Trying to keep an open mind

[GrendelPrime]

Not having carried a handgun for 20 years, I made the decision to start fresh, since technology has come a long way in that time, and I'm not the same guy I was.
I loved my issued 1911, though in field exercises, it went into a zip-lock baggie when I drew it from the armory and only came out to be turned back in.

I spent the better part of Saturday at Tenoroc Range with a buddy who doesn't normally go near a range, and rented a few of pistols to form a hands-on opinion for buying my first HD handgun.
I am in no position to give a review of any handgun, but can offer my observations and opinions, YMMV.

I was surprised at the quality feel and action of the G17, despite being filthy and bearing several scars of abuse.
The G17 pointed well in my hand, and the safety was a non-issue, despite looking like it would make the trigger uncomfortable.
Recoil was easily controllable, and I saw a tendancy to group my shots low, but I blame the wetware for that.
My buddy Beau made a ragged hole out of the X-ring, my pride can take it.

The only .45 auto the range had to rent was a Taurus PT24/7, and while I would have ordinarily rolled my eyes, I gave it a chance.
The inch-or-more of trigger travel was completely out of my comfort zone in an automatic.
I would hesitate to call any of my shots groupings, but they all hit the target @ 15 yards, again not blaming the hardware.
The .45 recoil was familiar, however it shifted in my hand a bit.
The Taurus did not fit my hand as well as I would have liked, partly due to the width required for a double-stacked magazine of .45 ACP.

Beau brought with him a Jennings .380, which he had never fired, but in keeping with the open mind policy, we gave it a go as well.
I have nothing positive to add for the Jennings, suffice it to say it is not on my list of future prospects.

I still have several calibers to try, and haven't even touched a revolver yet, but I am getting a better feel for what I can handle, and have met some outstanding individuals at the range.
All told, I have a ways to go before purchasing, but dropping my preconceptions has made a world of difference.
Advice is great, but there is nothing like experience to learn from.

 

[Brian Williams]

Advice is great, but there is nothing like experience to learn from.

Yes, shoot as many as you can, Then decide, I prefer revolvers and an occasional 1911.

 

[Silvanus]

Glad you enjoyed the Glock, I like them a lot. But trying as many pistols as you can is the way to go. I must admit that some newer plastic pistols are just as good AND have adjustable grips to fit your hands better.

Also try some classic handguns like 1911, Browning HP, revolvers...There's a reason why they're still around

 

[Mannlicher]

nothing wrong at all with using a gun that you were familier with 20 years ago. Nothing yet is better than a 1911, a J Frame Smith, or a BHP.

 

[Dismantler]

When I am carrying I want a DA revolver. Here is why:

I recently read a short commentary/article about officers that had accidental discharges in trying circumstances because they had their fingers on the trigger. Truth be told, I probably will, too.

If somebody is shooting up a mall or fast food place, and I am there, I would like the choice between DA or SA. Sometimes, like when I am carrying my 442, it will be DA only.

If I see a shot that I can take accurately with a SA shot, that is fine. But I want the choice of cocking the revolver or just shooting DA. I do not want to be bothered with safeties or decockers. I do not want an auto that fires DA on the first shot and is then cocked for a SA shot.

I want to have to pull the trigger through a complete DA stroke to fire the gun. The springs are pretty stiff on my snubbies. I will have to mean to do that.

I had a Beretta Tomcat. Really nice .32 auto. I did not like that safety stuff. I gave it to my brother and carry a J-Frame.

 

[Confederate]

I just got through reading an old 1982 article where the author talked about seeing many people preparing to shoot a 1911, then seeing a small tremor and then the guy reaching up and disengaging the safety. He said it terrified him to think that he might accidentally forget to disengage the safety as it could, and has, gotten people killed. Although Jeff Cooper and others say that DA autos are solutions to non-existent problems, there's a lot to be said for being able to pick up an auto and not having to worry about a safety.

Glock, I think, goes too far. I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying a Glock, though shooting one is an entirely different matter. The trigger is just too easy to engage for comfortable carrying, IMO.

But comfort levels vary, so to each his own. I like my S&W autos and my Ruger Speed-Six.

 

[Northalius]

Dis and Con... if you're scared about your lack of trigger-finger discipline, then you should maybe dry-fire practice more, hire a personal trainer, and/or print out the four basic firearm rules... then proceed to read them on a daily basis.

It's not a good thing when you're not confident enough to where you think your finger will be put on the trigger when it's not suppsed to be.

Do not feel comfortable in a certain gun, but rather, be comfortable in knowing you're extremely cautious and prudent enough to constantly keep your finger off the trigger at all times, until on target and ready to fire.

The more you remain in doubt about yourself, the more you're only going to fulfill that prophecy! Self-fulfilled prophecies can be very destructive!

There're people that feel they're not confident enough to hold a gun AT ALL, in the first place; does this mean it's good they never carry a gun... ever? Or would you suggest they look into ways to get training, to where they'd therefore be comfortable enough to finally carry a gun on a daily basis?

