Guns ‘n’ Grub
November 3rd, 2009Week Shaping Up
Name something better than getting up in the morning and having nova and cream cheese on a toasted garlic bagel! Bet you can’t.
Every Tuesday, I go out to breakfast with my father. I quit eating eggs because of my gall bladder, so I always have one of two things: a tuna salad sandwich, or a nova platter. Today was a nova day. It was spectacular.
Even more exciting than nova on a bagel: being able to tuck my shirt in. I suppose I could have done that before, when I was wearing bigger shorts, but for fat people, shirt-tucking never really works well. The flubber jiggles around and moves the shirt out of the pants in random areas. Now, thanks to the grace of God, my flubber is sufficiently thin that it’s not a real problem.
The hazard of tucking my shirt in is that the tail no longer covers the pocket where I carry my pistol. I suppose a clever and nosy person could stand right behind me and spot the gun. A little bit of the grip can be seen. Is that a violation of the concealed weapons law? I hope not. I really don’t want to go to a fanny pack.
I need (I should put the second word in quotation marks) a new Glock. I sold my .40 S&W to Mike, and I shipped it off to New Hampshire. There were bad memories associated with it, and I also felt that I had been sold a bill of goods RE the ballistically superior .45 ACP. When I got the .40, I chose it largely because experts said the .45 was hard to shoot. That’s a total load. I love shooting .45s. I should break down and spring for a Glock in that caliber.
I have a 1911, and it’s a joy to shoot, but let’s be honest. As a tool, the Glock is superior. It holds more ammunition. It’s lighter. It’s a cinch to strip and clean. I hate to say it, because it’s butt-ugly, and everyone loves the 1911, but come on. Truth is truth. I got my 1911s to shoot at the range, and the pretty .38 Super would be a great carry piece under a suit, but if I were in the house with a maniac searching for me, I would be a whole lot better off with a Glock.
Of course, I would not use a pistol for self-defense if I had a rifle or shotgun handy. I may as well admit that. The Vz 58 with 30 rounds of 7.62 x 39 plus a laser and blinding flashlight is hard to top, as is the Saiga 12. You really, really don’t want to be in this house after sundown.
Maybe the Glock is a stupid idea. Maybe I’d be better off selling my Glock 26 and getting a small Glock .45, whatever the model number is. I can’t see carrying a full-size Glock, and when I’m not carrying, a long gun is the weapon of choice. The small .45 would be nearly as portable as my Glock 26, and the stopping power would be better. Eleven rounds of .45 ACP in a small, highly accurate, easily maintained, extremely reliable pistol would provide me with excellent security with minimal hassle.
People always tell me the small Glocks are too small for their hands. I think this has more to do with male ego than fact. Men love to talk about how big they are, and how it makes life difficult for them. I can only get two fingers around the grip of the Glock 26 (the grip only has two notches), and I shoot it more accurately than either of my full-size 1911s. In all likelihood, having your pinky on the grip reduces accuracy, because it tends to move when you use your trigger finger.
I’m fairly certain the small Glocks are nearly identical to the big ones, except that the barrels and grips are shorter. If so, a man who can shoot the big ones should be able to shoot the little ones. My hands are average-sized, but I wear a 13 ring, which is pretty big. Ring-size charts only go up to 14. If my fat fingers fit on the grip, yours should too, unless you’re a circus freak. Gaston Glock is said to have very large hands. It would surprise me if he designed a gun he could not shoot.
Weird surprise: a guy from church just called and asked if I wanted to go to the range later this week. Fantastic. Maybe some of the ex-military guys can give me tips on shooting. I better go make some ammunition.
More
Someone has suggested I try a Glock 30 before buying, but that may not be possible. Gun ranges that rent can be found, but locating that particular Glock would be difficult. The guy from church wants to go to an indoor range up north. I don’t know if they rent guns, but if they do, there is always a possibility that they might have a Glock 30.
As for accuracy, here are two targets I found on my hard drive. The first is a Glock 22 (.40 caliber, full size), and the second is a Glock 26 (9mm, very short barrel, short grip). As you can see, the compact gun shoots beautifully. I have no reason to think the Glock 30 would be any different.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Does Glock make a .45 ACP? I thought all they had was that crappy .45GAP chambering, which is more of a bastard-stepchild than the .40S&W, as far as availability goes.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Check out the Glock 30!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Before you spring for another Glock, I suggest you fire some rounds from a Springfield XD. Very similar design to the Glock. Comparable price point. Simple and accurate. But something about the XD, in the same size frame and caliber as a Glock, just feels “smoother” when firing the thing.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 PM
I have the full sized and the compact glocks in 45. I find the compact very rough to shoot – I think it has to do with the curious double-spring control. I actually find my keltec 380 more comfortable to shoot.
Both of the compacts are too small for my hand and do not really feel secure, but shoot fine.
The full size glock is probably a bit large for my hand, and I have enormous (XL gloves are too tight and small) hands. I have no idea how normally shaped people shoot them.
My Gold Cup 1911 fits me just fine. And it is not so much harder to break down and clean, but that first step stinks, so I shoot my glocks more.
Take a IDPA course before buying a new guy. It changes your viewpoint on guns a LOT. You will also shoot much faster and more accurately. I took four seconds off my holster/shot time and my time inbetween shots is 1/2 what it was and is more aimes. Four hours of training. Bargain of the century.
Also, one neat thing about glocks, they are the #1 rental gun b/c they don’t jam, are easy to clean, and last forever. So you can easily try before you buy.
