

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:37:25 PM EST
Disclaimer: I work at a gun store/range. I am not a "fanboi" of any particular brand. I consider myself above average in shooting competency after having had professional instruction and been through pistol classes. I am an impulsive firearm buyer/trader, and buy shit because it's new and shiny and cool.
Observations in no particular order: I would have done much better to purchase more ammo and training, than purchase shiny new guns. My two SIG P320s are an obvious debacle and I'm left wondering if I'll get any money out of them. I bought the tan/FDE FNS9C because it looks cool and looked like a good carry gun. Both the P320C and the FNS9C are for PRACTICAL purposes the same size as a G19. I shoot my Glock 19s far better than my other new and shiny impulse buy guns like the FN's and SIG's. I also have much more round count through the G19 and have taken/done all my training with my G19s. My G19 has never failed me, and I feel now like I was looking (in a new gun) for a solution to a problem I didn't have. Switching around between guns makes things a hell of a lot harder during training, even due to the slight variations in grips, sights, grip angle, bore height, sight radius, etc. "Beware the man who carries one gun" comes to mind. It's very hard to stay at the top of your game when you have a limited time and ammo budget (wife, 4-year old son, and newborn son). Your skills diminish quite rapidly when you go from shooting a couple times a week, to once or twice a month. I used some of the training drills and targets from T-Rex Arms and others and shot on a randomized shot timer. Things get really hard, especially from the draw, when you're under pressure and out of practice. Mixed, randomized timed practice is a hell of a lot harder than falling into the trap of doing your "range routine" that you're comfortable with. I don't do nearly enough dry fire and draw practice (as I used to) at home, and it shows on my shot/draw times and target accuracy. It's very easy to miss, even at "only" 5 and 7 yard distances when you're under pressure from the clock and starting from the draw/concealment. My times were a respectable sub 2-seconds coming from the draw and/or from concealment (averaging about 1.45-1.75 seconds), but I really had to work to get good hits at that speed at 5 and 7 yards. Even 3 yards is no guarantee when you're really stepping on the gas and going as fast as possible (sub 1.5 seconds). Conclusions: I plan on trying to do more consistent, timed draw and dry fire practice at home. I'm re-focusing on my GLock 19 as my primary sidearm both at work (open carry holster) and as my concealed firearm. I have tried (and spent/traded my own money) on its' major competitors and I find the G19 to be the most versatile and practical handgun FOR ME. I need more ammo money. I need more training. I need more practice. YMMV. Flame suit on. |
|
I agree with your strategy. The gun you use/carry should be the gun you train with and are best with.
I fall in the same group as you did, I have spent a year carrying and shooting a G19 and I will never get rid of it. But I like HK and shoot them better. Sold a P320 I had impulse bought. Need to do more practice and dry fire as well, this practice they call "matches" isn't showing the kind of improvement I want to see. |
|
SIRT pistol
I really want to get one of these and the LASR software. Same goes for the bolt insert for my ARs. Kids are expensive ![]() |
|
Here's what I would have done:
Start shooting USPSA sooner. Also, dry firing is free and nothing is better (since you can do it daily at home) for speeding up draws, transitions and reloads. No need for a SIRT. Just use your actual gun. |
|
|
Truth.
When I was done with college, but living with my parents I had a golden year. I shot probably 5 days a week. Ammo cost didn't matter, I was working an entry level job, but no real world expenses. Once I started to achieve other goals in my life, I lost that marksmanship. 22 year old me would shoot circles around 34 year old me. I need to shoot more. Excellent post, OP. |
|
Quoted:
Here's what I would have done: Start shooting USPSA sooner. Also, dry firing is free and nothing is better (since you can do it daily at home) for speeding up draws, transitions and reloads. No need for a SIRT. Just use your actual gun. View Quote Competition will make you better. Practice without competition will leave you not knowing how much you don't know. |
|
Good for OP trying new things to see what works best.
Starting back in the 70s have gone from 357 to 44 to 10mm to 45. All guns were my main carry for a while with the 45 being my main stay for quite a while. I shoot many other calibers but these were my carry ones. I have been contemplating spending time with 9mm to see if I can speed things up. |
|
I have spent far more on pistol ammo than on the pistols to shoot it! I shoot pistols at least once a week and shoot a match once a month. That's not a ton but more than average. I'm still not where I want to be. I try really hard to resist impulse gun purchases.... But it did happen this year with a 629.
