Average Joe's Handgun Reviews

Vintage Llama .380 ACP

2012-01-22T21:30:00.002-06:00

I've got a lot to try and squeeze in here so sit back, relax, and scroll slowly.

The right shoulder is still in recovery mode and I am despondent over the reality that the complete rehabilitation will take almost a year. I am starting over in terms of gaining range of motion and strength back in the arm. Everything that I can do with the arm has to be retrained. The surgery was 90 days ago and my penmanship is terrible. I have written some notes that I cannot later decipher. I am also told that when I am able to pick up a pistol again I will find that my shooting skills will have deteriorated greatly as well.

I am trying to find the silver lining in this dark cloud and figure it is two thing:

1. I will have the opportunity to retrain and perhaps lose any bad habits developed over the years.

2. It has forced me to really concentrate on shooting with my weak hand. At this point shooting with only the left hand is literally all I can do.

When I finally accepted that left handed shooting was going to be all I could do for a year I realized that I was going to have to leave the .45s and .40s in the safe for the time being. I needed to focus on fundamentals with smaller calibers and work my way up to my cherished .45 ACP.

Llama .380 ACP

Rummaging around in the deep recesses of my safe I found two long forgotten pistols that are perfect for this challenge and this article focuses on the first one which is the Llama .380 ACP. I purchased this pistol in a small shop when I was in college in 1977. It was on consignment for $79.00 if I remember correctly. At the time I was drawn to it because of its resemblance to a 1911 which was not affordable at that time in my life. I also thought the completely unnecessary ventilated rib across the top of the frame lent a Colt Python coolness to it. I was able to negotiate it down a few dollars more and briefly cherished it until I took it to the range. This was my first semi-automatic pistol having only owned two revolvers prior to this purchase. I was a novice shooter at that time and I blamed the poor accuracy on the pistol. I was sure it was the pistol and not the lack of practice (my training schedule was to shoot about half a box of ammo twice a year at that point). Also the Llama would not feed hollowpoint ammunition and, quite frankly, in 1977 there was not a plethora of .380 JHP ammo to be found.

Fast forward to today when I needed to build up my weak handed shooting skills and I realized that the neglected Llama would be the perfect platform to begin with. It is large enough to fit my hand well and handle the recoil (what recoil there is) of the .380 cartridge. I also suspected two other things:

1. I would probably find that the past 34 years of retirement in the safe would actually have improved the accuracy of the Llama. (It might also have something to do with the fact that I had matured as a shooter.)

2. While it would not feed hollowpoint ammo in 1977 it just might be completely reliable with Hornady's Critical Defense load.

I must be psychic as I was correct on both points.

Back to the Llama

Llama was established in 1904 in Spain and manufactured firearms up until 2005. In 1992 they went bankrupt and eventually 60 employees reorganized the structure, arranged new financing and operated Llama as a cooperative. For many years Stoeger was their exclusive importer into the US and this pistol bears the Stoeger imprint.

There were several firearms manufacturers in Spain however Llama was at the lower end of scale in terms of fit and finish.

This 1911 Government Model clone takes down just like a John Browning original with the exception that the barrel does not require a movable link and the slide release lever stakes the barrel in place.

The fit and finish on this specimen is not bad on the exterior but the interior is, in a word, rough. Hopefully this photo will allow you to see all the tool marks on the interior of the slide.

The slide to frame fit is very gritty and trying to clean the inside of the slide is a frustrating process. Anything you use to wipe across the interior will catch and leave fiber strands. Cotton clothes, flannel clothes, silicon cloths, gun swabbing patches, and Mil-Spec oil soaked towelettes all get shredded by the sharp edges left inside the slide.

I also think that the frame mounted safety needs some work. As this is at least a forty year old pistol it is quite possible that the spring needs to be replaced. I remember quite well that the safety used to snap into place with a very positive "click" and stayed there until you very intentionally pushed it down. Now my confidence in it is not as sharp and I began carrying it with the hammer down. If needed I figured that thumbing back the hammer was not going to be that much slowed than releasing the safety (as long as I remembered to do it).

All in all that is about the only negative to this little long forgotten pistol. The trigger has some minor, light take-up before breaking cleanly at 4.8 pounds. The sights are all black and small but completely usable with the rear sight being adjustable for lateral point of impact.

Let's take a look at the targets. Now I will remind you that these are all shot using the left hand only and I was quite pleased that they weren't any worse than they what you see

Here's 36 rounds of PMC 90 grain FMJ ammo fired at 21 feet:

Here's 50 round of Sellier and Bellot 90 grain FMJ fired at 21 feet

And last but certainly not least 8 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense Ammo

I am really happy how well I was able to shoot the Critical Defense load. While a .380 is the bare minimum of defensive calibers it is good to know that I can leverage the accuracy and expansion that the Critical Defense load offers.

So, what have we learned by all of this! Well I can think of two things:

1. We should put more practice into shooting weak-handed before something happens that makes it mandatory.
2. If you have old handguns tucked away in the dark recesses of your safe because you weren't happy with them you just might want to go back, clean them up, and see if something has changed in your shooting style that improves their performance.

2011 in Review, 2012 Predictions, and My Brief Wish List for the New Year

2011-12-31T23:37:00.001-06:00

Trends in 2011

Small kept getting smaller. A few short years ago the trend was to make a .380 pistol in the size of a .25 ACP handgun. Kel-tech did it followed by Ruger, Magnum Research, Taurus, Diamondback and others. 2011 saw gun makes try to take this one step further and shrink the 9mm pistol down to true pocket pistol size. Kimber came out with the Solo which did not work for me even though the pistol went back to the factory a couple of time.

I get people who write me telling me that their Solo works just fine but I still get just as many who contact me and say that their Solo doesn’t work. On the one hand I feel like a cheating husband writing this because I love Kimber’s 1911 pistols, but on the other hand I kind of feel like they are the beloved wife that doesn’t listen when you have a real problem. What I find amazing is that the mainstream firearms press ignores the fact that a good deal of the people who purchased a Solo are reporting problems that can’t seem to be fixed. It would be great it they reported on this, Kimber acknowledged it, and the magazines later gave us the "all clear" when the issues were corrected. I would love to have one of these but I can't see spending that much money to risk getting one that doesn't work. Although it doesn’t take much to understand that the magazine writers and editors reluctance is probably based upon the fact that Kimber is a prime advertiser in most gun magazines buying prime real estate on either the back or inside front cover in most magazines. Another thing that baffles me is the number of gun magazine writers who talk about the similarities between the Solo and the 1911. What? It's striker-fired and has a hinged trigger...those are pretty major differences from the 1911.

Sub-compact pocket 9mm’s were successfully fielded by Diamondback with their DB9, Ruger and their LC9, Beretta’s Nano, and SIG’s P290.

Smith & Wesson continued their string of coming late to the party (they followed Ruger into the polymer small-framed revolver market and just as every other manufacturer was designing a pocket 9mm Smith & Wesson brings out their pocket .380). Six years after Taurus introduced their .410/45 Colt revolver, which continues to be the sales leader for Taurus, Smith realized that it wasn’t going to be just a passing fad, jumped on the bandwagon and introduced their near look-a-like revolver calling it the Governor.

The median price on Guns America for the Judge is $450 while the Governor is averaging $664. I know that the Governor will also take the .45 ACP but I am not sure that feature will drive people away from the established Taurus Judge so that they can spend an extra $214 on the Governor.

Smith & Wesson has gone from being a leader in the firearms industry to a follower. My suggestion? They should talk to their customers and find out what they want. Ruger listened and came out with the compact SR9C. SIG listened and came out with the P238 which appealed to the customer base that wanted a small pocket .380 and wanted one with "class".

2012

Here’s what my crystal ball tells me is in store for 2012. While the 100 year anniversary of the 1911 is over this will not stop Kimber, Springfield, Wilson, and NightHawk from introducing new pistols to excite the 1911 shooter.

The rush to miniaturize will continue as manufacturers push the point of diminishing returns and try to stuff .40 caliber cartridges in pistols whose size was once reserved for .25 or .32 ACP handguns. I am eagerly awaiting to see what is going to be done to produce the pocket .45. The opening salvo had been fired by Heizer Defense with their Double Tap 2 shot .45 ACP pistol.

Taurus and Kel-Tec will continue to introduce firearms that only the mainstream gun writers will ever see. Has anyone seen the Taurus DT Hybrid or DT Integral?

Has anyone seen the Taurus 9mm Carbine?

Kel-Tech probably holds the record for introducing firearms at the SHOT show that no one will ever see. Maybe we should put the some of the Kel-Tec firearms on milk cartons and amber alerts so find out if anyone has ever seen the PMR .22 Magnum,

the KSG Shotgun,

The SU 22 Carbine

or the RFB (Rifle, Front Ejecting Bullpup) in 7.62MM Nato?

And where are the Boberg 9mm pistols that used to be all the buzz when other gun companies were still trying to figure out who could make a small .380?

My fear is that Boberg, which is a very intelligent design, will be left behind as customers can actually find the DB 9mm and Ruger LC9’s.

And I eagerly await Charter Arms 9mm and .45 ACP revolvers. Oh, please let the .45 ACP have a three inch barrel! Please! Please!

My Want List

For any manufacturer who cares here’s my wish list:

I would like for Kimber to get the Solo to work and to actually enlarge it to the size of the Colt Pocket Hammerless

(Can you make me one of these in a 9mm?)

and I would like for Glock to make a single stack 9mm on both the compact and baby frames but I want them to start with a fresh sheet of paper and really re-design the frames around the size of the cartridge. I want thinner. And I would also like them with a stainless slide treated with Tennifer but otherwise left the color of the bare steel.

So, there you have it; my take on 2011, my predictions for 2012, and my wishes for 2012. I wish all of you a healthy and prosperous new year.

Kimber Super Carry Pro .45 ACP

2011-12-18T21:54:00.000-06:00

In my realm of shooting handguns and writing about shooting handguns there are seasons of the monsoon and seasons of drought. By that I mean there are times when I have the opportunity to shoot more new handguns than I have time to write about, this would be the monsoon. But there are also long periods of drought when there is nothing new that I can afford, nothing new in the rental case at the range, nothing new that my friends have acquired, and just simply nothing new coming into the guns shops. During the monsoon season I try to at least photograph the handguns and targets that I don't have time to write about and save them for the drought season. The only problem is that much of the time when the drought hits I go back and look at the cataloged photos and cannot remember what I liked and disliked about those firearms or at least I can't remember enough to write anything interesting.

