I wanted a place to discuss my handguns and firearms in general. Everyone seemingly has lots to say about guns, so I promise you this won't be a rant blog.
I finally took my P320 Compact to the range today (I ended up taking 3 guns, plus the one I was carrying). Man, the P320 shoots pretty damned tight. I was shooting Winchester White Box 115-grain FMJ. The first picture is the first mag, while the second picture is the other mag, shooting the same target with both mags.
6 yards out, second magazine (shooting at same target as first mag above). I’m all around the bulls-eye and hit it once, but the shot group isn’t as tight as the first 15 rounds.
This gun has great ergonomics and the trigger is really nice! Some people complain about trigger pinch with this gun…it didn’t bother me, but I only shot 30 rounds. Some people also have to reiterate that this gun has a high bore axis…it didn’t bother me at all and I’d shot my Glock 19 Gen 4 for the first time right before shooting the P320. It didn’t have any issues eating 30 rounds without issue…there were no FTEs or FTFs. It was easy to aim (it has contrast sights) and the grip texture wasn’t aggressive nor slick…it was “just right”.
This was the last gun (of 4) that I shot. I was expecting to experience a bit of fatigue or an adjustment period before I began to shoot this gun well…those were the wrong expectations! This gun is a keeper (I knew it would be before I bought it).
I’m totally awed by the way this gun shot today. I’ve had it a while and was itching to see how it shot…alas, I’ve been busy and hadn’t had time to visit the range. I made time today and went to Elite Shooting Sports (the best time to go is around 7PM…it was empty today!). Anyways…
This gun manages recoil extremely well, especially for a sub-compact gun. It’s accurate as all hell, too…I’m not kidding:
Grand Power P11 Mk12, shot at 6 yards out, Winchester White Box 115-grain FMJ, 12 rounds.
I shot this gun after shooting 50 rounds from my XD9SC-M2 and Glock 19. Normally, it takes me a few mags to begin shooting well when going from gun to gun, but not in this case. I was actually shocked at the tight group. I only shot 24 rounds out of this gun, though…was pressed for time, once again, but I may make this one my carry gun, once I put some JHP through it and once I determine what’s up with what appears to be light strikes (see below comment).
I shot at 6 yards. I shoot between 5-7 yards whenever I shoot, as that’s the range a typical shootout will more than likely occur. I don’t attempt to shoot long distance with my handguns…that doesn’t really serve a purpose, IMO…if you shoot someone that’s 50 yards from you during an incident, you’re going to jail, so I don’t shoot at long distances. My foyer in my home is maybe 3-4 yards long and the biggest area in my house might be 6-7 yards, so that’s sufficient for me (in case my home has a break-in…*knock on wood*).
This gun is easy to hold while shooting, even though the grip texture isn’t aggressive (it feels a bit slick, in fact). There’s no muzzle lift at all. In fact, follow-up shots are a breeze. The sights made it really easy to aim, and it probably helped that I’ve been working on shooting with both eyes — previous to today, I’ve always shot with my left eye closed (I’m right-eye dominant). I’ve also been working on my trigger pull.
The only problem I saw with the gun was some possibly some light strikes (gun would go “click” with no boom…I’d have to drop the mag and eject the bullet in the chamber…it would fire on the second attempt), but it could’ve been the ammo (although the other guns didn’t exhibit this issue…they were using the same ammo). One thing I didn’t try — and should’ve — was to pull the trigger again without racking…I believe this gun offers double-strike capability, as it is DA/SA. I’ll try it when I next shoot the gun if I have light strikes.
UPDATE — I’ve found that these weren’t light strikes, but were fails to return to battery. The gun would be out of battery, I’d pull the trigger and the gun would then go into battery, but be in DA mode.
I did not try the double-action on this gun, as this gun doesn’t have a decocker and I wasn’t willing to ease the hammer down with a round in the chamber.
I submitted for my concealed carry permit on 13 February 2015. I received the permit on 21 February. I’m now able to carry concealed. Yes, that is probably a record timeframe of submittal and approval for the state of Virginia.
I carried for the first time today. I carried the majority of the day. I decided to carry my XD 9 Mod.2. The holster I used was a Blackhawk nylon holster (non-ambidextrous with no mag holder). I was actually looking locally for the Blackhawk ambidextrous holster with mag holder (product #40AM06BK, specifically)…I tried two Walmart stores but someone has been opening the packages, removing the holsters and switching them, because I’d bought two holsters and upon getting them home, I’d found that the holster in the package wasn’t what was advertised on the package’s labeling. The first holster wasn’t even close to what I was looking for, as it was a large holster made of slick black nylon. The second holster (what I’ve since discovered is a Blackhawk Sportster in size 8) wasn’t what I was looking for but was a small holster that was able to hold my two sub-compacts and three compacts (I’ve no idea if it’ll hold my SP2022, but I doubt it…that gun borders on being full-sized).
