Category: 9mm

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9mm handgun pistol RFID Sentry SmartGunz

Review of the SmartGunz RFID-Enabled 9mm Sentry Pistol

[SHOT 2021] SmartGunz Announce RFID-Enabled 9mm Sentry Pistol

The highlights of this article is that this is supposedly a “smart” gun.  It uses RFID mounted within an included glove to recognize the proper owner of the firearm.  Without such recognition, the handgun can’t be used.

The firearm appears to be a modified 1911.

The firearm also requires the user to wear a fingerless glove (that’s part of the RFID process – a chip is apparently inside the glove).

In addition to the firearm requiring the use of the glove, it also requires the user to depress a switch on the firearm for it to fire.

The firearm is projected to cost $2,495 — YIKE$$$.

So, I guess you’ll either have to sleep with the glove on to use this pistol in a defensive manner as a home defense gun, otherwise, you’d have to hurriedly don the glove when you need to use the firearm.

If you’re to use it to carry (concealed or otherwise), it would require you to wear that glove throughout your day, otherwise the firearm would be useless.

As well, having to depress a switch to shoot a handgun (when you already have the RFID as an enabler)…WTF??

There’s a lot wrong with this handgun.  What’s it supposed to prevent that can be prevented with any current non-smart handgun while also using common sense?  Keep them away from kids and lock them up when not in use (to prevent theft).

I wonder what goes through a LEO’s mind when reading of this handgun.  It’s supposed to appeal to the police organizations.

Apparently this handgun supposedly “Protects you and your loved ones from firearm abuse, accidental firings, and suicide attempts”.

Let’s break that statement down by applying some rational questions to it.

How does this gun protect you and your loved one from firearms abuse any better than a traditional firearm?  While it may lessen negligent (not accidental)  firings, it may also get you killed because it’s useless without the glove and thieves and burglars won’t wait for you to put on the RFID glove so that you can defend yourself.

How does this firearm prevent or lessen suicide attempts???  WTAF…someone wanting to commit suicide with this gun just needs to put on the glove and actuate the button that enables firing – it will do absolutely nothing to prevent the owner from intentionally using it.  Owners of traditional handguns keep them locked up to prevent others from handling the gun (or, they’re liable after the fact of misuse).

The showstopper is the $2500+ price tag, though.  That’s top tier 1911 money.  Does it shoot like a $2500 1911?  Almost certainly not.  What happens when the glove wears out?  What happens when some of that circuitry glitches?  Is the circuitry going to get gummed up with lubricant over time?  I’m sure I can come up with more questions as I sit and think of use cases for this particular firearm.

Bottom line is, if you’re intimidated by firearms and have a Liberal mindset, this gun is for you!  I’ll pass.

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9mm AK-V AKM Manticore Arms PSA range report

Range Summary #2 with the PSA AK-V!

I will let the last video do all the talking.  Needless to say, I’m really enjoying this firearm…it’s by far my favorite!  Enjoy.

Some range footage:

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9mm Beretta compact decocker Grand Power holster N82 Tactical P11 PX4 Storm

Beretta PX4 Storm Compact 9mm

It arrived yesterday.
I do have a tabletop video here:

I took it and the Grand Power P11 to the range this evening.  All I can say is, wow…

Pluses for the gun:

  1. It shoots almost as well as the P11.
  2. DA trigger is better.
  3. Shot 105 round of Magtech 115-gr FMJ and Browing BPT 147-grain ammo with only one round having an issue (light strike).  It loves 147-grain.
  4. It’s sights are easier to work with than the P11’s.

Minuses for the gun:

  1. Backstraps are extremely difficult to work with…well, not the backstraps themselves but the backstrap retention mechanism.  I struggled with it when swapping backstraps.
  2. Large backstrap is slightly warped (out of the box).
  3. The red paint that’s on the extractor (acting like a loaded chamber indicator) looks to have come off.
  4. Plastic guide rod.

How does the PX4 compare to the P11?

