Chasing Unicorns

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Night Rider said:
There's a discussion on another forum about who still carries a Glock 26. The implication of the question is that with the recent advancements in microcompact yet STANDARD capacity carry guns the Glock 26 is outdated and really not worthy of consideration as a carry gun.

Before I say anything else this discussion isn't specifically about the Glock 26. It's about the need to have the latest, greatest new carry gun and the idea that the latest, greatest new carry gun is going to solve all my problems and it will be the perfect carry gun.

I did that for a long time and after a while I noticed that I was spending a lot of money getting tooled up for the next new perfect carry gun.

At some point I made a decision to stop "Chasing Unicorns" .
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Internet gun culture is gear obsessed and status obsessed. Gear can be measured. Gear can be photographed and shown to these unseen others on the Internet that might (or might not) be real people.

We (lots of us) spend lots of money trying to get the last percentage point of optimization. Often far into diminishing returns. Things are a lot easier when you decide you don't need to do that. "Good enough."

There's also the thing the Bible calls "covetousness".

The gun I have now (which was the latest, greatest, whiz bang new thing at one point) is adequate. I have an ample supply of magazines for it and as many holsters as I will ever need.
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Sounds like my XDS-s. The hot new thing a decade ago. Absolutely passe now. They work, I have a pile of magazines, holsters to fit, and the manufacturer still supports it. And they don't do anything less now than they did then.
 
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At age 22 in 1998, I walked into my hometown LGS and plopped down $380 + tax for a NIB S&W Model 60-12. This was one of the last .38 only variants and is pre-lock but post-MIM.

I often wonder if that gun, plus the NAA Mini I bought in 2000, should have been a stopping point for my carry needs. It sure would have saved a bunch of money over the next 20 years.
 
I like Glocks, but…I had a Gen 3 G26 and a Gen 3 G19. I just couldn’t truly like either one. I really like my G45 and my two G34s. The G34s are Gen 3 because that’s all you can buy new here in Granola Land. That will change soon when I retire and leave here forever and head back home. I have lived all over the US. This latest stint in purgatory is a 3 1/2 year run.

Anyway, I have never really chased “Unicorns” or the latest and greatest, but I am really thankful for gun ranges that rent guns so I cat truly see if a newly released gun really meets my needs. Often, they do not.
Renting guns has been such a boon to me. I am human. I see something cool or someone talks about their new “something cool” and like most guys I get curious.
I did by one gun because it seemed really cool to me. I didn’t research it. I didn’t rent one. I just bought it. It was a Remington R51.
Talk about a kick in the groin. It’s gone now. Thank Gawd.
I am more of a revolver guy so my mouth really doesn’t water at the sight of new semiautos.
For years I wanted a Browning Hi-Power and a CZ75. Finally one day I rented them. That was a let down. Truly happy I never bought either one.

I did shoot a G42, a G43 and a couple of S&W Shields about 4 years ago in Oregon. Once I get back to the USA there’s a good chance I will end up with one of them. That and a Glock 44. Those came out just as I left OR and came to CA.

I have gotten a bit off track from the thread.
The Unicorns I do chase are older S&W revolvers. I do want an old model 27 and an old Ruger Blackhawk. I think those are Unicorns I will keep if I catch them. :D
 
WrongHanded said:
I can see plenty of reasons for carry pistol preferences to evolve over time. But chasing small/lighter/more compact, or whatever the gun rags say is the great new thing, seems counter-productive to the goal of self defense.
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If someone actually throws that smaller/lighter/more compact gun in their pocket and leaves the larger gun at home seems like it is actually conductive to self defense.

I have had to make adjustments to my EDC for physical issues that have crept up over the years. We cannot beat father time so we must adjust accordingly.
 
lee n. field said:
Internet gun culture is gear obsessed and status obsessed. Gear can be measured. Gear can be photographed and shows to these unseen others on the Internet that might (or might not) be real people.

We (lots of us) spend lots of money trying to get the last percentage point of optimization. Often far into diminishing returns. Things are a lot easier when you decide you don't need to do that. "Good enough."

There's also the thing the Bible calls "covetousness".

Sounds like my XDS-s. The hot new thing a decade ago. Absolutely passe now. The work, I have a pile of magazines, holsters to fit, and the manufacturer still supports it. And they don't do anything less now than they did then.
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About as well-put as it can be put ... thank you.
 
When we transitioned to semi-autos in the mid 90's, I bought a compact one to replace my S&W model 36. Long retired, still have it and consider it my primary home SD gun. Although I normally pocket carry a LCP, if I'm going to an area considered dangerous, I'll take it instead.

I've trained with it, know it well, and feel confident in its abilities. So while I might want to rent/ try another gun from time to time, at this point I am not buying anything else in its place. This gun fits my needs and I'll keep forever,

Just happens to be a Glock 26.
 
JR24 said:
Ugh, you two just reminded me it’s gonna be FISHTAB season up here soon on our highways and lakes. ;):D
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I don't own a boat any more, so only FISH for me. lol Actually, I curse at more IL license plates when I'm in Cheeseland than I do Cheese Heads. My wife's an IL native but is a life long Packer Backer.

