June 25, 2008
Armed and Dangerous
I was away for an afternoon of lunch and shooting at a gun range with a friend. It was fun, and I hit the target exactly where I was supposed to. The only thing I didn't like: they make you wait a second or two between shots.
In case you were wondering, I used a 9mm Glock 19 model. Read analysis of the Glock 19. Also see GlockTalk, TheFiringLine, and The High Road.

It works well underwater:

Posted by Debbie at June 25, 2008 05:06 PM
Comments
Oh mercy, you're not only full of hate- you're armed?
Posted by: jmpw
at June 25, 2008 05:22 PM
Oh Jessica Warren, relax and engage your wee little brain.
It's not the law-abiding citizens in the United States, like Debbie Schlussel, that are the problem. It is the criminals.
Personally, I would like to see more of this happening in America:
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-opencarry7-2008jun07,0,741475.story?track=ntothtml
Screw concealing them. Strap them on your hips and wear them with pride.
It's legal.
Posted by: West Dearbornistan
at June 25, 2008 05:54 PM
I’m a Glock head. I own 4 different models. I own the G19 (9mm Lugar), G23 (.40 S&W), G27 (.40 S&W), G38 (.45 G.A.P.) I have found them all to be very accurate, extremely reliable, and the Glock grip fits my hand perfectly. The analysis you linked to decried the lack of a manual safety on Glocks. The reviewer said;
“If you want a 9mm to use as a carry gun, this one just isn’t safe for concealed carry.”
I must disagree. Basically, the most important safety for any firearm is the one between your ears. If you don’t want the firearm to discharge a round, keep your finger off the trigger. A manual safety is just another mechanical device and all mechanical devices will, at some point, fail. Any safety, thumb or otherwise, ala 1911, can fail. That failure of the safety can be disastrous if it were to occur when you are confronting a bad guy.
But of course, confidence and faith in any given firearm is a relative thing. I, for one, wouldn’t carry a 1911, no matter who the manufacturer is. I own a Springfield 1911 and it’s the least reliable firearm of the 10 that I own.
Posted by: Rocky
at June 25, 2008 05:59 PM
Open carry is legal but you WILL get a dangerous amount of attention from the cops. Who can blame them. The weapon nobody sees is the most effective/dangerous. Bad guys don't like surprises. I pulled mine on a pit bull in front of a neighborhood house wife and she called the popo on ME. I was greeted with every local cop on duty with their Glocks pointed right at me. I was a little bummed out. Everything turned out okay buuut.
Posted by: samurai
at June 25, 2008 06:01 PM
The big frame 9mm you carry may be very reliable but so is a compact model 26, or 27. I have both and have put about 700 rounds through the 27 and love it. It is light and small with a bit of a kick but a little time at the Firing Line or Top Gun (my fav) and it's an extension of your hand. Summertime wear for sure. Even jogging with a XXL shirt over it. Blackhawk polymer serpa holster is very comfortable as well as convenient. It's about the size of a Walther ppk but more bite and less weight. I wouldn't waste time with a pinky extension on the mag. It makes the gun bigger. The pinky extension would be useful for the extra mag you carry in a pocket for quicker use in a high stress situation.
Posted by: samurai
at June 25, 2008 06:10 PM
I agree with Rocky on the subject of the external safeties getting in the way of things. The author of the article was critical of the Glock ejection of brass into the face. CLEAN THE GUN EVERY TIME YOU SHOOT IT. Works for me.
Posted by: samurai
at June 25, 2008 06:23 PM
Congrats, Debbie. I've been saying for a long time that in your situation a woman should be armed. Don't count on the police to come to save you. You might never have to fire a gun in your life but its there if you ever do need it. Michigan is a Right To Carry state, so any one who is qualified can get a Concealed Carry permit, not just the politically connected or prominent celebrities. The Second Amendment is the one amendment that guarantees Americans have a right to be armed. No other country has it. If the Jews in Europe had been armed in the 30s, it would have been much more difficult for the Nazis to target them. And an armed Jew is also a free Jew too!
Posted by: NormanF
at June 25, 2008 06:34 PM
Glocks jam more than any other 9mm. I spent a year and a half unjamming them for people. Half the police don't know what they're talking about, a Glock is the only weapon they've ever owned. Get a Beretta 92F, they never jam. Get a SW Airweight .38 for concealed, 5 rounds, semi-shrouded hammer, so they can't jam the web of their hand in between the hammer, but you can still cock it for double action if you have time.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 25, 2008 07:18 PM
All of us need to be prepared and get all the practice we can.
Posted by: c f
at June 25, 2008 07:20 PM
They've also got purses with a compartment in between that's velcroed, so you can stick your hand in and have your hand on the gun as you walk into the house, but it looks like you've just got your hand in your purse, and you could shoot through the purse if you had to.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 25, 2008 07:21 PM
.45 Long Colt SAA is my preference. Yes, it's old fashioned, but that .45 caliber slug will put someone down and keep them down (after all, one shot from a .45 will drop a horse...), and in terms of personal protection, keeping them down is what counts.