  1. The gun is only slightly larger than the P11.
  2. The P11’s mag holds 12 rounds.  The PX4’s mag holds 15.  This isn’t a huge deal, though…the P11 is sold as a sub-compact.
  3. The takedown of the PX4 is easy.  The takedown of the P11, while not exactly orthodox, is easy enough once you’ve done it a few times.
  4. The P11 is extremely finnicky about ammo.  The PX4 doesn’t appear to be as finnicky.
  5. The P11 needs to be run wet.  I’m assuming the PX4 needs to be run wet as well…they both have rotating barrels.
  6. The P11 won’t tolerate being dirty (lots of carbon will accumulate where the barrel rotates on the frame).  I believe it is more of a competition gun that just so happens to carry well.  The PX4 doesn’t appear to be as fussy when it comes to being dirty.
  7. The PX4’s controls are not conducive to carry duty, in my opinion…both the safety/decocker levers and the slide catch levers are too big and stick out well beyond the sides of the handgun.  Luckily, there are OEM “stealth” levers that make the gun feel a tad bit slimmer (and less “snaggy”).
  8. While the PX4’s sights are better than the P11’s the P11’s sights are purposely small.  This means that while they’re more difficult to use, they’re more accurate when used properly.  Still, I wouldn’t mind getting some night sights on the PX4.
Once I get “stealth” levers for the gun, I’ll begin to start carrying it around the house.  I plan to get the N82 Tactical Professional holster to use with the PX4.
The particular gun is the F-type.  I plan to convert it to the G-type.  I will never use the safety and I’m used to decock-only guns (my P11 didn’t come with a decocker and I manually decock it…it comes with a safety but I never use it because it’s always in DA mode).
So, 105 rounds were shot through the gun tonight.  Here’s the targets (shot from 7 yards with two types of ammo in two different weights and with two different noses).
These are the first 15 shots out of the gun.  The one in the red is the first shot (DA).  This is tighter than what I’m used to shooting from a new gun.  The shots are more vertically-aligned than that I’ve shot with my other new guns.
I started from left top to right top, left bottom to right bottom, then focused on the center target.  The first two targets’ DA shots were very close to the red.  The lower left, not so much.  The lower right group was extremely tight (there are 3 holes).  the center shot was a bit wide.
All of these shots were DA mode.  I’d shoot, then decock back to DA mode, then shoot, then decock, and so on.  This is 15 rounds.  All but 3 are in the red.  Two of those are close.  One is a flyer.
The first grouping of 15 is at the red.  The second grouping is at the head.  At first, I was slowly shooting the red.  At the head, I tried some double-taps (slow double-taps).  Again, I’m vertically aligned but spread out…IMO, not bad for double-taps.  Also, note that the second group would all be in the blue if I were aiming for the body.
Similar to the target above this one, I shot two different magazines, one at the body and one at the head.  I also did double-taps.  The first shots of the magazines were DA shots and each landed center mass.  The first grouping is vertically aligned.  The second group is spread out…not sure if this was due to the ammo (was using the 147-grain BPT target ammo).
This is the P11’s target.  These were rushed (45 rounds, combination of the BPT ammo and the Magtech).  I thought I’d be able to eat out the red from the target…nope.  But that’s probably 35 shots that are very much center mass.  I was shooting relatively fast and some are double-taps.  This gun rewards the wielder when basic fundamentals are applied but punishes the wielder if those fundamentals aren’t applied.  I’ve mixed results here…while the group is tight, I wanted them tighter.  Because I rushed, the gun punished me.  Remember what I said earlier about those small sights?  It applies to my aiming and shooting at this target.

All in all, this was a fun outing.  I plan to take the gun out again tomorrow and maybe spend more than an hour with both of them this time.  I may even take the Sig Pro to muddy up the comparison (since it is also a DA/SA polymer gun that I think I may carry).

Stay tuned!

UPDATE:  I got impatient in waiting for Beretta to stock up.  I did some research and found that there’s a store in Italy that sells both the stealth slide catch and stealth safety.  The site is here.  The part is here.  I know I have the right part because I compared the part numbers between it and Beretta’s USA site…they are the same (part no. E00348).  It costs 54,92 EU and 18 EU for shipping, for a total of 72,92 EU.  It’s a few dollars less than if I ordered from Beretta USA, but as far as I know, this site has them in stock.

