Happy Birfday OBN!

The Outdoor Blogger Network celebrated its first anniversary this week.

If you're not familiar with OBN, get out from under the rock.  :)  The next time you have roughly 47 hours of free time, try clicking through the OBN Blog directory, you'll find a boatload of different outdoor blogs to keep your attention.  If you're a blogger and aren't a part of the directory, get on it.  They have regular blogging tips and weekly review giveaways, where you win a product in return for an honest review.  (Like my review on Sufix Superline, remember?)

OBN is a great community for those of us who choose to write about the great outdoors and I'm hopeful for many more years of outdoor bloggy goodness.

Weigh-in 10/23

I lied.  No weigh-in because I've been treading water at the same weight for the past two weeks.

However, my employer offers biometric screenings every six months.  We just had ours and I thought I'd share my results.

Well, not all my results.  Luckily, most of my tests came back totally positive.  The one I wanted to share was my total cholesterol.  It's dropped 23 points in the past half year!   I don't know if thats especially awesome but it feels like a big change so I'm running with it.

The only bad things on my report were my HDL levels (which were just barely on the bad side) and my blood pressure went from 120/80 last time to 144/90 (Which apparently indicates I have hypertension.  Awesome.  I'll have to see the doctor on that one.)

So there you go, even tho I've stalled on the weight loss front for the moment, its invigorating to see that Ive dropped my cholesterol levels significantly since last time.  Things are still moving in a healthy direction.

I've been in a bit of a slump the past couple weeks.  I've had a hard time at work and, combined with the colder weather, it has put a damper on my weight loss efforts.  I really need to separate crappy days at work from the rest of my day and not let it affect my motivation to go work out.  That's hard for me.  (And that's hard for me to admit.)  Nothing to it but to do it I suppose.

Hope you all are doing well.

ALWAYS talk to strangers

If you're a regular reader of mine, you know that for the past several weeks, I've been getting anonymous tips on different places to go fish around Peoria, IL.

Well the anonymous tipster invited me out to do some fishing.  So, without having any information other than a codename to call him by and a location, I headed out yesterday morning to take advantage of one of the few days off I have that will still be fishable this year.

Troy ended up being a pretty cool dude.  He's an avid fly fisherman, gave me quite a few flies to restock my almost bare fly box, and was happy to put me in position to catch the most fish all day.  Anybody willing to do all that earns my gratitude and trust. 

I've been asked to keep our location on the downlow but when we got to where we were going, we basically drifted smallish streamers under Thingamabobbers just a few feet from shore and it was only a few casts before I was able to scratch another goal off my list for the year.

A few casts later, yet another elusive smallie.

And so it went at this first spot, four smallmouth bass in a row.  Keep in mind that I might have caught 4 smallmouth bass in my entire life up to that point, the last being when I was 7 or 8 years old. 

After the fourth smallie, my indicator shot down again.  Only this time whatever it was on the other side didn't really move when I set the hook.  It sat there for a second and then started steadily stripping off line till he was about 30 yards out.  At that point, he'd let me reel him in until I could just see my leader and then "zeeeeeeeee" out another 10 yards or so.  This is the game we played for quite some time:




Action pictures courtesy of Troy.

 Finally, after 10 minutes or so, I was able to beach the monstrosity.

The biggest fish I've caught on the fly so far.

Caught another smallmouth shortly thereafter and then the bite died off so we moved along, casting as we went.  I'll let the rest of the pictures tell the rest of my story.

I don't know how I managed to take this picture upside down but whatevs yo.  I ended up with  9 total smallmouth of similar size.

First common carp on the fly!

Second common carp on the fly!  This one booked it off the bat, almost took me into my backing.

Troy caught a couple smallmouth, a grass carp about the size of mine and two catfish.  

So there you have it.  If someone you've never met anonymously offers to take you fishing, you better take them up on it.  

Thanks again to Troy, I appreciate the flies, the location, and all the tips you gave me.  I'm up for it again anytime.

I need to set up an anonymous tip hotline.

I've been getting anonymous tips over the past few weeks with different fishing locations around central IL.  The last one paid off with a couple bass the day I got my new fly rod so I figured to try out the other couple locations I was made aware of.  The one I visited yesterday is a public lake in Brimfield, IL.  The commenter had said that he and a friend hit up this pond and caught 100+ bluegills, a nice crappie and several small bass.  Sounded like a hell of a time to me so I packed up and headed out.

My first intention was to get some use with the Pflueger reel and Sufix braid that OBN provided me with to review.  I tied on a flourocarbon leader, bullet weight, and 7.5" black and purple Culprit worm.  On my second cast, I had a hit in some reeds along the shore.  Felt like a decent fish.  He thrashed once, got tangled in a reed and then my leader snapped. 

I took the time to tie on another leader, weight, and hook and got to casting again.  Not a dozen casts later I had broken off again.   I'm gonna spool up some mono and give the Pflueger reel another chance before passing judgement on it, though I'm much more impressed with it than the line.

I had only two worm hooks going in and I foolishly didn't pick any up before heading out so it was time to switch to the fly rod.  I tied on a smallish popper and (anticipating the bluegills) a dropper rig with some kind of nymph thing with shiny copper wire that I was given.  For anyone who isn't familiar, a dropper rig is when you tie about 1 1/2ft of tippet onto the hook of the popper and tie on a smaller fly that doesn't float.  The idea being that if you attract fish that are too small to eat the popper, they'll eat the dropper fly.

It worked like a charm.  I had a quite a few swirls at the popper and a few even drug it down but didn't get the whole thing in their mouths.  However, every once in awhile I'd see the popper shoot under, would set the hook and it was fish on.  It's like combining the simplicity of bobber fishing with the fun of fly casting.

There were fisherpeople every 30 yards or so along the bank, bobbers bobbing along or poles propped up on Y-sticks.  I gave the usual nod and "Any luck?" as I passed each one.  No luck to be had, with only one guy with a little bluegill in his fishtrap.

The fishing definitely wasn't as good as had been indicated by my commentor (I blame the varying temperature here lately) but I was getting hits just about every 3rd cast or so.  I missed alot of the hooksets, leading me to believe the fish were too small to eat even my tiny dropper fly.  The seven bluegill I brought to hand were nearly identical to this:

Better than what all the bait fisherman were catching

Eventually, something drilled the popper under and was putting up a good fight when I set the hook.  I was convinced I had a bass on the line.  Imagine my surprise when I pulled this guy out of the water:

My first crappie that didn't involve a bobber or tube jig.

