Ammo Selection

Ammo Selection

Ammo selection-

So, you have purchased your first handgun and now you need to feed it. Let’s start with some basics. Ball ammunition is used for practice, punching holes in paper. Hollow point ammo is used for social work, punching holes into people. We use hollow point ammo because it is more effective at stopping a threat and it is safer to use in public.  In a self-defense shooting there are likely to be innocent bystanders around; when hollow points expand they dump their energy, making them less likely to over penetrate and strike an unintended person. Think of its expansion like a parachute. If we were to use ball ammo there is a high probability of the rounds passing straight through the threat and into someone else. Ball ammo comes, generally, in two varieties; copper jacketed (FMJ= Full Metal Jacket) and lead nose (LRN= Lead Round Nose). The two examples listed previously are not the only variations of jacketed or lead bullets, there are, many, many more. Hollow points have many varieties as well. Long story short, use what law enforcement uses, avoid anything that sounds too good to be true. If it sounds gimmicky, it is. If that “wonder” round was so good, then, the people that shoot bad guys for a living would be using it. How many more ways can I try to make my point? The federal government has done substantially more testing of ammo then you and the next 30 backyard testers could ever do. I’d wager that they have spent hundreds of thousands of rounds and dollars, if not millions; take advantage of that. It also wouldn’t hurt for you to look up the work of Dr. Martin Fackler and Dr. Gary Roberts

For the initial break in period and reliability testing I recommend the cheapest, quality ammo possible; unless the guns manufacturer recommends otherwise. Always follow the manufacturers recommendations. The length of this period will vary depending on what firearm you choose. Once that period is completed you must find out what rounds you like. By this I mean bullet weights. Different weights will have different characteristics such as recoil, point of aim vs point of impact, bullet drop etc. 9mm, for example, the most popular loads are 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr. Each weight will perform differently based on what gun they are being used in. Pick the load that has the best performance for you and what your usage is.

Once you know what bullet weight you like, now it’s time to pick a self-defense load. You could start with these loads first, but it could end up being more expensive. Stick to the same weight that you did for practice, it should have similar characteristics; if not use the same process as you did with the ball ammo. It should take less rounds now since you already know what you are looking for. A self-defense round must feed reliably 100% of the time, no exceptions. They must go bang every time, no exceptions. Not every gun likes the same ammo; so, we are checking for the same things we did during the initial break in period. The difference now is that we know the gun works; therefore, any deviation is bad. If at any point the gun fails to feed the ammo, the gun fails to go bang, or fails to extract; that is unacceptable. I recommend 200rds without any problems before deciding to carry that ammo for self-defense. That may seem like a lot and it won’t exactly be cheap. So, if your budget does not allow for that, at minimum I say 50rds.

My recommendations, Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, and Corbon DPX are my top three for pretty much every caliber. Winchester Ranger T is good too but can be hard to find. There are other brands that work and will do the job but, they are inconsistent throughout each caliber. They will require you to do more research when choosing. With the above three brands you are pretty much guaranteed to find them in store and in every caliber. The above also perform very consistently across all the common self-defense calibers. Another consideration is your practice ammo and self-defense ammo should be the same or as close to the same weight as possible. If you end up with a micro gun and use HST micro 150gr, I’m not aware of anyone making ball ammo in that weight. In that instance go with the closest weight as possible, 147gr. One final thought, there is ammo made specifically for guns with barrels less than 4in. The powder in this ammo burns at a faster rate than “duty” ammo (duty = 4in barrel or longer). This allows the bullet to achieve the velocity it needs for consistent expansion out of a shorter (burn time) barrel.

Choosing Your First Handgun

Choosing Your First Handgun

How to choose your first handgun.

Purpose-

The first thing you must ask yourself is, “What will be the purpose?” Is this purchase going to be a self-defense gun, a hunting gun, a competition/ recreational gun or multi-purpose? A handgun in each of these categories will have some overlap, but most will have very specific features that will allow it to excel at its given task. Does it meet the legal requirements for hunting? Does your state have ammo or capacity restrictions? For self-defense guns, specifically, they need to be 100% reliable, the trigger can’t be to light (a hair trigger), and a decent set of sights; these are good requirements to start with. Similar questions need to be asked for the other guns mentioned above.