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.45 ACP 147-grain 9mm ammo JHP SD SP2022

Ammo!

I bought some ammo today from Walmart.  While this is nothing special in itself, I did get 100 rounds of WWB .380 FMJ since I don’t have much range ammo in that caliber (I’ve a crap load of self defense ammo in .380, though).  They didn’t have much else that I trusted, brand-wise…Tula, which is on Bersa’s Do Not list, and Remington, which I’ve grown to not trust.  So, I grabbed the WWB since I’ve never had issues with that brand.

I also bought 100 rounds of WWB 9mm JHP in 147-grain, since I rarely see that weight of 9mm in Walmart. I’d have bought more than that if I thought my wife wouldn’t complain about it.

I forgot to check what SD ammo they had, especially for 9mm.  I’ve some Remington in JHP but my carry gun does NOT like it.

I also need to check to see if my Metro Arms 1911 will eat JHP, especially since it is a 1911.  I’ve a bunch of .45 ACP but I think it’s almost all Remington, which tends to be dirty and also not be consistent with powder charge.

I’ll take the Metro Arms and the Bersa with me on my next visit so I can get some SD rounds through them.  If the Bersa is trust-worthy, I’ll consider carrying it…I just need an Alien Gear holster shell for it.

I’d been thinking of carrying my SP2022 (I love it’s trigger and decocker), but I still think that gun is a bit large for carry…the mag base plates with the pinky extensions don’t help it, either.

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1911 45ACP 9mm extractor FTE FTF HTP light strikes Remington

Metro Arms 1911 Fixed, 1911 Trigger Pull Issue

I went to the range for a quick visit today. I brought two 1911s this time:  my RIA midsized 1911 in 9mm and the Metro Arms AC Commander 45.

The first thing I did was fire 50 rounds from the 1911 that was a solid shooter (the 9mm)…it ate all the ammo without issue, but at first I was shooting very low left with it as well.  See the picture’s captioning.

I started at the left corner, then went to the right corner, then stopped because I wasn’t hitting point of aim (the red).  When I did very slow trigger pulls when aiming at the center target, I hit point of aim.  I’m having issues with the 1911 trigger…it wasn’t the Metro Arms that was the issue.  That was at 7 yards.

I then began to focus on my trigger pull. I still had trouble trying to figure out which part of the finger to use, but I found that if I shot slowly, I was dead-on. I went through most of a box of ammo pretty much hitting point of aim. It’s an issue of me not being used to the trigger mechanics of a 1911.

I also had two light strikes, which was weird…I’ve not had such issues before.  They both fired when I reloaded them into the mags.

Ammo was Remington UMC 115-grain FMJ.

I then went to my trouble-maker 1911. I had no issues aiming after my 50-round session with the 9mm 1911, although my hands were sweaty and I ended up using gloves.

This is MUCH better than my last range visit, when I was hitting very low left and not being even close to center target.

I also shot 49 rounds of Geco 230-grain FMJ without ANY feed/extract issues. There was 50 in the box…yeah, I had one issue where the round didn’t extract (this is a first…this gun has an exclusive history of not feeding properly). But one in 50 is NOT bad, especially when I was having feed issues several times (ie, 2-3) with each magazine. I think the extractor needs to be replaced, but the tuning I did on it helped a LOT!

So, I’m glad I sorted these issues out.  I think I’ll put the 1911s away for a while, because they don’t shoot like my other guns and I don’t want my muscle memory getting mucked up.

Oh yeah, I decided to shoot some extra ammo I had sitting around (Remington HTP 147-grain JHP subsonic).  I shot 50 rounds of it through my Grand Power P11.  The P11 did NOT like that ammo at all.  There were lots of failures to return to battery, so much that I was hitting the back of the slide almost as much as I was pulling the trigger.  I thought that HTP wouldn’t be as bad as UMC…I was wrong.  I need to remind myself to not shoot Remington out of the Grand Power.  EVERY time I do, I’m disappointed.

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9mm Canik CZ75 Shark C T-100 Tristar

I Present the Tristar T-100 9mm!