That makes four species on the fly rod this year: Largemouth, Bluegill, Trout (At the Hooked on Fishing event), and Crappie.  At least I accomplished one goal that I set for myself.  (Don't think I'll be setting goals next year, it makes doing outdoorsy stuff feel like work.)

After the crappie, I worked along the side of the lake with no shoreline trees to get hung up on.  I caught a couple of the 7 bluegill, missed a few more hooksets and had a few fish fight their way off the line.  A good way to spend a couple hours on a day off. 

I realized my fly box is getting pretty bare just in time for fall.  I have a bunch of dry flies, a couple poppers, that nymph, and two woolly buggers.  I think I might have to invest in a vise and tying equipment in the next couple months to replenish and keep myself sane over the winter months.  Any suggestions as to a relatively inexpensive setup?

Review: Sufix 832 Advanced Superline

Awhile back, I was picked via random drawing to review the new Sufix  832 Advanced Superline braid for the Outdoor Blogger Network. 

It has taken me too long (way too long, sorry OBN and Sufix) to finally come to a conclusion.  The reason it's taken so long is I kept trying to give the Superline a chance to really impress me, thinking that using it with topwater or carp fishing on the bottom or any of half a dozen other presentations would let the line shine.  Unfortunately, it never really did.

I selected the high-visibility lime green option, visions of line-watching Senko-fishing dancing in my head.  The problem with fishing with a high-visibility mini rope is it's just as high visibility to the fish. 

Therefore, it's highly recommended that you attach a flourocarbon leader to the end of the braid.  The biggest things braid has going for it are:

• Strength:  Even the weakest braid is several times stronger than mono or flouro of the same diameter.  This really appealed to me because more often than not I'm snagged on something.  I figured that with 40lb braid (same diameter of 10lb mono), I could pull any snag up to and including old tires out of the water, saving my lures and the time it takes to retie.
• It floats:  This, combined with the high visibility supposedly make braid a perfect candidate for fishing soft plastics, giving you a good indicator if a fish has grabbed your bait and made off with it without tugging on your rod.  The buoyancy also makes braid a good topwater line.
• It doesn't stretch:  Mono stretches, which some anglers say causes poor hooksets.

However, having to use a flourocarbon leader negates two of the three advantages of using braid.  the strength of your setup is lowered to whatever poundage flouro you use (plus you have to tie another knot to connect the two, adding another point of weakness to your setup.). 

I found myself getting snagged and snapping the line somewhere along the leader, which would usually require that I cut the braid, cut a new leader, tie the leader to the braid, and then tie on a new lure.  Compared to using mono or flouro, where you just tie on a new lure, it's not a very time efficient way to do things.  There were a couple times I was using a topwater lure and could tie the braid directly to the lure.  When I would snag in these cases, it was nice to be able to drag the snag out most of the time.  If you can't though, you'll probably have to cut your line.  (Or risk having sharp hooks flying at your face at roughly the speed of sound.)

Also, flourocarbon sinks.  I don't know how much this depletes the advantage of being able to see your line since I was never able to "see" a bite.  The only fish I caught on this line were caught after "feeling" the bite.

This may or may not have anything to do with the line itself but I've only experienced it with the Sufix Superline.  The line seems to... catch on the eyelets of my pole.  So my cast will get halfway to where I want it, will catch and PLOP! into the water, leaving six inches or so of line dangling and tangled between my second and third or third and fourth eyelets.  I have to take a second to fix that so any bite I may have noticed on the fall is long gone.  I'll be spooling up the Pflueger reel that I was using with the Sufix line with regular mono and using it a few times before reviewing the reel itself so I'll come back and edit this if I find out it was a problem with the reel or pole and not the line.

So all in all I don't think I can recommend Sufix Superline, especially not for beginning anglers.  The advantages gained are not worth the hassle of having to tie on a leader and deal with the casting issues I've dealt with.  The only reason I'd recommend this line to family, friend, or some guy in the fishing line aisle is if they're using it strictly for topwater presentations.  Even then, a heavier monofilament line will do the trick so... why bother?  I really wanted to be impressed with this product and write a glowing review but in the end I was pretty disappointed.  Stick with mono and save yourself some grief.

Disclaimer: I was given the Superline free of charge to try out and give an honest opinion.  I received no other compensation.  All opinions are my own and not influenced by the makers of Sufix (obviously).

Remember that BPS employee Dustin?

The one who helped me pick out a new fly setup?

He knows his sh*t.

Weigh-in 10/4

AKA:  Never doubt Tony edition.

Remember how I gained 5lbs last week?  Well Tony from Snug Harbor Bay took me to school, basically saying its impossible to gain 5lbs of fat in a week and not to get discouraged.  Well I got back on the wagon diet wise and got a couple workouts in and lost the 5lbs again!

Tony runs a weekly post on Snug Harbor called Tony's Tips.  He lost 80+ lbs in his senior year of high school the right way and has been giving tips for the past few months, they've been invaluable when I get discouraged or don't understand something.  Go check it out along with Paul's Healthy Outdoorsman site if you wanna get serious about weight loss.  Both have helped me out considerably.

Anybody else losing out there?

Oh yeah!  We live in a duplex and a guy moved in a couple weeks ago.  I had my first conversation with him and he works a few days a week at my gym.  Weird huh?  It'll be cool to see someone I know down there once in awhile.

If this kid didn't have a girlfriend before...

... he will now.

"Jeremiah reported the animal’s breath smelled like “dead rabbits.""

"Jeremiah told his parents he starting swinging his hunting knife in an attempt to get the animal to leave. He cut it, but not deeply, and the animal knocked him backwards again. Jeremiah hit it in the ribs again and let go of his knife."


That's pretty damn manly.  Got a few scratches on his face, a shredded hat and jacket to mark the occasion. 
Man, it'd be nice if IL hunters could carry a concealed gun to protect themselves, rather than a hunting knife and a shot to the ribs...

Quest for the Holy Handgun: PPK

Does the thought of an ultra-concealable pocket pistol appeal to you?  Do you think the ability to have a pistol with you at all times is worth the tradeoff in firepower?  Do you take your vodka martinis shaken, not stirred?  Then I present the PPK, From Walther With Love.

Any bets on how many cheesy 007 references I can work in here.

The Walther PP was released in 1929 and developed a huge following.  Two years later, demand for a smaller, more concealable pistol led to the release of the PPK, which is basically a scaled down version.

