>>2nd UPDATE<<
Mrs. Normal just confirmed the Raven has landed and I will in fact, have the chance to get my gun gear nerd on after my 12-hour day in the orifice comes to a close.
>>UPDATE<<
Thankfully, customer service folks at RCS are on the ball and quickly confirmed the package did ship as requested and has been delivered. Once I'm done with my 2nd of 3 12-hour work days I will hopefully be monkeying around in the workshop with some new kit tonight!
I had hoped to give a first impression of Raven Concealment's new Eidolon holster system but - as with other orders - it seems like there's a shipping issue.
A full week after receiving shipping notice for my order it is still showing as not having been picked up. Hmm... I wish I could say this is the first time I've run into issues with their fulfillment but it's actually my third order and my third wonky delivery notice.
Their gear is excellent. Getting it into your hands can be a bit of a pain...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
I Didn't Choose the Glock Life...
The Glock life chose me.
Yes, I'm an unapologetic M&P fan (who's proven a shooter can clear the Triple Nickel with a bone-stock duty gun).
Yes, I'm developing a potentially-unhealthy attraction to a handful of CZs.
And oh HELL YES I will forever love John Browning's masterpiece of small arms design, the 1911.
But if the feces should ever meet the fan blade, the first gun I'm grabbing will probably be my Glock 19. It isn't the best at any one thing, but it does just about everything well.
After shooting darn near every major pistol platform in the marketplace, it's not the pistol I'll use to make it to the USPSA Nationals one day, but it'll be the one I'll put on when I start the drive home.
Yes, I'm an unapologetic M&P fan (who's proven a shooter can clear the Triple Nickel with a bone-stock duty gun).
Yes, I'm developing a potentially-unhealthy attraction to a handful of CZs.
And oh HELL YES I will forever love John Browning's masterpiece of small arms design, the 1911.
But if the feces should ever meet the fan blade, the first gun I'm grabbing will probably be my Glock 19. It isn't the best at any one thing, but it does just about everything well.
After shooting darn near every major pistol platform in the marketplace, it's not the pistol I'll use to make it to the USPSA Nationals one day, but it'll be the one I'll put on when I start the drive home.
Friday, March 13, 2015
The Continuing Adventures of the WoobieGun - 10-8 Edition
The more time I spend with my brand-new Glock 19, the more I'm realizing just what a good little gun it is.
Glock, Inc. built a real winner with this one, and the enhancements of the Gen4 models continue to impress. However, it's still a Glock and, as such, it's high time for me to address the areas any serious shooter needs to look at with a new piece of tactical Tupperware.
First, those damned plastic sights. As I mentioned before, Larry Vickers is quick to deride them as "slot fillers" and I couldn't agree more. Second, adding improved base pads to the magazines which is TOTALLY not necessary but can't hurt, either.
First... the sights. There are as many sighting systems available for Glocks as there are stars in the sky. Many of them are even worth installing on a "fighting" gun. The LAV's sights from Wilson Combat, the ubiquitous Trijicon and Meprolight night sights, Warren, Dawson Precision, and Ameriglo are all viable. But I went with something a little less mainstream but fully proven from a shop called 10-8 Performance.
I'll leave you to look into why 10-8 has built a reputation as the go-to source for hard-use duty gun components and sight systems for law enforcement and responsible armed citizens, but I can't speak highly enough about their quality, features, and customer service.
One of those features is the use of a U-shaped rear notch, which is supposed to help speed focus to the front sight while maintaining sight alignment. (Pro-Tip - THAT is one of the only things the rear sight should do!). The other is the choice of rear aperture width, which is important for setting up a pistol with the sight picture that works best for the individual shooter.
As for the front sight, 10-8'a fiber optic unit has earned the praise of some high-profile trainers as well as a legion of competition, tactical, and law enforcement shooters. They provide similar rod length (hence brightness of the "dot") to what you see in Dawson's f/o fronts (the undisputed king of the competition sight universe) but add a central post to protect the rod from impact.
I chose their .140" rear sight and the .115" front sight. Given the shorter sight distance of the Glock 19, this provides a "fuller" sight picture that is still intuitive and quick, but still enables precision at distance.
Installation was a breeze. I had never installed a set of sights on my own prior to this and, with a full gunsmith lab and a custom-built sight pusher at my disposal, it went without incident. Replacing Glock front sights (when you have the right tool) is ridiculously simple.
Alignment of the rear was confirmed first with the Mk1 eyeball and then on the range. Yep, having an indoor range at my disposal under the same roof was the other HUGE benefit.
The photo above isn't a perfect representation of what I see, but this gives a good idea of the front and rear sights. It's a quick picture.
As it turned out, dead-nuts centered didn't provide the perfect alignment. It was damn close, but not "Perfection." A couple nudges of that bombproof rear sight eventually allowed me to produce this off a sandbag at 5 yards...
I'll take it.
Now, this is with the top of the front sight even with the bottom edge of the colored block. Yep - I'm getting a slight 6:00 hold with this setup. Normally, that would bug the ever-loving crap out of me, but the deviation is 1/2" at 5 yards and about 3" at 25 yards. I could easily replace the front sight with a taller unit and bring that down to POA/POI but I'm going to shoot this rig and deal with it.
After final sight-in, locking down the rear, and addition of the fiber rod, I ran 75 rounds through the gun. No POI shift. No movement of the front sight. Very good stuff, and rock solid to boot. I shot one of my accuracy "standards" and was more than pleased with the results. I shoot 3-round groups at a defined target at 9, 21, 35, 50, and 75 feet, shooting as quickly as I can develop a good sight picture. Last night I chose the head of a human silhouette and scored 14/15 hits. The flier was a trigger control issue and I accurately called the miss. All other hits scored - no "earrings" or "haircuts." I'll be keeping this setup, and updating other carry guns as time and money allow.
As for the magazine base pads, 10-8 makes a rock-solid molded replacement unit for Glock mags that add strength, a little bulk, and strategically placed grooves and cutouts that will aid a shooter in clearing any malfunctions involving a stuck mag. Since I had ordered the sights, adding these was a bit of a no-brainer at 12 bucks to outfit 3 mags. Like everything else from 10-8, they're solid kit, and once you learn the "trick" to popping Glock base pads, installation is easy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Glock, Inc. built a real winner with this one, and the enhancements of the Gen4 models continue to impress. However, it's still a Glock and, as such, it's high time for me to address the areas any serious shooter needs to look at with a new piece of tactical Tupperware.
First, those damned plastic sights. As I mentioned before, Larry Vickers is quick to deride them as "slot fillers" and I couldn't agree more. Second, adding improved base pads to the magazines which is TOTALLY not necessary but can't hurt, either.
First... the sights. There are as many sighting systems available for Glocks as there are stars in the sky. Many of them are even worth installing on a "fighting" gun. The LAV's sights from Wilson Combat, the ubiquitous Trijicon and Meprolight night sights, Warren, Dawson Precision, and Ameriglo are all viable. But I went with something a little less mainstream but fully proven from a shop called 10-8 Performance.
I'll leave you to look into why 10-8 has built a reputation as the go-to source for hard-use duty gun components and sight systems for law enforcement and responsible armed citizens, but I can't speak highly enough about their quality, features, and customer service.
One of those features is the use of a U-shaped rear notch, which is supposed to help speed focus to the front sight while maintaining sight alignment. (Pro-Tip - THAT is one of the only things the rear sight should do!). The other is the choice of rear aperture width, which is important for setting up a pistol with the sight picture that works best for the individual shooter.