My immediate impressions of the gun:

  • Sturdy and solid (hefty)
  • Very long and strong DA trigger (not gritty but a bit notchy-like)
  • Very nice SA trigger
  • Slide feels like it’s riding on glass
  • Stock grips are plastic (not the rubber that it looks to be)…will have to see how well they grip when firing rounds
  • Cerakote is good…not a blemish in sight
  • Slide serrations are very aggressive, allowing a good grip on a small area
  • Takes down well
  • Magazines are high quality
  • No decocker (I knew this when I bought it)…will require manual decocking…half cock allows DA without dropping hammer fully when decocking (a good thing for carry, IMO).

I’m thinking I should’ve focused on getting one of these a long time ago…the handgun feels that good in my hand.  I’ve no doubt that I’ll love it at the range.  I’m not sure about carrying it, though, as it is heavy (1.5 lb) and I’ve heard that it’s difficult to find a holster that’ll hold it that has a retention strap.

I’m not sure I’ll do a table-top review…there are several very good reviews on this handgun already.

More T-100 stats at Tristar.com

UPDATE (7/28/2016):  The after-range impressions are here.  As well, below is an image of the VZ Grips that I bought for the gun, since I wanted grips that were a bit more aggressive.

Tristar T-100 with VZ Grips for CZ75 Compact
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22TCM 38 Super 51963 9mm magazines MS Ultra RIA Rock Island Armory

Another Gun On The Way

Rock Island Armory Tac Ultra MS 9mm/22TCM

Yes, I thought I was done buying guns for awhile.

I bought another Rock Island Armory 1911, the MS Ultra (or what used to be called a Tactical MS 2011), manufacture number 51963 (Armscor link it dead, but this one works) 

UPDATE:  As of 9/12/2022, this gun isn’t available for purchase from Armscor, although you might be able to find it as a used gun or at a gun store that has old stock. The closest things to this gun that is currently on the Armscor website are items 56636 (FS), 56634 (CCO), and 56633 (CS-L) – all three of them being sold with two barrels (9mm and 22TCM9R); All three are Rock Ultras and are single stacked.  There are two Tac Ultras that shoot both 9mm and 22TCM9R – 56635 (single stacked) and 56632 (double stacked). The closest in-production RIA to my MS Tac Ultra (51963) is 56632 – that one is a MS Tac Ultra, but it is double stacked.

What’s the difference between that one and the one I currently have?  Well, the 51963 will shoot two calibers – .22TCM and 9mm (it comes with two barrels and recoil springs).  It also has an accessory rail.  The barrels also aren’t bull barrels.  Those are the only differences.

The cons of this weapon?  The only ammo maker that has this ammo type is Armscor (the maker of this gun).  Also, I’d initially thought I was locked into specific magazines for this round, as the .22TCM round is longer than a 9mm round, so I can’t use a 9mm 1911 magazine (well, I CAN, but only if I’ve the 9mm barrel installed), but I’ve found that I can use 1911 mags for .38 Super calibers…basically, that’s what the MS Ultra 22TCM/9mm 1911 uses as a magazine — 1911 .38 Super mags.

I did take the liberty of ordering 250 rounds of 22TCM via online store…it should arrive today.  I also found that there’s at least one local store that carries 22TCM.  Although they sell it for $6 more than where I found it online, I can rely upon the local store for emergencies.  I’d have ordered more 22TCM but I’m due to begin packing up for location move…I don’t think the movers will pack up ammo and I’m already going to have a car that’s heavy with weapons…I’d prefer not to be carrying a ton of ammo too.  Once I’ve finalized the relocation, I can then stockpile ammo.

I can’t wait to shoot this gun, but I may wait until tomorrow so that I can clean the gun first.  The gun has already arrived at the FFL and I’m awaiting them to call me for pickup, but I can’t go until Fedex delivers that ammo I ordered, otherwise I’ll miss the delivery.

UPDATE:

Fedex waited until 7PM to deliver the ammo.  They also dropped it off on the front doorstep and barely knocked on the door.  If I’d have known they’d do that, I’d have picked up the weapon without worrying about missing the ammo shipment.  The FFL was open until 8PM and I didn’t get there until 7:10.  I inspected the weapon and bought another 100 rounds of ammo (that’s the second source of .22TCM ammo that’s local to me, @ $25 a 50-round box).  It took me 10 minutes to do the paperwork and another 5 minutes of waiting to see if the background check was good (it always is, and always takes 5 minutes).  I was home before 7:30PM.