Knowing that I wanted to hold something back to write about while recovering from shoulder surgery I selected the one pistol that I knew I could never forget about, the Kimber Super Carry Pro. Now, before I go any further I know, from reading their comments on various handgun forums, that there is a contingent of the population who strongly dislikes Kimber and their pistols. With a broad brush they paint a picture of extreme reliability issues. To them I would say: "Don't bother to write me because I am not going to post your comments". Since 2003 I have owned 7 other Kimber pistols in a wide variety of lengths (2 Ultra length, 3 Pro length, and 2 full-sized pistols) and have never had a moment of problem with them. Because of the tight tolerances on which they are built the Kimber 1911's require a lengthy break-in period. I believe that the Kimber manual on most of mine have stated that 700 need to be fired to consider it properly broken in. I know that's a lot, but it's the price you pay for Kimber level accuracy and the tight tolerance required break-in period is standard for just about every premium 1911 on the market. That being said I have never had to hit the 700 round mark to gain full reliability. I think many of the nay-sayers just haven't given their Kimber the full number of break-in rounds before throwing in the towel.

But let's get back to this marvelous pistol. The Kimber Super Carry is an attractive pistol with a black Kim Pro II finish on the stainless steel slide which is masterfully married to the matte silver Aluminum frame. However, the first thing you'll likely notice is the rounded mainspring housing at the heel of the pistol grip.

This drew me to the pistol like a moth to a light bulb. This is the perfect evolution of the Bobtail Cut that Ed Brown pioneered about a decade ago. The angular Bobtail Cut was then licensed to other manufacturers and began to show up on NightHawk and Dan Wesson pistols. Even Wilson licensed the design for a year or so. The rounded grip profile on the Super Carry is less likely to print through your cover garment and is also less likely to catch on your outer garment when drawing the pistol from concealment. It also makes the already ergonomically friendly 1911 grips feel even better in your hand and, as Mike Meyer's alter ego "Fat Bastard" says in the "Austin Powers" films, it's "dead sexy".

The grips are made of a wood and Micarta laminate and although I don't completely understand their construction, the execution is magnificent. Frequently I will determine that I need to make an upgrade on the grips of a newly acquired 1911 but I would not touch the grips on the Super Carry. The wood and Micarta laminate look fantastic, they feel terrific, and they helped keep the pistol anchored in hand during shooting.

Along with the contoured grip frame Kimber has also performed a "carry melt" treatment to round off any squared or sharp edges on the pistol to enhance the concealment, drawing, and handling capabilities of the pistol.

(Note the rounded contours along where the top strap meets the side of the frame. The rear sights also show that the sharp edges have been rounded off)

As seen in the third photo (above) the standard slide serrations have been replaced with an attractive fish scale or snake skin pattern. This unusual pattern has also been adapted for the back strap:

The front strap

And Top Strap

Also atop the slide are a set of Meprolight night sights. Although nicely rounded the rear sight does sport the cocking shelf (see third photo from the top) that Kimber first began putting on their now discontinued SIS model.

Checking under the hood found a match-grade 4 inch bushingless barrel hand-fitted to the slide. The traditional "Commander length" pistol has a barrel of 4.25 inch to which I say "why"? I have no idea of Colt's reasoning when they decided to make a smaller, easier to carry 1911, and determined the correct way to do it was to lop 3/4 of an inch off the barrel of their 5 inch barreled 1911 Government model. I have always wondered why not just take an inch off and make it that much more easier to conceal and carry. Regardless, Kimber has remedied my concern by putting a 4 inch barrel on their "Commander Length" Pro Series pistols. Also looking under the hood revealed my one and only complaint; the full length guide rod. There is no evidence around that indicates that a full length guide rod provides greater reliability or accuracy. There is however, plenty of anecdotal evidence that indicates that the full length guide rod makes it more difficult to take apart.

Time for Targets

If you like to shoot one ragged holes in your targets a quality 1911 like the Kimber Super Carry is the answer to your desires.

This is the first 5 rounds fired through the Super Carry. The load is MagTech 230 grain ball ammo fired at 21 feet:

Next I loaded up two magazines and let 16 rounds fly at the same distance:

I only had one brand of defensive ammo with me that day and it was a good one: Hornady TAP 230 grain +P JHP ammo and it was so much fun I parted with a full box of 25 rounds

Not having an extended time to spend with the Super Carry I wanted to move straight out to 25 yards and see how I fared with it. I am not a good shot beyond 45 feet so 75 is always a stretch.

So here's 25 rounds of MagTech ammo at 75 feet:

And another 75 foot target shot at with 33 rounds:

The pistol is competition capable, the shooter (me) is not. However man sized targets would be in danger.

Every shooter ought to have a really nice 1911 in their battery. The Kimber Super Carry (which will set you back anywhere from $1,200 to $1,500 bucks) is about as nice as you can get without going to the boutique production houses and paying a minimum of $2,200 to $3,000 for a similar pistol. I wish that you all would find a really nice 1911 in your Christmas stocking this year.

Console Vault Vehicle Safe--UPDATED 12/02/2011 with CV Coupon Code

2011-11-27T19:20:00.001-06:00

I had intended to write a couple of articles about my ongoing intent to polish my left-handed shooting technique but an item has come to my attention that must be written about right away as it is the perfect gift for the concealed carry permit holder and it is the Console Vault.

Everyone who carries a concealed weapon, outside of law enforcement officers, has encountered a situation where they were carrying their handgun and had to go to a location which was exempted from their local concealed carry statutes such as a school or government building and many of you live in states where your employer can bar you from carrying your weapon at work but cannot restrict you from leaving it in your vehicle. There are also those, whom I don't quite understand, that have a concealed carry permit but prefer to keep it stashed in their car rather than on their person. Well, the console vault (www.consolevault.com 800-878-1369) is the answer to our collective needs.

I am not a believer in locking my pistol in the glove box or stashing it in the unlocked console. Similarly I do not want to be seen putting it in the trunk and advertising for any observers (casual or otherwise) that it is there. There are too many risks involved here as someone could break into the trunk or car and steal the pistol. Additionally, I have teenage drivers at home. If I forget to remove the pistol from the glove compartment or console I run the risk that they will find it and while my teens have been well trained in the safe handling of firearms and know to leave it alone I cannot vouch for everyone of their friends who might be the person in the car that discovers the handgun.

Well, the good people at Console Vault have us covered. The console vault is a heavy duty, professional security vault that fits into the console of most trucks and SUVs. It is not something that you are going to find in your big box discount store and it is not neither cheap in materials and manufacture nor in price. Premium security never is and premium security plus peace of mind is what the console vault delivers. The Console Vault is made of heavy duty 12 gauge cold rolled plate steel with bank vault style hinged lock pins and drill resistant locks. The vault comes with either a high security barrel key lock or a key-less combination lock. They are also proudly made in the USA.

The vaults are custom designed and fitted to the individual vehicle make and model and have a very exact fit into the console. It fits snugly into the console and has two mounting holes and long steel screws that affix it very securely to the console's bolts.

The mounting holes can be seen in the top right and left hand corner of the above photograph of the bottom of the vault.

Bolt holes as seen from the interior of the vault. Between the tight fit of the vault in the console coupled with the mounting bolts you can feel safe that no one is going to be able to easily snatch the vault out of your vehicle.

I opted for the vault with the key-less combination lock. Once you have input the proper three digit number you merely twist the combination lock itself to clear the locking bolts. The spring assisted door then easily opens to reveal your handgun or any other valuable you may be transporting.

The vault comes with a felt liner which is OK but I would add a piece of egg crate foam for more cushion and to reduce the amount of sliding that the pistol may do as you round corners or stop. If you're like me then you probably have several old pistol or long arm cases you are no longer using from which you can cut an appropriately sized piece of foam.

As you can see, there is plenty of room for a full-sized pistol (even though I am showing a compact model), holster, extra ammunition, tactical knife and flashlight.

Once the console lid is closed no one can tell that the console vault is inside.

I would urge you to check out their website to see if they have a console vault for your vehicle and to also look at their line-up of portable vaults and discrete wall safes. Their wall safes are ingenious, one of which is disguised as an electrical panel and the other has a magnetic cover which can be painted to match your wall making the safe fairly invisible.

The console vaults run about $269.00 which is not inexpensive but well worth the money for the quality of product that you are receiving. I consider this this an essential accessory for the responsible concealed carry owner. If you contact the people at Console Vault please mention that you were referred by Average Joe.

Since writing this post on Sunday I have had the opportunity to correspond with Tom Duengel, the founder and president of Console Vault. I was surprised to find out that this company has been in business for 11 years. Perhaps the reason that the Average Joe is not familiar with them is because a large chunk of Console Vault's business is done with federal agencies such as the FBI, Border Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals as well as many state, county, and municipal police departments.

Tom explained to me that he began to focus on the consumer market after reading a government report which indicated that half of all guns stolen in the U.S. are stolen from the owner's vehicles and he knew his company could provide gun owners with a safe and secure way to store a weapon in their car or truck. They pride themselves in customizing their vaults specifically for the individual vehicle and designing mounting points so that the vault is securely attached to the vehicle's sub frame. Tom also explained that they build their products to tolerances equivalent to aerospace industry standards. I can certainly attest to the fit of the moving parts in the vault and it's exact fit into the Dodge Ram's console. Even without mounting it to the sub frame its fit in the console was so exact that you would have a difficult time removing it.

When I first took my console vault out of the box I wondered why they did not use electronic key pads with digital readout screens like the one on my big floor safe. Tom explained that they ruled out the use of any locking devices that were powered by either the vehicle's battery or a self contained battery pack. As Tom put that in perspective for me I realized that having mechanical locks eliminated the risk of the vault not opening due to a drained battery. Murphy's law always strikes at the worst time and I could envision a scenario when the vault would not open when I needed to access my firearm leaving me to wonder "when was the last time I changed the batteries in the vault".

Lastly Tom mentioned that they are always designing new covert products like their line of wall safes for the home or office. He further told me that they love to hear from their consumers about any design enhancements they would like to see or ideas for new products. Console Vault is also interested in hearing from Average Joe's readers. So much so that they are giving us a $10 discount off the price of any Console Vault product. All you have to do is enter the code AVGJOE10 in the coupon code box on the checkout screen or, if you are ordering via the telephone (800-878-1369) you can just mention the code and the operator will make sure you get $10 off the product of your choice. Couple the $10 discount with the free shipping that Console Vault is offering during the month of December and you have a pretty sweet deal on a pretty great product.

Charter Arms Pit Bull Chambered in .40 S&W

2011-11-16T21:39:00.000-06:00

Despite my shoulder surgery I had to get back into the range. Two of my favorite pastimes are shooting and writing about shooting. So I have been occasionally easing myself back into the range and shooting with my weak hand only since the surgery was done on my dominant side. Since it will be close to a year before I get full use of my right arm again it is time to get serious about shooting with the weak hand. Yeah, I have shot left-handed before but only enough to get through whatever shooting class I was taking. I have never been that serious about it...until now. All that being said the .40 caliber Pit Bull short barreled revolver was not exactly the handgun to re-introduce myself to weak-handed shooting so I enlisted the assistance of one of the Range Officers at Bill's to shoot it while I observed and documented his reaction to the various loads I had available.