As for the front sight, 10-8'a fiber optic unit has earned the praise of some high-profile trainers as well as a legion of competition, tactical, and law enforcement shooters. They provide similar rod length (hence brightness of the "dot") to what you see in Dawson's f/o fronts (the undisputed king of the competition sight universe) but add a central post to protect the rod from impact.
I chose their .140" rear sight and the .115" front sight. Given the shorter sight distance of the Glock 19, this provides a "fuller" sight picture that is still intuitive and quick, but still enables precision at distance.
Installation was a breeze. I had never installed a set of sights on my own prior to this and, with a full gunsmith lab and a custom-built sight pusher at my disposal, it went without incident. Replacing Glock front sights (when you have the right tool) is ridiculously simple.
Alignment of the rear was confirmed first with the Mk1 eyeball and then on the range. Yep, having an indoor range at my disposal under the same roof was the other HUGE benefit.
The photo above isn't a perfect representation of what I see, but this gives a good idea of the front and rear sights. It's a quick picture.
As it turned out, dead-nuts centered didn't provide the perfect alignment. It was damn close, but not "Perfection." A couple nudges of that bombproof rear sight eventually allowed me to produce this off a sandbag at 5 yards...
I'll take it.
Now, this is with the top of the front sight even with the bottom edge of the colored block. Yep - I'm getting a slight 6:00 hold with this setup. Normally, that would bug the ever-loving crap out of me, but the deviation is 1/2" at 5 yards and about 3" at 25 yards. I could easily replace the front sight with a taller unit and bring that down to POA/POI but I'm going to shoot this rig and deal with it.
After final sight-in, locking down the rear, and addition of the fiber rod, I ran 75 rounds through the gun. No POI shift. No movement of the front sight. Very good stuff, and rock solid to boot. I shot one of my accuracy "standards" and was more than pleased with the results. I shoot 3-round groups at a defined target at 9, 21, 35, 50, and 75 feet, shooting as quickly as I can develop a good sight picture. Last night I chose the head of a human silhouette and scored 14/15 hits. The flier was a trigger control issue and I accurately called the miss. All other hits scored - no "earrings" or "haircuts." I'll be keeping this setup, and updating other carry guns as time and money allow.
As for the magazine base pads, 10-8 makes a rock-solid molded replacement unit for Glock mags that add strength, a little bulk, and strategically placed grooves and cutouts that will aid a shooter in clearing any malfunctions involving a stuck mag. Since I had ordered the sights, adding these was a bit of a no-brainer at 12 bucks to outfit 3 mags. Like everything else from 10-8, they're solid kit, and once you learn the "trick" to popping Glock base pads, installation is easy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, March 9, 2015
Whoa... Heavy, Man...
During my first weekend back at the club, I learned firsthand just how much of a pain in the - uh - lower lumbar spine hauling around a monster-sized duty pistol can be.
I decided my CZ P-09 would provide unmatched firepower as a "work" gun and the fact it was a CZ would satisfy the need for a "cool guy" gun.
Just one thing... I'm not wearing a 2" double belt duty rig like I did when I patrolled as a civilian volunteer with the local PD.
I hadn't figured on carrying a 40 ounce pistol for eight hours a day. And two days of it were all I needed to decide I needed something MUCH lighter that didn't sacrifice too much capacity.
Here's why...
Loaded, my new G19 weighs in at a shade under 30 ounces. By comparison, my UNLOADED P-09 weighs less than an ounce under the loaded Glock.
The result, my P-09 is going to be set up for range work and gun games. I absolutely love that pistol - I just don't want to be toting the damn thing around on my hip in anything less than full civvy battle rattle or competition gear.
I'm not saying there's such a thing as "too much gun" but I can tell you, as I turned the corner on 40, there IS such a thing as too little spine.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I decided my CZ P-09 would provide unmatched firepower as a "work" gun and the fact it was a CZ would satisfy the need for a "cool guy" gun.
Just one thing... I'm not wearing a 2" double belt duty rig like I did when I patrolled as a civilian volunteer with the local PD.
I hadn't figured on carrying a 40 ounce pistol for eight hours a day. And two days of it were all I needed to decide I needed something MUCH lighter that didn't sacrifice too much capacity.
Here's why...
Loaded, my new G19 weighs in at a shade under 30 ounces. By comparison, my UNLOADED P-09 weighs less than an ounce under the loaded Glock.
The result, my P-09 is going to be set up for range work and gun games. I absolutely love that pistol - I just don't want to be toting the damn thing around on my hip in anything less than full civvy battle rattle or competition gear.
I'm not saying there's such a thing as "too much gun" but I can tell you, as I turned the corner on 40, there IS such a thing as too little spine.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Another (Good) Glock Week
Week 3 of getting back into the Glock platform has passed quietly without incident.
It hasn't "gone off" all on its lonesome like one club member insists they are prone to do, so there's that. For the past two weeks now I've been silently nodding and smiling at the older vet who insists Glocks aren't safe in the hands of the untrained public. I'm glad I'm apparently seen as being "trained." :-)
I've made a few (permanent) alterations to the grip to better fit my hand but refrained from going "full potato" on it. The results are visually mild but vastly improve the grip for my dominant hand.
I was fortunate to find a Longs Shadow Holsters OWB rig for it over the week. I wasn't too thrilled about the 15-degree angle but plunked down for it anyway (I'm impatient, they're local, and I didn't want to wait for a custom order). I found that turning the front belt loop upside down provides just enough cant at the 4:00 position to be comfortable. Longs Shadow builds some tough-as-nails gear here in Colorado, and the fit / finish are excellent.
Next up is the addition of a set of steel sights to replace the plastic "gap fillers" (as Larry Vickers calls them) they crossed the Atlantic with. There are few things in the gun world I hate more than Glock plastic sights... I can use them well if I really have to but they suck out loud.
The new set is coming straight from the folks at 10-8 Performance, and they'll be set up similar to my competition guns - black rear, fiber optic front. No need for tritium here... if it's dark, it's imperative I illuminate my target. I like my rear sights simple, they are there to direct me TO my front post, not distract me from it. And with one exception, the 10-8 front blade protects its fiber optic rod better than just about anything else out there. I can't wait to get them installed after they show up this week.
The final upgrade will be to drop in a new trigger system from GlockTriggers.com. Most likely their Haley Skimmer trigger system.
At that point, I plan on shooting the bejesus out of the thing and keeping it close-by. After all, it's quickly become my WoobieGun.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It hasn't "gone off" all on its lonesome like one club member insists they are prone to do, so there's that. For the past two weeks now I've been silently nodding and smiling at the older vet who insists Glocks aren't safe in the hands of the untrained public. I'm glad I'm apparently seen as being "trained." :-)
I've made a few (permanent) alterations to the grip to better fit my hand but refrained from going "full potato" on it. The results are visually mild but vastly improve the grip for my dominant hand.
I was fortunate to find a Longs Shadow Holsters OWB rig for it over the week. I wasn't too thrilled about the 15-degree angle but plunked down for it anyway (I'm impatient, they're local, and I didn't want to wait for a custom order). I found that turning the front belt loop upside down provides just enough cant at the 4:00 position to be comfortable. Longs Shadow builds some tough-as-nails gear here in Colorado, and the fit / finish are excellent.
Next up is the addition of a set of steel sights to replace the plastic "gap fillers" (as Larry Vickers calls them) they crossed the Atlantic with. There are few things in the gun world I hate more than Glock plastic sights... I can use them well if I really have to but they suck out loud.