-XC
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Well, I carry my S&W CS-45 (Chief’s Special) in a fanny-pack (I know, I know, I am considering an ankle holster-this 45 is half the size of my Ruger P89DC and rather heavy). This CS-45 has a 6 round mag and the Ruger 9MM has a 15 round mag-there are always tradeoffs. I carry my 45 cal mags (and 9mm for that matter) loaded Cor-Bon, Glaser, Cor-bon, etc.). The 45 kicks a bit more than the 9MM, but nowhere nearly as much as my Ruger GP100 firing .357 rounds. I don’t have big hands and I can handle all of these weapons with relative ease. I agree that while at home, my AR-15 or my Mossberg (cheap but solid) Maverick 12 gauge would be perferred weapons. Glocks ARE ugly, but a lot of people love ’em.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:07 PM
I hate to sound stupid, but what is nova?
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:51 PM
I second the XD the grip angle is closer to a 1911 than the glock is, it just feels better to me.
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:55 PM
My problem with the XD is that people say it’s impossible to get parts once they bust. And I already know how to work a Glock.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Alan, its lightly wet smoked salmon.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Out here we do a dry smoke. The fish smells like the smoke actually.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 PM
I forgot to answer the nova question. It’s actually “Nova Scotia salmon,” which means lox with less salt, sort of.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Hey Steve H., I’m curious; no one has asked about your carry method yet. I’m late to the party, so I’m ignorant – but do you carry in a pocket cuz you’ve found it just the most convenient way? I stumbled across the Smartcarry a couple months ago and will never go back. I have a different problem as I am skinny and therefore unable to totally conceal a handgun in any other way, but the Smartcarry seems to be nearly magical for all kinds of people. I won’t post a link, but Google will bring it up.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:03 PM
okay, I didn’t get past the first paragraph. I know where you got the nova and bagel. We have been going there since I was an infant. We’d pick up at least a dozen bagels, a pound of nova, cream cheese, and corned beef on the way home from church. I could polish off a few bagels with cream cheese and nova right now. Unfortunately I am stuck in a place where Lender’s are considered gourmet. ugh.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Steve, I concur and highly reccomend the XD, or the newer XD-M. Many, many advantages over the Glock.
Plus, the growth of prestige ‘smiths doing customs on the XD platforms is quickly overtaking the Glockophiles in terms of premium defensive guns comparable to Wilson or Brown 1911s in fit, finish and reliability. Trust me on this, everything you like about Glock, you’ll love in the XD, and more.
I second the suggestion that you participate in some IDPA events. No, you don’t have to shoot the entire season or worry about achieving Expert status. You just need to run the courses and learn to shoot while NOT standing stationary with a two hand hold at known distances.
The difference between stationary range shooting and IDPA would be, I think, comparable to the gulf between moot court and actual trial experience? Something like that, anyway.
Rent an XD somewhere and put a box through it. You won’t be sorry.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 PM
My carry method has more to do with convenience than brains.
.
I joined the IDPA or the ASPCA or something, but I have not gotten around to going to a match.
.
Looks like Springfield doesn’t make a compact XD in .45 ACP, so Springfield is out. Their “compact” is huge.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Steve – Don’t go to a match, go to training.
You go to church to be a better Christian? Go to IDPA training to be a better shooter.
Matches are fun like triathlons are fun, but it’s the training that helps you (ceteris paribus) live longer.
-XC
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Mike wanted me to go to barbecue camp with him, so I said I’d go if he went to Gunsite with me. Then he handed me some wimpy story about wanting to go to some gun manufacturer’s lame gun school which is like 5 miles from his house. I think it was Sig Sauer. Anyway, the upshot is, I never went to shooting school.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Thanks for the info. Lox I’m familiar with ( and is my favorite bagel topping ) but nova is not a term I get in NC.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:10 AM
Never liked the Glocks. The sharp edges on the plastic grips never felt right. Heavier pistols tend to absorb some of the recoil, whereas with the Glock yer taking it all in the wrist. Just not “enjoyable” to shoot, so I wouldn’t take the time to get proficient with it.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:39 AM
It’s a little like shooting a cardboard box with a barrel.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Yeah, not enough “meat” to it for me. IMHO. I’ve fired several models, to include the 17, 19 and 23. Just never “took” with me.
By CCP is a Ruger 95. Little more my style. Fit’s good in the hand, but is small enough to keep a low profile.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Er…that should be “my CCP”
November 4th, 2009 at 3:26 PM
I have the Glock 30 and love it. The balance and grip angle cause it to recoil straight back in my hands with no noticeable muzzle flip. I have no issues with the grip even though my pinky floats off most of the time. So far I’ve shot something like 2000 rounds through it with no issues that were not due to crummy ammo. I do prefer IWB carry with it do to the weight. It swings a lot in a pocket.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:47 AM
The size problem for me is the Glock grips are large, and I don’t like the shape. I’ve fired them, they shot well, but I’ll stick with my Officer’s model 1911. Yes, it only holds 8 rounds; I don’t care. The ‘best’ sidearm for you is the one you can shoot well every time and are comfortable with.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Thnking of a new handgun? Try this baby for size
http://www.gunweek.com/2005/feature0110.html
November 6th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
I’ve considered that, but there was some problem with them. I can’t remember. I seem to recall reading that the only good ammunition was restricted to military and police use.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:45 PM
hmmm… a buddy just bought it and we are going to be taking it to the range on Wednesday for the “pork shoulder test” We take a pork shoulder “picnic cut” and shoot it at the ranges expected from the test firearm and desired ammunition. Then you can easily see the damage done to flesh bone and muscle by that particular load. Ill take pictures and send them.