joegerardi
July 10, 2004, 06:11 PM
I just got back from the range. What a great day. I certified 3 pistols for carry- my Rock Island 1911, my Kahr K40 Elite 98, and my G17. By certified, I mean to date: no failures of any kind, regardless of cartridge or magazines, and enough break-in rounds, so now I feel I can trust them implicitly.
I also started the break-in on my Springfield Loaded Operator. What a nice pistol! Only FMJ through it today, but it ran flawlessly, and shoots beautifully. Next trip, I start using flying ashtrays in it. It drew a lot of attention from the other shooters, too. I installed Pachmayr grips on it, and I really like them: I might add them to my Rock Island, if I can bear with changing it from anything except a GI-style pistol.
Interestingly, I was most accurate with the Kahr. There's a 2-foot high berm at 25 yards that I set up 5 plastic water bottles on, and nailed tham all using 7 shots. 2 landed bottom towards me, and after I reloaded, I was able to nail both of them with only 2 shots. That little puppy makes me look GOOD! The Rock Island and the G17 both shot GI-accurate, pretty much POA. I wasn't really shooting the Springer for accuracy: it was its first time out, and I was more interested in getting rounds down the pipe, and only trying to hit the target, not zero it in. That comes next time as everything eases up.
Additionally, I took a friend to the range who's thinking of getting a pistol for home defense. I set up a target for her at about 15-20 feet, hoping to get good results. I started her out - after lengthy safety instructions, stance, sight picture, and pistol operation - with my Walther P22. She loved it, and she had 4 FTFs in 100 rounds, but I think at least 2 of those were due to limp wristing. 1 might have been the mag: I inadvertantly brought one of the non "-A" mags with me. She was shooting CCI Mini-Mags and was surprisingly accurate for a first-time shooter. She tried the Glock, didn't like the snappiness of the 9's recoil. The K40 scared the bejeezus out of her after 1 shot. I could tell that THAT wasn't going to be her pistol... :)
She used faulty logic assuming that the .45's recoil would be worse than the .40, and refused to shoot either of them, but I didn't press the issue. I just casually explained that the .45 is big slow, and heavy, and actually has more manageable recoil that the .40. Next time...
So now, she is seriously considering the P22 as her self-defense gun. I explained that .22 is not a good bullet for stopping power, but if it's what she's comfortable with, it at least follows the first rule of gunfighting...
The best thing of all is that she's the daughter of the Chatham County Sheriff, and she's going to ask her father (who's also a friend of mine) if I can have access to the CCSD range, rather than have to drive 34 miles to the nearest (and only) public range. The SD's range is less than 10 miles away, and is State-of-the-art. THAT would be awesome! I'd be there at LEAST twice a week.
So, unless she changes her mind, she wants go with me to the Eastman's Gun Show here in Savannah next month to pick up a P22. We'll shoot a few more times before then, and perhaps I can get her to send a few downrange through the 1911s. I think they might be the right choice, but slow and easy is the right way to do it.
And dayum! She even policed all the brass. I didn't have to touch a broom!
All-in-all, a really FUN day of shooting, but I have sore fingers from loading all the mags! :)
..Joe
I also started the break-in on my Springfield Loaded Operator. What a nice pistol! Only FMJ through it today, but it ran flawlessly, and shoots beautifully. Next trip, I start using flying ashtrays in it. It drew a lot of attention from the other shooters, too. I installed Pachmayr grips on it, and I really like them: I might add them to my Rock Island, if I can bear with changing it from anything except a GI-style pistol.
Interestingly, I was most accurate with the Kahr. There's a 2-foot high berm at 25 yards that I set up 5 plastic water bottles on, and nailed tham all using 7 shots. 2 landed bottom towards me, and after I reloaded, I was able to nail both of them with only 2 shots. That little puppy makes me look GOOD! The Rock Island and the G17 both shot GI-accurate, pretty much POA. I wasn't really shooting the Springer for accuracy: it was its first time out, and I was more interested in getting rounds down the pipe, and only trying to hit the target, not zero it in. That comes next time as everything eases up.
Additionally, I took a friend to the range who's thinking of getting a pistol for home defense. I set up a target for her at about 15-20 feet, hoping to get good results. I started her out - after lengthy safety instructions, stance, sight picture, and pistol operation - with my Walther P22. She loved it, and she had 4 FTFs in 100 rounds, but I think at least 2 of those were due to limp wristing. 1 might have been the mag: I inadvertantly brought one of the non "-A" mags with me. She was shooting CCI Mini-Mags and was surprisingly accurate for a first-time shooter. She tried the Glock, didn't like the snappiness of the 9's recoil. The K40 scared the bejeezus out of her after 1 shot. I could tell that THAT wasn't going to be her pistol... :)
She used faulty logic assuming that the .45's recoil would be worse than the .40, and refused to shoot either of them, but I didn't press the issue. I just casually explained that the .45 is big slow, and heavy, and actually has more manageable recoil that the .40. Next time...
So now, she is seriously considering the P22 as her self-defense gun. I explained that .22 is not a good bullet for stopping power, but if it's what she's comfortable with, it at least follows the first rule of gunfighting...
The best thing of all is that she's the daughter of the Chatham County Sheriff, and she's going to ask her father (who's also a friend of mine) if I can have access to the CCSD range, rather than have to drive 34 miles to the nearest (and only) public range. The SD's range is less than 10 miles away, and is State-of-the-art. THAT would be awesome! I'd be there at LEAST twice a week.
So, unless she changes her mind, she wants go with me to the Eastman's Gun Show here in Savannah next month to pick up a P22. We'll shoot a few more times before then, and perhaps I can get her to send a few downrange through the 1911s. I think they might be the right choice, but slow and easy is the right way to do it.
And dayum! She even policed all the brass. I didn't have to touch a broom!
All-in-all, a really FUN day of shooting, but I have sore fingers from loading all the mags! :)
..Joe