Tag Archives: Pistols

Weapons

Springfield Echelon 4.0c

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I fell in love with the Springfield Armory Echelon the moment I first held one in my hands. It looks freaking cool. And it feels even better in the hand. But I had no use for a full sized railed pistol… And then Springfield brought it out in the same size as a Glock 19 recently. And it still feels excellent in the hand.

The idea of running a Micro Red Dot on a pistol has been something I had been avoiding as I didn’t like it the first time I tried one. However people I know and respect have been adopting them all around me… so maybe there is something going on with that. I have two other pistols that could rock a red dot, but neither seem to be a good platform for an RD. Also, I didn’t want to spend 300 bucks or more on something I just wasn’t absolutely sure I wanted. And then I browsing TFB I saw that Springfield was offering a killer cool Gear Up package deal that included an MRD, 3 extra magazines, and a Shooting Bag. That pushed me over the edge. Okay. Let’s try this. So I have sent away for the Gear Up Kit… and I’ll update this when that comes in. Back to the gun in question…

I liked the White U Rear sight on most of the Echelons. But I’ve grown up with 3 Dots and I’m just more used to that. Especially in dark situations… If I’m going to pay for Tritium, I want all my Tritium! This Tritium is nice and bright, the way you want it.

The rear sight is also shaped right too. Not a ramp like with Novak sights. So if racking one handed is required, I can hook the rear sight onto something and push. Trying to that with a Novak is impossible, and then you’re trying to push off the front of the slide or something. Awkward. This is just so much easier. I like easy. I also like Smooth. And racking the Echelon is very smooth. The 4.0c is no different. Very Smooth. Much smoother than a Glock.

Trigger is better than a Glock too. A Glock has a weird wall before the break, and at the moment it goes, the pistol gets a little “shrug”. There’s a little bit of a jump. This, like all good triggers, doesn’t do that. The trigger has a little slack to take up, then it breaks very nicely without a jump. But it’s not a “Crisp” break… it just breaks. Like it just fall off and there it goes. Reset is excellent. I have no complaints about this trigger and I suspect it’s going to get very nice after some use. This is just Out Of The Box.

I really love the way the gun feels in my hand. Seriously one of the very best factory grips I’ve ever felt. The contours are just about perfect for my hand… I couldn’t imagine it getting any better. But I guess if I needed a dimensional change, there are a couple alternative backstraps to try out… One slightly larger, and one smaller. But this is perfect out of the box. It’s going to stay like this. Wait, it gets better! The texture is a fine stippling type affair that doesn’t snag on my clothes and isn’t abrasive to the hands… but when I apply normal shooting grip-force, it locks into my hand like super-glue. This is excellent texturing. And with that good grip, I can still hit the slide and mag releases without problem and without changing my grip. It doesn’t get any better than this. And it gets even better. For those of you who are SIG guys, or 1911 Guys… The Echelon’s grip angle is going to hit right. For me, it’s extremely “Pointable”. It comes up just right on target, without any adjustment. It points naturally like few pistols do… Like a 1911, like a SIG, like a CZ, like a Browning Hi-Power. It’s awesome.

This just might be… the most perfect striker-fired pistol… (Pause like Jeremy Clarkson) In the world.

I’m not going to put this into my Carry Rotation for a while. I still need to put it to the test of a bare minimum of 200 rounds… Prefer 400 or more. But I’ll do the bulk of that shooting after I mount and zero the MRD. I’ll keep you posted. Cheers!

UPDATE:
Initial Testing: 100 rounds, 2 boxes of really old mixed Cheap Stuff: ZERO malfunctions. Even in the rain. Just out of the Box. Next step is clean and lube with a good oil, and try to wait patiently for the Micro Red Dot to show up. Accuracy was good, but I wasn’t really shooting for accuracy. I was just breaking it in. And when I say this was old cheap ammo… We’re talking stuff I had left over from living back in Utah. (2013) Some Federal Blue Box, Winchester White Box, CCI Blazer, and Speer Lawman.

Weapons

Springfield Echelon

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Since working at Basin Sports, myself and all the fellas there… there’s the habit of planning out that Next Gun Purchase. Or in the Basin Sports methodology, when something comes off layaway, what’s going to go on next? That habit has stuck with me ever since. Even as I bring one gun home… What’s Next!?