First off the arrival of the Charter Arms .40 Pit Bull begs answers to a couple of obvious questions, the first one being why chamber a revolver in .40 Smith & Wesson which is a semi-auto round? I can think of a couple of reasons for that:

1. Ammo variety and availability. The shelves at most sporting goods and guns shops are chocked full of .40 caliber semi- auto ammo; revolver rounds...not so much. Also the .40 S & W round is manufactured in a plethora of different bullet weights with a variety of velocities. Anywhere from Federal Guard Dog's very light 115 grain round up through weights of 135, 155, 165, and 180 grains with speeds that begin just north of 900 feet per second to those that close in on 1400 feet per second.

2. Compromise of power and handling. Most small defensive revolvers are chambered for the .38 special or .357 Magnum rounds. The .38 Special is not an impressive performer especially in short barreled handguns. Many loads just do not expand. The 158 grain +P load has a good reputation but I rarely can find it anywhere except online. If you move up to the .357 Magnum you will find them to be pretty punishing to practice with even in an all steel snub nosed revolver. The .40 S&W will give good performance without being as punishing to fire as a .357 Mag.

Then comes the question of why you would bother to chamber a revolver in .40 S&W when Glock, Kahr, and a host of other manufacturers produce small semi-automatic .40 caliber pistols which all hold more than five rounds of ammo. This is not quite as easy a question to answer but there are some people who just prefer revolvers to semi-auto pistols. Additionally, there may be times when you don't want a handgun to be spiting out shell casings. When you hear the front door come crashing in at 2 AM do you really want to be chucking hot brass onto the floor when you're barefoot?

The Charter Pit Bull is not the first revolver to accept a semi-automatic cartridge but the great innovation of this revolver is that it can chamber and extract the rimless semi-automatic round without the use of moon clips. This is made possible because Charter has developed a dual coil spring assembly in the extractor which allows you to load, retain, and extract rounds from the cylinder.

The dual spring assembly appear as a small tab sitting just inside the chamber for each round. Loading the rounds does take a little effort. Because the spring loaded tab protrudes into the chamber the cartridges do not just fall into the cylinder. Loading is not difficult but you do have to deliberately push each round in so that the round depresses the spring loaded tab. Once the round is all the way in the tab snaps back in place and firmly holds the round in the chamber. The tab holds each bullet firmly in place so that they won't fall out even if the cylinder is turned upside down. Unloading is accomplished by swinging open the cylinder and depressing the extractor rod. Due to the short length of the semi-auto casing the brass is ejected cleanly.

The Pit Bull revolvers, like all Charter Arms handguns, are completely American made and offer a strong, one piece stainless steel frame. All Charter Arms barrels are manufactured with 8 grooves rather than 6. This should squeeze as much velocity out of each round as a snub nosed revolver can possibly produce. In order to save a little weight the trigger guard is made of aluminum. I found the trigger pull to be better than most other small framed handguns on the market. The pull was very smooth and the double action pull came in at 10 pounds 15 ounces while the single action pull broke at 4 pounds 4 ounces. With most small revolvers the double action trigger pull is so heavy that it exceeds the 12 pound measurable limit on my Lyman digital gauge. I have had some snub nosed revolvers which were given trigger jobs and new springs and the pull still exceeded 11 pounds.

The frame is made of 415 Stainless Steel with a matte finish. The grips are finger grooved rubber and wrap around the back strap. The grips are checkered and give the shooter a more than sufficient hold on the handgun. The grips are relatively flat; I may try a pair of Pachmayr compact grips to better fill out my hand. The barrel is 2.3 inches in length and, as most other small revolvers, the Pit Bull has a capacity of 5 rounds. The sights are fixed with the rear u-shaped notch being nicely squared off and wide enough to easily see the serrated and ramped front sight. There are no night sights, dots, bars, or fiber optic pipes installed in these sights. If you so desire you can get Crimson Trace Laser Grips if you need an artificial light source. While I am a firm believer in night sights I can attest to the fact that I did not have any problem seeing the front sight and, being ramped, the ambient light hitting the front sight gave it sufficient contrast with the rear sight. The Pit Bull weighs in at and even 20 oz. making it a tad lighter than some of it's rival such as the Smith & Wesson Model 640 which weighs 23 ounces or Taurus 605S which tips the scales at 24 ounces.

Shooting the Pit Bull

As I mentioned at the beginning I needed assistance from the Range Officer to actually shoot meaningful targets. Below is the one targets I shot weak-handed at 21 feet with MagTech 180 grain FMJ ammo.

I think the target shows that I am still dangerous shooting left-handed however the target is probably not a good representation of the performance of the revolver when the operator is shooting with the dominant hand using a two-hand hold.

The recoil from the Pit Bull seemed to me to be less than that of a .38 Special +P. Saying that I have to admit that it has been a long time since I have fired a .38 Special +P round out of anything other than lightweight alloy framed revolvers. The CorBon Pow 'R Ball 135 ammunition was the only exception. The range officer explained that it was more along the lines of .357 Magnum recoil.

In this first target the Range Officer used up the left over MagTech 180 grain FMJ ammo shooting at 35 feet.

From this point forward the Range Officer fired the remnants of every brand, bullet weight, and bullet type that I had sitting in my ammo locker. Most of the boxes had between 4 and 7 rounds in them. Because some of the rounds were fired for grouping on blank white paper a Quarter has been placed on the paper in order to give a better frame of reference for the group size.

Federal 165 grain JHP Personal Defense ammo

Hornady TAP 180 grain JHP

Hornady 180 grain XTP

MagTech Guardian Gold 180 grain JHP

CorBon Pow 'R Ball 135 grain (4 rounds)

Remington Golden Sabre 165 grain JHP

Speer 180 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point

Winchester 180 grain JHP

Winchester Bonded 165 grain JHP

I would tend to call this a preliminary review of the Charter Pit Bull and I say that because I really want to shoot this revolver when my dominant side has fully recovered. I am anxious to see how it really performs for me and see what tweaking can be done to make it perform even better.

I also look forward to the fact that in 2012 Charter is saying they will release one or two more revolvers chambered for semi-automatic rounds with the calibers being 9mm and .45 ACP. Both intrigue me as they are very popular rounds. I am also very interested to see how much larger of a revolver they will make to handle the .45 ACP and whether or not a variety of barrel lengths will be offered. A three inch .45 ACP would make an excellent personal protection revolver.

Recuperating From Shoulder Surgery

2011-10-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

I am currently recuperating from shoulder surgery and will be several weeks before there will be any new postings. In the meantime I invite you to read or re-read some of my favorite past postings about some of my favorite handguns or other topics.

A Gun Won't Solve All of Your Problems

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/gun-will-not-solve-all-your-problems.html

The Importance of Training

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/04/importance-of-training-last-summer.html

Fun Six Guns and Fighting Six Guns

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2006/07/in-this-edition-fun-six-guns-and.html

Smith & Wesson Model 15 Combat Masterpiece

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2006/10/smith-wesson-could-not-keep-up-with.html

A Good Revolver

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2007/02/good-revolver-back-in-early-80s-i.html

Colt Model 1908 .380

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2007/09/vanity-project-completed-colt-model.html

SIG P220 Carry Elite

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2007/09/sig-p220-carry-elite-firm-of.html

Browning High-Power

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2008/04/browning-hi-power-legend-has-it-that.html

Taurus OSS

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2008/05/big-boy_23.html

SIG P6

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/sig-sauer-p6-militarypolice-version-of.html

Smith & Wesson Competition Pistols

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/smith-wesson-competition-pistols-in.html

and

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/smith-wesson-competition-pistols-part.html

SIG P250

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/sig-p250-9mm-pistol-sig-model-p250-may.html

Walther PPK and PPKS

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/01/name-is-joe-average-joe-examination-of.html

Nighthawk Ladyhawk

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/pair-of-sexy-9s-part-i-nighthawk-lady.html

CZ 75 Polished Stainless

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/cz-75b-in-polished-stainless-part-ii-of.html

Taurus PT709

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/07/taurus-pt-709-slim-9mm-i-know-that-i.html

STI Rogue 9mm

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/sti-rogue-9mm-let-me-cut-to-chase.html

Glock Model 36

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/05/glock-model-36.html

Glock Model 38

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/glock-model-38.html

SIG 1911 RCS

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2010/04/sig-1911-rcs.html

Kimber RCP

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2010/05/kimber-ultra-rcp-ii-45-acp.html

Glock Model 39

http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/glock-model-39-45-gap.html

SHTF Holster

2011-10-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about producing this blog is that I am starting to meet some really fantastic people who have interesting goods or services to offer. Many of these folks have not yet been discovered by the mainstream gun writing media and it is my pleasure to introduce them to my readers. Such is the case with Clay Moultrie of SHTF Gear (www.shtfgear.com).

SHTF's premiere offering is a hybrid holster made of both leather and Kydex. When I first opened the package and laid eyes on the holster for the compact Glock frame I was concerned that maybe the holster was a little overbuilt for the task at hand. After toting my Glock 23 around in it for two weeks my concerns were soundly abated. This is a professional's holster in every sense of the word professional.

The holster is surprisingly comfortable! The leather backing keeps the pistol from jabbing me in the side and it is also the first tuckable holster I have ever tried where I can easily tuck the shirt in over the holstered handgun. I have several alleged tuckable holsters sitting in my vast drawer of unsued holsters because it is just too much of a pain to try to get the shirt tucked in over them. The SHTF holster now allows me to leverage this extra level of concealment. This is facilitated by the fact that the belt clips are attached to the more flexible leather backing rather than the non-forgiving Kydex portion of the holster.

You can already see from the photographs that the Kydex is attached to the leather backing by the use of metal rivets and stitched Kevlar. It's on there to stay and if you have any problems the holster comes with a lifetime warranty and free replacement belt clips for life if needed. Clay is pretty sure of his product and stands behind it 100%.

About SHTF Gear

Clay Moultrie has been in business just about a year. He decided to get into the holster industry after buying a hybrid holster that was comfortable but quickly developed problems. The first issues concerned the design and functionality of the holster. Clay was carrying a Glock with an extended magazine release and the leather backing of the holster kept activating the release. This could be deadly if you had to present the pistol to meet a threat only to have the magazine fall out. In very short order Clay had to re-install the stock mag release. He also found that the fit of the Kydex and leather backing was so tight that he could not wrap his thumb around the pistol when attempting to draw. In consulting the manufacturer's website he saw that their videos showed the pistols being drawn with the shooters thumb on the striker-plate or rear sight. Obviously in the stress of responding to an actual attack there is always the chance that the shooter might pull the trigger before getting his or her thumb off the rear of the slide. The result might be a broken thumb joint and a dropped pistol rendering the shooter defenseless.