Your #1 safety is located within that skull of yours, not anywhere else.

 

[GrendelPrime]

Follow-up shots

Talking with my buddy over lunch today and found out he's been pricing a G17.
I am scouting other ranges in my area for a better selection of rental pistols, and stopping by my local gun shop (Addison's) on the way home to introduce myself and pick their brains a bit.
I am a firm believer in shopping locally when I can, even if I pay a few bucks extra.

My short list of stuff-I-want-to-shoot includes a revolver in .357, revolver in .45 (I love the look of the S&W 625), a present-day incarnation of the M1911, and a .40 auto.

Any suggestions on pistols I would kick myself for not trying out?

 

[Halo]

I don't know if you're looking for a specific price range, but as far as pistols you'll kick yourself for not trying -- SIG would definitely be on that list!

 

[Feanaro]

If somebody is shooting up a mall or fast food place, and I am there, I would like the choice between DA or SA...

No gunfights under my belt but after shooting and playing IDPA for a while, it wouldn't bother me if my revolvers were magically retrofitted to DAO by gremlins. Once I learned my pistol, cocking the hammer for SA did nothing to improve my accuracy. Even on long shots. It did, however, slow me down.

 

[JRG]

I would suggest you look at the CZ line cz-usa.com

I'm an older person and have been shooting the full size CZ75 BD & the compact CZ75 D PCR, both in 9mm. The best two hand guns I've ever owned and dead on accurate out of the box. Let me know if I can answer any questions regarding those two.....

 

[Conqueror]

I have to say, it's refreshing to read this thread! Many new (or long-absent) handgun shooters come with preconceived notions like "Glocks are plastic crap" or "I heard .45 will break your wrist!"

It's great to see someone eager to try lots of handguns before forming a concrete opinion. Keep up the good work, get your mitts on as many rentals as possible. You may be surprised by what you end up liking!

 

[Confederate]

...if you're scared about your lack of trigger-finger discipline, then you should maybe dry-fire practice more, hire a personal trainer, and/or print out the four basic firearm rules...then proceed to read them on a daily basis. It's not a good thing when you're not confident enough to where you think your finger will be put on the trigger when it's not suppsed to be.

Most police officers are trained, but in every single police department, federal agency and private security organization that has gone to Glocks, accidental discharges increase. If one fastideously observes the rules of safe gun handling, one can avoid these types of things. That said, people are imperfect. They make mistakes. They get tired and can't stay at 100 percent all the time. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but putting a safety on a trigger isn't something most gun designers would do.

I'm sure I could come into any home and inspect your firearms without blowing my foot off (or other parts of my old, but valued anatomy). But for someone who's on the job 24/7, or someone who's roused from their sleep by a thief in the night, maintaining all the heretofores is a difficult proposition. If you're up to it, God bless you and good luck, but I knew a good cop who blasted the department's Coke machine with a revolver he thought he had unloaded. Well, he did unload five of the six rounds. His partner was also a good cop, but had moved in to see which eye his partner was aiming with. Before that gun went off, both of them could have given others some credible adivce. But it took awhile for them to get that credibility back.

The Coke machine was allowed by the Chief to stay a full six months as a monument to safe gun handling, and thirsty cops had to visit the dime store or gas station if they wanted a Coke, or more than likely, a cold Dr. Pepper. Me, I have confidence in my ability to safely handle a gun, but like Clint Eastwood says, a man's gotta know his limitations. And my ego goes only to a point and I freely admit I'm not comfortable with a Glock. I'll keep my Smith & Wesson autos and my Ruger Security-Six and leave Glocks to the folks who can handle them. As for safeties, there have been a lot of locked guns in the hands of dead cops who thought they'd remember to release the safeties.

 

[WVMountainBoy]

GrendelPrime, thanks for posting. I think you're well on your way to making a very logical and informed choice. Its great to see someone take on getting into carrying and shooting with such an open minded approach. I really like that you didn't have a pre-established love/hate for the 1911 or Glock as many of us do. I'm a revolver buff myself, though I own a few 1911's and carry them often. Keep checking weapons out till you find one thats for you. I hope you have fun at the range, in the woods, and here on The High Road

 

[MachIVshooter]

So many choices, so few dollars, right?

A couple that you didn't list that I would recommend you try before making a final decision are the CZ-75 and it's relatives (Tanfoglio Witness, IMI Baby Eagle) and the S&W M&P series. These platforms have, IMO, some of the best ergonomics out there-even giving the 1911 serious competition in that department.

 

[PMK]

a couple to try

You should realy try a springfield armory xd40, they are awsome, if it fits your hand you will fall in love with the feel.
If you want a suprising small gun, look into the bersa 380 thunder. They are very inexpencive, but they are superior than a wather ppk (now they hate it when thats said becasue they spent so much on them) . Do a search they have almost a cult following, they will shoot a 6 inch group all day long at 25 yards off hand! It will feed anything you feed it, and the only down side is the grips come loose easy, needs lock tight. Its my absolute favorite carry gun.