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 usually carry two bags when I go to the range. One bag will have my guns, magazines, and any other things directly related to the gun (barrel conversions and things like that). The other bag will have supplies such as my ammo, cleaning kits, tools (such as screwdrivers), ear plugs, protective glasses, tape, band-aids, stapler…stuff like that.
I’m an NRA member and I got a free range bag as a freebie…I’d been using that as my supply bag. That was NOT a good idea, as those bags are super cheap. It didn’t last long, as it’s already ripping…luckily I caught it before it happened to be on my shoulder — I do not want to be trying to pick up 200 spilled rounds of ammo from the floor or for the bag to slam on my foot.
So, I picked up a Fieldline Tactical range bag from Walmart (along with 2 x 100-round boxes of Remington UMC 9mm JHP). This bag is even better than my Bulldog bag. It comes with a holder for spent brass, two pistol rugs, a place for my shooting glasses (that is lined with soft material so the glasses won’t get scratched), magazine slots, and a bunch of other neat storage areas. Plus, the bag is reinforced so that it won’t come apart under the stress of weight or even everyday use.
I could probably get away with consolidating everything into one bag…we’ll see.
I forgot that I published this video. This is me ranting about the people complaining about the Canik TP9SA’s decocker. There are also several other people that have similar videos, in response to TheYankeeMarshall’s complaining about this gun not being a good defensive weapon due to it having a decocker (he complains about it but has never handled the gun). Others (MAC is one) have also complained about it…I’m not sure if they’re getting on TYM’s bandwagon and I assume they are since they complained within days of each other. This gun has pretty much gotten rave reviews from well-known internet gun guys, such as Sootch00, Nutnfancy, Hickok45, Hank Strange, Iraqveteran8888, James Yeager, and MrGunsngear. TYM said the other reviewers were “sucking the manufacturer’s dick”. Really? It comes down to name-calling when he hasn’t even touched the gun? In fact, TYM never has anything good to say about anything. All he ever does is whine or complain…he does this in EVERY ONE OF HIS VIDEOS. I’ve never taken him seriously but his TP9SA “review” just bugs the hell out of me. In this day and age, it’s difficult to take anyone serious about guns, since everyone offers subjective opinions…nothing is ever objective.
FX Hummel mentioned that it might be difficult to rack the TP9SA’s slide using a belt or other non-hand method without actuating the decocker, but that’s actually a pretty valid concern, so I didn’t rant about that.
A range officer saw the ammo on the range table and was asking what type of ammo it was. He stayed while I shot the first magazine. He was awed and saw how tight the shot groupings were…many of the target holes were on top of each other. He also commented on the muzzle flash. It was bright enough to where I was sometimes flinching! I’m disappointed with the video footage…the footage wasn’t framed good. I may try to go to the range again tomorrow.
I shot 100 rounds through the gun. There were only two feed issues. One was when a spent case didn’t want to come out (common issue that’s related to the ammo case out of round or expanding). The other (right after the first feed issue) was a double-feed. After that, there were no more issues.
This 1911 has next to no recoil and had tight groupings, but I’m STILL not in full control of trigger pull (working on it…practice makes perfect).
Oh, and there’s copper along the slide, next to the ejector. I’ve heard of someone mentioning that issue before (not sure what the cure was, other than sending it back to Armscor to have the extractor tuned).
By the way, the .22 TCM round is basically a shortened .223 round (no, it isn’t a necked down 9mm). It’ll pierce 3/16″ steel. It has an approximate velocity of 2000 feet/sec, but realistic speeds from the Commander-sized barrel is in the 1900 feet/sec range, while RIA’s .22 TCM rifles will shoot this round at 2800 feet/sec.
I also fired my FDE Canik TP9SA. The gun had no issues. I fired close to 100 rounds from it (half of it JHP that was also shooting flames…wonder if it was +P…I think it was some left-over Remington JHP that I was firing during my last range session). There were no jams, but the mags are super-tight…I could only get 17 rounds into the mags up until the 3rd refill.
I ordered two Cloak Tuck 2.0 in-waistband holsters from Alien Gear on 3/1. I was informed that the wait could be 4-6 weeks, but they shipped on 3/26. I received the holsters on 3/30 (the shipment was 2-day Priority but took 3 days).
The holsters are awesome. I got one for my Commander-sized 1911s and one for my XD Mod.2. I also bought an extra shell for my SP2022.
The holsters come with a lifetime warranty and I can exchange all three shells for other shells, free of charge for the life of the holsters/shells. The build quality appears to be good. They also came with spare parts (extra screws and grommets). They also came with detailed instructions on how to adjust cant and retention, as well as how to put it on and how to best wear it.
I’ve been wearing the XD Mod.2 holster all week, trying to get used to IWB. The space of the pants you wear with the holsters make all the difference in the world (as well as a strong gun belt). Most of my jeans have shrunk (no, I’m not fat and have recently lost 10 lb with much of it being off my waist), so I may need to go out and get more jeans and/or cargo pants. My dress and work pants appear to be OK, though I can’t carry at work, so that doesn’t really matter as long as I’m on work property.
I think I’m going to trade my SP2022 shell for a Glock 19 or P320 Compact one.
I highly recommend Alien Gear. Just be prepared for a long wait before the product ships. It’s worth the wait, in my opinion.
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.