During WWII, the PPK was issued to German police and Nazi soldiers.  (According to Wikipedia, Hitler actually shot and killed himself with a PPK chambered in .32ACP.)  However, the gun's biggest claim to fame, as I already alluded to, is that it served James Bond as an everyday carry gun from early in his career up until the Pierce Brosnan movies.

"Suck it Trebec!"

Ian Fleming actually originally wrote Bond to carry a Beretta in .25ACP until a firearms expert from Scotland (last name Boothroyd) wrote Fleming and said the cartridge was woefully underpowered, and no self respecting secret agent would carry a gun chambered in it.  Fleming made up the character Q and had him set Bond up with a PPK in .32ACP, and named him Major Boothroyd in thanks.

When every man wants to be you, it only makes sense that every man wants to carry your gun.  The PPK has soared in popularity over the past 50+ years, and has inspired quite a few lookalikes (including the CZ-82 we looked at a few weeks back by way of the Russian Makarov pistol) and proven itself as a great concealed carry option.  Let's break it down a little bit and look at the details.

Reliability: Do a search on PPK reliability and you'll find a mixed bag.  It seems that Smith & Wesson has taken over manufacture of PPKs in recent years and reliability has fallen off a bit, sometimes requiring a person to shoot their gun a bit, identify the issues, and send it to a S&W gunsmith to straighten out any issues.  However, it's much easier to find negative things than positive, especially secondhand from the internet.  In any case, all reports seem to agree that the earlier German/French made models are more reliable.  Doesn't seem to be a huge issue and this also isn't a gun that you'd be out shooting tens of thousands of rounds through due to it's size so reliability shouldn't be an issue.

Capacity:  The standard magazine for a PPK in .380ACP is 7 rounds.   Yeesh.  Then again, when you're buying this gun, you're not buying a gun to carry with you into Kandahar.  You buy this gun to stick in your pocket or inside your jacket in case some crackhead corners you in the parking lot.  Still, if you look at modern pocket guns, you can regularly get 7-8 rounds of 9mm, which is a much more powerful cartridge.  Modern guns in .380 still run around 7-8 rounds but are much smaller and more concealable.  The PPK's capacity doesn't impress.

Price:  The PPK can regularly be had for around $500 new.  This puts it roughly $200 above similar pistols (pocket .380s such as the Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec p38t) and right on par with many of the full sized service pistols with over double the capacity in a more effective caliber.  Couple that with the fact that .380 is still pretty expensive from the "Obama Scare of '08" (Basically everybody bought as much ammo as they could, assuming that the Democrats in power would implement crazy gun laws, raising the cost of everything, especially .380, which had blown up in popularity because of the likes of the aforementioned LCP and p38t.).  .380 usually runs about 1/3rd more expensive than 9mm, so you'll have to fork over more cash to get a bunch of practice ammo to get proficient with it.  the PPK certainly isn't a budget option.  However,  one of those guns inspired by the PPK is called the Bersa Thunder, is almost an exact copy, has some good reviews, and can be had for $200-250.  So anyone looking for a PPKish gun on a budget should check them out.

PPK for tightwads.

Caliber:  The .380ACP round is regarded by most as the bare minimum for self defense. The muzzle energy is only about 1/3rd of the 9mm Parabellum round but most self defense loadings in the cartridge will penetrate around the FBI recommended 12" and achieve full expansion.

I certainly wouldn't want that ripping through my midsection.

The .380ACP round isn't the best option out there but if things were to get bad, it'd be better than throwing punches.

Carryability:  One of the PPK's greatest strengths.  It is on the upper side of "pocket pistol" size but would definitely conceal very easily in just about any other position, be it inside waist band, outside waist band, shoulder carry, jacket pocket, etc.  Outside of modern pocket pistols/derringers that slide easily into a jeans pocket, this is as good as it gets.

Looks:  When I look at other pistols, I give them points for looking like a PPK.  Enough said.

Unless they look like this one.

Customizability:  No accessory rail kind of limits your options here.  This isn't a gun you load flashlights, lasers, and a red dot on.  There are custom grips, you can always DuraKote it a different color, and there are different internal modifications you can make.  Plus you can always gold plate it. Other than that, not a whole lot going on.

History/Track Record:  If it's good enough for Hitler...  Um...  Er...  Seriously though, forgoing any bias against it for being carried by the Nazis, the PP series has been used in combat by a couple dozen different militaries and police departments.  The track record is there to back it up.

So how do I feel about it?  It's an awesome piece of history and for me personally the cool factor is off the charts but I can't justify the extra cost.  If I were looking for a pocket gun, I'd look first to the modern pocket 9mm guns that cost half as much, use a much more powerful round, and have just as good capacity (if not better in some cases).  Like the Kel-Tec p11:

10 round magazine, three times the muzzle energy, half the cost.

Also, you might have noticed that I left out the PROs and CONs.  I feel like alot of this is subjective and contextual.  For example, there's no way you can compare the PPK to the Glock 17 in terms of capacity, because they're made for different things.  Also, what may be a PRO for me could be a CON for you so I guess I just prefer to lay it all out there, compare it to similar guns and then give my overall opinion on it.  Then you can tell me how you think it matches up.  Sound good?  Sound terrible?  Let me know.

THE END

of

"PPK"

QUEST FOR THE HOLY HANDGUN WILL RETUN

in

"EAA WITNESS P"

Weigh-in 9/28/11

Had a crappy couple of days.  Didn't feel good and therefore I didn't follow my nutrition or workout regimen.

Gained 5 lbs.

Now feel much worse.

Back on the wagon as of today with more ground to make up.

Blah.

Bass Pro Shops!

Ok, before we get to the good stuff, I gotta bitch for a second.  The area of East Peoria that now holds Bass Pro Shops has the most confusing roads ever.  Add to that the fact that Bass Pro hasn't been added to Google Maps and "Bass Pro Road" doesn't exist on any map and I circled the place twice before actually finding my way to the right road.

The place is huuuuuuge.

Like HUUUUUUGE.

There's a giant 27,000 gallon fish tank holding all the native IL river species.  I just stood and watched the fishies for awhile, blocking the view of the children behind me.  

Here's a moose.

When I had enough of the fish I went straight for the footwear department and asked if they had any boots in size 15...

One pair. 

They don't fit.

Oh well, guess I'm not getting boots.  This opens up a majority of the money I had available to spend.  

Excellent.

I head over to the fly fishing section and start bumming around.  

I had thought of maybe picking up one of their $20 Bugger rods if I had enough money left over after boots but with boots out of the picture, I didn't really know where to start.

