Glock 19 - The Lifetime Gun

Alrighty, now it's time to talk about the Glock 19.  I currently own one (yay!) and I have to say it's a great gun.  Period, hard stop... great gun.

Here's what it looks like:

It's a striker fired semi-automatic pistol that is recognized the world over as the most reliable pistol, ever.  Glock makes the same basic pistol in a variety of calibers, however, the G-19 is a 9mm pistol.

There are about 4 million posts, reviews, etc out there on these guns and what most people will tell you is this: Accuracy, excellent, Durability, Excellent, Reliability, Excellent, Price not bad.  

What I will say is this, however, it isn't a fun gun to carry.  It's heavy, bulky, and just meh, to carry.  It is possible I don't have the right holster as of yet, which is probably true. However, my initial impression is that it's a bulky pistol to conceal, but if I knew I was heading in to a fire fight... I'd bring this one along.  It's 15- 33 rounds (depending on the magazine) of 9mm in a gun that doesn't jam and doesn't fail...ever.

I have literally seen parts fly out of one of these while under a stress test and it still kept firing.  Keep in mind this was a 10,000 round test... 10,000 rounds and this was going through a gun that already had maybe 100,000 rounds through it.

The bottom line is this, get one.  Just go out and get one.  You may carry it you may not, but at the end of the day you'll have a gun that will not let you down when you need it.  Keep it in the house, in your truck, wherever it is you feel you may need it.

A good buy, no matter what the intended use.

Thanks and stay safe out there.

Bersa Thunder 9mm - Full Size

It has been a while since I posted anything and for that, I do apologize.  However, here's something I have had some time on the range with and would really strongly recommend.

The Bersa Thunder 9mm - Full Size:



This absolute darling of a pistol is another in a long line of quality firearms manufactured by Bersa.  This pistol is a DA/SA semi-automatic chambered in 9mm.  It holds 17+1 rounds (matched only by Glock 17's for capacity) and it, possibly, the highest value pistol you can buy, period.

When I say value, I mean you get a well made pistol with a steel slide, built in rail, de-cocking lever, thumb safety, an easy take down and field strip process, a 17 round magazine, all for about $400.00.  Now, I'm not going to say this is a 100,000 round gun, it may be, it may not.  However, I can just about guarantee that you will not wear this gun out unless you run thousands of rounds through it day after day after day.

It's a sizable pistol but it doesn't feel bulky or heavy.  The heft is enough to let you know you have a pistol in your hand and to manage the recoil, but not so much that it becomes burdensome.

All in all, it's an accurate and enjoyable firearm for a bargain basement price.

I couldn't recommend this more...

Ankle holsters - Tested and approved

Hey there everyone, I know that I've mentioned ankle holsters before as a potential carry option; however, that review was based on theoretical rather than practical knowledge.   I have since purchased and worn an ankle holster with my Jetfire 950 and I have to say, I really like it.

It's a little odd feeling at first, of course, as is any carry system, but it more than makes up for it in ease of use and the ability to conceal your weapon.

The downsides are still the same, limited caliber (smaller guns work best) and slow access point, but again, it's about having your gun on your in case something should happen.

Well, just my two cents on this particular method of carry.

Stay safe out there!

Bersa Thunder 9mm (Full Size)

I have spoken before about Bersa firearms, and I'm just as big a fan of them today as I have been since the first time I had the opportunity to test one out way back in 1999.

Normally, I would push the Bersa Thunder .380, and it is a fabulous weapon.  However, over this past weekend I had the opportunity to test out the Bersa Thunder 9mm, full size semi-auto pistol.

A little pictoral review:

Now as you can see this is a fairly straight forward semi-automatic pistol design, however it comes with some great features that make them super safe and easy to use. 

Safety first, a Bersa pistol comes with an auto-decocking lever.  Since this is a DA/SA pistol, once you rack the slide you will pull the hammer back and it will be ready to rock and roll.  If this is not what you want, then you actuate the decocking lever and the hammer falls to the "safe" position.  Not a bad feature.  From there you depress the trigger and you can fire off a round in double action mode. It also has the standard safety switch should you wish to carry it in "safe" mode.

