Follow-up

08 Oct 09

Follow-up, from our Instructors:

Instructor One:

"It used to be that the 1911 was the only custom game in town. Now, nearly every main-stream pistol has a busy aftermarket following, determined to ' improve' on the original design. In Classes, we've seen Glocks with more custom parts than 1911s of ten years ago!

The unhappy truth is that precious few of these 'customized' pistols run well. In fact, most break down during a typical, weekend Class.

If I could go back twenty years, to when I first started carrying a concealed pistol, knowing what I know now, I could save the $20,000.00 it cost me vainly seeking an ever-elusive 'equipment advantage.' After owning all manner gaudy, glittering, expensive, custom pistols, having come full-circle, I now find myself older, wiser, poorer, but more stable, and constantly armed with a plain-vanilla G19.

I have reluctantly come to the inescapable conclusion that removing drama from my life serves my best interests infinitely more than seeking it!

Manual decoking-levers, redundant manual safety levers (insisted upon by corporate lawyers who have never in their lives even carried a gun), ambidextrous/enlarged controls, other absurd accessories all represent extra drama, drama that I don't need in the context of an already mentally-complex gunfight!

In the face of an imminent threat, I'll take any pistol, over no pistol! However, given a choice, this 'mature male' will select the less complex, less dramatic, less garish, every time!"

Instructor Two:

"When a student asks, 'When do I decock?' simply reply, 'Any time your finger breaks direct contact with the trigger.'

We don't worry about 'excessive decocking.' We want students manually de-cocking at every opportunity, as 'excessive decocking' is not harmful, always renders a pistol that is immediately ready to fire anyway, and, at worst, can be only considered an 'extra step.'

And, we want to habitually avoid having that trigger finger come into the trigger guard expecting a heavy, first trigger pull, only to grope aimlessly and ultimately slam into the lighter, secondary trigger position, precipitously generating an ND!"

Comment: Along with the "plain-vanilla" G19 mentioned above also goes the SA/XD, XD/M, SIG/P250, SIG/DAK, Kahr, S&W/M&P, H&K/LEM, Beretta PX4/C. All are recommended!

/John