The next concern was regarding the construction of the holster itself. The rivets holding the Kydex to the leather began to weaken and move and eventually the Kydex began to rip. In about six months Clay came to the conclusion that the holster was no longer usable.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

Clay's frustration over the quality and design of this holster gave him the motivation to build a product that overcame the weaknesses he encountered in the holster he had purchased.

Clay has branded his product as the ACE holster which stands for "Always Combat Effective". Clay explained to me this way "The idea is that my holsters are designed to be faster than some of the competition by allowing for a full shooting grip before the weapon is drawn.

Also the cut of my holsters does not block the magazine release which allows the shooter to holster the pistol and perform a one-handed magazine change". [Clay has obviously had some tactical training] Clay also states that his holsters do not inadvertently activate extended magazine releases.

As mentioned earlier Clay constructs his holsters using a combination of hand stitched Kevlar as well as metal rivets. Clay told me "The Kevlar has a break strength of over 100 pounds per stitch. This ensures that you never get a separation between the Kevlar and the leather".

The leather backing is laser cut which allows Clay to offer custom laser engraving on the holster for an extra $10.00. Additionally Clay is working on a design for an outside the waistband holster as well as both inside the waistband and outside the waistband magazine pouches.

I am very happy with this holster and if you are interested in one please visit SHTF Gear's website and tell them that Average Joe sent you. But wait! Clay has offered Average Joe readers $5.00 off their purchase by entering the coupon code "AverageJoe". This offer is good for the next 90 days from the date of this posting. I have to tell you that I am pretty excited at being able to pass along an offer like this to my readers and I really appreciate Clay making it available to us.

Kimber Solo Revisited for the Fourth Time

2011-10-09T19:52:00.001-05:00

I continue to have a plethora of people email me or comment on my Kimber Solo blog review that they have had no problems with their Solo and they love it to pieces. Before I continue to relate the problems with this specimen let me go on record and state that I am a Kimber fan! I have had many of their 1911 pistols and loved them all. I had no reliability problems and they were all the very definition of accuracy. To further go on the record I was awaiting the arrival of the Kimber solo with extreme anticipation. It has the best aesthetics of any pocket 9mm. I mean have you seen the SIG P290, Beretta Nano and others? They are the epitome of ugly. Even my choice for a pocket 9, the Diamondback 9mm, is hardly an attractive pistol. The Kimber Solo is beautiful with a steel slide, aluminum frame, Kimpro finish and no polymer! It bears a fond resemblance to my favorite pistol, the Colt pocket pistols of 1903 and 1908.

So, after all the emails and posts I decided to try it again. Now I've not seen one for sale other than the one at Cliff's in Boise when I was there last week and Cliff was asking $900.00 for it. Here in Minneapolis I know of two gun shops that have received their display models from Kimber but nothing for sale so I have been shooting the display model at Bill's which they put in their rental case. It has been back to Kimber twice, maybe three times and Kimber tells them there is nothing wrong with it. It has been there since March 5th so it has had more than enough rounds through it for the break-in period.

Well not much better luck this time around. The failures to eject are still there.

You can see the nick on the right side of the shell casing where the extractor grabbed it but it did not eject the fired round. Some of the rounds just barely dribbled out of the ejection port. Six rounds out of 50 failed to eject usually, but not always, it was the second to last round in the magazine. That's about a 12% failure rate and way too high for a pistol you're staking your life on.

I decided to switch to what I consider to be the gold standard of 9mm ammunition, the Speer Gold Dot 124 grain hollow point.

The result was worse. 13 out of 13 failures to eject and at that point I stopped; the rounds are just too expensive to fire any more of them. As you can see from the photo above even when no other round is in the magazine the pistol still fails to eject. In fact even when there was no magazine in the pistol it still would not eject the fired round.

I clearly understand that every once in awhile a bad pistol makes it way out of the factory of any manufacturer but this one has been back more than once and they cannot get it to work. I say let the buyer beware on this pistol and that is extremely disappointing from someone who is as big a Kimber fan as I am.

Caracal 9mm Compact

2011-10-03T21:00:00.003-05:00

There are a few pistols that feel like the warm handshake of an old friend when you pick them up: the Browning Hi-Power (with the right grips), the CZ 75, and the SIG P210 (drool, drool) to name a few. Well you can welcome the Caracal line of pistols to your list of friendly grasps as well.

I was delighted to find both the full sized and compact Caracal models on display at Bill's Gun Shop and Range in Robbinsdale, MN. If you're not familiar with the Caracal you'll want to be. For the record Caracal International LLC (a subsidiary of Tawazun Holding Company) manufactures semi-automatic pistols in the United Arab Emirates.

In looking over the Caracal externally you will make an immediate comparison with the Steyr Model M and S pistols and internally you will you will see a resemblance to the Glock line.

There is a good reason for the comparison; Caracal brought Austrian handgun designer Wilhelm Bubits to bring their pistol to life. Even if you are not familiar with Bubits you will probably not be surprised to find out that he worked for Glock before joining Steyr in 1997. There he created the Model M and S pistols before being summoned to Abu Dhabi to head Caracal's research and development team.

After the Caracal pistols were manufactured they were independently tested by the Federal German Armed Forces Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition. They put the pistols through an extensive examination of the strength of the metallurgy all the way through thorough endurance testing, exposure to the elements, reliability, safety, and accuracy. The pistols passed all tests and were approved for used by NATO forces.

To get into the specifications the Caracal pistols are polymer framed with carbon steel slides. Additionally the 9mm Compact model has a capacity of 15 +1 rounds, a 3.67 inch barrel, a slide length of 6.7 inches, a height of 4.8 inches, a width of 1.1 inches, weighs in at 26.1 ounces, sports 2-dot sights and has a trigger pull of 4.14 pounds. All in all in a comparison with the Glock 19 it is a little smaller with a better trigger pull.

The two striking features that immediately draw your eye are the grip frame and the bore axis. The ergonomical grip has a nicely rounded butt with a grip angle of 111 degrees.

What the grip doesn't have are the bothersome finger grooves found on Glock pistols. While they fit some hands very well there are other hands that they don't fit, mine being two of them. The Caracal grip has some nice sized checkering molded into the grip making the finger grooves unnecessary. The pistol also does not have interchangeable back straps to increase or decrease the size of the grip. While this is a welcome addition to the Glock Gen 4 pistols I don't seem to feel that the Caracal needs this feature.

The very low bore axis (similar to the Steyr pistols) holds the barrel and slide about as close to the shooter's hand as possible which allows you to get a very high grip on the pistol.

This reduces muzzle flip which allows for faster recovery time between shots so your follow-up shots can be taken more quickly.

The trigger also contains the inner pivoting trigger safety that keeps the trigger locked until the trigger is fully acquired by the shooter's trigger finger. The trigger pull is lighter than the Glock with just a little take up before engaging the sear and letting off at an average of 4.14 pounds of pressure. The trigger guard is nicely rounded rather than the squared version on the Glock pistol. The squared Glock trigger guard seems to have fallen out of favor as there is a cottage industry of gunsmiths who are making a living customizing the Glock and rounding off the trigger guard. The portions of the frame forward of the trigger guard contains a molded-in accessory rail for mounting tactical lights, lasers, hoop earrings, car keys, holiday tree lights, health club access cards, and a host of other things I do not want hanging off my pistol.

The Caracal sports fixed sights that feature a two-dot sighting system akin to the Heinie Straight Eight sights. These consist of a white dot on the front sight post and a white dot on the bottom of the rear sight groove. You simply stack the front dot on top of the rear dot; it is really quite simple.

I have several friends that don't like the straight eight sights reasoning that they are not built for accuracy. They may have a point; they are built for fast target acquisition under stressful situations not precise "I can take as much time as I want to in order to line up my sights" scenarios. In terms of accuracy please examine the targets posted below and see what you think. The rear sights are an integral part of the striker back plate and thus are not adjustable for windage. With the advances in precision CNC machining the rear sight is exactly in the middle. If your shooting style requires any further adjustments the front sight is dovetailed into the frame and can be drifted (but remember that when adjusting the front sight you move the sight in the opposite direction as your point of impact).

One question that will take some time to answer is how durable the finish will be and can the metal treatment adequately fight off the effects of oxidation. Another hallmark of the Glock pistols is their Tennifer metal treatment. I have seen many slightly abused Glocks for sale in the "used handgun" cases at many gun shops and while the finish may be worn off I have never seen any rust. Obviously this was a part of the German Army testing criteria and one would assume that it passed with flying colors but we will need some time to see how the Caracal pistols age with use. I can tell you that the finish on the frame and slide are a very attractive grayish-olive color that is applied very evenly and has a "slick" appearance to it.

The Caracal disassembles very much like a Glock. Remove the magazine and triple check to make sure that the pistol is empty with no round in the chamber. Pull the trigger. Slip your thumb under the rear of the slide and wrap your hand over the top. Move the slide about 5mm to the rear and, with your other hand, pull down on the slide take-down lever located on the frame just above the trigger. This lever extends to both sides of the frame and you will have to pull down on both sides as you would on a Glock.

The slide then glides off of the frame rails and you can remove the recoil spring and barrel...just as you would a Glock.

While Caracal went to great extreme to remove any sharp edges they did leave three, however they should not be a problem during combat firing. The three sharp edges are all of metal and they are a tab on the front of the magazine, the slide release lever, and the slide take-down lever. While these originally concerned me I have found that they do not play a role during combat shooting.

My fingers and hands do not make contact with the tab on the front of the magazine while conducting combat reloads and I use the sling shot methong of releasing the slide rather than using the slide release lever when charging the pistol.

Of the three sharp edges the least sharp edge is the slide take-down lever and it will only be accessed long after the stress of the shooting has stopped so it won't be a problem either.

So, enough with all this technical blather...let's see what happened on the firing range:

ON TO THE TARGETS

Range Ammo

Two fired at 21 feet with Winchester 115 grain FMC ammo:

Winchester 115 grain FMC ammo fired at 40 feet:

Winchester 115 grain FMC ammo fired at 50 feet:

Magtech 124 grain FMC ammo fired at 75 feet:

Zombie at 25 feet hit with 35 rounds of Magtech ammo:

Defensive Ammo All Shot at 21 Feet

Remington HD Ultimate Home Defense 124 grain Bonded Jacketed Hollowpoint

Speer 124 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point

Speer 124 grain +P GDHP (the +P ammo did show the expected additional recoil but it was not too much of a problem):

HPR 124 grain Jacketed Hollow Point Ammo

Federal Guard Dog 105 grain:

The Guard Dog ammo contains a rubber filler in the cavity inside the round. It is designed to provide maximum expansion and energy dispersal as soon as it hits the target thereby reducing the chance of over penetration or ricochet if the shooter misses their assailant.

