TheWombat

Probably the first hour was theory (I didn't time it exactly) and as it is level 1 and new for most of us it was paced pretty well, it never felt slow or rushed. If the Low Light classes are similar to how the Urban Pistol classes go then the level 2 and 3 would be more rounds and no theory. The time flew by for me, and was surprised how when I saw it was past 6pm. TheWombat

I think Joe enjoys finding the various issues that the 1911s have, MrsWombat had similar issues on the Urban Pistol a few weeks back with her 9mm Kimber 1911. Then again he is a Glock fan! I've been using Trip Research magazines on my .45 1911 without any issues, although I've yet to try it on a GunForHire course, maybe next time! :-) TheWombat

Have you thought about fitting Trijicons (WP01)? I found the green front and orange or yellow rears worked well on the Low Light/No Light course I just took. Looks great! TheWombat

Officially 2pm to 6pm, however I Ieft the range at closer to 6:45pm. 225 rounds in total, although depending on class size you may find this varies +/- a little. A good mix of students from young to old, guys and gals, veteran shooters and fairly new shooters. TheWombat

May be worth some research on the pros/cons of revolvers v semi-autos if you home defense and carry are priorities. There will be people who recommend either/or with passion, however depending on the types of scenarios you are envisaging you may find one or other is preferable. I've seen people struggle with revolvers on Simunitions classes due to lack of capacity and time to reload, then again I've also seen people struggle with semi-autos due to 'complexity'. I can't help much more than that as I am not a revolver person. On the NRA Basic Pistol course I went to they covered the pros/cons of each and we shot both which was a useful introduction. There are also a few ranges where you can go and rent both as well. GunForHire also do Simunitions training with both revolvers and semi-autos which can be interesting! I'm sure the pro-revolver forum members will be posting soon enough with guidance. Welcome to NJGunForum, safe shooting! TheWombat

I spent the afternoon at the Essex Police Academy indoor range attending a Gun For Hire course. This time it was the Low Light, No Light Level 1. From chatting to other forum members the course has previously been held at Bayonne Pistol Range so I was pleased to see it now being offered at the Essex Police Academy location. The course is the first out of 3 levels for Low Light, No Light. The description is: "The Low-Light Pistol Class will serve as an introduction to operating in a no-light or low light situation. The student will be introduced to various shooting positions using both a hand held flash light and weapon mounted light. The student will progress from dry fire exercises to live fire training in a low-light and no light shooting situation. Topics covered to include, Proper Selection of hand held and weapon mounted light system. Use of Night Sights Operating in Low Light Vision Conditions One handed shooting techniques Multiple shooting positions using the flashlight. Multiple targets,Shooting on the move while using the flash light Weapon Manipulation in Low Light Conditions (reloads,malfunctions) Proper Techniques of Building Search while using the flash light" There were ~10-11 students and 3 instructors (Joe, Mac and Pilar). The session started with a PowerPoint presentation covering the different aspects, some practice with training firearms and then we moved to the range. For the day I had the Walther PPQ equiped with a Viridian C5L light/laser, a Kaluban Cloak holster and Comp-Tac magazine and flashlight holder for the additional SureFire G2 I had with me. Among the other students there was a mix of firearms (including a Colt 1911, Beretta, Springfield XD, H&K P30, Glocks and others), lights and holsters. There were a few equipment malfunctions due to magazines, holsters and technique. I see that as a positive since it is better to find out the issues on a training course rather than when you are in a real altercation. For my ammunition I used 50 Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P and 175 Sellier & Bellot 124gr. It was the first time I have shot in proper low light situations and then in total darkness. During the course we tried various different techniques for holding a flashlight, as well as using our weapon mounted lights (for those that had them). Overall the course was good and I learnt a few useful takeaways to consider in using a firearm for personal defense: It is important to have a good flashlight - The SureFire G2 seemed to work well There are times when having a weapon mounted light and a separate flashlight is beneficial Using the flashlight takes practice as the various techniques all have pros/cons Shooting one handed takes practice in order not limp wrist Holstering and reloading in low light/darkness takes practice The Viridian C5L worked well, as did the rest of my gear, and having the green laser as an aid on some of the exercises was beneficial. My Trijicons (green front/orange rear) were also easy to see and use. I met a forum member on the course (hello!) and also one of student who was on the prior Urban Pistol course I attended. An enjoyable afternoon! TheWombat

Welcome! If you've not taken the NRA Basic Pistol class then it may be worth considering it as a way on getting more familiar with the firearm, cleaning, how to field strip etc. TheWombat

Deal! Happy to try a comparison between the Ed B over the TRP :-) TheWombat Converting the world to the Walther PPQ one person at a time!

