ken_mays

I loved my M&Ps; I love my M&P 2.0s, and now I'm waiting for something like the Compact to come out with an optic mount, though I would be happy enough with the service model like the one shown above.

When is Ruger going to standardize on a thumb safety design? Seems like every pistol with a safety has a different design and manual of arms. This one looks a lot more usable than past designs, though that slim extended lever looks prone to snap off.

I also have a Venom on my Canik like the one above. As far as zero, it's been good. I did go through a couple batteries in about a month at first. Not sure if it was turning off like it was supposed to, but I'm on the 3rd battery and it's been OK so far. As a pistol optic I'm not a huge fan of it. The window is rather squashed down and I like to have a little more field of view than it offers. Now that they have things like the shake-awake solar Holosun, I wouldn't buy another Venom unless it was dirt cheap, and then use it only on a competition pistol, or a rifle. If you intend to use it for self-defense on a pistol, you definitely want something always-on like the RMR or at least shake-awake like other models offer.

This was just one of those guns I used to see from time to time in shops and was never really all that interested in... until I realized I hadn't seen any in years and I was getting more curious about them. It's also a difficult gun to find on Gunbroker because nobody really knows what to call it :)

I ran across one of these on Gunbroker recently and got it today. Quick blurb from Wikipedia: I'd never seen the BDAO model in person. Browning gave them a confusing name, BDA, which was already applied to the Beretta-made .380s. The included "manual", about 4 stapled and Xeroxed pages, calls it BDA9. If I'm reading the date code correctly, this one was built in 1996. I gave $550 for it, which is more than I would have paid in the past, but seeing as these things are only getting more scarce, I felt comfortable with the price. I'm keeping my eyes open for a DA/SA one as well. The case contains 1x10rd magazine, 2x14 rd magazines, a cleaning kit, nondescript gun lock, "manual", and a lanyard ring. In BDAO config, the safety lever is completely omitted. The trigger is about 10-12 pounds and after about 1/2" of takeup, the real pull travels about .650" until it breaks. Reset is a bit longer, maybe .700". The trigger pull is the same at all stages of operation. It'll never be my favorite trigger, but due to the bobbed hammer and lack of a safety lever, I find it notably more ergonomic and usable than the standard BHP. Sights are the standard Browning white blocks. The frontstrap features serrations and the grip is a one-piece affair very similar to the one used on the BDM, secured with one screw on the backstrap. Being Browning/FN, of course standard BHP mags don't work, nor does any other mag they ever made. It looks like BDM mags will insert but not lock, despite having a similar semicircular cutout as the BDM mags. The underside of the "beavertail" has an import mark from Ohio Ordnance Works. Not sure when these were imported, but judging by the holster wear, this one may have been issued to someone at some point. How does it shoot? Quite accurately if the user does his part. This is the first mag of 10 rounds at 10 yards, 115gr reloads. I put another 14 rounds right on top of that group with the second mag but neglected to get a photo.

I’ve never been tempted to pay a premium for one, especially since the prices have climbed so high. I don’t own guns I won’t shoot, for collection reasons or whatever, so I never saw much point in getting one to just sit in a box. I’ll be following the new Python with interest and will probably pick one up. I also hope the design changes don’t change matters for the worse. I’ve recently picked up a couple of Trooper MkIIIs, so my Colt wheelgun needs are pretty much filled for the moment.

They don’t have to be. I think alloy framed 5” models are the best possible setup for a carry 1911. The full length slide is generally more reliable than 4” guns, which are more sensitive to spring wear and it actually carries better for me. Then the STI Staccato C is lighter yet, but expensive. Speaking of expensive, 2011s make a lot of sense too but they are rather chunky. In 9mm, a 4” 2011 is a great setup because the 9 avoids the disadvantages of the short slide in .45. Of course, one might have a problem with the thought of a $2500 gun sitting in an evidence room for years, possibly bloody and rusting. I’ve decided that the advantages of the platform outweigh the monetary risk, especially when you factor in the difficult shot the gentleman in Texas had to make a few days ago.

I have a 41 and a MKII. The trigger on the Mk4 isn’t nearly as good as the MKII. The Ruger will need a trigger upgrade. Also, the reliability may not be as good as the 41. I know a lot of guys who shoot Steel Challenge with their Rutgers and they’re always tweaking or replacing something to get them more reliable. Not to say the Smith is perfect but at the end of the day, you’ll have pride of ownership and higher resale value.

