acaixguard

I'm not super into cars, but I'd say a Honda is more reliable and has lower maintenance costs than a Shelby. Also, would you suggest a Shelby as a first car for a brand new driver? 1911s are NOT for the casual shooter, despite what you may read here or on other boards. For starters, a 1911 is going to cost you good money to have one that you can trust your life to. Sorry if this ruffles any feathers, but it is a fact. A trustworthy 1911 requires top quality components, and each part has to be hand fitted. This translates into more money from the end user, unfortunately. And after that, you need to be aware of each part in the 1911, and how to check for proper fit and function. These should be a must read before even considering a 1911... http://blogs.militarytimes.com/gearscout/2011/06/08/read-this-before-you-buy-your-first-1911/ http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=3250 Btw, I'm not bashing the 1911. I love the platform, have a higher end one myself, and I shoot it better than almost any other pistol. But I primarily use a Glock today.

Regarding Glocks, watch this video for good info on how to better set up a Glock. They also discuss towards the end the ideal caliber choice too, which I summarized in my prior post.

Funny, that same picture is exactly what many others use to demonstrate why the difference between a 9mm vs s .45 is minimal at best. Sure, you get some difference, but the reality is that we're talking fractions of an inch, especially when using good modern JHP rounds. The other benefits off a 9mm such as lower recoil, higher capacity usually, and cheaper ammo (which should in theory equate to more practice) far outweighs the fraction of an inch in penetration and cavity size you get from a .45. In the end, all handgun rounds suck compared to a rifle round, as you stated. Ken Hackathorn has stated on video that he sees many people shoot a .45 Glock in his classes. He also then said unfortunately most of those people don't shoot them as well as they should. I have to suspect that many people out there who rave about their .45s would be better off with a 9mm without even realizing it.

Did you try the S&W M&P yet? Many people who don't care for how Glocks do like the M&P. One thing I caution beginners against is buying a gun strictly by how it feels in your hand. There are some guns that feel ergonomic to me if I'm just holding it in my hand, but the most important thing is reliability, and the first ingredient for this is quality parts and build. I would rather have a gun that feels 75-80% ergonomic to me but is known for reliability than to have a gun that's molded to my hand perfectly, but not of top quality. Also, there's a big difference between how a gun feels as a static object in your hand vs how it points when you're drawing from a holster, transitioning between targets, etc. What matters more than "feel" alone is, does it index well for you when you present on target and does the size/girth allow you to secure a positive grip with finger placement on the trigger, and can you access other controls such as the mag release without a drastic shift in your grip. I've seen more than a few new shooters pick a first gun only cause it felt good in the hand, but end up having issues with the quality of the gun itself, or they have trouble adapting to other aspects of it such as the trigger mechanism. If going the revolver route, I suggest practicing more with .38 Special rounds when you're starting out. Something like the S&W 686 or Ruger GP100 mentioned above will do fine for you. Finally, sorry to say, but your friend who said you should get a .45 is not giving you good advice. Not saying you can't handle the caliber, but there's absolutely no benefit for a beginner to start on a .45. Even for an advanced shooter, there's no proven benefit over a 9mm either.

I too had a BM as my first rifle, back when I knew very little about AR's. It was ok at the time, but back in those days (federal AWB years), it was just the ABCs for AR's (Armalite, Bushy, and Colt), and Colt was very limited as far as what you could get, so I went with BM. Shot ok, but the more you learn about AR's, the more you realize BM is just not up to par compared to the likes of Colt/BCM/DD. Personally, knowing better quality can be had without spending too much more, I'd wait and get a good AR instead.

Given their long history of making complete crap, it would take a long time before I ever trusted a Keltec. I have read about some reliability issues with the KSG. Your money, but personally, I would never buy anything from a company that has consistently produced inferior quality products.

Legality issues aside, why would you even want a Keltec?

Be aware that a laser is not a substitute for practicing accurate shooting. Improper trigger control is the biggest culprit for why people miss their shots, not sight alignment. A gun can be perfectly zeroed to a laser dot at any given distance, but the person behind the gun still has to pull the trigger back without jerking it for the bullet to impact where the dot was placed. There is no way around this...you must still practice the fundamentals.

