Tag Archives: Handguns

Weapons

New Carry Gun for December.

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December’s Carry Gun is a SIG 1911 Scorpion in .45.  I was lent it the other day and have enjoyed it so far.

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I like the subdued earth tones of the Scorpion series.  I don’t know if it is Flat Dark Earth or if it’s Coyote Tan, or if it’s Cream of Wheat.  I don’t know the difference in Hues.  But I do know that I’ve never seen any earth this color other than sand.  Most dirt is Flat-Darker.  But I guess Potting Soil isn’t a color OPERATORS would want on their guns.  But SAND looks better for a serious shooter.  Even if they live in the Pacific Northwest where Desert Colors just don’t happen all that much compared to Woodland or Jungle.  But Jungle has gone out of Style… everything is Shitty Desert now.  Anyways, the colors do work well in my area of Utah, which is Desert south of me and High Desert north of me.

SIG’s quality control in these 1911’s is fantastic.  They’ve been the best sellers for the store for a few years now, and I don’t remember having any of them giving us a problem.  I only remember sending 1 SIG 1911 back to the factory for a guy that was having problem with the slide not locking back… because it couldn’t possibly have been his thumb hitting the slide stop during recoil.  Even if that SIG did have a problem mechanically that wasn’t Magazine or User Related – This represents the best track record of any brand for the 1911 Industry.  Absolutely smokes the hell out of Kimber and Smith & Wesson.  When SIG’s compact gun can out-shoot my full sized Kimber, that is saying something.  And what it is saying is not complementary of Kimber.

The Scorpion has a nice set of Micarta scales with a matching Mag-Well.  I like that.  Packing it, well, a full sized grip with a Mag Well does make it rather long.  While I am not sure if it’s longer than the Beretta 92’s, it feels longer.   I don’t have a very good holster for packing this railed commander… I’ve never carried a Railed Commander before.  Huh.
The nightsights on this Scorpion are very bright and clear.
The trigger is excellent.
I’m not sure if I’m liking the DK style trigger… straight, no curve to it.  Compared to my Springer GI’s short trigger… I do prefer the GI’s.  But does the Short or the DK trigger help me put rounds into the target better.  I don’t know.  I’ve only fired relatively few rounds through the Scorpion so far.  And the Scorpion is indeed one seriously accurate pistol.

More about this gun as I get to know it.

 

 

Weapons

The Conclusion of No Glock November.

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For the month of November, I carried a Beretta 92FS, and nothing else. Here’s what I relearned and had hammered into my head. You absolutely can carry a Full Sized automatic handgun for Concealed Carry. At first it was unusual because the gun was larger and heavier than what I was used to packing. When Adams Holsters sent me the new Sharkhide Crossroads rig, all the sudden packing that beast of a Beretta became much easier and comfortable for all day carry.
When I say all day carry, what I really mean is “If I’m wearing pants, I’m wearing my gun”. And the Beretta, once I got used to it, was really no problem.
The Crossroads rig is a nice wide pancake style outside of the waistband type holster. This distributes the weight and the profile and really is the most comfortable type of holster you can use. The big 92 just became a part of me for the whole of November.
By week 3, I was very much enjoying the big gun.
There were a couple times when having a big service auto was indeed a greater comfort. There was a moment when I came out of a location late at night and walked across the parking lot to my Bike. A couple large, thuggish looking guys were parked not very far away, leaning on their truck, drinking beer. I make no judgement on their poor choice of domestic horse-piss, or their choice of Brokeback music they were playing. But what concerned me was their increased level of attention to me as I approached. Having the Beretta almost whisper to me “We can take them”, was a great assurance. The other time was when I came home, and through the shadows, a brief flash of red Eye Shine caught me by surprise. In the story I wrote, “UPRISING USA” and “UPRISING UK”, I have evil characters called “Red Eyes” which are demonically possessed zombies. And here at Ogre Ranch, I just saw red eyes shining in the shadows along the side of my house.
I jumped off my bike, drew the Beretta and covered where the eye shine was. I could see something there… but I didn’t know what it was. My flashlight… I had one with me… was in my backpack, doing me not a damn bit of good. The Beretta in my hand allowed me to stand my ground when a more sane man would have backed off. Just then my wife drove up in her Explorer and the the sweep of her headlights illuminated the creature that I was damn near ready to light up.
It was Mule Deer Buck… Just standing there, looking at me, sniffing at me. It turned and bounded off as the car passed.
Having a large creature breathing and standing there… and you don’t know what the hell it is… it can be disturbing.  Bears are in the mountains just behind Ogre Ranch… and I hate bears.  Pooh even makes my trigger finger itch.  The idea of having a bear here did not make me happy.  We had one before, about seven years ago.  A small black bear.  No big deal, but still… it’s just the bear that mauls more people than any other.  A 15 round mag full of PDX1 backed up with a couple 20 rounders was plenty enough for a bear.  Even a shadowy nightmare bear.  Nightbears.  I hate Nightbears.  We also have Cougars out here.  Lots of them.  Older women and the Mountain Lion types… Both are highly dangerous…  And their are the Coyotes and Feral Dogs that come around too.  But the eye shine was much higher than cougars and canines.
I had to laugh a bit as the big buck deer bounded away and disappeared.   It’s the unknown thought made that brief moment rather scary.  In that brief moment, the big service auto was a comfort and a half.  Of course, I’d rather have had one of my 12 Gauges, but I didn’t feel like I was holding a squirt gun.