The new set is coming straight from the folks at 10-8 Performance, and they'll be set up similar to my competition guns - black rear, fiber optic front. No need for tritium here... if it's dark, it's imperative I illuminate my target. I like my rear sights simple, they are there to direct me TO my front post, not distract me from it. And with one exception, the 10-8 front blade protects its fiber optic rod better than just about anything else out there. I can't wait to get them installed after they show up this week.
The final upgrade will be to drop in a new trigger system from GlockTriggers.com. Most likely their Haley Skimmer trigger system.
At that point, I plan on shooting the bejesus out of the thing and keeping it close-by. After all, it's quickly become my WoobieGun.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, March 2, 2015
You CAN Come Home Again...
Grab your flame-retardant parka... Hell just froze over. I'm not talking about Arctic Winter Blast Blizzard Pandora, no... this is something not even I could have predicted (until recently).
I'm back at the gun club on weekends, and I'm back to carrying the Box That Rocks.
The invitation to put the red polo back on was unexpected but welcome. They way they asked was awesome (they checked with Mrs. Normal first). After a month of weekends, I am happy to say that you really can go home again. In many ways, it's like I never left and yes, that's a good thing.
That brings me to the other real surprise, I'm back to carrying a Glock again. As it turns out, I had been a bit TOO specific with my full-size guns. They're either modified for competition or far too heavy to carry for 6, 7, or 8 hours a day in addition to the other range-rat accessories we go out on deck with. As it were, the Glock 19 offers everything I need and nothing I don't.
The Glock 19 could very well be the perfect do-anything pistol - it's just big enough for "duty" carry with a full grip and (Colorado legal) 15-round capacity. It's reliable, consistent, and beyond combat-accurate.
I made a few minor grip/frame modifications to avoid the dreaded Glock Knuckle and plan to add a real set of sights from 10-8 and a GlockTriggers carry trigger setup, but those are stories for another day.
At the end of the day, this is not only my new "work" pistol, but it will become my new EDC gun. Coming full-circle back to Glock isn't an abandonment of my Smith & Wesson collection, nor am I falling out of love with CZs. What I've done is rediscover my "woobie" gun, a warm blanket in the bottom of the box marked "winter."
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I'm back at the gun club on weekends, and I'm back to carrying the Box That Rocks.
The invitation to put the red polo back on was unexpected but welcome. They way they asked was awesome (they checked with Mrs. Normal first). After a month of weekends, I am happy to say that you really can go home again. In many ways, it's like I never left and yes, that's a good thing.
That brings me to the other real surprise, I'm back to carrying a Glock again. As it turns out, I had been a bit TOO specific with my full-size guns. They're either modified for competition or far too heavy to carry for 6, 7, or 8 hours a day in addition to the other range-rat accessories we go out on deck with. As it were, the Glock 19 offers everything I need and nothing I don't.
The Glock 19 could very well be the perfect do-anything pistol - it's just big enough for "duty" carry with a full grip and (Colorado legal) 15-round capacity. It's reliable, consistent, and beyond combat-accurate.
I made a few minor grip/frame modifications to avoid the dreaded Glock Knuckle and plan to add a real set of sights from 10-8 and a GlockTriggers carry trigger setup, but those are stories for another day.
At the end of the day, this is not only my new "work" pistol, but it will become my new EDC gun. Coming full-circle back to Glock isn't an abandonment of my Smith & Wesson collection, nor am I falling out of love with CZs. What I've done is rediscover my "woobie" gun, a warm blanket in the bottom of the box marked "winter."
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Back (to Glock) In Black?
A Long Time Ago...
In a Decade Far Away...
I had owned, shot, and been a bit of a rockstar savant (in my own mind) with every 9mm Glock handgun the company produced.
And now... after having launched myself fully into the M&P world, I am strongly considering adding a Glock 19 back to the stable after abandoning the platform a number of years ago.
Why? Well...
My first Glock was an agency turn-in 17 with just a couple hundred rounds on the clock I picked up for a good price. I tossed on a set of Meprolight sights and it served me well as a range gun, house gun, and as a competition pistol.
Then came a brand-new 19 I wanted as I entered the CCW world. Alas, my love affair with that pistol ended quickly as I didn't feel it was a whole lot smaller than the 17 I was slaying with in league matches, so it got replaced with a 26.
When the chance to talk a friend out of an OD 34 with competition sights came up, I jumped on that and relegated the 17 to the classifieds.
And after the brick-like nature of the 26 became too much for me to bear any longer, I left Glock behind for my carry gun in favor of a slimmer Kahr. Finally, losing a job for many many months led to me selling everything in my collection save for one carry pistol. I shot matches with my wife's (pink-gripped) M&P. When I finally got back on my feet, I was a born-again M&P shooter. Adios, Glock.
Fast-forwarding through a history of M&Ps, a small wheel gun, re-entry into the 1911 universe, and a weird fascination with CZs, I find myself pining again for the almost stupid simplicity of the Glock.
Particularly, a Gen 4 Glock 19. Very particularly, the one I hope is still sitting in the case at the club. I haven't quite shaken the notion that if there's one pistol I would want to throw in a bag and haul around with me if the zombies come, China airdrops paratroopers onto the high school football field, or Yellowstone erupts, it's still a 9mm Glock.
Preferably one with a good set of sights, a Glock Triggers fire control system upgrade, a few Vickers bits, and an add-on beavertail. And if we're going to send the list to Santa, toss in a Silencerco threaded barrel, remove the finger grooves and relieve the undercut at the trigger guard so I stop getting a freaking Glock callous. Yes, I've put a little thought into it.
15 rounds is acceptable for a fighting gun. 9mm Critical Duty or Gold Dot ammunition will get the job more than done. And I'll tell you right now that, while it is cool as hell to carry a CZ P09 for work, 20 rounds in the gun and another 19 on my other hip get freaking heavy without a dedicated duty belt to hold it all up.
And, finally, this is all the fault of my awesome British expat shooting buddy. Payback for "encouraging" him to look into replacing a Bren Ten with a family of tuned M&Ps.
Damn him. :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
In a Decade Far Away...
I had owned, shot, and been a bit of a rockstar savant (in my own mind) with every 9mm Glock handgun the company produced.
And now... after having launched myself fully into the M&P world, I am strongly considering adding a Glock 19 back to the stable after abandoning the platform a number of years ago.
Why? Well...
My first Glock was an agency turn-in 17 with just a couple hundred rounds on the clock I picked up for a good price. I tossed on a set of Meprolight sights and it served me well as a range gun, house gun, and as a competition pistol.
Then came a brand-new 19 I wanted as I entered the CCW world. Alas, my love affair with that pistol ended quickly as I didn't feel it was a whole lot smaller than the 17 I was slaying with in league matches, so it got replaced with a 26.
When the chance to talk a friend out of an OD 34 with competition sights came up, I jumped on that and relegated the 17 to the classifieds.
And after the brick-like nature of the 26 became too much for me to bear any longer, I left Glock behind for my carry gun in favor of a slimmer Kahr. Finally, losing a job for many many months led to me selling everything in my collection save for one carry pistol. I shot matches with my wife's (pink-gripped) M&P. When I finally got back on my feet, I was a born-again M&P shooter. Adios, Glock.
Fast-forwarding through a history of M&Ps, a small wheel gun, re-entry into the 1911 universe, and a weird fascination with CZs, I find myself pining again for the almost stupid simplicity of the Glock.
