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Thread: The Handgun Carousel Ride, Intervention Needed!

  1. #1

    The Handgun Carousel Ride, Does the gun even matter?!

    Alright, you guys are going to think I'm nuts...over the last ~7 yrs I've bought and sold > 10 pistols. I don't think I've put > 1,200 rounds through any one pistol before selling it. Have owned striker fired, DA/SA, 1911s, and now I'm contemplating a H&K LEM. The handgun carousel has been fun, but I am starting to get to the point where I am so busy that making it to the range is not easy and I am starting to feel like I am wasting money. I'm not even talking about the money lost on flipping pistols, more-so the wasted ammo that has made me proficient with all trigger systems, but not an expert on any. Its like I finally get to know a gun and then I flip it. Today I shot 5 pistols side by side: Gen 3 19, CZ P01, Beretta PX4, HK P2000, HK P2000 LEM. I rented the P2000s to determine if I should buy a P2000 LEM or DA/SA. At the end of my 2 hr range session I kind of felt like the action/gun didn't even matter. I grouped better with the Glock, P2000 LEM and CZ p01. Worst groups during rapid fire were with the Beretta PX4 and the H&K DA/SA. I kinda fell like with practice, I can get good with all of them. Through all this pistol shooting all I have determined is that I am not a 1911 or SAO guy. I much prefer a longer trigger pull, and heavy pulls don't really bother me. Has anyone else been on and endless quest to find the perfect pistol? How did finally get off of this carousel ride? What action did you pick and why?
    Last edited by HammerStriker; 05-11-2022 at 09:21 PM.

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
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    out of here
    Archer not arrow.

    No such thing as a perfect pistol.

    Until you commit to being a better archer, you’ll keep hunting for a better arrow.

  3. #3
    Site Supporter JTPHD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    West Virginia
    I return to Glock (or Glock clones) every time. My main reasons are proficiency, familiarity, ease of manual arms, parts availability, and maintenance, to name a few. I have recently enjoyed an LTT 92 RDO and PX4 CC RDO, but other life priorities have shifted my focus back to the Glock or, in this case- Shadow Systems. I have most of my shooting history through Glocks, have attended classes and competed with them, and feel that I am the most subconsciously capable of maintaining an acceptable level of proficiency with them while my range trips will become less frequent over the next few years. The LTTs are excellent pistols, but I do not currently have subconscious proficiency with DA/SA systems and am unable to invest the time at the moment. Good luck with your quest!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by HammerStriker View Post
    Alright, you guys are going to think I'm nuts...over the last ~7 yrs I've bought and sold > 10 pistols. I don't think I've put > 1,200 rounds through any one pistol before selling it. Have owned striker fired, DA/SA, 1911s, and now I'm contemplating a H&K LEM. The handgun carousel has been fun, but I am starting to get to the point where I am so busy that making it to the range is not easy and I am starting to feel like I am wasting money. I'm not even talking about the money lost on flipping pistols, more-so the wasted ammo that has made me proficient with all trigger systems, but not an expert on any. Its like I finally get to know a gun and then I flip it. Today I shot 5 pistols side by side: Gen 3 19, CZ P01, Beretta PX4, HK P2000, HK P2000 LEM. I rented the P2000s to determine if I should buy a P2000 LEM or DA/SA. At the end of my 2 hr range session I kind of felt like the action/gun didn't even matter. I grouped better with the Glock, P2000 LEM and CZ p01. Worst groups during rapid fire were with the Beretta PX4 and the H&K DA/SA. I kinda fell like with practice, I can get good with all of them, but kinda of want to narrow it down to one or two actions. I do not plan to compete or carry any of these guns. They are range/ nightstand pistols, I do take the occasional defensive shooting class. Through all this pistol shooting all I have determined is that I am not a 1911 or SAO guy. I much prefer a longer trigger pull, and heavy pulls don't really bother me. I'd pick the Glock and call it a day, but longer/heavier trigger pulls just make me feel safer about potential having to draw the pistol on someone one day if there were to be a bump in the middle of the night. I don't like short 1911 SAO triggers and a standard Glock striker trigger is about as light/short as I'm comfortable with. Has anyone else been on and endless quest to find the perfect pistol? How did finally get off of this carousel ride? What did you pick and why?
    Everyone at PF has been on that carousel.

