Spent a full day at the range with the pistols. I was reminded of an important fact that I had sort of forgotten. The two pistols I carry most--the P-11 and P-32, are not the pistols I shoot best. Its making me reconsider my carrying habits.
I shoot the Hi-Power the best. It just naturally points. I can shoot it almost as fast as I can pull the trigger, and it comes out of recoil with the sights just where I left 'em when the trigger last broke. Palm-sized groups at 15 yards with offhand, rapid fire are the norm. So is it really that much harder to carry than the P-11?
The P-11 can shoot with the Hi-Power, when I can take my time and "reset" between shots. When I bench rest it, the groups are fine. I can shoot it at 100 yards and hit a man-size target most times. But between the DAO trigger and the grip, which shifts slightly in my hand, I have to re-acquire between shots to get tight groups. A quick 5-shot string tends to fill a page, not a palm. It just jumps around too much and doesn't come out of recoil where I want it to be. OTOH, it is noticeably easier to carry than than the Hi-Power, especially after 4-5 hours. And does a defensive pistol really need tiny groups at 15 yards?
My .380 PPK (clone) is even easier to carry than the P-11. And it is every bit as accurate as the Hi-Power. Palm-sized groups at 15 yards just about as fast as I can shoot it. But its only 8 rounds of .380, not 11 rounds of 9mm. Does that matter, if more rounds wind up as hits on the target?
The P-32 is just a given, I guess. Its what I carry when I can't carry a gun . Goes in any pocket, anywhere. And 8 rounds of .32 is about the same as a round of 00 buck. But the slip grips that disappear in a pocket, twist under recoil. And the sights are rudimentary (but well-regulated). I can bench-rest the P-32 amazingly well. It plinks well, too. Tin cans at 10 yards are a gimmee. But rapid offhand strings group like buckshot, too. And a P-3AT may not group any better.
No answers spring to mind. Life is about compromises--choosing where on the spectrum you want to be, and where you make your tradeoffs.
If I knew I was going to need a handgun, I'd wish for the Hi-Power. OTOH, the .380 is probably the best compromise between ease of carry and accuracy. The P-11 is the best compromise between ease of carry and firepower. The P-32 is always there.
So I'm curious, among the 3 "primaries" I listed, which would you choose as your main carry gun? Upgrade the wardrobe and holster to make the HP easier? Count on the accuracy of the .380? Or be glad the P-11 carries so easily for 11 rounds of 9mm, and don't sweat the group size?
I shoot the Hi-Power the best. It just naturally points. I can shoot it almost as fast as I can pull the trigger, and it comes out of recoil with the sights just where I left 'em when the trigger last broke. Palm-sized groups at 15 yards with offhand, rapid fire are the norm. So is it really that much harder to carry than the P-11?
The P-11 can shoot with the Hi-Power, when I can take my time and "reset" between shots. When I bench rest it, the groups are fine. I can shoot it at 100 yards and hit a man-size target most times. But between the DAO trigger and the grip, which shifts slightly in my hand, I have to re-acquire between shots to get tight groups. A quick 5-shot string tends to fill a page, not a palm. It just jumps around too much and doesn't come out of recoil where I want it to be. OTOH, it is noticeably easier to carry than than the Hi-Power, especially after 4-5 hours. And does a defensive pistol really need tiny groups at 15 yards?
My .380 PPK (clone) is even easier to carry than the P-11. And it is every bit as accurate as the Hi-Power. Palm-sized groups at 15 yards just about as fast as I can shoot it. But its only 8 rounds of .380, not 11 rounds of 9mm. Does that matter, if more rounds wind up as hits on the target?
The P-32 is just a given, I guess. Its what I carry when I can't carry a gun . Goes in any pocket, anywhere. And 8 rounds of .32 is about the same as a round of 00 buck. But the slip grips that disappear in a pocket, twist under recoil. And the sights are rudimentary (but well-regulated). I can bench-rest the P-32 amazingly well. It plinks well, too. Tin cans at 10 yards are a gimmee. But rapid offhand strings group like buckshot, too. And a P-3AT may not group any better.
No answers spring to mind. Life is about compromises--choosing where on the spectrum you want to be, and where you make your tradeoffs.
If I knew I was going to need a handgun, I'd wish for the Hi-Power. OTOH, the .380 is probably the best compromise between ease of carry and accuracy. The P-11 is the best compromise between ease of carry and firepower. The P-32 is always there.
So I'm curious, among the 3 "primaries" I listed, which would you choose as your main carry gun? Upgrade the wardrobe and holster to make the HP easier? Count on the accuracy of the .380? Or be glad the P-11 carries so easily for 11 rounds of 9mm, and don't sweat the group size?
