well i told yall that i decided to go with the trailside over the browning buckmark. well i've put some ammo through the trailside and here's what i've found.
i have a plinker 4 1/2" model with the fixed sights and black polymer basic grips.
the accuracy is pretty good. i've shot it at 25 yards with open sights. the sights are right on, but at 25 yards the target is sort of small to see with the naked eye. i might have to throw optics on it to see what she can really do. with federal gold match ammo the gun will shoot as good as i can see.
reliability has sort of been a problem. with the way the mag feed there have been several time that the slide has failed to pick up the next round. i had to failures to fire. i cleared the chamber and the next round fired, but in the high grass i couldn't see if the fireing pin dented the rim or not. so i've been modisty disappointed in this respect (i think the buckmark might have been better here).
the finnish of the gun is fair, not up to hammerli standards. the machinig is sort of rough in spot and there are very minor blemishes that i missed at the gun show, but have now noticed.
where the trailside shines is with its size and shape. it is a light 28 oz. the barrel is very slim and compact (fits into the little pocket in my blue jeans just perfectly). the grip melts into your hand the sights are just perfect (line up like a dream). the balance and pointability is just awesome. so it is a real winner in this arena.
all and all, okay gun. better then the rugers i've shot, i don't know if i'd say its all that much better than the buckmark. i'm pleased (since its new i hope that a more extended brake in period will help with reliability).
i paid $330 for her, which from what i've seen was a very good price on this gun. i saw a buckmark camper for $230 i really liked too. in retrospect, i think i might have opted for the buckmark if i had the same choice again. but i do not regret getting the trailside. the size, weight and shape of the gun (not to mention the look) are enough to make me happy. sloth