Category: 9mm

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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!

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9mm magazines polymer SP2022 trigger

My Sig SP2022 9mm Arrived Today!

I thought I’d only get one magazine (the ad said only one was included), but I ended up with two!  That’s a huge deal, as they are expensive.  And I just got two new mags for this gun, too!  Now, if I’d paid attention to the ad pictures, I’d have seen that there were two mags in the pictures (one in the gun and one in a clear plastic bag).   What else?  It has the round-in-chamber indicator on top of the gun, which is pretty damned cool (I’ll keep visually checking the chamber, though).  I also swapped out the installed backstrap for the bigger one…it feels much better.  The grips are difficult to remove (needs a big screwdriver and some leverage).  I wonder if I should lube the mount area…

I cleaned it (surprisingly, it was filthy…like it had been shot a few times and not cleaned…it’s supposed to be new…WTF) and found that this example has a metal recoil spring guide.  There are many videos stating that this was plastic and people were replacing them with aftermarket metal guides.  I’ve no idea how this affects the limited warranty that covers new Sig products.  Based on the fact that the gun had obviously been fired and because it has a metal recoil spring guide, the gun is more than likely not new.  It’s not a huge deal, but it was misrepresented nonetheless.

I bought 100 rounds of American Eagle FMJ 9mm rounds ($17 a box at the gun shop).  I also bought a box of 20 Federal HST JHP 9mm ($28??!).  9mm is cheaper than .45ACP, that’s for sure!  🙂

I loaded up two magazines to begin the break-in period…they’re stiff as hell.  The other two mags are empty.  I’ll rotate the rounds from one to the other…I don’t want all my ammo in the mags.  They hold 15 rounds apiece, so that would be a significant amount of my ammo.

This gun is sweet!  It’s different than my Equinox.  The Equinox looks and feels (and IS) expensive.  The SP feels more…practical.  It actually fits my hands better…the grip is fantastic, even if it’s plastic (yes, this is a polymer gun).  The trigger even feels a bit better, although I haven’t compared reset between the two.  My wife prefers the feel of the Equinox (the feel of money…LOL) over the SP.  I like both of them in different ways.

I plan to visit the range tomorrow and maybe even Sunday and Monday, just to get some practice in.

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.45 9mm compact firearms handgun magazines P220 safe Sauer Sig SP2022 Stack-On sub-compact

Introductions

I tend to segment my life experiences into silos.  I do not have a one-size-fits-all blog.  There’s a reason why I do that.  I’ve blogs about Unix, PDAs, Apple products, Subarus, and others.  A reader that cares about Unix might not care about Subarus.  I believe a blog has to have a general theme…how do you mesh all of those blogs into one without looking like a skitzo?  You can’t.

Anyways,  I’ve a new hobby.  Last month, my wife bought me a handgun.  What make?  Sig Sauer.  What model?  A P220, but not just any P220…she got me an Equinox.  That’s a gun created by Sig Sauer’s custom gun shop.  It’s full size and calibered in .45 ACP.

It was supposed to be a surprise Christmas present but she ended up telling me because the sales people she was talking with told her to inform me so that I could give her a good idea of what I wanted…for all they knew, I’d not like the gift.  A few weeks before she bought it, she’d been asking me gun questions but I thought she was asking idle questions (she does that from time to time and knows a bit about weapons — 20 years of Army service that she accrued).  She asked me my preference of caliber and make.  I told her .40 and Sig Sauer.  Well, she took that information and went back to the sales people and told them.  They recommended a .45 instead, as .40s are known for being a bit snappy in recoil.  So, we were Christmas shopping and she told me that she wanted to show me something and that she wanted me to close my eyes…she then led me to the gun shop in the store (the Ft. Belvoir Exchange).  When I opened my eyes, I was shocked.  She showed me the gun she wanted to buy me.  It was the Equinox…it’s all shadow and light, with dark wooden grips.  We went to look at other guns at other shops over the next few days but we settled on the Equinox and bought it the day before Thanksgiving.

That’s the greatest present she’s ever given me and it was also very thoughtful.  It was also pricey, as far as guns retail for.  $1040.