I have both the X300 and the X300 Ultra. Like High Exposure said, the 500 lumens is not twice as blinding. The litmus test for me is, if I let my eyes adjust to darkness, and I flashbulb white walls near me, is my vision effected? The answer is a no on the X300 Ultra. Where the 500 lumens is beneficial to me is, you get more throw, and also better spill. Better spill translates to better peripheral coverage with the light, and in a bigger room or any other open area, this is a good thing. I have the X300 Ultra mounted on my carbine. Makes sense to me since it's a longer range weapon than a pistol and thus, I would want a light that's good for the intended range I would use the gun at. For my pistol, I am still using the X300. I already have a holster made for my Glock with X300, so I don't want to re-invest in a 2nd light and holster. At typical handgun ranges, the X300 gets the job done no problem. Also, I kind of prefer the shorter length of the X300, as there is less holster material hanging below the muzzle when it's on my hip.

I find if you can make it down there during daytime hours during the week, the line isn't too bad. The times I've stopped by during those hours, I was assisted without too long of a wait. Overall, people there are pretty friendly. I find their knowledge of handguns to be a little on the mediocre side (a few times, I have received or overheard incorrect or poor advice), but they do the best they can for service.

With the right holster, you can conceal a G19 under almost any circumstance. So my vote is 95% of the time, I'd rather have the G19. Shoots better and it's small enough to conceal easily.

I highly suggest taking a look at the Walther PPQ. My wife loved mine so much, I ended up getting a second just for her (and as a backup to mine ). The Glock 19 and M&P9 are good choices too, but be aware that both require some user awareness with current productions. The current run of Glock 9mm's are a little iffy when it comes to extractor function The M&Ps have had a history of inconsistent accuracy and a less than ideal trigger, though I hear recent production specimens are better. With the PPQ though, you have THE best out of the box trigger on a striker fired gun, and accuracy and reliability too. All that's needed is a better set of sights, which is pretty much the case for any pistol.

It's too bad cause DD makes a VERY nice lower. I may have picked up one of the last DD lower kits over a year ago. The thing I like best about it is the beveled and flared mag well. It was a huge selling point for me, as I'm a big fan of this feature. So much so, that the Noveske Gen2 lowers have my attention now. Those are REALLY flared.

Last I checked, you can't buy a DD receiver alone. So if you want to build your own, BCM it is for the lower.

Good choice! I used to have one and it was very well made. I only sold mine because I no longer use IWB. I love the Sparks 1AT holster, which is what I currently use for my 1911.

Jeez, this whole thing should've died years ago! The whole notion of releasing the slide via the slide stop/release being a fine motor skill is just silly. If this type of motion really degrades under stress, how did you release the magazine in the first place? Hitting the mag release button (which often requires a shift in grip AND pressing a button smaller than many slide release levers) requires the same level of precision as operating a slide lever. Not to mention, the whole art of shooting accurately comes down to being able to press the trigger without jerking the gun can also be defined as a fine motor skill.

Can't go wrong with either. Just get whichever rifle meets your configuration needs. Both are outstanding choices! That said, I went with DD. What steered me to that is the beveled and flared mag well. I believe the BCM receivers use standard GI spec mag wells.

Another vote for keeping it out of humidity. I'd also maintain a layer of lube on all surfaces if it's a gun you're going to store most of the time. Bluing, especially if highly polished, is probably the most attractive gun finish, but unfortunately does not wear well, and is susceptible to corrosion.

I had a G23 and ditched it for my G19. Glocks = 9mm for sure! There's absolutely no benefit with .40 today. Also, Glock .40s have a history of being unreliable when attaching a weapon mounted light. If a WML is something you may want to use one day, keep this in mind.

I've had multiple sets of Heinie Straight 8's on various pistols over the past 12 years. Still one of my favorite sights to this day. And agreed...the dot on dot is the fastest way to align tritium dots if you go with a rear dot as well. 3 dots are actually the slowest, yet the most popular.

Check out this page that shows the progression of a Supergrade from start to finish... http://blog.wilsoncombat.com/calibers/45-acp/larry-vickers-1911/

Would this be a serious use gun, or more of a range toy? I ask cause this matters a lot. If it's the latter, do whatever you like. If it's the former though, I wouldn't go too far off the beaten path. Stick to a .45, 5" steel 1911, which is the tried and true formula. You can always get creative with the color options, sights, grips, but the basic platform should be based off what works.

Try the Raven Concealment Phantom, or even a Comp-Tac. Much better quality than the Serpa without question, and no safety controversy either.

Hahahaha, I guess you never heard of iron oxide...aka RUST!

Any reason why not a 9mm? A good 9mm is just something I think every serious gun owner needs to have. If a .45, either a good 1911 (but they will not be cheap), or an HK45.