The very first pistol I ever shot was the Beretta and I struggled with it (poor technique) so I never really became fond of it later on. If you like a metal 9mm then I'd suggest checking out the 92FS, Sig P226, CZ75 to see which one you prefer. These are all readily available as rentals. I'd also suggest you see whether you easily adapt to DA/SA, some people dislike the transition. It doesn't make much sense to get one of these and always shoot it in SA mode. Have you taken a look or tried any plastic 9mms e.g. Springfield Armory XD, Glock, Walther PPQ etc, depending on what you the purpose of the firearm is then these may also be worth considering. Also take a look here: http://www.best9mm.com/ for some additional inspiration/feedback I won't say that xxx is the best, since it is very much a matter of personal opinion and everyone is different. You may have slightly larger fingers, palms, hands or a stronger/weaker grip etc which will all affect you rate a specific pistol. hth TheWombat

Honestly, you will feel good about your accuracy with the PPQ as well, the differences are minimal. Part of the difference for me is more subjective as: 1. My Sig has a Dawson fiber optic front sight and a Warren tactical rear sight which gives a very good sight picture (assuming it is day light). My PPQ has Trijicon 3 dot night sights. 2. The Sig is metal so there is less felt recoil I like the PPQ enough that I'm about to buy a 2nd one and both the Sig and the PPQ are far more accurate than I am. As a general just pick up and shoot firearm that is fun and enjoyable I rate the PPQ over my Ed Brown, and I'm assuming that the Ed Brown Trigger will be even sweeter than the Springfield TRP that you have. hth TheWombat

No comment :-) I have a Sig P226 and the PPQ (and a .45 1911). If I had to only chose one it would be the PPQ. As a good all rounder (carry, home defense, range) the PPQ is an amazing buy. I like my Sig a lot, and with the .22 conversion kit being available it is very good at the range. If you decide to go for the P226 then think hard about whether to go for the beavertail or not. I went for the beavertail however find that the web of my hand doesn't fit as well as I would like around the beavertail. Also think about whether you want the new Sig E2 grip, the old style grip or pay extra for Hogues. I fitted Hogues. Also, unless you're willing to really practice with DA/SA transition then the Sig may not be the best option. My Sig is a little more accurate than the PPQ, but both can get tight groupings at 15+ yards with no problem. I've shot the M&P (non Pro) a few times and just struggle with the triggers being so mushy, even on one that had had a trigger job. The PPQ wins hands down re: value for money (for the firearm albeit magazines will be a bit more pricey at $35) :-) TheWombat

Depending on your version of windows then also consider Microsoft Live Essentials. I switched from FreeAVG to Live Essentials when AVG went through a period of being slow and cumbersome and have been quite impressed with it. hth TheWombat

You'll like it, put a few hundred rounds through it and then post your thoughts/feedback! and Happy Birthday TheWombat

1.2k or 1200 k (which is 1.2 Million!) ? TheWombat

I guess this is where I should suggest the Walther PPQ, a very good first firearm and at a great price (<$500 NIB) :no: :no: TheWombat

They also have the new Surefire P2X Fury LED Flashlight for $108 this is a very good price. This is a new 500 lumen light. I've not read any reviews on them yet. TheWombat

I had the Sig P250 on my short list. The main reason was to take advantage of the multiple frames/calibers while only having to use one pistol permit. However once I researched further I realised that it was false economy (for me). While I ended up going in a completely different direction, I would in hindsight absolutely consider the Sig 2022 which is a very well regarded firearm. Depends really though as to your reasons for consider the P250. Unless your primary reason for selecting the P250 is that you'll take advantage of the multiple frames/calibers I think there are better options. TheWombat

I bought the .22lr kit about a month or so ago, tried it for the first time last weekend and shot 100 rounds of cci mini-mag without any issues at all. The kit seemed to work fine. This was with my Sig P226 USPSA. I did however buy some modified magazine springs and followers from www.SigPower.com. These mean that on the last shot the slide does stay partially back thereby ensuring you are aware and don't damage the firing pin. I also bought a metal guide rod from the same website. Seems to work fine for me and is a useful training tool TheWombat

I wish I did get commission or discounts! I am considering buying another PPQ for myself though, one for carry and one for the home (with the tac light attached). no idea on this one. I will start trying competitions in March however I will use my Sig P226 at first (may switch to PPQ at a later date). TheWombat

depending on date etc I'm interested TheWombat

I'd also suggest chatting to Anthony at GunForHire and see whether you should just jump into Urban Pistol 1/2 rather than Pistol Step 2. Both options are valid, depends on what you are after. Airsoft is a very useful training tool based on my own experience hth TheWombat

Met up with 67gtonut and tried his M&P.9mm and .22. The 9mm was nice except for the trigger... good to have met another of the forum members :-) TheWombat

Just to confirm I will be at RTSP tomorrow morning. I aim to have some personal time to practice from 8:30 to 9:30, but will then stay at RTSP if anyone else is planning to be there from around 10:00am when it is open to non-members then I'll stay for longer. Assuming others arrive I'll hang around until 11:00am or 11:30 - I'll probably be shooting again once I get back through the wait queue. I'll be wearing a black t-shirt and black NRA hat. If you're planning to be there respond to this thread so I know! @PizzaBob - I'll be trying my hand at some competition shooting in March - alas tomorrow I have other commitments in the afternoon and on Sunday. TheWombat

thank you Deni and others who've commented. I appreciate the positive feedback. I've tried to keep the reviews factual and useful to others since the PPQ is not easy to find as a rental to try. TheWombat

I've not seen the Navy model for sale in the US either. However unless you are planning to take your PPQ underwater I don't see the benefit of owning one (other than for the unique factor) based on the description of the changes. I believe I did come across a couple of US websites that do list them with a price so maybe it is possible to get hold of them if you really wanted one. TheWombat