Overall everyone who shot the Caracal was impressed including Ana

Who shot it well despite the handicap of the footwear she chose to wear to the range.

Caracal is also producing their pistols in .40 caliber if you find that you can't live with a 9mm pistol. I would love to find one in .40 and see how the low bore axis affects the muzzle flip.

You can probably guess by now that I really like this pistol. The grip shape and angle give it excellent "point-ability". I would only have two requests:

1. Night Sights (which I would imagine will be available sometime in the near future)

2. Dish-Washer Safe (I am waiting for someone to make a pistol that can just be broken down and thrown in the dishwasher for easy cleaning)

Stay safe until next time,
Average Joe

For those who have been asking about who is distributing the pistol I now have that information. It is OMB in Olathe, Kansas:

Rob.Walker@ombguns.com

OMB Guns

15765 South Keeler Street

Olathe, KS 66062

(913) 322-8412

Tales from the Gun Shop

2011-09-29T22:25:00.001-05:00

Last week I was meandering through one of our local big box outdoor stores and as I wandered into the hunting department I noticed a salesperson going above and beyond the call of duty to help a couple of first time handgun buyers. The sales person, who does not receive a commission on what he sells, was doing his best to download his knowledge and expertise however it eventually became clear that not much was sinking in. I got the feeling that the novice buyers were just not listening to the great information that he was offering. After the customers left I struck up a conversation and found that the salesperson, Karl Kirschstein, is the proprietor of Allied Tactical Defense (www.alliedtacticaldefense.com) and an instructor who teaches everything from basic firearms safety to tactical carbine. Now I really felt bad that they two prospective gun buyers passed up the expert information that was being offered to them free of charge.

Upon further discussion I found that Karl and I share a passion for the .45 ACP and fine 1911 handguns. Well, Average Joe wanted to give his readers the opportunity to get some of the information that the two customers passed up and Karl agreed to sit down for an interview so sit back, relax and prepare to hear the tales of the gunshop.

AJ: How old were you when you started shooting and what got you interested?

KK: I was very young. I must have been 7 or 8. I still remember my first BB gun which was a Red Ryder. I can recall my father taking me into town to the hardware store and putting my allowance towards the rifle. My interest was sparked by living on the farm and wanting my own gun to shoot cans and small targets my father would set up for me. Those are fond memories and still think of them often.

AJ: What shooting sports do you participate in?

KK: I have competed in I.D.P.A. (International Defensive Pistol Association) it’s a great organization and wish that we had more chapters locally for shooters to get into the sport. The chapter that I was shooting with is down in Fairbault MN and it is a big time commitment. In addition I also teach Tactical Handgun/Defensive shooting and participate in it as well with a group of clients and friends.

AJ: What got you interested in becoming an instructor?

KK: I have always had a passion for shooting, firearms and their history. I wanted to do something that I have a passion for and this is one of my several passions. For me as an instructor, it is rewarding when the principles and techniques come together and I see my clients deliver rounds on target the way I describe. Also when I see them self correct their old habits while shooting and utilize the steps I have shown them I get that same feeling of accomplishment and reward.

AJ: As an instructor what is your passion?

KK: My passion is gearing up for the range. For me it is much like a fisherman when he has the boat loaded, starts the drive and gets out onto the lake and the motor roars to life to take them to their fishing hole. My excitement starts when I lace up the boots and gear up whether driving to the range for training or heading out to the classroom. I like to get the back stories of clients and why they are interested in training. I like to watch as they become more and more familiar with their firearm and it starts become and extension of themselves as they move and operate with their firearm effectively.

AJ: Aside from being a long time shooter, what training have you had to hone your skills and become an instructor?

KK: I continue to train with other instructors to keep me sharp. I have alliances with other instructors of all levels and we get together to shoot and train. In addition, I keep my credentials current and strive to get additional credentials through the NRA. Also I am a Diamond Lifetime Member at the Frontsight Firearms Institute and I frequently make the trip to the institute for ongoing training.

AJ: Working in the firearms retail industry what are the customers looking for these days?

KK: Many customers are very savvy. The internet has really aided consumers in doing research and looking at reviews of firearms they are interested in. I see many customers looking for pocket guns chambered in .380. Also compact single stack small frame firearms chambered in 9x19. They are also looking for accessories and gear to complete their outfitting for the range. I have seen a swing in many customers spending the extra money and buying one quality firearm. Many who have been through my classes come in looking for 1911s, or higher quality imports.

AJ: Do you sell more handguns, rifles, or shotguns?

KK: Well depending on the season at my retailer, that will tell you what we sell more of. Our sales are up over last year. I have developed a very good following and several customers come in to purchase several different platforms to round out their collection based on what best fits their need. There is a rise in sales for tactical shotgun, and long range rifles. I have my own niche where I work part time. Handgun sales continue to rise. At last count that I checked, myself and other instructors in Minnesota are training between 600 to 800 students per month and the number of “permit to carry holders” continues to rise year after year.

AJ: When the first time personal defense gun buyer comes into the store what is the most common misconceptions that they have and how do you overcome them?

KK: I think the biggest misconception is that they come in and buy a gun and ammo and then think they are good to go. Many of them have just obtained their permit to carry or permit to acquire and had little or no training and believe that they are ready to implement a firearm into their personal protection plan. I cannot even tell you how many times I have been muzzled by customers in the store. Safe handling of a firearm is rule one, loaded or unloaded. There are some very good instructors in the market. That said there is also a long list of subpar folks out there. I urge customers and those thinking of getting trained not to go with the least expensive instructors in town. Owning and carrying a firearm is a huge responsibility; get trained and spend the money with a quality instructor. I say often “would you put your new born in a car seat that you bought for 10 bucks at a garage sale”? Same thing goes for your training and who you choose to take you through the process. [AJ: Amen, and see my take on the importance of training: http://averagejoeshandgunreviews.blogspot.com/2009/04/importance-of-training-last-summer.html]

AJ: If they have no idea what they want, how do you help them make a decision?

KK: I like to “UNPACK” their visit to the store. What I mean by this is that I like to ask them questions and qualify them based on information and their knowledge. I go over price of handguns, cost of ammo for what they are thinking, manufacturers and reliability of them, warranties, and past customers of mine who have purchased similar products. Also I need to know what their budget is and how comfortable they are going over budget for something that is really going to be a better firearm in the long haul for them.

AJ: Please take just a minute and tell the members of our audience who are looking to purchase their first personal defense handgun what they should consider before coming into the gun shop?

KK: There are a few things that I would urge them to think of. The manufacturer and their reputation as well as reliability of the firearm they have interest in. DO they have the proper permit to even purchase their firearm that day? It happens frequently, some are still under the impression that they can come straight in and buy a handgun. That is not the case. The sales person is there to help and is a wealth of knowledge so let them help and educate you.

AJ: Do you give them any post purchase advice?

KK: Yes I do actually talk about post sale training. People buy from people whom they like, and are knowledgeable. Allied Tactical Defense is a full service company. We take students from the infancy stage to whatever level they would like to get to. We have decades of safe shooting experience. We have trained professional athletes, both current and retired, news anchors, Law Enforcement Officers that need a tune up and the every person whom want to be proficient. We develop a curriculum based on the customers’ needs and work with them to achieve their goals. The biggest piece of advice that we tell folks is that if you are going to implement a firearm into your personal protection plan you better shoot monthly, and become good with it. This does not mean just going to the range and pulling the trigger. Working on the skills we teach you, sight alignment, sight picture target acquisition, breathing, trigger prep, pressing the trigger and lastly, follow through. We also teach clients how to carry your firearm, where to carry your firearm, what laws apply to permit to carry holders, malfunction drills, multiple target engagement, and where you can’t carry a firearm in this state. While we are not lawyers, we do teach the law and talk about how each state’s laws are different in carrying a firearm with states that have reciprocity with Minnesota.

AJ: Give us the complete menu of firearms training that you offer.

KK: Allied Tactical Defense offers Permit to Carry, basic pistol, tactical handgun, carbine and weapon transition training with pistol and carbine. Also we will teach you how to properly clean your firearms. We have hourly training rates or package deals for our longer more extensive courses. We are adding courses in the future and have plans for some pretty big things for the shooting community.

AJ: What is the most common misconception or bad habit that novice shooters bring to class with them?

KK: Boy there are a lot of them ranging from improper stance, incorrect grip, poor trigger prep and reset, and unsafe handling of the firearm.

AJ: OK, this is the second time you have used the term “trigger prep” and that might not be something that everyone is familiar with; please tell us what that means.

KK: Certainly, “trigger prep” is taking up the slack in your trigger by pressing straight back. Not pulling sounds the same but is not the case. By taking the slack up in your trigger you get to the point where it releases and sends the round downrange. After the round fires trigger reset is also very important and that is simply the point at which the trigger resets and is ready to fire again. Most beginning shooters think you have to let the trigger all the way out as far as it goes in order for it to reset but that just isn’t the case. For Glock shooters you can really feel it and hear as well. As a 1911 shooter you don’t hear and the feel of it is much less noticeable but it is there and those are also the techniques that I work with my students on.

AJ: Which flashlight technique to you like; FBI method, Neck-hold method, etc?

KK: I teach the offset body technique. If you are in an engagement in the dark and you are holding your flashing in front of you the bad guys are going to typically shoot where the light is. I want the light to be on target and not in front of me. This is also why I am not a fan or lights and laser on firearms, or as I call them “trash and trinkets”. Learn how to shoot your firearm with the front sight. Don’t rely on how to shoot your firearm with “stuff” that uses batteries, the time you might need to use your firearm to defend yourself the batteries may be dead. You are not going to have time like in a video game to reset and figure out how to deploy your firearm.

AJ: What’s the one thing we need to do to improve our shooting, aside from live fire practicing?

KK: Snap caps are a great way of practicing. Please remember not all firearms can be dry fired so check your owner’s manual or call the manufacturer. Trigger control and trigger prep is a key piece of putting rounds on target effectively. Also I will add that you should make sure that you rotate your personal protection ammunition about every 6 to 8 months. It is a big liability. One great thing about rotating your personal protection ammunition is that you can see how your firearm and you react with these types of rounds. Your personal defense round may be loaded to a different pressure and have a different bullet weight than the typical practice round. This will usually mean that your defensive round will have different recoil and point of impact than the range ammo so you need to spend some time practicing with the defensive rounds that you carry in your handgun.

AJ: Any last words for our readers?

