rgaper

This thread is getting off track, but I wanted to provide some clarification....... What you said is a common misconception. Don't confuse illegality with what Visa and MasterCard will let you (the business) do or not do. Yes, there are some states that will NOT allow businesses to ask for ID for a credit card transaction. However, what I was describing in my previous message is that Visa and MasterCard do not want businesses to ask for ID except for in some very specific situations. If the card is unsigned or says "ask for ID" then it's okay for them to ask. If the signature panel is signed, they're allowed only to compare the signature on the card to the signature on the receipt. If they ask for ID, they can get "in trouble." As a customer or cardholder, think about the implications of that. If you leave your signature panel blank and it gets stolen, the bad guy can sign it, and then the store will see two matching signatures.

If you own your own business, you find out that they're really not supposed to ask for ID unless they need to do so for age verification purposes. As a cardholder, if a business asks you to see your ID, you could report them to Visa or MasterCard and get them "in trouble." If you don't sign the back of the card, or sign it with "please ask for ID" it throws the process off because the card is supposed to be signed. Technically, the clerk just needs to see ink there. They have no idea whose signature it is, right? You should sign it with something like "I love hot dudes" and see how few clerks even notice it. Of course, yours might already be signed that way, and in that case... I gotta go...

Interesting that a number of guys have said that they'd pick the SIG. The P239 would be the first I'd say no to. I don't see a reason for DA/SA in a civilian carry gun, so unless it's a DAK, I would ditch it. I've owned two P239s and they're decent guns, but way big and heavy for the magazine capacity that they offer.

I hear what you're saying, and I disagree. I'm not talking about a restaurant, or a bar, or a park, or a beach, or a library. I'm talking about a gun show where people are handling guns 100% of the time. Put plainly, I don't trust anyone. If I'm standing at a table looking at beef jerky and beanie babies and there's some nozzle to my left looking at a pistol, how many times will he point it at me? Lots, right? We all know the conversations that go on at gun shops, gun shows, and barbeques... guys have to talk about their gun, and the only thing better than talking about their gun is showing you their gun. We've all seen a loaded gun come out of a holster and get handled. I'm going to make a safe bet here and say that this is exactly what the dealer shot himself was doing. This crap happens at gun shows and it's why I'm okay with them stopping people at the door who have exposed guns to make sure they're not loaded and/or tie-wrapping them "safe." This all said, I take my right to defend myself with my firearm extremely seriously, and that's where we agree. If you put a sign up, I'm going to ignore it, but you're also not going to see my firearm... EVER... unless it's out of the holster and being fired at a bad guy. I'm not scared of guns in holsters under shirts, because they don't exist.

Not at all defending it, and it's a non-issue for me since I don't go to gun shows, but given that at a gun show there is a lot of careless gun handling, much of which is done by mouth breathers, it's somewhat comforting to know that there's no ammunition in play. I can readily imagine someone pullling out their loaded Hi-Point C9 from their waistband and attempt to see if it fits in a holster that's on a table, muzzle sweeping about 30 people in the process. If you don't believe this happens, it's the reason why many shops have about 20 signs at the entrance and throughout the store saying "if you have a loaded firearm, it stays in your holster." Those same shops will tell you that on a regular basis, someone pulls out a loaded gun in their store. The general public is stupid and dangerous, and unfortunately, some of those people are gun owners. Lowest common denominator.

That is an interesting and accurate parallel.

Yep - that's what the lapdances are for. There are all sorts of game animals to chase.

Kevo - You should take a look at the Raven Vanguard. Back to the OP's question. Those are not just different calibers, they're incredibly different guns. If you shoot them all well, the choice is more about you and your style of carry. I would personally stick with the G36 and get a couple of holsters to support multiple carry styles.

Found it.

I'd buy ammo and training for an existing firearm. Or lapdances.

I have Warren or Heinie rears (they're very similar) with tritium front on all of my Glocks. I have a bag full of plain fronts in my parts bin - they didn't work for me. The contrast of a plain rear with a tritium front is very fast for me. If fiber optic front fits your needs, go for it. Either way, once the gun gets to your focal plane, the front sight immediately focuses your attention.

They're good too. Style-wise, they don't look right on me, but it's a quality product and I buy a ton of Comp-Tac gear. I've got a Comp-Tac gun belt in the classifieds right now actually.