But yes, Training and ammo dollars go much much further. Much further. Eta if you are worried about dry firing and safety blade tech makes training barrels for a variety of pistols and even a training bolt for the AR15. |
|
Buy a .22 with a like weight and size to what you carry, and shoot the shit out of it.
|
|
USPSA is great although most of my once a month matches are the only shooting I do that month so I'm not in danger of winning.
I feel you OP. Kind of hard to do any real dry fire when a 2 year old wants to play and your wife yells that she's trying to watch TV and you need to stop all the noise. |
|
My two SIG P320s are an obvious debacle and I'm left wondering if I'll get any money out of them. View Quote ![]() ![]() |
|
Quoted:
It's very easy to miss, even at "only" 5 and 7 yard distances when you're under pressure from the clock and starting from the draw/concealment. View Quote Seriously? 5-7 yards & you're MISSING? Have you let your husband shoot your gun? |
|
I feel ya, OP. I'm in the exact same boat with the 320 and Glocks, switching back to G17/G19, and training/ammo v. gear purchases. Here's what I did this year, my 2017 resolution, if you will.
I have been taking a series of basically small group/private training classes local to me. Found a reputable instructor, checked references with arfcom and others, visited extensively with the guy about training methods and philosophy, and bought a "package" of basically 30 hours of training. I'm about 21 hours into it right now. The benefit of buying the series of training classes was that money was committed to that and ammo for it a long time ago, and the urge to look at new gear has been non-existent. I've spent my gun money/fun money for the year. Additionally, it's easy to practice and dry fire. Each class builds on the last and I know if I don't do the work, I won't get my money's worth out of the next session. It has been the best decision I've made regarding shooting and training and has helped me build practice habits I doubt I would have otherwise developed. Would recommend something like this to anybody that doesn't have friends or training partners to help push you and keep you progressing. |
|
Quoted:
Seriously? 5-7 yards & you're MISSING? Have you let your husband shoot your gun? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
|
I rotate between a 1911, beretta m9a1 compact, and a g19. I've never noticed shooting more with one inhibits my shooting with another.
In fact I didn't shoot my g19 for a year recently and when I finally did shoot it I shot it better than ever. Verified by me shooting a scored qual with it. If I were you I'd try real hard to do a little more dry fire practice. It's free. |
|
Quoted:
If you're not missing once in a while then you're shooting to slow. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
My G19 has never failed me, and I feel now like I was looking (in a new gun) for a solution to a problem I didn't have. Around 09 or so, a friend offered to take me to a local Glock match. I told him I wasn't interested, but he pressed me and offered to let me borrow one of his Glocks. I went, had a blast, and ended up in the middle of the pack (I'd never competed and didn't shoot much at all around that time). At that point I learned a few things that changed pretty much my entire way of thinking about defensive guns. 1. Comfort doesn't matter even a fraction as much as people think. A gun's "feel" while fondling it at the shop should be WAY down on the list of pros and cons. 2. Knowing how to shoot takes priority over everything else. Everybody has their preference over materials, controls, sights, etc, but all of that is secondary. If you can shoot, you'll be able to shoot pretty much any gun well, whether it's a DAO, striker, SA, revolver, whatever (yes, you won't be an instant expert with every gun; that's why we train). 3. Commonality can be a great thing and is something to take under consideration. Most major companies offer very similar handgun models in different sizes for different carry methods, which is a good thing if, like me, you aren't able to carry the same gun all the time. 4. There is no magic bullet. Nothing is going to make you a perfect shooter overnight. Becoming a competent shooter is a long series of tiny steps, breakthroughs and "Ah HAH!" moments. That's why someone like Jerry Miculek and a Jennings 380 would wipe the floor with me while I shot a tricked out Taran Tactical John Wick Combat Master whateverthehell Glock. At one point I had a BUG with a US style mag release and a double action trigger while my primary gun was striker fired with a Euro mag release. Basically, that's like the guy that goes through a car accessory catalog and buys all the shiny stuff without having a plan. You might get lucky and everything works, but it's better to take a step back and find out what your needs are before clicking the Checkout button. For me it's Glock, but for others they've figured out something else. And that's fine. even if they're wrong ![]() |
|
Consider a Cool Fire trainer for your G19 if you are going to get serious about dry fire training. Worth the money. Loving mine.
