another new toy.

Against my normal habits, I went to Gander Mt today. I know, I have had issues wih them but they are just so much more convienant than the 45min drive to Cabelas....anyway, I ran into an older gentleman with his arm in a sling, trying desparatly to return a gun. I try not to interfear with in store arguments, but this man was being very profesional while the store clerk kept appologizing and saying there was nothing he could do. So, I stopped to talk to this gentleman.

His story started 2 days ago when he bought a Bond Arms Snake Slayer, a nice little derrenger that shoots not so little 45LC rounds and .410 shotshells. He took it out to the range, and tested it out in the reccomended 3" .410 self defence 000 buck shot.,...and it promptly broke his wrist. he wanted to return it, he clerk would not allow it since the gun had been fired (I kindof understand that, but I would have called this extenuating circumstances). I asked the man why he didn't chose something in a .380 ACP, he looked at me and asked my name. I told him and he says, oh, I knew an Elwood _____. I said OMG that was my grandfather.... he said, AH, he was a great man.....So, what gun would you choose. I pointed him toward a Kal Tek. and a Taurus, but warned him that at the end of the day, neither would be as reliable as the Snake Slayer that hurt him, he asked what would I pick if money was of no concern....hmm.... so he had me check out a few guns for him, asked me to show him how to use each, and not hesitating to tell the clerk to butt out of the conversation, finally he settled on a very nice Sig P238 at $650.

He tells the clerk he is ready to check out, and wondered what the Snak Slayer traded in for. The clerk told him he would give him $200 for the gun in trade.....this set the guy off, very understandable since he payed $550 for it 2 days ago, and spent a day in the hospital thanks to the advice of the clerks, Then asked what they would re-sell it for, the clerk said about $450. I thought he was going to have a heart attach, but instead turns to me and simply says thanks for all of the help I gave him, but he needed my help for one more thing....help in screwing Gander MT. out of a $250 commission.....I was a bit confused, thinking "what? does he want me to help him rob the place?"...all I could say was, "um....ok?".....he tells the clerk ot prep a transfer for him, so he could transfer the Snake Slayer to me, I kept trying to say I couldn't accept it, but he kept insisting that his kids were against gun ownership and his grandkids were all into drugs, so he would rather give it to me for the time I spent helping him than to let anyone at that store profit further from their ignorance......so, here she is. (and a MASSIVE thank you to Mr. James,)

I took her out shooting today, and while it wont' win any awards for longrange shooting, it really is a blast. the 45 LC rounds and the 2 3/4" .410 shells have a comperable recoil, but that means that they both feel like someone is smacking you in the palm, hard with a 2lb lead weight. The gun feels very solid, and out of the limited ammount of rounds I shot, I had no issues at all. The grip feels a bit small, but actually serves to balance the recoil across your entire hand. This is definetly a close range defense gun, between the extremely short barrel, and the very heavy trigger pull, it is just about the least accurate gun I've ever fired, at 5 yards shooting at 1gal water jugs, the #4 shot shells had a patern about 2 feet across and the 45LC rarly found their target. . But this gun is solidly built, the tollerances are perfect, there are no loose parts, nothing that doesnt quite match up....this in probably one of the finest guns I have ever handled. In a world where guns are more plastic and carbon fiber than metal, this gun has the feel a real gun is supposed to have, and you cant beat a free gun.

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