MphsTiger1981

Mine was a used Smith and Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman with 6" barrel. Purchased the day after my 18th birthday. Kept it for many years and even carried it while working as a deputy. After a year or two of wearing it on my Sam Brown, I grew tired of the weight, and bought a Glock 17 to replace it. I eventually sold the revolver. Sure wish I had it now!! It was one sweet shooter.

FWIW, KT's customer service is second to none based upon my own personal experience. Regardless of whether you're the original owner or not, if you have a problem you can call them and if it is something you can do yourself, extractor, firing pin, recoils springs, etc, they will mail you the parts directly to your home. If you send it in, they'll fix it. I have personally never owned a Taurus, but I've owned several of the little KT pistols and the only minor problems I've experienced were taken care of very quickly. I've always been very pleased by all of my experiences with the KT customer service. While this alone won't help the OP decide which gun he likes best, or if he should make the trade, it might be worth considering in the event something goes wrong with either of them.

As has been stated, there are two sides to every story. We were not there, so it's only the word of the OP vs Mr. Givens giving defense of his employee. Mr. Givens has further stated RangeMaster's has a somewhat strict policy regarding which guns they allow for the HCP class and the thinking behind this policy. He also stated they provide a pistol to take the class at no charge. The free gun is a very nice touch, no doubt. Likewise, no one wants to be told the gun he bought for his loved one in so many words is a p.o.s.. I will further add that I have had personal experiences with RangeMaster, having both purchased a pistol from them, and taken a tactical pistol class there. I found the instructors to be professional and very informative. I left there much more accomplished and confident in my abilities than I was before taking the class. Mr. Givens has earned national reputation as one of the nations leading self defense instructors. I have stopped by in the middle of the day browsing the showroom. I have had the opportunity to personally discuss my ccw needs with Mr. Givens. He was no doubt busy, but treated me with respect, was quick and to the point about what would best serve my needs. For that, I was both grateful and impressed with his knowledge. Tom Givens is indeed a smart man, who knows his craft. That being said, I have also, on occasion, personally been spoken to and observed others spoken to in short, curt, somewhat rude manner by the staff. Whether or not it is fairly earned, RangeMasters staff has developed a reputation for sometimes displaying a somewhat less than the accommodating "customer comes first" attitude towards the general shooting public. And yes, "any one can have a bad day", but you can visit any of the other ranges in this area and it would be very rare to have someone on staff come across as gruff, short or rude, even on a bad day. Customer service seems to receive a much higher focus at RangeMaster's local competitors. I know this because I personally frequent the others more so now than I do RangeMasters for this very reason. I fully understand that these guys are busy, and they are in a very serious business, and I might add that they are in a high crime neighborhood and probably get cased for robbery about once every three or four weeks. With that in mind, I don't expect the staff to pretend they work at a daycare center or run a Sunday School. I also think the old saying about "be polite but have a plan to kill everyone you meet" comes to mind. Obviously the staff has a plan to kill us, but what about the polite part? The bottom line is just that. If RangeMasters can continue to not just exist, but to thrive economically in our community doing business as they have in the past, then obviously the staff is not as bad as the reputation they have developed. But, if they really do treat customers poorly for an extended period of time, then the shooting public will respond the way that speaks the loudest, they will take their business elsewhere.

This. +1:D

+1 G19 or G23 are both incredible values for the money.

I had one back in the '70s. it was a neat little gun. Bought it new for $150. Sold it to a guy I worked with back in the '90s for $75. It was finicky about ammo, if I recall. I wish I still had it, just for the cool factor if nothing else. Fun plinking gun.

Interesting concept. Sort of like a golf coach/teacher. Frame by frame video of your swing and analyze it as you go. I sure there is a market for something like this in a large metropolitan city the size of Nashville. Maybe someone who teaches in the small group environment? So, what would you be willing to pay for this service if it existed?

+1.

I agree with Erik88. My personal experience has been nothing but pure shooting satisfaction with all of the Glocks I've owned, I think I'm on either number 9 or 10 now. I've never had a failure to eject, failure to extract or failure to fire. The irony of this is, I've never purchased a Glock new, all of mine have been used, which means someone else put a bunch of ammo through it before I did, and still no problems. I understand they are not for everyone, but my experience is, they sure are reliable.

How about a compact Glock in 10mm? You could always buy a .40 LWD barrel to share the common ammo with the G27.