KK: Absolutely! Carrying a handgun is a great asset and huge responsibility. You need to know how to effectively and safely operate your firearm. Find a good instructor and get lessons. If the instructor has any merit he will give information and drills that you can work with at home with a safe, unloaded firearm. This makes the best use of your training dollars and gets you ready for your next stage of training. Get informed, get involved and join groups that support firearms and your right to carry. I urge everyone to join the NRA and support our 2^nd amendment right. The last piece and most important thing I can say is “If you are going to use a firearm to defend yourself or your loved ones you better know how to use it.” This is not a hobby for us at Allied Tactical Defense it is a lifestyle and failing to plan is planning to fail. Be safe all!

I want to thank Karl for taking time from his busy schedule to talk to me. As a bonus, Karl has agreed to let me fire and review some of this fine 1911’s and more importantly…he thinks he can fix my penchant to shoot low and to the left!

Remora Ankle Holster

2011-09-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

For the last two days I have been carrying my Diamondback 9mm in the new Remora ankle holster. Normally I rarely ever wear an ankle holster. In fairness it has been many years since I tried to wear one and back in those days they were all the rage but made of leather and sometimes they were lined with fleece. You had to keep the strap cinched up pretty tight to keep the holster from sliding down too far and being noticeable and if you didn't have the lining the stiff leather would sometimes cut into your leg. With or without the lining I found them hot and uncomfortable.

Well Alan Bogdan at Remora has come up with his simplistic design for an ankle holster and after the last 48 hours I would say it is a winner. The elastic band kept the holster in place without making me feel like I was wearing a tourniquet and the Remora's softer materials did not cut or pinch my leg. For most of the time I forgot I was wearing it and it stayed on my ankle, as of this writing, for 30 of the last 48 hours.

Let's look at how this holster is put together:

Part #1 is the holster with a Velcro loop patch sewn on each side. Part number 2 is the leg strap that holds the holster in place on your ankle. Item #3 is the holster strap that, again via Velcro, provides an extra component that secures the leg strap to the holster. Items numbered 4 are two Velcro weapon retention straps that adhere to the sides of the holster and ensures that the weapon does not fall out during any activities. In what I think is an ingenious design, the weapon is released by just drawing the handgun through the Velcro tabs that hold the two weapon retention straps together. I have made this sound complicated but it is not.

So here she is on my ankle:

As I mentioned earlier it is comfortable and stays put. Although I don't think I will use it as primary carry it will be an excellent back-up to my Glock 19, 23, or 36 during cooler weather.

Warm Weather Guns Part IV--The Taurus PT 22 Poly

2011-09-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

Since we are heading into the second full week of September and we Minnesotans know that the first snowfall is not far behind I thought I had best finish the Warm Weather Handgun Series. This last one, the Taurus PT 22 Poly is a honey of a little pistol. There are two things that will flame up on this right away so let me deal with them:

1. Average Joe does not recommend carrying a .22 long rifle for self defense. Although Average Joe realizes that Sirhan Sirhan killed Robert Kennedy with a .22 Iver Johnson Cadet and the Israeli Mossad killed many terrorists with Beretta Model 70's in .22 LR all of these were planned assignations against unprepared, unarmed targets and multiple rounds were fired. Had any of the above .22 users been faced with multiple targets their expenditure of rounds to incapacitate the first target would probably have left them high and dry.

2. To those who say Taurus makes substandard firearms I can only say "you're wrong". Yes I am sure that some lemons make their way out of the factory as they do from all manufacturers. I have had to send two new SIGs and two new Para Ordnance pistols back to the factory for repairs so it happens.

So there, I've said it...Taurus makes great handguns and the PT 22 Poly is certainly a great handgun.

I am going to do something I don't normally do and that is to start with the photos of the targets. I think they speak volumes about what the PT 22 Poly can do and you will appreciate seeing them first and then going on to the specifications and handling qualities of the pistol. I would also note that just about everyone that tried this pistol shot it as well as I did and were duly impressed by this handgun.

Here are two representative examples of the what the pistol is capable of at 21 feet:

Here are two at 31 feet:

And here is one at 50 feet:

Even at 50 feet all 8 rounds stayed within the 8 inch circle.

And now, on with the show!

Having owned a Beretta 21 and a stainless steel Taurus PT22 I can tell you I like this pistol well above the other two. The handling, ergonomics, and accuracy are all top notch. There is one feature to the PT 22 Poly that is both a pro and con and that is the width. At 1.1 inches wide it is a little fat for a pocket pistol, although is certainly rides well in the pocket of most pairs of pants when using a proper pocket holster. The width also has a very positive effect for me in that it puts the pad of my trigger finger right where it should be which helps me squeeze all the accuracy I can out of the little pistol. When I first held the little polymer Taurus .22 I knew I had to have her and as she was retailing for just a hair over $200 she was a bargain to boot!

Taurus has also updated the profile of the PT 22 Poly by up sweeping the front of the trigger guard to the front of the frame giving it a sleek and dare I say "sexy" appearance.

Here are the rest of the PT 22 Poly's specifications:

Weight: 10.8 oz.

Height: 4.28 inches

Length: 4.98 inches

The PT 22 has an 8 + 1 capacity but unfortunately only comes with one magazine. The trigger pull is double action only, very smooth, fairly long, but quite manageable at 6.5 pounds according to my Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Scale.

The sights are very small but actually quite usable. The front sight's precise slant picks of available light making it more visible than such a small sight should be. I think the targets back that statement up.

There are three controls all located on the left side of the pistol. First is the slide safety. It is located at the rear of the slide and is easily operated by the thumb of my shooting hand. It makes a very positive "click" when you move it on and off and is very unlikely to inadvertently disengage. The next control is the magazine release button. It is located just behind and toward the bottom of the trigger guard on the frame and while it is fairly large for a small pistol it protrudes from the frame just about the same distance as the grip hence my hand had to be readjusted so that the thumb was almost at a right angle to the pistol in order to release the magazine. The third control is the barrel release lever which is located behind the trigger guard toward the top of the frame. Push the lever forward and the barrel pops up. This is great for loading the + 1 of the 8 + 1 rounds and is also a very safe way of checking to see if the chamber is loaded or clear.

I really like this pistol and have carried it a lot in a Remora holster both inside my waistband and inside my pocket. Because of it's light 10.8 oz. weight it rides well in both places.

If you're looking for a back-up pistol or plinker and you want it to be small both in size and price the Taurus PT 22 Poly should be given a close examination. I think you'll be happy you did!

Warm Weather Handguns Part III--Bersa Thunder Concealed Carry

2011-09-04T17:58:00.001-05:00

Why the Bersa .380? In a world where Kel-Tec, Ruger, Taurus, Diamondback, Magnum Research, et al were all in a race to produce .25 caliber sized .380's why would I be interested in carrying a larger .380 pistol? Because I didn't shoot the micro pistols well, that's why. Now, I realize the P3AT, LCP, and DB .380 are extremely close quarter pistols but, if I have the option, I don't want to wait until a committed attacker is at a polite conversational distance before I give him a reason (or 7 or 8) to change his intention.

In fairness to the aforementioned and very well designed micro pistols I was pretty fair with the first shot but invariably I could not squeeze off a follow-up round because the small pistol had squirmed way out of place in my hands and would be pointing about 70 degrees to the left of my original point of aim. I am certainly not of the mind that one .380 round is going to stop a dedicated assailant.

Now my first choice for a larger .380 would normally be the Walther PPK. Besides the James Bond coolness factor I have found that they are extremely accurate and completely reliable. There are those who claim that the newly manufactured models made by Smith & Wesson are trash but that has not been my experience and I have owned 2 of the S & W made PPKs. However, as much as I wanted a PPK I did not have a large enough pile of cash lying around for one.

The Thunder has gained a strong online following with very good reviews and, at the time, were going for about $290.00. When I made the rounds of the gun shops I found that not only was the Thunder available but a newer model, the Thunder CC (for Concealed Carry) was also in plentiful supply. The Thunder CC is slightly smaller than the Original Thunder as it is .6" shorter in length, .16" shorter in height, and .23" slimmer. All squared edges have been filed off and the pistol has a more rounded shape.

When I first viewed it I thought it was probably about the size of a Walther PP. And a comparison of the Thunder CC and Walther PP find that the Thunder is .7" shorter, .24" taller, .13" slimmer, and 7.1 oz. lighter that the Walther PP. In fact the CC is favorable in size to the Walther PPK and the Smith & Wesson J-frame revolver. The width of the Bersa CC is very comparable with other pistols designed for concealed carry.

In fact the width of the Thunder CC makes it very concealable in a waist band holster such as the Remora.

The Thunder CC is a traditional Double Action/Single Action pistol where the first round has a long, but smooth, 7 pound pull and subsequent shots are fired in the single action mode as the slide recoil from the first shot has cocked the hammer. The Single Action shots broke very cleanly at 4.5 pounds according to my Lyman digital trigger pull scale. The Bersa CC has a decocking lever on the left side of the slide along with a visible loaded chamber indicator.

As happens all too frequently these days the Bersa Thunder CC only comes with one magazine. The mag supplied has a flat base and holds 8 rounds however magazines for the original Thunder also fit the CC. With the original Thunder magazines you give up one round and gain a finger extension.

One of the other things immediately noticeable about the Thunder CC are the abbreviated sights.

They have certainly been chopped down however, as you will see in the targets below they are very usable and are easy to pick up when the pistol is drawn and a shot must be taken in a hurry. Of course I would like night sights but I cannot expect them on a $290.00 pistol.

So, Let's See the Targets!

Distances with FMJ Range Ammo

21 feet:

31 Feet:

Defensive Rounds All Fired At 21 Feet

The Bersa Thunder CC .380 is a true Average Joe kind of firearm. Well made, reliable, accurate, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Average Joe recommends this pistol to anyone looking for a defensive handgun who is on a tight budget and can't handle the recoil of a .38 Special or 9mm round. As always however, Average Joe recommends shooting one prior to buying if at all possible; either through a friend that has one or a range that has one for rent.

Versa Carry

2011-08-17T00:54:00.000-05:00

While we are on the subject of warm weather carry pistols lets also review a new mode of carry. I guess I should start by saying that I love simple, minimalistic things and ideas and the Versa Carry device is so minimal and simple that I could kick myself for not thinking of it first.

As you can see the Versa Carry is a Kydex clip kind of in an "S" shape. A white barrel support rod protrudes vertically from the bottom of the "S" which serves to keep your pistol from shifting out of place while you are carrying your concealed weapon. The top part of the "S" curves around into a clip that fits snugly over your belt. So, to "holster up" with the Versa Carry device you place the barrel of your weapon over the support rod

and begin to push the weapon and device inside the waistband of your pants

while you pull the top "S" clip out and over your belt.

The handgun is now very firmly set in place. It is not likely to move unless you have your belt on very loosely and your pants are a size or two too large.