    To expand on what @JCN said It’s the Riddle of steel:






    Here’s the thing, everyone has their own definition of “proficient” But PF is primarily a shooting forum (for students and teachers of the pistol) not a gun collecting forum. You are not going to reach what most PF members would consider to be proficient by jumping around from platform to platform.

    If you wanna get good you need to pick one gun or at least one platform with the same make and trigger type and then put in the work both dryfire and live fire. Especially dry fire.

    Ideally you want two or three identical guns, one as a vetted defensive / duty gun, one as a training and dry fire gun and ideally one spare / dryfire gun. While the need for a spare to replace a gun that is stolen or taken into evidence after a defensive shooting is low, The need to have a spare gun when, not if, you break something is real. If you are putting an actual work on your guns, either live fire or dry fire you will eventually break something.

    The upside of that is you will become more proficient than you ever could jumping around. The downside of that is monastic devotion to one gun can get a little boring.

    My own solution is that I normally pick one platform for serious use and training, literally my work guns, And then everything else is a “shoot for fun” gun.

    Right now My work guns are the SIG P320 /P365 series and AR/M4 carbines.

    The work guns are the guns that I make sure I have a full “system quote for. Different holsters multiple magazines necessary tools spare parts, a blue gun etc.

    Everything else are just cool guns that I want or fun to shoot.

    In my experience, certain guns like HK LEM and stock Glocks have idiosyncrasies the demand you shoot them exclusively or nearly exclusively if you wanna shoot them at a high-level.

    @newyork has been going through this process with S&W M&Ps after a long time on the gun carousel.
    Last edited by HCM; 05-11-2022 at 09:48 PM.

  5. #5

    Unhappy

    Quote Originally Posted by HCM View Post
    Everyone at PF has been on that carousel.

    To expand on what @JCN said It’s the Riddle of steel:






    Here’s the thing, everyone has their own definition of “proficient” But PF is primarily a shooting forum (for students and teachers of the pistol) not a gun collecting forum. You are not going to reach what most PF members would consider to be proficient by jumping around from platform to platform.

    If you wanna get good you need to pick one gun or at least one platform with the same make and trigger type and then put in the work both dryfire and live fire. Especially dry fire.

    Ideally you want two or three identical guns, one as a vetted defensive / duty gun, one as a training and dry fire gun and ideally one spare / dryfire gun. While the need for a spare to replace a gun that is stolen or taken into evidence after a defensive shooting is low, The need to have a spare gun when, not if, you break something is real. If you are putting an actual work on your guns, either live fire or dry fire you will eventually break something.

    The upside of that is you will become more proficient than you ever could jumping around. The downside of that is monastic devotion to one gun can get a little boring.

    My own solution is that I normally pick one platform for serious use and training, literally my work guns, And then everything else is a “shoot for fun” gun.

    Right now My work guns are the SIG P320 /P365 series and AR/M4 carbines.

    The work guns are the guns that I make sure I have a full “system quote for. Different holsters multiple magazines necessary tools spare parts, a blue gun etc.

    Everything else are just cool guns that I want or fun to shoot.

    In my experience, certain guns like HK LEM and stock Glocks have idiosyncrasies the demand you shoot them exclusively or nearly exclusively if you wanna shoot them at a high-level.

    @newyork has been going through this process with S&W M&Ps after a long time on the gun carousel.
    Thanks for the feedback. I am not doing all the things you suggest, but would love to practice more seriously with a single platform. The problem is that I cannot choose! I have only committed to a round (9mm), but other than that I'm all over the place. I live in CA so my choices are limited to the dreaded handgun roster...wait, maybe that's a good thing for me!
    On one hand, I like the G19 because it is so versatile and I don't need a smith for it. On the other hand it is not sexy or fun to shoot like a CZ P01. Although striker fired pistols are so simple, I love the additional margin of safety that a long/heavy pull affords.

    How'd you land on striker-fired as your preferred action? I'm kind of leaning towards picking the HK LEM system as my "serious" platform. I have never owned a LEM or HK before....would this be a bad choice? Is going DA/SA or striker better? Around and around I go...
    Last edited by HammerStriker; 05-11-2022 at 11:04 PM.

