My agency started the process of becoming an armed agency about 3 years ago. It was a slow process, but we are almost done. I've had my carry permit for a long time, but I was very casual about carrying, only carrying on my person if I felt I needed too, or just wanted to. I almost always had a handgun in my vehicle, but rarely on me. As we became an armed agency, we were informed we were law enforcement, and we started wearing uniforms. Navy blue polos with big gold badges on them, khaki tac pants, boots, we were looking a lot like deputies. With the commission card came gear, including a duty belt. Then there was all this unrest and protests, and people shooting law enforcement officers. Now I carry everyday. If I leave my house there's a firearm on me. If I'm at work, its on my strong side hip. If I'm not, it's still somewhere on me. It may or may not be the same one, but it's there. As a result, I've discovered some things. I'll reveal the over the next couple of posts.
First, at work, I am limited on how I can carry. If I'm out in the field, or seeing a lot of clients in the office, I have to have on the full uniform, including the belt, with gun, extra ammo, expanding baton, pepper spray, flashlight, ect. So it's open carry, unless weather calls for a coat or jacket. The 511 coat we are issued covers the firearm pretty well. Regardless the glock is on the point of my hip.
When I conceal carry, it's usually iwb. Owb is really different than Iwb in several ways.
I don't always fit in chairs anymore. This is especially noticeable with the duty belt. With all that stuff on my hips, I hang up on some chairs with arms. I may be able to wiggle myself into them, but what if I have to get up fast?
If I get carjacked I'm screwed. The holster sits right under the buckle for the seat belt if I'm driving. No way to draw. And I haven't found a place in either vehicle to mount a holster where it would not be immediately visible to anyone who glanced in the window.
Nobody teaches you how to wear a duty belt. At least no one in our agency did. My first belt was a 2 inch one piece belt. If you just put the gear on and buckle it around your waist, it will drive you nuts. Everything shifts, it's riding up, it's riding down, it's falling off. After asking some friends and researching, I decided I needed belt keepers. Belt keepers attach the duty belt to the belt holding up your pants. They can also be positioned to keep articles from shifting around on your duty belt if you have that issue. On the other hand, you've just shifted part of the weight of that gear to your normal belt. If it's not a good belt, you'll now spend all day pulling up your pants.
You need a gun belt. I will do a separate post on just this subject, so I'm not going to attempt to go into detail now, but see paragraph above.
You have to become very conscious of your actions and position. If your open carrying, everyone knows you're armed. Your firearm is right there, even in a retention holster it can be taken from you. You have to be aware of your position and where everyone around you is. We were trained on this, but it's still something that has to be practiced at all time. I lock my firearm in my office when I have to fingerprint someone. I am right handed, and have to stand on the left of the offender when I print them. This puts me at a disadvantage, so I would rather they not have the option of grabbing my weapon.
Going to the bathroom is very different. If I'm in uniform and need to do anything that requires dropping trouser, it becomes a major operation. If I'm in the office, it's not so bad. We don't share bathrooms with the offenders and have several small bathrooms as opposed to one big men's room with multiple stalls, so the process is simpler. I go into the bathroom and lock the door. I remove the glock and place it either on the sink or toilet back, remove the spare mags and baton and do likewise. I then undo the duty belt, unsnap the right, front belt keeper, undo the inner belt, then drop trouser.. Alternatively, some men undo all the belt keepers, remove the entire duty belt including weapons and ammo and place it on an extra chair in the main mens room. This is a recent addition. I have yet to try it and see which method is quicker. The second men's room in the new wing is not chair equipped yet. This method works at about 75% of our field offices too. So far I haven't had to do anything I couldn't handle with unzipping at the others or at a public restroom.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Favorite .380 Handguns
I'm doing this a little different than my favorite 9 mm and .45 Acp posts. I'm just striving for a top five here.
Bersa Thunder .380
This was the second .380 I ever owned. Bought it for the ex-wife, but carried it some myself. It was compact, light, shot well and had a sweet da/sa trigger. When she left it did too and ended up getting stolen.
Glock 42
My current .380. It's a tad bigger than a lot of the current .380's out there, but it's not painful to shoot, points well, operates and disassembles like all glocks. It's also kind of cute.
