To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
I borrowed the title for this post from a book by the late, great, Colonel Jeff Cooper. To borrow implies an obligation to pay back (something I wish our political class would understand), so I need to pay homage before I get started. Anyone familiar with John Browning's model 1911 chambered in .45 ACP probably knows the name Jeff Cooper. Browning gave us a handgun that hasn't been improved in a hundred years. That's just a fact. I suppose it's odd that it took a half century for someone to develop the proper technique for using it. That man was Colonel Jeff Cooper. "Gun control means using both hands."
The late colonel's idea of gun control is probably enough to rank him as a major contributor to western civilization. But Colonel Cooper was more than a pistolero. He was, dare I say it, an intellectual. If G. K. Chesterton was the Apostle of Common Sense, then Colonel Jeff Cooper was a slightly lesser apostle. But only by a slim margin. If you care to immerse yourself in his prose, you will be well rewarded. Okay, my debt is paid.
"To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth" is a proverb that comes from ancient Persia. The idea, perhaps a recognition, was that Persian princes would learn only intrigue if raised in and around the royal court. A wise king sent his sons into the countryside to experience the rigors of rural living: to ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth. Only a righteous monarch can rule his domain with wisdom. And I guess that's my entire point.
I am sick almost to despair when I listen to the latest wranglings, and interpretations, and gambits regarding the budget negotiations. Yesterday I heard from a former student: "Mr. Paules, what ever happened to righteousness?" Well, spot on. Nailed it in a word, he did. Out of the mouth of babes and all that. Righteousness! We are either a righteous nation or we are not. We will rise to new heights of greatness or fall into the abyss on that virtue alone. Period. End of story.
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Jun '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
It's about time we classed up this joint with a Jeff Cooper post. Good job!
Jul '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
"We are either a righteous nation..."
That ship has sailed; self-esteem, relativity, not "judging" others, and all that.
Jun '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Jimmy Carter: "We are either a righteous nation..."
That ship has sailed; self-esteem, relativity, not "judging" others, and all that. · Jul 21 at 6:58pm
I agree. In 2009, the illegitimacy rate in the US was 41 percent (5 percent in 1960). But those of us who still will should try to live a life animated by the traditional virtues. Brian C. Anderson (a good conservative) put it this way, “A modern society is praiseworthy only if the choices people make in it are praiseworthy.”
Dec '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Agreed. Hence my post on why raising taxes, though one of the crappiest things ever, may be the only honorable thing left to do. Now if we could just find a righteous representative or two...
Side note, the range where I did all my gun quals while in the navy had "Gun control means using both hands" as its slogan.
Jul '11
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
King Prawn
That"Gun Control Means Using Both Hands" is my left bumper sticker and its slogan is superimposed over a 1911 and an American flag. I pasted it over my "Dump Harry Reid" sticker last November(sigh).
My trailer hitch is a claymore antipersonnel mine(replica).
Welcome to northern Nevada folks.
Dec '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
~Paules:
...
Browning gave us a handgun that hasn't been improved in a hundred years. That's just a fact.
...
That flies in the face of the existence of thousands of excellent gunsmiths that have improved on every aspect of the M1911. I have an Ed Brown 1911 that is an improvement on the original in every measurable way. And Ed Brown is not unique.
John Moses Browning gave us a basic design for a fighting pistol that hasn't been improved on in a century. But, basic designs are always built on, and being Americans, even perfection eventually gets better.
Jul '11
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Jerry Broaddus
~Paules:
...
Browning gave us a handgun that hasn't been improved in a hundred years. That's just a fact.
...
That flies in the face of the existence of thousands of excellent gunsmiths that have improved on every aspect of the M1911. I have an Ed Brown 1911 that is an improvement on the original in every measurable way. And Ed Brown is not unique.
John Moses Browning gave us a basic design for a fighting pistol that hasn't been improved on in a century. But, basic designs are always built on, and being Americans, even perfection eventually gets better. · Jul 21 at 11:17pm
I have a Wilson combat model and a WW2 Remington Rand , theres just a bit of difference, OK a lot, one shoots reasonable and the other perfect. Nonetheless, one could equally look at the track record of the Ma Deuce or BAR to see no major changes at all and an extensive service for both those Browning designs which points to the man's genius.
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
I think the movie companion to this piece could be Ride the High Country.
If everyone aimed above all else to enter their Father's house justified, we would be in a much better condition!
Jul '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
John Grant:
If everyone aimed above all else to enter their Father's house justified, we would be in a much better condition! · Jul 22 at 5:36pm
What a great line. Yer line or from the movie?
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
DocJay: ... My trailer hitch is a claymore antipersonnel mine(replica).
Welcome to northern Nevada folks. · Jul 21 at 8:27pm
DocJay, where can I get one of those? Or two? Dad needs one for his truck (he doesn't know this yet, but trust me), and I'd love to affix one to my 18 wheeler somehow, for sentimental reasons of course.
Oct '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Dave,
Try here:
http://www.gggaz.com/claymore-mine-trailer-hitch-cover.html
Oct '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Paules,
I have owned eight or ten 1911's, from a Remington Rand WWII relic to a Colt Gold Cup. All worked OK with ball ammunition but none worked well with HP stuff. They are a good basic design but the newer polymer framed pistols are more reliable out of the box, and carry more cartridges.
I also never found myself comfortable carrying a 1911 cocked and locked. A double-action only pistol is safer in that mode. IMHO
But, I share your reverence for the good Colonel.