And then I come along and make all you Packer and "Da Bears" fans mad, Purple Power baby! Wooooot.
 
Night Rider said:
after a while I noticed that I was spending a lot of money getting tooled up for the next new perfect carry gun.

At some point I made a decision to stop "Chasing Unicorns" .
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For me my next new perfect carry gun turned out to be a revolver - perfection realized nearly 200 years ago.
 
After trying several guns I fell for a H&K VP9. fits my hand perfectly, I shoot it very well and it is the right size for me. Never liked the squarish Glocks. I thought I would really like a USP9 but nope.
 
I am always interested in the latest and greatest as revealed by gun mfrs because they're sexy to see. I've had several different handguns in the past and once I owned a 1911, I settled in.

In recent years while looking to find a smaller form factor to carry, I bought a Sig P938 SAS, but never shot it after shooting the wife's version, so it sits NIB in the safe. Next, the Shield was pleasant enough to shoot and carry, but short on ammo. If I want low capacity, I'll stick with my 1911. At least it's a .45.

The plastic handgun I'm most pleased with that is both small and has a decent ammo capacity is the Sig P365. I use the 12-round mag and it fits my hand very well. So, I have a 9mm that is not too small to shoot well, but is easy and light to carry, even though it only shoots half-size pellets as compared to my .45.

Even though I like to look at all the new shiny models of firearms I see in the magazines, the rainbow really ended on the 1911, but now I have a smaller gun and I'm not looking for any more to buy........................................oooooh! Is that the new Ruger LCP Max I see over there?!?
 
In terms of carry gun, I haven't felt any great urge to upgrade or deviate from what I've been doing for years. Was new when I got it, but the design itself is older than most anyone living. I shoot it a lot, shoot it well, and I enjoy shooting it, which means I'm more likely to practice.

In the non-carry gun realm, I've been leaning more toward things that are out of production and have been for quite a while. I gave up on newest and latest because I figured out long ago they're very seldom the greatest.
 
I’m not really into the latest and greatest plastic. My carry piece for over twenty years was a J frame Smith. Now it all depends where and what I am doing. My Sig P365 (one of my only two plastic guns) kinda gets carried about half time, J frame the other half. If I purchase something new to me it is usually an older gun and not the latest and greatest.
My most recent purchase’s, model 10-5 with 5” pencil barrel and a really nice Springfield TRP.
 
I’ve experimented with different weapons over the years. Still buy the occasional pistol here and there, but mostly full sized range guns.

My search for ccw is over. I’ve settled into a Glock 26. I’ve got spare 26, 19, and 17 Glock mags for it along with holsters. Would never say that it’s the best ccw option ever, but it does what I need it to. So I’m at a point where I’m content and not looking for something else.

In fairness, it took some experience and trying different things before getting there.
 
There have been some legitimate technological upgrades and improvements over the years. The P365 you buy today is, from a practical point of view, superior in function in almost every way to the model 36 or PPK or AMT Backup or Baby Browning that was a state of the art carry piece in its day.

Is it better than a Glock 26? Arguably yes. Is it enough better than the G26 to justify upgrading? Maybe. You could probably sell the G26 now and get most of what you initially paid for it, which would go much of the way toward buying the P365. So actual out of pocket cost wouldn’t be horrendous. But going through the rigamarole of trying new holsters etc would be tedious. And if you’re happy with the Glock, I probably wouldn’t bother.
 
The unicorns I chase are not typically the latest and the greatest but rather older and sometimes, classic handguns. I'm a lot happier when I score a fine old revolver than when buying a new polymer pistol.

I will freely admit I did jump on the SIG P-365 bandwagon with both feet -- with no real expectations as I've been perfectly happy with the handguns I use and carry most over the past 40 years -- but this pistol actually exceeded my expectations, especially the XL version.

I'm leaning to the conclusion that I scored a unicorn that actually is a better mousetrap....

I'm only human. I've given in to temptation, and surely will again in the future. But I'm not chasing perfection, nor do I get sucked into believing the hype about the new greatest gun ever. I don't think there's any such thing as the "perfect" carry gun, but I'm all about the journey, not the destination. I'll continue to be somewhat of an impulse buyer, but I'm not going to indulge in frequent introspection of firearms tastes, desires or purchase patterns.

I'm at the stage of life where I have a decent disposable income with which to splurge on luxury items; firearms are only a small portion of my consumerism. Done with overthinking this stuff...
 
Night Rider said:
This discussion isn't intended to be about a Glock 26 per se.

I don't know how to say it differently than I did in my initial post.

I started out with CZs and I was all in on CZs. Then I decided I needed Third Gen S&Ws. Then M&Ps. then Glocks.

Each one was supposed to be the last rabbit hole I went down. Each one was supposed to be the perfect gun for me and I wasn't going to need to buy another gun.

I'm going to talk about the Glock 26 again as an example.

I bought a Glock 19 to carry at work. I decided to get a Glock 26 for compatibility. The 26 can use the 19 magazines so I didn't need to buy a bunch of 26 magazines. I was satisfied

Then I saw a P365. (I think when they first came out) .