Also, please note that this comes with a 16+1 magazine... very nice, indeed.

Now, on to the shooting review:

This isn't a light gun, in fact, even their compact .380s have some heft to them.  I like the weight of all their pistols.  They are substantial without being heavy and this weight means a couple of things. 1. That the gun will have less experienced recoil, due to basic physics, and 2. The gun is made of metal.  Both of which are nice things.

The sights are good, the weight is good, the feel is solid and the trigger in double action mode is very light compared, say, to a snubby .38.  The single action trigger is crisp and has very little creep in it.

Now, when you pull the trigger you will be greeted by a "gentle" recoil.  I'm not going to say that this gun doesn't have recoil, it does.  But it's better than many guns I've fired.  It does not throw off your sight picture very much and doesn't slowly chisel away your desire to shoot any more either.  It's perfect for the size and is very comfortable to shoot.

The accuracy of this gun is fantastic.  Again, I'm not expert, but never having shot this pistol before, at 7 yards, I put 10 rounds in the head of a silhouette target just about as fast as I could pull the trigger.  So, the accuracy is there, no doubt about it.

Considering you get all of this, for about $400.00, you really can't go wrong with this gun.  If you can carry it (and a guy my size can) then you'd do well to carry it.  If you only want it for a home defense gun, it would fill that role admirably as well.  Heck, if you just wanted a cheap gun you can put thousands of rounds through and don't care if it gets a little wear and tear on it, this gun will work for you as well.

At the end of the day, out of all the full size pistols I've fired (and they are legion) I think this was the one I liked shooting the most.  I love my 1911s and the M&P 9mm is a honey as well, but when everything is taken in to consideration, I think this is the best full size pistol value on the market... period.

Stay safe out there.

Walther P22 - Not Recommended

I think, for the first time, I have to speak ill of a firearm I have fired.  Normally, I'm a fan of almost all firearms, they all have good sides most have similar downsides, but all in all, I'm pretty positive on almost all firearms. 

Today, however, I have to say that I just can't get behind the Walther P-22.  It has some good things going for it, I will admit, but at the end of the day I cannot, in good conscience, tell anyone this is a tool they could defend their life with.

Here's a picture, so you know what I'm talking about:

This is a double action/single action semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .22 lr round.  It is well built and well made.  The size is good, however, it is a little heavy for the size it presents. 

A little bit on the .22lr cartridge, some people will say that you can't defend yourself with a .22.  That, of course, is bollocks.  You most certainly can.  More critters and people have been killed with a .22 than you may think.  These are very, very fast bullets and there are some pretty impressive defensive loads out there in .22.  So don't think that the round itself will be ineffective, it will do just fine.  You may have to unload an entire magazine in to a bad guy, but that's not a characteristic of just the .22. 

Remember, I've said in the past that lethality and stopping power are two different things.  Will a .22 stop a man dead in his tracks and prevent his further aggression towards you, more than likely, it will.  It won't do it in one shot, but very few handgun calibers will.  You have to have good shot placement and keep shooting until the threat abates.

However, here's my shooting impression on this particular pistol.  It's bad.  It is woefully inaccurate.  We're talking missing broad sides of barns inaccurate.  I'm a decent shooter, I can hit what I aim at.  However, I had trouble making consistent contact at 7 yards with this pistol.  Some of that is the .22 itself; it isn't the most accurate round in the world.  However, I can bulls eye 10 head shots in a row with my XD-45 just about as fast as I can pull the trigger... if I did that will the Walther P-22, I'd miss 4-5 times out of 10.

I took a rather inexperienced shooter with me to test it out.  He shot his Model-10 Smith & Wesson admirably.  Got right on the 10 ring at 7 yards.   However, at the same distance with the Walther P-22, he had flyers going all over the place, one which was 18 inches away from center... that's not cool.
So, I have to say that I would not trust the Walther P-22 with my life.  If I can't rely on, at least reasonable, accuracy from a weapon, then I can't carry it.  I'll plink with it now and again, but I will not carry it. 