Edited on July 23, 2011 at 4:40amSep '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Dave Carter
DocJay: ... My trailer hitch is a claymore antipersonnel mine(replica).
Welcome to northern Nevada folks. · Jul 21 at 8:27pm
DocJay, where can I get one of those? Or two? Dad needs one for his truck (he doesn't know this yet, but trust me), and I'd love to affix one to my 18 wheeler somehow, for sentimental reasons of course. · Jul 22 at 6:02pm
Don't drive through Colorado with it; it's illegal to have one of those here, sadly, according to C.R.S. 18-12-109 paragraph 7:
http://www.michie.com/colorado/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=
Slouching towards communism here in the Rockies...
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Jimmy Carter
John Grant:
If everyone aimed above all else to enter their Father's house justified, we would be in a much better condition! · Jul 22 at 5:36pm
What a great line. Yer line or from the movie? · Jul 22 at 5:59pm
I could never come up with a line that good on my own--it is from the movie.
May '11
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
The M1911 is a good pistol, but I like the round better than the gun. The safeties on the M1911 are a bit scary. When we switched to the M9 Barretta I felt much more comfortable in carrying a round in the chamber.
Jul '11
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Dave Carter, I just got one of the net a few years back. easy to find. I'll be damned if I take it off either, Colorado or not.
Skyler. I have a beretta elite 2 with a competition trigger I use for IPSC shoots, smoothest I own.
For a plain 45 , I find any sig is great but for the money the springfield XD is real nice.
Dec '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
I read Cooper's book. He was apparently one of the last of his breed. To know great Americans like him makes us all better. We should strive to introduce him to others. I submit Colonel Charles Askins and "Unrepentant Sinner" as another great American and good read respectively.
And, all name dropping aside, I agree that the shortage of righteousness, especially in our enforced "no judgement" attitude of moral relativism, as the fundamental problem for our country. We have gone from western style heroes to these "anti-heroes" in literature and film to our detriment as a nation.
Put me down as a 40 S&W man. I know all the aficionados like the.45 and make good arguments on it's merits. I submit shooting a pistol at anything beyond 15 yards in combat is a tall order and the SIG P229 is working for me.
Dec '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Do realize that most every one of those polymer pistols (AKA combat tupperware) is not actually DAO, but rather single action, just like a 1911, except they're cocked and unlocked, 'cause they have no manual safety at all.
That little tit sticking out of the trigger doesn't do any good at all as a safety, if you inadvertently pull the trigger, like say while trying to re-holster it in strap retention duty holster (as testified by the many Glock carrying cops who have ventilated their holsters and themselves accidentally since its adoption).
I'm not saying Glocks are bad (though I don't care for them, for different reasons), but it is a bit foolish to eschew the 1911 as unsafe when it has at least one more positive safety device than any of the tupperware brigade.
The one downside of the platform is that single stack mag only holds eight rounds. STI, Springfield, Caspian, and Para Ordinance all make a double stack that alleviates that problem, but they are expensive.
A few offerings from Sig Sauer, and a smattering of models from others are available as DAO (Para has a tiny little micro-compact 1911 style pistol that is DAO, for instance), but most all of the big name polymer pistols (Glocks, Springer XD's, most of the H&K's, the S&W M&P series, Ruger's like of plastic pistols, HyPoints, etc) are all striker based single action only designs.
They are all carried cocked and unlocked, unless they have a manual safety (I know H&K makes a striker model with a manual safety).
No more or less safe to carry a striker pistol that a 1911. The exposed hammer just more easily reminds you that the 1911 is hot.
Edited on July 23, 2011 at 2:15pmAug '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
~Paules:
"To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth" is a proverb that comes from ancient Persia.
I had always heard is attributed to Herodotus and quoted as "Teach him horsemanship and archery, and teach him to despise all lies"
Dec '10
Re: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Jim Wilkins: Paules,
I have owned eight or ten 1911's, from a Remington Rand WWII relic to a Colt Gold Cup. All worked OK with ball ammunition but none worked well with HP stuff.
This is a common complaint, and one that kind of irks me, because it need not be so.
Now, bear in mind that I build custom 1911's. Over time, I have only ever run across a single 1911 that was otherwise fully functional but would would not chamber some form of hollow nose bullet. Just one, and I traced its fault back to where the frame had been improperly machined to accept a ramped barrel.
In fact, nearly all of these kinds of troubles can be traced back to poor workmanship somewhere along the line in that particular pistol's building, usually associated with where the feed ramp meets the barrel , or how the barrel itself was chambered.
Personally, I will not allow a pistol to leave my shop that will not shoot ball, semi-wad cutter, and at least two types of hollow point (usually a truncated cone shape like Hornady XTP's and something with a parabolic ogive like a Gold Dot or Nosler HP).
There's nothing wrong with the 1911's design, especially as laid out in the original ordinance drawings (which when adhered to, produce a pistol that will shoot nearly every kind of bullet without issue, after having been bathed in mud and grit, until the end of time, so long as you can deal with a group size on the order 8"-10" at 25 yds).
What happens is that in the pursuit of every tighter groups, the tolerances between parts are closed up by the manufacturers. This increases the accuracy of the pistol greatly, however, there is a down side as well.
The clearances are what make the design function so robustly, and when they disappear so does the rock solid reliability.
This problem can be mitigated somewhat by taking fairly heroic measures during fitting and assembly, however most production shops will not go this far, which is why you sometimes find that production 1911's refuse to function, right out of the box.
It's not a fault in the design, so much as a fault in the execution.
Edited on July 23, 2011 at 2:17pm