The Snowflake Guns of P-F

[FNFAN]

Here's my EDC X9snowflake

[olstyn]

Walther P99C

The first several times I shot the MN USPSA section match was with a P99c, because it was the only gun I owned at the time. (I've since switched to a full size P99 for competition, but the 'c' is still my carry gun.) Definitely qualifies as special snowflake because most of the ROs at the chrono station those first few years couldn't figure out how to eject the mag when they were done shooting it - I guess they'd never seen a paddle mag release.

[Rex G]

Well, it was long ago, in another century, and it lasted only about half a year, from Spring to Fall, 1985, but I toted an HK P7 as a duty pistol, in a locally-made flap holster that met PD specs, and, for part of that time, toted another HK P7 in a one-size-fits-many nylon ankle rig, as a back-up-gun. The ankle rig started un-stitching itself, rather quickly, but, while it lasted, I could run with that thing in place. If seated in a patrol car, the ankle-carried P7 was the faster, of the two, to draw, by far. If not seated, the ankle rig may have been just a bit faster than the flap duty rig. The HK P7 had succeeded an S&W Model 629, .44 Magnum, which had been wrecking my hand, for a year.

When the department switched to open-topped, thumb-break, break-front duty holsters, for revolvers, I played with the issued Bianchi Hurricane, and immediately bought the authorized Rogers Trooper holster, and started carrying an ex-San Antonio PD S&W Model 58, .41 Magnum. I’d had a bad scare, when someone needed shootin’, as I pawed-open that tight, custom flap holster, so returning to a revolving duty pistol was a no-brainer. (Duty auto-loaders still had to be carried in flap duty holsters, for several more years, until the Safariland SSIII/070 was established as a viable Level III duty holster.)

So, I was sworn-in with a bread-and-butter 686 in my issued low-slung flap holster, but almost immediately started toting the 629, in a personally-purchased, PD-approved medium-ride flap holster, and carried that for a year, at which time I became eligible to carry an autoloader on duty. I then used an HK P7 as a duty pistol for about half a year, a second P7 as an ankle gun for part of that time, then transitioned to the Model 58, .41 Mag revolver, which became my duty handgun until 1990. Only the model 58 is still with me, as a recession, the birth of a child, and a DEE-vorce mde the later half of the Eighties lean times. For a while, that Model 58 was my primary weapon, on and off the clock.

Of the three, the Model 629 was the least snowflake-ish, in its time. “Real” men, among Houston PD officers, tended to carry a 1911, or a 29/629. “Thinking” men carried .41 Mag, or .45 LongColt. (“LongColt” is said as one word.) I had to carry that 629, for a that little while, to prove I was not a homosexual. Of course, everybody knew that small bores were ineffective man-stoppers.

In 1990, I moved to a non-snowflake duty/carry pistol, an out-of-the-box reliable Colt Stainless Commander. Well, until it started having indigestion, after about a year, and I switched to an old-school type SIG P220, with a heel-clip mag release, which is a rare bird, today, but had quite the following among HPD officers at that time. Even if one has a “European-style” P220, today, finding magazines is a challenge, and those mags tended to come “unzipped” along the rear seam, after a few years of carry. I did not keep my P220, as I sold it, with plans to acquire a newer “American-style” P220, only to find that it pointed low, in my hand, and just did not feel right. The GP100, that I had planned to carry as an interim duty gun, as I switched versions of SIG P220, instead became a longer-term duty and carry handgun.

[DDTSGM]

I very much doubt that any of the rounds in a mag would make it through a quarter, or a stiff paper bag for that matter.

IDK, 42 years ago when I carried it on my duty belt in a second cuff case I used KTW rounds. I trusted they would penetrate at least enough to piss someone off for a moment.

[LHS]

Not an LTT gun per se, but a factory M9A1 Compact with action work by Ernest, and an old-school G slide.

[JCN]

If you’re having a conversation with other shooters and the subject turns to what your carry gun is and you tell them and they respond with “A *what*?”, it’s a snowflake. Basically anything unusual. A Beretta 92D qualifies because few people other than denizens of this forum a) know of them and b) carry them, as an example.

J frames and LCRs qualify since most of those here who carry them also train/practice with them. I think I’ve seen one other person on the range with a J frame in the last five years or so, so they’re in the category too. Extra points for other-than-.38 Special chambering.

Snowflake for me has a negative connotation, but if you go by the “a what?” carry gun definition, here are some of mine:



Can anyone identify them all? Or are they snowflakes?

[BehindBlueI's]

Well, it was long ago, in another century, and it lasted only about half a year, from Spring to Fall, 1985, but I toted an HK P7 as a duty pistol

A friend of mine, someone that I feel privileged to know, shot a bad guy in the face with one of those back in the day evidence numbers were still electro-penciled directly onto the gun. His wife happened to be in Homicide at the time and was able to pull some strings to get the number penciled under the grips so it wouldn't show once he got it back.

[olstyn]

Can anyone identify them all? Or are they snowflakes?

I don't recognize the weird-looking revolver, but the rest are:

Laugo Alien
That weird integrally suppressed thing...Maxim-9 or whatever?
Wilson EDC X9
Coonan .357 magnum 1911-thing
Boberg (or the company they sold out to) XRS-9

[YVK]

Snowflake for me has a negative connotation, but if you go by the “a what?” carry gun definition, here are some of mine:



Can anyone identify them all? Or are they snowflakes?

Not sure of stainless 1911, pretty sure about the rest of them. Somebody around here shoots uspsa with the Maxim at times.


[QUOTE=olstyn;1175827]I don't recognize the weird-looking revolver, but the rest are


Korth 9 mm, was sold by Nighthawk.

[LHS]

The revolver's a Nighthawk-imported Korth, IIRC