Fit-

I say this from experience and as a reformed gun bunny. Most sales people want to sell you a gun that fits your needs and you physically. So, any competent sales person should know how to fit you for a gun, be it a hand gun or a long gun. The person at the gun counter that immediately says, “A little lady needs a little gun” should be ignored; any advice they give you should not just be taken with a grain of salt but, a shot of tequila and a lime. If you are not an experienced shooter you should rent any gun you’re interested in before you buy it. A gun will feel different while shooting then it will in the shop.

Now, you must be able to obtain a full grip, high on the gun and be able to reach/operate all the firearms controls. Grip the gun multiple times, feeling for any hot spots. If the gun rubs you the wrong way in the shop it will only get worse under recoil. This is kind of like buying a pair of shoes, except the guns fit won’t break in; at least not without some tools and maybe a gunsmith. Are the sights useable? Can you achieve proper finger placement on the trigger?

“Is it to small?” is a question that most people overlook, especially new shooters. A smaller gun is harder to shoot that its larger siblings. There is less surface area to grip, if you can’t achieve a solid purchase (grip) on the firearm, due to lack of real estate (surface area), it quickly becomes harder to control. The sight radius is shorter, which makes it more susceptible to your natural arc of motion; everyone has it, you can’t get rid of it. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can learn how to work around it. The gun weighs less so it absorbs less of the energy created with each shot; that energy must go somewhere…. this means into you. This means more perceived recoil, which adds up to slower follow up shots, more fatigue, shorter practice sessions, and bad habits. On the other side of the spectrum, “Is it to big?”. This question is more pertinent to concealed carry. If the gun is so big that you’re not going to carry it, what good is it? If the gun isn’t going to be carried get the largest gun you can operate safely and effectively, because 17rds of go away is much better than 5rds of go away.

Budget-

There are a few people out there that this isn’t a concern. For the rest of us it is a reality. Do not buy a subpar gun just because it is cheap. Sometimes in life you get what you pay for. If this is a self-defense purchase, how much is your life worth? If all you can afford today isn’t quality, put off the purchase and save your money a little bit longer. It will be cheaper in the long run. As I write this in Dec 2017, it is one of the best buyers’ market I have seen in a long time. You can currently get a superb firearm at bargain basement prices. This won’t last forever; the market will correct itself.

Caliber-

9mm, .38spl, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, .357 sig, 45acp, .44 magnum… it doesn’t matter. Read that again. I don’t care what caliber you shot. Read that again. Quit chasing the perfect caliber, you’ll be searching your whole life. With today’s technology in ammunition manufacturing the most common self-defense calibers all perform within a small percentile of each other. So, if you can control it (read, place accurate and effective hits on target), shoot it. Hunting is a different beast.

Here is my opinion. If you can shoot the larger calibers well, you can shoot the smaller calibers better. 9mm offers excellent terminal ballistics, more capacity, lower recoil, and less cost than the others. Ballistics, 10-15yrs ago that wasn’t the case, hence the development of the all the calibers between 9mm and 45acp. Ammunition manufacturers have spent millions of dollars on research and development of the 9mm; shooting it to the head of the pack. Most police departments and alphabet agencies have returned to the 9mm, with good reason. As a starting point, if you like to do your own research, look up Dr. Martin Fackler and Dr. Gary Roberts; their work has been instrumental in the caliber wars. Capacity, the only time you can have too much ammo is when you’re either drowning or on fire. Cost, I can shoot twice as much 9mm for the same cost in the larger calibers. That means more practice, which means better survivability. What about .380, its performance is currently at the same place 9mm was when the big switch to 10mm, .40S&W, and .357sig occurred. For some it is the bare minimum when it comes to self-defense calibers. For myself, I say it’s better that a sharp stick. Considering you can get a 9mm in the same size as some of the most popular .380’s; why wouldn’t you? It also costs more per round than 9mm.

