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wagner
MemberPosts: 40 Member
How Much Handgun Variety Do You Own? Is Too Much Variety Detrimental?
wagner
MemberPosts: 40 Member
Probably seems like a stupid question to many of you - the latter part, at least. But I live in NYC, which complicates almost everything. Most detrimentally, it limits my amount of trigger time because it's so expensive. You cannot imagine how much I envy anyone with a range on his/her own property and the ability to produce reloads. I'm lucky to get to the range once a month.
At the moment, I only own three pistols: Glock 23, Glock 27, Walther PPS. Except for the mag release on the PPS, the manual of arms on all three is basically identical. I want more handguns, largely because I'm a gun dork and I just love the things. And I'd like to possess a variety of pistols because there are so many different designs I really like (from SIG, Springfield, Walther, etc.) and would enjoy owning. But in the interest of sharpening my muscle memory and becoming very proficient (I am at best a mediocre pistol marksman, and I have zero formal training with pistols), am I making a mistake by mixing up my personal collection? Part of me thinks I should stick to the Glock platform (which I like), and just rent other platforms at the range from time to time. Another part of me thinks I'm way overthinking this, and I should just buy whatever my whims dictate before Congress guts the 2nd Amendment altogether.
What say you, gun people?
At the moment, I only own three pistols: Glock 23, Glock 27, Walther PPS. Except for the mag release on the PPS, the manual of arms on all three is basically identical. I want more handguns, largely because I'm a gun dork and I just love the things. And I'd like to possess a variety of pistols because there are so many different designs I really like (from SIG, Springfield, Walther, etc.) and would enjoy owning. But in the interest of sharpening my muscle memory and becoming very proficient (I am at best a mediocre pistol marksman, and I have zero formal training with pistols), am I making a mistake by mixing up my personal collection? Part of me thinks I should stick to the Glock platform (which I like), and just rent other platforms at the range from time to time. Another part of me thinks I'm way overthinking this, and I should just buy whatever my whims dictate before Congress guts the 2nd Amendment altogether.
What say you, gun people?
Replies
I own a bit of everything. You need variety it's the spice of life.
But the general premise of your question isn't about range time, I think, but whether a variety of weapons might "dilute" the readiness you need in a personal defense situation. Such as whether one gun has an external safety to click off, and you might miss that.
A very reasonable question, as I say. And sure, it's indeed possible that you might become accustomed to, say, a Glock w. no external safety and then fiddle too long if your gun has that safety to click off.
I practice at the range by varying my pistols and picking up one, then the other, then back to the first (normally only take 2 to the range at a time). And I alternate left/right hand, and alternate one-hand vs two-hand, and so on, so that I can switch between fairly easily, and not get "hung up" on one particular grip stance and so on.
I don't think you're "overthinking" this at all. I'd recommend that you practice at home w. unloaded pistols, just to pick them up and "dry fire" them so that you become accustomed to the variety of feel, and then, at the range, you can "double down" on such, by shooting, say, 4-5 rounds w. one pistol, then switch to the other quickly (and safely) so that you have a variation in the technique.
Good luck in NY. And we're very happy to have any ex-Yankees to move to Texas any time. Amazing the feeling of having a Republican governor and legislature! ha ha
Thanks for the helpful reply. Good suggestions. I do a ton of snap cap practice at home as it is, but I can always do more.
The one thing I probably don't want to get into is purchasing anything with a manual safety. I'm not critical of manual safeties, but less accustomed to them. I watch a lot of Hickok45's vids on YouTube. While the guy is brilliant with pretty much any firearm you put in his hands, I've noticed once or twice that when firing pistols with manual safeties, he'll forget to disengage the safety and get a dull clicking noise on the first round. Makes perfect sense, given his frequently stated preference for striker-fire. But if a shooter with as much experience as that guy can get hung up for a second by forgetting to hit the safety, I figure I'm likely to get myself killed under stress in a life-or-death scenario. Definitely a judgment about myself rather than guns with external safeties. I'm scared of the things. Unfortunate, because if I weren't, the list of pistols I'd enjoy owning expands hugely - Ruger, FN, CZ, Beretta, a world of 1911's...
