Seriously, I'd really like to take some situational training somewhere. You know, various scenarios. Intruder in the house, shooter at the wal-mart, encountering a rape in progress, etc...
Sounds great! I have a passion for training and marksmanship. I'll PM you my website. Don't know the policy about posting in in a forum, don't want to get banned for advertising.
For just leisurely punching paper, there is a long list of guns that fit the bill. It'd be easier to list ones to stay away from. For plinking and having fun I'd stick to a rim fire. Like a Ruger Mark II/III, browning buckmark, colt woodsman, etc. If you want more power, cz75(awesome all around gun!!), sig 210, s&w 952, a newer browning hi power, almost any 1911, etc. For serious bullseye: a 22 like a Walter GSP is awesome, if you have $2k to drop on a gun. If price were no object, and you wanted more fire power; a Wilson Combat Pinnacle. If your serious about competition, a host of race guns are out there. I'm partial to cz75's and their clones, such as the EAA witness(which you can buy in plane Jane duty/carry style, or up to full blown race gun.
It's my opinion that safety less striker fired pistols like the Glock are unreasonably unsafe for daily and duty carry. That learning the muscle memory needed to operate a manual safety in particular an ergonomic one like on 1911 pattern pistols is so easy that not to is near negligence. That anyone unwilling or unable to learn a manual safety can't also be expected to learn trigger discipline. That many negligent discharges could be avoided, as well as many instances of officers being shot with their own gun. That the simple truth is that S happens, that a gun on your hip goes through everything you do, and that 99.9% of the time it isn't being fired, let's take that tiny extra step to make sure. Thoughts?
I'm personally not a big fan of striker fired pistols, but many have a large loyal following.(I like having a hammer). I believe folks should familiarize themselves with as many models and designs as they can. As far as designs go, John Browning nailed the perfect design with the 1911. Thumb safety is naturally easy to actuate, back strap safety just in case- very ergonomic. Most striker fired guns leave a lot to be desired if one wants an external safety(now a days all have at least 1 internal safety). One does have to be very attentive when using guns with no external safety, but that's true for all guns. That "little thingy in the middle of the trigger" on guns like glocks is not, in my opinion, a good safety. At least on the XD you get a back strap safety. As far as negligent discharges are concerned, most are caused by the person, via carelessness or ignorance, not an actual fault in the gun. Most revolvers don't have an external safety, there is no need for one. If it's a double action revolver, I've not saw anyone dumb enough to be carrying it in single action mode. Hopefully those who carry have built muscle memory on how to safely and effectively operate their handgun. There is a huge difference in a 5# trigger vs a 10#, but in a defensive situation it wouldn't matter. Having to do something un natural, like flip off a safety that was poorly designed is a bigger personal safety issue. There are 4 options I see if there is nervousness about ND's in a particular gun/style. 1: get proper training, then commence perfect practice, before carrying it. 2: get a different gun. 3: modify it to suit your needs, you can buy heavier triggers and external safety kits for glocks, etc. and have them installed. 4: carry Israeli style (condition 3, mag seated, chamber empty).
But the 1911 is a dinosaur and there are still problems with AD's because the hammer has to be lowered manually without a decocker. It hung on as long as it did because that old fraud Jeff Cooper pushed it way past its prime. But lets test your instructor skills. Do you teach transfer to the weak hand when reloading revolvers, especially snubs or do you teach strong handed reloading.
I've been told that dry firing exercises (with snap caps) can be good. How can not shooting the gun be good for learning and what exercises do you recommend if you feel it is good?
I was trying to get more at the fact that someone in your position can have a significant influence over these things. Influencing both LE departments and new shooters about this issue. I think the gun culture is doing a rather dangerous thing by recommending Glocks to new shooters and departments doing a dangerous thing mandating them to officers. If an experienced and trained shooter chooses a Glock that's just fine and perfectly safe, they have the good habits. But for a new shooter or a LEO that isn't as proficient or prefers another gun they are a problem waiting to happen. As far as I'm concerned the perfect duty pistol is a double stack 1911 pattern gun(in particular a STI 2011) with typical modern upgrades, ramped barrel, external extractor, and a Swartz safety. I'm sure others will disagree, most of all the accountants cause that's an expensive gun, but I think officers should have the choice and new shooters need to be educated not just sold a Glock cause that's what cops or whomever carries.
