30 Oct 00

I visited with a friend who is a major gun retailer this afternoon:

>Of all his rental handguns (which really take a beating, day in and day out), the ones which holds up best are the Ruger pistols! They have experienced less parts breakage than even the Glocks. They are maladroit, but they do hold up.

>The hot-selling 1911 clone is definitely the Kimber (in its various iterations), outselling all others by a wide margin.

>Kahrs continue to be strong, particularly the P9 (with the plastic frame). They are difficult to keep in stock.

>Glock 19s and 23s are still the best selling Glocks. The 36 is starting to show some popularity, but customer acceptance has not been widely enthusiastic as was expected. I've been carrying a 36 for several months now, and I really like it. It is a good deal slimmer and easier to carry than a 19.

>For the first time I handled a Carbon-15 223 rifle. It's made by Professional ordinance of Lake Havasu City, AZ. It resembles an AR-15, but it is very light and short. It takes AR-15 magazines and comes with a P-rail but no sights! If it holds up, it could be a real contender for the title of "Preferred Patrol Rifle."

/John