All in all a good gun, and not one that I would turn down were it given to me, but I just won't carry it.

That's all from me.  Stay safe out there.

Pocket Holsters - After many months of using them

I've talked about pocket holsters here for a while and I've had the chance to carry one fairly consistently for the last several months and I'm going to have to say that they are pretty good.

I carry my Jetfire in .25 in my pocket and admittedly, the gun is a little thick to carry in the pocket, but sometimes my wardrobe calls for carrying something a little smaller, so that's what I have.

The pocket holster is a nice clean way to carry a small caliber (.25, .32, .380) pistol with you at all times without having to worry about clothing choices.  If you have a pocket, you're good to go.

So, I'm going to go ahead and say that it's a really solid way to carry with you and always have something on you in case things go bad.

 - Take care out there.

Sprigfield XD 45 - Something for everyone!

I have just purchased and will be and am coddling, oogling, and carrying the Springfield XD in 45 acp.

Everything in the first sentence is true...what?

Whether or not you you were aware there is a struggle for first place in the CCW manufacturing world.  The top contenders are Glock, S&W, and Springfield XD.  Any one of those three would make an excellent choice for a concealed carry weapon.  However, after trying all 3, I'm giving my vote and my money to Springfield.

Let's go through this step by step, but first... a little show and tell.

Ain't she pretty?

Ok, back to the review:

Function:  This is a striker fired pistol, so no exposed hammer.  It's also single action only, meaning you have to manually feed a round in to the chamber, after that it's rock and roll.

Ergonomics:  This is a personal thing, since no one has the same sized hands.  But, for me, this puppy fits just right.  Plenty of room on the grip, the grip length is right where I want it.  It fits really well.  Now, XD's have these optional backstraps, but this one didn't come with any (I got it used) however, it fits as it should for me as it, so no worries there.  The grip is 1911 style, meaning it's a little raked, which is great.  The gun isn't heavy or, better said, it doesn't feel heavy in your hand, solid, yes, but not burdensome.  It's slab-like much akin to the Glock series of pistols, but I think it feels slimmer than the glock does, probably because of the backstrap.

Firepower:  Holds 10 rounds of 45acp ammunition and one in the chamber, so that's 11 rounds of bad-assness in a pistol frame that's easily (for me) concealable.  You can't go wrong with that.  A Glock 26 which is just as thick in the frame and thicker in the grip (not to mention shorter) and holds 10 + 1 in 9mm.  So, the XD stacks up favorably.

Reliability:  It's a shooter.  Will it last 100,000 rounds like a Glock will...doubt it, I'm not saying it wouldn't, I'm just saying I doubt anything can outlast a Glock.  However, I ran 50 rounds through the XD and it handled them flawlessly.

Accuracy: Extremely accurate.  at 6 yards (remember, realistic training distances people) I put 35 out of 50 in a fist sized hole in the target, I took some head shots and connected and had some flyers as well, all of which were me, not the XD.  I was a little to the left, but I think that's just me adjusting to the gun.  I'll get it back to center.

Recoil: Due to it's weight and size, and the Chevrolet 2500 HD Diesel sized recoil spring, it's not a beast to shoot at all.  I was quite pleased with it's smooth action and almost non-existent recoil.  Now, I was mentally comparing that to my PF9 which slaps your hand around some, so keep that in mind.  Also, I was initially concerned that the bore axis being about the webbing in the thumb would cause some flip and rise, but it didn't... well done XD, well done.

Concealability:  Believe it or not, as big as this gun is (I would say it's a full-size, and some would say compact) it carries really easily, I can't complain in the slightest.  Now, again, you have to consider my personal dimensions, I'm a big guy, I can carry larger guns.  But I think with the right holster, one should be alright.

In conclusion, I think you'll find that the XD 45 fills multiple roles and does it well.  It's a range gun to be sure, it's a home defense gun extraordinaire, and it's a pretty good CCW tool as well.  All in all, you can't go wrong.  I was lucky and got mine used, but even new they are right in line with Glock and a little cheaper than the M&P.

Stay Safe.

