[jsalcedo]

I went and took my CHL class not really knowing what to expect.
The classroom part was ok, 6 hours of being educated on not pulling your gun under any circumstance except imminent death
or dismemberment with no options of running away.

The next day of the class we had to qualify with our carry piece.
the way it works is if you qualify with a revolver you can carry only a revolver. If you shoot the qualification with an auto
then you can carry auto or wheelgun. The handgun must be of.32 caliber or above.

I decided on my Argentine sistema 1927 (basicially exact copy of a M1911A1 with one exception the rear of the hammer is forged into an approximation of knife blade (They are all like that don't know why)

Everyone else in the class had Glocks, KAHRS, SW titanium 7 shots
Berettas and a couple of new .40 highpowers.

We all had to lock open our guns and place them on a table for inspection. The range master was surprised to see a stock 1911
with rough stock combat sights and he asked me if I wanted to borrow one of their guns to qualify with. I respectfully declined.

Once on the firing line it started to rain pretty hard. We had to fire in short strings at 3 yards 7 and 15 on a man sized sillouette
marked with scoring areas of 3 4 and 5 points to a maximum score of 250 with 50 rounds fired total.

The rain made my stock plastic grips kind of slippery and my strong hand choked up on the grip. with every round fired the sharp blade on the hammer was cutting a deep 1/2 wide gash just behind my thumb. blood mixed with rain made it look like I had slit my wrists as it poured all over my gun and the ground in front of me. the guy next to me thought I had shot myself...

When it was all over we were randomly mixed up to grade each others targets quite a few folks barely passed some looked like
they had a closed their eyes and sprayed their targets with a
mac 10. When I got my target back there was just one soggy ragged hole in the middle 5 score ring giving me a perfect 250.
Imagine my surprise..

a couple of folks were kind of annoyed when the range officer pointed out that a 250 was possible and these folks needed to practice more if they were seriously considering using a handgun for self defense.

[Apple a Day]

Nice shootin'!:cool:
When I took my class it was just me and 3 other guys. There were two Glocks, a 1911, and my little Makarov. One of the Glocks jammed (the guy was using ancient, flat-nosed ammo) and the 1911 jammed. My little Mak worked flawlessly and I outshot everyone. :neener:

[Kahr carrier]

Nice shooting,but OUCH that hammer bite sounds like a drag.:p

[SADshooter]

Out of curiosity, where did you take the class?

[El Tejon]

jsal, whoa, that caliber restriction is a new one on me. Is that restriction only for the testing or for carrying???:confused:

[jsalcedo]

You can carry anything it seems. There is a restriction code on the license for revolver or Auto though.

I took the class at "A place to shoot" in San Antonio. Very nice bunch of guys there.

[10-Ring]

Good going...especially using that dinosaur 1911 (just kidding) :neener: :D

[mec]

The first two years, the minimum calibers were 9mm/38 which included .380. Then they caught onto some of the new and popular .32s and included them.

A bad thing that does happen is when you forget to tell the students or they disregard the instruction not to put your weak hand thumb in the way of the slide. Blood goes everywhere and the gun often ties up. produces a flinch too.

[Quartus]

Odd. My Sistema has a perfectly normal hammer. 'Course, I got a beavertail anyway, but I don't recall seeing a knife blade hammer in any pictures. Can you post a pic?


Nice shooting, though.


Sounds like it was better shooting than when I qualified for an armed guard card, lo these many years ago. (Okay, '78.) I was the ONLY person there who had any business carrying a weapon. Some were so afraid of their "powerful" .38s that their hands shook.

They all 'qualified'. :rolleyes:

[Blackhawk]

You're the only one who gets to call that funny! :uhoh:

No wonder some of the other students didn't shoot well. They probably didn't expect to see blood and all...!

[Jim Watson]

I am not much subject to hammer bite, but I see what you are talking about on the Systema '27. If it is a working gun and the GI trigger pull is ok or salvageable, just grind about 1/8" off the end of the hammer spur. I have seen that done. It looks a bit strange but made a lot of difference to the owner. You can bevel the bottom edge if necessary. You don't HAVE to buy a burr hammer and beavertail for every blamed 1911 than comes down the pike.

Congratulations on the clean score.

[jsalcedo]

Here is a pic.
Check out the sharpened end of the hammer.

I guess the Argentinians were into pistol whipping
:eek:

[LWCmdr45]

What is scary is that I've seen similar poor groups and firearms malfunctions on the DPS line in Austin when Instructors were qualifying!

No matter how many times I caution my CHL-qualifying students about maintaining a proper grip, someone always ends up bloodied. I have started carrying Band-Aids tucked in my business card holder for that purpose.

Steve

[Blackhawk]

jsalcedo,

That's a nice pic and a gun that's very attractive to me! :D


I think the hammer would be making a date with my Dremel though.... :what:

[SADshooter]

I was curious because I'm from San Antonio and took my third class at APTS a few weeks ago. Joe tried to help me get into my truck after I locked the keys in it. :o

The Two Mikes are great.

[jsalcedo]

Yeah A Place To Shoot is great and the folks there are top notch.

I especially like the Trap and Skeet.

[Quartus]

I see what you mean. DOH! The way I read your description, I was picturing it looking down from above and having a sharp profile, like a pickaxe. Ohhh, NOW I get it! :rolleyes:

Yeah, mine's like that. A Wilson beavertail took care of that very nicely.

[Jim K]

The Sistema hammer is the same as the one Colt was using when they set up the factory; the Argentines never changed it. Maybe a little blood didn't bother them. You can 1) grind the spur down, or 2) buy a hammer with a shorter spur, or 3) install a beavertail grip safety, or 4) buy a case of Band-Aids.

Jim

[joeoim]

Nice Gun. Thanks for the story and the pic. I've looked at those before and thought I'd like one.
Jim's got the cure.
Joe

[jsalcedo]

Thanks, I've made a few modifications to my sistema since my class. The cool scar on the back of my hand won't go away but the evil flinch finally did:D

Here is a pic

[Archie]

Get a modified beavertail hammer and get rid of that racegun hammer! It looks like a rear deck spoiler fin on a '50 Mercury coupe.

Seriously, I know it works, but it just doesn't - fit.

Congratulations on your shooting and your resolve, by the way.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

IIRC, in my Texas CHL class I was told that if you qualify with a revolver, you are permitted to carry a revolver only. If you qualify with a semi, you can carry either a pistol or revolver. On the back of my CHL it lists
NSA = Only handguns that are non-semiautomatic

SA = all handguns whether semiatomatic or not.

On the front, my category is listed as SA.

I guess I could carry an XP100 if I could conceal it, then.


Regards,
Rabbit.

[mnealtx]

...we'll have to get together next time I'm home and go hit the range.. I live about 20 minutes further down Old Pleasanton from APTS...

[jsalcedo]

Sounds good, I also go to the bullethole
and Bracken because each has their own advantages.

Always glad to meet up with other shooters.
Just send a message anytime.

JS