USFirearms 12/22

[Gewehr98]

I'm sure part of the reason U.S. Firearms is so highly regarded is its high end pricing.

Actually, if you're into Cowboy Action Shooting/SASS, you probably are well aware of U.S. Firearms.

They make some darned nice Colt Single Action Army clones. 

(I'm Jonesing for one in .44 Special, myself...)

[Hawkmoon]

Are they poor quality? I've never heard of them before today...

No, USFA makes excellent quality firearms, but they are rather quirky. They have a penchant for coming up with grossly over-priced, oddball stuff that would sell gazillions at one-third their price, but has no real market at the inflated prices they put on them.

Like their "1910" Colt .45 auto, which is an alleged recreation of a prototype pistol that never existed -- and isn't really a 1910 anyway, because the detailing is based on an M1911A1 frame.

They brought in a new VP of marketing a bit over a year ago, and he left within a year. Small wonder. Whoever makes the final decisions at USFA is an idiot.

[GigaBuist]

Thread hijack: why are so many .22LR automatics limited to ten rounds?

Just look at the GSG-5 magazines to see why.  They've got to be curved to fit that many rounds in there without feeding problems.  Simple physics.

[thebucket]

Actually, having been out shooting with my dad this last weekend I discovered that the original magazine that came with his S&W 622 was a 12 round magazine. No problems feeding and it was a straight mag. Nowadays all S&W sells are 10 rounders for it but it originally had a 12 rounder. I think after the AWB companies just stopped bothering to make .22 pistol mags with 10+ rounds.

[MechAg94]

I think 10 rounds was just a tradition.  It was more capacity than most revolvers and semi-autos at one time.  My old High Standard HD only holds 10. 

It figures that this company makes stuff for the cowboy action market.  Much of that stuff is overpriced to a non-aficionado like me.  I wouldn't mind a 44 myself, but I'd hate to pay that much.

[MechAg94]

I am curious about some gun trivia.  What was the first semi-auto 22 pistol?  The High Standards are the oldest I know anything about, but I think Colt and others had them also.

[mtnbkr]

(I'm Jonesing for one in .44 Special, myself...)

You are aware of the Ruger "flattop" Blackhawks coming out next year in 44special, right? 

Chris

[K Frame]

I am curious about some gun trivia.  What was the first semi-auto 22 pistol?  The High Standards are the oldest I know anything about, but I think Colt and others had them also.

Funny you should ask that.

I was looking at my Ideal No. 26 catalog over the weekend. It's from about 1910-1912 or there abouts, and there is an advertisement for the Colt Woodsman as the "NEW COLT AUTOMATIC .22"

It apparently hadn't been named the Woodsman yet.


OK, the Woodsman was introduced in 1915, so my Ideal 26 is a little older than I thought.

[Manedwolf]

Funny you should ask that.

I was looking at my Ideal No. 26 catalog over the weekend. It's from about 1910-1912 or there abouts, and there is an advertisement for the Colt Woodsman as the "NEW COLT AUTOMATIC .22"

It apparently hadn't been named the Woodsman yet.

Didn't JMB develop the .25 ACP specifically because .22LR wasn't reliable in pocket autos?

[K Frame]

Didn't JMB develop the .25 ACP specifically because .22LR wasn't reliable in pocket autos?

Actually, it's a lot more likely that he developed the .25 ACP because at that time most .22 ammunition was still black powder.

There were a number of specialty .22 cartridges developed around that time for the new autoloading rifles by Winchester and Remington. These cartridges weren't interchangeable with the .22 LR, and their only intent was to keep people from fouling the actions of their new auto rifle by shooting black powder or semi-smokeless cartridges in them.

[Gewehr98]

If that Ruger flat-top Blackhawk scales somewhat closer to a Colt SAA, I'd be interested.

That's the reason they came out with the New Vaquero, a bit more graceful than the oversized original Vaquero.