Off Season Lets Talk Guns, Part 2

[HonestChieffan]

Been a while since we had a guns n' ammo discussion.


Some of you are AR shooters Im sure. Im looking at a Colt 6920. Will be my first AR. Picked up a Glock this fall and really enjoy shooting it. Any feedback on that weapon?



Anyone else been in a buy/sell/trade mood with hardware?

[Radar Chief]

Late Christmas, early birthday present to myself.

https://www.taurususa.com/revolvers/...in-soft-rubber

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

Late Christmas, early birthday present to myself.

https://www.taurususa.com/revolvers/...in-soft-rubber

I love a good wheel gun. My wife's everday carry is a revolver. She trains with it the most because that's what she grew up shooting and feels the most comfortable with.

[Frazod]

I had a Taurus revolver - a little 5-shot .38. It wasn't a bad little gun, and I shot surprisingly well with it.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I had a Taurus revolver - a little 5-shot .38. It wasn't a bad little gun, and I shot surprisingly well with it.

I have a Taurus PT-101 .40 caliber based on the Beretta 96 platform.

I can't shoot it for shit but my buddy's a decent shot with it so I can't blame the gun. Had it for probably 10 years and have put maybe 500 rounds through it so I have nobody to blame but myself. The gun itself seems like a good gun. Taurus actually made a couple improvements on the Beretta blueprint, IMO (the position of the safety/de-cocker on the Beretta is awful; much better spot on the Taurus). Taurus seems to have found its footing over the last 20 years or so.

I learned on my Ruger MK-II target pistol and then 'graduated' to a Sig P320 9mm. So I probably just let the gun shoot me a little more than I should after getting used to much easier shooting guns.

A sportier trigger wouldn't hurt. There's a little more play in the Taurus than I'm a huge fan of. It's similar to my Ruger .375 revolver - the double action just leaves a lot of empty pull. I'm a MUCH better shot when I manually pull the hammer back with that gun than I am when I'm trying to 'find' when it goes bang.

Ultimately I just need a better base. My handgun skills have atrophied a ton through my 30s. Just not enough range time.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Does your Viper have/come with locking caps on the windage, elevation, and parallax?

No. But mine is around 8 years old I think.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I have a Taurus PT-101 .40 caliber based on the Beretta 96 platform.

I can't shoot it for shit but my buddy's a decent shot with it so I can't blame the gun. Had it for probably 10 years and have put maybe 500 rounds through it so I have nobody to blame but myself. The gun itself seems like a good gun. Taurus actually made a couple improvements on the Beretta blueprint, IMO (the position of the safety/de-cocker on the Beretta is awful; much better spot on the Taurus). Taurus seems to have found its footing over the last 20 years or so.

I learned on my Ruger MK-II target pistol and then 'graduated' to a Sig P320 9mm. So I probably just let the gun shoot me a little more than I should after getting used to much easier shooting guns.

A sportier trigger wouldn't hurt. There's a little more play in the Taurus than I'm a huge fan of. It's similar to my Ruger .375 revolver - the double action just leaves a lot of empty pull. I'm a MUCH better shot when I manually pull the hammer back with that gun than I am when I'm trying to 'find' when it goes bang.

Ultimately I just need a better base. My handgun skills have atrophied a ton through my 30s. Just not enough range time.

While modern Taurus pistols aren't that bad, the older ones are, and .40 isn't the best choice when it comes to caliber. Almost all .40s are 9mm frames with .40 barrels, so right off the bat the gun is going to be snappier than it should be. And a good trigger with a crisp reset is extremely important, and older Taurus pistols simply don't have them. Were I you, I'd trade that old .40 for a new 9mm. If you want more stopping power, get a 10mm. Same sized round, but they are designed from the frame up to be 10mm, and they have better stopping power than a .45. They are a little pricey, though, and ammo can be harder to find (and is much more expensive as well).

But the most important thing when it comes to pistol shooting, whether you have a good trigger or bad, is to make sure that when you pull the trigger, you just move your finger, not your hand. It is the absolute number one reason people miss. If you're right-handed, and move your hand, you'll miss low left (or low right if you're left-handed).

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Frazod

But the most important thing when it comes to pistol shooting, whether you have a good trigger or bad, is to make sure that when you pull the trigger, you just move your finger, not your hand. It is the absolute number one reason people miss. If you're right-handed, and move your hand, you'll miss low left (or low right if you're left-handed).

