Sunday, July 27, 2008

Another Gun Nation Review

Visit the Gun Nation Pod Cast to hear a recorded live review by Average Joe. Just click on the Gun Nation logo to be taken to the Gun Nation site. From there click and download show #13 recorded on Friday, 7-25-2008.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Sweet Carryin’ 9s part III—the SIG Model P239


The P239 was SIG’s answer to the model 3913 which was Smith & Wesson’s compact carry 9mm. It was a slender single stack pistol which made it easy to conceal and no hassle to wear. The S&W 3913 debuted in 1989 and, at that time the only SIG in competition was the single stack P225. The 225 was (it is no longer produced, being replaced by the 239) a part of what is still considered to be the “classic” line of SIG pistols whose classic profile can still be seen in their model s 226, 229, and 220.
The 239 that we are examining today is from their SAS (SIG Anti-Snag) line. This is an attractive two-toned pistol with a very nice set of wood grips. The 239 SAS is definitely designed to be a carry pistol as all of the sharp edges have been rounded off, hence the Anti-Snag moniker, and this model is also Double Action Only (DAO). The pistol also has the short reset trigger for faster follow-up shots and, my favorite, night sights.
Here are the P239’s stats:

Overall Width: 1.20"
Barrel Length: 3.6"
Sight Radius: 5.7"
Sights: SIGLITE® Night Sights
Weight w/ Mag: 27.5 oz / 29.7 oz
Mag Capacity: 8 Rounds
Grips: Custom Shop Wood Grips

Perhaps SIG felt that they needed something new to compete with Smith’s 3913 but, for whatever the reason, in usual SIG fashion they did not rush to market and waited until they had something worthy of being a part of the SIG line-up. So, seven years after the S&W 3913 hit the market SIG brought out the P239 and to my eyes it looks more like a Smith & Wesson semi-auto pistol than it does a classic SIG. The timing of the 239’s introduction was a coincidental and ironic marketing coup. In 1996 the American shooter was encumbered by the Clinton Crime Bill which ridiculously mandated a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds (remember how crime just plummeted…neither do I). This was a boon for smaller pistols like the 239 for a couple of reasons. For starters no one wanted to buy a full size pistol that normally held between 15 and 19 rounds but was now regulated to only 10. Most people felt that if it only held 10 rounds you might as well give the height and length a more proportional fit. The second phenomenon that occurred came as more and more states seemingly rebelled against the liberal anti-gun manifesto and passed concealed carry legislation allowing their law abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms for their own protection and people who had never carried before were much more comfortable in doing so with a smaller pistol.


The other advantage to SIG with its model 239 was an option of calibers; you could have your 239 in the ever popular 9mm or go for more power with the same pistol in caliber .40 S&W. The Smith 3913 could only be had in 9mm as their engineers could not figure out how to make it work with the .40 caliber cartridge. Eventually the 239 was also available in .357 SIG (but good luck finding one). Thus the 239 became a very viable self defense option as you had a relatively small package (however it is the largest of the pistols examined in this series), a good trigger pull (SIG lists the DOA 239 trigger pull at 7 pounds but my three pull average came in at 6.14 pounds) with easy trigger reach, and excellent sights with night sights available.



The only problem I have with the pistol is the grip frame. The grip feels too wide to me (and it is the widest of all pistols examined at 1.4 inches) especially as the grip frame is only housing a single stack magazine. The wide feel of the grip frame was the same whether or not the pistol was wearing the stock wood grips, SIG polymer grips or Hogue rubber grips. My remaining gripe, and it is a picky one, is the rounded trigger guard. I know that it is no longer in vogue but I still place my left index finger over the trigger guard. I’m sorry, but that was in fashion when I learned to shoot handguns, as taught to us by an instructor from the Chicago Police Department, and whenever I try to change my grip my accuracy goes out the window. I don’t pretend to be a great shot but I am a lot better than when I got serious about shooting in 2003 so I don’t want to do anything to mess that up.
The shooting advantage to the 239 is famous reputation for SIG reliability and accuracy. So, let’s look at the targets:





All targets fired for range fired with 115 grain FMJ Ammo:

25 rounds at 21 Feet


50 rounds at 21 Feet



16 rounds at 31 Feet



16 rounds at 50 Feet



30 rounds at 75 Feet


Defensive Ammo all fired at 21 feet:

5 rounds of Speer 124 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point @ 21 Feet



5 rounds of Buffalo Bore 115 grain +P JHP

Although I do not find the grip to be comfortable for me, the 239 is extremely reliable and and accurate and that provides enough comfort to make up for the displeasing (to me) grip.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Sweet Carryin’ 9s Part II -- Para Ordnance PDA


I had been waiting for a PDA (Personal Defense Assistant) to arrive since it was announced in the press last fall. I emailed Para Ordnance and was told to expect their arrival in March but did not see one until mid-June. I was hoping it would be a double action only version of Springfield’s micro-sized EMP and it pretty much fills that bill. It is scaled down and designed around the 9mm cartridge and while it might not be quite as accurate as the EMP, it is still very accurate in its own right. The PDA easily provides practical accuracy out to the end of the local indoor range (25 yards), perhaps the best accuracy of the pistols being reviewed in this series. There were some bumps along the way, but we’ll get to them in a few minutes.

First, here are the specs:
· Caliber: 9mm
· Rounds: 8+1
· Barrel: 3"
· Weight: 24 oz.
· Length: 6.4"
· Height: 4.75"
· Hammer: Spurless
· Sights: Night Sights
· Receiver: Alloy
· Finish: Duo-Tone
Bumps In The Road

As I mentioned earlier, there were some early problems with the PDA. As I began firing at my first session with the PDA, the extractor sheared off at round number 35. I was rather shocked; the large and heavy duty Para Ordnance “Power Extractor” is one of the firm’s main selling points. How could this be? Well I can’t still answer that question but everyone jumped on it right away. The range sent the pistol back to Para Ordnance and Para repaired and returned it within a week and a half. I still can’t believe that the extractor broke off, but kudos to Para Ordnance for the quick and no hassle warrantee work. I don't necessarily feel that this issue is an indictment of Para's quality per se; I have had two SIGs that needed a vacation in New Hampshire due to problems that arose during their first work-out and nobody questions the quality of a SIG.
After getting her back from the factory I settled down to give her a thorough test. Accuracy was great but reliability was terrible, chocked full of feed problems. I am embarrassed to report however that the reliability issues were operator error. Upon browsing the Para Ordnance website I found that, despite the fact that nine cartridges would easily fit into magazine, it is designed to hold eight. For whatever reason, once I moved to only 8 bullets into the magazine the pistol functioned flawlessly.
The TriggerThe trigger pull is 7.13 pounds and seems lighter due to it being very smooth. I have fired Para Ordnance LDA double action pistols before with no trouble. However, over the last year I have become very cognizant of my trigger control and working the trigger reset to get off faster and more accurate follow-up shots. This occurred when a firearms instructor for a local Sheriff’s department was at the range one day watching me shoot and said “Oh, so you like to slap the trigger?” I was shooting an Ed Brown 1911 and was shocked that I could have been slapping the trigger of such a finely tuned single action pistol. He explained that after each shot I was completely relieving the pressure from my trigger finger and allowing the trigger to push all the way out to the end of its reach and then slapping (OK, let’s be realistic, slapping is a bit of an exaggeration but I understood what he was getting at) the trigger back for the follow-up shot. The Deputy quickly taught me how, when letting the trigger out, to feel the let-off point where the sear releases the trigger. At that point, he explained, the trigger is ready to fire again without having to allow it to travel to the end of its cycle. This can save up to a second off of your follow-up shot and reduce the amount of trigger travel on the reset anywhere between 5/32s and half an inch depending on the trigger travel for your individual pistol. Less movement by your trigger and finger means less muzzle movement and a more accurate follow-up shot.
Working the trigger on the PDA is different, but not difficult. The sear release is a two stage process. If you pull the trigger after the first release, the pistol will not fire. I had built up a lot of muscle memory to subconsciously press the trigger after feeling the sear release so two stage release took some getting used to. This, like most issues, rectifies itself with practice.
The Grips
While the PDA is a little large for pants pocket carry, it is perfect for belt carry with a slide width of just .95 inches and a grip width of 1.1 inches. The grips are very slender, but I am not a fan of their aesthetics. I do not like the large block PDA letters running down the grip and I do not care for their cheesy geometric honeycomb pattern. Alas, at this time I am unable to find any replacement grips for a micro 1911 platform pistol.
I was surprised that the PDA did not have a checkered front strap. The back was so adorned, but the front was not. There is not an extreme amount of recoil with the PDA but I would still prefer to have some checkering p front.
The Sights
The sights on the PDA are very sturdy and provide an excellent sight picture. I am extremely happy that night sights are included in this package as I feel that they are indispensable for a defensive pistol that might be fired in low light scenarios.
Despite the short sight radius on this 3 inch barreled pistol it provides excellent accuracy part of which might be due to the fact that the barrel is marked “Match”. I do not know if there are any industry standards for giving a barrel a “Match” designation (I asked this question on The High Road Forum and the consensus of opinion by a very well educated group of respondents was that there was no generally accepted industry standard) or what makes this Para Ordnance barrel different from any other; however I know that I like this pistol quite a bit.
Let’s see the targets.

