Posted: 2/23/2005 4:04:11 PM EDT
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Many of you are L/E or prior mil or someone whose occupation will put them around a firearm for whatever reason. I am new here and I am engaged in learning. Consider me your student for the moment. 1 What is the difference between a short tigger and I am guessing a long trigger? like on the Sigs 2 what is the best way to keep your firearms from being stolen, leave them in the case unlocked with the trigger lock on, so if a thief comes about he'll open the case, see the piece and the gunlock and leave it? or safe 3 when at the range what is your objective? how do you measure groups and when weak hand shooting are you aiming from the hip or at eye level? 4 For home defense what is the best action sa or da and what is dak and dao, lem, what are the advanatages? 5 when purchasing a carry gun is it wise to stay away from chrome? I know that this may seem like a lot to ask but I rather ask you then continue to be ignorant and let someone sell me something I don't need. Be as lenghty as you chose the more info the better. |
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welcome Pistola, I'm active duty military...I'll take a shot at answering some of your questions, but don't take my word for anything---I'm USAF, and the weapons training we get is pretty pathetic  1) short trigger vs long trigger....no idea. could be a reference to either where the trig sits on the gun (such as a 1911: short trigger is closer to the frame. really helps if you have small hands/short fingers. a long trigger would be better if you have long fingers/big hands...it's all about what feels right to you). It could also mean the distance your trig has to move in order to fire the weapon. In relation to Sig, the first shot is a long pull in double action. Trigger movement has to bring the hammer to full back position before it goes off. Subsequent shots would be in single action (very short trigger movement) because the slide cocks the hammer during recoil. 2) Keep it on your person. It's hard to steal a gun if it's in a holster on your hip. If carrying whenever you aren't home isn't an option, you need a good safe. Bigger is better. If a small safe is all you can afford, bolt it to the floor or through studs in the wall. Every crook knows what's inside a locked gun safe, and they can easily take the whole thing to open up later in the comfort of their crackhouse. (trigger locks/cables don't discourage anyone determined to take the gun. they're just 'feel good politician-friendly' nuisances, and last about 30 seconds when confronted by somebody older than 5 who posesses a basic knowledge of tools) 3) not to be a smartass, but to SHOOT! Getting familiar with your firearm, practicing proper safety, trigger control, draw....(taking a breath) testing reliability, testing various types of ammo, and to ensure you can hit what you're aiming at EVERY time. Different people measure their groups differently. For me, group are measured center to center (of bullet holes). Draw a circle that bisects the center of the outermost holes and measure the diameter of the circle. Viola. Weak hand shooting should always be aimed fire. This ain't the Wild West, and Hollywood ain't real life. Weak hand only means you're using your non-dominant hand. Please remember that YOU are responsible for each and every round you fire....if you're hip shooting and you miss the backstop, you can't bring that bullet back. Safety lecture out of the way, when you're familiar and comfortable with your weapon, AND you have a safe place to try it out...you'll be amazed at how inaccurate it is for most people. For distances within a few yards, you might hit paper. It's an emergency drill, and not something that many people have a lot of success with without a whole lot of practice. 4) Personal preference. Everyone has an opinion, but the only one that matters is yours. I don't like double action, so my choice is sa. SA is all I shoot, so I stay consistent....even with my DA capable guns, I cock the hammer before shooting, and they aren't my 'go-to' guns. DAO will always have a long, heavy trigger pull. (Makes it hard to be really accurate without a whole lot of practice because of the trigger. A millimeter of movement on the gun can equal a foot or more downrange, depending on distance.) I like SA because the trigger feels exactly the same (short travel, light pull) for every shot. Double action will have a long heavy pull on the first shot, and single action (light short pull) for all remaining shots. I have no friggin' clue what DAK and LEM are. 5) If you like chrome, get chrome. If you like blued, get blued. It's all about preference. Just get something made by a reputable, established company and stay the hell away from the Lorcin, Bryco and Jennings crap. (it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but it DOES have to work reliably) Personally, I prefer a stainless or hard chrome finish on my carry guns because I don't want to worry about rust, and it's easier to clean. (I carry a Les Baer 1911 every day.....it's not an inexpensive pistol, and I want it to look pretty as long as possible. It's going off for hard chroming in the very near future) ETA: Bob posted while I was typing this. He is correct about the glare issue, and a bright finish can give away the fact that you are packing simply because the eye is drawn to shiny objects. Dress accordingly to minimize the gun showing when you don't want it to. It's also harder to see/concentrate on your sights if you're blinded by a blinged out gun in broad daylight. A bead blasted hard chrome is about the toughest finish there is, and isn't reflective. I'm sure some other opinions will be coming along shortly. Enjoy the forum! |
former USAF...only time i touched a firearm in the AF was in basic training when i shot the M16A1...i think that was it. BTW ive only been out 3 months so im pretty up to date on things |
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Ok, I'm not a LEO (yet) or a military personnel, however I can answer most of your questions. 1. - Short trigger and long trigger, well first of all the shorter the trigger the less far you will have to pull it for the hammer, inline stirker or firing system to be engaged. So on a longer trigger comparable to the Walther P99 or Taurus 24/7 you will have to pull the trigger approximately .50 or .55 inches. A shorter pull like you might find on a Glock, or Custom 1911 stlyle pistol will fire with a trigger pull of less than .50 inches often even less than .25 inches. The longer trigger pull is also called an anti-stress trigger which is often referred to as a safety feature on guns where you may begin to pull the trigger but change your mind in a stressful situation. 2. - Best way to keep them from being stolen is not to let others know you have them, and to have a safe. Gun locks are pointless inventions made simply to keep people from pulling the trigger accidently. They can be removed fairly easily. A large gun safe is very hard to fight. And nobody short of a professional locksmith/thief will ever be able to bust into your safe. 3 - Your objective at the range with your experience should be simply to fully understand your gun and be completely comfortable with it. Once you are completely "intimate" with your gun, you will notice groups becoming better and you will notice that you will be able to predict your accuracy. Aiming from the hip is only effective from very close range shooting, and most ranges will not allow you to do this. You should practice rigorously before attempting weak hand firing, because you will probably just disappoint yourself. 4 - For home defense, the best gun is the one that you are completely comfortable with at all times, like I said before. The gun you would grab in a serious situation is the best for home defense. The action of the gun is a minor issue if you are completely as ease with your shooting, and gun operation. You should be able to fully fieldstrip your gun with your eyes closed and put it back together, then you know you can use the gun for home defense in a low-light situation. 5. - Like BobCole mentioned the chrome finish can be very bright and reflective. If you are sure that you can fully conceal it, this is your preference. But be sure you know the gun like the back of your hand and its tendencies, it can save your life, trust me 
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