So, if you’re looking for a cheap (~$20) holster, this may fit the bill. Most people do not like cheap holsters, but it fit my XD 9 perfectly and didn’t feel uncomfortable. I kept the holster at my 4-o’clock strong side and wore a long thick plaid work shirt over it (my wife said I wasn’t printing). I probably need a better (stronger) leather belt, but the one I was using is actually pretty thick…there was only a tad bit of sag. I’ll look for a better belt tomorrow, as the local gun stores will be open and I’m off work.
What other guns will fit in this holster? My Glock 19 fits perfectly and will slide in/out without issue, as will my XD. My Grand Power P11 fits well, also (not as good as the XD, though). My P320 fits great but the take-down lever hangs on the inside of the holster when trying to remove it. I’m wondering if a bit of tape will fix the issue, but I also realize that I should be glad I can use this holster with the other 3 guns without issue. I want to reiterate that this is probably one of the few holsters you’ll find that fits the Grand Power P11…there are NONE specifically made for the P11, so I searched for holsters that would support guns of similar size/dimensions.
I’ve also ordered two Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 IWB holsters: One for my 1911 commanders and one for my XD 9. I also ordered an extra shell for the Sig SP2022. When I was looking, I saw that they had a two-holster combo deal, which was a lot cheaper than I’d thought it would be to buy two. UPDATE: I’ve received the holsters and conducted a quick assessment here.
The above pictures highlight a potential issue: The 1911 shown doesn’t have an ambi-safety like my RIA does. The right side of the holster doesn’t look to be able to accomodate an ambi-safety. I’m not sure if that means I’ll have to alter the holster. :/ UPDATE – No, the ambi-safety doesn’t cause any fitment issues.
I also bought a Pro Carry HD from The Holster Store. It’s supposed to be an IWB holster but I keep looking at it, wondering, how the hell is it supposed to mount to your belt? I guess I’ll see when I get it tomorrow. Another thing that grabbed my attention (but only just now and not when I’d ordered it) was this blurb buried within the description:
The Pro Carry HD can be worn both both strong side and cross draw. For carrying this item in the small of back inside the waistband, you will need to select the opposite shooting hand.
I plan to carry my gun at the 4-o’clock position with this holster, but this holster won’t give me the option of carrying in the small of the back IWB, which limits me. If I’m understanding the maker correctly, if I want to carry IWB in the small of my back with this holster, I would need to buy a left-hand holster? Thinking on it a bit, and if that’s indeed the case, that would be the more comfortable way to draw a weapon from behind your back…I might order another of these just to try it out.
The Pro Carry HD is also described as being bulky by customer comments on Amazon, although some customers are defending it by reminding gun owners that they should be buying pants with enough waist room to allow for such a holster.
So, tomorrow, I trek to find a nice gun belt (or even two, if they’re priced decently). I’ve one gun store in mind (Trinue in Warrenton), and if the pricing is too high, maybe Guns and Ammo Warehouse. UPDATE: I ended up going to The Gun Shop, which didn’t have any belts, so they sent me to Virginia Arms, and I left with a black Galco 1.5″ gun belt. I also plan to go shooting either tomorrow or Tuesday morning. I need to begin the break-in process of the Glock 19, my P320, and my GP P11. I will probably carry the XD there so that I can fire off a box of SD rounds (Remington HTP +P 115-grain JHP) to see how well the XD responds to that ammo.
Can you own off-roster guns? Yes. On-roster guns apply to retail sale only. Many people bought off-roster guns with the SSE option, which expired Jan 1, 2015. People also bring off-roster guns into the state when switching states of residency, which is also legal and is stated in the CA penal code. CA residents can also have immediate family that are not CA residents transfer guns to them (as gifts)…that includes off-roster guns.
Yes, magazines with round counts greater than 10 are illegal. That does not make the gun itself illegal, though. If you’re in CA and need, for example, a new mag but the maker only sells 15-round mags, you’d need to find an FFL that is licensed to have 10+ round mags…many such FFLs have the capability to limit 10+ round mags to 10-rounders. Or, Glock and Springfield Armory sell 10 round versions of their mags…many gun makers do. As well, CA isn’t the only state to limit magazine round counts. I bought both my XD 9 Mod.2 and Glock 19 Gen 4 (both off-roster guns) for the express purpose of bringing them to CA while knowing that they’re not available for retail sale within CA’s borders. I also bought them because they came with 10-round mags out-of-the-box.