All distance targets shot with 115 grain Full Metal Jacket Ammunition:
21 feet

31 feet


50 feet

75 feet

All defensive ammo fired from a range of 21 feet:
Speer 124 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point ammo


Federal 124 grain Hydra Shok Hollow Point ammo








Magtech Guardian Gold 114 grain Jacketed Hollow Point + P ammo

Remington Golden Sabre 124 grain Jacked Hollow Point + P ammo


Corbon 115 grain Jacked Hollow Point + P ammo

The Para Ordnance PDA is everything I hoped it be. It is the most expensive pistol in the quartet being reviewed, but function and accuracy is great...and what else do you ask for?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Sweet Carryin’ 9s—A Four Part Series and a Tough Assignment

In this quad report we will look at four excellent carrying 9mm pistols, the Walther PPS, Para Ordnance PDA, SIG P239, and the Smith & Wesson CS9.












Although small, they are a tad too large for pocket carry, but are all excellent candidates for a concealment belt holster especially one of the inside-the-waistband varieties as they all have slide widths of about one inch or less.

We’ll start this series with the Walther PPS.
This pistol was introduced last fall with the typical amount of fanfare that a new firearm gets; appealingly slick magazine ads and plenty of positive ink in the mainstream gun press. However I wanted nothing to do with it. It seemed to be trying to fill the squeaky tight gap between the small baby Glock and the smaller Kel-Tec PF9 or Rohrbaugh 9mm. Gun dealers kept pushing it at me but I deemed it to be just a little too large for pocket carry (which was my primary mode of carry at the time), I did not like the finish, I did not like the profile, I did not like it’s looks, I did not like the texture of the polymer; I almost went into a vintage Dr. Seuss rant:
I would not shoot this little gun,
I would not shoot it, it would not be fun.
I would not take it if it was free,
I would not take it it’s not for me.
I do not care if it doesn’t jam,
I do not want it, Sam I Am.

Well a couple of weeks ago another dealer pushed a newer model at me that had a two-tone finish, (black steel slide, and blue/grey polymer frame) that appeared more ascetically pleasing to me. The polymer texture felt better than what was on the “first edition” models (although I would doubt if there was too much of a difference in their chemical make-up). The pistol is supplied with two backstrap options and when I first picked it up I did not like the ergonomic feel; it had the straight backstrap attached and the shorter 6 round magazine. The salesperson put the arched backstrap on and slid in the 7 round magazine with the finger extension on it. Now my whole hand could grip the pistol and the arched backstrap made it a natural pointer for me. Back home to the safe I went to find something that was out of rotation and prime fodder for a trade and back to the gun shop I went the next day.