Home Defense - The right tool for the job.

This may be a little off topic so far as the blog itself is concerned, but it is tangentially linked as well.

If you carry a concealed weapon, then you will have a gun in your house, correct? Therefore it can be used for home defense, right? Yeah, see, I told you it was linked!

I will lay this out here first off, I love firearms, all types. Flintlocks, Matchlocks, Percussion caps, from the Revolutionary War all the way up to today, I am fascinated by them all. So, I'm one of those guys who doesn't "collect" guns, I accumulate them. So, just so we are clear on that...

Here's where I'm heading... the gun you carry with you may not, in fact, be good for home defense. Say WHAT?!? I know, I know... but, honestly, there are those that would be, and there are those that wouldn't be.

You want examples? Ok... My Derringer, great for CCW, lousy for home defense. Only two shots and not the most accurate at a distance. What does distance have to do with anything? Well, I'm not planning on being nose to nose with a guy in my house as I would on the street. I want some distance, so I want something a little more accurate... also, since my derringer is a mini-shotgun, I don't want shrapnel going all over the place and destroying my stuff.

A full sized 1911, great for home defense, but kind of iffy for CCW.  It's big and heavy and bulky, so on and forth.

So, if you're only going to have the one gun in your home, you might as well make a smart choice and get something that will work in each scenario.  You may have to give up a little of this or that, maybe, to make it fit for both jobs, but it can be done relatively easily.

Things I would not suggest for home defense, however, are smaller caliber (say, .32 and below) pocket pistols.  Mainly because they aren't as accurate as you'd want them to be in a "down the hall" kind of scenario.  Up close and personal, on the street, yeah, they are fine, but not in a house with much longer distances involved.

Again, just my two cents.

Stay safe.

H&R Model 733

Hey guys... this one is a bit of a stretch in the "review" category, but I want to review this pistol in order to prove the point I've been trying to make over and over again.  It doesn't matter much what you carry, just so long as you carry.  If you're comfortable with your choice, then by gumbo, strap that puppy on and head out in to the world.

The H&R Model 733 is a 6 shot revolver chambered in .32 S&W.  They aren't in current production, so finding one may not be the easiest thing in the world, but that's not what I'm going for here.  I'm trying to show you the difference in availability out there of CCW choices.  However, if you do run across one, you can have one for maybe $150.00, period. 

Here it is, in all its abbreviated glory:

As you can see, it isn't big, it isn't necessarily pretty, but it's a 6 shot .32 which is easily concealable and easy to use.

Now, I've had the chance to run a cylinder full through this little guy and let me tell you, I like it.  I hit a nice 4 inch group, off hand, at about 7 yards with no trouble. Hardly and recoil, easy to manage. Now, I'll go ahead and say I have big hands, so the grips are a little bit small for me, however, for anyone out there who isn't the mutant that I am, you should do just fine with it.

This is also one of the few (VERY few) firearms I would suggest to wear in an ankle holster.  Why?  Well, since it is a double action revolver (with a transfer bar safety), I'm not worried about it going off, also the way it sits, the grip is far enough away from the trigger guard, etc, that you could get a good grip on this weapon without fumbling about trying to draw.

Also, I'm not a huge fan of revolvers in the waist band.  They are a little bulky and bulge uncomfortably.  It is a personal opinion and your experience may vary.

All in all, my impression of this gun is very favorable and I would suggest it to someone who has a little time to look for something like it (Check Pawn shops and the "used" section in your local gun shop) and very little pocket money to spend. 

Again, find what you like and carry it... be it a brand new Kimber 1911, or an H&R model 733...

Be safe out there.

More on "gun control"

I have had more than my fair share of discussions with people who believe that we should, not just ban, but destroy outright every single firearm there is out there.  

And while I agree, solely in theory, with this, we all know it can't happen.  And if by passing more and more restrictive gun laws we seek to rob more and more law abiding citizens from their constitutional right to keep and bare arms...well, there will be nothing left for the populace to defend themselves with.

