Little Guns

21 May 08

Little Guns

There is no doubt that big pistols run better, more reliably, and longer than do little ones! The smaller that manufacturers try to make pistols, in order to appeal to the burgeoning CCW market, the less reliable and durable they become.

It is not necessarily a bad thing. Small pistols fulfill a legitimate role, but owners must keep their expectations reasonable!

I have a copy of Rohrbough's R9 pistol. It is ingeniously designed and beautifully made. Small, thin, and compact, it makes an attractive back-up pistol, or even a main-carry pistol for those of small stature. It is reliable for a pistol that size, but surely not as reliable as, for example, a G17,and no where near as durable. It is what it is!

I suspect its useful life is well under 10,000 rounds, probably under 5,000 rounds. It is, frankly, unpleasant to shoot, and I'm confident that, during the remainder of my lifetime, I'll fire far fewer than 500 rounds through it! Still, I recommend it for the role for which it was intended. I know few people who shoot enough to "wear-out" any pistol, fewer still who would want to shoot the R9 that much!

Same comments apply to Kel-Tec's 380 and Ruger's new LCP. I have a copy of the former, and I carry it as a back-up without reservation. It runs fine with Cor-Bon/DPX ammunition, and, while it is also unpleasant to shoot andhas a limited lifetime of useful service, I still recommend it for the role it was designed to fulfill.

Kahr has just introduced their new PM45. I frankly don't know howthey are able to make a 45ACP pistol that small! My copy runs and runs!

Beretta is just now introducing their new PX4/Compact, in 9mm and 40S&W. First deliveries are scheduled for June. I've only seen photos, but, again, I don't know how they are able to make pistols that small. I'll have a copy to evaluate before long.

We don't carry pistols because they're effective. We carrypistols because they're convenient, and manufacturers are doing their best to provide consumers with what we think we want, and we think we want small, short, flat, light, yet powerful, pistols that we can conveniently carry concealed.

The point of all this is: Don't expect your "little gun" to run as well, nor as long, as big guns in the same caliber.

Expectations need to be reasonable. Remember, and resign yourself to the fact, that all that convenience comes at a price!

/John

More on Rifle UDs

21 May 08

Sage comments on rifle UDs, from a colleague and LEO Instructor in FL:

"We've had several rifle UDs here, under similar circumstances.

The issue has two faces. The first is cluttered gear on the front of the vest getting inside the trigger guard, exactly as you described. The second is less obvious. Officers who have experienced UDs are all top-shelf. They, and we, were pretty sure they had consciously placed their rifle'smanual safety lever in the "on" position prior to slinging.

After considerable research, I discovered that the AR-15 manual safety lever can inadvertently, unintentionally by pushed "off" via rubbing on gear/protrusions on the front of the vest, the self-same gear that can put unintended pressure on the trigger. The problem is mainly confined to single-point slings that allow the rifle to "dangle."

Hard edges of flat objects, like spare magazines, are the main culprit. One bends over or hunches his shoulders forward, then straightens back up. When there is something for the manual safety lever to catch on, it will pull the lever down.

Some of our SWAT and K9 guys, of necessity, continue to use one-point slings. But, everyone else has been switched over to two-point slings. Either way, all have now been made aware of this issue and have arranged gear in an effort to lessen the problem. And, everyone, when carrying a rifle, can now be seen confirming the position of the manual safety lever on a regular basis, particularly after vigorous movement."

Comment: As we see, the issue described in the foregoing is exacerbated when one is wearing a "tactical," load-bearing vest, with "gear-clutter," hooks, snaps, loops, straps, buttons, and pouches. All that stuff may be helpful in every other aspect, but each is eminently capable of putting untended pressure on rifle safety levers and triggers.

There is no absolute solution to this issue! Now that risk factors have been identified, they can be attenuated, but never eliminated altogether. Significant risk always attaches to carrying loaded rifles around. However, in some circumstances, even greater risk attaches to not carrying loaded rifles. There is no absolute safety, only relative risk! When you run hot rifle ranges, as we do, everyone needs to understand the concept of "relative risk."

Accordingly, we don't run "safe" ranges. Our ranges are "dangerous!"

/John

Grim Choices!

21 May 08

How we, here in the USA, take so much for granted! This from a friend in SA:

"With our restrictive licensing laws, anyone here is lucky to legally own even one pistol, much less two! Carrying a back-up pistol, even for police, is out of the question. Keep in mind, our homicide rate here is hundreds of times what yours is. We don't carry guns for the novelty value, nor to amuse ourselves!

My advice to students here: Buy the biggest pistol you can reasonably carry concealed. Avoid compact versions. You don't want a pistol with a' limited life,' nor do you want one that keeps breaking. You'll bedefenseless while it is getting fixed! Particularly avoid after-market enlarged/extended controls. Finding holsters in which pistols so equipped will fit is virtually impossible.

Glocks and CZs represent the best choices. Reliable and high-capacity, these guns will get a competent Operator through most gunfights, even against VCAs armed with rifles. Magazines are plentiful, reloading is fast, and spare parts are easy to find. Local gunsmiths can almost always fix them and get them back up and running quickly.

Revolvers are surely functional, but do you really want the only gun you can own for serious purposes to be limited to five or six shots? Small, 380Autos have the same, low-capacity problem, and 380Auto hardball (all that is available here) is a notoriously poor fight-stopper.

Caliber is important too. 9mm is best. There is a lot of 9mm ammo here, and, even in remote places, one can usually find some. High-performance ammunition, like Cor-Bon DPX, is available only in 9mm. 45ACP is much less available and so expensive, few can afford to shoot it. Forget 40S&W, 357SIG, and 45GAP! All are unavailable here, at any price.

You Americans need to appreciate and embrace your System, that allows you to own and carry more than just one gun. Rally against all who would take that right from you!"

Comment: Where you stand depends on where you sit! Wherever you find yourself, you need to focus on making the best of it. True Operators, like my friend above, are never "lost."

As we see, folks in SA have grim choices, and their very lives depend daily upon good skill, good heart, and good equipment.

It's a grim world. Stay dangerous!

/John