Yeah, back when I could shoot, I'd load the gun with those blank rounds (not an actual 'blank' but just a plastic block looking thing that kept the pin from being damaged by a dry fire) and balance a nickel on the barrel. If I could pull the trigger without the nickel falling off, my technique was sound.

Like I said - too much time away. Haven't done that for years.

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

I love a good wheel gun.

Originally Posted by Frazod

I had a Taurus revolver - a little 5-shot .38. It wasn't a bad little gun, and I shot surprisingly well with it.

It's hard to beat the reliability of a wheel gun and I've always wanted a .44 Mag, blame Dirty Harry for that one. Yea, I know his was a S&W, don't care I like Taurus' revolvers. This one isn't intended for CCW, it's too big. I might open carry when I'm back in the woods somewhere but not in public. This is more of a having fun at the range, blowing up snapping turtles at the river, sort of gun.
For EDC I have a S&W Airweight .38 special with Crimson Trace grips. It's a handy little 5 shooter that is small enough to throw in my jacket pocket and go.
Now I just need to come up with a holster for my new "hand cannon".

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah, back when I could shoot, I'd load the gun with those blank rounds (not an actual 'blank' but just a plastic block looking thing that kept the pin from being damaged by a dry fire) and balance a nickel on the barrel. If I could pull the trigger without the nickel falling off, my technique was sound.

Like I said - too much time away. Haven't done that for years.

That is how my Dad taught me to shoot rifles back in the day, and it's training that will stick with you when it comes to hand guns as well.

[rfaulk34]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

My usual ccw is a S&W M&P Shield. After trying several different holsters, I use a N8Tactical tuckable holster with it most days, for comfortability.

Have you shot a lot of smaller pieces? Because the smaller the gun gets the harder it is to work with. Just something to keep in mind.

There are several handguns that are smaller than the Shield to choose from, but I would strongly advise that you spend some time/$$$ shooting them. As much as possible before buying.


I had an LCP for a few years, but after more than a hundred range sessions I still had trouble with consistency/accuracy. i could shoot it accurately but gave up a lot of speed. Or, I could shoot it quickly and gave up a lot of accuracy.

I had the same issues with a S&W snubnose, and a couple other subcompacts like the Beretta Pico.


I finally gave up and went with a LC9, which is a little bigger than an LCP but a smidge smaller than a Shield. That I can shoot both quickly and accurately enough for me to feel comfortable carrying it. Helps that it's a Ruger, so good reliability and great customer service (though I've never had a problem with it).


But you need to put you hands on as many subcompacts as you can, and shoot them rigorously, before depending on one for carry purposes, imho.

Originally Posted by Frazod

The right holster makes all the difference. I use a Vedder Lighttuck IWB, which is model-specific molded kydex with a metal belt clip. The holster retains and the clip won't ever break. Doesn't print at all unless your shirt is too tight. If you aren't using a belt, a good belly band will suffice, although it is more difficult to draw and reholster.

I have one pistol smaller than the XL - a Ruger LC9s. While I do trust it, it's easily the crappiest gun I own. It's what I carry if I'm going somewhere that I'll have to leave it in the car. I almost never carry it. The smaller the pistol, the worse the quality and performance; that's just the way it is. But if your heart is set on something tiny, I guess that would be my recommendation. It's a better alternative than harsh language.

I'm a little different in that i prefer a mid-sized for CC. I have an M&P 2.0 Metal, which is bigger and heavier than most would recomment for an every day carry. This gun is like an extension of my hand though. I've loved the M&P since the very first time i shot it.17+1 and i carry a spare mag at 4/5 o'clock for easy reload. I've never needed to use it and hope i never do but i'm not going to be pinned down in some restaurant or mall with only 10(ish) rounds to defend myself.

I use a Falco leather custom holster. They make them fit any model with whatever attachments you want and they are freaking fantastic. Heavy duty, light-weight leather with a tank of a clip. Super durable and comfortable.

[Radar Chief]

Sort of off subject but sort of not.

Lets talk hearing protection.

I've got a couple pair of ear muffs for hearing protection but I've been looking at these:

https://goaxil.com/pages/gsextreme?u...TSvuuz#product

Less bulky and I like that you don't have to take them out to have a conversation, plus they are Blue Tooth compatible so I can listen to my metal music while shredding targets.

Anyone have experience with these? Other brands?