Particularly, a Gen 4 Glock 19. Very particularly, the one I hope is still sitting in the case at the club. I haven't quite shaken the notion that if there's one pistol I would want to throw in a bag and haul around with me if the zombies come, China airdrops paratroopers onto the high school football field, or Yellowstone erupts, it's still a 9mm Glock.
Preferably one with a good set of sights, a Glock Triggers fire control system upgrade, a few Vickers bits, and an add-on beavertail. And if we're going to send the list to Santa, toss in a Silencerco threaded barrel, remove the finger grooves and relieve the undercut at the trigger guard so I stop getting a freaking Glock callous. Yes, I've put a little thought into it.
15 rounds is acceptable for a fighting gun. 9mm Critical Duty or Gold Dot ammunition will get the job more than done. And I'll tell you right now that, while it is cool as hell to carry a CZ P09 for work, 20 rounds in the gun and another 19 on my other hip get freaking heavy without a dedicated duty belt to hold it all up.
And, finally, this is all the fault of my awesome British expat shooting buddy. Payback for "encouraging" him to look into replacing a Bren Ten with a family of tuned M&Ps.
Damn him. :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Training and Tacos
Mmm... Tacos.
As in HSGI Tacos.
I'm thinking I definitely want a set of pistol Tacos to go along with my Rifle Tacos and I want them set up on a Raven Moduloader frame with belt clips. I do think that would be the perfect range / practice / real world rig for everyday grab-and-go use. I've got several types of handguns, and several types of rifle magazines. While they're not very discrete, Tacos work with all of them and they work amazingly well. And... as a plus... if the fit hits the shan and I need to arm up and leave in a hurry, it doesn't matter if I grab an STI or an M&P, PMAG or old USGI - I'll be good to go.
That thought led me to ponder for a moment specialization vs. generalization as an average everyday gun guy. Outside of the competition berms, I am a HUGE advocate of being a firearms generalist. As a gun guy, I want to be as good as I'm able to be with as many firearms as I can. As a gun safety teacher, I have to be able to walk the walk, so to speak. That extends to my support gear, too. Hence wishing for Santa, to deliver a fresh, tasty set of Tacos and a good belt.
Extending that thought to defensive training, we can make a pretty strong case for building as broad a toolbox as is practical. If your plan only involves one gun, one mindset, or one particular dogmatic approach to shooting the bad guy in the face, chances are your game might have a hole or two in it. If your defensive plan includes learning new strategies, refining your mindset, and mastering all of the tools you're likely to use in defense of you and your loved ones, you should be on or ahead of the curve.
To add to my toolbox, sharpen existing skills, and to spend great time with other shooters, I compete in action pistol matches as well as studying and discussing defensive techniques. There are obvious overlaps and well as conflicts between the disciplines, but I find one constantly informing the other. There are few better places to practice the principles of moving, shooting, and problem solving under healthy stress than organized competition. Yes, my competition gear is fairly custom and specialized, but the fundamentals of fast, accurate and dynamic shooting are common to and goals of both realms.
The way I see it, my job when I'm shooting - as one well-known trainer puts it - is to be my gun's master, and not its bitch. And God, I love that job.
Becoming good at that "job" eventually led me to a new one, teaching others about gun safety and thinking defensively. I'm equally passionate about that, both at home and in front of a class. I don't have super secret ninja tactical tier-one DeltaSEALsquirrel skills, and I can't kill you with my thumb. I'm just a good shooter who loves to teach.
While working to develop defensive training ideas, I've been cautioned about thinking "like a competition shooter." Likewise, I was told I was shooting like a "tactical" guy when I started competing in USPSA matches. Weird, huh? I always thought so, too. Especially since all of my training was in "defensive" skills.
It was a little offensive at first. I can outshoot a fair number of "shoot him in the face" instructors, and I'm more versed in use of deadly force laws than most pure competition shooters. After some humble reflection, though, I saw everyone was right, in their own rite. Obviously, standing in one place and shooting faster than you should or blasting through a door without knowing what's on the other side can be catastrophic on the street. You don't get to "preview" the real world. Likewise, pie-ing corners and performing administrative reloads with retention, or shooting every stage cold in a USPSA match won't win any trophies and blows past the point of engaging in a pure shooting sport.
However, each discipline, each world, informs the other. The defensive "tactical" world is a great place to learn and hone fundamentals, learn about situational awareness, and build a practical shooting skill-set you can take into everyday life. Competitive shooting is the ideal venue in which to develop those skills and apply them in an environment which provides healthy stress, offers creative problem solving opportunities, and generally only penalizes tactical or practical mistakes on the scoreboard (assuming all safety rules are followed). And don't be fooled into thinking "competition kills." NASCAR drivers are as capable of going safely to the market on a Tuesday as they are coming around turn 3 at Daytona on Sunday. A conscientious competition shooter should be able to tell the difference between real-world situational awareness and response to threat and what to do when the buzzer goes off.
If used as a training tool as well as being one of the best times you can have with a belt on, taking a new "gunfighter" and tossing him or her into a "walk your walk" environment can be an eye opener. It's also a place where you can have a bad (but safe) day and still go home to fix what went haywire.
Likewise, teaching advanced gun gamers the nuances of self-defense and use of force laws, situational awareness basics, and realities faced in the real world builds a better shooting community and can work to reinforce fundamentals easily cast aside in the competitive arena.
At the end of the day, it boils down to about four simple principles, and they all play together. I love guns and the gun culture... plain and simple. I love teaching, and I get to share healthy, normal life with firearms with the public. If I'm ever in a gunfight, and I don't ever want to be in a gunfight, I want to be the faster, smarter, better, and luckier guy. And finally, on the weekends, I sure feel better about every aspect of my shooting life when my name is closer to the top of the leaderboard than the bottom.
It's been said that competitive shooting isn't gun fighting, but every gunfight is a shooting match. Why not do what you can to build strong skills, and prepare for the former while having fun with the latter?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
As in HSGI Tacos.
I'm thinking I definitely want a set of pistol Tacos to go along with my Rifle Tacos and I want them set up on a Raven Moduloader frame with belt clips. I do think that would be the perfect range / practice / real world rig for everyday grab-and-go use. I've got several types of handguns, and several types of rifle magazines. While they're not very discrete, Tacos work with all of them and they work amazingly well. And... as a plus... if the fit hits the shan and I need to arm up and leave in a hurry, it doesn't matter if I grab an STI or an M&P, PMAG or old USGI - I'll be good to go.
That thought led me to ponder for a moment specialization vs. generalization as an average everyday gun guy. Outside of the competition berms, I am a HUGE advocate of being a firearms generalist. As a gun guy, I want to be as good as I'm able to be with as many firearms as I can. As a gun safety teacher, I have to be able to walk the walk, so to speak. That extends to my support gear, too. Hence wishing for Santa, to deliver a fresh, tasty set of Tacos and a good belt.
Extending that thought to defensive training, we can make a pretty strong case for building as broad a toolbox as is practical. If your plan only involves one gun, one mindset, or one particular dogmatic approach to shooting the bad guy in the face, chances are your game might have a hole or two in it. If your defensive plan includes learning new strategies, refining your mindset, and mastering all of the tools you're likely to use in defense of you and your loved ones, you should be on or ahead of the curve.