I was approached by a John who pointed me in the direction of a complete White River setup.  While we were talking about it, another employee named Dustin came over and gave some input too.  We were discussing the best weight rod to go with and I brought up that the trout at the Hooked on Fishing pond (remember?) were probably the biggest thing I'd be catching.  

Dustin goes "I knew I recognized you from from somewhere.  You were the guy in the corner catching all the fish!"

Hehe.

So I settled on a 6wt Dogwood Canyon setup and we drifted to the counter and I think I asked about looped leader connector thingys.  Dustin pulled out a tackle box and showed me how to use a nail knot tool to make quick nail knots, how to make a perfection loop out of mono so I'd always have my own looped leader connector thingys, and a couple other things my mind was too slow to absorb.   (When I asked about looped leader connector thingys at Gander Mountain awhile back, the guy handed me 8wt fly line.)

I learned more in the 15 minutes at the counter than I could learn in 3 hours surfing online and looking at knot illustrations.  

Anyone interested in learning how to get started in fly fishing in central IL should head over to Bass Pro and talk to Dustin.  He'll get you hooked up with a decent set up and teach you the knots.   Then get ahold of me and we'll go catch some fish.

(By the way, when I told Dustin I had a blog called Intro to the Outdoors to ask his permission to do a little write up of what he helped me out with, his response was "I know.  I've read it."  My brain exploded.)

So, after learning a bunch, I walked out of the store -$110 and +one complete 9ft 6wt setup and a nail knot tool.  

A little over a week ago, the same anonymous person who tipped me off to the gun sales at Bass Pro also left a comment that just said "NorthTrail Park pond in Peoria...Go Fish".  With a new rod all set up to fish sitting in the back of my Explorer and my fly box in the center console, I Googled "North Trail park"  and off I went. When i got there I tied on a brown Woolly Bugger and walked to the water's edge.

Both of the fly rods I had before were older.  Like 15ish years old.  You could strip out line, false cast until it was all out and then fling the fly in the general direction when it was all out but it wouldn't shoot line.  The Dogwood Canyon setup shoots line. 

My first full cast with it was two false casts and "shhhwwwt!"  The 10-15 yards of line I had stripped out shot out and the fly tumbled over and landed in the pond.  That felt good.  I did that a couple more times and then got down to business of trying to catch something.  

I headed up on top of a pier and cast down the bank about 6-7 feet out from shore and after a few strips, I got a hit!  I had to play him to the side of the pier, swing him onto shore, lower my rod down and run around the edge of the pier to go get a picture:

First fish on the 6wt!

He was missing an eye, pirate style.  (Probably why he was fooled by my erratic stripping of the line.

I got him back in the water and I tried a few more casts down the shore to no avail.  I moved along, trying to find open space to get some casting going.  Eventually I cast out and had my fly sitting on the bottom for a moment when a fish came to the surface nearby.  I jerked the rod up to cast to that spot and nearly pulled this fish out of the water:

Had no idea he had picked up the fly.

I kept moving along until I got to a good spot with at least 30 yards clear of foliage.  I stripped out a bunch of the line and started to let her loose.  I don't know exacts but I'd say I was getting to the point of shooting out 35-40 yard of line before getting to the point that I felt I was putting my face in danger of being hooked.  Felt good.

I stayed in that area and casted until my back and shoulder started to get sore, then walked the rest of the way around the pond, flicking a few casts here and there.  

I'm very happy with my purchase so far.  I'll keep you updated on the Dogwood Canyon setup's progress.  If you live in central IL or are visiting, take a minute to check out the fly fishing section and chew the fat with Dustin and the other employees.  The way he explained it to me, the more people we get in there, the more cool fly fishing stuff he can order.  

Who wants to go fishing?  I wanna wear this thing out.  


EDIT:  Clif from Lunker Hunt went to the Grand Opening ceremony Wednesday night.  Seems like he came away with a similar opinion of the fly shop and its employees.  Check out his coverage here.

Couple Changes

First, if you didn't notice, Owl Jones made me an awesome new banner.  (Feel free to go to his site and tell him how much it rules.)  Expect a little bit of a theme redesign to go along with it when I get the spare time to do so. 

Secondly, I changed the comment system so it takes you to a different page to comment.  When I'm in between calls or on break at work and want to respond to a comment, I can't comment with my Google profile when the comment section is embedded so I have to do that goofy name/url option.  When it is a totally different page, I can comment with my Google profile.  And I know you guys want to see my picture shining back at you, right?  Let me know if it's too bothersome.  The conversation I get with you guys is worth having to type in my name/url every time I comment if it's necessary.

Quest for the Holy Handgun: Taurus pt917c

I love it when people comment on my blog.  Especially when a person leaves anonymous fishing/deer hunting tips for my area, and then comes back a few days later to leave me a comment that says "Sunday's Journal Star newspaper,Bass Pro ad.. Taurus 917,9mm-19rd= 349.00"  (Thanks again Anonymous, I appreciate the heads up and tips.)

So, I checked out the flier online.  Indeed, Bass Pro is selling Taurus pt917s at a $130 discount as part of their grand opening sale.  The only problem was I'd never heard of a Taurus 917.  Thus began a flurry of Googling, learning, and decision making.  To have all this new Taurus knowledge in my head and not compile it into a QHH post would be a crime.  So let's learn a bit about the Taurus pt917c.

Beretta manufactures a gun the military has named the m92.  It has been the standard sidearm of our armed forces for 25 odd years.  If the name doesn't ring a bell, a picture will, I guarantee you've seen it.

"Ohhhhh, that one."

Anyway, back in the late 70's/early 80's, Beretta won a contract to sell a buttload of m92s to Brazil.  However, Brazil had a law that said guns had to be manufactured in Brazil to be sold in Brazil. (Kind of like how guns sold in the US have to have a certain amount of parts manufactured here in the States.)  So, Beretta builds this massive factory with the sole intent of mass producing m92s.  They make a bunch of them, sell them, and make a bunch of cash.  Then the contract is over.  They decide to sell the factory (along with all of the specialized m92 equipment) to Taurus.

Taurus of course starts pumping out m92 clones.  At first exact copies, then eventually making modifications such as moving the safety from the slide to the frame, adding an accessory rail, and increasing the magazine capacity from 15 to 17 to stay competitive with Glock. 

Minute differences

Eventually, they decided that the front of the gun could stand to lose about an inch from the barrel and slide. (The way the barrel stuck out of the front of the slide was goofy anyway IMO.)  The result of this cutdown was the pt917c:

See the difference?  This one has the 19 round mag in it and an aftermarket fiber optic front sight.

