treadlightly wrote:Clearly there was a brain burp of Darwinian proportion involved, and the ND seems unlikely to be related to the gun design or condition of the weapon.Scott B. wrote:I've read that SigTalk posting on the 320 ND. Members of this forum and this thread aside, that particular shooter is a complete idiot.
Messing with the take-up on a loaded firearm in his house?
I'm sorry, he has zero credibility in reporting the so-called 'facts' of this negligent discharge or the safety/function of any firearm.
...and yes, I could be biased, as I've sold around 60 P320s this week and am a certified armorer for this platform
I'm curious what you think of the P320. On general principle I'm not too keen on safetyless guns (mine is an early model without a thumb safety). On the other hand, the P320 feels reasonably good in my hand, hits what I point it at, and the subcompact is a nice balance between a small gun and something that feels bigger. I also like the 12 round capacity of the little P320. Reminds me I don't live in California.
My current thinking is that safe handling practices will work out fine on the P320. I still wouldn't recommend one to anyone who would take shooting casually or hasn't yet hardwired the four big rules. Holstering the gun, in my opinion, is a roll of the dice unless the fellow handling the gun takes care to make it not be a gamble.
Oh, and note to self - refrain from wiggling the trigger.
Mechanically - I'm impressed with the 320 from a technical standpoint. I think it's brilliant. Sig has truly made small arms modularity a reality. It may be the easiest modern semi-auto to maintain. It's also a platform that Sig continues to develop and improve. I appreciate that they continue its development.
Safety - In application, it's no different to me than a Glock. On the maintenance side, the 320 wins hands down on safety; mag must be out, slide locked to the rear, no trigger pull required for take down.
Performance - my customers are primarily LE. I get a lot of feedback about life-long Glock users converting over, officers shooting Expert for the first time, and so forth. It's clearly a winner with the high speed LE units, their firearms instructors, and the academy staff.
Personal observations - I agree that the the 320 and others that lack a physical external safety are for experienced shooters and not novices. It's all about user comfort. I never dismiss or treat lightly the concerns of any shooter who wants the comfort of a safety.
When I got out the service and purchased my first privately owned pistol, it had a safety/de-cocker setup (gen 3 S&W). I wasn't confident in my own skill level and ability. That was followed not long after by a Colt Commander. When I got more experience and got into IDPA for a while, I migrated to Glock. The Austrian wonder served me very well. My daily carry for the last 18 months has been a safety-less M&P 9 with over 7k through it now.
I will reluctantly retire the M&P and start carrying/shooting a P320 CA 9 very shortly. Not because I have any doubts about the Sig, but because I have such an extreme comfort level with the M&P. However, I need to put more rounds downrange with the 320 so I can better serve my customer base.
I consider myself a moderately experienced shooter/instructor. I teach classes 3 weekends out of 4. I'm confident in my gun handling, but work hard to never to be too comfortable or lax when it comes to safety. I think working with a lot of entry level shooters helps me maintain that focus.
...and I've rambled.