To add to my toolbox, sharpen existing skills, and to spend great time with other shooters, I compete in action pistol matches as well as studying and discussing defensive techniques. There are obvious overlaps and well as conflicts between the disciplines, but I find one constantly informing the other. There are few better places to practice the principles of moving, shooting, and problem solving under healthy stress than organized competition. Yes, my competition gear is fairly custom and specialized, but the fundamentals of fast, accurate and dynamic shooting are common to and goals of both realms.
The way I see it, my job when I'm shooting - as one well-known trainer puts it - is to be my gun's master, and not its bitch. And God, I love that job.
Becoming good at that "job" eventually led me to a new one, teaching others about gun safety and thinking defensively. I'm equally passionate about that, both at home and in front of a class. I don't have super secret ninja tactical tier-one DeltaSEALsquirrel skills, and I can't kill you with my thumb. I'm just a good shooter who loves to teach.
While working to develop defensive training ideas, I've been cautioned about thinking "like a competition shooter." Likewise, I was told I was shooting like a "tactical" guy when I started competing in USPSA matches. Weird, huh? I always thought so, too. Especially since all of my training was in "defensive" skills.
It was a little offensive at first. I can outshoot a fair number of "shoot him in the face" instructors, and I'm more versed in use of deadly force laws than most pure competition shooters. After some humble reflection, though, I saw everyone was right, in their own rite. Obviously, standing in one place and shooting faster than you should or blasting through a door without knowing what's on the other side can be catastrophic on the street. You don't get to "preview" the real world. Likewise, pie-ing corners and performing administrative reloads with retention, or shooting every stage cold in a USPSA match won't win any trophies and blows past the point of engaging in a pure shooting sport.
However, each discipline, each world, informs the other. The defensive "tactical" world is a great place to learn and hone fundamentals, learn about situational awareness, and build a practical shooting skill-set you can take into everyday life. Competitive shooting is the ideal venue in which to develop those skills and apply them in an environment which provides healthy stress, offers creative problem solving opportunities, and generally only penalizes tactical or practical mistakes on the scoreboard (assuming all safety rules are followed). And don't be fooled into thinking "competition kills." NASCAR drivers are as capable of going safely to the market on a Tuesday as they are coming around turn 3 at Daytona on Sunday. A conscientious competition shooter should be able to tell the difference between real-world situational awareness and response to threat and what to do when the buzzer goes off.
If used as a training tool as well as being one of the best times you can have with a belt on, taking a new "gunfighter" and tossing him or her into a "walk your walk" environment can be an eye opener. It's also a place where you can have a bad (but safe) day and still go home to fix what went haywire.
Likewise, teaching advanced gun gamers the nuances of self-defense and use of force laws, situational awareness basics, and realities faced in the real world builds a better shooting community and can work to reinforce fundamentals easily cast aside in the competitive arena.
At the end of the day, it boils down to about four simple principles, and they all play together. I love guns and the gun culture... plain and simple. I love teaching, and I get to share healthy, normal life with firearms with the public. If I'm ever in a gunfight, and I don't ever want to be in a gunfight, I want to be the faster, smarter, better, and luckier guy. And finally, on the weekends, I sure feel better about every aspect of my shooting life when my name is closer to the top of the leaderboard than the bottom.
It's been said that competitive shooting isn't gun fighting, but every gunfight is a shooting match. Why not do what you can to build strong skills, and prepare for the former while having fun with the latter?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, October 27, 2014
Bro, Do You Even CZ?
I cut my pistol shooting teeth on 1911s and Glocks. I learned some quick lessons about finicky, sexy, and ultimately temperamental Kimbers and the truth behind those reliable ugly hunks of Combat Tupperware I found myself shooting more often than anything else.
I'd seen all kinds of weird other pistols, drank plenty of Kool Aid, and all the while felt a very weird and unexplainable need to poo-poo one specific Czech gun maker as needlessly old-school and barely relevant.
My initial impressions of CZ were mixed. People either tended to love them or talk endless crap about them. The 75 series guns seemed like Hi-Power throwbacks but needlessly complicated and heavy solutions for carting around a dozen and a half 9mm rounds compared to my Glock 17. They were comfy, but hopelessly anachronistic to a guy who had just paid a steep toll to be disappointed by the most "iconic" American pistol in the classic American caliber.
I'd watch people buy them and chuckle quietly to myself, not unlike I did when people came in demanding I acknowledge the technical superiority of Taurus or the bargain offered by Bersa
When I went to work at a gun club, it just got worse. I got to shoot everything in the case, and carried my faithful, reliable, simple Glock every day at "the office." I had chosen wisely. Or, so I thought.
It got worse after I made the jump to the M&P platform. I now had a COMFORTABLE hunk of Combat Tupperware in my holster, and found myself shooting it even better than I did the Glocks I had previously owned. I had found the NEW "Perfection." Why on earth would I ever want anything else??
But there they sat... The one or two CZs we always seemed to have on the bottom shelf. Interesting relics of a bygone age, to channel my inner Obi-Wan.
Then, they released the P-07. A polymer CZ for less than $500. A Euromiracle, they said. Affordable quality, they said. Uh huh. "I'll be the judge of that" I said to myself. I got my hands on the first one that crossed into our gun counter and was immediately underwhelmed. The trigger was long, heavy, gritty, and didn't inspire even a wink of lust. My interest in the company that built the "European 1911" ended the first time I put rounds downrange. It was a reliable hunk of crap. Save another hundred. Buy the M&P or a Glock.
Fast forward a few years and I find myself at a local USPSA match Classifier, reshooting the stage with a Production Master. Shooting a... waitaminute... is that a CZ???
As I progressed in my own USPSA journey, I came back to the 1911. I came back to high-end hammer fired pistols. I realized I'd been wrong to put down the Euro guns. Heavy, comfortable, stable, and accurate... Exactly the things we look for in "race" pistols. Hmm...
Now that I've met my Production goals (make B classification) I've turned my attention to my somewhat-tuned STI Limited Division equipment. But that darn CZ got stuck in my head and if I ever return to Production I'm wondering if a platform change would also be in order.
I'm also running across good review after good review of CZ's P-09 - the supposedly-improved big brother to the P-07 I hated half a decade or so ago. It strikes me as something of a sexy, purposeful gun. A cross between a Glock and a tri-topped full-railed full-dustcover 1911. And it's just over $500??? Well, well, well.
Do I dare? Do I finally give in to curiosity? I've known the joys of shooting custom 1911s and the pain of nasty, dirty, cheap plastic guns. Is it good enough to make me rethink CZ as a viable companion to my custom 1911s and my workhorse collection of plastic fantastic?
As the low-price and highly-regarded P-09 rates high on my "oooooh, should I?" list, they also do another pistol that quietly peeks out from behind the dark recesses of my mind that drive my proclivity to buy oddball items... the CZ 75 SP01 Tactical. What it lacks by carrying the traditional 75 design forward (that sexy slide and a more conventional aesthetic), it makes up with a very businesslike and purposeful look and feel.
When it comes down to making a questionable impulse purchase (providing I can sneak funding approval from Mrs. Normal), I'm torn on whether to start with the new hotness or pick up an old reliable. Neither would be a bad choice, per se, but what's a guy to do?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I'd seen all kinds of weird other pistols, drank plenty of Kool Aid, and all the while felt a very weird and unexplainable need to poo-poo one specific Czech gun maker as needlessly old-school and barely relevant.
My initial impressions of CZ were mixed. People either tended to love them or talk endless crap about them. The 75 series guns seemed like Hi-Power throwbacks but needlessly complicated and heavy solutions for carting around a dozen and a half 9mm rounds compared to my Glock 17. They were comfy, but hopelessly anachronistic to a guy who had just paid a steep toll to be disappointed by the most "iconic" American pistol in the classic American caliber.