Let's take a look at some of my criteria and see how it matches up.  I'm going to leave out caliber since it's a 9mm and I think we've rehashed that I think that's a satisfactory caliber.

Reliability:  Being an almost exact copy of the sidearm our military uses should mean ultimate reliability, right?  You'd think so.  And in fact, Beretta is lauded for making a very quality product.  Search the internet for Taurus quality control and you'll get a mixed bag.  However, some of it seems to be guys that are upset they spent a couple hundred dollars more for a Beretta.  It's hard to find actual documented evidence of serious reliability issues.  The pt917 has a open top to the slide, which avoids alot of failure to eject malfunctions you can get in alot of other firearms.  Add to that the fact that Taurus has an unconditional lifetime warranty that follows the gun, not the owner (as in, I could buy used and still be completely covered under warranty) and Reliability comes out to be a PRO.

Capacity:  The pt917 ships with one 17 round and one 19 round magazine.  Whoa.  Highest factory capacity yet.  The 19 round magazine looks a little goofy, sticking out a bit, but no worse than a Glock magazine with a +2 extension.  (And they come standard at 19 rounds, so that means you don't have to tinker around, taking off the baseplate from your magazine and installing the extension yourself.)  When it comes to Capacity, the pt917 has to be a huge PRO.

Carryability: Believe it or not, the "c" in pt917c stands for compact.  Maybe it should be for "compact-er", because cutting that inch off the end of the gun doesn't make it compact by any means, only brings it down to the size of other full size pistols.  Combine that with a heavy weight (over 30oz.) and Carryability has to be a CON.

Misc.:

• Looks:  I said above, I think cutting off the extra inch from the front of the gun was an improvement.  I think the original Beretta was designed that way so military operators could use a threaded barrel and use a silencer.  It looks like something the military would use in this chopped down configuration.  I like the safety switches and hammer.  The only downside is the 19 round mag looks crazy. (Which is remedied easily enough, just use the 17 rounder.
• Customizability:  Meh.  The usual accessory rail allows lasers/lights/etc., and you get can get custom grips.  Other than that there's not alot of options.
• History/Track Record:  The 617 has none.  However, the m92 (the gun that the gun that this gun is based upon is based upon, remember?) has been serving our military for over 25 years.  Does that translate to having any effect on the 617?  For me it does, but it's not that much.
• Safety: Take the safety features of the 1911 and the SIG 2022 and put them together and there you go.  It has a safety lever AND decocker.  So you can walk around with one in the pipe and feel very secure in your guns ability to not go off.
• Ambidextriociousness:  

The only real con detracting from the 917 in my eyes is its carryability.  Since I'm a big dude and it probably wouldn't be a hindrance for me, it's not a big deal to me.  Honestly, if I had the $350 I'd be buying this gun tomorrow night.  I have some spare cash but not enough and the sale is only lasting till the 9th.  After the price goes back up though, it's right on par with a Glock.  If I had to choose between the two at their standard rates, I'd probably go with a Glock just because of superior reliability and huge aftermarket... um... market.  

What do you think?  Would you pick up the 917 over something else?  Ever shot one before?

Coming soon on QHH: PPK, a Ruger handgun, and some kind of revolver.

Need a new name for my weight loss posts.

It was suggested to me by Paul to change up the name of my weight loss posts.

I suppose referring to myself as the Unhealthy Outdoorsman when I'm trying to get healthy, it might be detrimental to what I'm trying to acheive.  Makes sense to me.

So, any suggestions?  Fitsherman?  Buff Bushman?  Or just "Weight Loss Update mm/dd/yyyy"?

Also, weighed in today after doing some upper body lifting and some walking.  Down three pounds since last Wednesday!  Down 26 pounds overall.  On pace for over 100 in my first year. Bangarang.

Remember that cash I saved by signing up at Charter Fitness (cost me $10 to sign up)?  Well Bass Pro Shops is opening in East Peoria Wednesday night and there's a gun show I'm going to on Sunday.  Consider any cash spent.    I'll be on the lookout for:

• Hiking boots so I can take Clif up on his offer to hike way back into Snakeden Hollow for some good fishing before the season is up.  These are number one priority because I really don't want to turn an ankle or fall and break my femur a mile into the woods.  Is one better off looking for a high topped hunting style boots or the athletic looking low top hikers?  Never bought boots before.  Hell, the last time I had boots I was like 8.
• A new fly rod.  The one my uncle gave me has served me well but I need an upgrade.  Since so many speak highly of it at such a low price, I'll be looking for an Eagle Claw Featherlight.  If not, Bass Pro has their White River Fly Shop Bugger fly rods on sale for $20 in either 5wt or 8wt.  (This could be a slippery slope.  If I get a fly rod for $20, I'll want a new reel that actually has a drag.  If I get a new reel, I'll want new line/leader/flybox/flies.  I might just be better off looking at their Dogwood Canyon complete setup for $90.  Anybody have experience with White River setups?  I'll have to read some reviews)
• Stuff to shoot trap.  Actually I have almost everything I need already.  Would like to get a shell bag and stock up on some target shells.  Don't know whether to look for this at Bass Pro or wait till the gun show.
• A new stock for my Ruger 10/22.  I marred the factory one up something fierce when I was taking the barrel band off.  If I could find an awesome M4 type stock on the cheap  I would be elated.  
• Spare ammo.  I'd like to stockpile some stuff.  I have like 200 rounds of .22 (sounds like alot but thats only 8 magazines, roughly half an hour of fun. I'd like to have a couple thousand lying around.), roughly 30 shells of #4 shot my grandpa reloaded 10+ years ago, and about 10 slugs.  Need to get some 00 buckshot and like I said earlier, a bunch of target loads. 

That's about it.  I've got some of that cash I had previously thought I'd be using on a fitness membership and a couple gift cards my awesome in-laws got me for my birthday so I'll probably be walking away with a few new outdoorsy items when sunday evening rolls around.

Anybody have experience with White River fly rods/setups?  Also, any recommendations on boots (that would possibly come in a size 16)?  

Quest for the Holy Handgun: Sig Pro 2022

The history of SIG Sauer as a firearms company can be traced back to the 18th century.  It's a history that involves several different iterations of companies, all different kinds of firearms, and a good bit of Nazism thrown in for good measure.

