Handguns

Who here carries a handgun and what type? What do you like best about your model? I currently own a Ruger .45 auto but am considering a .357 Magnum for a backup. Smith&Wesson makes a model that carries 7 rounds in small frame but also a large frame that holds 8. Any experienced shooters who can add some input here?

the only guns i need are 21 inch arms baby =)~

I only shot a handgun for the first time on tuesday, so i’m not much of an expert. I shot a Yericho (Israeli gun, have no idea how it’s called in english). My father owns a Baretta 9mm, so i’m trying to convince him to take me to the range sometime soon (I’m 17, I’m not allowed to own a gun yet here in Israel).
I shot an M-16 at an army preparation camp, and I’ve already fallen in love with guns. If anyone has any tips for being a better marksman, I’d appreciate them.

Do you mean “carry” as in carry on your body at all times? I don’t but I have a few.

God bless over there in Israel–situation’s gettin rougher and as long as dogs like arafat are runnin around it’ll only get worse.

Are you a police officer, federal officer or other law enforcement officer. If not why the hell would you need to care a primary gun and a back-up.
I am not anti-gun, it is just that over 25 years of experience has taught me if you carry a gun you had better be able to use it. This means real training, not just going to a range and popping a few caps. An NRA course is not enough either…go to Jeff Cooper’s (or a similiar course) and really learn how to hand a gun. I do not want any RAMBO wanta bes on the street with me.

I have a Kahr K40 Elite (40 S&W with tritium sights.)

If I were buying it again I’d get it with the Ashley Express (AO) sights which give faster, easier sight acquisition under stress. I might upgrade this gun to those.

While you can’t take reported one-shot stops
from police shootings without a grain of salt added, the Federal 155 grain HydraShok in 40 S&W is the number one stopper.

Beyond doubt the Federal 125 grain .357 Magnum and quite a few other loads are excellent stoppers (for handgun ammo) as well.

My reason for the Kahr is that it’s effective, reliable, reasonably compact
though not a pocket pistol, and at the time a double action only pistol with a good, reasonably light stroke (unlike most double actions) seemed a good idea. It’s still not a bad one.

However, I’ve switched to using Condition Three (Israeli draw) wherein the chamber is empty, hammer down, charged magazine in gun, and you have to rack the slide to fire. With Condition Three carry or storage, why not have a single action. So if I were getting a handgun now it would be single action, probably a Kimber.

Note, I’m not recommending Condition Three carry to others here. It can work fine but certainly could mess you up as well. It doesn’t slow me down, adds safety, and I have this idea that the sound of the racking of the slide could, in an off chance, deter someone that was not deterred merely be seeing the gun. It’s unexpected, startling and alarming :slight_smile:

But even if not, it adds safety and in my
case I don’t think adds problems (yes, you could imagine a situation where only one hand is available and the slide couldn’t be racked but I’m willing to take that, to me, non-credible risk… for others, e.g. police officers, it could be a quite credible risk.)

I normally carry a Glock 23 40 caliber with 135 grain corbon ammo. Muzzle velocity is in the 1300fps range. Sometimes I’ll carry a Springrield Armory modified commander model, a 32 cal Beretta with a tip up barrel, or a para ordnance p12 45 cal.
I usually stick to corbon ammo for my carry loads. They are always near the top in one shot stops per caliber.

Pete- thanks a lot for your support, we could sure use it by the way world opinion seems to be swaying nowadays.
I agree with you completely about Arafat-the dog is a lying piece of shit. I’m sure you’ve heard about the encirclement of his compound in the last 24 hours. Well, I’m going to be drafted to the army in about a year and a half, and I’m going to try to join the most elite unit possible just so that I can be involved in those types of missions. I truly won’t feel like a man unless I take part in those kind of operations.

Summer :
Glock 29 (10 MM)
Winter:
Desert Eagle 44 Magnum
ditto on get training

I too carry Federal Hydra-Shoks in my .45. I was going to go with the Glaser cartridge but a little research (and their high price tag) showed they aren’t all they are cracked up to be. I also carry with the chamber loaded so all I have to do is either pull the trigger or cock the hammer. I agree that racking the slide is an intimidating move, but I also think cocking the hammer is too. In a high pressure situation when having to draw in the first place is required, why take precious split seconds to load the chamber? Just my opinion anyway. Why carry a backup gun? Why the hell not? The model I want is small, light (only 17.5 ounces) and comes in a kick-ass caliber that’s among the more reliable (even though the topic of stopping power is a crapshoot at best). Semi-autos can indeed jam and if that happens, what am I supposed to do? Throw the bullets? I prefer the Lance Thomas example and just reach for another fully loaded pistol.

Anyway, anyone here ever fired a .454 Casull? I dying to try it but the local rental range doesn’t rent that strong a gun. To feel that much power in your hands must be a rush!

I’m interested in the Glock 23C in the 40 caliber . What are your opinions on this weapon, ie; recoil, loads to use, target coverage, drawing etc… thanks.

I have 4 handguns now but only one I carry
routinely. I have an old Glock Model 19
that I bought used from the BPD. I replaced
the barrel with a cold forged stainless barrel
that extends 1" and is fluted at the end to
help with muzzle compensation. It has the
night sites which I find useless and a guide
rod laser which is more for show than anything
else. I like the piece and yeah, I know, 9mm
(but I have the old, preban mag that holds
more than 10 rounds :-). My strategy for
defense is is somewhat like Bill’s as I take
my cue from the US Navy Seals which when using
handguns (they carry 9mm) in close combat tend to shoot in
three shots. Two in the left chest and then
one in the head. Yes, 9mm or not, if I hit
you in the heart once or twice and then in the
head, you’re dead. End of discussion. I like
the Glock because it is simple and very
reliable and there is a shitload of aftermarket
parts for it. It is light and fits my hand
well.

