I've covered some of this in the past and now that I have a little more experience with it let me tell you this right now... having a bad holster just plain old sucks.
I've got a great carry weapon, and it's with me wherever I go, day or night. But I have got to find a better holster for this thing because the one that came with it is uncomfortable, bulky, and just bad. Well, it's bad for the purpose for which I'm using it, it would be fine for a regular old OWB carry position, I guess.
So, just a word of caution... test out lots of holsters before you decide on one. I'm carrying this way out of necessity right now; it won't be this way forever.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Derringers...
There has been a resurgence recently of Derringer pistols and I think it's great.
For those of you who don't know a derringer is a small "over/under" style handgun which holds two round of anything from a .22 all the way up to a .45 colt/.410 shotgun. They are generally single action only.
The biggest benefit to a derringer is concealability. They are small, smaller than most compact revolvers and easy to carry around.
I have one and, without equivocation, it has the largest "oooohhhhh" factor of anything I own.
Ok, so leaving behind the fact that it's wicked cool and everyone wants to try it out it really is a good weapon. Mine is a Bond Arms "Snake Slayer" chambered in .45 colt/.410 shotshell. Think about that just a minute... Yeah, I have the world's smallest sawed off shotgun riding around with me in a rig on my belt, how cool is that?
See what I mean?
The upsides are many, It has a good weight and the recoil is super easy to manage all the way up to but NOT including 0000 Buck shot. Those puppies hurt like a mofo to shoot. It is very easy to use and to run through its battery of arms. It's single action only and has a manual safety on it. All in all, a nice gun.
It also conceals very well in an IWB holster and lays nice and flat.
The downsides are that you only have two shots. However, with some of the new self-defense loads for .410, you only need two for anything less than a platoon of bad guys. 0000 buck shot, for instance, shoots out 4 .38 caliber lead balls all in a nice neat line perpendicular to the horizon. When I tried this round out at the range I hit the target in the face, sternum, belly, and bladder... all in one shot.
Yeah, it'll get the job done, no doubt. But if you happen to have anything other than a 3.5 inch barrel shotgun in your hand (which I do) then you are going to have to aim the thing and be a little accurate. When I use .45 in mine, it does well, it's relatively accurate considering what I'm holding and all that.
However, should you choose something much smaller in caliber, I suggest practicing a lot. You only have 2 shots and it's slow to reload, so I would suggest making those shots count. If you're using the .410 meat grinder attachment, then...well, maybe it isn't so important to put lots of rounds down range, but you should still practice.
...Derringers make a heck of a car/truck gun.
For those of you who don't know a derringer is a small "over/under" style handgun which holds two round of anything from a .22 all the way up to a .45 colt/.410 shotgun. They are generally single action only.
The biggest benefit to a derringer is concealability. They are small, smaller than most compact revolvers and easy to carry around.
I have one and, without equivocation, it has the largest "oooohhhhh" factor of anything I own.
Ok, so leaving behind the fact that it's wicked cool and everyone wants to try it out it really is a good weapon. Mine is a Bond Arms "Snake Slayer" chambered in .45 colt/.410 shotshell. Think about that just a minute... Yeah, I have the world's smallest sawed off shotgun riding around with me in a rig on my belt, how cool is that?
See what I mean?
The upsides are many, It has a good weight and the recoil is super easy to manage all the way up to but NOT including 0000 Buck shot. Those puppies hurt like a mofo to shoot. It is very easy to use and to run through its battery of arms. It's single action only and has a manual safety on it. All in all, a nice gun.
It also conceals very well in an IWB holster and lays nice and flat.
The downsides are that you only have two shots. However, with some of the new self-defense loads for .410, you only need two for anything less than a platoon of bad guys. 0000 buck shot, for instance, shoots out 4 .38 caliber lead balls all in a nice neat line perpendicular to the horizon. When I tried this round out at the range I hit the target in the face, sternum, belly, and bladder... all in one shot.
Yeah, it'll get the job done, no doubt. But if you happen to have anything other than a 3.5 inch barrel shotgun in your hand (which I do) then you are going to have to aim the thing and be a little accurate. When I use .45 in mine, it does well, it's relatively accurate considering what I'm holding and all that.
However, should you choose something much smaller in caliber, I suggest practicing a lot. You only have 2 shots and it's slow to reload, so I would suggest making those shots count. If you're using the .410 meat grinder attachment, then...well, maybe it isn't so important to put lots of rounds down range, but you should still practice.
