MattW tells of people who are nervous of the long-heavy, but still Single-action trigger of the XD pistols in the comment section. BTW I’m amused by the description of “Condition 1/2”, tho frankly I still consider triggers like the XD or the Glock or other long, but relatively light trigger as “DAO”, even tho mechanically they’re all drastically different.
Still all the mechanical goodness, and the comfort that if your gun discharges in your holster when you’re not touching it, you have a solid case of getting a good negligence settlement from the gun maker, sometimes you just don’t feel comfortable with a gun.
I’m no different. I wouldn’t be comfortable carrying a DA Gun that also has a manual safety because I’d be concerned that it would be bummed on in the holster. I won’t carry a gun with with a magazine disconnect (Tho I will argue that while it may do me no harm, there is NO way a Mag Disconnect will do me a lick of good…don’t buy guns with mag disconnects!)
Despite having heavyweight kills such a Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Adolph Hitler, Among Countless others, I won’t carry a gun in .32 ACP, and my personal carry load are .45 ACP +P HST. Look with a big .45 standard pressure, and even cheap-ass Hollow-points would probably do just as good a job, but I need the spendy bonded hollow-points pushed 100fps faster. Also 180 Grain .45s carry a LOT of muzzle energy…but I feel more comfortable with a heavier bullet.
BTW I also see guns like the Ruger LC9 as being loaded with Failure points because it has a thumb safety, magazine disconnect, a loaded chamber indicator, and a magazine disconnect….but I carry a 1911 that has a Schwartz-style firing pin block, a grip safety, and a manual safety.
Look it doesn’t have to make sense. If you carry a S&W M&P, but felt a lot better about the gun with the added thumb safety, really what’s the harm.
Still be careful with how far you go with rituals. Like carrying condition 3 because its “Safer”. Yes it IS safer…but it means that if you’re carrying items, or have a loved one on your off-hand, or your off-hand is injured or entrapped, the gun is a LOT safer for your attacker too. I’m just sayin’.
Good topics today! Love generating these type of conversations. The key with the condition of carry is to understand the risks and benefits of your condition choice and to practice. Dry fire drills at home of you must (since all ranges here in my home state do not allow you to draw from a holster).
Compared to my 642, the XD is very light.
Oh, and if you wanted to be safe, you ought to just build a bunker and stay under your covers in it. Life isn’t safe, and it’s all about compromise.
I have a gunnie friend who no matter the type of autoloader doesn’t like Condition 1 (DAO, SOA, D/SA / safties, no safteies). If he carries he’ll carry Condition 3, or condition 2 if he likes the decocker, but then will fret about the safety.
However, he’ll carry his tuned up (with less trigger pull than alot of DAO autos) S&W revolver with a full cylinder.
Such is how it goes for some.
I use +P 45 In my 1911. And for my BUG it’s either a PM45 or LCP depending on pocket size.
Sounds like he’s one of those people best suited for a wheel gun, and probably not under-gunned at all!
You run +Ps in the PM45? I fed one some recently and I was amazed at how well that robust recoil assembly eats a heavy load.
IMHO its one of the best pocket guns on the market today! You like yours?
Yeah, he’s comfortable with a wheel gun and can shoot a subbie very well at some hilarious distances (but that’s more control practice than anything sane).
I ran some +P on my PM45 but found it a bit snappy and slowed down my followups. Maybe I could try more practice with +P. As that is a user problem. Mechanically and accuracy wise I had no issues.
Funny story, I (thought* I was having some major problems. As I was getting a lockup when it chambered and spent casings had a deformed primer strike.
The former was due to Russian amo being lousy and out of spec.
Disassembled the Tula has problems dropping into the barrel headspacing, and coming out. Interetingly my AR45 had some issues with the Russian stuff too. And of course my 1911’s didn’t care.
The latter… is mentioned in the manual. Sometimes the striker does that. And I did just replace my striker which hasn’t worn like the old one yet.
Other than that, yes I really like it. Good power and compact size while still being holdable. I had to take back the backstrap checkering a bit, but that was it.
It has never faulted on me with good ammunition. Though that’s only about 1,500 rounds so far.
The Ruger LC9 has two magazine disconnects!? What a piece of shit! 😛
Despite having heavyweight kills such a Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Adolph Hitler, Among Countless others, I won’t carry a gun in .32 ACP…
Hey, hey, now. AFF was killed with an FN 1910 chambered in the mighty .380!
I have one of Browning’s Model 1955s, the American release of the same handgun. I keep meaning to print up some archduke targets…
Really? Shit I thought both were 7.65×17 Browning! Gandhi also was killed with a .380.
Oh well, there’s a reason why so many military and defensive guns were made in .32 and .25. They MUST work.
There’s been confusion in sources over which gun was used. Many people once believed it was an FN 1900, which would have been chambered for .32 ACP.
Oh well, there’s a reason why so many military and defensive guns were made in .32 and .25. They MUST work.
As far as self defense is concerned, I strongly suspect criminals were more inclined to flee from _any_ gun back before they could expect to be immediately hooked up to mobile life support and rushed to an emergency room to be operated by specialist surgeons and pumped full of antibiotics.
As far as military pistols… When the Americans were using .45s, the British were using .455s, and the Germans were using 9mms, and French officers were packing tiny .32s, it’s probably not wise to follow after number four. 😉
Hey the Belgians were also packing .32s before the Nazis commandeered the country….yeah….
Great point about things like a single gut-shot of ANY caliber being a total death sentence. Introduce a little E-coil or some gastric materials into a wound cavity and you’d not be long for this world.
Still from what I gather, when you simply look at violent crimes rates, places like Dodge City, Tombstone, and Deadwood didn’t have shit on modern-day Chicago.
Even today, most of the DGUs we hear about involve criminals running away as soon as the victim produces a gun. How many of those stories involve a homeowner with dad’s old .32, or a .22 that was bought for recreational shooting, or a crappy zinc .25 that was the best mom could afford?
That’s today, when every serious criminal has a bunch of acquaintances who’ve been shot and had no permanent injuries. Imagine how they felt back when every serious criminal knew somebody who died in agony on a barber’s table a week after taking a .22 short from a victim’s S&W No. 1.
I suspect there’s a reason we fret more about stopping power than city folks did back then.
If there’s any technology to blame for today’s insane crime rates, it isn’t the gun–it’s the emergency room.
From what I’ve read, most European militaries tended to look on a pistol as a badge of rank, more than a serious fighting weapon; thus the .25 and .32 pistols.
Most militaries period. There are certain tactical forces that need the best fighting gear, or certain applications where a pistol is one of the best tools, but overall the military has the rifle or carbine as the central fighting implement.
They give the pistols to the officer in the rear who they never expect to need it in the first place.