What a tale this rusty Colt could tell — this M1911 pistol is more than a vintage military side-arm. It is a symbol of courage, determination, and triumph over adversity. This pistol was carried on a 2,060-mile open-boat ocean crossing from the Philippines to Australia. In May of 1942, the skipper and 17 crewmen of the Minesweeper U.S.S. Quail courageously decided to sail from Manilla to Darwin, Australia rather than surrender to the Japanese. Lt. J.H. Morrill and his crew made that long ocean journey in a 36-foot launch, braving enemy air and sea forces and dangerous ocean conditions.

This pistol is part of the NRA Museum Collection in Fairfax, Virginia. This historic Colt M1911 was a featured “Gun of the Day” on the NRA Museum Facebook Page where you’ll find hundreds of other interesting firearms. We believe the remarkable story of this pistol deserved to be told here…

Colt M1911 Pistol — Escape from Corregidor
The minesweeper U.S.S. Quail was the last operational American naval vessel in the Philippines when Japan began its occupation of the country in May 1942. After his vessel was disabled at the strategically-important island of Corregidor near the entrance to Manilla Bay, Lt. Commander J. H. Morrill scuttled the ship and gave his crew a choice: either surrender to the Japanese or attempt to escape, by sea, to Allied territory thousands of miles away. Rather than surrender, 17 crew members elected to join Morrill on a dangerous passage in a 36-foot open launch/lifeboat. Gear was scavenged including this M1911 recovered from a dead serviceman. With few charts or navigational aids, Morrill and his men successfully completed an epic 58-day 2,060-mile journey to Australia and safety.

The Japanese bomb Corregidor in 1942:

Corregidor Island today, with War Memorial:

Credit NRA Museum, Corregidor.org, and U.S. Government photo from Wikipedia.

Happy Halloween

Hickok45 Carves Pumpkin Faces with Handguns
To celebrate Halloween, here’s an example of master wheelgun marksmanship. Popular YouTube host Hickok45 skillfully creates a smiling face on a pumpkin using a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver. This is the classic blued, double-action revolver popularized by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. This has become a tradition for Hickok 45 — every year he puts a face on a pumpkin using a different firearm, typically a pistol, but he’s used a couple rifles as well. A 2022 pumpkin-carving effort was done with a suppressor-equipped 9mm Mini Uzi. SEE PUMPKIN Shooting Playlist for all Hickok45’s annual pumpkin blasts. The lead video shows a pumpkin face-making session with a .44 Magnum.

Want to see more? Hickok45 has also carved pumpkins with a dozen firearms. Here is a pumpkin carved with a genuine, WWI-era Colt 1911 carried by an American soldier in the Pacific theater.

And here is a rather grim-looking face applied using the .40 SW Glock 23.

Happy Halloween
Hickok45 Carves Pumpkin Faces with Handguns
To celebrate Halloween, here’s an example of master wheelgun marksmanship. Popular YouTube host Hickok45 skillfully creates a smiling face on a pumpkin using a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver. This is the classic blued, double-action revolver popularized by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. This has become a tradition for Hickok 45 — every year he puts a face on a pumpkin using a different firearm, typically a pistol, but he’s used a couple rifles as well. This year’s 2022 pumpkin-carving effort was done with a suppressor-equipped 9mm Mini Uzi. SEE PUMPKIN Shooting Playlist for all Hickok45’s annual pumpkin blasts.

Want to see more? Hickok45 has also carved pumpkins with a dozen firearms. Here is a pumpkin carved with a genuine, WWI-era Colt 1911 carried by an American soldier in the Pacific theater.

And here is a rather grim-looking face applied using the .40 SW Glock 23.

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

NOTE to Readers: Monday, May 30, 2022 is Memorial Day. Many vendors may be running special SALES today, or over the next few days. Check with vendors Brownells, EuroOptic, Creedmoor Sports, Bruno’s, Graf & Sons, Midsouth, Precision Reloading, Bullet Central, Powder Valley, and MidwayUSA to see all the products they have on sale. You can find other sale offerings with web searches.

