Important priorities:
Sight-in and test : find out what cycles your .22LR firearms reliably. This is crucial and fun too!
Reports and informative articles on various handguns
Rock Island Armory 1911-TacII available in .45acp or 9mm
Incredible value, awesome price! Fiber optic red front sight, low mount adjustable rear sight,
aggressively textured G10 VZ grips, removable magwell, ambi safety, true 10rd mag. Ret $719
There is nothing on the market that can come close to such value in a 9mm 1911 at this price!
Rock Island Armory 9mm 1911-A1 available in .45acp or 9mm
The 'basic' version has Novak type dovetailed sights, ambi safety, high ride beavertail.
Just like the TacII version above, these fire all kinds of 9mm without a hitch. Ret $599
Truly a welcome offering in the vast world of handguns; specifically 9mm model 1911s:
Base model tested above had Novak pattern sights, ambi safety, high ride beavertail.
Test pistol ran flawlessly with all kinds of 9mm right from the start. That's reliability!
Reference pictures
Prices subject to change
FN 509 Tactical 9mm retail $1,069
Includes 3 mags, tall suppressor-height night sights and precut slide to accept optics.
Left and right views of FN 509 Tactical with optional Trijicon RMR mounted on slide.
Beretta's Model 92 variants: M9 and 92, 92A1
Two current Beretta 92 variants on the market now: M9 (closest to military issue) and railed frame 92A1.
Railed frame on 92A1 is again different from previous GSD and Elite 1A models. Won't fit same holsters.
92A1 has a slight 2mm reduced radius underneath tang of frame, allowing a much easier reach to trigger.
92A1: 3 dot sights. M9: 2 dot sights. Shooting differences by sight configurations are only psychological.
Background: standard model 92. Foreground: M9 serialization, M9 markings and slide assy numbers.
The dustcover on standard non-railed 92 has a taper toward muzzle and the M9's dustcover is straight.
Beretta's railed M9A1 and railed 92A1 comparisons
Both are railed frame models, same price. [Some differences between the two.] - Beretta pictures -
M9A1 (foreground) has beveled integral magwell. Front sights: M9A1 is fixed, 92A1 is dovetailed.
Both models share the same type of two-dot rear sight found on the proven standard model 92FS.
M9A1 frame: aggressively checkered front and backstrap. It is vital to have a secure firing grip.
All defensive guns should come with aggressive grip frames that improve controllability!
Revolver Truths
Truth about revolvers and their limitations
What if you're on the ground, below sight / behind low cover, and you cannot risk getting up to a higher
position to manipulate/reload revolvers? Two hands is already tough; what if only one hand was usable?
Semiauto mag-fed handguns far easier to work with in these difficult and uncomfortable situations.
For many with limited time to take serious training opportunities, this is why I strongly recommend
striker-fired semiauto pistols over revolvers. Whatever your preference, get uncomfortable and train.
Common 4" barreled revolver, grounded reload - with use of both hands. Gravity is against us unloading
empty cases and getting a fresh load into the cylinder. Anyone can conduct reloading while being upright.
Even if ejector has full throw on 4" barrel model, horizontal manipulating requirement hampers extraction.
Definitely need to whisk out expanded empties and push in new cartridges, close cylinder, get gun up!
Now deal with reloading task, grounded, using only one hand. Let's say your strong hand is unusable.
Empties won't eject cleanly; gravity won't work for us. Indexing speedloader needs unmoving cylinder.
Stub of hand/arm is best bet to work last empties out of cylinder then secure cylinder for reload task.
Ensuring fresh cartridges stay in cylinder (we're horizontal on the ground, not sitting or standing upright!)
then closing cylinder with stub of strong hand will have revolver ready to fire again. Practiced offhand or
even strong side one-handed lately? Try from lying down, raising head just enough to aim above cover!
S&W Model 442 Pro Series has a distinct advantage: cylinder is cut and designed to accept moon clips.
In this case, all 5 empties will dump positively when (short throw) ejector is punched, and a reload is fast
as 5 new cartridges are indexed and reloaded very easily as they are simultaneously loaded into cylinder.
One handed. What if the strong side right hand - as it is for the majority - is not usable? What can we do?
Use the stub of right to punch ejector, probably need to pluck out moon clip (thankfully it is a moon clip),
get fresh cartridges into cylinder, roll cylinder shut with stub of right hand, get gun up and firing with left!
*I can hear loser comments with misled, self-justified, neophyte and tame range mentality proclaiming*
"Look! he's covering the muzzle with his right hand/body parts we are not wanting to destroy!"
Here's my retort: Hey dummy! It does not matter, you are FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE!
Those are the same losers that believe looking perfect in some weaver ideal push-pull stance on an indoor
range creating perfect 5 to 10 shot groups at a mere 3 yards is training and their friends / significant others
should listen to them because they shoot so perfect standing in one spot without discomfort or challenges.
Hey, I started there too. Now it's time for Americans to raise our standards and really learn how to fight.
*Open your eyes to how you can be better prepared and trained, thus being able to share it with others.*
Believe it, less live firing and more force-on-force training with others would be much better time spent
than weekly visits to the range expending unnecessary amounts of ammunition and getting so bored that
'we gotta get that laser' or 'I like try (buy) a different (fourth one yet!) handgun cause it's new!' WTH!?