Taurus TCP
My favorite of the micro .380's. The story I've heard is Keltec started this with their 3AT. Ruger made a bit nicer one, the LCP (light carry pistol). The 3AT was pretty bare bones, the Ruger had a much nicer finish, a manual slide lock, and a better trigger, but otherwise was very similar. Then Taurus took aim at the ruger with the TCP. The TCP is styled a little different, has a nice finish, a even better trigger and locks open on an empty magazine. None of the .380's here are fun to shoot, I prefer the Bersa or Glock to any of these three, but I like the Taurus's trigger better than it's competitors and having the slide lock open on an empty magazine is icing on the cake. Ruger has introduced a larger .380 called the LC380. Haven't got to play with it yet.
CW .380
Kahr's cheaper entry into the ,380 field is a cool firearm. My first experience with the Kahr. I need to check out some of there 9mm and .45's I think.
Walther PPK
The weapon of on screen British spy's everywhere. I don't think you are allowed to not like this pistol. It just oozes cool, tuxedos and British accents. It's an awesome firearm, and the heaviest one on this list. I hate to say it, but the Bersa, which costs much, much less, has a nicer trigger.
Bersa Thunder .380
This was the second .380 I ever owned. Bought it for the ex-wife, but carried it some myself. It was compact, light, shot well and had a sweet da/sa trigger. When she left it did too and ended up getting stolen.
Glock 42
My current .380. It's a tad bigger than a lot of the current .380's out there, but it's not painful to shoot, points well, operates and disassembles like all glocks. It's also kind of cute.
Taurus TCP
My favorite of the micro .380's. The story I've heard is Keltec started this with their 3AT. Ruger made a bit nicer one, the LCP (light carry pistol). The 3AT was pretty bare bones, the Ruger had a much nicer finish, a manual slide lock, and a better trigger, but otherwise was very similar. Then Taurus took aim at the ruger with the TCP. The TCP is styled a little different, has a nice finish, a even better trigger and locks open on an empty magazine. None of the .380's here are fun to shoot, I prefer the Bersa or Glock to any of these three, but I like the Taurus's trigger better than it's competitors and having the slide lock open on an empty magazine is icing on the cake. Ruger has introduced a larger .380 called the LC380. Haven't got to play with it yet.
CW .380
Kahr's cheaper entry into the ,380 field is a cool firearm. My first experience with the Kahr. I need to check out some of there 9mm and .45's I think.
Walther PPK
The weapon of on screen British spy's everywhere. I don't think you are allowed to not like this pistol. It just oozes cool, tuxedos and British accents. It's an awesome firearm, and the heaviest one on this list. I hate to say it, but the Bersa, which costs much, much less, has a nicer trigger.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Favorite .45 ACP Handguns
The .45 ACP has long fascinated me. I guess early exposure to Mike Hammer, PI followed by Magnum PI has something to do with it. I know now that way back when, .45 ACP blanks weren't a thing, and while Tom Selleck was playing Magnum, various 9mm's were pretending to be his .45 ACP 1911. Here, in no particular order other than the way they come out of my head are my favorite .45's.
Glock 30. This is my favorite shooter. Glock built there original .45 ACP line on the same frame and slide as their 10mm so it's more robust than necessary. As a result, even though it is chambered in a larger cartridge with a reputation for recoil and a shorter barrel, my 30 has less muzzle jump than my 19. This makes for a sweet shooting double stack sub-compact.
Glock 30s. I know, just blew someone's mind. Glock got some gripes about the large frame on the .45 ACP's being too big for some hands, so they made a shorter, slimmer frame called the short frame or sf. it still used the same slide though. Some enterprising undercover law enforcement types started Frankensteining there 30sf frames with the slides off the single stack model 36's. This made for a thinner, easier to conceal weapon. It was so popular, Glock reengineered the 30 and 30 sf so you couldn't do that anymore, then did it itself, after much safety testing and called it the 30s. This gives you a double stack, .45 acp subcompact very similiar in size to the 9mm. As a matter of fact, most of my holsters for the 19 and 23 work with the 30s. It's much thinner than my 30. But it al so has more muzzle flip than my 30. I've also been told not to fire +p as the slide is so much lighter it won't hold up. Not sure about that part, since I thought the 36 was +p rated. The internet seems to disagree on this as several sites that have reviewed the firearm have run plus p's through it.
