Search found 1 match

by Skiprr
Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:22 pm
Forum: General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion
Topic: New purchase opinions.
Replies: 24
Views: 5043

Re: New purchase opinions.

One decided advantage with the Glock is that you have multiple handgun options that will accept the same magazines. I have a 27, 23, and a 35. You obviously can't use a 9-round 27 mag in the larger guns, but the larger mags work just fine in the smaller gun.

Glocks have proven ruggedness and reliability, but I don't shoot them very well. This, for me, has to do with a very old football injury: a broken elbow that healed imperfectly and left me with an inability to completely straighten my dominant arm. Same reason I could never compete in powerlifting when in my prime...can't do a legal bench because I can't lockout. The grip angle on a 1911 is about 11 degrees more obtuse than that of a Glock; much better for me because I don't have to articulate my wrist as much.

Here I'll echo TAM's suggestion: think about including the Springfield XD and XD(M) in your evaluation. They have a contoured, somewhat rounded backstrap (interchangeable) but high on the grip the effective angle is the same as a 1911's. I have a "tactical" XD in 9mm; a Canyon Creek customized tactical XD in 9mm I bought for competition; a 4" compact service model in .45ACP; and one of the early XD(M) .40S&W bi-tone models. When Springfield came out with the XD, a number of experienced hoplophiles were suspicious of its Croatian manufacturing heritage. But over the years I think the guns have proven themselves every bit as reliable as any striker-fired gun. I know mine have seen a lot rounds down the pipe with a lot of different types of ammo, and I can't remember the last time I had a failure-to-eject or failure-to-feed. I had a Magtech squib a few years ago, but that wasn't the gun's fault.

FYI (not directed at you but to a general audience because so many are buying handguns this season), there are a number of different ways to determine natural point of aim, but I've found a very simple exercise to be helpful to folks thinking about a new handgun. First, check and double check that the gun is unloaded (natch). Second, grip and re-grip it a few times to get a good feel for it in your hands; make certain the middle of the pad of your index finger can be comfortably placed on the face of the trigger. Third, pick out a single, identifiable point on a wall or object on a shelf (always in a safe direction); visually fix on that point but do not rehearse pointing the gun at it. Fourth, close your eyes for a slow-count to at least five seconds. Fifth, keeping your eyes closed, extend the gun until you feel the sight-picture will align with the target point. Open your eyes.

If the point-of-aim is too high, you might be better served with a more angled grip, like that of a 1911. If too low, maybe a more acute grip angle, like a Glock, is for you. If the point-of-aim is skewed to your dominant side, the grip may be too large for your hands. If skewed toward your non-dominant side, the grip may be too small. Overly simplistic and takes only seconds, but I've found it to be a fairly reliable indicator of how natural a new gun will feel in the hand.

Return to “New purchase opinions.”