The gun is NICE.  The slide to frame tolerance is quite a bit tighter than my Tactical II RIA, at least from looking at the rear of where the slide meets the frame.  With the Tactical II, I can actually see a bit of daylight in some cases, but my Metro Arms is tight…just not as tight as this TCM.

The differences between this gun and my Tactical II is:

  • The slide has a flat area down the top of the slide.
  • The slide serrations on the TCM are larger and are canted forward.
  • The TCM comes with a railed dust cover.
  • The TCM comes with two barrels and recoil springs (9mm and 22TCM).
  • The TCM is easier to take down (it breaks down in the traditional 1911 manner — has a barrel bushing).
  • The magazine follower is a bit different in shape, to allow for usage of both 9mm and 22TCM ammo.

I haven’t been to the range yet.  Today is Friday…I’ve no reason to not go to the range and test this gun tonight.

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1911 45ACP 9mm Metro Arms Mod.2 recoil RIA trigger XD

1911 & XD Range Visit

I went to the range yesterday to start the break-in process of the 1911s and the XD Mod.2 I recently acquired. This is just a general sharing of information and experience.

I was supposed to take the P320 and the Glock. I decided to take the 1911s instead, since I’ve no experience with them. The XD was taken because I’d never fired a subcompact.

I started off with the Metro Arms 45ACP 1911 Commander. I shot from 21 feet using Remington UMC and Perfecta FMJ. I was all over the place at first — excited and not knowing finger placement on it’s trigger — but was able to walk my bullets into the bulls-eye within 7 rounds (last round didn’t feed due to an FTE). This gun is super-tight when compared to what I’ve previously shot and compared to my current collection of guns. It doesn’t wiggle or rattle. It has a great trigger. A lot of the recoil didn’t make it to my firing hand…it manages recoil a lot better than my P220. I shot maybe 70 rounds and didn’t want to put this gun down, but I had to shoot all three within the hour’s session.

The RIA Tactical 9mm Commander wasn’t as fun to shoot as the Metro Arms, mainly because the trigger has some irritating slop, which affected my trigger pull. It wags from side to side a good bit, which I do NOT like. I’m going to have to get that fixed. It was extremely noticeable after experiencing the 45’s tight trigger.  Although the trigger was a pain point, part of it was probably because of a shift from one gun to another.  Eventually, I was able to nail the bulls-eye.  Recoil wasn’t an issue, but the gun weighs 40oz and is chambered in 9mm, so I wasn’t expecting recoil to be an issue. I’ve the original mag and bought 3 WC mags (all four are 10-rounders). I noticed that the gun would fail to extract near the end of the mags maybe half the time. I fired 50 rounds before moving to the subcompact.

The XD Mod.2 9mm I have is the first subcompact I’ve ever fired. It’s also the smallest of the two subs that I have. There wasn’t as much recoil as I thought there would be, which is a great reflection on the design of this gun. It comes with two mags, one having a mag sleeve, which felt better since it’s maybe an inch longer and enabled me to get a better grip. The trigger is sloppy, IMO. There’s lots of take-up and I’ve to let out the trigger a large amount before it resets. This wouldn’t be a problem if I hadn’t grown used to my Canik TP9SA’s trigger. There were no malfunctions with this gun. It shot decently (no bulls-eye but all the hits certainly could be considered center mass). It feels like an average gun, but maybe that how any non-1911 gun would seem after shooting 1911s first…I don’t know. I also only shot 30 rounds before I ran out of range time. That’s not a lot of time to get a feel for a gun. I never got comfortable with this gun…that’s not a bad thing…it just means I didn’t have enough time to get properly acquainted with it.

I’m positively in love with the Metro Arms. I love the big bang with the negated recoil. I’m shocked at how well it feels when firing and cycling…very smooth. It feels “rich” when it isn’t. It’s going with me on my next range visit, for sure. It is now the favorite of my guns.