It is a tired argument and one that seems to keep coming back around.  There are no logical arguments that support gun control when shown side by side to those arguments against it.  It just doesn't work the way anti-gun people want it to.  It's fairly cut and dry, however, I want to leave you with an interesting quote that should, I believe, answer all the arguments for gun control.

"Gun Control: The notion that Matthew Shepard tied to a fence post in the middle of Wyoming is morally superior to Matthew Shepard explaining to the local sheriff how his attackers got all those fatal bullet holes."
 
So, I say to you, had Matthew Shepard had a gun and known how to use it, he would still be alive today and those bastards would be dead.  A net win for the good guys.  However, the anti-gun community would rather he be tied to a post and killed than be able to defend himself via the use of a firearm.
 
...I'm going to let that sink in.
 
Be safe out there.

Shoulder Holsters... just don't.

As with pretty much everything in my blog, this is an opinion.. but I can't stand shoulder holsters.  To be fair and honest, I can't stand the one I happen to have.  I don't even remember how I came about it, but that not withstanding.  I gave it a try the other day and was disappointed in it from just about ever aspect.

It felt bulky, it felt cumbersome, it was uncomfortable.  Concealability was high, but ugh...what a pain it was to wear.

I'm not a fan, based on my one-time experience... you can keep them, thanks.

Follow up - Kel Tec PF9, Daily Carry

Well, I've been carrying the Kel-Tec PF9 for many months now and I have to say that it's just as comfortable now as it was when I first started.  It isn't fancy, it isn't hi-tech, but it does the job it is supposed to do.

A little more on the PF9 based on some more range time.  I'm not enthusiastic about shooting this gun.  It still bites a good bit, although the slip on grip has helped.  The accuracy based on "rapid" fire (about 1 round a second) is fair and at a set distance of 7 yards, if you practice, you will hit your target.  Will you be able to put all your shots in the black? Nope.  Will you be able to pull off a head shot, maybe, if you're lucky.  Will you be able to defend yourself if your life depends on it.  Yes, yes you will.

I don't spend much time at the range with the PF9 at all.  I go enough to be comfortable with it should the need arise, but other than that, it sits in the holster (where it should ALWAYS be).  

There are a multitude of handguns out there which will be more comfortable and/or more accurate than the PF9, but you'll shell out double or triple the money for them.  So, if you're on a budget, the PF9 is a good choice.  Just don't expect more than it can provide.  It isn't a range gun, it isn't a target gun... it's a "Your life may end here in a couple of seconds, so let's get out of this mess" gun.  Also, it's one you can offer over to the police (should you be required to surrender your weapon should the worst happen) and you won't cry yourself to sleep at night.

Small, light, comfortable, cheap, reliable... can't ask for much more than that.

Write down your serial numbers

Hey guys... remember to write down the serial number of any firearm you purchase and keep it forever.

If it is lost or stolen, inform the police, give them the serial number and it will go in to a database.  If anyone tries to sell that firearm to a dealer or pawn shop it will red flag and you will get your firearm back.

It just happened to a friend of mine who had a gun stolen 9 years ago.  Last week a guy tried to sell it at a show and the check on the serial number showed that it was stolen.  A detective called my friend and he's getting his gun back after 9 years.

It's important as well as it saves you a load of trouble should a gun that is stolen or lost be used in a crime.  If the police track it back to you and you never reported it, they are going to look at you a little funny... and probably be suspicious of the veracity of your statements.

Lethality versus Stopping Power

Ok, time for a discussion on semantics here. You hear lots of debates around the Internet, on forums, heck anywhere anything is discussed, this will probably be mentioned; Lethality and Stopping Power are two completely different things.


Lethality is the ability of a round to cause an end to life.

Stopping Power is the ability to immediately incapacitate.

As I’ve said numerous times, there’s no such thing as a non-lethal bullet. However, there are those rounds that aren’t as potent as others and can, in fact, leave you hanging as it were, if you’re in a bad situation.

That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t carry a .22 or a .25 if that’s what you feel comfortable with or what you can afford; both of these will, when used properly, protect you. They may or may not, however, immediately incapacitate a determined attacker. You’ll have to be very particular in your shot placement to ensure maximum efficacy.