After all of that remember this, handguns are terrible at stopping a threat. They are a tool of convenience, because, it’s not polite in today’s society to walk around with a rifle or a shotgun slung on your back. The myth of a 1 shot stop for handguns is just that, myth. If I knew I was going to get in a gunfight and had to be there, I would have a rifle and as many of my buddies with long guns as well. Stopping power or knock down power are misnomers, because you can’t cheat physics. If that gun in your hand was capable of knocking a grown man high on PCP off his feet just by making contact with him, it would do the same to you. The most energy a bullet will ever have is at the muzzle, everything from that point is literally downhill. The bad guy will, at most, feel the same amount of energy transfer as you…most likely less.

Aftermarket support-

Often overlooked, but still important. What good will your wonder blaster 9000 if you can’t get spare parts or magazines for it? How much do those components cost? Can I easily get a quality holster for it, or does it require custom work? Are there multiple gunsmiths that can work on your gun or is there only one that has 2 year waiting list? Does anybody make sights or triggers for it? All these questions can lead to an overall good experience or a lifetime of frustrations. So, don’t ignore this little detail.

Parting thoughts-

What your neighbor, the sales person, and gun blogs say is the best gun doesn’t matter. What works for them, may not work for you. You are the only person that can decide what is your best gun. That may even change as you grow as a shooter; you can only figure out what works by shooting them. In general, anything from the major players, Glock, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Beretta, Ruger will work. That being said, even they have the occasional QC slip up. So thoroughly test your firearm, how much depends on its intended use. Remember a handgun must be reliable, effective, user friendly, and wearable (if it will be carried).

Holster part 3- Recommendations

Holster part 3- Recommendations

My recommendations are just that, mine. If you talk to six different instructors you will get six different opinions, that’s perfectly acceptable. Remember we live in a grey area when dealing with self -defense. Shootings are seldom black and white, so when you ask me a question don’t be surprised when I say “Well, it depends.” When searching for a holster remember the 4 requirements; it must be comfortable, concealable, secure and fast. Everyone and their brother is bending kydex these days, Black Rhino Concealment, Raven Concealment, NSR, Bawidemann just to name a few that I have used or have witnessed quality construction. With Kydex if you heat it too much or too fast it can become brittle, these companies know their materials and have great quality control. The same applies for leather, go with a quality manufacturer, Milt Sparks, FIST, Mitch Rosen, Don Hume, and Galco (high-end product lines) just to name a few. Avoid the cheap suede, universal fit holsters or holsters that collapse the second the gun is drawn (Galco, I’m looking at you). I am not saying you can’t find good products from other companies, the ones listed are just a few off the top of my head that stand out. Off body vs on body is a topic for another day, but I will say this. On-body carry is the fastest most secure method of carry. Unfortunately, it might not always be possible. In those instances, off- body carry is a viable option; however, it has its own unique considerations that I will discuss later.
Hybrid holsters, I get why people buy them. They can be quite comfortable, but let’s break them down. First and foremost let’s talk about security. They’re not; when you attach something rigid to something flexible i.e. kydex and leather, one of them is going to give (usually the rigid portion). There are numerous documented cases of guns falling from holsters because the rigid portion broke from the flexible portion during a fall. Heck, I’ve witnessed them break during class because of constant use. Another failure is the belt attachment. The spring clips combined with the holster flexing and moving with your body cause them to pop up and off the belt requiring the user to constantly reach back to secure them; there goes concealable. I’ve seen countless draws during class where a student starts to fumble with the gun due to half of the holster coming out with it; there goes fast. Students also have a terrible habit of using the muzzle of the gun to push the leather portion away from the kydex while holstering. This is a huge failure, they are now dangerous. For those reasons, I do not recommend them. However, I know people will still buy them so…. stick to Crossbreed and Galco. They both use better components than most. Finally, avoid Alien Gear. There are so many things wrong with those that I will have to do a separate post.
The Urban carry is a gimmick product, a solution looking for a problem. It fails, at minimum, on 2 of the most important requirements. Fast and secure, the Urban Carry is neither; to top it off its not accessible while sitting, and requires 2 hands to get to your gun. There is a reason why there isn’t a single professional or experienced person that uses or recommends this thing (no I won’t call it a holster). The mic holster, while it’s well-made and very comfortable it is lacking on securing the gun and speed. Now, it is possible to be fast with it, but it requires a good amount of effort. Something a lot of people, unfortunately, don’t put in. I also like my gun to be in the exact same place every time that I reach for it, the Mic doesn’t do that either. The Mic has its place, but its use should be left to those with a significant amount of experience and the legitimate need for ultra-concealment. Pair the Mic and a clip draw, now that is a little bit better, but still not for my daily use.
Just a quick bit on belts, yes you need one. No, the Walmart special will not work. The more gun you carry the better your belt needs to be. Leather or Nylon both work and there are numerous makers that have quality products, Mean Gean Leather, Galco, 5:11, Ares Gear are fine examples. A well-made belt should be rigid enough that when formed into loop (closed like when being worn) and held by the buckle, it should stay in a formed loop. With a proper carry system (belt and holster), it is very easy to carry a mid to full size double stack firearm. “Single stack guns have their place, but they are 1-2 attacker guns. We live in a 3 attacker world.” * Tom Givens
There you have it, a quick run down of what I look for in a holster. In short, stick with a leather or all kydex from a quality manufacturer. If you do that, your box of unused holsters should stay smaller than mine. This wasn’t an all inclusive list. There are a great deal of quality companies that I didn’t get to and probably more that I haven’t heard of. Hopefully you got something useful out of this series of posts.

