Back in ''73 fresh out of the Army I bought an OM .30 carbine new. That's the cal I wanted because I was shooting lots and lot's of 110gr thru my '06 and figured two guns would merit a lot of 1000 bullets now and then. Don't regret it at all. The only regret I have about this gun, is that I dickered with an old man in San Antonio two yrs for a matching gun he wanted an extra ten buck more that either of us paid for them. $73.50/83.50. Yeah, I could have afforded it easy enough, I thought it was principle enough to hassle him. Then things changed and I never got back down there. No doubt he's long dead by now and hard telling where the gun ended up. I sure wish I had the pair of them for an extra $50 now!!
The one I have has had only one problem, backing out the pin repeatedly, it's made four trips back to Ruger for that one petty problem. Now the n/m .45 Colt just over a year old has started backing the pin out too.
Then, Ruger insists on building these guns with such small grips for all you small handed folks. Us guys with big mitts have hell holding onto the big bores with heavy loads because we can't get enough fingers on the grip. That's my gripes about Rugers.
And no, I don't like overly heavy loads either. 1215fps/.30 carb., and 1000-1200 w/250's in the Colt.
That's more than enough for me.
The only Smith I've ever owned is a K 38 6". I haven't fired more than a box of full loads in it yet, but, for about five yrs I shot 2-400 a night two or three nights a week of cast plinkers without a problem one. AND the grips fit my hand too.
I just wish I could get a matching set of grips for the Rugers just like these that came on the Smith. OR maybe I'd rather have a pair like them that fill in the gap to save my knuckle.
In Jan. I bought a Charter Off Duty, .38, aluminum, steel lined thinking it would be a dandy carry gun. Paid more for this than a Smith like it would have cost. Less than 300 rnds of plinkers and it's failed once already, been back and fixed, there's an ad coming out in the morning paper for it. When the money hits my hand, it's going for a snubby Smith.
George