For me, I was planning on another 10mm… and FN has a glorious option for that. But then the more realistic side of me decided that perhaps that wouldn’t be the best choice. So I reconsidered and have landed on Springfield Armory’s Echelon pistols. The full size and the compact are both very attractive options and I’m thinking that one of them will be the next pistol to come home to my Safe.

When the full size Echelon came out, I was very impressed with the gun, the sights, the trigger, and the feel of the grip in the hand. And it’s even a good looking pistol. Not like looks are all that important, but it’s a factor. I would have snagged it on the spot, but I really had no need whatsoever for a full size 9mm.

The compact version, being Glock 19’ish in size, really does become something of a good packing size. Similar in size to my SIG M11A1, but a lot lighter. Now, I still absolutely adore my M11A1… But for a Cake Eating Civilian, the gun is a bit heavy for Pants On to Pants Off EDC. Even with a Good Holster and Good Belt. Weight is still weight. And cutting that weight in almost half, is a good thing. Now, I do have smaller and lighter guns that I like. I’ve had the HK VP9SK for a long time now… Just never had the right rig for it so I never carried it. And if I’m honest, kind of even forgotten about it. It was when I got my FN REFLEX, that I ordered a new holster from a company I’ve never ordered from before, and saw that they had the same rig for the VP9SK too… So I ordered both at the same time. Vedder Holster and the rig is called the Comfort Tuck. And it is. I like the rig. Simple. Sturdy. I’ve no complaints or criticisms of them, and that’s high praise for me.

Between the HK and the FN… I find I like packing the FN a bit more due to the much smaller grip frame, and the little gun’s ability to evaporate under a covering garment. Even my wife, who knows what I’m packing and where… can’t see it. So a huge advantage for concealment with the FN. The HK does hide well, just not as well. Now, I love the HK… I do… The trigger is good and the sights are great, and it looks cool as hell. But I’ve found that I carry the FN most of the time, and the HK when Concealment isn’t as important. And if I’m in that situation, I might as well carry my SIG, but then I’m full circle on that carry-weight situation. This is why I’m leaning heavily toward the Echelon Compact.

Weapons

HK’s most slept on pistol

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In my brief on the FN Reflex, I let slip that I owned the HK VP9SK. This pistol has been on the market for some time now (2017). Since I mentioned it, I might as well talk about this one too.

The VP9SK is as the name implies, it’s simply a compact version of the VP9 which has been out since before Trump’s first presidential term. 2014 actually. Back when I was helping run a certain Gun Store and Range, I was able to spend some time with the VP9, and it impressed the hell out of me. It was a good looking piece, with good sights and one of the best striker triggers I had ever felt. In fact, it shot so good for me, I actually won a bullseye contest with it.

I snagged this one when a sweet trade option came to me because I really did like the VP9, and this EDC Friendly Version of that just seemed like a great way to go. The trade offer was straight across and the gun I traded was completely useless to me, so why not?

The ergonomics on it are great, due to the swappable back strap and side plates on the grip… you can make it fit your hand perfectly. Which is a huge advantage for those with Tiny Hands or Huge Paws. I like mine best with the Small Side Plates and the Medium Back Strap.

The most un-ergo thing for a lot of shooters is the HK Magazine release. Americans prefer buttons and the VP9 series doesn’t have them. Instead it uses a padlle style release… an ambidexterous style lever that you push downward. I’ve run the HK USP as a Duty Pistol back in the day and I got used to that, so the German Way is not unfamiliar to me. One can get in the habit of using your trigger finger to release the mag with some practice and range time.

Firing the HK VP9SK is a pleasure. For one so compact, this little HK feels absolutely plush compared to other pistols in this class. Compared to most Micro Compacts which can feel rather “Snappy”, the VP9SK feels like a Cadillac. The accuracy is very good. And with some practice getting reacquainted with the paddle mag-release, speed reloads and “Tactical” reloads are very easy and quick. Something some of the Micros cause struggles with.

The VP9SK is an interesting pistol… Because the newest HK that just dropped, the CC9, is basically a VP9SK that got into Crossfit and Bicycling and Veganism and won’t let you forget about it. I think the CC9 is a bit late to the Micro Game, and is kind of unneeded because THIS EXISTS and the CC9 doesn’t offer anything over this, save for being slightly skinnier, has the Button mag release, and is made in the USA… and now we’re MAGA Country again, so we’ve got that going for us. Which is nice.