Holsters part 2- Serpa is bad

Holsters part 2- Serpa is bad

Serpa, let’s get this out of the way right up front, NO! No, on all of them, but, especially the concealment or cheap versions. The Serpa is the worst holster out there that just won’t go away. It won’t go away for a couple of reasons. You will find them in every gun shop across the country because of profit margins. Shops can buy them dirt cheap and sell them at a huge mark up. Its all about profit margins. “If it’s good enough for the military, then its good enough for me.” Sorry, that dog won’t hunt. The military issues DA/SA guns, with a long heavy trigger travel. There is an added layer of protection there that you don’t have with your modern striker fired gun…especially with your fancy after market, short travel, light weight trigger. Plus, the military has learned from the past and now issues a Safariland ALS style with the M17 handgun. “Mine has always worked for me!” Nope, your sample size of one doesn’t count. More so, because I am willing to bet you haven’t trained with it enough to actually test it. The majority of high level LEO/MIL/GOV and civilian trainers have banned them from use in class unless required by your agency as issued gear. Want another one? The LAPD has banned them from duty use…one of the largest police departments in the country. These are what we call clues.

The design of the Serpa doesn’t allow for inspection of the unit for maintenance or repair. This means that you won’t know when it will break. To top that off, when the retentions mechanism breaks there is no friction fit. This means the gun just rattles around in the holster. The paddle release is incredibly prone to jamming with foreign debris such as dirt, rocks, and some instructors I have full faith in have even witnessed snow cause the Serpa to stop functioning. So now the release wont function, what do we do? We press harder inward on the release and pull on the gun violently. Why? Because we need that gun right now, and we are under a severe amount of stress because our life is in danger. It is a dangerous holster that will fail you; it is not an “if, it is a “when”. This is not a training issue. Any holster that requires you to put inward pressure towards the trigger, with your trigger finger is bad. The rate of negligent discharges related to the Serpa holster is tremendous. Even some of the top shooters in the world, including those that are sponsored by Blackhawk, have been filmed unintentionally touching the trigger on their draw stroke. If it happens to them, it will happen to you. Your trigger finger has two, very important, jobs when it is near a gun; working the trigger and avoiding the trigger. Releasing the retention on your holster should not be on that list.
Now that that is out of the way, I can get back on topic.

