How fast can you adapt to different handguns?

[Model520Fan]

With me, they all work (the only guns I carry with a manual safety are 1911's), but DA is different on different guns. Going from S&W M10 to Kahr, the Kahr seems slow. But some S&W's can discharge well before I expect them to when firing DA. No "staging" for me with S&W's! Colts are safer this way. Of course, staging is unwise, anyway, and switching guns around a lot is also unwise. Although I carry daily, it is more a matter of principle than any expectation of need. However, there are some locations/situations where I consider the gun to be with me for a slightly more specific reason. In those cases, I will only carry what I shot last. In a pinch, dryfire would probably be OK for reprogramming, also.

In SA, I find no problem switching among revolvers, and very little switching among autos.

 

[Jim K]

If you carry a lot of different guns, you better hope the bad guy gives you time to remember which one you have and how to make it work. People who say they would never have a problem with transition in a gun fight are fooling themselves.

Same with folks who carry guns in different places. You might not be able to call time out while you try to remember where you put your gun.

Jim

 

[SnWnMe]

My centerfire handguns other than my Mak are 1911s and Smith revos. I often go to matches with an auto and a revo. I seem to do fine. with either. I have no desire to be proficient with other guns although I do know how to use most.

 

[T.Stahl]

I own only one handgun, but it being simply a Glock with its less-than-perfect Glock-trigger enables me to adopt to different guns with different triggers quite easily. Or as a fellow shooter in my club said, "One who can shoot well with a Glock trigger can do so with any other trigger, too."

 

[45R]

I focus on a few things when shooting new guns
Form
Sight Alignment
Trigger Control

Sometimes it helps, other times it doesnt.

 

[Range Ninja]

Currently I own only 3 guns a SA Mil-Spec, CZ 75D PCR, and a S&W 2 1/2" model 66. All are quite different from each other, but I am comfortable with all three at the range or if it ever came down to it in a jam. Being a RO I handle many different types of firearms, I just rely on my basics, a smooth, steady trigger pull and controlled breathing. It seems to work well for me.

 

[Serpico]

.0000001 seconds

 

[rayjay]

I shoot 3 different guns in one match(IDPA). Springer 1911-A1 for the CDP, an H&K USP 40 in ESP, and a G17 in SSP. I shoot each without thinking about how it operates, it just comes natural I guess. BUT I have fired thousands of rds thru each of them. My point being that practice is the best way to ensure that you can shoot ANY given weapon without hesitation. If you're not familiar with SigArms, then borrow one, buy one, or rent one and give the controls a good workout, same goes for any gun that you're not familiar with. I remember years ago standing on a firing line and the instructor yelling for us to "HAND YOUR WEAPON TO THE PERSON ON YOUR LEFT! YOU WILL NOW MAKE READY(now standing behind us) AND UPON MY COMMAND YOU WILL SHOOT THAT WEAPON AT YOUR TARGET. READY ON THE LEFT, READY ON THE RIGHT........FIRE!" After firing the weapon we had to reload it and shoot again. Then the process started all over again. I watched in horror as my Colt Gov. 80 IV was being "man handled" by several strangers. On a good note though I did get to shoot a couple of very nice weapons, and I learned to shoot a couple of weapons that I had never handled before. It was good training. God bless those instructors.

 

[dairycreek]

As others here have suggested.............

the answer to your question can be found with practice, practice, and practice! If you will practice with a particular configuration you can eventually become quite competent with it. Time varies from person to person but with experience one or two boxes of ammo fired under controlled conditions will do it for me. Controlled conditions, for me, means that I am really working to master the particular pistol or revolver of concern - not just blasting away for the heck of it. Good shooting

 

[raz-0]

Switching between MY guns takes very little transition time. But that is because I have practiced with all of them. But it has also lead me to change some old habits. FOr example, I pretty much never touch the slide release anymore. I haven't run into a semi-auto that won't let you slingshot the slide when you run dry. Additionally, it uses the off hand which means I haven't changed my stronghand grip to operate controls.

For unfamilliar guns:

From an operating control standpoint, new guns take about one mag change to get used to.

From a defensive accuracy standpoint (i.e. being able to keep a couple of magazines in a fist sized area on a target, where I am aiming, fired at a reasonable rate) it usually takes about 30-50 rounds of ammo to get there unless there is soemthing exceptional about the gun. The closer it is to somethign I have used before in control layout, site radius, and trigger feel, the less ammo/time it takes.