I took it to a local in-door range the week after I got it.  It shoots great.  The trigger is awesome in both DA and SA modes.  It does have recoil, however.  The previous calibers I’ve fired (they were a friend’s guns) were 9mm and .40…both Sigs.  In comparison to that .40, my P220 isn’t offering less recoil.  They both feel about the same.  Now, I don’t remember what .40 Sig my friend had, but I’ve the feeling I’d have been happy with a .40 Sig.  That’s not a huge issue, though…I’m happy with my gift!

The P220 comes with 2 8-round mags.  The mags are stiff as hell out-of-the-box and have to be broken in.  Load rounds into them to exercise the springs.  They loosen up over time and with use.

The P220 also has a very stiff recoil spring that will loosen up over time and use.  As it is now, it is difficult to rack the gun.

I’ve put approximately 100 rounds through the gun so far and the mags and recoil spring have loosened a bit…they’re still a bit stiff, though.

I’ve a gun safe, especially since I’ve three kids.  I’ve the Stack-On Model # PS-508-12.  This safe is small but has enough room for 3-4 handguns (maybe even more if nothing else is in the safe).  BJs has this safe, as well as an assortment of Sentry safes.  I liked this one because it was a bit under $60 and was low in profile.

Also….

I bought another gun.  I sold some car parts to a fellow Subaru owner and used the money to buy a Sig Sauer SP2022 in 9mm.  This will probably be my carry gun.  Yes, it is rather large to carry, but it is sold as a compact gun.  It is about the same size as many compact guns of other makes.  Note that the SP isn’t yet in my possession.  It is currently being delivered to my local gunshop.  I got this gun for $389.  I’ve also ordered two extra magazines (at $22/ea from Cabelas…during a sale).  This is key, because the gun only comes with one magazine and people complain that extra mags are expensive…I’ve heard quotes of $50/ea.

So, I can carry this gun but also practice with it to hone my basic handgun skills…9mm ammo is cheaper than .45 ACP, so there’s a lower cost factor with this gun.

I did not want a sub-compact gun.  I held a Walther PPK in .380 and could barely hold the gun, it was so small.  I’ve big hands, so I need a gun with substantial grip, even if it means it’ll be more difficult to carry…I can’t stand when my hand is hanging off of a gun grip, as it doesn’t feel comfortable to me. I’m a bit passionate about this because there is this thing about carry guns that forum monkeys will try to sell people:  carry guns have to be small.  That’s bullshit, IMO, and seems to be more of an attempt to limit a gun owner.

Lastly, I’ll give you a history of my involvement with firearms.

I’m a 10-year military veteran.  Up until 2014, I’d never owned a firearm, but in my 10 years of active duty, I’ve slept with guns, took a dump with guns, practiced almost monthly with guns, deployed to hostile environment with guns, and performed guard duty with live rounds, with a mag in the gun but no round chambered.  And when I went to the range, I actually coached on basic marksmanship and sight zero adjustments.  I’ve fired M16A2s almost exclusively, but also attended an OPFOR range while assigned to the 2nd ID G2 section…we fired captured Soviet-type weapons and ammunition.  I’ve fired claymores, as well, at an actual claymore range at Fort Bragg.  I’ve also handled both plastic explosives, blasting caps, low yield TNT and high explosives (I had to know how to emergency dispose of classified machinery).  This is just everyday stuff to most veterans (minus the explosives bit, probably), but with all that being said, I’m still new to handguns, but keep in mind that a lot (but not all) of my rifle experience carries over to handguns.  And really, a lot of this is common sense.  I’ve 10 years of extremely valuable firearms experience and have never owned a handgun…why is it that I’m comfortable with my P220?  Because in the basic sense, a gun is a gun.  I already knew how to clear a semi-automatic handgun because it’s basically the same as clearing an M16:  drop the mag, pull and/or lock back the charging handle, look inside the chamber for any rounds, if there are no rounds, release the slide and place on safe (if applicable, because many Sigs don’t have manual safes).  As well, in Virginia (where I’m from), military veterans can apply for their concealed carry license with nothing more than their DD214s as a prerequisite form (with an honorable discharge).

Stay tuned, as I’ll be gradually beefing up this page with my weapons and ownership experiences.