When you are looking for a self protection weapon, you need to determine if you feel comfortable in your PDF’s (Personal Defense Firearm) ability to immediately incapacitate and not its lethality.

In my humble opinion, anything of the caliber of .32 an over is an immediate stopper. There are those that will argue that the .380 is the base line, and those that will go even higher. But, based on the numbers I’ve seen, the .32 should do the job. Again, this isn’t to dissuade you from carrying a .22 or a .25, it’s just another item to consider.

There's a lot to think about when choosing the PDF you're going to use... this is just another thing.

Cold hard facts on gun violence

Again, I'm going to diverge from my usual tips and reviews to bring you a little cold hard reality.

There are those out there, I know many of them, who think that guns are inherently bad and that no one should be allowed to have them.  I respect the opinion and I understand what they want to accomplish with this train of thought, however, I disagree with it.  Then again, I also disagree with someone owning a bajillion firearms and spending every free moment practicing their tactical reloads for the "upcoming revolution".  I respect their opinion, I just disagree with it.

But for those people who may glance by my blog to see what we, the armed citizens, think, here's the deal.

In 2007, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) 42,031 people died in fatal car accidents.  For the exact same period of time 12,632 people died due to a gun shot wound.  Take a look at that difference;
we're talking a 3 to 1 ratio here.  So, cars are MUCH more dangerous that a firearm when speaking from a pure mortality stand point. 

There are those that think a removal of firearms would make for a safer society and that's just not true.
Remember, drugs are outlawed...and we still have a drug problem.  Drunk driving is illegal...still happens.
People who refuse to abide by the laws when it suits their fancy aren't going to give a wet slap about the new fangled law you have in place that prevents them from doing whatever it was you were looking to accomplish.

You see, gun control isn't crime control (Thank you ABC News).  Regulating something only reduces or changes the accessibility of that item to those people who would seek to obtain said item via legally recognized means. 

Guys, you can't legislate safety, if we could, we wouldn't need the police department (God bless every last one of them), we wouldn't need seat belts, we wouldn't need child locks.  It would all just magically be safe.

Banning guns will not, I repeat, will not, prevent further crime.  Crime will, in fact, increase.  If you want to ban them, and I respectfully disagree with that idea, the tell the truth about it.  You don't like guns, they scare you and you don't want to be around them.  Otherwise, the rest of your arguments are usually bollocks and easily dismissed with about 10 minutes of research.

Ok, I'm stepping off my soapbox.

Accuracy

Alright, we're going to move away somewhat from pure concealment topics and talk about training a little bit.

When I got to the range, I'm not looking to key hole the target at 25 yards, I believe I've made that clear in the past. What I'm looking to do it put a round on paper at a reasonable distance, maybe 7 yards at the most. I don't stage the trigger and really sight in with my carry gun either, I just, basically, point and shoot. The reason being is I won't have time in an engagement to really get a bead on the target. I'll have to "shoot from the hip" as it were. So I try to practice in as loose a manner as possible. The less I have to remember and work on; the less I'll forget should the unfortunate event ever befall me.

You see, when your adrenaline gets running, you lose fine motor skills, so really careful aim is right out. Your accuracy will decrease by about 100% (not scientific, just my guess) when the poop really hits the fan. So if all you practice is slow methodical sighting, staging, squeeze the trigger, etc... you're in for a serious awakening when you're under stress.

Remember, there are hundreds of reports of shoot outs with police where dozens of shots were fired at distance of 15 feet and less where no one was injured at all. And these are trained professionals.

I'm not telling you not to train to be accurate, I think you should. I'm also not telling you not to have proper form when your practicing, you should. In times of stress you will revert to the highest level of training you've mastered...and I mean mastered, it has to be second nature.

You want an example, don't you? Alright... Let's say someone yells "Look out!" and you see some runaway car coming towards you. Well, you're gonna bolt out of the way, right? Right. You aren't going to do some ninja back handspring with a twist to get out of the way, you're gonna run... because that's what you know how to do best.

