Choose the Right Gun

King Features Syndicate ^ | 11/12/03 | Charley Reese

[Shooter 2.5]

I have a Taurus 92 which is the copy of the Military's M9 except I like the frame mounted safety instead of the one mounted on the slide.

It's OK. I usually shoot 1911's so I'm partial to those. The problems I see with the Taurus and Beretta's is it's a little large for such a small caliber. The trigger has a annoying feature that when the trigger is pulled, it resets and slaps your finger. After a couple of hundred rounds, your first pad on the finger is sore. I also like to shoot the cheaper lead bullets and that's impossible with it. It doesn't like lead and the accuracy is horrible. I might be able to find some hard cast bullets.

The one I have is nickeled and that also means the front sight since it's part of the frame. Once in a while I have to paint the front sight.

Accuracy is average.

Large capacity magazines aren't that hard to find.

[Maelstrom]

Thank you for the correction.

I was thinking #4 shot.

#4 Buck is unavailable in NY except by special order.

Buckshot is an illegal load for hunting here...and I'm getting out as soon as I can find a job elsewhere.

[Woodman]

Here is a 12 Ga. vs. 4 Ga shell comparison.

I've seen the guns, and they almost took up the whole boat from bow to stern.

[Woodman]

I finaly found a picture of one and can be found here It's tripod and doesn't allow linking.

[toddst]

. . . Kel-Tec .32. What does that thing weigh fully loaded, about 10 ozs! ....and only around 3/4 of an in. thick, from what I've heard. Never shot one, but sure would like to.

I have carried the Kel Tec 32 daily since it's been available. It's double-action only but has a light, clean trigger pull and very accurate at personal defense ranges. I can shoot tight pairs in about one second consistently at from seven to about fifteen yards. The groups open up further out due to my being unsteady, not the gun.

[Mr. Mojo]

Kel Tec 32

Do you carry it in a special (tiny) holster, or loose? How's the reliability? Is it ammo sensitive? Is it difficult to break down/clean/maintain? Do you have difficulty gripping the piece (small as it is)?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm considering getting one.

[meyer]

I am not so great w/ aimed pistol fire either, but I don't think any average citizen is any better. I am convinced that if a target is farther away than 15', you shouldn't be using a handgun anyway.

I am the total opposite. I regularly shoot my handguns at 25 yards, and occasionally at 50 yards. I'd probably not use them defensively at 50, but 25 yards and less is quite reasonable.

Then again, the wonderful sound of the Mossberg 500 pump makes a great deterrant as well, and certainly when within earshot.

[blackie]

"Then again, the wonderful sound of the Mossberg 500 pump makes a great deterrant as well, and certainly when within earshot."

I have one of those, too:

It's great for porch dusting.

[Plutarch]

One, you have to prepare yourself psychologically to take a human life.

Apparently, not if you are shooting a .22

[meyer]

This is actually a good article. I teach personal defense and will use this piece as one more item of information for my students.

These threads follow a pattern of becoming personal preferences per weapons best suited for self-defense. There is so often little realism in comments by gun enthusiasts who typically have no experience in confrontations and/or no meaningful training.

That's for sure - I'm pretty good at poking holes in paper, but I've never had a paper target pull a knife on me or shoot at me or duck or weave. Its a different world, and one that I'm not qualified to comment on, short of the barroom fistfights of my slightly tainted youth, and the modest self-defense training I've been through.

I like and shoot a 1911 A-1 in 45 ACP as much as the next enthusiast but I don't carry it concealed. Remember, the gun you have with you is worth far more than the 45 ACP you left at home.

For shooting, the .45 is a great round. I prefer it to my .40 if only for the reason that it is less snappy and easier to get on target for the next shot.

Pick a small, lightweight gun and carry it concealed all the time. If you are on the street much, you WILL be glad for that 32 or 380! Also be sure you learn to use the gun you do carry.

When I do carry, its generally my Glock 27 in .40 cal, since its what I'm set up to use. If I had it to do all over, I'd probably have gotten the G-36 single stack .45 as I like the smoother shooting of that round. And who knows - I may go for a 36 soon anyway. I wonder when the next gun show is....

[meyer]

Mine's a little more conventional with a standard stock:

[blackie]

I have one of each ~ ya can't have too many shotguns. :)

PS I also have a SS .410 Snake Charmer (thumbholer) that's way fun to shoot. :)

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

"It doesn't like lead and the accuracy is horrible. I might be able to find some hard cast bullets."

