guyandarifle

A couple things: I'm not a lawyer nor play one on TV but I'm not sure you have much say in him confiscating a pistol, permission to search or otherwise, once you've admitted to having a weapon AND it's been determined you have an expired permit. Is there car video of the stop? I would imagine if the weapon was in fact in the BACK of your vehicle, out of reach, it might help. Was the weapon cased or, better still, locked up? How long ago did the permit expire? If very recently it would certainly look better than, say, two years ago. Also, if there is video, if you in fact come off as looking like a good guy caught on a less-than-high-IQ day (God knows I've had them) and the cop was doing his best Gestapo imitation it might at least "look" better for you. Don't take this the wrong way but none of us know you from Adam and for all we know you were an arrogant jerk about the whole thing. Not saying you were...just saying. In the end the only recourse is what you've been told. Get a lawyer. Preferably one that actually has some idea about the whole gun thing. I've met some lawyers that you'd swear couldn't tell you which end of a gun was the muzzle.

I've got the G20 and G29SF. Like 'em both. This is one of those calibers that really benefits from handloading. All but a few commercial loadings are kinda on the weak side for what the case can do and all of it is on the expensive side.

Don't think it has been mentioned but if you don't have a decent .22 pistol it is a damn good investment. Have it mimic your "regular" gun(s) as much as possible and it can help more. I got an AA Conversion for my G20 and it's great. Other than being lighter (aluminum slide) everything else is exactly the same. Same sights/trigger pull/etc and I can shoot the crap out of it cheaply. My normal range routine is to show up and shoot at least 100rds of .22 and then whatever feels good for the 10mm. It's been a good system for me.

Practice dry firing like you mean it. I don't mean kinda throw it up there and pull the trigger. I mean where you can get the sights lined up exactly where you want them and they stay there all the way through the trigger travel. Do it a LOT. It's free and you can do it almost anywhere. (oh yeah, and I don't give a damn if you "know" it's unloaded before you start dry firing...check anyway)

It is my understanding that the PDX1 and Ranger are indeed the same. The information touting the hydrashocks was probably viable at the time it was printed but that is quite dated now. The fact that the article didn't even mention any number of newer loads now on the market demonstrates this.

First and foremost it's one that functions 100% in YOUR weapon...all else be damned. The Gold Dot has been around a long time and clearly is a solid choice. The buzz on the newer Barnes bullets as well as the Rangers & HST's has been good. I don't use the .45 for SD much (I'm packing .40 or 10mm) but my ammo for that purpose is Winchester's PDX1.

I've never believed you could control the variables enough to make anything other than some generalities with that kind of data. It's nobody's fault and I don't think anyone is being dishonest but you're trying to make sense out of chaos after the fact. You can have two different people hit in exactly the same place by exactly the same round and still have wildly differing results. Anyone that's hunted much knows this. One deer (or whatever) went down DRT and yet another shot, that damned if you can tell was any different, and you've got a 75yrd (or whatever) tracking job. If I've got ONE shot that could be the difference between me seeing the sunrise tomorrow and the choice is X caliber over Y caliber then yeah, I'm going to choose bigger every time unless prevented from so doing. (like having to choose a mouse gun or nothing) I'm not interested in arguing statistics and the finer points of data gathering and assessment with my rear on the line. What anyone else is comfortable defending their tails with is up to them.

I'm with nightrunner...I do think bigger is better all else being equal. I carry either a .40 (Kahr P40) or 10mm (G29) the vast majority of the time though a 1911 might be lying around the house from time to time. With practice any advantage of a 380/9mm pretty much disappears and being a reloader the cost issue is pretty much moot for said practice. At that point you're basically down to what the caliber does in terminal performance. Modern bullets have really helped the cause of the .380 and even more so the 9mm but seriously, put modern bullets in the above calibers and the lesser calibers are just that. Argue to what extent if you like but they are still lesser. What if you only have time to get off one or at best two shots? Would it matter? Damned if I know but considering what's at stake I'm hedging my bets anywhere I can. One caveat to the above would be genuinely deep concealment. My Kahr especially can fit in a Nemesis holster and go right in a front pocket of my jeans or in the cargo pocket of my shorts. I'm a decent size fellow though so that might not work for everyone. If you can't wear it comfortably you won't wear it and then caliber becomes irrelevant.

Gotta admit that while it's still kinda early (maybe 300rds so far) I've got nothing bad to say about my PT1911.