Practice, practice, practice... Get to where you can hit center mass every time in, I would say, an 8 inch circle on a target. That way, if you're accuracy goes to poop, you'll still be hitting something fleshy regardless of whether it's the shoulder, the leg, neck, bladder (especially nasty wound), etc. Also, practice off-hand, one-hand, and if you can, practice while drawing as well.

All of those things can be useful in a fight, not that we want one. By the same token, I don't want to be in a car wreck, but I have insurance...just in case.

Failure to Feeds...aka Limp Wristing

If you’re an inexperienced shooter, or a experienced shooter who has ever had a gun fail to feed and someone told you that it was because you may have been “limp wristing” the weapon and wondered what in the heck that had to do with anything… I’m here to explain what that had to do with anything.

This is a fairly visual and scientific explanation, but I’ll do the best I can.

When you pull the trigger on a pistol the firing pin hits the primer in the round of ammunition. The primer ignites and causes the powder in the round to explode causing the bullet to be propelled forward due to the pressure of the expanding gasses.

The recoil is the force of the explosion in the equal and opposite direction of the propulsion of the projectile. This recoil is required to push the slide backwards causing the round to reach the terminus of its travel, be expelled by the extractor pin. The next round in the magazine is then pushed upwards by the spring behind the magazine follower. The slide rebounds due to the guide rod spring; the round is then captured by the slide and pushed forward in to the barrel.

If there isn’t enough propulsion from the expansion of the gasses, the slide may not make the complete circuit, then the next round of ammunition may not have the room to completely extend in to the receiver, thus causing a failure to feed.

At the same time, if you “limp wrist”, as opposed to holding a firm grasp on the weapon, your wrist may act as a shock absorber and rob the pistol of some of its energy thus causing the slide not to extend all the way to the far back position.

So, if you have failure to feeds, don’t check the ammo or the magazine first, check your grip… that could easily be the cause.

The venerable 1911

Well, we've talked about the wanna-be's when it comes to semi-auto pistols, so we might as well talk about the one that started it all. The venerable and most excellent, not to mention longest standing production firearm...well, ever.

Not only is it functional, I think it's pretty to look at.

However, pretty isn't a requirement for CCW, let's talk about this in serious terms.

The 1911 is a single action, semi-automatic, hammered pistol. It is usually chambered in .45 acp. In it's "mil spec" format it carries 7 in the magazine and one in the chamber.

It has, as part of it's design, two safety mechanisms. One is a manual safety which can only be actuated when the hammer has been moved fully to the rearward position, and a grip safety. The grip safety is actuated when you actually grasp the firearm itself. If you were to pull the hammer back and then pick the gun up by the trigger (Don't do that... I'm just saying) it would not fire. The grip safety has to have pressure applied to it before it allows the mechanisms to do their thing.

Because it is single action only, one must have the hammer fully moved to the rearward position before it will fire the first round. After that, you're good to go.

Now, the interesting thing about how you carry this is that there are 3 positions in which it can be carried. I forget the order, so bear with me on this one, and if it's in the wrong order...I don't care, the info is correct.

Condition 1: Hammer is down, safety is disengaged.

Condition 2: Hammer is back, safety is engaged.

Condition 3: Hammer is back, safety is disengaged.

The most practical carry method is cocked and locked (hammer back, no safety). The gun isn't going to go off without someone grasping the grip and pulling the trigger, so that's how it is mainly carried by those who carry it.

The ergonomics of this gun are the best in the world, period. There's not but 14 shooters in the world who won't agree with that statement. It really is a well designed pistol. It's comfortable, has a good grip radius, and just feels good in the hand.

While it shoots one of the biggest rounds out there, there's not much in the way of recoil. The gun, on average, weighs two pounds unloaded. It doesn't feel that heavy in hand, it feels substantial, but not heavy. That weight soaks up alot of the recoil as does the fact that the recoil spring is about 3.5 inches long.

I've owned one before (and I will again...) and it is very accurate and very reliable. It does have a problem with feeding if you limp wrist it (I'll talk about that in another post) and certain models don't like certain ammo, but otherwise, she cycles like she's supposed to.