In short, if you are considering a Micro Compact, but don’t quite like the way any of them feel… The VP9SK is probably a great choice for you. But don’t take my word for it. Go find one at your Local Gun Seller, and wrap your hands around it. You’ll be glad you did.

Weapons

FN Reflex

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FN was a little late to the Micro Compact 9mm game when they came out with the Reflex. But don’t hold that against them… Because they built the best one. 11+1 capacity with the flush mag, and 15+1 with the extended mag. This smokes the other competitors in terms of Capacity. It has fantastic sights and trigger that feel like a Single Action. There’s a good reason for that trigger feel… Because it is a Single Action trigger. In fact, regardless of the looks, this gun isn’t a Striker Fired gun at all. There is a Hammer in there. An actual, honest to Thor hammer where the striker system normally lives. Hidden Hammer guns are nothing new… Just really rare in today’s market. Because of this, the trigger pull and reset are a little different than other guns in this class. So that might take a bit to get used to. But once you do, it’s no problem at all. Because even though it’s different… It’s a very good trigger.

In the hand, the Reflex is TINY. But it doesn’t shoot like a tiny gun. It is a bit snappy, but not unpleasantly so. You can add the Pinky Wedge floorplate to the flush magazine so your pinky finger doesn’t dangle. If you want. The extended magazine gives you both a full capacity and a full grip, just like everything else in the Micro Compact Class. Unlike the other Micros, the Grip Texture FN uses, while aggressive, really locks the gun in place while shooting.

FN is well known for making absolute shooting MACHINES. This little guy runs like an Engine. A furious little engine powered by 9mm ammunition and anger. The slide is even easy to operate. A lot of Micros have stiff slides that can be a tad bit difficult to run, but the Reflex is easy. It’s also spookily accurate. I found it easy to keep all of my 15 yard shots in the 10 Ring.

Now, HK just released the CC9, which is a slimmed down VP9SK that had some Cosmetic Surgery to turn it from a Sub-Compact 9 into the desired Micro 9. And I don’t say that like it’s a bad thing… Because the FN Reflex looks like it’s a 509 that had the same operation. (But it’s not)

Full Disclosure. I have the VP9SK and it’s a fantastic EDC option. It’s only a little bit bigger than the Reflex. And it shoots amazingly well, as you would expect with anything from HK. The Reflex does carry better, being a bit smaller and a bit lighter… and it shoots almost as good as the HK. And while being smaller and lighter it has more capacity than the VP9SK, and more than new HK CC9. So if you are thinking about the CC9… get the Reflex.

In short, if you are in the market for Micro 9 as an EDC gun… get the Reflex. It’s the astute choice for those that want their cake, and want to eat it as well. You really don’t sacrifice much at all with the FN Reflex. You can get an Optics Ready version, and there are sub-compact lights that will fit on the rail as well. So it has everything you could want. I have no complaints or criticisms about this piece at all. And that’s a first for me. I’ve been examining ALL of the Micro 9s on the market, and I think FN has made the perfect one.

The only downside to the FN Reflex is the same as any gun choice that Zigs and not Zags… and that’s Holster Selection. There are holsters out there for it, but your options are limited. Luckily, the FN Store has those options in stock for you. If you go to your local gun seller, such as Cabella’s, you will a plethora of holster options for the Glocks, Hellcats, M&Ps, and 365s… and nothing for the Reflex. So if you want to get the Reflex, just go ahead and order the holster online that fits your style and get it on the way before you go pick up your Reflex. Because as soon as you do get the Reflex… You are going to want to carry it immediately.

Weapons

I’m a 1911 guy, but…

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You guys know I’m not in the Gun Business anymore – Not in any way. But once in a while, I do talk guns. Mostly folks who know very little about them, who want to run their mouths about how great their Taurus is and then ask me what I think. I have to put in effort to not roll my eyes… Smile, and say they’re a great value for the money. And then I exit stage right as quickly as possible. But sometimes, I actually have a great conversation about guns. These are rare these days, and I enjoy them. But I’ve seen a trend with Gun Guys… This is something that kinda makes my eye twitch just a little… “I’m a 1911 Guy, but…”

So, saying you’re a 1911 Guy is supposed to give you some sort of Authenticity. A Ballistically Moral High Ground. Or some sort of Trendy Gun Hipster Status. Maybe it’d to establish some sort of Fudd ground… Like saying “I’m a 1911 Guy” makes you a True Gun Guy.