1911. This is a given. Last 1911 I had in .45 was an officer's model. I carried it quite a bit. Tended to poke, but it was accurate and not bad at all to shoot. It was a steel framed gun, so it was fairly heavy. Never had or fired an alloy framed 1911, so can't give an opinion on them.
Ruger P90D. This was my first ever .45 ACP. Double action, single stack with a decocker and aluminum frame. Passed a qualification course with it after only a couple of firing session. Never had an issue with it. Carried it a lot. Can't remember why I traded it.
Sig Sauer P220. This was a dream gun for years. Finally bought a used one for a song, because someone had stored it on a boat and the finish was bad. Shot like a dream.
Springfield XDS. Borrowed this one from a guy at the range. Only got to shoot it that once, but it was sweet. Shot it and a 9mm version at the same time. Loved them both. If I am ever in the market for a super compact .45 I know what it will be.
Springfield XD I'm again not the fondest of the grip safety, but it's not a deal breaker. This is a nice shooter. It's a heavy firearm, with 13 rounds of .45 ACP. Still it was the first polymer .45 I shot so it holds a special place for me.
Glock 21 and 21 S. These are the big brothers of my 30 and 30s. I like the way they shoot, I like the 13 round magazines, but they aren't the easiest firearms to conceal and as with the XD it can be a load to lug around compared to their little brothers.
Walther PPQ M2. This is fantasy land. I have not fired one of these. Haven't even got to hold one. But it looks cool, and it's Walther's first .45 ACP. And the msrp isn't near as bad as I would expect from Walther. It looks like it's going to retail for between $50 and $100 more than a Glock.
H and K USP Fantasy time again. Like the way these look, would love to shoot one. They are pricey though.
Glock 30. This is my favorite shooter. Glock built there original .45 ACP line on the same frame and slide as their 10mm so it's more robust than necessary. As a result, even though it is chambered in a larger cartridge with a reputation for recoil and a shorter barrel, my 30 has less muzzle jump than my 19. This makes for a sweet shooting double stack sub-compact.
Glock 30s. I know, just blew someone's mind. Glock got some gripes about the large frame on the .45 ACP's being too big for some hands, so they made a shorter, slimmer frame called the short frame or sf. it still used the same slide though. Some enterprising undercover law enforcement types started Frankensteining there 30sf frames with the slides off the single stack model 36's. This made for a thinner, easier to conceal weapon. It was so popular, Glock reengineered the 30 and 30 sf so you couldn't do that anymore, then did it itself, after much safety testing and called it the 30s. This gives you a double stack, .45 acp subcompact very similiar in size to the 9mm. As a matter of fact, most of my holsters for the 19 and 23 work with the 30s. It's much thinner than my 30. But it al so has more muzzle flip than my 30. I've also been told not to fire +p as the slide is so much lighter it won't hold up. Not sure about that part, since I thought the 36 was +p rated. The internet seems to disagree on this as several sites that have reviewed the firearm have run plus p's through it.
1911. This is a given. Last 1911 I had in .45 was an officer's model. I carried it quite a bit. Tended to poke, but it was accurate and not bad at all to shoot. It was a steel framed gun, so it was fairly heavy. Never had or fired an alloy framed 1911, so can't give an opinion on them.
Ruger P90D. This was my first ever .45 ACP. Double action, single stack with a decocker and aluminum frame. Passed a qualification course with it after only a couple of firing session. Never had an issue with it. Carried it a lot. Can't remember why I traded it.
Sig Sauer P220. This was a dream gun for years. Finally bought a used one for a song, because someone had stored it on a boat and the finish was bad. Shot like a dream.
Springfield XDS. Borrowed this one from a guy at the range. Only got to shoot it that once, but it was sweet. Shot it and a 9mm version at the same time. Loved them both. If I am ever in the market for a super compact .45 I know what it will be.
Springfield XD I'm again not the fondest of the grip safety, but it's not a deal breaker. This is a nice shooter. It's a heavy firearm, with 13 rounds of .45 ACP. Still it was the first polymer .45 I shot so it holds a special place for me.
Glock 21 and 21 S. These are the big brothers of my 30 and 30s. I like the way they shoot, I like the 13 round magazines, but they aren't the easiest firearms to conceal and as with the XD it can be a load to lug around compared to their little brothers.
