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Training and Use of Lethal Force...Lesson 10
RugerNiner
Member Posts: 12,636 ✭✭✭
LESSON #10
The "fit" of your gun
A constant question in self-defense is which gun to buy. I have no problem or hesitation in answering that question. It is the gun that FITS YOUR hand. The control of the recoil of the gun is vital to self-defense. It is one of the few things that we will have control over in a self-defense shooting.
The more recoil, the less accuracy beyond the first shot. Also if a gun does not fit your hand accuracy will be lost even on the first shot.
The modern high capacity guns frequently require a hand like a gorilla for proper fit. Guns are like shoes and if they don't fit you won't run many races with them regardless of cost or brand name.
Gun owners may "like" a certain gun or read an article that praises the gun. Those are not valid reasons to make a purchase. In all honest we have done extensive research on gun reliability and find the major brands of semi-auto guns EQUAL in reliability. There seems to be no direct connection between cost and reliability until you drop into the Saturday Night Special classification of guns.
Modern (post 1900) era guns are very well made and very reliable. The German Luger is legend for being fussy, but it finds few to argue about how well this gun points in most hands and how accurate it can be in self-defense use. From that era forward guns have gotten better when it comes to reliability.
I have seen Ruger P-85 guns for sale new, well under $300. They are a bargain and very reliable. A Makarov can sell for as little as $145 in new condition. They are legend for sturdy construction and reliability. The CZ-52 is a quality gun for about the same money if you are on a budget. From that range upward you can find many choices.
The idea is to find one that FITS YOUR hand. It is not a complex procedure. It is like shoes. You put it on and you can tell if it fits. You find comfort in hanging onto it. Ask yourself if you could hang onto it if someone was trying to pull it away from you? Many guns also have a wide variation of grips available.
The idea it to try as many guns as possible and various grip designs to find the right one. In my case a Browning High-Power is as close to ideal as it gets. The newer double action high capacity guns have huge grips and my small hands don't do well with such guns. That is not the fault of the gun. It is a question of fit.
In a revolver the K-Frame S&W like the Model 10's, with an Uncle Mike's rubber grip fit my hand like a custom made gun. Factory or other grips are not nearly as well fitted to me.
The 1911-A1 style of guns work for me with a short trigger, and an arched housing with Hogue grips. That is one advantage of the 1911 style of gun is that you can modify them to your hand.
Target shooters have long known of the value of a gun fitting the hand and many have grips made to fit their hand. You might think about a bowling ball, or even a pool stick to see a similarity. Guns are not exempt from the requirement of having to fit your hand.
One fact seems to have surfaced and that is the need for a rubber grip. When shooters are shooting you can frequently see the gun moving in the shooters hand and many shooters have to readjust the grip every few shots from gun movement.
An entire industry exists to meet this need regardless of the manufacturer of the gun. Gun makers make guns for the "average" shooter, whatever that is.
A prime consideration is to find a gun retailer that will allow you to check the fit of the gun to you. Avoid the places that tell you a certain make or type is the only way to go. It is common to find gun retailers that promote what the owner or employees like.
It is a complex process to find the "right" gun because you have to consider all of your individual circumstances. Will it be carried? Is it just for home? The list of considerations is long and complex.
You have to take a long hard look at what you want the gun to do for you.
Self-honesty helps in this department. I have found my "favorite" gun may not be the one that fits my hand the best. I carry for protection the guns I perform the best with.
In self-defense you may find yourself firing rapid fire. In such conditions the gun is trying to get out of your hand. That is a normal result of the laws of physics at work.
To control that effect, the gun must fit your hand. After almost 40 years of shooting I can say I know which guns fit the best, but I never stop checking or searching for an improvement.
As new grips and grip designs come onto the market, the potential for finding a better fit or an equal fit increases.