Posted by: Sharps Rifle
at June 25, 2008 08:08 PM
Rock out with your glock out.
Posted by: guitarguy
at June 25, 2008 08:25 PM
FOR EVERY JEW, A .22
FYI, I was on my college varsity rifle team, Debbie.
Oh! One more thing. You might be able to shoot a Glock 19 underwater, but you won't hurt anybody underwater very badly. Crime labs use a small tank of water to test ballistics on firearms. It doesn't take much water volume to rob a bullet of its kinetic energy. But hey! The video is cool!
Posted by: There is NO Santa Claus
at June 25, 2008 08:32 PM
Excellent choice!
We've been worried for you with telling the truth about pols and Islamists.
Keep it clean and oiled, and it will take care of you.
Posted by: bhparkman
at June 25, 2008 09:18 PM
The other part of "A .22 for every Jew" is "A .45 to stay alive.
I love my Taurus .357 revolver. Loaded with hollow-point, I just need to hit the center of the Rodef and there will be a big, big hole in the backside. It is semi-auto, so I just keep pulling the trigger til it's empty. I can usually hit what I aim at, so 5 rounds is plenty...
I think that Colorado is also one of those states that allow anyone who passes a background check to have a concealed carry permit. I don't carry it in public, it is mostly for any creep that might be so stupid as to break into the house.
Posted by: Tamarah
at June 25, 2008 09:42 PM
OK, Deb, for once I don't believe you. If you want me to believe you actually fire a Glock or any gun I want to see a picture.
OK, I'll fess up, for some reason I think it's pretty hot thinking of you firing a gun.
I'm calling G. Gordon Liddy to make you the headliner for his next Stacked and Packed Calendar!!!!!!
(Whoops, this might not have been too bright of an idea to post knowing you are packing heat!)
Posted by: Jeff_W
at June 25, 2008 10:02 PM
John Harper, most cops I know of have a few guns and have fired quite a few different types. I've shot about 20 different guns including H&K, Sig, S&W, Colt, Ruger and Berretta. With the Berretta 92f you have the misfortune of having the entire slide pop off and bury itself in the ground like a tombstone in front of you. They also had a problem with cracking slides as well as dirt and debris getting in the top of the wide open ejection port in the desert. Checkmate. The purses you speak of look okay but I've never known anyone that owned one. Glocks have had a good record of reliability. Keep them loaded with good American made rounds and they're a solid choice.
Posted by: samurai
at June 25, 2008 10:18 PM
I don't know about you Jeff, but I WOULD LOVE to see the conservative goddess in that calendar. :D
Posted by: Squirrel3D
at June 25, 2008 10:35 PM
I always knew you were a pistol, but now I know you're a pistol that packs real heat!!
I like the image of you as an angel, Debbie. You would cast perfectly as Xena-Warrior Princess, a Charlie's Angel, or....the lady Macabbee--(I refer the readers to the Chanukkah story). You take on all comers, destroy the bad guys, and do it all with your own style and chutzpah! Vive la DS!
Posted by: BB
at June 25, 2008 10:59 PM
Half the cops do have several guns and know what they're doing, but the other half don't. I've seen a lot of rookie cops or semi-rookies swear by the Glock, but it's all they've ever had. I knew a Jacksonville Sheriff's Deputy who took 3 rounds to his forearms because his Glock jammed, and he threw it at the guy. It was sheer luck none of the rounds missed his forearms and went into his chest. I knew the owner of Atlanta Arms, he used to check brass with a Glock barrel because if it fit the Glock it would fit anything. He said they had the lowest tolerance of any chamber. I don't know about the desert, but it seems any dirt would jam a Glock faster than a Beretta, because the Beretta is so loose. I don't trust Glocks. I love Berettas, the PD's don't care about the cops welfare as much as they do their own liability.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 26, 2008 01:15 AM
Using a .357 for home/street defense is DANGEROUS to neighbors or citizens "down the street" if you miss.
Best for home is 12 gauge.For concealed carry med. size REVOLVER is MOST RELIABLE w/ no mech. jamming unlike a semi-auto.If you can't eliminate your threat w/ less than 6 shots you're pathetic,just need to know where to put the lead !
Posted by: billybob
at June 26, 2008 08:21 AM
Go Debbie! I'm proud of you.
Posted by: lexi
at June 26, 2008 09:17 AM
Billybob, revolvers do jam. Anything mechanical can/will fail. The little nub inside the bottom of the frame where the cylinder is housed is the revolvers achiles heel and can get hung up. A bad guy can also grab the revolver firmly over the cylinder and it won't turn to shoot. The five or six shots you get may not be enough if you have a gang of kids like they had up in Mount Clemens wilding. Good luck reloading a revolver in a gun fight with adrenaline shooting through your body as well. Some DEA agents carrying revolvers back in the 80's were casualties when the bad guys had 9mm semi autos in a gun battle. They were both killed trying to reload. In the Air Force they issued 38cal S&W. Just having a time limit had many of us dropping our rounds on the ground to reload (we weren't allowed to pick them up) and they also didn't allow speed loaders, which are a pain in the ass too. There's a reason Glock has sold millions of guns. They work.
