Sharp as a Marble - Change of heart

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Change of heart

Guns. Lots of Guns. , Range Time

The other day I was talking about possibly switching the Para USA Gun Blogger 45 for a 1911 style pistol in 10mm. Enough people chimed in that the Para is special and I'd hate myself for letting it go, and I've put a lot of thought into that.

After my range trip last night, I'm not only positive I don't want to trade it, but I've actually realized the more I shoot the 1911, the less I like my Glock.

At 10 yards last night, the Glock stayed on target, but there was nothing approaching a 'grouping' anywhere to be found. If I took my time and aimed, I could nail the bulls eye, that's not a problem, but double taps came out in a pattern that would make a shotgun laugh. Rapid followup shots are difficult with it, not because of the 10mm, but the grip angle. I've gotten so used to the 1911's grip and the ability to put it back on target almost instantly that the short, two finger grip of the G29 has become more annoying than anything.

When I was shooting the Para, I started off kind of rough. It had been several months since I last shot, and my neck is still hurting so I didn't think I'd be able to shoot IDPA this morning, but figured I could do some basic target shooting without risking injury.

My first mags I shot had that vertical problem I seem to suffer from, which indicates breathing issues. At 15 yards, all the shots were within 3" or 4" horizontally of each other, but vertically I'm surprised I kept them all on the paper. Pulling in to 10 yards, I was able to see my hits and adjust a bit better. Eventually, I got in the groove and was doing double taps in the bulls eye, which is all about getting the sight back on the target naturally rather than forcing it back. And I think that's where the 1911 wins over the Glock.

So instead of trading the .45 in for a 10mm, I'm seriously considering trading in the 10mm for a compact .45. No idea how or when that could happen since I won't get near the $ for the Glock that I'd need for something like a Warthog or a Kimber Ultra Carry II. But the seed has been planted in my head now.

John Moses Browning's power over our mortal souls is just as powerful today, apparently.

posted @ 7/12/2009 9:39:31 AM

Comments

TexasFred says:

on 7/12/2009 3:27:08 PM

the more I shoot the 1911, the less I like my Glock.
***********************
The more I throw rocks, shoot a slingshot or a longbow the less I like ANY Glock...

But I did find a great use for Glocks, they make excellent sinkers on a trot line...

Joe says:

on 7/12/2009 4:25:33 PM

I won't harsh on Glock's they are fine guns, but there is a lot of merit to having only one grip angle to train to. Be careful however the worshipers of JMB may still cast you out as long as you carry the blasphemous LDA trigger.

TexasFred says:

on 7/12/2009 5:39:03 PM

Fine guns?? Yep, they make fine paper weights...

James Nelson says:

on 7/12/2009 5:40:42 PM

For a 1911 that has both good quality and a low price, try the Rock Islands, built by Armscor. I have 3, a GI, a Tactical and a Compact, and can't say enough good about them. The Compact comes with either GI or high profile sights, one piece guide rod, and an extended beavertail. Many of the Colt Officer's parts fit, the factory has a US office in Nevada and they stand behind their products. Do some checking on the net, Sarco usually has them and dealer cost is under $400 US.

Ian Argent says:

on 7/12/2009 7:26:09 PM

So, I should just continue to buy Glocks? My one and only is a glock right now and I'm OK with it, though I've not tried any particularly rapid fire.

Robb Allen says:

on 7/12/2009 7:37:48 PM

Ian, you should continue to purchase what works best for you. You should also try other pistols to ensure that you're comfort with what you have isn't because that's all you have!

I love my Glock, I really do, it's just that I find I'm more accurate with a 1911 style pistol.

Gun Shy Tourist says:

on 7/12/2009 9:24:28 PM

The Wart Hog is a nifty little pistol, but it has a fair amount of muzzle flip. Many times inexperienced shooters find that they jam, because of their technique or lack thereof. I also find the short grip kind of annoying, and would rather carry the PARA Tac S model that you have. The Kimber is a nice pistol, but that company is hard to get technical assistance from verbally at times. PARA is a company that you can call anytime and they are always willing to talk. The Rock Island is a nice pistol, especially for the money they sell for. They are manufactured in the Philippines, and have a lot of nice features like polished ramps found on more expensive pistols.

Ian Argent says:

on 7/12/2009 9:46:19 PM

When I did basic pistol before buying, I got to play with a NICE custom Kimber, a S&W performance auto-9, a G17L (which is what I ended up getting), and a different auto-9 (forget the make). Prior to that I'd played with a Ruger Mk.1.

I've shot my wife's P22, which is *just* a hair too small for me in the grip - though still fun to shoot.

I liked the Kimber the best, but given that I could have had 2 glocks for the price of it before the owner smote it in his spare time, so...

I'm currently trying to decide between a .22 of my own or the Alliance Arms .22 slide kit. Decision is complicated by the stupidity of NJ

OrangeNeckInNY says:

on 7/13/2009 3:06:46 AM

As I said on Xavier's blog, "If a Glock were a ship on Star Trek, it would be a Borg Cube and the 1911 would be the Enterprise."