Walther PPQ M2. This is fantasy land. I have not fired one of these. Haven't even got to hold one. But it looks cool, and it's Walther's first .45 ACP. And the msrp isn't near as bad as I would expect from Walther. It looks like it's going to retail for between $50 and $100 more than a Glock.
H and K USP Fantasy time again. Like the way these look, would love to shoot one. They are pricey though.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Favorite 9mm Handguns
Been a long time since I've been on here. Lots have happened. My agency was split in two and everything but the hearing division were moved under another agency. We are now an armed agency and I tote a Glock 23 around full time. I will update everyone on my personal and duty weapons on a later post. Today I want to do just a short, fun post.
I've been watching lots of YouTube gun channels and it seems everyone is into their top 5 or top 10 favorites. So I'm going to do a couple of Top 10's. The first is my top ten favorite 9 mm's. It isn't in any particular order, although I will say why I like the particular firearm.
1. Glock 19. I just like this gun. It is easy to carry, nothing about it pokes IWB. It is right. It conceals easy, but is large enough to shoot without many issues. It is a bit snappier than some longer barrelled or heavier handguns. The factory sights are okay, nothing great, but useable. It has all the Glock pluses: reliability, durability, ability to use the full size weapon's (Glock 17) magazines. I think the compact Glocks are less awkward looking than the full size too. I carry a Glock 19 a lot, especially in the fall and winter.
I li
2. Glock 26. Much of what I said for the 19 applies here. The shorter grip makes this weapon a bit harder to control and the shorter barrel makes it a little snappier, but it conceals really easy, doesn't poke at all IWB and I just use the same extra mags I have for my 19.
3. Browning Hi-Power and clones. I just think the Hi-power is a gorgeous gun. It's sleek and sexy in a way you just don't see in new designed handguns. It points great and feels great in the hand. I don't like the factory trigger pull or the magazine safety. I had one of these for awhile and wished I still had it. I carried it for awhile, but the Glocks just carry better.
4. 1911. I love the 1911. You almost have to. It's true that .45 is my favorite flavor of 1911, but the 9's are nice too. It's like the Hi Power is the lady in the slinky evening gown and the 1911 is the tomboy in the cut off's and tank top. They're both sexy, but they're different. I like the smaller officer model also.
5. The CZ-75. This handgun feels a lot like the Hi-Power in the hand, but it's a double action. It offers the option of carrying cocked and locked or hammer down on a loaded chamber in double action. It's pretty too.
6. The Taurus PT-111 g2. Long Name. Interesting handgun. It's like a Glock 19 and a Glock 26 got together one moonlit night. It has a short barrel like the 26, but the grips are longer. Where the 26 has a 10 round magazine, the Taurus has a 12. The Taurus trigger is not as nice as a Glock trigger and you'll pay more for spare mags, but if you can't decide if you want a compact or a subcompact, maybe this is what you want.
7. The Bersa BP9CC. This is a very nice looking polymer gun and it shoots pretty nice. The only real drawback is the trigger. Not that it's a bad trigger, quite the opposite, it's a smooth short trigger, but on a striker fired self-defense gun with no safety, that's not necessarily a good thing.
8. Springfield XDS. I like the XD's. I have had the opportunity over the summer shoot both the 9mm and .45 acp versions of the subcompact single stacks and they shoot nice. Should be easy to conceal too. I like the fiberoptic sites.
9. Glock 17. I really hate to list this one, but my very first 9mm was a Glock 17, second generation. It was ugly, awkward looking, and felt odd at first. It did not cement my love for Glocks and I ended up trading it later on, but man, once you were used to it, it ran like nobody's business. Back then, it held more ammo than most of it's competition. It was tough and reliable and homely as hell. But it earned a special place in my heart by teaching me about the 9 mm parabellum as a carry round.
10. Sig Sauer P 226. This was my introduction to the Sig Sauer line. I have never owned one, but have had the pleasure of shooting a few. This firearm has pretty much made the name Sig mean quality for me.
Some of you may wonder that I didn't mention either the Glock 43 or the S & W shield. I tried to limit this list to firearms I have personal experience with. I didn't mention the P-08 Luger or the Walther P-38 even though I find the interesting and attractive firearms. I haven't had an opportunity to fire either the 43 or the shield despite a desire to do so. Not sure I really need a 9 mm in that category, I did buy a Glock 42 convincing myself that it would be perfect for those muggy Tennessee summer weekends when I was in shorts and tshirt and couldn't hide anything bigger. Truthfully it mostly gets carried when I decide I'm too lazy to carry anything bigger, or if I'm on my way to or from the dojo, otherwise I usually pack a bit larger weapon.