I'm not really surprised. 30 caliber is a complex issue when it comes to Western vs. Warsaw Pact firearms an ammunition. Going back more than 50 years there has been a difference of specs between East and West, and it's led to frustration and confusion in everything from SKS, AK, to Mini-30, and Mini-Mauser. The reality is that most buyers of bulk (Wolf, Tula, Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Smelly Bear, etc.) 7.62x39 aren't interested in anything more than it going "bang" in their gun. Andrew of Vuurwapen Blog put out a good write-up about Tula's .223 ammunition back in late 2010 and it was really interesting to see the degree (or lack of) consistency in which it provided. That said, I've used about 4,000 rounds of the crappiest Russian ammo I could find with 100% function during a few carbine courses and individual training. At 15-50 yards for that application it's just fine. Not so much for Camp Perry, but I don't even own a pair of yellow eyeglasses, so all is good.

Yep, Beltman is the way to go. Spend a couple more bucks and get a quality belt that'll last you years.

That's my same issue, and my problem with Botach and Palmetto... your prices may be good, but if your shipping and follow-up is crappy, it ain't worth it. I only buy from AIM, Bravo, SKD, G&R, and LaRue for those reasons. Regarding PSA, aside from low prices, I have seen an amazing degree of "fandom" over the last year that I'm not sure is warranted.

Reading (and all of Berks County) has developed a serious gang problem over the last decade, so I'm not surprised. There are a couple of really neat places in and around the city that as a kid I had great times visiting, but it all went to heck. There are a couple areas of the city that would benefit from some remodeling by JDAM.

Someone said "they are quickly becoming the Botach Tactical of the east coast."

The Kahr has an extremely odd trigger pull for a semi-automatic pistol. If you grew up shooting revolvers, it probably is a nice transition. I have one listed in the classifieds right now because I hate the trigger. It's a loooooooooooooong pull, clean break, then a loooooooooooong reset. It's basically a magazine fed J-frame by design.

Good advice. I've been through just about every reputable manufacturer's firearms lineup and finally arrived at the Glock a few years ago after taking the plunge into serious self-defense training. I retired or sold off my Sigs (P229, P228, P239) in favor of a Glock 19. It didn't feel like magic in my hand the first time, but I couldn't deny the simplicity of the design. If someone doesn't like the way a Glock fits in their hand, I usually tell them to give it a few hundred rounds. If they still don't like it, buy an M&P, they're equally good. Afterall, their marketing line could be, "Smith and Wesson M&P: Glocks, for people who don't like Glocks."

It really depends on how and how often she intends to carry. I started my wife with a bluegun G19, then introduced a G19 with an Advantage Arms 22lr kit and dummy rounds, then live rounds, then the same G19 with the 9mm top half. All of these (except for the blue gun) have the same sights too. She doesn't carry, it's strictly for knowledge.

I had the ASAP plate for a while, but swapped it out for a Noveske QD plate. The ASAP works, but it's noisy and I found that with an MS2 it binds up pretty regularly once you get moving around.

I decided to watch The Human Centipede instead. At least in that movie only two people get fed crap.

He could have just said, "The M9/92FS sucks" and called it a day. My first handgun was a Beretta 92FS and I still own it, but haven't fired it in years. It's an OK pistol, but there really are a ton better firearms out there for self defense. Generally, the only people who carry them these days are those who are issued them and/or otherwise forced to. I don't think I've ever seen one in any of the courses I've taken anywhere in the country. Here are a couple of my own personal issues and observations with it... It's huge and heavy. For the size and weight of the gun, you'd think it holds 30 rounds or be chambered in .50AE. Compare a Glock 19 (same mag capacity) and it's insane how much more weight and size efficient it should be. Manual safety/decocker mounted on the slide. Contemporary training is to send the slide forward upon reload by overhand gripping the slide and letting it fly home. If you do that with an M9, you'll probably end up either decocked or on safe which in a self defense or combative environment is what might be called "not good." The other problem with the manual safety/decocker is that to overcome the issue, you need to train to use the slide stop OR slingshot OR use the front of the slide for releasing the slide. Will this cause translation issues for any other pistols you own/shoot? Maybe.

It warms my heart to read that. I must say that about 5 times a week.

Ahhh yes, the old CDI factor. You may want to rephrase that last sentence though... errr... just sayin'