D B Cooper

I've got a PDP with a Holosun on it, it's a fantastic pistol. Accurate, probably the best striker fired trigger there is, short reset, ergonomics are terrific, backstaps can be swapped. My only problem with the gun is the slide is too thick for easy conceal carry. Compared to any other 15 round compacts, it's bigger than most anything else. Drop the overall size by about 10% and its a real winner, as is, its just a terrific gun.

I like CZ's, I have two (P-01 and Shadow 2), I'm sure I'd like this firearm as well, but I'm not sure there is anything that sets it apart from the competition. An option for CZ owners sure, but will it bring any new buyers to CZ? Palmetto had it in sale this morning as well.

For a truck / trench shotgun, I'd go with a Remington 870 pump if that works for you. Mod it to fit your needs. Cheap to buy, lots of parts, which are also pretty cheap. I'm partial to Italian shotguns - Benelli specifically. Not cheap, but not the most expensive either. They fit me perfectly, go bang every time, and look good to boot.

There is a place for factory dots, they usually come on the gun much cheaper than you could go buy one. If it's a range gun, plinker, etc a factory sight will be fine. Another case I'd consider a factory sight is if a person is moving to a red dot and wants to "try it out" . Don't mortgage the farm for an expensive dot if you have no experience with one. If you like it - and like the gun - you can always upgrade later. Personally I run an enclosed Holosun EPS on my Shadow Systems CR920, no worries about dirt, lint, water, snowflakes, whatever messing up the dot when you need it most. I've tested myself several times with - and without a dot, same targets, same distance. I acquire the target faster with a dot, and I'm more accurate with a dot. I learned on irons, and the transition took me some time, but it's worked out well.

pop pop - having been in a similar situation myself, I can say you look at life and what tomorrow brings in a whole new light. Enjoy your time with the family and friends. You have a "chapter 2" of life that most do not have the opportunity to experience. Take care.

ok you may be leaning towards a handgun, but consider the M&P 22 AR pistol. If you're looking for fun at the range, inexpensive to shoot, inexpensive to buy, reliable, and crazy accurate it's tough to beat. I really enjoy shooting mine for fun, put a can on it and it's super quiet. Shoot one if you get a chance before you buy.

Familiarity and use - Are you more familiar with either when it comes to shotguns? I'd lean that way in this case. What do you plan to use it for? For defensive purposes, SHTF scenarios, door entry, and house clearing, I'd go pistol grip. If you have any (as odd as this may be I've seen it) thought of hunting, or shooting clay sports, I'd go standard stock. I have an M2 for defensive purposes and went with the standard shortened stock, I'm more comfortable with it.

My son in law owns one and really likes it. I shot it and thought it was a good shooter. I've owned a bunch of Springfields (but not a Hellcat) and found them all to be very reliable. I think it's a better choice than the Ruger.

Good choice with the M&P, I was going to suggest the CZ P-01 as well, if you're ok with a DA/SA trigger

I've got a CZ P-01 and love it. It's not the smallest, nor the lightest, but it feels great in the hand and shoots beautifully. Probably not much lighter than the EMP, but capacity is better. The grip angle on both is pretty different, I'd shoot both if you can and see if you prefer one more than the other.

Sleep - I wouldn't say difficult, different yes. What works best for me is not to look for the red dot, but look for the iron sights as you normally would. This makes the red dot "appear" without actually looking for it. Using this method, I can (and have) switched between carry guns with a red dot and without. GrayFox - I rotate between a couple carry guns. I'm not a big Glock fan. I mean, you can't argue with their reliability, but I hate their triggers and their sights. I've been carrying a Shadow Systems CR920 Combat (a Glock 43X clone) with a great trigger (ok, not Walther/HK great, but still very good), night sights, and better texturing on the slide and grip. I highly recommend a Holosun EPS carry red dot (507k footprint). It's enclosed so no worries about lint, dirt, rain, snow, etc getting in the LED emitter open red dots deal with. For carry, I think it's the only way to go. Hope this helps.

I may be able to help a little - I own the Sig p365xl, it's one of my carry guns. Night sights, longer slide (compared to the 365) makes it a nicer shooter. Grip is thin and it conceals easily. Capacity is 12 +1. Flat face trigger. I don't own the FN but I've handled it in the store, I've not shot it. The trigger is better on the FN, crisper break and less creep, not saying the Sig is bad, I just like the FN trigger better. Depending on your hand size, the Sig grip "depth" measured front to back is pretty small. Some have complained the grip is too small. Smaller than others I have, but not so small it bothers me when shooting it. I recommend the XL. I had the standard 365 and sold it. If you get a chance to shoot both, I'd be interested in your opinion. I should add, my other carry gun at the moment is a Shadow Systems CR920 Combat. If you like Glocks, you'll love the CR920, better texture, slide, capacity, sights, and trigger than the Glock 43X

This is an excellent reason to get a permit - politicians in the anti gun camp, or on the fence can easily construe dwindling permit numbers as a lack of support for 2A interests. Allowing them the opportunity to try to push through more anti gun legislation. Even if you THINK you might carry, get a permit. Another reason - my son in law recently asked me this very question, if a permit was needed or "worth it". I told him any knowledge you gain is good knowledge, training required in permit acquisition is valuable. It allows the discussion and exploration of viewpoints that are not necessarily your own, making you think differently about a situation. The trainers I've had (for four permits) have been great. Knowledgeable and willing to share information without discounting or putting down an opinion not in line with their own. He got the enhanced permit and thanked me for the recommendation afterward, for those very reasons.

Good to hear you had an enjoyable time at the event, I wish I could've been there myself. Interesting Lt Gov Randy McNally was in attendance since he is anti second amendment from his actions. I guess he's more "pro tax money" than anti 2A.

I have some 9mm reloads I bought some time ago - I shot some of them this past week and had a number of issues. It's not worth it to me to continue to shoot ammo that may cause a problem. Is there a safe recommendation how to discard live ammo without actually shooting it? Can I take it to a range to dispose of it?