And thanks for the invite! I plan to make myself an ex-Yankee absolutely as soon as possible, but I won't finish school here until 2014... Hopefully we'll still have a 2nd Amendment by then.
Your best approach may be to figure out what roles you need to fill (HD, CCW for a couple modes of dress, hunting, competition, smallbore practice etc...). Once you get that hammered out, think about what features you either need to have, or absolutely REFUSE to have - for example, I WILL NOT have an autoloader with a magazine disconnect device or a DA-to-SA trigger, and I WILL NOT have a firearm that uses an "ignition key", but your mileage may vary.
On becoming proficient; here's a tip - it's all about sight alignment, sight picture, grip, and good trigger management. Once you've got that sorted, what the gun is doesn't matter nearly so much as you think it does.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
The great benefit of a manual safety on a SINGLE ACTION firearm (like a 1911) is that it gives you a trigger that only has to do one thing - fire the weapon. This allows you to eliminate all of the extra motion associated with triggers that cock the gun or disengage various internal safeties. Such guns are usually easier to deliver accurate shots quickly because of this - once the sights are aligned, one merely has to add pressure until the sear lets the hammer go.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
small or too big.
Mine, too - except I don't think it even necessarily has to fit your hand, although that is obviously desireable. I eventually learned to shoot my LCP and my Kahrs pretty well (for compacts), despite a trigger reach that is way too short. On the opposite end of the scale, I probably shoot the G20 better than anything I have ever owned (except a Blackhawk) and it feels like I'm holding a block of wood.
As to the original question, I like to shoot almost everything - SA or DA revolvers, SA/DA, SA only, and striker fired pistols. I don't like anything with a mag disconnect, although I have one that is not a SD weapon, and I avoid ignition keys, except for one S&W that has never been 'switched off' and I don't even know where the key is.
But, for carry, I mostly stick to striker fired pistols with no manual safety, because I don't get to practice enough to feel as comfortable with anything else.
AKA: Former Founding Member
Perfectly said!
I think at the very least you need to have a Glock (or one of its copycats like XD :devil:), a 1911, and a DA revolver. These are the most common handguns out there and you need to be comfortable with them at least. Everything else comes off of those 3, with possibly the decocker as the only thing that's "missing".
Perhaps it's best to point out some differences and you can decide. Some differences on pistol are frame-mounted safety typical of Beretta, mag release button of the Walther as you already know, and the index finger manual safety on the FN Five-seveN. For revolvers, in addition to SA which is very different from DA, you have different mechanism of releasing cylinders (some main examples: push for S&W, pull for Colt, and vertically 1-handed for Dan Wesson). While it doesn't quite fit, some guns have magazine drop safety which won't fire if the mag is out.
Al
So when I buy a gun, I already have in mind the specific purpose/job this gun is for, but it has to fit my previous pattern. For instance, my first handgun was a Ruger P94; it had a manual safety/decocker and an external hammer. The second one I bought was a Ruger P91; same caliber, same design, just had a longer barrel.
I've gone back an forth on gun types for the purpose of concealed carry, but looking back I realize that I had to try many different types to find what I truly like. When I bought my first 1911, I had my 'Road to Damascus' moment.....
From that point on, my caliber for personal defense has been, and shall ever be, .45acp. And the gun will always have an external hammer. My Kimber and my FN fit the bill nicely.
I've got revolvers, and it took owning a few to realize that I prefer stainless steel & double action.
I don't normally take them all to the range, but I can use them all well.
I have a wide variety of handguns and I don't have enough.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Illinois is not a CCW state (the only one that isn't) but if it was, I would feel equally confident with a wheel-gun as with a semi-auto thanks to all the rounds sent down range with each type of firearm. Not bragging, just saying that I've got Govt. models, striker fired hi-cap semi-autos and lots & lots of wheel-guns. As someone else said, variety is the spice of life.
Revolvers, both DA and SA, 1911's, and 1911 styled striker fired pistols are cool, for me.
I have owned pistols from a Luger designed in 1898 to a modern Sig 226 , and revolvers from 1847 Colt Walker repro to a Ruger Redhawk. I feel just as comfortable with one as any other.