Cast your own, a Lee double cavity mould for less than $20.00, a five gallon bucket of wheel weights (which are plenty hard as cast for all but the hottest magnum hand gun loads) for $15.00.(That is what I pay at local tire shop)

You can also get all other needed supplies from Lee if you do not already have them. I was surprised to find Lee still makes their little Classic impact loader. ( Lee Classic loader )

I started loading with it and still have several from those early days back in the 19 mumbles mumbles when I did a lot of smacking of them with a plastic mallet. I also took many a muley with loads made up from them.

They are a little beauty for one who doesn't want to invest a lot and are not a speed demon for loading speed. Today's cost of complete Classic loader for any one caliber is still under $16.00, I paid $9.00 for my first ones.

[Shooter 2.5]

Thanks but I already have enough lead in my system. It was either from casting my own for a lot of years or it was from solder machines while I worked for a communications company.

It's no problem. I just don't use 9MM for the IDPA matches. I never know when they're going to use steel plates.

[crude77]

I have a Beretta 9MM and keep it loaded with the Federal 124 grain Hydra Shoks. I have praticed with this gun and feel confident that I can hit (repeatedly) what I am aiming at without having to reaquire my target.

I am curious as to the purpose of staggered rounds and would further welcome any input on ammo selections.

Greg

[toddst]

Do you carry it in a special (tiny) holster, or loose? How's the reliability? Is it ammo sensitive? Is it difficult to break down/clean/maintain? Do you have difficulty gripping the piece (small as it is)?

Glad to answer questions about the Kel Tec 32. The company should send me a couple no-charge as I have encouraged many to buy them.

I carry the gun in a pocket holster made by DeSantis. It's shaped and textured in a way that the gun can be quickly drawn but the holster remains in your pocket. Cost is about $12 and worth it. Also breaks up the pistol outline, so having the gun in your pocket is not apparent.

I have fired several brands of ammunition in my gun (and the one my wife carries) and never had a feeding problem or misfire. I keep Speer hollow-points in the gun for carry. They perform very well and feed flawlessly.

The gun is very easy to break down for cleaning - one pin is easily removed when the slide is locked back which allows for removal of the slide assembly. No further disassembly is required for cleaning.

The grip is easy to position quickly and hold. Combined with a well engineered trigger action I find the gun very readily controlled, shot placement excellent at defensive ranges (seven to fifteen yards.)

If you get the Kel Tec 32 and work with it (a minimum of fifty rounds initially for orientation) I believe you will be very pleased. I carry mine every day, as does my wife - and many of my friends.

[Gritty]

I know you addressed this to toddst, but let allow me to chime in my two cents...

Kel Tec 32

you carry it in a special (tiny) holster, or loose?

I have a side-clip (bought from Kel-Tec) so I sometimes carry it loose when I don't want the holster. I carry it clipped either in a back pocket or in the small of my back. Nearly invisible. I use an Uncle Mikes "Sidekick", size 1, (around $10 at any guns shop) for carrying it in the pocket (usually front pants, or inside breast of jacket, or jacket pocket). This holster can also be easily modified with a razor blade to hold an extra loaded magazine. Very concealable and easy to get to, nearly invisible, even in jeans.

How is the reliability?

Mine is 100% reliable. It is the hard-chromed model, which I really like. I have fired hundreds of rounds and never had any kind of a malfunction.

Is it ammo sensitive?

I have used several types of fmj with no malfuntion. I have never tried hp because I prefer the penetration ballistics of the fmj.

Is it difficult to break down/clean/maintain?

Extremely easy.

Do you have difficulty gripping the piece (small as it is)?

Not at all. Although tiny, at close ranges 7-10 yds it is quite accurate. Around 25 yards I plan on 1 ft drop, spaced easily within a torso-sized area, using the primitive sights. This is probably more a funtion of "me" than the pistol.

This is a pistol you can carry any time, especially when you can't carry something larger.

Hope this helps.

[ninenot]

On another website devoted to guns, the speculation was that the shooter (in LA--the one who got filmed...) was using a .38, based on muzzle flash.

No matter what he was using, he was definitely an idiot.

[templar]

#4 shot is too small. Use 0-0 Buck

I keep my jungle gun loaded with 00 (it's mainly for use if I end up having to go outside). But, inside my house, the longest shot I could ever make is 15 feet. 44 pellets of #4 (about a 25 caliber) hitting someone from a short barreleld (20 inch) 10 guage is hard to ignore at taht range.

Of course, there may be a problem with a man shaped hole in the wall behind the perp if he's standing close to it.

I shot one of those blue plastic 30 gallon barrels filled with water once using this load from 15 feet to test it. Laid the barrel over and ripped a foot wide hole in it's back side. BB is probably pretty effective at that range too.

[wtc911]

If you've never been there you don't know what you will do.