  6. #6
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Central Front Range, CO
    My advice:
    Pick one gun that you own, and devote yourself to training to a high level of proficiency. Which means training, pretty much exclusively, with that system, for months, if not a year.
    I was issued an LEM gun 7 years ago. After initial training and qualification, I wasn’t satisfied with my subconscious proficiency, speed, or accuracy. So I bought a personally-owned duplicate, and carried and trained with it exclusively for a year. One range session a week (140 rounds, always endings with a “standards” test that involved speed and accuracy and several distances). I also competed with it, even though it put me at a disadvantage.
    At the end of that year, I was MUCH better with the LEM gun. And the next time I shot my preferred DA/SA gun, I was better with it, too.
    Because LEM is HARD to maintain I high level of performance with.

    Bottom line… pick something and commit to proficiency. Messing around with 4 different systems is just diluting your effort and wasting your time.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by HammerStriker View Post
    Thanks for the feedback. I am not doing all the things you suggest, but would love to practice more seriously with a single platform. The problem is that I cannot choose! I have only committed to a round (9mm), but other than that I'm all over the place. I live in CA so my choices are limited to the dreaded handgun roster...wait, maybe that's a good thing for me!
    On one hand, I like the G19 because it is so versatile and I don't need a smith for it. On the other hand it is not sexy or fun to shoot like a CZ P01. Although striker fired pistols are so simple, I love the additional margin of safety that a long/heavy pull affords.

    How'd you land on striker-fired as your preferred action? I'm kind of leaning towards picking the HK LEM system as my "serious" platform. I have never owned a LEM or HK before....would this be a bad choice? Is going DA/SA or striker better? Around and around I go...
    To be honest the gun doesn't matter. Take a good shooter thay can generally run any platform competently after a few dry fires

    Personally I choose glock style platforms but I can be accurate with any handgun platform on slow fire. At speed of course there are differences but competent enough (there are guys on this forum that can run tons of platforms amazingly at speed)

    Pick any platform and shoot 5k rounds through it.

  8. #8
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    the Deep South
    The default hardware answer is two Glock 19s. The default software answer is that making the commitment is more important than what you commit to. Any quality pistol will suffice.

    I have only carried Glocks and and a J frame, but I have a high level of curiosity about other platforms. I would be a better shooter if I bought fewer pistols and more ammo.

    Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by GyroF-16 View Post
    My advice:
    Pick one gun that you own, and devote yourself to training to a high level of proficiency. Which means training, pretty much exclusively, with that system, for months, if not a year.
    I was issued an LEM gun 7 years ago. After initial training and qualification, I wasn’t satisfied with my subconscious proficiency, speed, or accuracy. So I bought a personally-owned duplicate, and carried and trained with it exclusively for a year. One range session a week (140 rounds, always endings with a “standards” test that involved speed and accuracy and several distances). I also competed with it, even though it put me at a disadvantage.
    At the end of that year, I was MUCH better with the LEM gun. And the next time I shot my preferred DA/SA gun, I was better with it, too.
    Because LEM is HARD to maintain I high level of performance with.

    Bottom line… pick something and commit to proficiency. Messing around with 4 different systems is just diluting your effort and wasting your time.
    I currently own a Gen 3 G19, CZ P01, and Beretta PX4 Storm full sized type F (DA/SA with safety/de-cocker). Like the features of the Beretta the most, its such a cool gun... but I shoot the CZ P01 best and its the sexiest /most fun. I've posted about this before and know I'm in the minority here, but the CZ P01 (to me) is snappy as hell for a 9mm...I can still shoot it well, but doesn't feel great after a prolonged range session. I also am not very fond of the placement of the controls on the P01, but don't notice them during live fire. I like the sleek profile of the Glock and well placed controls of the Beretta. Beretta has the nicest trigger, by far...but I fell like I don't even notice/care during rapid live fire. Dry fire pleasure definitely goes to the Beretta. Dry firing the Glock is like practicing with a stapler, but trigger feels fine during live fire. How would you go about choosing? What's the most import thing here?
    Last edited by HammerStriker; 05-11-2022 at 11:43 PM.

  10. #10
    Get what you think is cool, has a reputation for reliability, and what has easy to find/affordable parts. I like Glocks because I shoot them better than other handguns. If I was starting out fresh, I'd probably stick with Glocks, P320s, P365s, M&P 2.0s, Walther PDPs, or maybe HK VP9s. I think all are good guns. Having gone through revolver, DA/SA, and SA phases, I see no reason to choose a gun that has two different trigger pulls if I can help it. I also don't like true SA guns because it implies you have an external safety which I don't want.

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