Light Triggers

22 Apr 08 Full-auto 1911! Last weekend, at a Pistol Course we were doing in KS, a student brought an expensive 1911 pistol from a well-known, custom pistolsmith. These monstrosities go for between two and three thousand dollars/copy. Its trigger was between two and three pounds, much too light for a serious gun. I allowed him to use it, after explaining that, in my opinion, such a light trigger was unsuitable for a concealed-carry pistol. It was a mistake! His pistol started doubling. Normally, when that happens, I let it go the first time, thinking it might just be a quirk. When it happened for the third time with this pistol (the second time I was unaware of), I pulled the pistol out of the Course! The student used a borrowed 1911 for the duration, which ran fine. I know I keep bringing this subject up, but it is difficult to me to say enough unkind things about the vast majority of the hyper-expensive, custom 1911s we see in our Courses! They are, nearly without exception, tight, temperamental, unreliable, maladroit clunks. For all that money, one gets a pistol that is a good deal less reliable, and less practical, than plain-vanilla ones costing a third as much! Two-pound 1911 triggers are way to light for any down-to-earth purpose. In addition, they are inherently unsafe, as we can see. Highly not recommended! /John

Kahr M1 Carbine

22 Apr 08 Kahr (Auto-Ordinance) M1 Carbine I finally get the opportunity to wring-out Kahr's M1 Carbine last weekend. It is hard to beat! It comes with fixed, flip-up sights, and it is dead on, right out of the box. It gobbled up several different brands of ammunition, and it was popular with everyone who shot it. It is a 100m rifle that is light, short, and easy to carry. My copy is equipped with a Vickers sling from Blue Force Gear. As a car-gun, it is second to none. Whatever start-up problems Kahr may have had with this weapon are no long gone. For M1Carbine-o-philes, this one is an excellent choice.

Recommended! /John

45ACP

22 Apr 08

Developments!

This observation from a friend in the Philippines:

"The.45ACP is a desirable personal-defense, pistol cartridge, and, when one is limited to hardball, it makes great sense! While we may live in a 9mm world, dare I say a Glock-9mm world, the .45ACP refuses to die.

For a long while, when one wanted the terminal effect of the 45ACP, only the 1911 pistol was versatile enough to fit a wide variety of hand sizes and still provide good usability and handling. We've tried 45ACP double-columns, SIG P220 and the G21/30, but only those with large hands can run these pistols well.

Enter the 'new' 45s!

The XD45 looks like a clunk from the outside, but it is sleek where it counts. The grip is genuinely usable for small handed folks. Durability has been excellent.

S&W's M&P45 is another slick piece of kit. Grip circumference and trigger reach can be adjusted to accommodate just about any hand size. Accuracy and reliability are exceptionally good.

Both the XD and the M&P hold a few more rounds than your standard single-stack, yet remain concealable and legitimately operational.

Where I live, these new pistols are breathing new life and interest into the 45ACP cartridge. I am not surprised to see many die-hard 1911 folks retire their steel pistols and invested in these new handguns."

Comment: Over here, we also see 45-o-philes taking a significant interest in these pistols. The 1911 will be around for the foreseeable future, but one can't ignore the genuine advancement these two pistols represent.

/John