And then they say “But”. When you say “But”, that pretty much means that what you said just before, is total bullshit. “I’m a 1911 Guy, But…” tells me that no, you’re not a 1911 Guy. Usually, the sentence finishes up with them saying they carry a Glock or an M&P or something other than a 1911. Look, it’s simple… If you don’t carry a 1911, then you are not a 1911 Guy.

“But wait”, you say… You are going to tell me that you shoot your 1911 at the range the most often. That you’re a competitive shooter and you use a 1911 in your matches. Really? So you do all this training and exercising of your skills with a 1911… But when it comes to what you stake your life on, you do so with something else? What you just explained to me is that you don’t actually shoot with your Carry Gun, you just carry it. For emergency use. Dude… WHY do you even carry a gun? Just to have? So that life-saving device that you carry with you isn’t the one you train with the most? It’s not the one you challenge yourself with? Of all the guns you train with… the one you should be using is the one you are packing to bet your life with – and the lives of your loved ones. That’s the one you need to be working out with. So no, you’re not a 1911 Guy. You’re a Poser.

NOTE: The only guys that get a pass on this, are you guys out there at carry a gun for a living that’s either Department Issued, or Department Mandated… I know most Departments don’t even allow 1911’s anymore – and that’s sad, but not your fault. You get that pass, because it wasn’t your choice. I’m talking about the guys that have a choice.

I’m a 1911 Guy and a SIG P22X Guy. Any SIG Pistol that starts with “22” is awesome in my book and I love them. 220, 224, 226, 227, 228, 229… and I do quite often carry an M11A1, which is essentially just a 228 with factory night sights. I’ll carry that piece on special occasions, now and then. And I’ve shot the hell out of them for hundreds of thousands of rounds, and I’m very familiar with their handling characteristics.

Back to the 1911 again. The gun I carry most of the time, almost daily, is a 1911. Because while I love the SIG 22X platform with that smooth DA/SA trigger and rebounding hammer… There’s something very special to me about the 1911. No other pistol allows me to make such accurate first-round hits. And no other hit in a firefight is so important as the first round. Most of the time, that first round is also the last round. I love that the 1911 points so naturally, it’s a thought and not an action… I don’t do it – I just think it and it’s done. Sorcery. That’s a 1911 for me. And that’s why it’s my preference for the majority of my Pistol Packing Policy.

Out of all of the myriad of 1911 types and configurations out there… All of them being excellent, of course… my very favorite is the classic Light Weight Commander. In .45 Auto. This formula fits me to a T. I could actually quite easily just forego all other pistols and carry nothing but an LWC-1911-45. If I knew I was walking into a situation where I was going to have to draw and shoot, and that my life was on the line… I’d want no other gun on me.

(If I knew it was going to be an actual firefight and concealment wasn’t a requirement – SHOTGUN – but that’s another article)

Weapons

Springfield Armory MC Operator

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If I were in the market for another full sized, railed 1911, I’d be looking for a Springfield Armory MC Operator. Let me tell you why…

Back when I was still in the Gun Industry, a Springer Rep came with a number of guns to try out first hand. I shot the lot of them, but the one I kept coming back to was the MC Operator. It just felt awesome in the hand, was exceptionally accurate for me, and it was flawlessly reliable.

A couple years after that, I was visiting the MARSOC armory at Camp Lejeune. We were fitting holsters for their new Colt Rail Guns, that won the contract to replace the MC Operators. The Marine Operators there spoke highly of the Springers and talked about how they never had problems with them… and the new Colts were giving them fits and nightmares. This made a lasting impression on me… and here I am years later again, and the MC Operator remains just as accurate and reliable for those that I know that have them and shoot them.

There are a lot of great railed 1911’s out there on the market. But few provide the bang for the buck value that the Springfield MC Operator gives you.

Weapons

FN Five-seveN

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FN’s Five-seveN pistol is one strange handgun. The exterior of the pistol is all polymer, including the slide. The gun is very light with a balance that makes it feel like some sort of toy. The safety strange too, like an AR-15’s safety, but reversed. The 5.7x28mm cartridge it fires is also odd, like a little bottle-necked rifle cartridge.