Continued in part 3

Choosing a holster

Choosing a holster

Holster selection-
There are four things that a holster must be. Comfortable, concealable, secure and fast; if a holster you are considering is not all the above then it should be skipped. Now, everybody that carries a firearm daily will end up with a drawer full of holsters that met the above requirements, but we retired for various reasons. As you grow as a shooter this will happen, as you age this will happen. Injury, weight gain/loss, strength, and daily lifestyle all will influence the holster you choose.

A holster must be comfortable. If it isn’t you’re not going to want to carry your gun. What the first rule of a gun fight? Have a gun. Take into account your daily routine, size of your gun and clothing style. Don’t discount kydex style holsters because they look hard. A quality kydex holster can be very comfortable and I actually prefer them over most leather holsters. Kydex also (when properly made) wears less on the finish of the firearm, is easier to perform one-handed drills, and can be easier to replace components. Some guns just need to be held in leather, it seems sacrilegious not to. A leather holster must have a reinforced opening that stays open while its empty, to aid in holstering. Leather will wear your guns’ finish faster and retain moisture more. When you combine those two cons on the same gun it equals rust, the only thing worse for a gun than Liberals. Hybrid holster, combo of kydex and leather/neoprene etc…, may be comfortable but generally do not hold up well at all. Put another way they are significantly more prone to breakage than their single material counterparts.

Concealability depends on your body style and your manner of dress. Two styles you need to know, IWB (in waistband) and OWB (on/outside waistband). I prefer IWB over OWB because of its ease of concealment. However, OWB can be more comfortable. An individual’s body style (endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph) will play a role in determining where and how you carry your firearm on your body. The only way to figure this out is to play with it. Use a blue gun to determine where on your body is the most comfortable for your body type. Put your pants and belt on than stick the blue gun in various locations on your body and walk around your house, occasionally mimicking your draw stroke. This will give you a good place to start. What and how you carry in athletic attire can differ from what you use with a suit and tie, or jeans and a t-shirt. The season also plays a role, as well as region. There are some clothing styles that scream “I have a gun!”, one version of that is the tactical tuxedo. The whole point of concealed carry is to not let people around you know you have a gun until that gun is needed. So avoid dress that gives you away.

The holster you select must secure the firearm, in all circumstances. If it doesn’t, skip it. Your holster should be mounted to your belt by way of fixed loops or pull the dot soft loops. Besides keeping the gun/holster on your belt, these styles keep the combo close and tight against your body; aiding in concealment. Clips, hooks and magnets will fail you and end with your gun being unsecured. It is not an if but a when. Those clips can be very appealing, so if you must use them make sure they are of the highest quality, the few that I partially recommend come from Discreet Carry Concepts, Raven Concealment and G-code. If a holster relies solely on the tightness of your belt to secure it, what happens when you belt shifts or you go to the bathroom in public. A gun falling on the floor and sliding out of my stall is something I like to avoid.
A holster needs to be fast. Why? If the day comes, and you need your gun, you need it right NOW!!! Holsters that require weird body contortions or special positions to gain access to the gun should be avoided. Pocket carry for example is only accessible 50% of the time. Don’t get me wrong I have been known to holster a snubbie in my pocket…but, never as my primary firearm. Yes, you need a holster for pocket carry. Not only does it protect the gun from pocket lint and other debris, it keeps the gun oriented in the exact same position. That way when you need it you aren’t fumbling around trying to grasp the grip and get the muzzle. Very few people actually need active retention holsters. The average person would be well served with a standard style, quality manufactured, leather or kydex holster. Besides having one less thing to worry about under stress, they conceal better and are faster. Yes, I know, “it’s a training issue”. Why train for if it if you don’t need it? When you are fighting for your life, the only thing that’s runs out faster than bullets, is time. A holster that keeps your firearm in the exact same location with minimal shifting throughout the day allows for a very fast draw that can be recreated over and over under stress.

Continued in part 2.