Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Picking a team

Been going through my gun collection again. I just inherited several from Dad and don't have room for them all, something has to go. I will always hold on to some of those antiques I love but there are others I can't justify keeping.

One change for certain will be with my self-defense handguns. I'm getting out of the traditional double action (DA/SA) pistol business altogether. Those are the hardest guns for me to shoot well (probably for most shooters) and I don't practice with them nearly enough for a weapon I might bet my life on. Although I carried them in the past over the last couple of years they have basically turned into range toys. I already have enough toys.

I will be keeping my HK USP .45. It's DA but can also be used "cocked & locked" and that's how I've been using mine for a while now. It's a great gun, I've carried it several times since I bought it. The pistol is actually lighter than a 1911 but it's just too big to use regularly. You need a good jacket or coat to conceal the HK. I have been using it mostly as my "house" gun and will continue to do so. The USP loaded with 13 rounds of hollowpoints and light attached makes an excellent home defense option.

For my carry needs I will be relying mainly on my 1911 pistols since that is what I have practiced (and feel most comfortable) with. I will also continue to use my double action revolvers for now since I also train with them quite a bit too. In the future though it's conceivable that I might go with the 1911 (and variants) entirely.

I've also decided to get back to my regular shooting sessions at least once a month, and practice with one of my self-defense guns every time I go. I'm also considering more formal training but I believe this first step, picking a main gun and practicing with it a lot more, is a good first step.

2 comments:

The Displaced Louisiana Guy said...

I congradulate you on trying to get to the range at least once a month. I feel that that is an absolute minimum acceptable amount of range time.

And i agree, too, with your carry choices. My duty gun is a Glock, but for concealed carry, i almost exclusively carry a j-frame or a 1911.

Wilson said...

Thanks, I have had at least one of every pistol type (traditional DA, DAO, SA) and wanted to become proficient with all of them. Unfortunately the simple truth is that I don’t have the time or money to really do that. So I’ve decided to train with what I shoot best.