But as strange as it is, the gun works very well. It’s accurate and reliable. And it hits like a .22 Magnum from a rifle. Which is impressive from a handgun. And with a full 20 rounds in the magazine, that’s a good amount of firepower on tap. And with the proper ammo selection, it’s armor piercing.

The gun is odd feeling in the hand. The long narrow profile of the grip frame is different. It’s 1911 Government Model in size, so it points well, and handles the recoil quite well too. What recoil there is. It’s low. And the trigger is different too. But it’s not bad. Not bad at all. But the oddities all mix together into something unique and pretty damn cool. Making hits with the Five-seveN is easy.

If there is any downside to the Five-seveN, its that it’s $1,435.00 MSRP makes it an expensive novelty with a proprietary cartridge that needs to be chambered in a small light bolt action rifle that would then equal a .22 Hornet. Instead of a nice little bolty, the option is the FN P90 series of carbines which is even stranger than this pistol. Which is pretty dang good. The options for holsters and ammo is limited, but they’re out there. Overall, I like these weird little pistols and shooting them is a blast.

Weapons

The Most Unreliable Pistols

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I put out a survey and talked to a lot of Firearms Instructors about the most consistently unreliable pistols they’ve seen come through their classes.  When the pattern emerged through the Signal/Noise filters, it confirmed my theory.   Short Barreled 1911’s are the Most Unreliable.   Let’s look at this for a second and see why.
The 1911 family of guns tend to be very reliable.  During the Pistol Trials before the gun was adopted by the US Army, the Colt ran well over 6,000 without problems and thoroughly crushed the competition (Savage) which didn’t even make it halfway.   Since then, it garnered a reputation for being unreliable?  What happened?
Well, for a long time, Colt owned the patent on the design and if a 1911 wasn’t built by Colt, it was built under license and the guns all tended to follow that pattern rather closely.

Continue reading The Most Unreliable Pistols →

Weapons

Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols.

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At my core, I’m a 1911 Guy.  Though I have a great fondness for SIG, CZ, and Beretta DA/SA type pistols, and a love of Revolvers… my heart belongs to the 1911.    I get asked about them from time to time, though not as often as I used to.  Because everyone’s talking about polymer framed, striker fired pistols these days.  People are generally forgetting about the amazingly wonderful 1911.  When asked, I’m most often asked about what my top choices are in a 1911.  And usually, I’m asked about this after the person buys their 1911 pistol and then gets their Feels bruised because their pistol isn’t on my list.
Now, as far as lists go, I’m not going to a top 5 Brands.  Because that’s not just boring, but obvious.  So I’m going to pick the Top 5 Pistols.  The individual model version… This is a much more challenging list.  Made far more difficult by limiting it to only 5 pistols when this list could easily – very easily – go to a Top 20.  So if you’re baby isn’t in the top 5, it’s probably really close… so your knee-jerk reaction of “What about this?” is going to be answered with, “There Can Be Only Five.”
Also, this list is just for Production pistols… Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom, Carolina Arms Group, Ed Brown, Les Baer and the like, I classify as “Custom” 1911’s.
Anyways, without any more preamble, here’s my Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols: Continue reading Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols. →

Weapons

Why do you hate Glocks?

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Message this morning: “Why do you hate Glocks?”
If I’ve given anyone that impression… My apologies. I do not hate them. In fact, I respect them a great deal. For a long time, my EDC pistol was a Glock 23. Solid, good gun. They are reliable and accurate and have a great balance of size, weight, and firepower. A Glock is just fine.

For me though, personally, it’s just not a favorite. I like guns with some character to them. Just like I prefer motorcycles with character to say, a Honda Nighthawk. Nothing wrong with a Nighthawk at all… Fine bike… even a great bike. But like a Glock, I find them to be a very pedestrian, soulless lump that I don’t appreciate spending quality time with, and would rather be spending it with something more interesting. And something that improves on the characteristics that I find important. Like a really really good single action trigger.

If you really groove on your Glock (Or Honda Nighthawk) that is totally good. Join the hundreds of thousands of other people who feel the same way too. Sure, there’s something to be said for them.

There’s also a reason McDonald’s has so many busy locations around the world.