I'd watch people buy them and chuckle quietly to myself, not unlike I did when people came in demanding I acknowledge the technical superiority of Taurus or the bargain offered by Bersa
When I went to work at a gun club, it just got worse. I got to shoot everything in the case, and carried my faithful, reliable, simple Glock every day at "the office." I had chosen wisely. Or, so I thought.
It got worse after I made the jump to the M&P platform. I now had a COMFORTABLE hunk of Combat Tupperware in my holster, and found myself shooting it even better than I did the Glocks I had previously owned. I had found the NEW "Perfection." Why on earth would I ever want anything else??
But there they sat... The one or two CZs we always seemed to have on the bottom shelf. Interesting relics of a bygone age, to channel my inner Obi-Wan.
Then, they released the P-07. A polymer CZ for less than $500. A Euromiracle, they said. Affordable quality, they said. Uh huh. "I'll be the judge of that" I said to myself. I got my hands on the first one that crossed into our gun counter and was immediately underwhelmed. The trigger was long, heavy, gritty, and didn't inspire even a wink of lust. My interest in the company that built the "European 1911" ended the first time I put rounds downrange. It was a reliable hunk of crap. Save another hundred. Buy the M&P or a Glock.
Fast forward a few years and I find myself at a local USPSA match Classifier, reshooting the stage with a Production Master. Shooting a... waitaminute... is that a CZ???
As I progressed in my own USPSA journey, I came back to the 1911. I came back to high-end hammer fired pistols. I realized I'd been wrong to put down the Euro guns. Heavy, comfortable, stable, and accurate... Exactly the things we look for in "race" pistols. Hmm...
Now that I've met my Production goals (make B classification) I've turned my attention to my somewhat-tuned STI Limited Division equipment. But that darn CZ got stuck in my head and if I ever return to Production I'm wondering if a platform change would also be in order.
I'm also running across good review after good review of CZ's P-09 - the supposedly-improved big brother to the P-07 I hated half a decade or so ago. It strikes me as something of a sexy, purposeful gun. A cross between a Glock and a tri-topped full-railed full-dustcover 1911. And it's just over $500??? Well, well, well.
Do I dare? Do I finally give in to curiosity? I've known the joys of shooting custom 1911s and the pain of nasty, dirty, cheap plastic guns. Is it good enough to make me rethink CZ as a viable companion to my custom 1911s and my workhorse collection of plastic fantastic?
As the low-price and highly-regarded P-09 rates high on my "oooooh, should I?" list, they also do another pistol that quietly peeks out from behind the dark recesses of my mind that drive my proclivity to buy oddball items... the CZ 75 SP01 Tactical. What it lacks by carrying the traditional 75 design forward (that sexy slide and a more conventional aesthetic), it makes up with a very businesslike and purposeful look and feel.
When it comes down to making a questionable impulse purchase (providing I can sneak funding approval from Mrs. Normal), I'm torn on whether to start with the new hotness or pick up an old reliable. Neither would be a bad choice, per se, but what's a guy to do?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Gun Store Asshattery
On a random road trip, the Normal clan went to a new Cabela's we had not yet visited.
The taxidermy displays were impressive; their fish tank nicer than the store closer to our house,
And their gun counter people still as clueless as ever.
One older fella (I'm convinced they actually RECRUIT the Fudd ranks for their firearm counter) has a Beretta handgun unceremoniously tucked in his hand as he's navigating toward the holster racks and the customer waiting there. He flags half the store, and then me and my little family on the way.
Slide forward, muzzle horizontal, and gun waving every whichaway. Yes, I know it's most likely unloaded. No, I'm not willing to bet my safety and that of my wife and baby son on it.
As I was in the holster area as well, I looked at the old reckless asshat employee and told him not to point his gun at me, refraining from informing him mine is NOT empty. His reply was to indignantly declare "I'll open it" and forcefully lock the slide open. I almost hoped a round would have dropped from the chamber just to prove my point.
As a former gun shop / club "pro" I have seen and stopped people for the same, only to have a "clear" gun wind up not being remotely safe. Also, if you want to test fit a gun to a holster, you bring the damn holster to the gun counter, not the other way around. No exceptions.
I'm done with big box gun counters - even for random looking around on a lazy Saturday. I seriously considered asking for the area manager, but didn't. I have NO problem lighting up gun counter employees who recklessly flag customers, fail to heed the basic safety rules, and have done so on multiple occasions.
From now on, though, I'm just gonna stay clear. I know the shops I trust, the people to work with, and know that unless I start a consulting firm and travel shop-to-shop teaching safety and professionalism I'm just better off looking at the mounts and the fish tanks.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
The taxidermy displays were impressive; their fish tank nicer than the store closer to our house,
And their gun counter people still as clueless as ever.
One older fella (I'm convinced they actually RECRUIT the Fudd ranks for their firearm counter) has a Beretta handgun unceremoniously tucked in his hand as he's navigating toward the holster racks and the customer waiting there. He flags half the store, and then me and my little family on the way.
Slide forward, muzzle horizontal, and gun waving every whichaway. Yes, I know it's most likely unloaded. No, I'm not willing to bet my safety and that of my wife and baby son on it.
As I was in the holster area as well, I looked at the old reckless asshat employee and told him not to point his gun at me, refraining from informing him mine is NOT empty. His reply was to indignantly declare "I'll open it" and forcefully lock the slide open. I almost hoped a round would have dropped from the chamber just to prove my point.
As a former gun shop / club "pro" I have seen and stopped people for the same, only to have a "clear" gun wind up not being remotely safe. Also, if you want to test fit a gun to a holster, you bring the damn holster to the gun counter, not the other way around. No exceptions.
I'm done with big box gun counters - even for random looking around on a lazy Saturday. I seriously considered asking for the area manager, but didn't. I have NO problem lighting up gun counter employees who recklessly flag customers, fail to heed the basic safety rules, and have done so on multiple occasions.
From now on, though, I'm just gonna stay clear. I know the shops I trust, the people to work with, and know that unless I start a consulting firm and travel shop-to-shop teaching safety and professionalism I'm just better off looking at the mounts and the fish tanks.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Random Musings - Open vs. Concealed Carry
I figured I'd share a couple random thoughts on open carry vs. concealed carry after a few "sightings" out in the world lately.
First, I am an advocate for the right to carry a firearm wherever and however it is safe, appropriate, and lawful for a good person to do so. Now, with that out of the way...
I've been reflecting on the guy we parked next to in Rocky Mountain National Park a couple weeks ago who was openly carrying a full-size Glock and loading his family into their SUV.
I made mention of it to my wife, just saying "Huh, look, that guy's open carrying." in an indoor voice. With our windows down I'm guessing his kid either heard me or he just noticed me looking at him and his pistol. Once he saw that I saw, he went what I'd call "hard yellow" and didn't take his eyes off me or turn his back. His demeanor changed to "I know you know I have a gun on." I wasn't staring or making anything of it, but we had now had an interaction at the gun level and I wasn't going to tip my hat nor my hand.
While I so desperately wanted to say "Dude, same team, relax." I just went on about my day. On one hand, the only difference between him and me was a thin cotton camp shirt - I was carrying, too, but he didn't know that - but on the other his reaction is something I've been thinking long and hard on lately.