My thought on the return to battery issue is that the magazine spring is worn enough that the cartridge is getting out early and not slipping under the extractor; and the recoil spring may be worn enough that it may be contributing. I'd get a set of replacement mag and recoil springs and start from there; also make sure your mags are clean and dry at the same time you replace the mag springs.

My last three were a full-sized Beretta 92, a Browning High Power Competition, and a CZ-75 Phantom SP-01. I rarely buy compacts because all they're good for is carrying and I already have plenty for that role.

As a "not a Glock fan" who has owned a lot of them over the years, I'll say the G45 is the first 9mm Glock I feel like I can live with. The full, flat frontstrap is something that I have wanted over the years. They have either put an uncomfortable, sharp scallop on the bottom, or finger grooves that don't fit.

I have owned a couple other Vertecs in the past and actually prefer them over the standard arched frame. I thought the beavertail here might be more of an issue than it turned out to be; if you have large, beefy hands and like to ride the safety, you may have a problem with it. I think the trigger is ideal the way it's currently set up. I'm not very finicky about pre- and post-travel so I don't foresee ever twiddling those screws. I haven't used the Langdon trigger bar; I imagine they changed the contact point against the hammer so as to provide more leverage, or something. Generally I add "D" springs to my Berettas and that gets them into the acceptable range for me.

Thanks for saving me 5 hours of driving

I picked up a 9CT not long ago. I'm not really fond of the PTR hand guard and will probably replace it with something like the classic MP5 wide foreend, though I'd like some sort of handstop. Nothing wrong with the PTR handguard, other than it's ugly. I don't plan on tacking on a lot of accessories since it's only ever going to be a range gun for me, but I will probably put a RDS on it, most likely a Holosun.

I visited the range and put about 250 rounds through the 92X Performance. The trigger measures about 6.5# in DA and 3.3 # in SA. Weight of the gun without a magazine is 2 lbs, 13 oz. The reliability was perfect with both included magazines. I was shooting reloads, 115gr Brazos coated LRN atop 4.6gr Titegroup. Accuracy of this load in this gun was mediocre, about 2" at 15 yards. I didn't have any other ammo with me to test with. I don't know if they had any special accuracy requirements for this gun; I did detect slight movement of the muzzle when the barrel is in battery, so that's not great. Shooting impressions: Sights provided a good picture. I'm going to nitpick the front fiber sight a bit and say that the fiber was placed higher than I like. I'm used to Dawsons, which are easier to align vertically. I found myself looking for the top of the black front sight to get alignment for precise shots, only to find glowing dot there. So I'll probably replace that. The rear sight was easy to adjust, I had to dial it a few clicks up and over to get my hits where I wanted. I disliked the "gas pedal" style takedown lever. It's only large enough to get maybe half the tip of my thumb onto it, and the edges and corner are far too sharp for comfort. I'm going to look into swapping it out for a standard 92 part. I shot most of the time with my thumb underneath it. I also wasn't fond of the slide stop's angled tab. Its proximity to the safety lever and its downward rake of the tab meant it was more difficult to find and hit than it should have been. I'm not really sure why they didn't use a standard 92 part; maybe they were worried that people who ride the safety would accidentally hold it down with the tip of their thumb. The thumb safety was OK: it had a good tension on and off, and the extended "shelf" was easily reached by the thumb, although I would have preferred it to extend further back. Beretta says they will offer 3 different sizes of safety lever, but I haven't been able to find out what they look like yet. The safety did make slide manipulation a bit more of a challenge than I'm used to on 92s. Between the location of the serrations (low on the slide) and the prominent safety levers, it makes grabbing the "sweet spot" more of a challenge -- if you grab too low, your fingers will be blocked by the safety. I'm glad they included forward serrations, they're probably going to see a lot of use on this gun. The frame serrations were a bit of a help, but not what I'd call sharp enough to be really useful, and the slick nickel/tin finish wasn't helpful here. I would skateboard tape over the frontstrap if I were going to do much competing with it... not that such a heavy gun is all that hard to hang onto in 9mm, but I like my grip to be locked in. The built-in mag funnel was well done. No lanyard loop, and it looks like you can get to the mainspring housing pin without taking the grips off. I thought the beavertail might prove to be a problem due to its sharp corners, but that was pretty much a non-issue.