You may find yourself changing guns as you go along and that is also not uncommon.. Just be honest with yourself and seek out that particular gun that FITS YOUR hand. Don't worry about what someone else thinks. You are the only one at risk if you make a bad decisio
Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
The "fit" of your gun
A constant question in self-defense is which gun to buy. I have no problem or hesitation in answering that question. It is the gun that FITS YOUR hand. The control of the recoil of the gun is vital to self-defense. It is one of the few things that we will have control over in a self-defense shooting.
The more recoil, the less accuracy beyond the first shot. Also if a gun does not fit your hand accuracy will be lost even on the first shot.
The modern high capacity guns frequently require a hand like a gorilla for proper fit. Guns are like shoes and if they don't fit you won't run many races with them regardless of cost or brand name.
Gun owners may "like" a certain gun or read an article that praises the gun. Those are not valid reasons to make a purchase. In all honest we have done extensive research on gun reliability and find the major brands of semi-auto guns EQUAL in reliability. There seems to be no direct connection between cost and reliability until you drop into the Saturday Night Special classification of guns.
Modern (post 1900) era guns are very well made and very reliable. The German Luger is legend for being fussy, but it finds few to argue about how well this gun points in most hands and how accurate it can be in self-defense use. From that era forward guns have gotten better when it comes to reliability.
I have seen Ruger P-85 guns for sale new, well under $300. They are a bargain and very reliable. A Makarov can sell for as little as $145 in new condition. They are legend for sturdy construction and reliability. The CZ-52 is a quality gun for about the same money if you are on a budget. From that range upward you can find many choices.
The idea is to find one that FITS YOUR hand. It is not a complex procedure. It is like shoes. You put it on and you can tell if it fits. You find comfort in hanging onto it. Ask yourself if you could hang onto it if someone was trying to pull it away from you? Many guns also have a wide variation of grips available.
The idea it to try as many guns as possible and various grip designs to find the right one. In my case a Browning High-Power is as close to ideal as it gets. The newer double action high capacity guns have huge grips and my small hands don't do well with such guns. That is not the fault of the gun. It is a question of fit.
In a revolver the K-Frame S&W like the Model 10's, with an Uncle Mike's rubber grip fit my hand like a custom made gun. Factory or other grips are not nearly as well fitted to me.
The 1911-A1 style of guns work for me with a short trigger, and an arched housing with Hogue grips. That is one advantage of the 1911 style of gun is that you can modify them to your hand.
Target shooters have long known of the value of a gun fitting the hand and many have grips made to fit their hand. You might think about a bowling ball, or even a pool stick to see a similarity. Guns are not exempt from the requirement of having to fit your hand.
One fact seems to have surfaced and that is the need for a rubber grip. When shooters are shooting you can frequently see the gun moving in the shooters hand and many shooters have to readjust the grip every few shots from gun movement.
An entire industry exists to meet this need regardless of the manufacturer of the gun. Gun makers make guns for the "average" shooter, whatever that is.
A prime consideration is to find a gun retailer that will allow you to check the fit of the gun to you. Avoid the places that tell you a certain make or type is the only way to go. It is common to find gun retailers that promote what the owner or employees like.
It is a complex process to find the "right" gun because you have to consider all of your individual circumstances. Will it be carried? Is it just for home? The list of considerations is long and complex.
You have to take a long hard look at what you want the gun to do for you.
Self-honesty helps in this department. I have found my "favorite" gun may not be the one that fits my hand the best. I carry for protection the guns I perform the best with.
In self-defense you may find yourself firing rapid fire. In such conditions the gun is trying to get out of your hand. That is a normal result of the laws of physics at work.
To control that effect, the gun must fit your hand. After almost 40 years of shooting I can say I know which guns fit the best, but I never stop checking or searching for an improvement.
As new grips and grip designs come onto the market, the potential for finding a better fit or an equal fit increases.
You may find yourself changing guns as you go along and that is also not uncommon.. Just be honest with yourself and seek out that particular gun that FITS YOUR hand. Don't worry about what someone else thinks. You are the only one at risk if you make a bad decisio
Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
Keep your Powder dry and your Musket well oiled.
NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
Comments
Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.