Tropical Buzz
Member
I have decided to buy a pistol in .38 Super for combination range/target shooting and home/personal defense. As some of you may know, we are restricted down here to "non military" handgun calibers and the Super - largely unknown here - is a desirable alternative to the commonly carried .380 that most people have licenses for.
Once I verified that I would in fact be able to import a super, I started researching the alternatives, 99% of which are 1911 based offerings from various manufacturers. I have to admit that I have a sentimental love for the 1911's, their slim cross section and the way they feel and shoot, but I have never thought seriously about owning one, mainly due to years of reading about their reliability issues and need for all sorts of tuning, tweaking and breaking in before they will function reliably with anything other than ball ammunition. I know that they are not by any means all that way, but it seems to be a bit of a crap shoot whether one ends up with a sweetheart or a lemon.
Living in the US, you can simply UPS a troublesome gun back to the manufacturer or take it to a 1911 expert for tweaking, but here in the Caribbean, the cost and bureaucracy involved in shipping firearms in and out makes that a daunting prospect.
The foremost gun expert down here recommended that I buy an STI Trojan, but more internet research indicates that while they are great range guns, the fact that they are match-grade tight makes them unsuited for reliable duty using defensive - read hollow point - ammunition.
I like the look of Kimbers, but there is as much damnation for them as there is praise. Aside from their faithful supporters, almost all the manufacturers seem to have a number of owners reporting reliability problems, whether it is an extractor issue, a feed ramp issue or some problem caused by the magazine or the ammo itself.
Questions:
1. That leaves me looking at the two non-1911 based 38 Super alternatives out there; the EAA Witness and the Taurus PT-38S. Any personal or reliable anecdotal experience with these two platforms, either in .38 super or other calibers? How good/bad are they for my intended use?
2. I would love to be wrong about the 1911 - would any of you choose one if you lived in a place where you had no ready access to servicing and repair?
3. I see that Taurus has finally started selling the PT 1911 in .38 super. I must say that I read more positive owner reports about the Taurus than negative. Should I consider that option as a less painful (cost wise) option if it does turn out to be problematic?
I have to add for reference that my Glock 25 is as reliable as a hammer and after thousands of rounds, I don't even think about whether it will work or not when it clears the holster. I don't passionately like the looks or care for the caliber, but I do appreciate the way it functions.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Once I verified that I would in fact be able to import a super, I started researching the alternatives, 99% of which are 1911 based offerings from various manufacturers. I have to admit that I have a sentimental love for the 1911's, their slim cross section and the way they feel and shoot, but I have never thought seriously about owning one, mainly due to years of reading about their reliability issues and need for all sorts of tuning, tweaking and breaking in before they will function reliably with anything other than ball ammunition. I know that they are not by any means all that way, but it seems to be a bit of a crap shoot whether one ends up with a sweetheart or a lemon.
Living in the US, you can simply UPS a troublesome gun back to the manufacturer or take it to a 1911 expert for tweaking, but here in the Caribbean, the cost and bureaucracy involved in shipping firearms in and out makes that a daunting prospect.
The foremost gun expert down here recommended that I buy an STI Trojan, but more internet research indicates that while they are great range guns, the fact that they are match-grade tight makes them unsuited for reliable duty using defensive - read hollow point - ammunition.
I like the look of Kimbers, but there is as much damnation for them as there is praise. Aside from their faithful supporters, almost all the manufacturers seem to have a number of owners reporting reliability problems, whether it is an extractor issue, a feed ramp issue or some problem caused by the magazine or the ammo itself.
Questions:
1. That leaves me looking at the two non-1911 based 38 Super alternatives out there; the EAA Witness and the Taurus PT-38S. Any personal or reliable anecdotal experience with these two platforms, either in .38 super or other calibers? How good/bad are they for my intended use?
2. I would love to be wrong about the 1911 - would any of you choose one if you lived in a place where you had no ready access to servicing and repair?
3. I see that Taurus has finally started selling the PT 1911 in .38 super. I must say that I read more positive owner reports about the Taurus than negative. Should I consider that option as a less painful (cost wise) option if it does turn out to be problematic?
I have to add for reference that my Glock 25 is as reliable as a hammer and after thousands of rounds, I don't even think about whether it will work or not when it clears the holster. I don't passionately like the looks or care for the caliber, but I do appreciate the way it functions.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