Well, as just "scratching an itch" you need some kind of 1911. How much you want to spend can roam from as little as $400 or so for a Rock Island up through...however much you care to spend. I just got through personally scratching that itch with a Taurus PT1911. You also lack some kind of "real" revolver, by which I mean something with some panache. A .44 Mag or .45LC something or other for instance. I got myself a .44 Redhawk for this purpose. The ability to shoot easygoing specials up to 1000 ftlb+ thumpers is nice. Now, if you're wanting something smaller you can carry I actually carry a G29(10mm), which is just the G27 on 'roids. I like it. Got another friend who has the 27 and he likes it as well. I've also got a Kahr P40 that is even smaller and lighter. Actually it's damn small and light for a .40, enough it takes some getting used to. Jumpy little SOB. OTOH it carries awfully nice for something with that much attitude. Good luck and enjoy whatever you get.

FWIW I really do like my Crossbreed Supertuck for my G20 & G29.

I've got the 20 and 29 and really like both. (my 29 is the SF version) Both also fit quite nicely in my Crossbreed Supertuck. (the 29 obviously being a bit more concealable) For ammo to get the most out of the 10mm you really should reload. Having said that I got .40 conversion barrels for both so I can actually practice shooting with the cheaper and more available .40 ammo. (or cheaper still if reloading 40) For REALLY cheap shooting I went ahead and got a .22 conversion kit for the 20. The lighter weight keeps it from being "exactly" the same but the sight picture and trigger are the same.

Handloading 700ftlbs is asking a lot. I don't think any of the cannister powder makers currently publish a load that hot though you can find lots of "off the book" loads that do that. There are book loads that are far enough along into the 600ftlb class to satisfy me. Personally all my 10 loading is with Longshot, 800-X or Blue Dot. All are on the warm side. If you want factory heavy stuff look for Buffalo Bore, Double Tap and Corbon.

Well, I can't comment directly but I've not had a problem using my 10mm mags with my Lone Wolf .40 conversion barrel.

I'd posted this elsewhere when the question came up: "To me the beauty of the 7Mag is that, IMHO, it really hits the sweet spot with the balance of bullet weight, velocity and SD/BC. For the vast majority of NA game 150gr is plenty (especially with todays premium bullets) without being too big. This means it can be driven out of a 7Mag at the magic 3000fps and be big enough at the front end for most anything (in NA) yet small enough at the back end for almost everybody assuming a rifle of reasonable weight. It also means a bullet with a SD over .260 and a BC over .400. For the sake of comparison the venerable 30/06 doesn't have a load listed on the Barnes site (comparing TSX's here) where a bullet with those stats can be driven over 3000fps. (just so it doesn't sound like I'm getting too excited over the 7Mag let me point out the good old .270 is right there with it's best numbers and seems badly overlooked by a lot of todays hunters) I'm not about to say there's anything mystical or amazing about the cartridge(or caliber for that matter) or get too caught up in the ballistic gack but rather pointing out that if one were to sit down and try to come up with a useful bullet weight with really good ballistic and sectional density numbers that can be thrown at 3000fps that makes the trajectory flat, the energy ample and the recoil manageable you'd be hard pressed to do much better than what the 7Mag does." For a true "all rounder" the '06 probably has an edge if you found yourself in need of thowing larger bullets (180gr+) but if we're talking deer there's no need for it. Actually the 7mag or '06 are way plenty for deer at any "normal" range with the 7 having a slight advantage if you are determined to shoot long distances with any regularity. (Your favorite stand overlooks a beanfield for instance) Honestly, for deer sized game a .308 (or 308 based something, 7-08/.260) or .270 is plenty.

I like my 10's but as for it's power I relate that to what I can get in other auto cartridges as opposed to try comparing it to top revolver loads. Since DT is pretty much the indisputed king of 10mm loaders let's look at their top factory loading. 200gr gas checked hardcast at 1300fps. 750ftlbs muzzle/542 ftlbs@100yds For those that would prefer a bit more velocity/energy at the expense of a lighter bullet Buffalo Bore loads a 180gr JHP to 1350 for 782 ftlbs. Now, as for the 41/44 Magnums DT loads a 180gr bullet to 1570fps out of a 6" barrel for over 1000ftlbs and their weakest .44 is still over 1000ftlbs. Buffalo Bore offers several different loadings for the .41, the least of which is a 170gr JHP which is still over 1/2 ton at the muzzle. Their "standard heavy" .44 stuff starts at 270gr with over 1200ftlbs and goes up to 305gr hardcast and over 1300ftlbs. If you've got a .44 that can handle it (like my Redhawk) you can opt for their .44 +P load with a 340gr hardcast and over 1600ftlbs. Upshot is that the 10mm can make for a serious handful of heat in a high cap auto. Don't go getting snooty about power figures with the big bore revolver guys though since if they want to they can buy factory or handload sterner stuff than any 10.