It is also very easy to tuck your shirt in between the weapon and your waistband for occasions where you cannot wear an untucked shirt. Now the clip over your belt would be visible but if someone asks I just tell them it is a medical device and that usually ends their curiosity.

The obvious comparison to the Versa Carry would be the Clip Draw device which was my primary carry mode for Glocks, 1911's, and J-frame revolvers for several years. One of the primary advantages of the Versa Carry over the Clip Draw apparatus is that you do not have to permanently attach the clip to your weapon.

All in all this is a nifty little design and perfect for the concealed carry licensee who finds that the bulk of a traditional holster makes it difficult to carry a concealed weapon for any length of time.

I showed this device off to several friends who find a dark cloud in every silver lining and they came up with some concerns about the design which I want to address.

Perceived Issues

Perceived Issue #1:
There is a standing debate as to whether you should carry a round in the chamber of your pistol if your pistol does not have an external, manually applied safety and/or if your carry mode does not cover the trigger guard. If you check your Glock manual, Glock does not recommend carrying a round in the chamber regardless of how you are carrying your pistol. Both Clip Draw and Versa Carry do not recommend carrying a pistol with a round in the chamber when using their devices but quite frankly I have not had a problem carrying with a round in the chamber with either device. Safety devices are not a "be all, end all" proposition. First of all, given time any mechanical device will be prone to failure and secondly, safety devices do not cure unsafe gun handling practices. You Tube is loaded with postings showing negligent discharges from people who had 1911's with both a grip safety and external slide safety. The negligent shots were due to the fact that they were not following the basic safe gun handling rules.

Hence, the Versa Carry device is no less or no more safe than the person who is using it. Respect your weapon, handle it responsibly and you will be in just as good if not better shape than someone whose wonder pistol has three passive and two manual safeties.

Perceived Issue #2:
If the support rod breaks off in my barrel won't it cause my barrel and/or breach to blow up?

Not likely. The support rod is cut to be a smaller diameter than the bore of your barrel. The rod is also made of Delrin which has natural lubricating properties and it is fairly slick. So if, in the heat of battle, you break the retention rod during your draw it is more than likely just going to fall out as long as you are using the the correct Versa Carry model for the handgun caliber you are carrying. In other words, don't try to save money by stuffing your 9mm handgun on your .40 caliber Versa Carry.

Perceived Issue #3
I don't like putting anything in my barrel, especially from the muzzle; isn't the support rod going to scratch my bore or otherwise mar my rifling?

Again, not likely and for the same reasons above. But the reasons this is not likely are:

The support rod is tapered at the top making insertion very easy
The support rod is cut to be a smaller diameter than the bore of the caliber you are carrying
The Delrin support rod is a fairly soft polymer
The Delrin material has self lubricating properties

All of this means that your pistol barrel will slip over the support rod very easily and the risk of somehow marring the rifling is extremely low. If you somehow find yourself having difficulty getting your barrel over the support rod you are probably not using the Versa Carry device specified for the caliber of weapon you are carrying.

Perceived Issue #4

There isn't any type of active retention strap; what's to keep someone from snatching my pistol?

This is a concealed carry device so know one should know you are carrying a handgun. If they do then whatever type of garment is covering the weapon is insufficient and that is not your holster's fault.

Versa Carry Advantages

Along with the providing a carry option that is way less bulky than a traditional holster there are other distinct advantages to the Versa Carry device.

It is easy to remove the Versa Carry should you need to take it off upon entering a bathroom stall or need to lock it in your trunk upon arriving at a destination where concealed carry is banned such as a federal building. There are no belt loops requiring you to take half your belt off to remove the weapon. It is also easy to make a quick transition from strong side carry to cross draw if you are driving or going to be sitting for a long period of time.

If someone finds that carrying is not easy or is uncomfortable or self conscious about the bulk of a holstered weapon then they are very likely to leave the weapon at home. All in all, the Versa Carry device makes it easier for the concealed carry permit holder to carry their pistol and that is the kind of innovation we need.

And Now For A Work From Our Sponsor

2011-07-31T20:44:00.002-05:00

We'll be right back to Warm Weather Handguns after this brief message:

Hello! This is Average Joe speaking on behalf of the Society for the Prevention of Made-Up Language (SPMUL).

For many years now I have witnessed the business world heartily develop and embrace newly minted words and phrases that are designed to make the reader think that the business has actually changed an important condition. I listened to an executive tell us how "planfull" he was in attempt to make us think that he was doing something awfully important (he wasn't). At another meeting an executive advised us that we should be "articulating our teams" which I'm pretty sure is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. My favorite was an executive who told us we needed to be working in a more "urgical" fashion.

While I thought this syndrome was something that only afflicted corporate American I have found that it has crept into business of firearms training and journalism. My particular beef is with those who now tell us to "press" the trigger. For me the phrase "pull the trigger" has worked just fine for the past 55 years but it seems that the gun training and writing intellectuals have decided that we must now "press" that trigger. Apparently, from what I can piece together, their thought was that too many people were jerking the trigger when they pulled it. Now I don't dismiss the importance of trigger control and I certainly don't discount the prospect that too many people haven't yet acquired proper trigger skills. But I do get my feathers ruffled at the notion that by swapping the word "pull" with the word "press" that anything has changed or improved.

I guess I also am stuck on the notion that the word "press" is the opposite of what the shooter should be doing in order to fire the weapon. To me the act of "pressing" something means that I am moving it away from my body. When I press the "enter" key on my keyboard or "press the number 1 to continue this call in English" my finger is moving away from my body. Similarly when I am executing a dumbell press I am pushing those weights away. So in my technical point of view if I do actually press the trigger the weapon is not going to fire as I will be attempting to move the trigger in the wrong direction.

(I tried pressing the trigger but it got stiff because I used too much starch!)

Instead of telling people to "press the trigger" lets train them on the proper way to pull it!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Warm Weather Handguns Part II--The Diamondback 9mm--Update 6-26-2011

2011-06-19T20:18:00.002-05:00

In part two of Warm Weather Handguns we are going to look at the Diamondback 9mm. The surge in states that allow their citizens to exercise their 2^nd Amendment Right (“allow their citizens to exercise their 2^nd Amendment Right” should be read with the appropriate amount sarcasm) brought a cry for smaller and easier to conceal handguns in serious calibers. The people with permits were not going to be satisfied with the .22 and .25 caliber pistols that their grandfathers carried in their vest pockets. Manufacturers put their designers on overdrive to answer the consumer demands. Of course Smith & Wesson has manufactured the five shot J framed revolver for almost 60 years but many concealed carry permit holders wanted something with more capacity, was lighter, and had a much slimmer width. They wanted a true pocket pistol. Kel-Tec built their firm on answering this demand providing value priced pistols first in .32 ACP and then moving up to .380 caliber and 9mm. They did a booming business and I remember their being a waiting list for their .32s and .380s in the early part of this century. The Kel-Tec’s worked (although some needed the coaxing of a competent gunsmith) but had a gritty feel, almost non-existent sights, and trigger pulls which were long and heavy. My .380 ACP Kel-tec was accurate within a practical range of 21 feet and was my constant companion for almost a year and a half. Ruger followed suit with their .380 caliber LCP (which bore an uncanny resemblance to the Kel-tec model) and other manufacturers like Taurus, SIG, and even Smith & Wesson have ventured into the .380 arena.

The great thing about this country is that consumer demand always pushes manufacturers to keep building the proverbial “better mousetrap” and in this instance the discussions in the research and development meetings went something like this “If we can reduce the size of the .380 pistol to the size of a .25 caliber pistol can we put a 9mm into a pistol the size of a .380?”. Actually Kel-Tec had already answered that question with a big “YES” and Kahr successfully downsized their P9 to the small PM9. Just a few years ago Taurus brought out their pocket 9mm, the “PT709 Slim” and it was very successful. This year brought us some promising offerings in the Ruger LC9 and the Kimber Solo 9mm pistols. I have not shot the Ruger LC9 but did look several of them over. It didn’t really feel right in my hand and the trigger pull was longer and heavier than I preferred. I eagerly waited on the Kimber Solo to show its face and I was delighted when it did. It had good sights, a good trigger pull, no sharp edges or corners, and looked like a throwback to the early days of the last century when the exquisitely made Colt models 1903 and 1908 were all the rage with those looking for an easily concealed pistol. Unfortunately the specimen I shot (on two different occasions) was not at all reliable and many people posting comments on the review of the Kimber Solo in this blog have experienced the same problems.

Enter the Diamondback DB9. If someone were to ask me what pistol I would wish a manufacture would make I would propose that Glock make a single stack 9mm and downsize the entire pistol proportionally. Well, Glock need not bother as Diamondback has already done it. In fact the take-down and guts of the pistol look like it is a Glock design.

While the DB9 is not nearly as handsome as the Kimber Solo it does work and work well. I put 100 rounds of MagTech 115 grain FMJ and 40 rounds of MagTech Guardian Gold 124 grain JHP ammo through it today with no problems what so ever. So Kimber wins in the aesthetics competition and the DB9 wins in the much more important reliability challenge. Let’s see how else they stack up.

Pistol	Capacity	Weight	Length	Height	Width	Barrel Length	Action	Trigger Pull	Sights
Diamondback 9mm	6+1	11 oz	5.6”	4.0”	.80”	3”	Striker Fired	5 lbs	3 dot
Kimber Solo	6+1	17 oz	5.5”	3.9”	1.2”	2.7”	Striker Fired	7 lbs	3 dot

They have the same capacity and sights but the Diamondback 9mm is 6 ounces lighter, thinner, and has a lighter trigger pull. The Diamondback 9mm is also about $200.00 cheaper than the Kimber Solo which is a huge advantage as the cost of the Solo was a little more than some shooters could afford. This is a true pocket pistol in every sense of the word and as you can see from the photo below it is only slightly larger than the Taurus PT22 poly (the subject of an upcoming article in this series).

There is no manual or grip safety on the pistol so when re-holstering take care to see that nothing catches on the trigger. Regardless of how you choose to carry the DB9mm it is important to choose a holster that completely covers the trigger guard and of course, the trigger. I have been carrying the Diamondback 9mm in a Remora #2 holster in my right front pocket and it has worked beautifully.

One of the problems I had with the Kel-Tec .380 and other small thin pistols is that they were so slim that I could not get enough of a grip on them to keep them from moving around in my hand during recoil. I had to reposition the pistol after each shot in order to reset a proper grip. Because of this I added a rubber Hogue “Handall Jr.” grip sleeve to the pistol. Even at the widest point of the grip sleeve the width of the pistol is .90” and still thinner than the Kimber Solo. The “Handall Jr.” sleeve worked wonderfully with the finger grooves, slight palm swell, and tacky texture of the rubber making the DB9 stay put in my grip. It was a tad long but it is easily trimmed with a razor blade or Exacto knife.