I would HATE to live my everyday life the way he looked at me. Suspicious, wary, and hackled-up for a verbal confrontation. Being in the National Park and in among a TON of visitors from all over the country as well as the world, I'm not going to "normalize" anyone to guns. These folks are on vacation, and they don't want my politics thrown in their face at 10,000 feet on a lovely Saturday afternoon. Too much damn stress on everyone, not even thinking of the potential contacts with Federal employees which will certainly smudge a relaxing day.
My solution, keep it concealed and look like anyone else in the Park, because that is EXACTLY what I am... just another guy out for a day in the mountains with my family. No better, no worse, just prepared to defend me and mine from two or four-legged trouble.
Our best bet, to borrow from our hip-hop brethren, "don't start none, won't be none."
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
First, I am an advocate for the right to carry a firearm wherever and however it is safe, appropriate, and lawful for a good person to do so. Now, with that out of the way...
I've been reflecting on the guy we parked next to in Rocky Mountain National Park a couple weeks ago who was openly carrying a full-size Glock and loading his family into their SUV.
I made mention of it to my wife, just saying "Huh, look, that guy's open carrying." in an indoor voice. With our windows down I'm guessing his kid either heard me or he just noticed me looking at him and his pistol. Once he saw that I saw, he went what I'd call "hard yellow" and didn't take his eyes off me or turn his back. His demeanor changed to "I know you know I have a gun on." I wasn't staring or making anything of it, but we had now had an interaction at the gun level and I wasn't going to tip my hat nor my hand.
While I so desperately wanted to say "Dude, same team, relax." I just went on about my day. On one hand, the only difference between him and me was a thin cotton camp shirt - I was carrying, too, but he didn't know that - but on the other his reaction is something I've been thinking long and hard on lately.
I would HATE to live my everyday life the way he looked at me. Suspicious, wary, and hackled-up for a verbal confrontation. Being in the National Park and in among a TON of visitors from all over the country as well as the world, I'm not going to "normalize" anyone to guns. These folks are on vacation, and they don't want my politics thrown in their face at 10,000 feet on a lovely Saturday afternoon. Too much damn stress on everyone, not even thinking of the potential contacts with Federal employees which will certainly smudge a relaxing day.
My solution, keep it concealed and look like anyone else in the Park, because that is EXACTLY what I am... just another guy out for a day in the mountains with my family. No better, no worse, just prepared to defend me and mine from two or four-legged trouble.
Our best bet, to borrow from our hip-hop brethren, "don't start none, won't be none."
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Small Victories
Palm-sized...
Pocket-sized...
.380
Glock
Victory!
Finally!! I got the phone call I'd been both waiting for and dreading, "hey... we got a 42 in with your name on it." Dreading it only because if have to plunk down more cash for another gun I just HAD to have.
On paper, it isn't anything you'd expect me to go all gaga about. Low capacity, .380 ACP, and Glock. However, the caliber, capacity, and company are the three reasons I couldn't wait to add one to the collection of personal defense pistols.
My summertime pocket gun for the past couple years has been a Ruger LCR, which has been nothing but a perfect companion. I have been in a few places, though, where I'd wished for a slightly smaller handgun or deferred to my Shield.
What I wanted on those days was a true pocket pistol that wasn't a cheap double-action blaster with a crap trigger and nonexistent sights. Until last January, very few pistols could fill that gap (and yes, I have shot just about all of them).
The 42 - beside being the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything - came out of the gate a literal checklist of everything I was looking for:
• Pocket-sized - check (barely)
• Real sights - check
• Duty-pistol construction - check
• Real trigger - BIG check
• Capacity of 6 rounds or better - check
• Affordable - definitely
Filling out the Form 4473 really was a bit of a no-brainer.
Now, knowing these new wee baby Glocks like to run wet through break-in, I tossed a few drops of oil in the slide rails, grabbed a box of Federal ball ammo, and went out on deck.
I haven't owned a Glock in years, don't spend much time with .380, and don't shoot wee blasters very often. To add insult to inexperience, raising a baby means I haven't had time to hit the range but maybe once every month and half or so. This would be an ideal test...
...and everything went exactly as I had both hoped and expected.
The Glock 42 is small - really small - for a "real" pistol. It's also big for a "pocket" pistol. It's weird. It's exactly what I had wished my 26 would have been. It's Glock-solid, surprisingly ergonomic, and comfy in-hand.
And - this is what you were looking for - the 42 shot like a Glock. A smooth, light, reliable, low-recoiling Glock. Now, I only fed it 50 rounds of Federal 95gr FMJ but I experienced zero issues in those 50 rounds.
I shot freestyle, strong-hand, and support hand strings. I wasn't shooting for groups, but every round I fired between 10 and 25 feet went predictably into the target where I wanted.
Running Glock's clicky trigger felt like hopping back on a bike I'd ridden a LOT in years past. Exactly as expected, and light years better than the craptacular long-DA-pull bang switches on the competition.
The sights will get replaced when 10-8 or Dawson come up with a set. Replacing Glock sights... it's just something you do. But, for now, they work.
And that's exactly the point. The 42 isn't a range toy or a safe queen. It's a Glock, it just works, and it's small enough to close the gap in my carry gun collection between "can't" and "carrying."
I can't wait to get a few hundred more rounds of FMJ through it and evaluate carry ammunition for it. After that it will be going with me everywhere my full-cap carry pistols don't.
It's cool to say "yup, it's a Glock" and mean it as praise again.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
Pocket-sized...
.380
Glock
Victory!
Finally!! I got the phone call I'd been both waiting for and dreading, "hey... we got a 42 in with your name on it." Dreading it only because if have to plunk down more cash for another gun I just HAD to have.
On paper, it isn't anything you'd expect me to go all gaga about. Low capacity, .380 ACP, and Glock. However, the caliber, capacity, and company are the three reasons I couldn't wait to add one to the collection of personal defense pistols.
My summertime pocket gun for the past couple years has been a Ruger LCR, which has been nothing but a perfect companion. I have been in a few places, though, where I'd wished for a slightly smaller handgun or deferred to my Shield.
What I wanted on those days was a true pocket pistol that wasn't a cheap double-action blaster with a crap trigger and nonexistent sights. Until last January, very few pistols could fill that gap (and yes, I have shot just about all of them).
The 42 - beside being the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything - came out of the gate a literal checklist of everything I was looking for:
• Pocket-sized - check (barely)
• Real sights - check
• Duty-pistol construction - check
• Real trigger - BIG check
• Capacity of 6 rounds or better - check
• Affordable - definitely
Filling out the Form 4473 really was a bit of a no-brainer.
Now, knowing these new wee baby Glocks like to run wet through break-in, I tossed a few drops of oil in the slide rails, grabbed a box of Federal ball ammo, and went out on deck.
I haven't owned a Glock in years, don't spend much time with .380, and don't shoot wee blasters very often. To add insult to inexperience, raising a baby means I haven't had time to hit the range but maybe once every month and half or so. This would be an ideal test...
...and everything went exactly as I had both hoped and expected.
The Glock 42 is small - really small - for a "real" pistol. It's also big for a "pocket" pistol. It's weird. It's exactly what I had wished my 26 would have been. It's Glock-solid, surprisingly ergonomic, and comfy in-hand.
And - this is what you were looking for - the 42 shot like a Glock. A smooth, light, reliable, low-recoiling Glock. Now, I only fed it 50 rounds of Federal 95gr FMJ but I experienced zero issues in those 50 rounds.
I shot freestyle, strong-hand, and support hand strings. I wasn't shooting for groups, but every round I fired between 10 and 25 feet went predictably into the target where I wanted.
