Top
Advertisement

Rednote Get Your Gun

Guns.  I love 'em, I hate 'em.  Anyway, you indicated that you might PM me with some specific questions about handguns, so I thought I'd knock out a quick blog.  Please PM me with whatever questions you have, but keep in mind that I do not consider myself an expert.  There are a lot of folks in the Army who are gun nuts - those are the experts, but I'll do my best.

On a side note, I support gun ownership but I don't really want one myself.  Don't get me wrong - I do in fact own two rifles (30.06 and a .243) one shotgun (.20 gauge) and two revolvers (both S&W .38).  But the fact is, I did not buy any of those guns.  I inherited the two revolvers and the shotgun.  The two rifles were given to me one each by my two uncles who got too old to do any more hunting.  So they sit in my closet with safety locks on them, and locked again inside gun cases, with no ammo anywhere in the house.  I might get back into hunting when I retire, but if I never fired a gun again, I really wouldn't care.

With that being said, I have some experience with sidearms.  When I joined the Army way back when, we all carried the .45 caliber by Colt, otherwise known as the M1911.  The Army eventually replaced it with the Beretta 9mm.  I also carried a Sig Sauer for about two years, one year concealed, the other year openly.  The Sig was by far the most comfortable pistol I've ever used, both when firing and when carrying, either concealed or open.  It was also the most accurate.  I consistently had a tighter shot group with that particular pistol.

My recommendation for you Red, would be a Sig Sauer .40 cal, whatever model fits your hand most comfortably.  You'll want the .40 cal rather than a 9mm, and you'll want hollow points.  With a 9mm, it is possible for the round to keep going and hit an innocent.  The .40 cal is a larger round traveling at a slower speed.  Think of it like this:

We've all seen a batter get hit by a 90 mph fast ball.  Sure, it hurts, but he doesn't fall down.  Now imagine that same batter being hit by a 70 mph brick.  He's going down, and he's going to stay there for a minute or two.

Shoot an apple with a 1000 FPS (feet per second) pellet.  It'll make a nice tiny little hole.  Now shoot the apple with a 500 FPS marble.  No more apple.  Get it?  You want the round to expend ALL its energy in the target.  If the round goes through and keeps on going, it didn't use up all its energy, and now other people are in danger, and you are liable.

Now let's talk about becoming proficient with your pistol.  I'm assuming that because of your long stance against gun ownership you likely have not fired a gun in a long time, perhaps never.  No problem.  Find someone who can teach you the finer points of "instinct shooting" as opposed to aimed shots.  You already have this skill, but you need to develop it a little. 

Imagine your finger is a loaded gun, and you point at someone.  You are on target, even though you aren't "aiming."  When you replace that finger with an actual gun, it's off a little.  When you pull the trigger, it's off a little more.  Anyone can go to a gun range and learn how to put rounds on the target using the sights.  It's pretty easy.  Learning how to put rounds on a target without aiming is a little more difficult and takes more time to learn, but you need to learn it, and here's why:  firefights are always a surprise for the good guys, but the bad guys always know in advance.  When it happens, you will not aim, you will point and squeeze.

Start with using your sights, then use your instinct shooting.  Then practice this drill:  It's called a "failure drill."  You use instinct shooting to put a controlled pair center mass on your target  (in the chest) then use an aimed shot in the head.  Your first two rounds are a quick but controlled pair, the third shot is slowed down and aimed.  It's called a failure drill because if two rounds fail to put your target on the ground, you need a head shot.  Keep in mind though, if you get a .40 cal or larger, you will not have that particular failure.  One round in the chest will do the trick.  Do the drill regardless of what you buy, it'll develop your skills on both points.

And now for what is always the "deal breaker."  The cost of the gun.  It's been years since I've looked at guns and gun prices, but I'm pretty sure a new Sig can cost around a grand, and a used one you might be able to get for a few hundred less.  If you are wanting to spend a little less, then consider Smith & Wesson or Taurus.  You might even consider a revolver instead of a pistol (go with a .357 hollow point).  Don't get caught up in the whole six rounds vs twelve rounds debate and the reload speed.  The fact is if you get into a shooting incident, you will likely expend two rounds.  IF you expend more, you and your assailant will be running in opposite directions by then.   That's because the firefight will probably start within 15 feet of each other, if not closer.

Last of all but most important, keep your head on a swivel.  There might be more than one bad guy. 

I hope I was able to help, but like I said, PM me if you have more questions.
11
Ratings
  • 1,276 Views
  • 10 Comments
  • 0 Favorites
  • Flag
  • Flip
  • Pin It

10 Comments

  • Advertisement