acaixguard

Yes, because not every professional organization is completely switched on to quality gear (or even tactics). I've even had LEO's tell me firsthand that most of their colleagues cannot shoot well, and are not what you would consider "gun guys." Quite simply, their firearms and gear are just tools for them. No different than how many view their pen. Also, a lot of issued gear is based on the lowest bidder. I would not let things like this be an influencing factor on what pieces of kit are ideal. Sift through known professionals, and you will notice that the top guys are all against the Serpa...for good reason.

Lots of reasons, not the least of which is that you later realize your purchase has no functional use to you.

The days of SIG doing that are long gone. It's really one of the biggest tragedies in the gun industry. SIG used to be a name associated with high quality products...sort of like the Mercedes Benz of modern service pistols. Now they try to produce all sorts of gaudy monstrosities and have allowed quality control to slip to the point of putting out second rate products. Again, SIG is brain dead...someone please put them back to sleep!

My thoughts exactly, but I didn't feel like rubbing salt in the wound. Short of selling it, I guess he might as well do what he wants to make his purchase as enjoyable as possible.

What color are you after?

This is just horrific. SIG is brain dead. They need to go back to their glory days of making a few great classic line pistols, rather than having hundreds of useless variants with deteriorating QC.

If you've ever taken a class from a competent firearms instructor, you'll learn that the release on the Serpa puts your trigger finger in the wrong place too. It looks like with most models, the trigger finger needs to press right above the trigger guard, below the slide, to release the Serpa lock. This is the same position I used to have my trigger finger, thinking this is safely out of the trigger guard. Then I was in a Ken Hackathorn class, and Ken kindly corrected my placement of the trigger finger, letting me know that it needs to be even higher up, as close to the ejection port as possible. Ken was adamant about this being necessary. I've made a habit of this since and never looked back. With the Serpa, the trigger finger would not be high up enough to be safely away from the trigger.

http://raven-concealment-systems.mybigcommerce.com/beretta-custom-phantom-modular-holster/ RCS all the way. About a 4-6 week wait for these, but well worth it.

I would avoid any modern SIG. The company did put out outstanding guns, but those days are over. Their quality went down the crapper in the last 10 years. As for the 1911, really do your research, as the number of bad 1911s out there is far greater than the number of good ones.

I believe that you will have to rely on holsters that have an active retention device, such as some of the ones mentioned above. Unfortunately, most concealment holsters rely on a close fit that involves molding around the weapon light. A gun will seat inside those holsters without a light, but you will lose most of the retention.

I have the Pro, which has a metal slide and green/red laser. The metal is heavier, so the entire unit mimics the weight of a real loaded pistol. The green laser makes it easier to see in daylight. The Performer model is just as fine though. With the weighted mag in place, it will be just as heavy as an unloaded Glock. And nobody complains about the weight of that when dry firing. It's about a $100 difference between the two. Use the code "10-8" for 10% off the price you see on their site. While not the cheapest, it is a great value when you consider the amount of ammo you save. I can't tell you how many rounds of wasted ammo I launched down range over the years using improper technique. Had I had this device earlier, I would've saved some ammo by making each round count more. The sights are both are interchangeable. I just picked up a cheaper pair of Ameriglo sights for mine. The rear dovetail is a little more oversized, so I put some red loctite to hold it in place. The company is great to deal with, and they stand behind their products too. Search YouTube for "Sirt training" for some videos on how it works and some drills you can do with it.

Regarding type of firearm, I'm going to go with the current trend that points to a good semi-auto pistol and a carbine. Revolvers have their place, but the sad truth is they are sorta obsolete. Contrary to the old popular belief, they are NOT more reliable than a semi-auto. They seem simpler at first, but when you consider how slow they are to reload, and their long double action pull, they turn out not to be the best choice for most modern needs. Shotguns are also heading favor to carbines for a home defense long gun. The 5.56mm round is much more suited to indoor use. That, combined with easier maneuverability and recoil control, makes it a winner over a shotgun anyday.

Good semi-auto striker fired pistol like Glock, M&P, or PPQ A few extra mags for said pistol Good set of steel sights for the pistol (most stock pistols come with sights that are anywhere from awful to mediocre)...tritium dot up front preferred If you want a long gun, a good AR, like Colt, BCM, or DD Electronic ear-pro + eye pro Good lube like Fireclean Quality belt, holster, mag pouch (hint...if your local gun store sells it, it's probably NOT that very good) Flashlight with tailcap momentary on activation As much ammo as you can afford Seek out quality training!

Trigger control is key. If you have a little extra in funds, I highly recommend getting a SIRT training pistol... http://nextleveltraining.com/content/sirt-specifications What I do, aside from all the dry fire practice I get at home, is bring it with me to the range. Instead of shooting 100-150 rounds straight, I spend half the time practicing trigger control with the SIRT. You get the benefit of ingraining good trigger control discipline, plus by spending half the time with dry fire practice, you save money on ammo. Well worth the initial cost in my opinion.

+1. Or how about, get a holster for that gun, which you should have anyway for any serious use pistol. Then practice drawing from it like a fiend. Now you will have holster wear that you contributed to, and it will just add to the character.

$50 includes NICS

From what they told me over the phone, they also do mag pinning to make them NJ compliant (15 rounds).

Ahh, well, at the risk of getting flamed, I questioned this for 2 reasons... 1. I see very little need today for a .380. There are some 9mm's which are almost as concealable, and it's a much superior caliber. 2. Taurus' quality leaves a bit to be desired.

Any particular reason you are interested in this particular pistol?

I used to despise FCS too. Thought they ruined the lines of a gun, and plus they chew up leather holsters. I guess you can say I'm ok with the look now, if it's tastefully done. Plus I tend to use kydex these days. BTW, Kimbers have one of the worst cocking serrations aesthetically. They are spaced too widely apart. And don't even get me started on some of their models (ie. SIS).

Check this out... http://wilsoncombat.com/new/handgun-hackathorn-special.asp?utm_source=Wilson+Combat+Newsletter&utm_campaign=76006cb37d-Hackathorn_2_18_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7e19171a14-76006cb37d-309637181#.UwVLdIJEzgE Usually I'm not too big into signature models, but this one does look nice. Good selection of features, both functional and aesthetically.

I run a Glock 19, and also a PPQ M1 on occasion. No regrets at all. The fact is, I think the paddle style mag release is actually better. I can drop a mag faster with the PPQ than my Glock. I am so used to the button release, yet have no issues transitioning to a paddle style

How do you define compact? My go to pistol is my G19, which is defined as a compact, but I don't really view that as a true compact pistol. I can obtain a full firing grip on it, and I shoot it just as well as I do a G17. Aside from the fact that it conceals slightly better than the G17, another factor leading me to the G19 instead of the 17 is mag capacity. In this sad state of ours, the G19 actually holds more rounds than the G17. I can get the 15 round mags for the G19 legally, but cannot get the 17 round G17 mags. Since they make no 15 round mags for the G17, if you shoot that pistol, you are stuck with the 10 rounders.

Try the Springfield Armory mil-spec. Shoot it for a bit, and when you have more funds, it'll make a great base gun for a custom build. Unfortunately, you can't really have a decent 1911 built to modern specs for a cheap price. BTW, I highly suggest sticking with a government length 1911 rather than commander length. Especially if you go with a lower priced one.

Very likely signing up for this class as well!