Most of that doesn't really pertain to what we're going to talk about today so we'll skip over it.  The important part is that SIG Sauer has been making fine handguns for 25 years.  Guns such as the P226 have found a home in many militaries over the  years, and (according to SIG) one third of the United Stated police force uses SIG firearms.

With such a quality product comes the cost of producing such a quality product (MSRP of $993.00 for their popular P226) .  Around the turn of the century, competition from relatively inexpensive firearms such as Glock (MSRP $599.00 for the G17) lead to the development of the SIG Pro line of firearms, and eventually, the SIG Pro 2022.

SIG on the cheap!

While the slide and rails are very similar to a regular SIG firearm and metal, the frame of the gun is made of polymer like a Glock.  This helps keep costs down and puts a SIG firearm within the reach of budget-cut law enforcement agencies and prospective buyers like myself who just can't bring themselves to buy a $1000 pistol.

Let's take a look at some criteria and see how it measures up.

Reliability:  SIG Sauer has a very good track record when it comes to reliability.  There are some out there who hate on the SP 2022 because it is a polymer pistol and therefore not a "real" SIG.  That seems ridiculous to me as the benchmark for reliability is the Glock, THE polymer pistol.  The 2022 was reported to have 460,000 rounds put through it during development and testing by users who eventually adopted the pistol for service.  With all that in mind, for me, reliability is a PRO.


Price:  As I mentioned above, part of the reason for developing the 2022 is to lower cost.  The 2022 can be had for roughly $400 new in box.  This includes the gun, a separate backstrap to fit different sized hands, and a magazine.  This puts it a bit below the Glock but any buyer should know that some of SIG's accessories are pretty pricey ($46 for a spare magazine, yikes) so it evens the price out a bit.  Still, in comparison to the other SIG pistols and some other pricier options, price works out to a PRO.

Capacity:  I get a little confused here.  When I read that the 2022 in 9mm had a magazine capacity of 15 rounds, I assumed it was because it was smaller and more concealable than the Glock 17 (17 rounds).  However, when you check out the stats (7.4in x 1.4in x 5.7in for SIG vs. 7.3in x 1.2in x 5.4in for Glock) the SIG is bigger in every way.  What the hell?  What's the point?  If Glock could do it with a smaller pistol, why doesn't SIG have a capacity of 17 as well?  Doesn't seem like a good business decision.  If anyone knows why they did this, please let me know.  Theoretically, 15 should be more than enough to get the job done but 15 loses to 17.  Capacity in terms of a full size 9mm pistol is a CON.

Caliber:  We've gone over the caliber debate regarding 9mm in previous QHH entries.  It's a proven self-defense round, leaves the most room for extra rounds in a magazine, and is the lowest caliber accepted for USPSA competitions.  The 9mm is a PRO.


Carryability:  As mentioned in the capacity section, the 2022 is one of the biggest guns we've looked at so far.  It's also pretty heavy at 29oz.  Compared to the other options out there, Carryability is a CON.

Misc.:

• Looks:  The 2022 falls somewhere between the Glock and the 1911 in looks for me personally.  It's got that bulky blocky look reminiscent of a Glock but the controls and hammer (absent on a Glock) give it that classic look. 

I personally like it.  There's something about a hammer on a pistol that speaks to me and screams out "PISTOL!".  Also, the accessory rail under the front of the gun adds a bit of a tacti-cool feel to the gun.

• Customizability:  Speaking of tacti-coolness.  That accessory rail allows for any flashlight/laser that attaches to a picatinny rail to be tacked on to the bottom of the 2022.  The gun ships with an alternate backstrap to fit different hands and you have the option to add on night sights for a little bit more.  Beyond that, SIG doesn't have nearly the aftermarket support that Glock or the 1911 platform has.
•  History/Track Record:  The law enforcement agencies of France ordered over a quarter of a million (the largest order of service firearms since WWII) 2022s in 2003.  Rock Island Armory put in an order for several thousand 2022s and picked up for use by the DEA.  Not as widely used as a Glock but it seems many thousand professionals trust their lives to the 2022 every day.
• Safety/Simplicity:  Like the Glock, there is no safety lever or button to keep the trigger from being pulled.  Instead, when the hammer is lowered, the weight of the trigger pull more than doubles from 4.4lbs to 10lbs of pressure.  There is a decocker button that safely lowers the hammer without striking the pin and setting off a round in the chamber.  This allows the user to carry the gun around in a more-safe fashion.  If a gun is carried, it should be carried in a holster that completely covers the trigger guard.  If this is done and you're using your brain and keeping your finger off the trigger, all other safeties are redundant.  At least this is the sentiment prevalent in the firearms community.  I personally think I'd have to carry without a round in the chamber for awhile while I built confidence in my ability to not shoot my ass off.  There's also something to be said about having a safety if there is any chance a kid could get their hands on the gun, however remote and unlikely the chances are.

See that button below the slide release lever just above the grip?  That's the decocker.  

I actually had the guy at Gander Mountain pull this gun out of the showcase and let me handle it.  When I asked about the safety, he reached over and hit the decocker button and the hammer flew down.  I flinched like a little girl, expecting some non-existant round to go off.  It would take some getting used to.

So there we have it: 3 PROs and 2 CONs.  The pros and cons don't really tell the story of my opinion in this case though.   

I have a confession to make.  I came into this series with a clear ranking of pistols in my mind.  It played out like this:

1. 1911
2. SIG 2022
3. Glock

My main reason for starting out this hole series of posts was to justify my purchase of a 1911.  After comparing just the four pistols I've done so far, my bias for both the 1911 and .45ACP cartridge has completely dissolved and if I were to make my decision today, my ranking would work out like this:

1. Glock - Even if I still thought .45ACP was the be all end all, why get a pistol with an 8 round capacity instead of one with a 13 round capacity.  Even better since 9mm is enough IMO and gives you 17 rounds.  Add to that the reliability of a Glock and it has definitely taken the lead.
2. CZ-82  - Cost alone keeps this above the other two.  Getting a gun and practicing with it by shooting 1500 rounds for the same price as just buying another gun makes you a better shot and better prepared.  
3. 1911 - I had an infatuation with the 1911.  I still kind of have a gun-crush on it.  It is the gun that helped win both World Wars and served our military for 100 years.  It's a classic design.  That's the issue, its too classic in my eyes.  I still want one someday but I don't think it's the right first gun for me.
4. SIG 2022 - Like a Glock but... not better.  Bigger, heavier, lower capacity, less customization options, more expensive accessories, and doesn't have the legendary ruggedness that the Glock does.  There isn't much in my mind to recommend it that isn't available elsewhere for the same price.  I think alot of SIG's reputation is made on their pistols that cost twice as much.