1. Creedmoor Sports — Lapua Brass in Stock

⏺ Superb Lapua cartridge brass — very uniform, long-lasting

As with bullets and powder, top-quality cartridge brass has been in high demand. But Creedmoor Sports has a large supply of long-lasting, high-quality Lapua cartridge brass. Many of the most popular types are available including .220 Russian (for PPC), .223 Rem, .243 Win, 6mmBR, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, 6.5-284, .284 Win, .308 Winchester, .30-06, 300 PRC, .338 Lapua Magnum and more. As an added incentive, during Memorial Day Weekend, you get FREE ground shipping on orders over $149.00 (some exclusions apply).

2. Precision Reloading — 10% Off Orders $49+ with Code MD22

⏺ Save on full range of products — store-wide 10% Savings

Here’s great opportunity. Right now you can Save 10% on nearly all products at Precision Reloading with CODE MD22. This 10% Off discount applies to all order over $49.00 total. Save on tools, dies, presses, bullets, powder, brass, optics, gun cases, and more. This offer applies to online purchases of in-stock items online. The 10% OFF Savings works through 11:59 pm CT on Monday 5/30/22.

3. Natchez — 10% Off Nearly All Products with $99+ Purchase

⏺ Save on nearly all products — site-wide 10% Savings

Now through Monday evening you can save 10% on all items at Natchez Shooters Supply. This includes ammo, bullets, brass, powder, primers, optics, reloading tools, gun cases, hunting supplies and more. For 10% site-wide savings, use Code P220528 during checkout. But don’t hesitate — the 10% OFF deal terminates at 11:59 pm CT on Monday, 5/30/22.

4. Primary Arms — Memorial Day Sale, Many Products

⏺ Major sale with all types of products discounted

Primary Arms is running a big Memorial Day Sale with dozens of products with big discounts. Save on AR parts, AR receivers, Optics, Slings, Shooting Mats, Carry packs, magazines and more. One of the best deals is a 3-Day Expandable Backpack for $19.99 (marked down from $54.99). Or get a complete AR15 bolt carrier group for $64.99 (marked down from $109.99). Other Memorial Day discounts include: 20% Off Expo Arms, Up to 20% Off Aero Precision, 25% Off North American Rescue, and 30% Off Vertx.

5. Pyramyd Air — Kral Arms Puncher Breaker Air Rifle, $429.99

⏺ Quality competitive field Air Rifle at 21% savings

Here’s a quality air rifle for Field Target and other airgun field sports. The Kral Arms Puncher Breaker Silent Sidelever Air Rifle is offered in .177, .22, and .25 calibers. This rig features a nice two-stage adjustable trigger and Weaver/Picatinny scope rail. There is adjustable power with 2900 psi fill pressure (200 BAR). The barrel is half-shrouded for extra-quiet shooting. Choose either the walnut-stocked version, or a synthetic-stocked model with nickel-finish barreled action. Both are priced at $429.99, a full $120.00 off the regular price.

6. Crimson Trace — Memorial Day Bundles, Save 13% to 30%

⏺ Crimson Trace makes excellent optics — bundles are big bargains

Crimson Trace makes very good optics for all types of firearms. Right now, through May 31, 2022, Crimson Trace is offering Six Combo Packages (“bundle deals”) with big discounts. The #5 Bundle includes the excellent 6-24x50mm FFP Hardline Pro scope PLUS a CT-RAD Max Red Dot optic. These two products would normally retail for $1,499.98 (combined price), but now you can get them BOTH for $1,249.90 — that’s a $250 savings. There are five other great bundle deals.

7. L.E. Wilson Tools — 10% Off and Free Shipping

⏺ L.E. Wilson makes outstanding tools and dies — now shipped for FREE

L.E. Wilson currently offers 10% OFF all online orders (prices reflected in cart). In addition, now through 11:59 pm on Monday 5/30/2022, L.E. Wilson offers FREE Shipping on all orders. Take advantage of these special Memorial Day Weekend savings on outstanding Wilson tools and dies. NOTE: The 10% Off discount is already reflected in the Wilson online shopping cart total.