November is now passed and that means I have the option of not wearing my Beretta 92FS.  December First, I put on my Glock 23L and instantly appreciated the lighter weight of it.  But as the day went on, I found myself missing the Beretta.  The heft of it.  Pulling it out, the Glock just didn’t have the pleasing lines and good looks of the Beretta… it was disappointing.   I’ll be rolling with the Beretta more often now.

Weapons

Half way through Beretta Month.

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Let’s see… We’re at the half way point.
What are my impressions?

I’m well pleased with the Beretta.  The Size and Weight, I was expecting to become a problem.  The gun is heavier than anything else I’ve carried these last few years and it does pull my belt down on one side a bit.  But then again, I’ve also lost a lot of poundage and the belt is looser than it as ever been.   I prefer to use Pancake style OWB holsters for comfort, and this probably helps a great deal.  But do to the overall size of the Beretta, I have found that it can print depending on what I am wearing… namely a loose fitting Under Armor Polo if I lean forward or bend down to pick something up.  Other than that, the gun stays well hidden and doesn’t cause any problems.   The length of the barrel, being that full length fighting gun, does mean that the holster can at times Peakaboo out from under a jacket or shirt tail or sweater.  But since this is fall, if I’m not working, I favor nice baggy hoodies anyways so this is no problem.

I still love the Full Size feel and the confidence this gun radiates.  The accuracy is great and I can hit very well with it.  I’ve changed the thick rubber grips off of it for OEM polymer grips, which may seem like a downgrade, but they fit my hand so much better, so it’s a plus for me.  I am liking the Beretta more and more as time goes on.  I am not ready to give up on my Glocks any time soon… but the Beretta is indeed going to be a regular gun in the carry rotation from now on.  I intend to use this in more active roles now.  I should have used it at the MAG-40 class, where I am confident that I could have scored my 300 instead of the 298.

The downsides to the 92FS as a Daily Carry Gun.  A.  It’s size.  It IS just a very large handgun and if this was the peak of summer, packing it concealed would be more of a problem as I can’t wear Hoodies.  Packing it Open Carry, like I can do around here easily, does attract a few eyeballs, but no one has said anything.  It’s more overt than my smaller, less interesting Glocks.  B.  I wish the 92FS’s used a Dovetailed front sight post.  While this pistol does have Night Sights, being a former LEO weapon, I would have loved the chance to tap in a different front sight post, such as a Mepro or a Big Dot.

So to sum this up, I’m giving it an 8 out of 10 at this point.

Weapons

The Caracal

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It’s kind of like a cross between a Walther P99 and a Steyr M series. But the Caracal is better than both. I like it. A lot. I loved shooting it at the MAG-40 class, as Zak from Lone Wolf was kind enough to let me shoot it.
I’ve been thinking about thinking about the Caracal a lot since then. I want one.

Training

Weaver, Chapman, Isosceles.

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There is much talk on the Internets about choosing your Stance and that you should train that Stance.  I think this is wrong.  Obviously everyone will have their favorites and will argue them.  But I think we need to learn them all.

I find Weaver is good for shorter range work, Iso for intermediate or fast action, and Chapman for longer range work.  I don’t think I can use just one for all defensive scenarios.   And I think training only one is doing a disservice to yourself or your students if you’re a Trainer.

During the MAG-40 Class last week, Massad Ayoob teaches his students these three basic Stances.  I teach them as well.  While I’ve never really thought about it much I looked at the people who were shooting best in these stances.  For the most part, it was the big burly guys tended to shoot Weaver the best or said they preferred it.  Most everyone else liked or shot better with the other classic stances.  At the 15 yard line, everyone shoots 6 rounds from Each of the Stances, but gives the Female Shooters the option of not using the Weaver.

A Spy using the classic Weaver Stance.