[ Smith also has their Body Guard 380 with a built in laser but they are rather new to the market and I have not read much about them either pro or con, I do know the laser part is only guaranteed for 1 year which kinda stinks IMO. Good point Sgt Joe, I read an article in one of the gun mags to day that was doing a review of both the .380 and the .38 special versions of the S&W Body Guards. They mentioned that S&W might consider offering these without the laser in the near future depending upon the popularity of them. I think they should have done it the other way around. Build a good affordable gun, then entice those who want lasers with a future product. My $0.02.

I've had two Kel-Tec P3AT's and both were good pistols. No problems with either one after the initial break in period. I now own a Ruger LCP and I have to admit to being a little more partial to it. It's not just that the LCP has a nicer fit and finish, but also the LCP has been reliable right out of the box. With the exception of some cheap Russian ammo, I've not had any trouble from it and I've run about 200 rounds of various brands of FJM and JHP with no trouble whatsoever. As others have said, it's a pistol you can almost always have with you. +1 for the LCP.

It's possible I may have misunderstood him, maybe that was his cost. It was loud and several people were all speaking at the same time. Does seem like some of the others have seen prices about $100 over that. I've not personally seen a price. I did understand him to say it was sold the first day he had it in the store to the first customer he showed it to. I do agree they will be very popular.

I had dinner with some friends last week who own a local gun shop. they got one in and it sold the same day. I think he said the price was around $500 plus tax and BIC fee.

I've had both a G22 and a G23 and used only the Lone Wolf Barrel and a 9mm magazine and shot hundreds of rounds with no problems whatsoever. I did not change out any other parts. The brass seems to go in about ten different directions, but the gun shoots just fine for plinking. In fact, I've read on other forums where some folks just use the .40 magazine, it's just not quite as reliable feeding as the 9mm magazines. Get yourself a LWD barrel and a G17/19/26 magazine and shoot to your hearts content! It's the best of both worlds. The 9mm for target shooting and .40 for SD.

Depends on how much time I have to spend at the range. Usually, it's my Glock 19 which is also my main ccw, followed by the Ruger LCP and if there is time, the Ruger MK II 22/45 in .22 LR. I love to shoot all of them, even the little LCP is fun for me despite what folks say about it not being intended as a range gun. I feel like if I'm going to carry it, I want to be dang sure I know how to use it and how to be most efficient with it. Can't do that without burning some ammo in it.

Interesting links. This reminds me of a friend who is a paramedic trainer. Their favorite saying on the "Gut Wagon" is "air goes in and out. Blood goes round and round. Any deviation is fatal."

I would also recommend you to check out ElsiePeaforum.com. this is a web site created by and supported essentially for LCP owners. There are some really good threads about ammo, accessories, mods to the guns, etc. It's very informative. Some very good information especially for brand new Ruger LCP owners. Enjoy and stay safe! Tiger

For a easy to carry, get off of me gun, it would be hard to argue with either the Kel-Tec P3AT or the LCP. I currently have the LCP and it has been extremely reliable out of the box. Over 200 rounds and no problems what so ever. For what it's designed to be, it's a great choice.

The additional training sounds like a very good decision for liability purposes, both for you as individuals and for the church. And as JReedEsq said, it's a great way to serve your church and your community. Congratulations.

I had Talon Grips on my G22. Loved the way they felt when I shot the gun, but they made carrying concealed somewhat difficult as they rubbed and got caught on my shirts, or jackets which covered the gun and holster. That's just me, others might have better experiences as they are quite popular.

I can't personally vouch for this but I have seen a number of people who have used it and it does not appear to add much, if any, thickness to the grips. It's called AGrip. Here's the link. AGrip

congrats on your new purchase. I've had two G23's and loved them both. They are dependable and utterly reliable and you've chosen a good caliber. got pics?

FWIW, I've got a G19 right now and I'm trying to find someone with a G26 for a trade. I've shot both and the accuracy is comparable. The G26 is just easier to conceal for me personally. If I'm going to wear it owb, it's no big deal, but otherwise, the G26 just plain hides better for most folks. I think you'll like either one, the G27 just has more appeal to me. YMMV.

How did you like the G26? What were the pros and cons for you with that gun? Why did you trade it? If you were using a mag extension, or a larger mag with that gun, you know the G23 isn't that much larger in the grip. On the other hand, you can make the G27 grip longer, but you can't make the G23 shorter.