG 229 and 226. I shoot the crap out of them
__________________
Mrgunsngear Youtube Channel |
May 25, 2013, 08:22 PM | #25 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 15, 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 10,808
|
None of those guns will ever have any real collector interest except to a handful of guys. I'd shoot them. It is a lot like the thousands of commemorative Winchester 94's they made over the years. Very very few are worth any more than a standard 94. They made too many.
|
|
|