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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Reply: Weapon of choice.

Anonymous said...

What do you carry now-a-days? What do you think is high capacity? A glock 26 is "only" 10 rounds. Are you suggesting a full service size pistol like glock 17 minimum?

I carry a glock 26, it conceals well. Thinking about getting a glock 30 for more stopping power. Good idea?



Subcompacts are intended as backup. If I were you I'd carry a standard or compact as a main carry gun, nothing smaller, plus a subcompact in the same caliber.
I know its more comfortable, but it's not a pair of panties, it's a gun for life and death situations. You want all the capacity, power (short barrel reduces fps) and accuracy you can get.

But if those are the choices, I'd go for the Glock 30 and get 45 ACP ammo for short barrel guns.

I myself like 357 SIG.

Hits hard, it’s fast, replicates one of the best stoppers ( 124.gr JHP 357 magnum at 1400 fps).

It’s accurate and controllable, and the bottleneck case feeds reliably into the chamber of autos.

You can also get 9mm or 40 S&W barrels for your 357 SIG Glock for cheaper traning.
You can't do that with a 45 ACP.

By high capacity I mean at least more than 10, preferably 13, 15 rounds, or 17 like the Glock 17.

Double stack magazines mostly. I love the 1911 and it was my first serious gun, but today I think you have better alternatives.

In my opinion everyone should have a 9mm, even if you carry something a bit more powerful for self defense.
If I could only have one auto pistol to get dropped anywhere in the world, that would probably be a Hi Power 9mm.
Something like a Glock 19/17 are perfect choices too.

9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP and 357 SIG, they are all excellent choices with the right ammo. Good brands like Gold Dot, Federal or Corbon.
Now, if I I’m getting just one, shot, I’d prefer a shot of 357 SIG over 9mm.
45 ACP is an excellent choice, but you generally sacrifice capacity.
45 ACP vs 357 SIG, the SIG gives you more capacity, a smaller gun and a bit more power.
40 S&W supposedly has the best one-shot stop rates, but I prefer the SIG since it’s faster and expands more reliably.

Again, 9mm up to 45 ACP are all excellent choices with the right ammo.
The only thing you have to remember is that it’s not some death ray like in the movies, you’ll have to keep shooting as fast as you can until the attacker goes down. If you don’t get results after the first 2 or 3 shots I’d start aiming a bit higher, if you know what I mean…
Here police uses 9mm FMJ ammo, and they kill criminals like flies.
I guarantee you, they are all very dead.

FerFAL

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I know its more comfortable, but it's not a pair of panties, it's a gun for life and death situations."

LOL! You sure you never coached football in the U.S.?

FerFAL said...

No, just trying to make a point.:^)

FerFAL

Anonymous said...

Here in the US, 9mm is usually spoken badly of. As in, it is not very good as a man stopper. I think this comes from the time when many police departments carried "wondernine" pistols...police in the US are often terrible shots. They sometimes could shoot off a full magazine and hit a criminal maybe 2 or three times.
To me, it's all about shot placement.

Anonymous said...

I would note that the Secret Service and US Air Marshalls (guard airliners --most highly trained shooters in federal government) agree with FerFal -- they use 357 Sig.

I wondered why -- probably because 357 Sig will go through Class II body armor and if someone is wearing Class III armor, it is bulky enough for you to see so you know to shoot for head anyway.

Whereas with 9mm and 45 ACP you may lose a lot of valuable time by firing several shots at center of mass --to no avail --before realizing guy has thin class II body armor and you need to aim for head. By which time, bad guy has you.

Plus 357 Sig turns cover like car doors and thin walls into mere concealment.(Surprise!)

Finally, it shoots flat enough to make life interesting for a rifleman if the rifleman is shooting at you at urban ranges (100 yards or less.)

Doesn't quite have the magazine capacity of the 9mm, however. And greater recoil would make head shots harder with 357 Sig unless you are a pretty good markman who's shot the round enough to handle it. Plus 9mm is available around the world --even Russians and Chinese are using it.

Factory 357 Sig comes with FMJ in flat-nosed semiwad cutter shape.
Interesting enough, semiwad cutter rounds sometimes penetrate deeper than pointed FMJ because they don't tumble/roll. (Army doctor who does studies with ballistic Gelatin.) Handgun hunters like flatnosed semiwad cutter bullets for same reason.

What do you think, FerFal? Any other advantages to add or corrections?

Anonymous said...

Even a .22 will go though an unarmored car door. Anything bigger will go though most light cover.

Ryan said...

I liked your funny comment about the panties a lot. It was my quote of the day and I linked to you. A 5 shot .38 is the gun that finds itself on me 90% of the time. It is compact enough to carry and powerful enough to do the job. When the Glock 19 comes (darn back order)it might replace the .38 as the carry gun.

FerFAL said...

Thanks Ryan, I have my moments…
The rest of the time I’m just a mean bastard with no sense of humor.
Just kidding :)
I like snubbies a lot. I have a Smith and Wesson model 12, Colt Detective and a 2,5” modified Colt Police Positive.
But for pretty much the same size you can have a compact Glock, like your 19, which is a much more capable fighting tool.

Just take a self defense shooting class with each and tell me which one you prefer.

Before the old farts nag me to death, there’s nothing wrong with a nice snubby, it’s just that compared to a Glock 19 there’s more capacity and at least for most of us, Glocks are much easier to shoot accurately and fast.

Do replace that 5-shot with the Glock. Criminals are cowards and attack in numbers, they aren't looking for a fair fight.
3 guys is pretty normal around here. Sometimes more.


FerFAL

Anonymous said...

FerFal,"They aren't looking for a fair fight. 3 is pretty normal..."
Exactly the reason my M37 S&W has been replaces by a Tarus PT111 12 shot. Not to mention my older vision and slower reflexes may cause a miss.

Pitt said...

Clint Smith agrees with FerFAL too. A fighting handgun should be comforting, not comfortable. Too many folks want a teeny, tiny gun so they carry it in their pocket without making a bulge. My friend is like that, carrying a .22 Mag mini revolver and thinking that is good protection. I've tried to get him to see the error of his ways. He's in his 60's and if 2 or 3 thugs attacks him, he'll be lucky to get one shot off.
Thats why the smallest gun I carry is a .38 snubbie (and that's usually a BUG). I'm looking hard at the Glock 34 Practical/Tactical. 9mm power, 17rds, 5in barrel (for longer sight radius) and its big, so the badguys will know, I'm not kidding when I point it at them.