Why am I discussing this? I’ve people commenting on my videos that I’m sharing misinformation. Those same people won’t back up what they’re saying or even point out the bits of misinformation they say I’m sharing. Some are not paying attention to what’s being said in the video. Some are confused about their state’s own laws, especially as it pertains to people moving into CA from another state. I’ve no problem accepting fault if I’m spreading misinformation, but I’ve found out that in all cases, I’m not wrong. Before claiming that I’m wrong, be sure I’m wrong by doing your own research…don’t listen to other people that might be wrong. Reference the CA statutes then come back to me with the reference that shows that I’m wrong. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen, since the majority of YT commenters are either young or are only going by what they were told (ie, being spoon-fed information from people that don’t know what they’re talking about instead of learning the information from the CA government).
While I’m no firearms guru, I know just enough to keep myself out of trouble. Trust me when I say that there are people with Glock Gen 4 models (which are ALL off-roster) and XD 9 Mod.2s (which is also off-roster), that are located in CA. The guns are sold to them with 10-round mags, FROM THE FACTORY. For example, my XD9 came with 10-round mags…no, the mags weren’t altered at a gun shop. SA sells 10-round mags and 9mm versions for the Mod.2 are here and here; Glock 19 factory 10-round mags are listed here, but I wasn’t able to locate ANY mags on Glock’s website. There’s also this. The guns are legal…it’s just a matter of how you obtained them. If you’re currently a CA resident, the only way to get firearms not approved by CA DOJ is via PPT, which means “private party transfer”, meaning, the gun is already owned by a CA resident and is being transferred to another CA resident. Those handguns were either grandfathered (bought before the current laws) or were bought in by non-residents who decided to move to CA. Note that there was also an SSE exemption awhile back but SSE is no longer an option, although you may find gun shops in CA that were bought when SSE was an option. The CA DOJ approval list doesn’t apply to incoming residents…they can bring whatever they have, as long as their guns aren’t assault weapons (there’s a separate criteria for those type of guns) and as long as the magazines have a 10-round maximum capacity. This isn’t rocket science and I’m surprised I have to explain this to CA residents. 4/5ths of my guns are off-roster…do you honestly think I didn’t research this before spending that much money (in such a short period)??
CA people…read your statutes…don’t just read them, read them while trying to understand the intent of the statutes. If you’ve questions, ask them on calguns.net, but most questions have already been answered, so search calguns.net to find your answers, or, better yet, just learn how to read the CA statutes. I will not link or post up the statutes for you (although I did post them up in my XD 9 video, within the video description). If you need to know their location and read them, google it like I did.
I submitted for my Virginia CCW on 20 February. I received the permit in the mail on 28 February. That’s eight (8) days turn-round! Yes, I knew the VA process is simple in comparison to states such as California, but I’ve never heard of anyone getting their VA permit 8 days after submitting their application – don’t take that as a complaint, though…I’m VERY happy.
So, I’m now legal to carry concealed. The studying of the laws and reading of others’ experiences has been ongoing and I’ll continue to do both until I become a CA resident. My immediate tasks are to obtain several good in-waistband holsters. This is difficult to do because I never considered which firearm I’d be carrying. For now, I think I’ll carry my 1911s, but I also want to carry my XD subcompact, so I’ve ordered two IWB holsters for both the 1911s and the XD. I also ordered an extra shell so that I can carry my SP2022. Why did I pick these guns? Because the 1911s have slide safeties, the XD has it’s grip safety, and the SP2022 has it’s DA/SA trigger (which I’m probably more acquainted with than the others’ safety mechanisms). I’ll more than likely focus on carrying whichever is the least difficult to carry. I’d rather have some type of safety on the guns I’ll be carrying, so that means I won’t be carrying the Glock 19 or the P320C (for now, at least). You might not agree with the reasoning, but the choice is mine alone to make.
I ordered the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 IWB. I actually ordered two of them, as Alien Gear is having a two holster deal. I ordered two holsters and an extra shell for $67. It will be 4-6 weeks before I see those holsters, though. If I can find something local at a LGS, Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, Dick’s, or even Walmart, I’ll be lucky.
I also want to try to carry my other subcompact, the Grand Power P11, but I can’t find any holsters designed for it. If I can find a decent generic holster that fits the P11 satisfactorily, I’ve the feeling that that particular gun would be ideal for me to carry.
Obtaining my VA CCW permit makes it more difficult to wrap my head around moving to CA. We still remind ourselves that we can move to a state neighboring CA if we decided our liberties are being limited too much by CA.
I still have to order magazine blocks for the guns. I’ll have to hack existing mag blocks for the GP P11, but that shouldn’t be too difficult. If I find that they’re actually too difficult for me to hack, I’ll order 2-3 10-round mags from Eagle Imports. My wife’s Ruger has one 10-round mag and one 12-round mag. The 12-round mag has to go. Her task is to find someone that’s willing to take it in exchange for their 10-round mag. If it’s not gone by the time we’re ready to go to CA, I’ll either mail it to my parents or, worse case, throw it away…I’m not going to jail over a mag that my wife doesn’t want to get rid of.
