Month: August 2023

Categories
ammo defensive ammo pistol training

I Enrolled in Handgun Training!

So, I’ve enrolled in handgun training. I enrolled in a Pistol II course at my range. (Pistol I was too basic and Pistol III was too advanced — we all have to start somewhere, right?) It’s a 2-day course that is held in the evening. I thinking on using my Bul Armory SAS II UL. They recommend either a duty gun or a compact. The SAS II UL isn’t a little gun. It’s not big by any means, but it’s far from small, so may use it during the course.

I’ll be brining a back-up gun, but I’m not sure which to bring. I can either bring my Glock 19 (it’s similarly sized) or my Alpha Foxtrot S15. The Glock 19 seems to be the better option. I’ve several DA/SA guns, too, but I don’t want to have to deal with DA.

I also need to buy ammo for the course, but I think I’ll just buy ammo at that range, right before the start of the course. I don’t need anything special – it just has to be dependable. I’ve been using their Blazer 124-gr brass FMJ and it’s been good, so I think I’ll jsut buy more of that.

I mentioned SD and training ammo in the title. I’ve always wanted to be able to shoot training ammo that was very similar to the SD ammo that I’d be carrying (I’ve no favorite SD ammo at this moment in time). I did quite a bit of research and found that Federal’s AD9SJ4 (124-gr 9mm) matches the Federal Practice and Defend P9HST1TM100 (124-gr 9mm SD ammo), ballistics-wise. The only thing is, I can’t find any place that has the P9HST1TM100 in stock.

They’ve 147-gr pairing as well: AD9SJ3 (Practice ammo) and P9HST2TM100 (147-gr 9mm SD ammo). The P9HST2TM100 is more easily found, by far, than it’s 124-gr counterpart.

Here’s an example of the cost of the AD9SJ3: Just under $17 for a box of 50.

Here’s an example of the cost of the P9HST2TM100: Just under $48 for a box of 100 – this is legit HST JHP Syntech SD ammo.

Bul Armory doesn’t recommend shooting 147-gr from the SAS II UL, but I’ve had no issues shooting various SD ammo in that grainage, so I think I’ll spend some money on a decent sum of this pair of ammo. I’ll probably buy 500 rounds of the AD9SJ3 and maybe 1 to 2 boxes (100-200 rounds) of the P9HST2TM100.

Categories
Glock magazines PSA

Can the Alpha Foxtrot S15 Be Used With PSA’s Dagger Micro 15-Round Mags?

Can the Alpha Foxtrot S15 use the PSA Dagger Micro 15-Round Mag?

I’ve asked that question on at least one 1911 forum and was told that it wouldn’t work, but no one has tried.

I’m not interested in hearing assumptions.

It either will latch or it won’t

It will either release and drop free from the mag well effortlessly or not.

It should feed properly.

The Alpha Foxtrot S15 is built around Shield Arms S15 15-round mags, which are 3rd-Party mags made for the Glock 43X and the Glock 48. Because of that, the AF-S15 can also use the OEM G43X and G48 mags, although those particular mags have a 10-round capacity.

In the quest to check for yet another source of mags for the AF-S15, I’ve ordered one PSA Dagger Micro magazine, which has a 15-round capacity and can be used with G43Xs and G48s.

I saw that PSA had the mags in stock. I ordered a blem mag with the Micro Slick finish, for $29. Shipping was $9.99 and the total was $40.72 (shipping is always a lot and I didn’t need anything else from PSA).

Note that the Dagger Micro mags are polymer-coated, even around the mag latch area, which means that this will be a wear point, as the AF-S15 uses a metal mag catch within it’s mag well. I’m also curious if the mag will slide easily into and out of the mag well, and also unlatch without hangup issues.

I ordered one mag to test, initially, as I didn’t want to order 2-3 only to find that they won’t work.

The test results will determine if I order more (specifically for range use).

I’ll share my findings with the rest of the world, as I keep seeing folks asking this question or outright verbally assuming that the Dagger Micro mags will work with this gun.