Give 'em credit; the antigun types, with the almost complete complicity of the media, have done a magnificent job creating a massive degree of hoplophobia in much of the general population. As in most cases that follow this template the idea is pretty simple...keep people as ignorant as possible, suppress as best you can that which doesn't support your ideology and boost that which does. NEVER let facts or rationality get in the way. Sadly, it's a pretty darned effective technique.

I've got a DPMS in .308 and can't imagine wanting another caliber. I will say I've also got another .308 bolt rifle and handload for both so as you can imagine having it work that way makes sense for my situation.

That's my favorite. There are LOTS of people that literally believe a shotgun blast in the general direction of an assailant basically clears the room. I ran across one of those just the other day in fact. Tried explaining that at home defense ranges (7yds would likely be a stretch) you might get an impact about the size of your fist.

I agree the "short" vs "small" frame is probably a matter of semantics in practice but I was pointing out that, from a definitional standpoint, I'm pretty much certain the actual verbiage associated with "SF" is "Short Frame". (I'm assuming this is specifically referring to the decreased trigger reach) As to the functional observations you make I'm in total agreement. I haven't got the biggest mitts in the world and that was one of the reasons my compact 10mm was the 29SF.

I'm pretty solid on the "short frame" designation. Beginning in 2007, Glock introduced several "short-frame" models designated by the suffix "SF". The short frame was originally designed to compete in the now canceled U.S. military's Joint Combat Pistol trials for a new .45 ACP pistol to replace the M9 pistol. Glock's entry featured an optional ambidextrous magazine release and MIL-STD-1913 rail along with a reduction in the size of the grip front to rear, most pronounced at the base of the grip. The Glock 21SF is currently available in three versions: one with a Picatinny rail and ambidextrous magazine release and two with a Universal Glock rail available with or without the ambidextrous magazine release. Current 10 mm and .45-caliber Glock magazines are being made with ambidextrous magazine release cutouts at the front of the magazines. As of January 2009, the Glock 20, 21, 29, and 30 were offered in short-framed variations. These models incorporate 2.5 mm (.10 inch) reduction in trigger reach and full-sized pistols also feature a 4 mm (.16 inch) reduction in heel depth. This reduction in heel depth also corresponds to an overall reduction in length for those models.

Disparity of force can mean more than just #'s. If you're 6'5" 270 and a couple punks come up, neither of which would be more than 160lb wet, it'd be tougher to sell without them being armed with something. I'm not even arguing that makes sense (ever see dogs attack a larger animal?) but it just wouldn't look good. For myself if I'm approached to the point I feel genuinely threatened I'm probably going to draw. I'm no runt but kicking multiple dudes asses is something you find in movies when it's in the script. Unless you're militarily trained or some MMA guy more than one guy on you is real trouble if they have any genuinely bad intentions. If I draw one of two things is going to happen; they run and I call the police and report the incident or they are crazy enough to try to charge the gun. If they're the latter kind of guys then the fact you already had the gun out might have saved your life. Man I hope I'm never in that situation.

I have 2 10mm's, the full size 20 and the compact 29SF. (it's worth noting that SF does not mean "slim frame", it denots "short frame") I love them both. You can also get drop in .40 conversion barrels (I got mine from Lone Wolf) and shoot cheaper. (or .357 Sig if so inclined) Reloading is really the best way to go with the caliber though, especially if you want the full power loads. There is a company called Double Tap that turns out some strong stuff; 180gr @ 1300 and some 135gr @ 1600. In warm weather I carry the latter as it just blows hell out of things but in cold weather I wonder if the lighter weight would be hindered penatration-wise by heavy clothing. For more "normal" SD lots of people like Win Silvertip.

I see where you're coming from but wouldn't the fact that they should already know he's dealing with a permit holder be different? One of the things we harp on constantly is HCP holders are not "just people with guns". We've had to pass background checks, classes, etc. Hell, were I LEO I'd probably feel a little better dealing with a HCP holder than some unknown quantity. I'd just as soon hand them my HCP since (assuming I'm driving my vehicle) they would already be privvy to that info anyway. Seems a decent gesture. Like others have said if not carrying I'm just another guy unless they feel a need to ask.

As much as I DETEST having to say it I think your portrayal of how the media would handle the issue is dead on. To each his own and I won't preach but yeah, anything (and I mean ANYTHING) that happens in a "posted" establishment (correctly or not) will be set forth negatively against that gun owner in particular and to the best of the media's ability the HCP community as a whole.