Here are the specs:
Length: 6.3"

Height: 4.4"
Overall Width: .91"
Barrel Length: 3.2"
Sight Radius: 5.4"
Weight (with Mag): 22.3 oz.
Action: Striker Fire Double Action, Pre-Cocked
Trigger Pull: 6.1 lbs.

The PPS is deliciously slim making inside the waist band carry a breeze. There is no difference between the width of the slide and the width of the grips frame with both measuring a scant .91 inches. My fear with this pistol was that the thin grip would provide some painful recoil into the web of my hand like the Kahr P9 had done years ago. The PPS did not do this. Another plus for the PPS is that all of the checkering, serrations, ridges and other things molded into the grip of the pistol worked well to keep it from moving in my hand during recoil without shredding the skin from the web between my thumb and trigger into a pile that resembled grated parmesan ala the Kahr.


The specs on the trigger pull put it at 6.1 pounds and that is spot on with the 6 pull average I got from my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge. The PPS has the lightest trigger pull of the four pistols being examined in this series. The trigger is just a little gritty, but not to the point where it causes any problems at all, in fact it is really only noticeable if I fired the PPS after shooting something with an ultra smooth trigger.

The sights are easy to see for such a small pistol and are of the standard 3 dot variety, adjustable for windage only. My only complaint is that they are not night sights.

As with all modern centerfire Walther polymer pistols, the PPS has an ambidextrous magazine release attached at the bottom of the trigger guard; the shooter can use either their thumb or trigger finger to work the magazine release lever.

I personally find that my trigger finger works the best for me as I do not need to change my grips to activate the lever and drop the mag. Using my thumb would require me to shift the grip in my hand.


This pistol also has a loaded chamber and cocking indicator which is a red post at the rear face of the slide which is visible when the pistol is loaded and cocked.

I have fired 400 rounds of Mag Tech and Remington UMC 115 grain FMJ ammo and 50 rounds of defensive hollowpoint ammunition; the PPS has been absolutely reliable with no failures to feed or failures to eject.

Let’s go to the targets:
All targets were fired upon with Mag Tech or Remington 115 grain FMJ ammo unless otherwise noted.

Two from 21 feet:


Two from 31 feet

50 Feet

75 Feet --And this seemed to be a stretch for both the pistol and my abilities.

Speer 124 Grain Gold Dot Hollow Point ammo fired at 21 feet.

Speer 115 Grain Gold Dot Hollow Point ammo fired at 21 feet.

Buffalo Bore 115 grain +P+ JHP ammo fired at 21 feet.

Hornady 124 grain JHP/XTP ammo fired at 21 feet.



The MSRP on the PPS is $699 which seems a little pricey for a polymer pistol, but probably has something to do with the position of the dollar against the German Deutschmark. Nonetheless, I like this pistol. If Walther can have Daniel Craig brandish one in the next James Bond film, the PPS will become hard to find.

Average Joe is a proud contributor to the Shot Show Podcasts which can be found at http://theshotshow.us.tf/.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

AVERAGE JOE IS NOW ON THE AIR

Average Joe has joined The Shot Show Podcast as a contributor of handgun reviews. Doc Wesson, who produces the show, has invited me to be a part of his broadcasts every other episode to provide my perspective on the handguns that I have reviewed.


Please stop by, download, and take a listen to the program that Doc puts together. Doc reports on gun related news and offers his commentary, along with with interviewing different guests of interest. This is a very professional produced Podcast and I am honored to contribute to it.

The Podcast can be found at: http://theshotshow.us.tf/


Sunday, July 06, 2008

Coming Soon: Sweet Carryin' 9s--a four part review comparing the Walther PPS, Sig P239, Smith & Wesson CS9, and the Para Ordnance PDA