I have put a double tap on to a Starbucks "Double Shot" (no pun intended) can at 15 feet before from a low ready stance, in about 1.5 seconds. I'm not that great of a shot, but that's impressive, I don't care who you are.

The only downside about this weapon is the size and weight. The barrel is anywhere from 3.5 to 5 inches long. Add another 2.5 inches for the extraction port and upper receiver and you have a long pistol. The width is nice an lean, but that barrel makes it a little unwieldy in a CCW application. However, if you can make it work, you'd be hard pressed to find a better option out there. They aren't cheap, good ones anyway, and after market upgrades are plentiful, so you can shell out some money on one of them, but it would serve you well.

Glock 26 - Review

I guess, if I'm going to have any credibility with concealed carry people all around the globe, I'm gonna need to review the Glock 26.

This seems to be, kind of, the gold standard for concealed carry by a lot of people.

There is no more reliable firearm on the planet. It is flawlessly designed and impeccably executed. It shoots like a champ as well.

Here's the low down on this tank of a pistol.



Design: It's a no nonsense, utilitarian design. There's no extraneous parts or gadgets. There are no external safety levers. The grip on the G26 is short due to it being a sub-compact. It's basically a 2 finger grip. You can get an extension for the magazine which adds 2 rounds of capacity and a little more room on the grip. All in all a good feeling pistol in hand.

Function: This is a striker fired, semi-automatic, single action pistol. You must chamber a round by actuating the slide in order to "prime" the striker. After that, you pull the trigger... it goes bang.

Reliability: The single most reliable handgun on the planet, period. There are examples of G26s out there with 100,000 round through it and it's still going strong. Yeah, I wouldn't hesitate to say that this gun will last, literally, forever.

Shooting impressions: This is a shooter's gun. If you enjoy trigger time, you'll like this gun. It's accurate, has almost no appreciable recoil, and will eat any ammo you put in it, period.

So, on paper this is a great gun, heck, in reality it's a great gun.

I however, contrary to all the good things it has going for it, would probably not carry it.

Simply put this thing is a solid brick of steel. It isn't necessarily heavy, but it is bulky. Unless you're willing to shell out some serious money on a serious holster and carry system this thing may be a wee uncomfortable, or at least unconcealable.

Now, there are guys out there that carry them religiously, but they change their entire manner of dress to accomodate the pistol. I'm all for a little bit of adaptation, but I'm not going to wear a shooting vest at all times just so I can carry a weapon.

All of that being said, if you had the money (although they aren't terribly expensive) you could do a heck of a lot worse than picking up this or it's middle sibling the Glock 19. It's a lot of gun for a very reasonable price and you won't be disappointed in the value it gives you.

Just consider how you're going to carry it before you lay down the cash.

Info by Caliber and some other data points

I decided to lay this out there for anyone who is interested.
I've compiled (not a difficult task, just go to wikipedia) a listing of the speed and initial impact force (theoretical, based on F=MA) of the most popular handgun calibers out there for concealed carry.

Caliber               Ft/s              MPH              Sonic             Ft/Lbs
0.25                   900               614                Sub                  63
0.22                 1080               736                Sub                104
0.32                   925               631                Sub                123
0.380               1000               682                Sub                200
0.38                   980               668                Sub                235
0.45                 1060               723                Sub                412
9mm                 1300               886             Super                420
0.40                  1190               811             Super                424
0.357                1600             1091             Super                710

The "most" important number on this list is the "Ft/Lbs" of force at the end. That means how hard does this thing hits. I say this is a theortical number, basically because in the real world if you were hit with 710 lbs of force, for instance, you'd explode. Basically, take a 710lb weight, and drop in on your chest from a height of 1 foot... yeah, ouch time.

For those people who say that a .40 cal is world's better than a 9mm... check the numbers, you'd be wrong. It's a little better, but not much. The .45 is on par with the 9mm and .40, but it's a much larger round, so there's more hole produced, so, bigger wound.

However, as I have stated, the .357 magnum is the ultimate in hand gun calibers.

Just a little info for you so you can determine which caliber you'd like to start looking at.