The primary reason I’m a big fan of the Ruger P95 is that for the price (usually $200), you can’t find a 9mm handgun of equal quality and durability. That doesn’t mean the P95 is the ‘best’ 9mm….it simply means that for $200 it’s the best you’ll find. There are other 9mm’s that are superior due to the P95’s dated design.

Most of the P95’s (but not all…most, though) lack an accessory rail, the sights are functional but thats about all you can say about them, threaded aftermarket barrels are virtually unheard of, magazines are proprietary, spare parts are tricky (although I’ve never heard of anything breaking), ergonomics are lacking, and finding a good holster is a trick.

What the P95 brings to the table is utter brute ruggedness, reliability, and economy.

But, if I could get rid of all those negatives and still keep the price down there in the 200’s, then it might be worth moving along to a different platform.

There are a few Glock knock offs floating out there these days, as well as a few well-regarded polymer pistols (Canik, Steyr, etc). The one that caught my eye was Palmetto State Armory’s (PSA) entry…their Dagger 9mm.

The Dagger is clearly a Glock knock-off. So much so, in fact, that the slides/frame interchange although there are some internal parts that are unique. But there’s also a rather large amount of parts that do interchange. And it takes Glock magazines, Glock holsters, Glock sights, and can be had in different colors and with slides that have features such as dot mounts, forward mounted rear sights, etc. But, what separates it from the other Glock wannabes is the price.

PSA sells the frames and slides separate for those who already have a Glock slide (or frame) around that they need to mate up to make a complete gun. So, if you don’t want to buy an already assembled gun (and its excise tax), you can order a frame and order a lower. PSA regularly offers ‘blems’ at a discount and also has ‘flash sales’. It’s that combination of discounts that  made me decide to give them a try.

‘Sniper green’ complete frames were on sale as blems for $59. Okay, sign me up. And then they had a flash sale on ‘sniper green’ complete slides with threaded(!) barrels, suppressor height sights, and optics mounting plate. $199. Again, count me in.

So, for $260 I wind up with an off-brand Glock. Or did I? A gun that is unreliable or just plain won’t work is no bargain. I’ll take it to the range and dump a couple hundred rounds of ball through it.

But what is more interesting is to examine how it changes the logistics environment.

The Ruger P95DC (and P89DC) were never my ‘run out the door’ gun. When it’s time to grab a rifle, pack, and go,go,go my pistol choice will be the Glock. And the Glock is also my secondary tier gun as well, which is why I have so many. But sometimes there are situations where you don’t want to ‘waste’ a $500 pistol. A gun for under the seat of the truck, a gun hidden in a stall out in the barn, a gun tucked in a drawer at your remote cabin, a loaner for friends, etc, etc. Those are the times you want what essentially amounts to a disposable handgun. Good enough to do the job well, but cheap enough that if you lose it you don’t really care. For that scenario, the Rugers fit the bill perfectly.

For $60 more though, I get the economy of not having to buy specific magazines….my stash of Glock magazines will work fine. Same for holsters. And a large amount of my spare parts. And manual of arms. And accessories for the rail. And a threaded barrel for a can. And is a candidate for the ‘carbine/pistol combo that share a common magazine’. Since there’s no need to buy proprietary mags at $20/mag, and no need for a particular holster since I can use my GLock holsters, that would offset, I think, the $60 difference.

So, although in this case its about 1/3 more expensive than a $200 P95DC, the advantages may make it worth the extra coin. And, even at $260, youre still well below the price of most big-name 9mms. And there’s the additional economic incentive of not having to buy extra mags since the existing supply of Glock mags takes care of that side of things.

Pretty much every review I’ve seen so far seems to affirm that they’re pretty much what youd expect – a no-name Glock with mostly Glock performance. But, there’s no substitute for empirical data so I’ll be taking a couple to the range and seeing how they go.

I’ve no intention of dumping two dozen Ruger 9mm pistols on Gunbroker and replacing them all with the PSA gun…I’ve already established the logistics base, so wht not keep them? But for the places where I’d stash a P95DC, I might swap them out for the PSA and get the benefit of being able to leave extra mags, a mounted light, and any one of the huge number of very affordable holsters out there for the Glock.

We’ll see….they should be here this week.

A dear friend of mine, after reading my post about BBQ guns, sent me a link to a place that has their own BBQ holster/belt package. Indeed, a pretty cool looking rig. However, that really interested me was that they are manufacturing a leather rifle scabbard for AK’s and AR’s.

I have to say, that would be a pretty cool accessory for the person with a hayburner.

They actually used to make scabbards for M1 Garand rifles back in the day. Of course, being a semi auto, there has to be an accommodation for the charging handle and the Garand scabbards have a metal shield over a cutout in the scabbard to make that accommodation.

I suppose a scabbard would be handy on a 4×4 or motorcycle but I’d think most of the time you’d be just as well serviced by having the rifle slung at your side or across your back.

Regardless, its nice to see, in a world full of kydex, that there are still folks working in great-smelling, creaking, looks-better-with-age leather.

The first and last time I was in Texas was not exactly a resoundingly good time. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and a hole in my foot, and I resolved that I was done with Texas.

And then I had a wedding reception to go to in San Antonio. On the bright side, it wasnt nearly as hot as the last time I was down there. And I didnt get bit by fire ants this time either. But I was mightily annoyed at the preponderance of one-way streets and crazy drivers.

But, this time I had a bit of time to go visit gun shops. I hit three or four which were all pretty lame, and then I found this place. Selection? Outstanding. General atmosphere? Very polished and upscale. Staff? Stretched thin but mostly knowledgeable. Prices? Hgih, by my standards. But I saw not one but two HiPower GP comeptition guns and damn near bought one. Saw a Cetme L, piles of minty 100 year old 1911’s, three HK squeezecockers, and a bunch of other hey-you-dont-see-that-every-day guns. (And a genuine FN-made FAL which made me think long and hard….)

Other than that, still not really diggin’ Texas. However, I have resolved that I very much need a barbecue gun.

So there you have it. Another trip to Texas, another reason for me to appreciate Montana. You guys in Texas…Im sure you love it and all, but it just isn’t for me.