One of the reasons I’m leaning towards a 1911 is that I’m a tinkerer, and I like to… tinker.
I do it with everything I own, including my guns.
I can’t see doing much tinkering on a Glock or H&K.
Although I must admit the P229 that someone suggested is tempting. That is a nice gun, and I found one for <$500.
I looked up some info at packing.org, and I see that Monterey County is a “Red” county (and not in the republican sense). So I probably will not be able to carry this. I find it amusing that Humboldt (where my dad lives), Yolo (where I went to undergrad) and Tuolumne (where the rest of my family lives) counties are all Green-almost-“shall issue” counties. I could quasi-claim residence in Tuolumne county and get my CCW that way, but I don’t have time for a lot of paperwork right now.
So for the forseeable future, this will be a range gun.
I seem to have been sidetracked by the Steyr M9. I am currently the high bidder in an auction for one of these at $280. I will not give up on my longtime dream of owning a 1911, but I would gladly take one of these quite awesome guns for such a low price.
If this is a carry/defensive gun, I would personally prefer not to “tinker” with it, both for reliability and liability reasons. Although there are many aftermarket parts for the 1911-pattern gun that are advertised as drop-in, I’d be leary of doing anything that might affect the function without inspection by an experienced gunsmith. Even drop-in barrels can have problems with feeding or cycling, and other pieces, like an extended slide release, can bind up or break if not correctly fitted. And the other concern is that, in the unfortunate case that you ever have to use the weapon in a defensive situation, the fact that you modified the gun (“to make it more deadly…” :rolleyes: ) may cause you problems in court (especially in a civil suit where the burden of proof is much less) due to nonsensical but effective arguements. It’s stupid–virtually no modification you can make is going to make the firearm “more deadly”–but a real concern, and in such a case I’d prefer to have the prosecution holding in evidence a stock, unmodified gun with factory ammo. JM$.02 on that issue.
I have small hands, too, and I really like both the SIG and the HK USP for that; even the USP45 is a pretty decent fit. SIG also has a line of polymer framed handguns (their Pro line) for reduced weight. (I just noticed that SIG also makes a 1911 clone–the GSR–though no doubt at a premium price.)
The Beretta 92 and similar sized guns are just too big, and the Glock just feels–wrong. I haven’t shot the HK P2000, but it’s a nice looking gun that shares a lot of the same features with the USP. The USP, by the way, comes in 9 variants (IIRC) which include manaul safety, decocker, manual safety+decocker, no external safety, et cetera, mounted on one side of the frame, and the SIG just has a frame mounted right-hand decocking lever; that makes both guns non-ambidexterous (though with the USP you can pick which side you want the lever on) if that is a concern for you, whereas the P2000 is completely ambidexterious, lacking as it does any external controls.
On external safeties; the safety is something of a holdover from single action autos like the 1911 and the Browning Hi-Power. On a double action, DAO, or “Glock Action” pistol, an external safety really isn’t necessary as long as the gun is carried and transported in a secure case or holster. You can say the same for a manual safety as well–after all, if the gun is loose or carried in the waistband it’s pretty easy for the safety to be released, and with a manual safety you have to remember to release it before firing, which sounds stupid until you are under pressure and can’t figure out why the trigger isn’t moving. In any case, all modern large-bore handguns have additional internal safety mechanisms that should prevent the gun from discharging unless the trigger is actually pulled. Unless you have a particular desire or need to carry in Condition 1 (“locked and cocked”) I’d avoid a manual safety, and for concealed carry I’d look for something with a concealed hammer or internal striker so that the hammer spur can’t catch on clothing.
It’s puny because it’s a slide lock, not a slide release. It was specifically designed small so that the average person would have to grasp the slide and pull it back to allow it to go forward.
Airman Doors is correct. Beyond that, I’ll add that the Glock is one of the more over-rated handguns in the world. They’re a common police sidearm more due to their aggressive marketing and low price (when purchased in numbers) than to any overwhelming superiority to other polymer-framed self-loaders. Somewhere around here I have a Glock 19. It is my least favorite piece in my whole collection. I retain it only because it was a gift from a very dear friend.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s overrated. It’s simple, it’s reliable, and it’s accurate, which is all you need. It’s my personal preference, but you know, that’s why there are hundreds of guns to choose from. A gun for every concievable taste.
I think I got a pretty good deal on it. I am the high bidder so far on a Kimber Custom II 1911, and if I win the auction then I will have that as well, although I don’t plan on upping my bid any more.
Stranger On a Train: I know what you mean about “tinkering”. I must say I’m not big on most of the silly aftermarket stuff that is available. Remember the Lara Croft fanboys?, so my tinkering would be pretty limited. Also, if I manage to get a CCW, I’d use the Steyr as my carry piece.
Simple manual of arms: check.
Reliable: check, except for the kB! issue in some models.
Accurate: enough so for the type of shooting military and police are wont to do.
The main thing I have against them , though, is that every Glock I’ve ever held points high for me. Moreover, I’ve found that to be the case with many other people whom I’ve taught to shoot. Some of them never owned a handgun before purchasing a Glock. They realized how badly it fit their hands only after shooting other more ergonomic pieces from my collection. The Glock is okay for what it is, but if it weren’t for movies and rap music, I think it would much less common in “civilian” hands. Cops would still have them in droves because the prices offered to police departments are well nigh more than a bean counter can resist.
Reminds me a of a little exchange between Earl’s ex-wife Joy and a sporting goods store clerk on “My Name is Earl”:
Joy picks out a huge handgun and says she’ll take it.
Clerk: “There’s a three-day waiting list for guns”
Joy: “Fine. What can I walk out with now that I can kill someone with?”
Clerk: “Aisle 4”