...Derringers make a heck of a car/truck gun.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Slouching...I'm not kidding
Hey guys, personal experience talking here.
If you carry in the small of the back and you have a shirt untucked... check yourself when you stand up.
We all pretty much slouch when we sit. We place a curve in our lower back, we just do it because it's more comfortable for us.
Little item here...this causes your shirt to pull up higher, which, depending on your holster, could cause it to hike up over your gun.
...just keep that in mind and do a print check when you stand up, should you be carrying that way.
If you carry in the small of the back and you have a shirt untucked... check yourself when you stand up.
We all pretty much slouch when we sit. We place a curve in our lower back, we just do it because it's more comfortable for us.
Little item here...this causes your shirt to pull up higher, which, depending on your holster, could cause it to hike up over your gun.
...just keep that in mind and do a print check when you stand up, should you be carrying that way.
Beretta Jetfire 950 - .25 acp
Alright boys and girls, here it is; the totally excellent Beretta Jetfire 950 in .25 acp. I realize I did a brief snippet on this one before, but that was more theoretical. I now own, have fired, and carry this little beauty, so this will be a better review.
Let me tell you this thing is awesome. It is hands down my favorite gun that I have owned or even shot. It sounds crazy and it may sound like hyperbole, but it is very true.
Don't get me wrong, I love my wheel guns, and I love me a 1911, but for the purposes of this blog and what the premise is, I'm telling you this is the best dang firearm on the market today. Yes, I am making that statement and I'll stand behind it.
The basics:
It is small, 4 inches square, maybe. It's light, less than 10 oz unlouded and maybe 14 when loaded. So it weighs very, very little. It holds 9 rounds of ammo, 8+1 to be precise. It also has a tilt up barrel, which is a nice feature.
Anyway, down to brass tacks:
The cons:
It fires the .25 acp round and most people will tell you that it's not going to do anything but piss off an attacker should the need arise to use it. I don't know about that. Will it go through a man's chest and exit out the back, no. Will it go through the skull, generally not. Will it, however, put 9 quarter inch holes in someone and start them bleeding, burning and hurting pretty darn badly? Yes it will!
Do you have to be good in your shot placement? Yup. I would go for upper chest and face. Yeah, I'll shoot to the face, what?
Will it stop any but a determined (read that drugged up) attacker, I say it will.
Now, people do seem to use a PCP crazed attacker as the basis for their carrying decision and I can appreciate that. However, unless you turn their head in to a canoe you aren't stopping them. I've heard police stories of 63 shots being put in a guy and he didn't stop... so, consider that. Can you think of something that you can carry, conceal, and keep on target that's going to do that? Didn't think so.
Performance:
I tested my gun using what I had around, which was a 2 liter bottle filled with water and capped off. At 15 feet, it shot clean through, entry and exit wounds through 4 inches of water. I don't know about you, but that seems like enough to start a good amount of bleeding and some serious pain.
Accuracy:
The accuracy isn't great, but then again, I'm new to shooting it and I'll have to dial it in a little and get used to it. However, I was rapid firing at 15 feet at a 2 liter and getting really good results. I think I put 6 of 9 in the bottle while rapid firing. I can't do that with a 1911 and I shoot those better than any handgun out there. So, for self-defense distances, this thing is spot on.
Recoil...none, moving on.
Report:
This little canon is also loud as hell!! It isn't at all like a .22 which is kind of "pop" as the round breaks the sound barrier, this thing is LOUD!!! If there is a fight, people will know it's a gun fight, no doubt about it.
Added Benefit: Rapid Fire!!!
Yeah, this little SOB will rapid fire as fast as you can pull the trigger and since you don't get thrown off your aim due to recoil, you guessed it, you get 9 rounds in 2 seconds (if you're slow) in about a 6 inch area. That's bada@@ I don't care what gun you're talking about.
So, in short it fits the bill perfectly for the intended use of a CCW. It is small enough to carry comfortably. It has great ergonomics, carries more ammo than any other pocket gun. Yes it does fire the smallest centerfire round out there, but being shot is being shot, I don't care what anyone else says.
Stay safe!
Let me tell you this thing is awesome. It is hands down my favorite gun that I have owned or even shot. It sounds crazy and it may sound like hyperbole, but it is very true.
Don't get me wrong, I love my wheel guns, and I love me a 1911, but for the purposes of this blog and what the premise is, I'm telling you this is the best dang firearm on the market today. Yes, I am making that statement and I'll stand behind it.