However, being really accurate or really fast (for some definiton of fast), takes some dedicated time with a particular gun.

 

[Erik Jensen]

while I can't say that I'm precisely as accurate with an unfamiliar gun as I am with my Beretta, I can say that I've never failed to hit paper with an unfamilar gun. nor have I ever failed to take it off safe before firing. so, I'd say I would trust myself to defend myself with an unfamilar gun. I may not be able to hit someone in the eye, but I will be able to stop them from coming at me. that, to me, seems to be the important part.

 

[VaughnT]

While I hate to sound like a braggart, I seem to be one of those people that can adapt to any gun within the first few rounds.

A clear example of this came today when I was breaking in my new High Power. Having never shot this weapon platform or caliber before, I was able to make very small groups from the bench within the first magazine.

Then the guy next door offered me the chance to shoot his 9x19 Glock (G17?). One magazine and every bullet went into an 8" circle at 12yd. This was rapid-fire, isoc stance.

Personally, I believe that this has less to do with knowing how to shoot a gun and more to do with understanding physics, geometry and the human body. Once you understand these fundamental keys, you can shoot any platform with confidence.

 

[Ankeny]

Holy cow, looks like I am one of the few guys on the forum who can't just swap pistols on the spot and continue like nothing has changed. I just can't be that incompetent.

 

[shooter1]

Ankeny,
Come on now, give yourself some credit!
Will

 

[Ankeny]

OK, I am that incompetent, lol.

 

[shooter1]

Ankeny,
Glad to see I'm not the only one with the warped sense of humor!
Will

 

[Rich357]

I often take 3 or 4 handguns to the range with different manual of arms. The differences aren't a problem for me at the range. However, under a highly stressful situation I would prefer to use a system I've trained with. But, in a pinch you have to go with what you have and do your best.

I believe the biggest problem for me would be clearing jams on a less used system.

Rich

 

[Rich357]

I should say I'm pretty good with several different systems at the range but I don't claim I'm really equally fast and accurate with all the systems I have.

I find going between Glocks and SIGs relatively easy. but right now, some controls on a 1911 would make me slower clearing a jam.

Rich

 

[Navy joe]

.0000001 seconds

Ya sure, color me incompetent then.

I think the big disconnect here is what performance you want out of you and the gun when you pick it up. I'm sure I can pick up any gun and be accurate the first shot assuming it is sighted in. Just apply the fundamentals. I am not so sure that I can rapidly draw it, get multiple hits fast, reload, clear malfunctions etc. with no degradation of skill.
Fer instance, I have been shooting a Glock extensively for the past year. I cannot give you the same skill level perfomance in an instant switch between my G17 and G34. Trigger feels a little different, different grip feel, different recoil. It plays with me if I change from tungsten to an SSP recoil rod in my G34. Sight tracking goes to crap for a little while with a switch in load from my147 to 115gr loads. Yes, I can still go fast, look cool, get good hits, look cool, but I still know I am not as good as I can be. Did I mention I still look cool?

Other examples:
-After lots of Glock shooting I tend to push shots right with a 1911 because I put too much finger on the trigger and push sideways.(lefty) Or shoot a 1911 a lot and pull the Glock left due to too little finger on the trigger.
-Tonight I was swapping out between my new 625 toy and the Glock. I was just shooting along doing reloads for both when I rolled the 625 up to a butt right muzzle slightly up center chest position. Glock reload position. Note to self. 625 does not have a mag release button. In my defense I never tried to stuff a moonclip in the Glock. Last week I did try to tac-load my Surefire, too much stuff in pocket at once.

 

[Ankeny]

Navy Joe:

I think the big difference between us and a lot of the other forum members is our frame of reference. Most folks are talking about informal plinking where we are talking about going to the races.

Last fall I shot the classifier 99-49 in a match while shooting Production. The score came back at 85.8 per cent. After the match I got my Open blaster out and went for broke. My time with the Open blaster was slower and the hits weren't there. But if you asked the peanut gallery they would swear on a stack of Bibles the Open gun was faster because I looked faster. Heck, I even felt faster with the Open gun. The timer doesn't lie.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I'll agree with Smoke. I find myself fumling with my HK after using my SIG. I think I'm going to transition to all SIG.(I'll probably keep my multi-cal.Glock 20). Anyone need a HK USP Elite 6" 9mm?