Probably one of the first questions everyone has is how much recoil did you encounter shooting an 11 ounce 9mm with a three inch barrel? Actually it was not bad at all. The Diamondback website states that “the DB9 employs an FEA (Finite Element Analysis) designed slide and barrel that is stronger than any comparable firearm, resulting in durability with less felt recoil”. I have no idea what the Finite Element Analysis is (Finite element analysis (FEA) is a method for performing engineering analyses in which objects having complicated geometries are approximated with many small, simply-shaped elements. If mathematical solutions for the simply-shaped element are known, then a complex calculation is replaced with many simple calculations, which are performed on a computer—www.barr.com) and how it affects recoil but again, the recoil was not bad at all. In fairness I did not fire any +P rated ammunition as I used 100 rounds of Mag Tech 115 grain FMJ and 40 rounds of Mag Tech Guardian Gold 124 grain JHP fodder. The Guardian Gold hollowpoint ammunition was actually the milder of the two rounds. I look forward to shooting different ammunition and will post the results as I do.

The sights are of the 3 Dot variety. They are small but useable and the rear sight can be drifted with a mallet and brass punch should you need to adjust the point of impact. For me the pistol’s windage was fine, it just seems to shoot a little low for me and I am fairly certain that the low shots were operator error. The slide does not lock back on the DB9 so if was not counting the rounds I would eventually pull the trigger on an empty chamber and when this happened I could see that I was anticipating the shot, pushing the pistol down as I pulled the trigger. The trigger pull itself is listed by Diamondback as being 5 pounds and mine registered a 4.8 pound average on my Lyman digital trigger pull scale. The pull is not all that long and very smooth so it was not responsible for pushing my shots low—again, it was operator error and more time with the pistol will bring in much better results!

Target Time

Here are the Mag-Tech FMJ targets shot at 21, 30, and 50 feet. As you can see 50 feet is pushing it a little bit for me but I’m sure that all shots would have hit a full sized torso.

Here are the Mag Tech Guardian Gold targets shot at 21 and 50 feet.

I would love the pistol to have night sights and if Diamondback intends to offer the same accessories that they did with their .380 pistol then night sights will be available in the near future along with a finger extension for the magazine which will allow my pinky finger a place at the table. One last improvement...round off the trigger guard. The Diamondback 9mm is a keeper; not much in the looks department but combat accurate and reliable. No longer is there a need to carry a pocket revolver that only holds 4 rounds and has a bulging cylinder. The Diamondback gives you two more rounds, is much easier to reload and is considerably flatter than any revolver.

Update 6-26-2011--Additional Target Photos

Remington 115 grain FMJ

21 feet

50 Feet

75 Feet

Defensive Ammo
I still haven't found a defensive load that I can shoot well but here's what I have shot so far (all targets shoot at 21 feet):

Corbon Pow'R Ball

Speer Gold Dot 124 Grain JHP

Speer Gold Dot 115 Grain JHP

Magtech 124 grain JHP

Winchester Supreme Bonded 124 grain JHP+P

Remington Brass Jacketed Hollowpoint 124 grain JHP

I hope to be able to find some Hornady Critical Defense ammo soon. Till next time,

Warm Weather Handguns Part I--The Smith & Wesson 637

2011-05-29T17:12:00.003-05:00

Ah, spring is in full bloom and a young man’s fancy turns to ogling girls in short-shorts while old farts like me turn their attention to thinking about which handguns will conceal best in warm weather attire. Now that the outerwear has been put away we realize that our 1911 or Glock model 17, (or whatever large framed handgun you’ve been carrying during the winter) just isn’t going to conceal as well under a t-shirt as it did inside of a jacket and underneath a sweatshirt. So in this edition we are going to examine two handguns that can easily be worn inside the waistband and underneath Polo or t-shirts and one that carries very easily in the pocket. These handguns are the Smith & Wesson model 637 in .38 Special, the Diamondback 9mm, the Bersa Thunder .380 Concealed Carry, and the Taurus PT22 Poly.

Smith & Wesson Model 637

As regular readers know I have a love-hate relationship with small framed revolvers. I want to love them but the relationship sours when I fire them. I cannot shoot them accurately and I suffer more recoil (regardless if the revolver has a scandium, alloy, or steel frame) then I do with a similarly sized semi-automatic pistol in 9mm, 40 S&W or .45 ACP. But when I spied this model 637 in the display case at Bill’s two things caught my eye. The first was the 2.5 inch barrel and the second was the price. Most J-frames come with a 1 7/8 inch barrel which to me is not enough and I feel that the point of balance is too far back. Many J-framed revolvers are available with a 3 inch barrel which doesn’t conceal as easily and I find the point of balance too far forward. This little revolver with the 2.5 inch barrel felt “just right” but it was the price that sealed the deal as it was below $400.00. This seems a relative bargain when it is sitting right next to a model 360 PD priced at over $900.00! I have it on fairly good authority that Smith & Wesson is dropping the price on their less expensive to manufacture alloy framed revolvers; they are probably trying to make sure that they do not lose their market dominant position to lesser priced small revolvers from Taurus and a revitalized Charter Arms. The scandium framed revolver does weigh a couple of ounces less than the alloy framed model 637 but you can’t really tell too much of a difference, certainly not enough to justify the more than double price point of the scandium handgun. I will note that the scandium framed revolvers are chambered for the venerable .357 Magnum whereas the alloy framed handguns are only rated for the .38 Special +P. But I don’t see this as a great drawback for most shooters as I would imagine that more .38 Specials loads are going through J-framed revolvers than .357 Magnum rounds.

Accessories for the S&W 637

One of the accessories that the scandium revolvers have that the alloy ones do not is the easy to see XS Big Dot night sight perched atop the end of the barrel.

The 637 only had a black ramped front sight that was anything but easy to see. The good news is that the sight is pinned in place and a package containing a J frame XS Big Dot sight was sitting on the shelf right behind the 637. Problem solved.

The next issue to contend with was the grips. The abbreviated boot grip that comes on the revolver is actually pretty good but it only allows for a two finger hold with the pinky curled up underneath the grip. This grip would be a necessary compromise if I was going to carry the revolver in an ankle or pocket holster however I was intent on carrying the 637 in an Inside the Waist Band (IWB) holster where a slightly longer grip would not be a hindrance to concealment. Upon rummaging through my vast array of grips I found a long lost set of Safariland composite J-frame grips with nice checkering, an agreeable palm swell, and generous finger grooves. These grips feel wonderful and provided a nice balance to the 2.5 inch barrel. I believe these were made for Safariland by Rogers and I wish they were still available.

The final tweak needed concerned the trigger pull. We don’t know how heavy the pull was because neither I nor the gunsmith at Bill’s have a gauge that will measure pulls that heavy. I estimated it to be around 14 pounds while the gunsmith thought it might be a pound or two more. As it luck would have it I just happened to have a set of Wolf J-frame springs in my parts drawer and the Gunsmith installed them and tuned the action ever so slightly. There is a fine line to be had with J-frames between lightening the trigger pull and rendering the revolver unreliable. The Gunsmith felt he could further adjust the pull but I was happy when the trigger gauge was able to register a smooth pull of 9.8 pounds.

As I have recently come to depend on I began to carry the little revolver in a Remora IWB holster. This served my purposes very well however when I had been scrounging for grips and springs I came across the plethora of J-frame holsters that have accumulated over the years. I decided to compare the Remora to two Galco IWB holsters; the first one an inexpensive model with a clip that fit over the belt. I did not like this holster because I prefer a forward cant and the belt clip did not allow this. Because I couldn’t move the butt of the revolver forward it kept poking me in the side whenever I sat down. Further, the belt clip was rather large and, if noticed by someone, might cause them to ask questions about it that I would prefer not be asked.

The second holster was a beautifully made leather IWB holster that attached to the belt via a large leather loop.

While it is a gorgeous holster is it formidably over-built. The leather loop that goes around the belt is stiff and very rounded.

This added extra bulk is not needed and tends to cause a larger bulge under any cover garment.

The other problem I have with traditional IWD holsters which attach to the belt with an external clip or loop is that a belt loop on my pants always seems to magically appear in my favorite spot to place the handgun. Therefore holsters with clips, loops, and other external devices always seem to fight that belt loop for the same real estate. This causes me to either have to carry it too far forward or too far to the rear. After a day of wearing each holster I quickly switched back to my Remora holster.

The Remora is trouble-free and doesn’t cause you to compromise where or how you want to carry the handgun.

Target Time

First up is some Sellior &; Belloit 158 grain FMJ ammo. The Center Mass area was hit with 50 rounds at 21 feet. The Head area was hit with 50 rounds at 30 feet. Now, this target is not all that bad, but 158 FMJ ammo is not a decent defensive carry load.

Next up is Winchester 130 grain FMJ load. This target was set at 21 feet and again, is not bad but again, the 130 FMJ is a dismal performer for self defense.

I had big hopes for the Remington 158 Grain semi-wadcutter hollow point +P ammo. This round has an excellent reputation in defensive shootings and had performed well for me in the past but unfortunately out of 25 rounds fired this is the best 5 shot group I could attain.

Up next is the 125 grain +P PMC JHP round. Again, the center mass area was hit with 8 rounds at 21 feet and the head was hit with 10 rounds at 30 feet. I really cannot call these two shot patterns groups.

This leads me to the best target. In scrounging through a box of loose ammo I found five rounds of MagTech .38 special +P semi-jacketed hollow point ammo. I do not know if the weight of the rounds was 125 or 158 grains but I was fairly astonished as each of the five rounds made a nice tight group at 21 feet. This is vintage ammo left over from my Boise days where MagTech ammo was very prominent in all of the gun shops. Unfortunately of my nearby three local gun shops, one big box sporting goods store, and the big discount store that shall not be named none of them is carrying MagTech ammo.

The Short Barreled Revolvers Exposes My Short Comings

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this revolver, the love affair did not blossom. After not even 35 rounds of non +P ammo the web of my hand was battered and extremely sore. I was disgusted and frustrated. I could have lived with this if I could shoot the little revolver well but alas, I could not. Now, don’t get me wrong, at appropriate distances the small revolver is capable of good to very good accuracy. Small groups are possible at 7 yards and the revolver is capable of keeping all rounds fired on a man sized target at least out to 25 yards. As I say, the revolver is capable of this; the crucial point is that I am not and I am not willing to put in the time to see if I can possible improve this when there are semi-automatic pistols of the same relative size that I can shoot with much more accuracy, carry twice as much ammo, and don’t cause nerve damage in my hand, wrist, and shoulder. After about 500 rounds fired over three sessions I was done with the 637.