13 Jan 2020
âYou may delay, but time will notâ
Benjamin Franklin
Many autoloading pistols of the early 1900s were not compatible with the âhigh,â twoâhanded grip that is currently popular with American shooters. âHammerâbiteâ is thus to be expected when one shoots most of this generation of pistols via a high grip.
As my esteemed colleague, Tom Givens, correctly pointsâout, on most of these pistols, both rear and front sights were tiny, extremely hard to see, and little more than an afterâthought.
Also, many of these same pistols were not designed to be carried with a round chambered. Designers, manufacturers, and military trainers mostly assumed (until relatively recently) these pistols would be routinely carried with the chamber empty. Hence, âdropâsafetyâ was not a particular concern.
In America, autoloading pistols were uncommon in domestic policing until the 1970s. Until then, most American police carried revolvers.
Routine concealedâcarry by nonâpolice was uncommon in America until the 1980s.
That trend continues to expand!
When autoloading pistols gained traction among American police officers and concealedâcarriers, there was much debate in early stages about carry status. However, the âemptyâchamberâ argument quickly fell into disrepute, so designers, manufacturers, trainers, and holsterâmakers all started generally assuming these pistols would be routinely carried fully loaded, with a round in the chamber.
Manual safeties eventually went by the wayside, as did manual decocking levers/buttons, external hammers, steel frames, magazine-safeties, buttârelease magazines, tiny sights
The cherished Browning 1911 Pistol, while it still enjoys an ardent following, today represents a small, and diminishing, minority.
Strikerâfired, polymerâframed, triggerâcocking service pistols, that are light, slick, easily maintained, easilyâserviced, mechanically dropâsafe, reliable, durable, highâgripâfriendly, and feature highâtech coatings, as well as sights that are easy to see and use, now rule the serious pistol market in America, and the balance of Western Civilization.
Well known manufacturers, Glock, SIG, S&W, SA, Kahr, Ruger, Beretta, FN, Walther, H&K, now have to share this market with Canik, CZ, Honor Defense, Kimber, Mossberg, et al
The 2020 SHOT Show is next week in Las Vegas, NV, and Iâll be interested to see the way these manufacturers continue to advance our Art.
Iâll be reporting back, as is my habit!
Will ponderous, clumsy, clunky, userâhostile, complicated pistols with tiny sights and superfluous controls be making a comeback?
Not likely!
/John