Early this morning I met up with my good friend BuckyP for a shoot. Its the first time I shot in over a month, so I was looking forward to some trigger time. I brought an odd arrangement of five handguns, which is typical for me.
Below was my lineup (all 9mm this time):
Sig P226 Sport, HK P7, Walther P5 Compact, Astra 600, and Husqvarna Lahti M40
The Sig P226 Sport is a very heavy pistol, weighing in at over 52 ounces empty. This gun shoots extremly well and was Sig’s top of the line P226 target pistol until it was replaced by the X-Five in the mid 2000‘s. They are rare, since not many were built. As you can imagine, the gun is very soft shooting and a tack driver. The steel barrel weight makes it a bit nose heavy compared to my more balanced X-Five L1, but it will match the X-Five’s accuracy from a rest. I don’t shoot it quite as well offhand due to the aforementioned balance.
The HK P7 I brought along was the early model I just recently bought this year. It was built in 1979 and has a four-digit serial number. Today was the first time I shot it. In typical P7 fashion, it shot great. The incredibly low bore axis helps me point them naturally. The gas delayed blowback system works like a charm and it is very comfortable to shoot and shoot quickly. The P7 is definitely my favorite HK of all time. I love the quality, looks, style, and accuracy.
I’ve had the Walther P5 Compact for about six months and it was the first time I shot it. I really enjoy shooting the standard P5, so this was more of the same. Its a little less accurate for me due to the shorter sight radius, but it still shot well and they look extremely cool doing it. This is an early P5C. Walther only built about 6500 of them, so they are rare. This is number 158 and has the heel mag release and factory smooth wood grips that came on the early production models. I’m definitely a fan of the P5. Other than the P88 series, they are my favorite Walthers.
Next up is the Astra 600. Ugh...well the Astra is a really well built pistol. They were built in Spain starting in the middle of World War II at the request of the Nazis. They are fit very well with tight tolerances. They and striker fired and weigh a hefty 35 ounces empty. The bore axis is as low as the HK P7, if not lower. Unfortunately, the Astra 600 suffers from a horrible trigger, which doesn’t allow the shooter to take advantage of its fixed barrel. The other problem is that its a straight blowback, so recoil is harsh. There’s no muzzle flip, so its all a straight jolt to the palm of your hand. I like the gun’s quality and history, but its certainly not a pleasant shooter.
Finally, the Husky M40 from Sweden is just a really cool handgun. I bought the gun in 2013 and only shot it once prior to today. Its a big, manly gun and a bit unwieldy, but it has a very decent trigger and some pretty impressive accuracy. It may be the largest and heaviest single stack 9mm pistol ever made or at least from what I can think of at the moment. In short, its got charm and is a joy to shoot. Its also definitely one to make you stop and look. Its an attention grabber.
I was shooting anywhere from 7 yards to 25 yards. I thought I had a good day, though I typically shoot better outdoors. I’m never quite a match for Bucky indoors or outdoors, so I try not to compare.
I always enjoy shooting Bucky’s array of quality handguns. Today I remember shooting his custom STI 1911, BFG gen 4 Glock 23, Sig P229, HK P2000, and Wilson Combat Beretta 92G Compact and I appreciate him letting me try them out as always. I was particularly impressed with the STI and Beretta. You also can’t go wrong with the Sig P229, which makes 40S&W feel like light 9mm.
We also took turns using the range’s full size Sig P320. With neither of us being big fans, it certainly shot better than I remember. Its soft shooting and comfortable in hand. I look forward to trying out an X-Five version of it.
Hopefully, Bucky can chime in as well, but we had an awesome time. It was probably our best morning shoot to date.
Here’s a couple quick pics I snapped with my cell. Thanks for reading.
Below was my lineup (all 9mm this time):
Sig P226 Sport, HK P7, Walther P5 Compact, Astra 600, and Husqvarna Lahti M40
The Sig P226 Sport is a very heavy pistol, weighing in at over 52 ounces empty. This gun shoots extremly well and was Sig’s top of the line P226 target pistol until it was replaced by the X-Five in the mid 2000‘s. They are rare, since not many were built. As you can imagine, the gun is very soft shooting and a tack driver. The steel barrel weight makes it a bit nose heavy compared to my more balanced X-Five L1, but it will match the X-Five’s accuracy from a rest. I don’t shoot it quite as well offhand due to the aforementioned balance.
The HK P7 I brought along was the early model I just recently bought this year. It was built in 1979 and has a four-digit serial number. Today was the first time I shot it. In typical P7 fashion, it shot great. The incredibly low bore axis helps me point them naturally. The gas delayed blowback system works like a charm and it is very comfortable to shoot and shoot quickly. The P7 is definitely my favorite HK of all time. I love the quality, looks, style, and accuracy.
I’ve had the Walther P5 Compact for about six months and it was the first time I shot it. I really enjoy shooting the standard P5, so this was more of the same. Its a little less accurate for me due to the shorter sight radius, but it still shot well and they look extremely cool doing it. This is an early P5C. Walther only built about 6500 of them, so they are rare. This is number 158 and has the heel mag release and factory smooth wood grips that came on the early production models. I’m definitely a fan of the P5. Other than the P88 series, they are my favorite Walthers.
Next up is the Astra 600. Ugh...well the Astra is a really well built pistol. They were built in Spain starting in the middle of World War II at the request of the Nazis. They are fit very well with tight tolerances. They and striker fired and weigh a hefty 35 ounces empty. The bore axis is as low as the HK P7, if not lower. Unfortunately, the Astra 600 suffers from a horrible trigger, which doesn’t allow the shooter to take advantage of its fixed barrel. The other problem is that its a straight blowback, so recoil is harsh. There’s no muzzle flip, so its all a straight jolt to the palm of your hand. I like the gun’s quality and history, but its certainly not a pleasant shooter.
Finally, the Husky M40 from Sweden is just a really cool handgun. I bought the gun in 2013 and only shot it once prior to today. Its a big, manly gun and a bit unwieldy, but it has a very decent trigger and some pretty impressive accuracy. It may be the largest and heaviest single stack 9mm pistol ever made or at least from what I can think of at the moment. In short, its got charm and is a joy to shoot. Its also definitely one to make you stop and look. Its an attention grabber.
I was shooting anywhere from 7 yards to 25 yards. I thought I had a good day, though I typically shoot better outdoors. I’m never quite a match for Bucky indoors or outdoors, so I try not to compare.
I always enjoy shooting Bucky’s array of quality handguns. Today I remember shooting his custom STI 1911, BFG gen 4 Glock 23, Sig P229, HK P2000, and Wilson Combat Beretta 92G Compact and I appreciate him letting me try them out as always. I was particularly impressed with the STI and Beretta. You also can’t go wrong with the Sig P229, which makes 40S&W feel like light 9mm.
We also took turns using the range’s full size Sig P320. With neither of us being big fans, it certainly shot better than I remember. Its soft shooting and comfortable in hand. I look forward to trying out an X-Five version of it.
Hopefully, Bucky can chime in as well, but we had an awesome time. It was probably our best morning shoot to date.
Here’s a couple quick pics I snapped with my cell. Thanks for reading.