|
|
|
OP, get an Advantage Arms .22 conversion kit and find some .22LR ammo that functions well in it. I found some Remington Golden Bullet ammo that worked in it and in my customized 10/22, bought 5000 rounds of it ten years ago. MUCH cheaper than 9mm.
|
|
Quoted:
OP, get an Advantage Arms .22 conversion kit and find some .22LR ammo that functions well in it. I found some Remington Golden Bullet ammo that worked in it and in my customized 10/22, bought 5000 rounds of it ten years ago. MUCH cheaper than 9mm. View Quote |
|
I find the use of the term training in private sector circles funny. People used to say practice or just goin shootin. Now everything is training but no one knows why??
My theory is tax code. For people who carry a gun for a living, training expenses are tax deductible, but sport shooting and practice are not. This of course became the new buzz word. |
|
Quoted:
I find the use of the term training in private sector circles funny. People used to say practice or just goin shootin. Now everything is training but no one knows why?? My theory is tax code. For people who carry a gun for a living, training expenses are tax deductible, but sport shooting and practice are not. This of course became the new buzz word. View Quote Plinking tin cans with my single six is not training. |
|
Quoted:
I find the use of the term training in private sector circles funny. People used to say practice or just goin shootin. Now everything is training but no one knows why?? My theory is tax code. For people who carry a gun for a living, training expenses are tax deductible, but sport shooting and practice are not. This of course became the new buzz word. View Quote |
|
|
Quoted:
I need more ammo money. I need more training. I need more practice. View Quote And, don't we all? A.W.D. |
|
|
Quoted:
If you're not missing once in a while then you're shooting to slow. View Quote While I'm by no means Wyatt Earp or Jesse James, I have shot thousands of rds in steel plate, IPSC & 3 Gun matches. Only in the steel plate matches have I drawn against someone. (Not shooting at him/her, of course.) I have had the honor of shooting against Angus Hobnell (sp?), captain of the CZ shooting team. He complemented me on my draw while watching me against others. Of course he smoked my ass when I went against him. ![]() Yes, I get the shooting against a 1-1/2" target. But no one mentioned that earlier, I don't believe. I was speaking of the standard B52 target or standard 6" bullseye target. By the way, it's spelled "too slow", not "to slow". ![]() |
|
Quoted:
If you've never thrown a Mike at 7 yards pushing speed you're not going fast enough. View Quote ![]() Drawing against an armed assailant whom is already brandishing is NO time to be spraying shots all over the GD place, IMO. Draw quickly (but NOT overfast), point, shoot & HIT your target, gentlemen. It well might save your lives one day. |
|
|
Quoted:
Have none of you weekend warriors ever considered that ONE shot MIGHT be all you get? ![]() Drawing against an armed assailant whom is already brandishing is NO time to be spraying shots all over the GD place, IMO. Draw quickly (but NOT overfast), point, shoot & HIT your target, gentlemen. It well might save your lives one day. View Quote You then tone it back a bit. After a while you speed it back up. You want to know what's better than being slow and accurate? Fast and accurate. |
|
This thread is a good thread. OP nailed it. I have been switching between a 1911 and a G19, and when I shoot, it shows.
I prefer the 1911 because 9mm's are for pussies. ![]() but I have a wife and kid, and crowds of fucktards are my main concern so 16>9... but I usually have an AR pistol nearby if out of town. I will probably move back to the 1911 and get rid of the g19, because of the two; with the limited amounts of time I get to shoot, I shoot the 1911 better. I do have an M9 that I wanted to shoot matches with, but I can shoot matches with a 1911...so meh. Probably going to end up selling both of them. |
|
|
Quoted:
Here's what I would have done: Start shooting USPSA sooner. Also, dry firing is free and nothing is better (since you can do it daily at home) for speeding up draws, transitions and reloads. No need for a SIRT. Just use your actual gun. View Quote ![]() |
|
Quoted:
Seriously? 5-7 yards & you're MISSING? Have you let your husband shoot your gun? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.