Hi! I'm the guy from the video.
I can appreciate good gun safety (I practice it!). The reason the hammer is back when demoing the pistol up close and personal is because prior to hitting record and whenever I pick up a pistol prior to potentially manipulating the trigger I check the chamber - in this case cocking the hammer. The screen shots you noted - only one has a magazine seated - might have been a clue to the condition of the pistol. Further - the ONLY time the chamber was loaded in this filming with hammer back was making adjustments to zero while gun was on target. So crucify me for that if you must but note muzzle /trigger discipline - take my word it's a safe direction and I'd love to hear how you make adjustments to red dots on striker guns while zeroing - because everyone I've seen zero a striker gun keeps the mag in and the chamber is hot while making adjustments. I do hope you apply the same standard to watching videos on striker guns noting trigger position when manipulated - I bet it's exhausting trying to get upset at the right time!
Internet snark aside -
This was my first extended range day with a 92 - prior experience was probably a solid 50 rounds at various range days. That's kind of the point of a "First Shots" video.
I always liked the 92 aesthetically and how it shot - but since spending time with it I've since got the manipulation figured out and have been dryfire and have the livefire count up over 1500 rounds. I previously competed with CZ Shadow/ Shadow 2s which obviously don't decock so you got to watch me awkwardly go through the "getting to know you phase" of using a decocker. I'm switching to this gun for USPSA Carry Optics competition so it will show up in my last 3 majors of the year (including nationals). I've since pulled the Holosun and it's wearing an SRO now - which makes the shooting experience next level.
I'll throw my 2 cents into the ring - but I know a lot of you guys aren't super interested in the competition side of the house but shooting is shooting so here goes.
The sear/hammer engagement on the trigger is exquisite - medium to long range shots getting a good prep become a cake walk. My accuracy on higher risk shots has been super pleasing - so much so that I obviously decided to abandon my current platform midseason. As I've continued to develop as a shooter and have become more and more invested in the trigger prep this trigger job stands out and is really amenable to that style of shooting. Reset the trigger in recoil and prep in transition to the next target then let it eat when the visual input is there. Exquisite. The position of trigger when the hammer releases on the DA (basically all the way back on the trigger) is fantastic - so the DA stroke is very linear and predictable - which is great for quick DA draws to difficult targets.
Learning how to stabilize the gun and pull the trigger correctly took work on my part - it's different from the Glock that I'd been using every day for the past few years. My grip has improved putting pressure in the right places so it's not as bouncy as it appears in this video anymore. I had to figure out my thumb placement of my strong hand because of how I had been flagging my thumb (due to shooting CZ's and then Glocks) didn't work - I was getting beaten up by the decocker. Holding the thumb so it almost touches the slide release then applying firm pressure actually helps stabilized the gun through the double action and cleaned up my presentation a good bit - tuned out bring the gun up to the left side of the target in the C zone so the index is mostly straight online with the target now. I can now hold an A zone from 5-10 yards with .15-.18 splits. Slowing down to .22-.25 I'm basically surgical nearly hole on hole accuracy. My DA draw is still coming back to me - I'm about a tenth slower than a striker gun - that will probably be one of the last things to come back though now that I have a holster and am putting the work in I hope to shortcut the process by Area 4 Championship (9/18/20).
Reloads on an aluminum grip / steel mag is a bit rougher than the plastic/plastic reloads that were a little more forgiving - this will probably haunt me through the rest of the season as I tune up my index for speed loads to get the grip angle just so. I'm about 2 tenths slower on my speed load now than I am with the Glock - but I know I can get it back down as my loads with CZs were roughly similar to my glocks and have a similar magwell and steel/steel condition.
Optic plate is very well machined and well designed. The footprint is probably a couple thousandths away from being "perfect" for both my Holosun 407COv2 and my SRO. I am reminded of the CHPWS plates I've been using for my Glocks. The screws provided use a very small allen key - I don't know if it's possible to get a smaller torx bit screw - but that'd be my preference. On an old CHWS plate with the allen key if it binds up when removing those little wrenches get twisted really easily (even when applying heat). I know on the V4 they switched to a torx screw and it's made life a little better when pulling optics. When pulling an SRO off one of my glocks - the one I initially tried to pull had seized up - I'm goign to have to drill the screws off as I can't get enough torque on the wrench to break them free (followed the CHPWS old instructions to use nail polish on the screw heads to the T - and now it won't come off heat didn't work - nor nail polish remover).
The sights probably will make some other M9A1 holsters not work with the gun - I can speak to the Comptac International and the Floodlight - both of these work. I didn't notice that LTT sold the JM competition shell - I would have probably just bundled that into the purchase initially then could have been training from the holster for the first 10 days of owning the gun. There's a bit of a shortage on OWB competition style holster right now for M9A1 and speaking to the BenStoegerProShop.com what little stock they had for 92A1 shells has been gobbled up since this pistol launched - so it's getting some attention on the gamer side of the house. Finally got the CompTac shell on 8/6 because Midway was about the only place with them in stock and they use UPS Mail Innovations to deliver which is akin to delivery via Pony Express. I also am receiving a Guga Ribas GR-NEO tomorrow to try out with the gun, and I have a Ghost Hybrid on the way as well. "Did you really buy 3 holsters in a panic trying to get one quickly?" Yes. 4 actually - I canceled my backorder with BenStoegerProShop.com.
BUIS work great - the point of impact vertically is perfect for 125 grain and the windage was perfect out of the box. Really happy I didn't have to drift the front sight. it might be cool to have a sight plate as an option with lower sights for those of us shooting competition - on the smaller window Holosun they were a true lower 3rd - for a competition pedigree barely visible in the window might be a fun option. With the SRO on the sights are perfect - with the holosun they were more obviously noticeable in the window.
Springer Precision has 140mm magazine extensions - they work great. With the extra power spring you can get 22 rounds in them. I haven't tried yet (but I'm about to) with the standard MG 18 round spring you can probably get 23 - but I bet that spring wears out pretty darn quick.
One morning when shooting it I A/B'd it with a buddy's FIre4Effect Shadow 2 - it compares really favorably in how it shoots - while being about 12 ounces lighter. The weight on the 92 is brilliant - it's heavy enough to steady on difficult shots, but light enough to manipulate quickly. With how the weight is situated on the slide it behaves like a gun with a much lower bore axis - that was borne out on the Mantis X10 elite using the recoilmeter - the muzzle climb is very close to my G34g5 - which I can keep to about 3.75-4.25 degrees of rise - and with the LTT with a subpar grip I was keeping it down around 4 degrees. Higher bore axis guns - like Canik TP9SFX, Springfield Armory XDM Elite have muzzle climbs closer to 5.5-6 degrees. I'll be doing a video comparing it to the SHadow 2 here in a couple weeks.
In a couple weeks I'll post up the full review so you guys can come throw rocks at me again. Or don't.
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LangdonTactical I'll be getting in touch in a bit to discuss maintenance regimen, spring weights and any other tips/tricks for high round count guns.