Oddly enough , the more complicated a pistol is , the more I like it. Stuff like Glocks and even D/A only revolvers leave me cold. I guess the powers that be designed these thing for the simpler is safer crowd. Yet Glocks and similar pistols have one of , if not THE highest rates of ADs.
But the basic safety rules must become second nature , Treat every gun as loaded , finger off the trigger , always point in a safe direction , remove mag or open cylinder , check and clear chamber(s).
All in 45ACP
Glock 21
H&K USP
Sig P220
Colt Gold Cup 1911
Briley 1911
XD (45)
Other
Ruger BlackHawk (45 Colt)
Ruger Super Redhawk (480 Ruger)
Colt 1903 (32ACP)
Smith & Wesson Model 38 (38 Spl)
Smith & Wesson Model 637 (38 Spl +P)
Browning Challenger
The only problem is you can't shoot them all at once
Primary SD is a Glock.
It is more of how much practice I put in terms of how proficient I am with xyz handgun(s).
Certainly some crossover, but it is more about situational awareness (beyond realistic practice) or using the 6" between your ears.
"The Un-Tactical"
Jay, you nailed it. It's not the variety of guns you own, it's how proficient you are with the one you pick up at that particular moment, when it's really needed.
:that: +100 Jayhawker!
As with tools, you can never have too many guns! :nono: It's fun to shoot mutiple types and calibers. Just be sure when you choose your CCW, it's the one you are most comfortable and most accurate with and consistantly carry that one. If you want to change to a different platform, PRACTICE with that until you are proficient with it. Your life depends on it.
Good luck on your decision.
If they are self-defense pistols, variety is fine SO LONG AS your variety of pistols all have the same or very similar methods of function.
Example:
Glock, S&W M&P, SA XD series, etc.
Sig Sauer, Beretta, EAA Witness, etc.
1911, Browning Hi-Power, Sig P220 SAO, etc.
In this logic, you are always carrying a pistol that uses the same hand manipulations as the others so in the ultimate stressful moment, there is less a chance of getting jammed up with forgetting how to run your pistol. Just my two cents.
-Jason
I've decided I'm going to, at least for now, stick with the Glock platform for my personal defensive pistols (and the Walther PPS, which is incredibly Glock-like). I love firearms in general and am still super-interested in the whole array of great stuff out there other than Glock, but I guess I can always rent the other stuff from my range when I'm in the mood for some diversity. And also to educate myself, as I think it's just good to know how to operate what's out there just because you never know...
But I want a .45 (all the pistols I own at the moment are in .40). Gonna go for a G21 Gen 4, as soon as my "purchase authorization" comes through (gotta love NYC).
Also looking into a 5.56 rifle. In NYC, I am fairly certain that just about the only legal auto-loading 5.56 rifle I can purchase would be a Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. Not my first choice (would prefer something with longer effective range), but far, far better than the NO RIFLE I currently own. Based on recent events and some of the language out of Washington lately, I feel a sudden sense of urgency about acquiring a decent rifle. The Ranch Rifle seems to fly in NYC because it's missing many of the desirable features one might look for: no flash suppressor (illegal here, believe it or not), no pistol grip, no collapsible stock, etc. I'll take what I can get, for now. I actually kind of like the old school version with wood furniture...
I have a Mini-14....
PROS:
-LIGHTER than a AR15...go figure.
-large magazine capacities available
-scope rail adaptable for red dots, etc.
-same price as AR's (for those in AR unfriendly areas)
-made of stainless steel and wood...time tested combination
-good accessories available
-uses common ammo
-will feed/cycle anything
-more than adequate accuracy inside of 100 yards for minute of badguy
-quick follow up shots (mild muzzle jump)
-surprisingly excellent 2-stage triggers (little polish made it even better)
-not hard to disassemble/clean
-looks cool to boot!
-comes in a 6.8SPC and 7.62x39mm version!!!
CONS:
-does suffer from accuracy issues in some serial number ranges
-used ones seem to cost as much as new ones :uhm:
-barrel has to be cleaned from muzzle unless you have Otis stuff
For what I expect of mine, it performs superbly. It's fast swinging and quick pointing. Great rifle.
-Jason