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45ACP 9mm American Classic Commander P320C RIA Rock Island Armory Sig

3 New Guns On The Way!

Just a quick update:

I just ordered a Sig P320C in 9mm, a Metro Arms American Classic 1911 Commander 45ACP, and a RIA 1911A1 MS Tactical II in 9mm.  The Sig and Metro Arms were ordered through Bud’s Gunshop.  The Rock Island Armory 1911 was bought from Gallery of Guns.  They should arrive by the end of the week or early next week at the latest…we’ll see.

I also revised the list again. I’ll stick with the Sig P320C…I don’t need the P320SC since I can modify the P320C to be an SC model (the P320 is modular and can be converted to any other P320 model). That’s going to save some money and is the more logical way to go.

I’m halfway to my goal and might be able to meet my goal and also lessen the list.  I’ve nixed one gun so far and also decided against the Grand Power. I’m also thinking of nixing the FNS Compact, but I might keep it on the list since I’m more than likely not going to be able to get the Canik TP9 v2 (I’ve no idea when it’s supposed to be available).

UPDATE:  The 1911 9mm arrived.  I bought model number 51698 (listed as RIA M1911A1 MS Tactical II 9mm back in 2015 but no longer being carried as a production model). As well, the Metro Arms American Classic Commander in 45ACP arrived, along with the Sig Sauer P320 Compact 9mm.

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9mm Canik Elite Shooting Sports range SP2022 TP9SA visit

Range Report – Canik TP9SA

I took the TP9SA to the range this weekend.  It shot well!  I’m very impressed.

Some notes:

  1. This is the first striker-fired gun I’ve ever shot.
  2. I shot 108 rounds of Remington UMC 115-grain (megabox).
  3. I was shooting from a distance of 10 yards.
  4. There was one stovepipe that occurred when firing the first magazine.
  5. There was one failure to feed that occurred when firing the second magazine.
  6. The trigger is great!  It feels hyper-sensitive.  Reset is loud and tactile enough for me to know when it resets, without issue.
  7. I shot with the larger of the two backstraps…I honestly can’t tell which of the two fit better in my hand, though
  8. A lot of my shots were to the left of the bulls-eye (my left, when aiming).  At first, I thought the rear sight needed to be drifted, so I used Kentucky windage and aimed maybe 1-1.5″ to the right of the bulls-eye and I hit the bulls-eye.  I decided to stick with using the proper sight picture because I know from my prior range visits that I needed to work on trigger pull and finger placement.  Well, the last magazine was very good…I placed a good bit of my rounds in the bulls-eye while using the same sight picture I’d been using the whole session.
  9. Instead of continuing to become familiar with the TP9SA and work on muscle memory with this gun, I switched guns and shot with the SP2022 the last 20 minutes of the session.  This was a bad idea, as the next 20 minutes, my rounds were all over the place.  Next time, I’m only coming with one gun.

I’ve some video footage of the range session, but only of my SP2022. The video is here:

The target is far enough away to where you can’t see a damned thing…sorry about that.  I’ll work it out on the next visit.  I supposed I could lower the FOV setting on the camera, as well as move the target up a bit (in good/bad guy situations with handguns, 10 yards is a bit excessive as far as self defense goes, IMO).

Another thing I did was to test the 9mm Federal HST JHP I have, just to ensure it didn’t jam…I saved it for the last 5 minutes of the session, as I wanted to shoot them while the gun was dirty.  I shot 10 JHPs without issue.  As well, I was only able to shoot them through the SP2022.  I’ve 10 left…I’ll shoot those through the Canik on my next range visit.   The Canik cleaned up pretty well.  There’s quite a bit of barrel wear at the ejection port, though…just the paint coating, though.  It’s not a huge deal, although my SP2022 has more rounds through it and has NO outside barrel wear.  I did lube the Canik VERY well before the range session (with TW25B)…the rails looked good.  There was a tiny bit of wear on the underside of the slide itself, though, and I’ve no idea what caused it, but I’ll be sure to apply some grease to that area before the next visit.

The feed ramp already has what looks to be copper on it, where the bullets contact it while being fed into the ramp.  I’ll leave the ramp alone, though…as long as the gun functions properly, I’m happy.

I’m looking forward to the next range visit with this gun!