I've been watching lots of YouTube gun channels and it seems everyone is into their top 5 or top 10 favorites. So I'm going to do a couple of Top 10's. The first is my top ten favorite 9 mm's. It isn't in any particular order, although I will say why I like the particular firearm.
1. Glock 19. I just like this gun. It is easy to carry, nothing about it pokes IWB. It is right. It conceals easy, but is large enough to shoot without many issues. It is a bit snappier than some longer barrelled or heavier handguns. The factory sights are okay, nothing great, but useable. It has all the Glock pluses: reliability, durability, ability to use the full size weapon's (Glock 17) magazines. I think the compact Glocks are less awkward looking than the full size too. I carry a Glock 19 a lot, especially in the fall and winter.
I li
2. Glock 26. Much of what I said for the 19 applies here. The shorter grip makes this weapon a bit harder to control and the shorter barrel makes it a little snappier, but it conceals really easy, doesn't poke at all IWB and I just use the same extra mags I have for my 19.
3. Browning Hi-Power and clones. I just think the Hi-power is a gorgeous gun. It's sleek and sexy in a way you just don't see in new designed handguns. It points great and feels great in the hand. I don't like the factory trigger pull or the magazine safety. I had one of these for awhile and wished I still had it. I carried it for awhile, but the Glocks just carry better.
4. 1911. I love the 1911. You almost have to. It's true that .45 is my favorite flavor of 1911, but the 9's are nice too. It's like the Hi Power is the lady in the slinky evening gown and the 1911 is the tomboy in the cut off's and tank top. They're both sexy, but they're different. I like the smaller officer model also.
5. The CZ-75. This handgun feels a lot like the Hi-Power in the hand, but it's a double action. It offers the option of carrying cocked and locked or hammer down on a loaded chamber in double action. It's pretty too.
6. The Taurus PT-111 g2. Long Name. Interesting handgun. It's like a Glock 19 and a Glock 26 got together one moonlit night. It has a short barrel like the 26, but the grips are longer. Where the 26 has a 10 round magazine, the Taurus has a 12. The Taurus trigger is not as nice as a Glock trigger and you'll pay more for spare mags, but if you can't decide if you want a compact or a subcompact, maybe this is what you want.
7. The Bersa BP9CC. This is a very nice looking polymer gun and it shoots pretty nice. The only real drawback is the trigger. Not that it's a bad trigger, quite the opposite, it's a smooth short trigger, but on a striker fired self-defense gun with no safety, that's not necessarily a good thing.
8. Springfield XDS. I like the XD's. I have had the opportunity over the summer shoot both the 9mm and .45 acp versions of the subcompact single stacks and they shoot nice. Should be easy to conceal too. I like the fiberoptic sites.
9. Glock 17. I really hate to list this one, but my very first 9mm was a Glock 17, second generation. It was ugly, awkward looking, and felt odd at first. It did not cement my love for Glocks and I ended up trading it later on, but man, once you were used to it, it ran like nobody's business. Back then, it held more ammo than most of it's competition. It was tough and reliable and homely as hell. But it earned a special place in my heart by teaching me about the 9 mm parabellum as a carry round.
10. Sig Sauer P 226. This was my introduction to the Sig Sauer line. I have never owned one, but have had the pleasure of shooting a few. This firearm has pretty much made the name Sig mean quality for me.
Some of you may wonder that I didn't mention either the Glock 43 or the S & W shield. I tried to limit this list to firearms I have personal experience with. I didn't mention the P-08 Luger or the Walther P-38 even though I find the interesting and attractive firearms. I haven't had an opportunity to fire either the 43 or the shield despite a desire to do so. Not sure I really need a 9 mm in that category, I did buy a Glock 42 convincing myself that it would be perfect for those muggy Tennessee summer weekends when I was in shorts and tshirt and couldn't hide anything bigger. Truthfully it mostly gets carried when I decide I'm too lazy to carry anything bigger, or if I'm on my way to or from the dojo, otherwise I usually pack a bit larger weapon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