If we’re teaching a method that only big strong dudes who can overpower the stance, then it doesn’t work for everyone.  I used to shoot Weaver all the time but found that I do better with the others.  So why are we even still teaching Weaver?  Isn’t this now Archaic to the point we should only think of it in terms of Black and White photos and the FBI Crouch and just shake our heads and comfort ourselves with our opinion that we are so vastly superior now days?

No, not really.  Because like much in the Gun Community, everything has it’s place.  And Weaver is still a very valid Stance to Learn and strive to Master.

If you are standing near a Stranger, in the Field Interview position, a couple feet away, Gun Side away from the Stranger… You are set up for a Weaver Stance in case you have to go to Guns on the Stranger. There’s one very good reason.  And you’ll find that you take this stance quite readily.  I’ve never talked to a Cop that I didn’t know that initially addressed me from a position ready to go Iso on me.  Because form a Martial Arts standpoint, it would be completely wrong.
Let’s say you are in your car.  Your Torso is not a Turret that will allow you to go Iso by traversing at your waste.  If you can, I’d like to see that.  Take the car out of it.  Let’s say you are in a Wheel Chair and something happens to the Left or Right of you.  Or just sitting in a Cafe.  If you have to go to guns quickly, you may not be able to stand up, spread your feet and stick your arms out to full extension.
These are just a couple cases where you pretty much have no other option than to use the Weaver.  Sure, you could then move into your other Stances, but the initial action response is from Weaver.  And wouldn’t it be nice to End the hostilities right then and there?

So for you Dedicated Chapmans and Isos… You still need to Train with the Weaver Stances.

Weapons

Packing the M9

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Last weekend I ended up with my friend Mike Kupari’s old Beretta 92FS.  This is the same gun that the US Army just bought another 100,000 of.  I’ve been packing it since I got it, which is about the same time Beretta made the announcement.

The Beretta is a huge pistol for 9mm.  The grip frame is massive and the magazine capacity is less than it should be for a gun of this size.  Only 15 rounds when other guns with smaller grips are able to pack in 18 or so.  But this isn’t a big deal to me.  The gun has a lot of character.  It’s easy to shoot well with.  And it’s not too heavy.  It carries well enough in the good Pancake style holster I have for it.  But it can print thanks to the Beretta’s slide mounted safety.

Overall, I really like it.  I do prefer packing a full sized handgun, or a Mid Size, compared to the popular Sub-Compact options.

Military, Weapons

100,000 More Beretta M9’s for the Army

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Beretta has announced that the US Army is set for the M9 for another 5 years and has ordered another hundred thousand M9 handguns.

So there you go… No new Army handgun for some time to come.  Sorry guys.

Of course, the M9 isn’t all that bad, when running off of good Beretta made magazines.  It’s full sized frame makes it controllable, confidence inspiring, and it’s both accurate and reliable… again, when running off factory mags and not after market.    Of course, my problem isn’t the gun, but the chosen caliber.  Maybe we can get an upgrade kit and make them all .40’s at least?  No?  Oh well.  The 9mm has done a good job with what it’s had to deal with.  The problem though is that the US Military has to use FMJ ammunition, where as we can run good JHP’s if we like.  If the Military could use some good old Hollow Points, then I think the complaints about stopping power would diminish greatly.

If not HP’s, then how about EFMJ’s?  Expanding Full Metal Jackets.  They look like regular Ball ammo but expand on impact.

Continue reading 100,000 More Beretta M9’s for the Army →

Weapons

I can’t understand this.

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Last week I did something I probably shouldn’t have… Okay, I know that’s a list that goes all the way to the floor, but I’m talking about one particular thing.

I pulled a Beretta M9 out of the case and really looked at it again.  I felt it.  Cycled it.  Stripped it down and examined it closely.  Now, the Big Beretta is nothing new to me… I’ve owned two of them but they never really inspired me or made me feel all that interested in them.  I got them just because.

Now, looking at this Beretta… Feels good in the hand.  Big and Curvy and Sexy… It’s been growing on me.

Here’s the odd thing.  I’d want it in 9mm.  I’d pretty much just keep it stock save for Slipstreaming.  Because really they are fine just like that.  Huh.  I don’t know why I’d even want the thing.  I prefer SIG and Glock… Single Actions over Doubles.  But I am digging the M9 right now.  I just don’t know why.

Weapons

The SIG ACP arrived.

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Unfortunately the adapter clamp wasn’t in the kit, so I can use it yet.  But within moments of the ACP’s arrival, and my mentioning of this… SIG already has it on the way.
First impressions:
Yeah, its cool.  If fact, I am not sure that SIG is going to get this unit back.  I may have to buy it from them.