Running Glock's clicky trigger felt like hopping back on a bike I'd ridden a LOT in years past. Exactly as expected, and light years better than the craptacular long-DA-pull bang switches on the competition.
The sights will get replaced when 10-8 or Dawson come up with a set. Replacing Glock sights... it's just something you do. But, for now, they work.
And that's exactly the point. The 42 isn't a range toy or a safe queen. It's a Glock, it just works, and it's small enough to close the gap in my carry gun collection between "can't" and "carrying."
I can't wait to get a few hundred more rounds of FMJ through it and evaluate carry ammunition for it. After that it will be going with me everywhere my full-cap carry pistols don't.
It's cool to say "yup, it's a Glock" and mean it as praise again.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Wish List Follow-Up
I just got to put my hands on a Glock 42 tonight. I have only one thing to say...
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
A Response to Microsoft's Code of Conduct
I'm following the recent news around Microsoft's Windows Code of Conduct and the impact one clause is having on the firearms community.
Prohibited Uses You will not upload, post, transmit, transfer, distribute or facilitate distribution of any content (including text, images, sound, video, data, information or software) or otherwise use the service in a way that: ... • promotes or otherwise facilitates the purchase and sale of ammunition or firearms.
I banished Microsoft Windows from my personal life way back in 2001... I was a Switcher a full year before Switching was a thing.
However, I couldn't kick out the Master Chief as easily. I went through not one but two Xbox 360 machines - the first suffered the famed Red Ring Of Death. The replacement machine's disc drive gave up the ghost shortly afterword.
After a profanity-laden, despondent, and sobering tear-down of the dead console, only one solution seemed appropriate.
Friends begged me not to...
Buddies thought I didn't have the guts to...
But I found the huevos to...
give the rabid ol' pal an Old Yeller sendoff.
It was a silly decision, but I was pissed. I'd never wantonly blown up something I spent so much money on. But... It had to be done.
This machine had simulated countless M4s, 1911s, and Glocks. That day, it met all 3... up close and personal.
The same day, I brought home a PS3 that's run smoothly for over half a decade, evicting Microsoft from my life forever.
I don't doubt other tech companies will try to pull the same "conduct" bullshit, and I seriously doubt Microsoft is going to start yanking licenses from gun ranges, trainers, and retailers...
but you never know.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
Prohibited Uses You will not upload, post, transmit, transfer, distribute or facilitate distribution of any content (including text, images, sound, video, data, information or software) or otherwise use the service in a way that: ... • promotes or otherwise facilitates the purchase and sale of ammunition or firearms.
I banished Microsoft Windows from my personal life way back in 2001... I was a Switcher a full year before Switching was a thing.
However, I couldn't kick out the Master Chief as easily. I went through not one but two Xbox 360 machines - the first suffered the famed Red Ring Of Death. The replacement machine's disc drive gave up the ghost shortly afterword.
After a profanity-laden, despondent, and sobering tear-down of the dead console, only one solution seemed appropriate.
Friends begged me not to...
Buddies thought I didn't have the guts to...
But I found the huevos to...
give the rabid ol' pal an Old Yeller sendoff.
It was a silly decision, but I was pissed. I'd never wantonly blown up something I spent so much money on. But... It had to be done.
This machine had simulated countless M4s, 1911s, and Glocks. That day, it met all 3... up close and personal.
The same day, I brought home a PS3 that's run smoothly for over half a decade, evicting Microsoft from my life forever.
I don't doubt other tech companies will try to pull the same "conduct" bullshit, and I seriously doubt Microsoft is going to start yanking licenses from gun ranges, trainers, and retailers...
but you never know.
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
The (Updated) Wish List
I've got three guns in various stages of "project" right now - my 1911, my soon-to-be 3-Gun shotgun, and my AR, and a whole host of time and money-gobbling things in the pipeline.
That being said, there are a handful of firearms I'm looking forward to adding to the household at some point...
Remington 870 w/ 18" barrel, Magpul furniture, and a light. Why? Well... Let's just say it's hard to argue with a 12 gauge and the Magpul stock and slide just fit me really, really well. If I had to bail out of the house and had a couple minutes to pack, I'd grab the AR and toss the gauge to the competent adult standing right behind me.
I'd love to get my mitts on a Glock 42. Just because. Years ago I wished for a Glock 26 that wasn't as wide as it was tall. Even though the 42 (which is THE answer to life, the universe, as everything, after all) is only a .380, a pocket rocket with a real Glock trigger tickles my curiosity more than a little. Maybe I'd find someone to laser engrave "Don't Panic" on the muzzle crown.
Next on the list is a carry-over from the last one - a Remington 700 in .308 Win (I think). There's something relaxing about settling in behind a scope and sending rounds a long way out. There's something appealing about a rifle precise enough to ring the bell at 600 yards, put a deer in the freezer, and teach my kid the basics of big-bore rifles on down the road. My criteria? Short action, decent stock w/ studs for sling and bipod, mag-fed receiver (cuz tacticool), decent 12-16x optic. Threaded barrel would be a plus. Basically... the 700 AAC in .308
Finally, I have such a gun-crush on the brand-new HK VP9 right now... I fully expect this Internet Darling to be hard to find for quite a while. I've shot and enjoyed a handful of HK pistols but they were too bulky, too expensive, and overly complicated for what I wanted - but I never pass up the chance to let one rip at the range when I am offered. The P30 gets close to changing my mind, but the VP9 looks poised to change the game, and I want to play.
Unfortunately, following the recent Supreme Court decision, all you can do now is make the Benjies rain until I've got enough to bring these home.
Until then... a kid can dream :-)
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
That being said, there are a handful of firearms I'm looking forward to adding to the household at some point...
Remington 870 w/ 18" barrel, Magpul furniture, and a light. Why? Well... Let's just say it's hard to argue with a 12 gauge and the Magpul stock and slide just fit me really, really well. If I had to bail out of the house and had a couple minutes to pack, I'd grab the AR and toss the gauge to the competent adult standing right behind me.
I'd love to get my mitts on a Glock 42. Just because. Years ago I wished for a Glock 26 that wasn't as wide as it was tall. Even though the 42 (which is THE answer to life, the universe, as everything, after all) is only a .380, a pocket rocket with a real Glock trigger tickles my curiosity more than a little. Maybe I'd find someone to laser engrave "Don't Panic" on the muzzle crown.
Next on the list is a carry-over from the last one - a Remington 700 in .308 Win (I think). There's something relaxing about settling in behind a scope and sending rounds a long way out. There's something appealing about a rifle precise enough to ring the bell at 600 yards, put a deer in the freezer, and teach my kid the basics of big-bore rifles on down the road. My criteria? Short action, decent stock w/ studs for sling and bipod, mag-fed receiver (cuz tacticool), decent 12-16x optic. Threaded barrel would be a plus. Basically... the 700 AAC in .308
Finally, I have such a gun-crush on the brand-new HK VP9 right now... I fully expect this Internet Darling to be hard to find for quite a while. I've shot and enjoyed a handful of HK pistols but they were too bulky, too expensive, and overly complicated for what I wanted - but I never pass up the chance to let one rip at the range when I am offered. The P30 gets close to changing my mind, but the VP9 looks poised to change the game, and I want to play.
Unfortunately, following the recent Supreme Court decision, all you can do now is make the Benjies rain until I've got enough to bring these home.
Until then... a kid can dream :-)
- Posted from somewhere on this big blue marble.
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