458 SOCOM loads by Carson Specialty Development are plain cast lead, loaded either full strength for hunting or 10% under for plinking. The advantage over jacketed or machined alloy loads is the price, some 40% lower. Ballistics match 45-70 Govt. but 458 SOCOM uppers fit on .223 AR15 lowers and use the same magazines. Recoil is comparable to 20ga birdshot.
My friend Nikolay makes these by hand in his smithy. This example is high carbon spring steel, holds an edge really well and fits the hand perfectly. I noticed that his wife and his friends all had some variant of it with them. He makes a wide variety of knives that all have one thing in common: they look rough, yet they perform better than any mass-produced competitors. Thick spines, well-considered blade shapes and masterfully done tempering makes very practical tools.
For example, his knife for field-dressing deer uses wire grip wrapping so the whole utensil may be easily sterilized in boiling water. The knife has a sharp point, but it’s obscured in the photo above.
If you would like a knife like this, let me know. Complete with the hand-made sheath, it runs $44 delivered within US. I will post photos of his other designs soon. Nikolay is a true artist of a tool maker: his knives make functional and unique gifts.
Typically, the sheath is worn under the jacket with only the wrought handle loop visible. With Kydex sheath, it may be worn upside-down for quicker and less obvious draw. I found the handle to sit equally well in hand in either straight or reverse grip.
Update: eleven orders for one or more knives as of this morning. Most for the model shown, one for kitchen choppers, one for a fancy dress knife. That’s the beauty of custom work, you can get exactly what you want.
Love the knife. I sent you an email. Something about a man, a fire, and a hammer making tools makes this knife that much cooler than something you’d go buy off the shelf.
Люблю кованые ножи…
Nice knife.. and the ammo looks good too. BTW.. this company here in Slovakia produces cheap lead composite plastic jacketed rounds. They produce almost no fouling but stink a little in indoor ranges.
http://www.ares-gun.sk/?lang=english
If someone you know in the US would like to buy the processes from them.. or just some bullets.. I think it’d make them happy.
Around here we can tote knives(and swords :D) openly, unlike guns.. and there is this really nice Kukri with a 16 inch blade I’ve been thinking about.. Could be used as a tool too(I love chopping up stuff).. and if I sharpened it could be useful for self defense purposes.. (or not. Are large Kukri knives bad weapons in hands of quick 6’5″ tall, wiry men?)
And I suspect one can go out, drink a couple or beers with a knife.. and it won’t be breaking the law. I’ll have to check..
Those lead .458 SOCOM bullets won’t foul the AR gas system?
Watching a smith make something like this is a bit miraculous. Our farrier made me a hoof pick out of a pony shoe once, hypnotic to watch.
You and your friend might like this blacksmith story:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/puck-SWORD.html
Nikolay looks like the guy Central Casting would send over if you called them up and said, “Hey, in the next scene, the heroes visit a smithy to buy weapons. We need a really, really ‘bladesmithy’ guy tomorrow. Who ya got?”
email sent for one each looptail wrought knife. The more rustic, the better.
Decades ago, my great-grandfather took the broken mainspring out of an old wind-up record player and made several butcher/kitchen knives out of the spring steel. My mom’s is still in use to this day, decades later. Still takes and holds an edge. Cuts up a raw chicken in no time flat. The steel(1) looks like that above, but add a few decades of aging & darkening.
(1) He mounted the blades in walnut handles.
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I’d like to a fancy dress knife
I received my knife today and it fits my hand like I was there while it was crafted.
Beautiful work.
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send me a email with the order form for the black smith. nice knifes does he do bone handle. thanks brad
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