Buck Mark Questions...

[Stringfellow]

I've settled on getting a Browning Buck Mark for a target plinker. But now the question is which one...

I like the looks of the Camper (and price!), but want fiber optic sights, which brings me to the Practical. For the ~$30 difference on Buds, is it worth just getting the Practical?

1. I am not into finger groove grips, but should I just roll with the URX grips of the Practical and not worry about it? I would love to hear any experiences with the grips, or in changing the grips.

2. The Camper has that cheap plastic rear sight base, which supposedly can be replaced for ~$30. Does the Practical have a metal base, or is it still plastic?

3. Are the Camper's front sights otherwise easy to replace with some FO sights?

4. Are there any other differences I should know about? Performance?

5. Budget is a concern, but are there other models I should consider?

6. Anyone have any experience sanding the gold off of the trigger? (I HATE gold)

7. Who else should I look to for a good price, in addition to Buds?

This is my big Four-O birthday present , so I hope to make the right choice and keep the pistol for the duration. Any other thoughts, insight, or suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks for the help!

 

[jfrey]

The URX is a great pistol and very accurate. The fiber front sight is very bright an easy to see in the shade. The finger grooves are large and fit my hand well, unlike the ones on a Glock. To my knowledge, right now there are no replacement grips but I have heard the ones on the Buck Mark rifle will fit it. I wouldn't sand the gold off the trigger but instead have it refinished to another color. There are several places you can get this done and it isn't expensive. Some of the Buck Marks do prefer certain brands of ammo but will shot most anything fairly accurately. You just have to try your specific pistol and see what it likes best. Mine seems to like the Federal and Blazer more than others. It seems some ribs are metal and some are plastic. I got a replacement rib from Browning and installed a holographic sight. I never had any problems with the plastic one. Rimfirecentral is a site dedicated to rimfire pistols and rifles. They have a lot of good info on Buck Marks.

 

[Stringfellow]

Thanks for the reply jfrey--that was good info.

I spent last night cruising rimfirecentral's Browning section. There was a lot of wisdom in those pages, and it was a great way to get up to speed on the Buck Mark.

I am going to snag a Practical--the price difference seems more than worth it to get the added features.

I am also going to take some Scotch Brite/steel wool to the trigger, as several other folks have done. The trigger is aluminum underneath, and I like the look of raw aluminum. And if I screw it up too much, CCR will coat it for me in the color of my choice for like $6 or something.

Thanks again!