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’m not sure I agree with all seven bullet items that the article describes, but this could be because I see the firearms training industry as money-grabbing organizations. A lot of those courses are damned expensive and cram so much into a short session that the classes themselves become meaningless. You’re supposed to take away something from those training sessions. And not everyone needs operator-like training…yes, the article is talking about basic training, but basic training really just needs to reinforce the fundamentals…that doesn’t really take all that much other than reinforcement via repetition (this is coming from my military experience and in training lower enlisted in basic firearms safety and operation). I refuse to spend large sums of money on training courses unless there’s some assurance that I’ll come away with knowledge I don’t already know. I guess it depends on how you’re using firearms and how comfortable you already feel with C&Cing firearms.
A lot of what the article states is logical and common-sense information, especially pertaining to bullet item #1, “NOT UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT RESPONSIBILITY OF CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON NOR ADOPTING THE RELATED MINDSET AND TRAINING PLAN”, but do you need an actual training plan to carry concealed (while keeping in mind that not everyone is a soldier nor have a soldier mindset)? There have been many people that took these training courses and still ended up in jail after a defensive shooting.
Now, I certainly agree with ensuring you’re getting any legal/statutory updates from your town/city/county/state law enforcement organizations so that you’re current on the laws that could get you locked up if you’re cited for violation. I also agree with the other non-training aspects of the article.
It’s a pretty short but good read. I think I’ll bookmark it. In fact, the whole site seems pretty good!
SIG has released the .45ACP version of the P320! I guess I need to eventually get the conversion kit for my P320 Compact.
UPDATE: Bad news…there will be no .45ACP conversion kit! 🙁 Apparently they’ve run into design issues and can’t make a .45 conversion kit, although they’ll make the pistol itself (it just won’t convert to other calibers). You’ll still be able to change frames and such, though, from my understanding. More info is here.
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.
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.