Posted by: samurai
at June 26, 2008 09:29 AM
Love a woman that can handle a handgun. Not real fond of the choice though. For plastic fantastic I prefer the Smith & Wesson M&P!!! Only tupperware I own. Prefer Sigs or 1911's.
Posted by: mdreb
at June 26, 2008 09:54 AM
See you at the range, Deb! AND, hats off to SCOTUS for actually getting a decision RIGHT today!
Posted by: DocLiberty
at June 26, 2008 12:10 PM
Great timing! With the Supreme Court decision, they won't be able to take our guns away for a while.
Posted by: c f
at June 26, 2008 12:33 PM
@samurai:
I never said a revolver is perfect but it is far,far more reliable mechanically than a semi...& that's the point.
I'm astute & cautious & do not allow myself to be exposed to a "gang" situation on the street,besides only 1 or 2 are general armed gang speaking & that's where your concentration should be focused,eliminate the threat & the others are runnin'.
Same goes for stoplights regarding "jackings",always leave yourself an out to stomp the gas...tailgating is stooopid when stopped.
Posted by: billybob
at June 26, 2008 04:47 PM
Glock sold so many guns because they're CHEAPER. And because they're more dummy-proof with all the safeties. That's why all the police departments went to them.
Posted by: Sue Denemme
at June 26, 2008 06:09 PM
Revolvers are a lot more reliable in a struggle, but you should have a "safe" room where you sleep at night, with a 2x8 under the doorknob and a phone. That way, you have time to use something with greater capacity than a revolver, or a shotgun.
Posted by: Sue Denemme
at June 26, 2008 06:14 PM
Sue, check out youtube for a look at some reliability on a Glock. A guy does his own torture test with a 21 (45 cal) and leaves it in rock salt, in dirt, sand and drops it from a crop duster at about 400-500 feet into a field and digs it up. It always fires.
RELIABILITY IS WHY GLOCKS OUT SELL EVERYONE ELSE. And theres the torture test videos that are out there. They aren't THAT cheap either. Go price a Wilson Combat 45. That's $$. Taurus, Kahr, Smith and Wesson M&P are examples of cheap. Taurus I have owned and have regretted.
Posted by: samurai
at June 27, 2008 12:21 AM
samurai, I unjammed 100 of them over the course of a year and a half at our range, and half the time it was for rookie cops. That was over 15 years ago, but I'll never trust them. It was as if they were glued shut, you needed 3 hands and you had to get a tool and a cloth to avoid scratching it and push down on the piece that grabs the shell while you tried to unstick the slide. I never saw a Beretta 92F jam one time. If you like the style of the Glock I would get a Sig Sauer.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 27, 2008 03:06 PM
btw, I don't know why anybody would even try shooting a gun underwater. That's how they explode, when the bullet can't exit fast enough and the pressure in the barrel becomes too great.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 27, 2008 03:21 PM
I have NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF A GLOCK JAMMING THE WAY YOU DESCRIBE. Never, let alone that quantity. The only thing I've heard of is that if a round isn't seated like with reloads not fitting properly or Russian ammo not produced correctly, is that a Glock will explode but the mag will blow out the bottom and the shooter is unharmed. If a metal gun blows who knows what flies where. I have read several accounts of Berrettas jamming. Even if it is just a stove pipe you could be in a world of shit if the bad guys are advancing on your position. I do own a P229 and love it. It's a lil bit heavier than the G27 and I only carry it half the year with extra clothing on. The extra rounds are nice to have. It also will shoot sig .357 if I buy the extra barrel.
Posted by: samurai
at June 27, 2008 04:12 PM
Well, I didn't hallucinate unjamming all those Glocks. I saw one 9mm blow up, but the the top of the chamber blew out, not the magazine, it was a double charge.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 27, 2008 08:14 PM
Search YouTube for "S&W 500". I have to get one, lol.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 27, 2008 08:22 PM
My friend is a range instructor with the MDOC, trains 4 different facilities in the south east region of Michigan and he's never seen the types of jams you supposedly have seen. He trains the dumbest rookies on the planet. Right off the welfare line and they don't screw up the Glock that way. He's been to Glock, H&K, and Ruger schools and gets pissed off when somebody claims that Glocks are trash. He owns a compact 45 and swears by it. Another two friends have range instructor credentials as well and own Glocks that perform flawlessly. Check mate.
Posted by: samurai
at June 27, 2008 09:08 PM
You are either a liar or hmm, a liar.
Posted by: samurai
at June 27, 2008 09:09 PM
You're a twit, I'm talking about the 9mm anyway, twit. Maybe neither of us are lying, and you're just a jackass, did you consider that possibility?
Posted by: John Harper
at June 28, 2008 04:35 PM
Checkmate? What a moron you are. I'm just telling people what I know, and you pick a name-calling fight with me online. I'm through responding to you, too, btw.
Posted by: John Harper
at June 28, 2008 04:37 PM
Are you married?
Posted by: David Appletree
at June 29, 2008 11:29 PM
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