I think the more we go along, the more I drink the Glock kool-aid. (As I'm sure you can tell since I'm comparing everything to it as we go along.)  Honestly never thought I'd say that but it's won me over more and more as we check out more and more guns.  I'm still not done though.  We'll look at a few more and see if anything can knock Glock from the top of the mountain.  A Ruger pistol was suggested awhile back so I'll pick out one of those next and we'll see how it matches up.  After that, I might do a revolver, just for poops and giggles...  

Any other guns you would suggest or would want to learn more about?  Also, any thoughts on the SIG?  Is there something I'm missing that catapults it above the rest?  Let me know!

Unhealthy Outdoorsman 9/14

If you missed it the other day, I had an epic struggle over whether to spend some extra cash I had on things I want (decent boots, a bunch of crap for deer hunting, save up for a new gun) or a gym membership.

Luckily, I found a place that let me join for $10 up front and $20 per month.  It seems pretty legit except there are currently no trainers on staff so I'm kind of on my own.  I got the membership last night, walked a mile then.  Today I went and walked briskly for 15 minutes and then went over to lift.

Well, I tried to lift.  I attempted to do squats but couldn't do them with any weight so I just did bodyweight squats.  I felt kind of dumb just doing bodyweight squats in front of the mirror but I have alot of body weight to be squatting I guess.  I'm the equivalent of a 185lb man carrying roughly 275 lbs.  My legs are already a little tender.

Then hit up the bench press, which is one of the few lifts I have experience with, albeit from a long time ago.  I started with an empty bar, then added 50 lbs (total of 95lbs) to start myself off slow.  I wasn't to failure at the end of the third set (which is good because I don't have a spotter) but I was feeling it pretty good.

After I wiped everything down, I went and weighed in...

-4lbs!

I've walked about 3 miles , did that little weight-lifting workout and was pretty on-top of my meals for the past week and it paid off.  

I have a buddy at work who is really big into working out, I think I might ask him to come workout sometime soon (Charter lets you bring a guest each and every time you workout, which is also cool since my wife will want to come walk on the treadmill now and then) and see if I can get some pointers from him as far as lifting goes.  I'm also reading a book called Starting Strength which is teaching me alot about the proper postures and what NOT to do when lifting.  I'll post a mini-review on it when I finish it.

There are a couple other outdoors bloggers who mentioned putting together a "fat fisherman club" so be on the lookout for it if things come together.

Anybody else start up a new workout routine lately?

Unhealthy Outdoorsman: Priorities

No weigh-in yet this week.  Been pretty good on my meals and did a 1.75 mile walk yesterday so I'm expecting a pound or two loss.  Guess we'll see.

I've been thinking alot about holding myself responsible lately and I wanted to type out some thoughts on it.

When Paul first convinced me to post about my weight loss on here, we got on the subject of gym memberships.  I had said I can't afford one (I really couldn't at the time, such is the life of someone who gets paid on commission.) and Paul said something that stuck with me.  It was to the effect that I needed to get uncomfortable and go without things I might WANT to get something I NEED.

Fast forward a couple months and 19 lost pounds.  I find myself feeling guilty that my awesome wife bought me a membership to a Sportsmen's Club for my birthday.  Sure, I'm stoked to (soon) have access to 6 shooting ranges, 2 archery ranges, a stocked lake, and weekly trap/bullseye/USPSA/etc events.  (Did I mention how awesome my wife is?)  But, with the money we spent on that annual membership, I could have gotten most of an annual membership to a gym and adding in regular exercise to my new lifestyle. 

Now, a couple weeks later, I have some spare cash from my birthday and sales have been better at work.  I have a choice.  To get myself out deer hunting (and have a chance) I need camo, boots (like seriously.  I have my KSOs and old running shoes.  That's it.), and scent masking product.  (That's at a minimum)  If I buy bottom of the barrel clearance, we're looking at AT LEAST $125.  Seriously.  (Have you looked into 5XLT camo and size 16 boots?  Madness.  They know you have no alternative so it's either buy junk or pay out the wazoo.)

So I can pay all that money, blunder into the woods a few times and hopefully (but probably not, according to every hunter I've talked to) get a deer my first year out. 

OR...

I could get a membership to a gym, speed up my weight loss, get into smaller clothes that cost less, (hopefully) lose a hundred pounds by next season so I'm not huffing and puffing and scaring all the deer off (and maybe actually find a treestand to hold me), get  toned up a bit as a gift back to my wife, and not die of a heart attack at 30.

So I'll be getting a gym membership before any more hunting supplies or a new gun (God, that hurts much more than the hunting, I've been jonesing for my first handgun).  Hope nobody minds the lack of hunting content on here for another year. 

Should be weighing in tomorrow or wednesday, hopefully I'll be below the 460 mark.  I'll keep you guys updated.

Quest for the Holy Handgun: CZ-82

On this entry of QHH, we're kicking it Surplus-style.  We'll be taking a look at the CZ-82.

Looks pretty beat up huh?  We'll get to that in a minute.

To cover some of the history of the CZ-82, we have to cover some of the history of the 9x18mm cartridge it shoots.

After World War II, Russia was looking for a new service cartridge.  They decided to develop a new cartridge rather than go with the highly popular .45ACP or 9mm Parabellum (commonly known as just 9mm today).  Their thinking was that when soldiers get gunned down in the inevitable war with those capitalist pigs,  their ammo would be incompatible and therefore useless to said swine when they looted the bodies of the proletariat.  So the 9x18mm round was born.

9x18 millimeters of full metal jacketed communist oppression.

The Russians developed a gun just to shoot this new cartridge named the Makarov.  Thus, the cartridge became known as the 9mm Makarov.

So fast forward 30 odd years to the 1980s.  Czechoslovakia is still using the WWII-era Tokarev pistol and cartridge.  The USSR leaned on them to modernize and adopt the 9x18mm Makarov cartridge.  Rather than just go with it and take up the existing gun, the Czechs made a better version of the Makarov pistol.  They added a double stack magazine to increase ammo capacity, changed the barrel design to add reliability and accuracy, and made all the pistol controls ambidextrous, so southpaw soldiers could shoot with confidence.  The result was the CZ-82

Fast forward another 30 odd years to today.  Surplus CZ-82s are shipped to the United States in the thousands.  The guns are readily available and very inexpensive.  But is the CZ-82 the perfect starter handgun?  Let's see how it matches up.