I looked at one and was convinced it would correct all the deficiencies (that I didn't realize even existed until I saw a 365) in the Glock 26.

I was trying to talk my wife into letting me buy the 365 (I hadn't thought far enough ahead to know what I was going to with the 26) and get all dialed up with it when I had an epiphany.

It's a gun there's not enough difference between the two to get me killed (except by my wife who was getting tired of my revolving door gunsafe). There was going to be a next "Latest Greatest" (M&P Plus) that I just had to have and I decided to stop.

The 26 works ,as I'm sure the M&P would have (although with more expensive magazines) as I'm sure the 6906 would have as I'm sure the PCR would have.

There are studies that show that your endocrine system releases Endorphins when you get a new toy. People actually get addicted to that Endorphin rush. I can't speak for anyone else but that rush is what drove most of my gun purchases, it's probably what drives most of my book purchases now but at least books are (relatively) cheap.
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I get it. And have suffered from, or enjoyed throughly, G.A.S. for some time. Gun Acquisition Syndrome.
It’s worse on payday after a good dinner. My phone will pop out and I’ll find the next New Hotness in pistols or ARs. I can feel it coming like a rumbling thunder. I can’t keep it to myself and have cleared the living room with my outbursts. :(

I guess not everyone in my family appreciates new firearms as much as I do.;)

Like you, I have taken a step back. Is the CDX really so WOW? Is two more of a lesser caliber worth my armory reorganization? Is this new really evolutionary, or a new paint color for this season?

No. For me. Once you have 95% of something accomplished, 1.5% more won’t help me compared with the effort outlay. But I’m glad things change. Ever forward, hopefully better.

I am not yet cured of G.A.S. however.
I was talking about my new AR and my daughter just sighed hard and left the room.:)

I just put together another .22lr pistol upper. At pistol distance, offhand, with non-match ammunition, a custom barrel has to be more accurate than what I’ve been using, right?:D
 
I started down the road of getting the latest and greatest shotgun. I have had over/under, side by side, pump, semi, single, in various flavors. The one that broke me was a Franchi 20ga semiauto. It was a beautiful gun, had incredible wood on it. Light and fast was the big deal there, and it lived up to that, but it didn’t hit where it was aimed. There came a point of either get rid of it or get rid of everything else because I was subconsciously adjusting to the gun and losing ability with the others. Meanwhile I had bought a bunch of ammo, chokes, a short barrel, a nice case… all for a gun that never lived up to the hype and never surpassed my old worn out Mossberg pump. I learned with that gun that perfection doesn’t exist. There is always better, there is always something to want, but you can be a lot happier when you find GOOD and hang onto it rather than chasing perfect. I do want a new carry gun, and I think any of the 10rd micro-nines would fit the bill. I really like the Ruger, but would probably buy the Sig 365xl and 3 spare mags. Buy a hybrid pancake holster and make a couple more leather holsters, and quit chasing perfect because that setup is good enough.
 
As @Night Rider mentioned this is more about compact & semi compact pistols compared to the new breed of micro compact pistols that have similar capacity.

I have been considering a Glock 29 10mm for the cartridge capabilities and the pistol size. If a manufacturer came out with a 365/Hellcat size 10mm it would be my next handgun.

The manufacturers will determine if the G26 and similar size pistols survive through the sales of the pistols. The gun buyers have been buying the micro 9mms. So the jury is still out.
 
WisBorn said:
As @Night Rider

I have been considering a Glock 29 10mm for the cartridge capabilities and the pistol size. If a manufacturer came out with a 365/Hellcat size 10mm it would be my next handgun.
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Holy mother of recoil springs and muzzle flip. A whole bunch of people fuss about 40sw being snappy in small guns. 40sw came into existence because 10mm was snappy in duty type full sized guns. So you take the big snappy and cram it into the size of the little snappy, then shrink that to micro instead of compact without giving up any of the cartridges energy and you suddenly have ahold of something bound to inflict pain… assuming that you could overcome the 30 (estimated) pound recoil springs to ever get the thing loaded.

Yeah I would want to try it too, but I don’t think I would buy it. Unless it was solely to let my buddies try it out… like a 45-70 contender pistol barrel.
 
WestKentucky said:
Holy mother of recoil springs and muzzle flip. A whole bunch of people fuss about 40sw being snappy in small guns. 40sw came into existence because 10mm was snappy in duty type full sized guns. So you take the big snappy and cram it into the size of the little snappy, then shrink that to micro instead of compact without giving up any of the cartridges energy and you suddenly have ahold of something bound to inflict pain… assuming that you could overcome the 30 (estimated) pound recoil springs to ever get the thing loaded.

Yeah I would want to try it too, but I don’t think I would buy it. Unless it was solely to let my buddies try it out… like a 45-70 contender pistol barrel.
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I'm not disagreeing, the recoil would be harsh. It may be more than I can shoot accurately. I like my 605 357 and shoot it with 180 grain hardcast loads. Will the recoil be harsher than it ???
 
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