What other gun do you know of where you have to pull the trigger in order to break it down? Now imagine if the guy about to disassemble his Glock failed to check his chamber?

I. Hate. Glocks. Get the 1911, Robb.

Weer'd Beard says:

on 7/13/2009 6:42:32 AM

Give Jarret and Para a call, see if they'll trade you the Glock for a Warthog, and tell them you'll blog about it honestly and objectively!

Glocks are great guns, but I personally find the more I shoot a gun with a 1911-style grip angle the more the glocks point skyward.

The grips are so different I'd say it'd be a wise move to make the switch, also given the price of .45 vs 10mm (and I'm curious how much difference there is on a 3" BBL) you might find the switch worth it.

With the Warthog you'll find them about the same size (the warthog might be a hair shorter at the snout) about the same weight, but the warthog is a bona-fide SAO 1911. They do jump around a tad (but not too much with a high-thumbs grip) so I think you'll like it.

Robb Allen says:

on 7/13/2009 7:59:20 AM

Heh. Nothing brings 'em out like a Glock vs. 1911 war. Coming up next - Macs vs. PC followed by My flavor of Jesus is better than yours.

I reload, so pricing on 10mm isn't really a factor. Same with the .45, although I only load that for practice. I think I might actually tame down the 10mm loads though to see if I can remove some of the snappiness. I don't mind recoil, but the small package of the Glock makes the muzzle flip a little hefty.

I love my Glock, have never had a single issue with it, and I trust it with my life. It might just be the compact size of the G29 that isn't as comfortable, maybe I should look at a G20 to compare them.

Weer'd Beard says:

on 7/13/2009 10:04:45 AM

I was fondling a G20 at the shop the other day. Good price (given that they're not Mass Aproved, REALLY good price) I almost bought it, but when I pointed it at a water stain on the carpet to test the trigger I noticed I had to break my wrist down from naturally pointing.

*sigh* I wanted 15+1 round of 10mm goodness SOOOO BAD, but sadly I know it would just become a safe queen pointing like that : (

Robb Allen says:

on 7/13/2009 10:10:37 AM

The other crazy thing is that anything I buy is going to need to be a CCW piece, so I have to take that into consideration too. The G29 may be considered a compact pistol, but it's far from compact. The barrel could be longer since that part is shoved down the side of my pants, it's the grip length that seems to matter, but I still think I can conceal a lot more, especially given my size.

Weer'd Beard says:

on 7/13/2009 11:18:31 AM

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=86955&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y
You might like somthing like this (I'm sure SOMEBODY makes a similar sized gun) It's essentially a 1911 commander slide on an Officer's ACP frame. So you loose one in the mag (being single-stack that's 6 pills in the mag for a flush-fit...quite a bit less than the Glock....but with slimline grips this gun will carry REALLY well as it won't be nearly as thick in all dementions as Glocks which are porkers IMHO)

I personally think Smith makes awesome 1911s for the money, but by now you should know all the big-name 1911 makers. And of course if you want an LDA and hi-cap, maybe you can bleg Para
http://www.para-usa.com/new/product_pistol.php?id=20

Certainly I've had many tell me of Para's rep as Junk. You might let them know that the work of the Para Gunbloggers has gotten me to give that a little more thought.

Rob K says:

on 7/13/2009 12:47:54 PM

The barrel could be longer since that part is shoved down the side of my pants...

Pants?

Robb Allen says:

on 7/13/2009 12:57:01 PM

Occasionally, the pantsless lifestyle can lead to incarceration, so you have to determine the best times to lead said lifestyle.

Sometimes, pants are required by law.

doubletapper says:

on 7/14/2009 7:50:47 AM

Here in Israel, we can only own 1 handgun.

I've shot the Browning Hi Power and the IWI Jericho in 9mm and found the learning curve to be 0. I was able to get excellent grouping immediately. Both are fairly old technology and heavy when compared to the Glock 17.

So I bought the Glock. I loved the higher capacity magazines, the lighter weight, the ability to borrow magazines from the rest of my team and knowing that no matter what, it would shoot.

But my shooting was way off, so I consulted one of Israel's top anti-terrorism shooting instructors. He immediately had me switch out the eplace the standard 5.5 lb trigger connector with a 3.5lb one.

The smooth trigger pull forced me to let go of anticipating the shot that occurs with the standard 2 stage trigger.

In addition I changed out sights, and added a Houge grip sleeve that better accommodates my meaty grip.

My shooting immediately corrected with the first group I was back where I had been with other pistols.

There are other mods you can do if you want the reliabilty of the Glock but prefer the grip and feel of a JMB.

Try this http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/g/Articles/glockgripreduction.html

DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel

Jay G. says:

on 7/14/2009 10:07:22 AM

Robb,

I'm surprised Weer'd didn't mention it already, but be careful with the Warthog.

ParaOrdnance has gone through the trouble of certifying many of their pistols for sale in MA, which is appreciated. Additionally, the Warthog is the only new compact 1911 available in MA.

I personally know at least three people who have purchased Warthogs and had *VERY* bad things to say about them - very finicky, jam far too much for a defensive gun, etc.

Just FYI. Might be worth looking into before you drop the scratch...

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