While I'm not normally the type of person who gauges my week based on the arrival of swag, last week was extra cool.
Not only did I receive Eric and Paul's carbine barrel for my U.N.C.L.E. Special (stay tuned for a detailed range report,) Phil Mede of the Detonics Collectors Association brought my multi-year quest for a one of the supposed more rare variants of the Seattle-manufactured Combat Master to an end.
The Detonics Mk VII is the "Walter Mitty" of Combat Masters. The facts behind it are murky and enigmatic at best, in that no one's sure how it came to be. Some say it might have been one of the more extreme visions of designer Pat Yates, while others suggest it stemmed from a special contract with the CIA a small run of 50 pistols. (Although, it is possible that the CIA ordered the MKVIIs, but never contracted with Detonics to make them—but at present the story remains nothing more than an urban legend.)
But, one thing is known about the mini pocket rocket. Its flattop slide and lack of sights make it the perfect pistol for close-quarters battle (CQB)—contact distance out to 5 to 7 yards. Impractical, you say? Not according to Col. Rex Applegate or manufacturers like Colt or Kimber, as evident by their New Agent and Ultra RCP II.
Now if I could only find room for it in my gun safe.
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