8. Midsouth — Free Shipping over $49 + Accurate Powder Sale

⏺ Get FREE Shipping plus Accurate powders in stock at good prices

As a Memorial Day Promotion, Midsouth is offering FREE Shipping with purchases of $49 or more (HazMat charges are extra). And if you need reloading powder, definitely head over to Midsouth, which has a huge selection of Accurate brand powders IN STOCK at attractive prices, typically $31-$35 per pound.

9. Bruno’s — Memorial Day $9.95 Shipping and $19.95 Hazmat

⏺ Major savings on product shipping and Hazmat charges

Now through Memorial Day (5/30/22), Bruno Shooters Supply is running a special promotion. Shopper will get $9.95 Flat-Rate Shipping for most orders, including barrels, actions, stocks, scopes, bullets, brass, dies, presses and much more! And for HazMat (powder/primers) shipping, the HazMat charge has been slashed to $19.95, a major savings. Visit Brunoshooters.com.

10. CDNN Sports — Colt 1911 .22 LR by Walther, $429.99

⏺ Handsome, accurate .22 LR handgun with perfect 1911 ergonomics

The Colt 1911 A1 “Rail Gun” pistol is a full-size, .22 LR rimfire version of the legendary Colt 1911 handgun. It includes low-profile combat sights, beavertail safety, and frame accessory rail. This handsome, full-size rimfire 1911 pistol is manufactured by Walther under license from Colt. This blow-back operated pistol features a 5″ barrel and 12-rd magazine. For 1911 fans, this makes a great rimfire addition to your pistol collection. Get the Flat Dark Earth version for $429.99 or the Matte Black version for $419.99.

11. KYGUNC0 — Memorial Day Ammunition SALE

⏺ Great savings on pistol and rifle ammunition

Right now KYGUNCO is running a great AMMO SALE. You’ll find very attractive prices on name brand pistol and rifle ammunition. For example, Nosler .45 ACP ammo is just $26.99 per 50-round box, and 200 rounds of Winchester 9mm ammo is just $69.99 on sale. In addition, KYGUNCO has a super deal on the Citadel Warthog 12ga tactical shotgun — just $209.99.

These three videos show how the classic Model 1911 pistol works. This pistol requires the hammer to be cocked in order to fire. Watch the video to see the operation of the trigger, hammer, firing pin, and slide. After the round is fired the slide retracts and the cartridge ejects. Then, a new round rises in the magazine and chambers as the slide moves forward back into battery. With the hammer cocked when the slide came back, the m1911 is ready for the next shot.

Striker-Fired Glock Pistol — Modern Design
For comparison with the Model 1911 shown above, this video shows the Glock 19 (Gen 4) pistol with 3D animation. This modern, polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol has constant trigger pull for all shots. Some folks call this a DAO (double-action-only) trigger but that’s not really correct. Unlike the Model 1911, on a Glock there is no external safety on the frame or slide. The trigger “shoe” (the part that contacts finger) includes a central blade. This prevents the gun from firing unless the trigger is depresses normally. Glock calls this the “safe action”.

Happy Halloween
Hickok45 Carves Pumpkins with Handguns
To celebrate Halloween, here’s an example of master wheelgun marksmanship. Popular YouTube host Hickok45 skillfully creates a smiling face on a pumpkin using a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver. This is the classic blued, double-action revolver popularized by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. This has become a tradition for Hickok 45 — every year he puts a face on a pumpkin using a different firearm, typically a pistol, but he’s used a couple rifles as well. The latest pumpkin-carving effort, in October 2020, was done with a SIG M17 pistol. SEE PUMPKIN Shooting Playlist. Happy Halloween to all our readers.

Want to see more? Hickok45 has also carved pumpkins with a dozen firearms. Here is a pumpkin carved with a genuine, WWI-era Colt 1911 carried by an American soldier in the Pacific theater.

And here is a rather grim-looking face applied using the .40 SW Glock 23.

While AccurateShooter.com focuses on rifles, we know that a large percentage of our readers own handguns, with 1911-style pistols being particular favorites. For you 1911 owners, here are six short videos from Brownells showing how to customize a 1911-style pistol with after-market upgrades.