WTF why would you EVER manually lower the hammer on a loaded 1911? I've carried a 1911 pattern pistol daily for over a decade and never felt any desire to lower the hammer to half c-ock on it while loaded. I know some advocate carrying in that condition, but they are very few and very wrong. Yes even that one Texas Ranger guy that carried that way and Longmire. If you want to carry at half c-ock buy SA/DA gun with a decocker like the HK USP. Fine gun, own one myself, used to carry it before I knew better. Doesn't mean that 1911 is a dinosaur with a ND problem, I almost never hear of NDs with a 1911. A 1911 is for someone what wants a SA with a fantastic trigger, incredible safety, and ergonomics. Don't want that, don't buy one. WTF the auto censor filter doesn't like the word c-ock. Sorry mods, it's not a dirty word in this context so I'm going to edit to bypass the filter.
He's an instructor Korben, not a guru. You're just wrong about DAO's in general and Glock's in particular. Striker fired high capacity medium framed DAO's are the wave of the future. Many if not most instructors would also agree. Easy to use, especially under stress, more than adequate trigger, reliable, usually without the need for a tactical reload. Price is right too. Even H&K and Sig is now in the striker fired game. The 1911 is obsolete. Even Larry Vickers now carries a Glock.
I was issued an H&K and it's far superior pistol to just about anything you can get in a 1911. It works perfectly suppressed. DA triggers gets some getting used to, but it's 100% reliable. You can always change the variant if you want to and It always goes off. Not so much the 1911.
I think we are going to have to agree to disagree. DAOs are great if you don't want to hit anything, Glocks in particular are also fantastic ND gizmos. Striker fired has nothing to do with capacity, some 1911 pattern guns can carry 27 rounds of 9mm/.38. Ease of use and price is your only legitimate points, those guns are cheap and easy like a girl with low self esteem. That makes them popular not better, you date a Glock you marry a 1911. Larry Vickers, LOL come on.
You didn't answer the question. FWIW I've had more failures with my H&K then my 1911s. My H&K will occasionally stove pipe on the last couple rounds in the mag with ammo that isn't +P. Only issue I ever had with a 1911 was a compact(officers) with a weak recoil spring, strong ammo, and a iffy mag. The slide to frame contact would bounce the next round out of the mag before the slide pushed it forward. A new recoil spring fixed that.
Yep, Larry carries a Glock. I have no problem hitting with a Glock. None. Scotland Yard Protective Detail, their equivalent of the Secret Service uses the G26. Here's a fact, the basic 1911 is single stack low capacity weapon. A double stack magazine is not going to correct inherent problems the design has.
Korben, no one on this planet is going to believe that you've had more problems with an H&K than a 1911 except maybe Alucard. You need to get believable here.
Look a 1911 vs. Glock debate, never seen one of those in a forum before, LOL. It kinda does, not only capacity but the rounds stack differently so not only are they less sensitive to follower issues but the stripped round doesn't effect the round below it as much. As for "inherent problems" I don't know what you refer to? Believe it or not it's true, to be fair there's another element, a limp wrist or loose grip. Basically the slide not going back hard/fast enough for the case to impact the ejector hard enough. Easily solved in all kinds of ways but as I didn't intend to carry non +P ammo I didn't bother. However I've never had a limp wrist/loose grip caused failure with a 1911. I put this down the weight ratio between the frame and slide. With the heavier frame of a 1911 a loose grip has less effect.
Please Korben, where do we begin? Multiple small parts, plunger tube, slide stop, feedway path, recoil spring, just to name a few problems. We won't even include the maintenance schedule. About the only thing appealing is that you can completely strip the thing without tools, but then you have to put it back together. It's an ancient old dog way past its day unless you're willing to know the platform inside and out. For you it might be the ticket, but it's no longer a first class defensive weapon.
The 1911 is old, but is still one of the best feeling guns when you pick it up, especially with finger groove grips installed. That said; why limit oneself to a single stack 45 when there are countless other good designs out there. When I teach about the 1911, I advocate against condition 2. I recommend condition 1, followed by condition 3. I prefer to switch the revolver to weak hand when reloading with moon clips & speed loaders, keep it in strong hand when loading loose rounds or with a speed strip, that's just my preference. But I teach both ways and allow the student to choose what feels best & what works best for them.
