BigK

I wouldn't have chose it myself, but I got a TCP for my birthday last year. It felt good, shot good, & the trigger was decent. Basically, I was surprised that I liked. Unfortunately, 20 rounds into a box & it quit ejecting spent rounds. I hand to manually eject every shell. Although its not a fair trial, It kinda ruined my impression of the brand. I wish I had as good of luck with it as I have with my Kel- Tec P-32. It has been perfect and I shoots better to me.

Today I took Pack'n Heat's Advanced Handgun Course by owner Jeff Eady. In case you don't know Jeff, he's a Training Officer and SWAT entry team member for Metro. I had a great time and it was a good way to keep my skills sharp, especially since I have no place to practice this type of stuff except IDPA matches. It was held at the 50 yd range at TWRA range on Hobson Pk in Antioch, which was great for this type of class, b/c it is wide open. Best of all...the class was around 7 hours and it only cost $75, which I think is a pretty good bargain. Aside from the usual safety info, he covered the defensive mindset, conflict resolution/avoidance and then a whole lot of AWESOME shooting drills. We practiced the fundamentals first, then lots of stuff like draw techniques, point shooting, shooting from different postitions, on the move, from cover, at odd angles, with verbal commands to make you think, and shoot/no shoot targets. The final drill mixed in all of the above. I'd recommend the class to anyone.

I never watched a single show and I'm at work when it's on too. So, you'd think it wouldn't bother me either if she stays or goes.......BUT NO! The wife records it to watch later. Luckily, I can't hear that crap from the garage, LOL.

Feels odd to be "allowed" to carry at first, huh? All those years of being socially trained to think of carrying a gun in public as being wrong are hard to undo. The paranoia is like showing up at a party uninvited, but it does fade. I don't know when it happened, but at some point reaching and feeling for it when it's *NOT* there took the place of the other. Now, when I am at work & can't carry normally, I feel naked & vulnerable.

I can't afford to shoot that thing. I'm thinking Gen 3 17 or 19.

If I looked half as surprised, grateful, and happy as I felt, there's no telling how goofy my face was. I msut have sat and stared at that certificate for an hour in disbelief when I got home. I have no idea what I should choose.

thanks for posting this

I enjoyed lending a hand this weekend and seeing a shooting match from another perspective. Wish I'd been able to help more Thurs. & Fri., but couldn't this time. Way to go Ryan P. congrats! I'm still in shock for winning the RO gun. what's the link to get scores, anyone know?

I'll be seeing you guys bright and early in the morning. Too bad it's gonna be so darn hot this weekend. BTW...where the heck is everyone gonna park?

WOW! their prices have certainly changed in the last 5 years since I was there. Also, I did have an annual membership back then, so I may have gotten a discount. Still, sounds kind of expensive to me. I'd be glad to meet you at the shooting range on Hobson Pike, if you want to try a CZ. All it'll cost you is your 9mm ammo and $5.50 to get in.

Not sure what their policy still is, but On Target in Murfreesboro was pretty fair last time I was there. They rented you a pistol for the day for around $25 and if you wanted to trade it in to try another, you just had to buy a box of ammo from them. Their ammo wasn't too high either (at least it's cheaper than gun store prices, but not cheap as WWB at Walmart). They use Atlanta Arms Ammo.

Holy crap! And to think, I was feeling sorry for bajabuc and his misfortunes.

I was too busy Saturday to make it out. I didn't get to go until Sunday. I'm reluctant to try that M&P now, anyway. I might like it and have to go buy one.

Me too! I like every gun I own. There's something special about each of the 9 handguns I have that none of the other 8 can fulfill. I know they're just "stuff", but they make me happy. What can I say? I like guns and unlike women, one just won't do it for me.

I just changed employers and can't make it on Friday. Is that gonna be a issue for me helping out Saturday and Sunday? I've read through the GSSF range officer rules/directions several times already. Plus, I'm only shooting one division, anyway.

I grew up in the boro, so glad to see you here.

I couldn't agree more with gregintenn about getting a revolver, if "no hassles" is high on the priority list. It doesn't get any simpler to operate, but fast reloads take a LOT more practice. If you're leaning toward pistols instead of revolvers, I love Lester's CZ recommendation. They are every bit as reliable as the ones mentioned and have nearly perfect ergonomics. There are several compact versions of the legendary CZ 75. The most popular are the PCR (manual safety) and P-01 (decocker), both have alloy frames and are the size of a Glock 19. They also make the RAMI, which is a subcompact about the size of a Glock 26. I carry the P-01 daily and wouldn't hesitate to vouch for its reliability and highly respectable accuracy. Check out this link regarding their NATO classification.

I was under the impression (from HCP class video, IIRC) that there is no such thing as immunity from civil liability. Perhaps I misuderstood.

The sad part is that even if you have to defend yourself and it's 100% justified as self-defense, your assailant or their survivors can still sue you for civil damages. Although in those cases you'd hopefully win, you'd still be out legal fees and time from work. They likely had a lawyer on contingency and are out nothing but their time. We need TORT REFORM!

I rented some range guns over at OnTarget in Murfreesboro when I was having the same debate in my head. I know they had Glocks and XDs, b/c I shot both there. As everyone says, they functioned flawlessly and were acceptably accurate (I shot the XD better, but that's just me). Unfortunately for me, they didn't have any M&Ps. I'd love to have been able to compare all 3 head-to-head like you are doing. I'd be very interested to hear what your observations are and what differences you see/feel between the different brands in the same caliber. FWIW, after my limited evaluation there and with other borrowed guns, I went a totally different route and got a CZ P-01 (superb ergonomics, much better accuracy in my hands, not plastic).

A lot of folks buy lowered power springs to achieve the same affect, just be careful. There's a balance between what you want to achieve and what you hope doesn't happen. For instance, lower power springs increase recoil, since there is less tension in the spring to absorb the force of the slide coming rearward. Additionally, there can be excessive wear and tear to other parts (polymer frame, slide stop, etc.) when a heavy piece of metal (the slide) slams against other parts when it comes all the way back, if the spring is too under-powered. If compressing the spring like that for only a couple of days makes a noticeable difference, I'd have some serious questions for the manufacturer about the quality of materials in their springs. Seems like this means that the factory recoil spring will wear out prematurely. All that being said, I've been eyeing one of these for quite a while. Glad to hear you like yours...gives me more confidence to get one too. They are fine looking guns.

Absolutely does! And it speaks volumes about where they got their values from too.

I've heard this argument before and to some degree can appreciate the sentiment behind it. However, some things are bigger than you, me, and our possessions. Some things represent way more than that and deserve more consideration than just being an object. I'm not saying you have to agree, just saying that not acknowledging it as truth is putting your head in the sand.

You aren't suggesting that Ruger makes a semi-auto pistol that is difficult to assemble and disassemble are you? </sarcasm> sorry, couldn't resist since I have a Mark II that drove me nuts first several times I had to break it down

Ditto on the WWB...unless..it isn't what you'd expect to be shooting most often if you already owned whichever gun you decide on.