Reliability: Every review, report, and video I've seen praises the reliability of these guns.  CZ is known for making very high quality firearms.  The CZ-82 is a very simple design, very few moving parts so there isn't alot to fail and go wrong.  Any failure I've read about is attributed to cheap ammunition.  There are no guys dropping this gun out of a plane or burying it for years just to see if it will still work but it is a fairly modern military firearm, designed to go to war.  I can't say it's as reliable as a Glock but we'll still give reliability a PRO.


Price:  By far the least expensive gun we'll look it.  The market is proliferated with slightly-used CZ-82s that came over from Europe in crates.  You can get said guns for $210. (and with a brand new USA-made barrel for $30 more.)  Combine this with the fact that 9mm Makarov ammo is close to the least expensive on the market and you have a very thrifty option.  For the cost of a used Glock, you can get a CZ-82 and 1000 rounds to practice.  The $600 price tag of an entry-level 1911 gets you a CZ-82 with a new barrel, a DIY refinish (I promise we'll get to that finish in a minute) AND 1500 rounds!  Price, more than any other gun we'll look at, is a PRO.


Capacity: Blah.  Here's where things fall off a bit for our Czechoslovakian friend.  The CZ-82 ships with one 12 round magazine.  Meh.  The pistol is smaller than the Glock so even though it uses a double stack magazine, capacity suffers a bit.  Also, only shipping with one magazine is kind of a bummer. Then again, with all the cash you save, you'll have plenty of money for spare mags.  Getting a spare magazine or two helps things out, as 25 or 37 rounds of 9x18mm would get the job done I imagine.  Still, in the shadow of Glock's 17 round magazine, capacity is a CON.


Caliber:  From the numbers I've looked at, it looks like the 9x18mm Makarov round (230ish ft/lbs) is below the 9mm Parabellum that the Glock shoots (over 400 ft/lbs, depending on the cartridge) in terms of energy delivered to target but slightly above the .380ACP round that many consider the bare minimum for self-defense (200 ft/lbs).  .380ACP has blown up in popularity over the past couple years and if so many people are carrying it and trusting their lives to it, something stronger should be ok. 9x18mm Makarov also beats out the .38 special (also averages right around 200 ft/lbs), trusted by cops all over the country for years and still used by many for self defense.  Penetration might be an issue but if I bought a CZ-82 and 1500 rounds and fired those rounds becoming proficient with said gun, I'd probably be better equipped to defend myself than getting a Glock and firing 500 rounds or a 1911 and 0 rounds.  However, price of gun/round and capacity aside, the 9x18mm round leaves alot to be desired when compared to 9mm or .45ACP.  CON.


Carryability:  The smallest gun we've looked at so far.  If you search for reviews on the CZ-82, alot of the reviewers laud the ability of the gun to make a good CCW piece.  It is a half inch shorter than the Glock 17, an inch and a half shorter than a full-size 1911, and fairly slim due to it's small magazine.  If the average person has no problem carrying this gun concealed, I shouldn't have an issue.  Also, unlike the Glock, this gun has an external safety, so it would give me less heebie-jeebies to have it loaded with one in the chamber.  Carryability is a PRO.


Misc:

• Looks:  I love the way this gun looks and I know exactly why.  It looks like James Bond's gun.

PPK.  Walther PPK.

CZ-82.  See the similarity?

I'm a Bond nut.  I have every movie up until Daniel Craig.  (Yes, even the George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton ones.)  I guess I could just get a PPK but I'd be spending twice as much and lowering my magazine capacity.  The coolness of having the exact gun isn't worth that much to me.  But it is a cool similarity right?

• Finish: Told you we'd get around to it.  This kind of goes along with looks.  A majority of the guns imported into the US were carried heavily and show heavy signs of wear on the finish.  Also, the importer for alot of them had to stamp some markings into the slide and the cheap commie paint just flakes off.  For a $200 gun what do you expect?  This was a turn off to me initially until I found out that there is a process called dura-coating that you can do yourself for about $50 and make your gun look like this:  

or this:

Both pictures borrowed from this forum post.

Or any of a hundred other colors.  Really anything you can think of.  So like I said, for about $300, you can get a gun with a brand new barrel, in orange or red or "barney purple" (yea, it's really an option) and plenty of money for practice ammo.

• Customizability: You can refinish it and change the color and you can get replacement internal parts to adjust functionality but there aren't under-gun lights/lasers/etc (obviously) and while you can find replacement grips and such, there isn't near the market out there like there is for Glock or the 1911.

• History/Track Record: Although it was the official sidearm for the military, it was for the Czechoslovakian military.  Not exactly a top world power.  Also not used by any police departments/etc.  The 9x18mm round has plenty of history but it doesn't quite match up to the likes of 9mm or .45ACP. 
• Surplus: The fact that this gun was produced to defend a people is a plus.  Also, this gun is C&R eligible.  What that means is that anyone with a Curio&Relic Collector Federal Firearms License can have this gun shipped directly their door.  For $30 and a couple months of waiting, you don't have to deal with doing everything thru a gunshop and paying the transfer fee.  Another little plus.
• Ambidextriocity: I'm a lefty.  Well, I write left lefthanded and do everything else right handed.  I recently figured out that I'm left-eye dominant.  I haven't done alot of pistol shooting so I don't know how this is going to affect me.  I know alot of guys just shoot right handed but shift the gun so it's over on the left side.  But if I can be a better marksman by shooting left handed, it would be nice to have a gun with southpaw-friendly controls. 
• Competition:  The Sportsmen's club my awesome wife just got me a membership too runs monthly practical shooting competitions thru USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association).  USPSA only allows competitors to use rounds of 9mm Parabellum or greater power.  Since I'd love to try practical shooting, not being able to use this gun is a big drawback for me. 

 So Misc kind of works out to a wash. 

We have 3 PROs, 2 CONs and a pretty much neutral Misc category.  I think the CZ-82 warrants a serious look, especially from those who have a limited income.  You get a military firearm in a caliber within the range most people would consider adequate for self-defense for a price lower than anything else we've looked at.  That said, I'll probably only be looking at the CZ-82 if it becomes evident that I wouldn't be able to afford something with a higher capacity and in a different caliber.  Five more rounds in a caliber that packs more of a punch is much more appealing to me.  Who knows though, it might be a good choice to start me out for the next couple years while I save for something more substantial.

What about you?  Would you be comfortable defending your life with the 9x18mm round?  Have you ever shot a CZ-82 or seen one shot?  Any thoughts?