Jim Keenan knows of what he speaks.
I am on record suggesting folks get a good used police trade in, or find a good used gun, that is pristine internally, and has surface wear for carry.
Many of the folks I assisted, were concerned about budgets anyway. Single ladies, single moms, elderly, physically limited. These include sexual assault victims, battered and abused women and kids.
That good used Model 10 bought right, that was a Police trade in, was the ticket, back when we could get these aplenty and for a good price.
Tools for tasks and environment. I and mine had to dress for the tasks and in settings.
It was acceptable risk nice guns, would suffer consequences.
Yes, I have dropped a nice custom gun onto a asphalt parking lot, when officers said "drop it!"
Officers felt bad, they did not know it was me, still, the priority was to get guns dropped and get the matter sorted out now.
I have kicked a Colt Detective Special, with the nice deep bluing , under a vehicle, to another.
Not my gun, one our peoples, and it was kicked to me, to kick to another.
Model 29, had to go back to S&W. This was the gun I gave my lady partner, and matters went serious and I messed up that gun big time.
I was messed up, and took some time to recover...
Vehicle was totaled.
Speaking of which, I was one serious car accident, and the first responders and cops did the best they could to keep my guns "in good shape". They really did, still blood does things to guns.
Another accident, and the folks felt really bad for not even thinking of taking care of my guns. It just never crossed their minds.
They felt bad about it, still their priority was taking care of me.
I had a brand spanking new Model 37, the game plan was to keep this one nice.
Oh well, you do what you gotta do and that one got to looking worse that the one I carried, and had to go back to S&W before I ever got a chance to actually shoot it.
I had not even gotten to take the stocks off, clean it of factory lube, and relube it.
I and others accept all this.
Now my experiences include, folks with guns, they are afraid to shoot. Seriously.
Assisting on private ranges, and folks, and always guys, had some new gun, or "the" gun, or "kewl gun" or "gun of the month" and they would not shoot it.
Nor would they use the belt and holster.
Instead, they wore the damn things out, cleaning a clean gun, with the newest wonder solvent and lube of the week.
I am dead serious.
Show off the guns, talk about them, show pictures...
And shoot one of our guns.
The girls with the "antiquated" and "not good looking" guns, would outshoot them, always.
And...seen the Model 10s, Ruger Six Series, Colt DS...outshoot the "custom kewl toy of the month" and what Teem Seel uses too.
My Smith & Wesson Model 29 had a 5" barrel for a reason. I was not done to customize, instead fix what had happened to the muzzle and barrel.
My 044 was not custom, it too had been repaired and had character. One Gov't Model of 1911, always got attention, it only had about a inch or so of rifleling in the barrel left, from being shot a lot, and there was some bluing left, mostly under the stocks.
Another Gov't Model was in the white, during some lessons and set ups.
I was having it fixed and figured with what all we were doing, I was going to mess up a gun, so it made sense to run a gun in the white.
I was correct.
Gunsmith...
Gunsmith's just get to a point they do not shake heads and ask "what happened this time".
Well...
No need in rebluing the thing, only to lose the bluing and start all over again.
"At least the gold sight bit holds up, with you" he said.
Note: Just because you have a lanyard, does not mean the gun will not get beat all to hell.
You are just less likely to lose the gun is all.
Escalators will do a number on a firearm , trust me.
No, they do not give style points when you bust your butt doing lessons and set ups with escalators either.
Kel-Tec P-11.
I was asked to test and evaluate this gun for various folks, with varying criteria.
Some folks put back up, nice , older, guns, and went with the P-11. Such as those guns kept in farm/ranch vehicles, or in various places in a business setting.
I have seen a few P-11s that have been dropped, kicked, and not taken care of in a "storage setting" or "evidence room".
Umm yeah, in testing, the gold bead front sight does hold up as well...