How to Accessorize Your 1911
This six-part series by Brownells provides step-by-step instruction on how to accessorize your 1911. The videos cover changing out the mainspring housing, magazine release, slide release, hammer, guide rod, and installing a group gripper. If you want to upgrade your 1911, these videos are worth watching.

Model 1911 Components and Cycling — Cut-Away Animation Video
If you’re not familiar with M1911 type single-action pistols, this video animation provides an inside look at the M1911’s components and shows how the M1911 cycles:

Happy Halloween
Hickok45 Carves Pumpkins with Handguns
To celebrate Halloween, here’s an example of master wheelgun marksmanship. Popular YouTube host Hickok45 skillfully creates a smiling face on a pumpkin using a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver. This is the classic blued, double-action revolver popularized by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. This has become a tradition for Hickok 45 — every year he puts a face on a pumpkin using a different firearm, typically a pistol, but he’s used a couple rifles as well. The latest pumpkin-carving effort, in October 2020, was done with a SIG M17 pistol. SEE PUMPKIN Shooting Playlist. Happy Halloween to all our readers.

Want to see more? Hickok45 has also carved pumpkins with a dozen firearms. Here is a pumpkin carved with a genuine, WWI-era Colt 1911 carried by an American soldier in the Pacific theater.

And here is a rather grim-looking face applied using the .40 SW Glock 23.

What a tale this rusty Colt could tell — this M1911 pistol is more than a vintage military side-arm. It is a symbol of courage, determination, and triumph over adversity. This pistol was carried on a 2,060-mile open-boat ocean crossing from the Philippines to Australia. In May of 1942, the skipper and 17 crewmen of the Minesweeper U.S.S. Quail courageously decided to sail from Manilla to Darwin, Australia rather than surrender to the Japanese. Lt. J.H. Morrill and his crew made that long ocean journey in a 36-foot launch, braving enemy air and sea forces and dangerous ocean conditions.

This pistol is part of the NRA Museum Collection in Fairfax, Virginia. This historic Colt M1911 was a featured “Gun of the Day” on the NRA Museum Facebook Page where you’ll find hundreds of other interesting firearms. We believe the remarkable story of this pistol deserved to be told here…

Colt M1911 Pistol — Escape from Corregidor
The minesweeper U.S.S. Quail was the last operational American naval vessel in the Philippines when Japan began its occupation of the country in May 1942. After his vessel was disabled at the strategically-important island of Corregidor near the entrance to Manilla Bay, Lt. Commander J. H. Morrill scuttled the ship and gave his crew a choice: either surrender to the Japanese or attempt to escape, by sea, to Allied territory thousands of miles away. Rather than surrender, 17 crew members elected to join Morrill on a dangerous passage in a 36-foot open launch/lifeboat. Gear was scavenged including this M1911 recovered from a dead serviceman. With few charts or navigational aids, Morrill and his men successfully completed an epic 58-day 2,060-mile journey to Australia and safety.

The Japanese bomb Corregidor in 1942:

Corregidor Island today, with War Memorial:

Credit NRA Museum, Corregidor.org, and U.S. Government photo from Wikipedia.

If you watch just one episode of Shooting USA TV this year, it should probably be this week’s hour-long SHOT Show Special. Tonight, March 14, 2017, enjoy a full hour of SHOT Show coverage. Jim Scoutten’s team of gun journalists work hard every January, bringing you highlights from the gun industry’s largest trade show. Jim, son John Scoutten, and other staffers prowled the 12 miles of aisles in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, visiting many of the 1,600+ exhibitors. This episode provides a “first look” at the new guns, optics, and gear introduced for 2018. Click HERE to learn more about this week’s 2018 SHOT Show episode.

2018 SHOT Show Highlights: Ruger Precision Rimfire, Sig P365, M1A in 6.5 Creedmoor, MR-10 Bolt Action Comp Rifle, Colt Competition 1911, and a whole lot more.

Ruger Precision Rimfire	S&W 686 Performance Center
Colt Competition 1911	Springfield M1A 6.5 Creedmoor
Remington M870 Magfed	JP Ent. MR-10 Tactical Bolt Gun
Sig Sauer 9mm P365	Glock GEN5 Model 19X