Marswolf

Good to hear the parolee is not going to get a gun except legally....

I'd settle for one of ten notes being on key.

More like a recitation with musical accompaniment. At least he knows he can't sing. Wish Garth Brooks realized that.

I think it's pretty obvious that practice is good. People don't do that for a lot of reasons - financial constraints, lack of time (either real or perceived), etcetera. But for most people, I suspect that they are just too lazy to practice. They'd rather sit in front of the TV watching Jerry Springer than go out and practice with their handgun. I think this make choosing a safer design more important for them, even though it's harder to use. I'd rather see poorly trained packers out there with a gun that is less likely to go off "accidentally". Field stripping is really a separate issue. Again, I like a safer design that can be field stripped even with a round in the chamber - just in case. The main problem we see with NDs is apparently just going muddleheaded and doing something to the handgun without thinking. As I've said, I don't think it is possible to eliminate that. We all are subject to that problem. In fact I suspect we are probably more likely to do that as we become more familiar with our handgun. We do things without thinking because we know the gun so well. That's probably why we see so many stories of experienced LEOs shooting themselves.

Actually, I've tried to stay away from specific gun brands as much as possible and stay more generic. I do think some designs are more safe than others, but require more practice to make them work well for you in a crisis situation. It is harder to fire DA than SA, but with practice it works very well. What's bad is that the people who have NDs probably wouldn't practice sufficiently with the safer design.

Because the school will get sued for using common sense.

You know, this is something else to consider when you buy a handgun. I'm not big on lasers, but some people are.

Just what I was thinking. The P90 brass is easy to find, but the Five-seveN throws them into the next county. But that is not a lot of rounds. Just start reloading. I'm assuming someone make that weird powder for reloading.

I like asparagus. Sometimes asparagus is just asparagus. But turnip greens are disgusting and immoral - even if the rest of my family are/were from Georgia. As far as these celebrations, I have a feeling they found out they had to control this because some people insisted on overdoing it to the point of ridiculousness. Only way to control it was to ban everyone from doing even brief cheers. I'd love to see a picture of those who were arrested.

There is a possibility that the Libertarians won't be totally irrelevant, just bad news. There is some possibility that they will take enough votes from the Republicans to swing a couple of states. Like Nader did in Florida in 2000. The magic word is "viable."

Gun-Tests is often a bit quirky. They will occasionally test obviously defective guns, thus making their comparison test worthless. I did think the comment about the Gold Dots was interesting. That's a pretty standard and respected HP round. The Bersa/Firestorm is a pretty reliable and fairly priced pistol for those who like something a bit bigger and easier to shoot. I have several friends who cc with them. A couple of guys have medical problems that make a lot of guns hard to fire.

Over the years, the Democratic Party has changed from a states' rights supporting party, to one split between the conservative southern group and centralist northern groups, to the current largely social welfare group. The Republicans have gone through a different metamorphosis - in my view not a good one. Both groups favor a strong central government. The question is not whether they will control the lives of the people, but how they will control them. Since the people have now learned how to loot the treasury for their own gain, and think it is OK to do so, I think the only solution is a revolution. Unfortunately, I don't think that is a possibility either. 2A or not, the revolutionaries would be highly outgunned. Anyone want to help take over a small country and forbid any social programs in the Constitution?

From Gun-Tests:

Not sure I understand your question. Nothing wrong with DA. I carry a DAO as a BUG. I've considered one as a primary. Everyone should learn how to shoot that way. I'm sure there is some good practice along with the fun. But you are at a target shoot, know something is going to happen and that you aren't going to get shot at. I've done a lot of similar training. The mindset is different than in the field anticipating a possible ambush.

Odd, it looks just like the one for the Kel-Tec P3AT.

Boy, it's getting bad when I'm the least crabby guy on the board.

Do the stages jump out at you unexpectedly on a city street after leaving a restaurant? Especially if they won't practice safer techniques.

But about all of us are likely to be idiots, even if only briefly, if we carry long enough. The trick is to not do something idiotic while we are idiots.

I might want one to put on my briefcase as I go through security at the Sears Tower.

You had me frightened!!!!

I tend to compensate for the grip on most guns pretty easily. That includes Glocks. Triggers are a different matter. Glock triggers are - OK. Nothing I'd recommend as special, but OK.