And that is key, the best HK, Hammerli, or Sig is useless
if you are not comfortable firing it or
can’t do so well. I’d prefer a throw away
RAVEN or DAVIS 25 cal over one of those big,
8# IMI 50 cal monsters because I can get off
4-5 shots with the Raven or Davis before I
I can pull a Desert Eagle out of the holster.

For ammo, I am using 115gr FMJ MAGTECHS at
the range because it is the cleanest round
and I hate cleaning my piece. To carry, I
use CorBon +P 115gr JHP but I have ONE box
left of those old Black Talons and I am saving
them more for posterity than anything else.

I am hoping to buy an old AMT Javelina (fires
a 30cal rifle round) just for shit and giggles.

Interesting story…after 9/11, I went to Don’s
Guns in Indy and the place was packed with
soccer moms buying ladysmiths and such. i
actually bought into the hysteria and picked
up two FN-FAL rifles (308’s) I have never
fired and I don’t really like all that much
(not compared to my Egyptian MAADI with the
bullpup stock which cost the same amount of
money). Lesson: play with it and feel it and
do not make an impulse buy on ANY handgun.

Brock

One other thing, not a slam towards Bill or
anyone else…sites are all but useless if
your attacker has a gun and is beading down
on you. Learn to shoot from the hip
(the 2nd or 3rd shot can be sited). If you
need to take 1/3rd of a second to draw down
on me, I have already put 2 9mm CorBons into
your chest, just left of and above the mediastinum and you probably won’t get a shot
off period. Considering my next shot is
taking off the top of your head :slight_smile:

Cowboy Brock from the Testosterone Ranch :slight_smile:

I don’t have a gun.Where i live,i don’t need it,neither the police.But i like the look of the Desert Eagle :slight_smile:

I’ve always liked the Glocks for reliability, durability, and the compact size for ammo capacity. If you have preban mags, it holds 13 rounds with one additional in the chamber. Extended mags that hold 15 are available.
I would normally carry using a Greg Kramer IWB(inside waistband) holster. They’re made from horsehide and formed for the individual gun. A bonus is the glock 19 is the same size, so one holster fit two guns for me.
Accuracy on the gun in a practical sense was fine out the box. I have night sights that work well for me. I don’t like the laser sights. I was trained by a LFI advanced graduate. Massad Ayoob’s school for the truly fired up. We used sights if at all possible with a chapman, weaver or modified weaver shooting position. I’ve read about the Turnispeed method, but never tried it.
My carry position is on the strong side(right), usually with a sweatshirt over it. It’s very fast and effective, especially in NEpa.
For ammo, I think corbon across the board has the highest muzzle velocity for individual caliber. When I use my 19, I use corbon 115 jhps. The tested muzzle velocity is at about 1350 fps or so. Hope this helps.

re: Desert Eagle yea they look cool, and I carry one, but I wouldnt recomend it for anyone even tho its my favorite, I carry as an experiment, to see if it could be done, if you want serious power in a pracical pistol a 10MM Glock 20 is your bet, you need to shop around to find 10MM cartridges that arent watered down tho.

ps: after much practice, I’m just as fast with the Deagle as anything else, imagine 10+1 round of semiauto .44 magnum comin’ at ya, overpenetration is not an issue if you us frangible ammo


44 Mag. 110 gr. 2430 fps / 1445 flbs, Penetration 12" Permanent Cavity Diameter 15" shot at 25 yards, four (4) layers of Ballistic Nylon into 10% Ordnance Gelatin at 34 degrees.

I know that the Glock is an insanely popular weapon, but I must chime in with my opinion (and it is just that-an opinion). Personally, a I feel that the main advantage of a semi-auto is not increased magazine capacity, rather the inclusion of a safety. If you end up in a gunfight, it is unlikely that you will fire more than six rounds (which is one of the reasons I prefer a revolver for concealed carry). If I were going to carry a semi-auto, I’d want the advantage of a safety. Granted, this will make the gun more complicated to operate, but sufficient combat training (not shooting beer cans on a camping trip) can overcome that.

I must also concur with Brock that for most folks, sights can be pretty useless (but I wouldn’t remove them from my weapons). A real gunfight is so incredibly stressful that lining up a sight picture is very unlikely. A trained combat shooter can pull it off, but these guys put tens of thousands of rounds down range and train on a regular basis. In addition, I question the usefulness of tritium “night sights”. I believe it was Jeff Cooper who said, “If it’s too dark to see your sights, then it’s too dark to see your target.”

Whatever you do, if you’re going to carry concealed, get real training from a pro and make a point to continuously shoot and assess your skills. It’s an awesome responsibility, and should not be taken lightly. Besides, there are bad guys out there who are depending on you to fumble your weapon. :)

One problem with the revolver. In close
quarters, if I grab the cylinder, all I get
is some pain in my hand when you hit the trigger.

No shot comes off.

Unlike my Glock :slight_smile:

Brock

Those unfired FN’s are two of the finest battle rifles in the world. Whether you realize it or not, you made a good purchase. I’m green with envy right now. :slight_smile:

Demo Dick