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Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 crazy,

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:21 pm
by dev
I had shot a 9mm about sixteen or so years ago and had loved the experience. But all the while I kept reading the combat shooting experts extolling the virtue of the .45. Heck yeah the 1911 looked nice and I realised yup that's what 'the ghost who walks' uses and let it lie thinking that it was a great piece of marketing etc.

Actually, all along I was intimidated, worried that the pistol would probably dent my forehead during recoil. Being in Delhi has its pluses though, you find a friend who has a .45 pistol and yes sir! it is no less than a pure 1911 colt. And so you get lucky enough to meet up at the 25m pistol range on a great Delhi winter afternoon.

While I was pretty content blasting Ollie's 32 S&W long cartridge, our friend big gun continues to load three magazines of phirang ammo. Now this shit was expensive it was a hundred bucks a pop and so I thought we'll shoot one bullet each and even that seemed real generous.

But by golly no, the big guy had one magazine per chap accounted for. By nature I am pretty cautious (actually bordering on yellow) and so I waited for someone to pick it up while I plonked off a few .32 rounds (pretty good feeling, nice blast but no risk off barrel jumping up to kiss the forehead), I squeeze the trigger and I feel a shockwave from my right side. Damn! I lower the revolver to look and Big GUN is going almost rapid fire with the .45.

It looked like so much fun, that I got over my fear and after a do's and dont's session I was looking down the front sight of this legendary firearm. After a brief prayer to the front sight not to smack me on the cranium, I squeeze the trigger and boom, a slight rise of the barrel and one is back to point of aim in a few seconds. I get selfish and crazy and knock off the whole magazine.

We go and check the target and at 25m, I am amazed to find that all 7 hit the target and not only that the score was pretty decent. I grin and find that my forehead is still glued to the skull and not a dent to worry about. :lol:

I am blown man, these gun lore writers really know what they talk about. This be one man gun that's for sure. Next goes NM and then Ollie who take great delight in churning out tight groups with the 1911. Big Gun glows, watching over us like a proud Dad whose kids did good.

It was one helluva experience and I can just understand how lucky all those who can get a license for a .45 are. I really would love to own one of these pistolas but for now I'm glad that I have a friend who helped me to develop an appreciation for the classic side arm.


Dev

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:30 pm
by Ranjeet Singh
Wow Dev, that must be some experience.

colt 1911 is my fav pistol.

cheers
Ranjeet

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:36 pm
by art_collector
Dear Mr. Dev,

That made an interesting reading.
You are damn lucky --
That u got to fire a 45 COLT ,
Have a frend who let you fire his 45 and wasgenerous enough to let u empty a Full magazine. At 100 bucks a round its peanuts. A friend in Bombay told me he buys Sellior & Bellot rounds at 185/- bucks a round. So may be either you mistaken about the price of the ammo or some nut sold it cheap to you.

AC

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:02 pm
by Olly
After my experience in Bangkok with the 9mm Glock 17, I started considering the .32 shot a 'kid-play' pop and thought I knew how the .38s and .45s would behave. Yesterday showed me how mistaken I was...

Sheer power along with the finesse of the shoot, with the gun slowly lowering itself back to the aiming line is what the Colt 1911 was all about...Big Gun dear spent more than a few minutes to make a novice like me, understand the safety and firing mechanism of this all time classic... and when surrounded by a few good men like Dev and NM, courage was not lacking either.... so a deep breath later, BANG. I had goose pimples with hair standing behind my neck... Yes, I too admired the 'Ghost who walks' but felt like 'Phantom' for the first time in my life.. !

The next was to experiment the time it takes to draw a revolver and fire in a self defence situation. The 32 IOF was taken in 'concealed & carry' belt holster with the safety on. The time taken was 7 seconds to draw the revolver, switch off the safety, aim and fire in double action, single hand. Wonder how it fares with others who've tried this before.... Although all this was done in a jiffy, emulating a real situation, in afterthought, it seems a pretty long time - 7 seconds...

Here are some pics...

Image

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:06 pm
by Olly
Image

So the Delhi Darlings have been upto some adventures and forays into the exciting world of gunning... :D

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:53 pm
by Hunter
Hi Dev,Olly

That was a wonderfully described experience! I was of the opinion that only us Mumbai folk were the lucky ones who could get a 45 licence....dosent seem so now!

Hi AC ,
the cost of 45 ammo(Sellior & Bellot ) in Mumbai is now at about 100-110 per round.

Take care and happy shooting!

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
by Vikram
Nice prose as ever,Dev.Pleasure to read.Congrats guys on a nice outing with a proper pistol. :D

Best-
Vikram

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
by Grumpy
Another convert.
Funny, but even I recognise the `friend` - Some kind of special bloke isn`t he ?

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:16 pm
by Vikram
Olly the Delhi Darling wrote

Big Gun dear

:?: :idea: :lol:

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:26 pm
by Pran
Nice write-up and pics guys. Thanks Dev and Anupam.

Pran

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:49 am
by penpusher
Dev,

Now fire the IOF .32 and you will realize how poorly it handles.Now that you have fired one classic firearm try to fire others,which you can find in India.I will give you a list:-

1.Webley .455(really makes a BIG hole)

2.WG .476(getting ammo for this is going to be problem.Personally have fired just 2 rounds from this)

3.Luger 9mm.The artillery luger with a stock and 32 round drum magazine is fun

4.Astra 900

5.Walther P 38

6. Mauser C96

7.Webley Fosbery

8.S&W .455

Hunter,

Delhi folks are not that lucky.You need a PB license to won a .45 pistol there.

Re: Just got an understanding of why Massad Ayyob is 45 craz

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:56 am
by axp817
looks like everyone had a great time, and the Colt 1911 is indeed a fine weapon, although I have never had the opportunity of shooting or handling one.

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:05 am
by Mack The Knife
I have just deleted over half dozen posts on this thread.

THINK before you post!

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:11 am
by mundaire
Hunter";p="34723 wrote:I was of the opinion that only us Mumbai folk were the lucky ones who could get a 45 licence....dosent seem so now!
Hunter - Mumbai folk are indeed the lucky ones as they can get a .45 ACP on a NPB license... everywhere else, one needs to jump through several hoops and then if one is really lucky.... get a PB license on which a firearm of this de.scription would be entered... Lets pray for a day when this stupid NPB/ PB rules is done away with, opening up many more possibilities for shooters/ enthusiasts in India!


Mack The Knife Bana";p="34776 wrote:I have just deleted over half dozen posts on this thread.

THINK before you post!
Point taken! :oops: But at least I have nicotine deprivation to blame... hmm.... would have been a small consolation (if any) actually....

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:20 am
by Sakobav
Nice one DDs --- Abhijeet the gun looks great..

my experience with big gun was 9mm Glock 17 in India recently with IOF cartridges --every third or second bullet was a miss. So much for having Imported pistols with indian ammo(sic) sorry for meandering

cheers