That's the way it works in Sullivan County. There is an excellent possibility that you won't sit on any juries. Sometimes, they call you in but the defendant just agrees to a plea at the last minute.

GhostDog, you certainly make some valid points. Training is at the heart of safe gun handling. Add to that a well designed handgun and you have a winning combination. The LE problem is fixable, but it costs money and time that departments are unwilling (not unable) to commit to at this time. I hope that at some time a reasonable level of training, practice and realistic shooting proficiency for all field officers will be required for departments to be certified. Suddenly LE will find the time and money to fix the problem if that happens. And they may get rid of some dead wood. As you mention in your de-cocking example, that training also needs to be good training. My technique of de-cocking, reholstering and re-cocking when needed has become second nature to me. Even cops could master it. Since you mentioned "Glock leg" I'll just repeat what I said above. "People who do NDs are indeed nimrods. But I think any of us can become nimrods for the second or two needed to fire a pistol negligently - even me." One really can't expect perfect pistol safety handling even of professionals, let alone the public. About the light trigger SIGs, all I can say is that I recommend heavier triggers a lot more than light ones. Anyone carrying a "hair trigger" carry gun is just a nimrod waiting for the proper moment to act like an idiot. Carry guns need sufficient trigger pull weight and travel. My carry guns all have that.

If you think I'm "silly", I think your idea is bizarre and certainly not my experience. (Sorry, I couldn't resist responding in kind to your taunt) Again, I'm not talking about Glocks as opposed to other striker fired pistols. GhostDog asked for serious comments about striker fired handguns. I've tried to give that as objectively as possible tempered with my experience without going over old territory. In practice and in a confrontational situation I don't think there is much difference in normal pistols acting in essentially SA mode. You point the pistol quickly and pull the trigger. If it is a target competition and/or very light trigger, it's a different situation. Sounds like we are comparing apples and oranges. Competitive shooting versus protective shooting. Also, if I do have a little extra time to draw and aim, I can easily tell where the break point will be with the Beretta and H&K. In fact, of the guns I've shot over the years, the hammer-type guns generally have had more easily found break points and control than striker fired ones. YMMV. Note that I did not say hammer fired handguns are more accurate, just that I can normally tell better when the firing mechanism will release. I use different trigger techniques for different triggers. With practice, you adjust to the characteristics of the handgun. I was pretty accurate with the G26, G23 and XD-9. The point I'm making is that you don't have time to do that in most self-protection scenarios anyway and target techniques don't apply. In terms of Jeff Cooper and solutions to non-existent problems, I think we are seeing a problem that does exist. An apparent problem with gun safety was why I originally posted in this topic. I found a solution that works for me. It eliminated a concern I had with other guns I had carried If you don't see a problem, then fine. To me, it is a problem and I think we are hearing enough reports to support that contention. I know I'm not perfect and won't always follow the safety rules perfectly all of the time. I don't think anyone can. So I buy guns that give me a little additional safety factor in the real world. I do admit that solution requires more training time to also practice DA firing, but I've always been willing to put in the important practice time to be a better combat shooter and self-protection is combat shooting. The targets shoot back. Edit: GhostDog, we cross-posted. I wasn't trying to beleaguer any points.

Well deerslayer, I've been carrying the Beretta since the mid 80s and I can do pretty well even at some distance in DA mode. The USP requires more frequent practice for DA, but I do practice it. That's part of the standard training routine. I don't know where this idea came up that firing in DA is a bad idea. I've only seen that suggested pretty recently, maybe with the increase in the number of guns that can't do it. I see firing both ways as a terrific idea, not a bad one. It's just another skill you develop because you have the option to do it. It obviously isn't an option in striker fired handguns but that's not the fault of hammer fired guns. In a crunch, you tend to grip the handgun very tightly. This actually makes the first shot easier than on the range where you tend to concentrate on the additional force needed to pull the trigger. The old adage to squeeze the trigger works well for paper practice, but may not be the best strategy for self-defense. Regardless, I wouldn't count on the first shot to be dead on target, whether fired DA or SA. That's why you don't fire just one round. I really don't understand why comparing a cocked Beretta or USP to a Glock/XD/M&P is an unfair comparison. That sounds very fair to me. What am I missing? Which gun is it being unfair to - the striker gun or the hammer gun?