The basics:
It is small, 4 inches square, maybe. It's light, less than 10 oz unlouded and maybe 14 when loaded. So it weighs very, very little. It holds 9 rounds of ammo, 8+1 to be precise. It also has a tilt up barrel, which is a nice feature.
Anyway, down to brass tacks:
The cons:
It fires the .25 acp round and most people will tell you that it's not going to do anything but piss off an attacker should the need arise to use it. I don't know about that. Will it go through a man's chest and exit out the back, no. Will it go through the skull, generally not. Will it, however, put 9 quarter inch holes in someone and start them bleeding, burning and hurting pretty darn badly? Yes it will!
Do you have to be good in your shot placement? Yup. I would go for upper chest and face. Yeah, I'll shoot to the face, what?
Will it stop any but a determined (read that drugged up) attacker, I say it will.
Now, people do seem to use a PCP crazed attacker as the basis for their carrying decision and I can appreciate that. However, unless you turn their head in to a canoe you aren't stopping them. I've heard police stories of 63 shots being put in a guy and he didn't stop... so, consider that. Can you think of something that you can carry, conceal, and keep on target that's going to do that? Didn't think so.
Performance:
I tested my gun using what I had around, which was a 2 liter bottle filled with water and capped off. At 15 feet, it shot clean through, entry and exit wounds through 4 inches of water. I don't know about you, but that seems like enough to start a good amount of bleeding and some serious pain.
Accuracy:
The accuracy isn't great, but then again, I'm new to shooting it and I'll have to dial it in a little and get used to it. However, I was rapid firing at 15 feet at a 2 liter and getting really good results. I think I put 6 of 9 in the bottle while rapid firing. I can't do that with a 1911 and I shoot those better than any handgun out there. So, for self-defense distances, this thing is spot on.
Recoil...none, moving on.
Report:
This little canon is also loud as hell!! It isn't at all like a .22 which is kind of "pop" as the round breaks the sound barrier, this thing is LOUD!!! If there is a fight, people will know it's a gun fight, no doubt about it.
Added Benefit: Rapid Fire!!!
Yeah, this little SOB will rapid fire as fast as you can pull the trigger and since you don't get thrown off your aim due to recoil, you guessed it, you get 9 rounds in 2 seconds (if you're slow) in about a 6 inch area. That's bada@@ I don't care what gun you're talking about.
So, in short it fits the bill perfectly for the intended use of a CCW. It is small enough to carry comfortably. It has great ergonomics, carries more ammo than any other pocket gun. Yes it does fire the smallest centerfire round out there, but being shot is being shot, I don't care what anyone else says.
Stay safe!
Finally...
Alright, I've finally made my decision, I have what I want to carry with me and I keep it with me wherever I may roam.
I bought, used, a Beretta Jetfire in .25 acp.
Now, now, now, before you get all weird on my, let me set a couple of things straight here.
1. While the .25 is technically "underpowered" for CCW. I would say this in retort; There are many stories of men being killed by a .25 acp, and there are many stories of men surviving a hail of lead from a 9mm or a .45 acp. So lethality isn't a binary system of this is lethal and that isn't. All guns are lethal, I've said that before. Also, to any detractors out there. If you don't think its dangerous, I invite you to stand very still while I unload a magazine in to your chest. No takers? I didn't think so.
2. It is the perfect (and I'll do a full review soon) size, weight, capability for CCW. It's small, light, and had 9 round of rock and roll ready to do it's job.
So, that's what I'm carrying these days. Again, small, light, cheap (always nice) and reliable. At the end of the day, that's what you want.
Here's a picture:
I bought, used, a Beretta Jetfire in .25 acp.
Now, now, now, before you get all weird on my, let me set a couple of things straight here.
1. While the .25 is technically "underpowered" for CCW. I would say this in retort; There are many stories of men being killed by a .25 acp, and there are many stories of men surviving a hail of lead from a 9mm or a .45 acp. So lethality isn't a binary system of this is lethal and that isn't. All guns are lethal, I've said that before. Also, to any detractors out there. If you don't think its dangerous, I invite you to stand very still while I unload a magazine in to your chest. No takers? I didn't think so.
2. It is the perfect (and I'll do a full review soon) size, weight, capability for CCW. It's small, light, and had 9 round of rock and roll ready to do it's job.
So, that's what I'm carrying these days. Again, small, light, cheap (always nice) and reliable. At the end of the day, that's what you want.
Here's a picture:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)