I'd keep looking for a 351C, awesome little revolver I tuck in my waistband on short daylight outings. I've tested it extensively with Hornady Critical Defense 45 GR FTX and am confident in it's use as a up-close round. One thing about this round is if you miss on the first shot feel confident you have blinded the perp, pretty impressive light show from the muzzle.Originally Posted by D-der
I think the next question would be, does the magazine extension thing make the gun larger in the hand with a drawing or firing grip, or does it just give more support to the fingers already there. If the latter, then it probably doesnt change the draw factor, and the slide is still protruding above the hand the same amount with no real extra space on the lower end to help clear the slide hump.
A boot grip on a J or similar tends to have the little finger curled under the grip rather than adding as much bulk to the hand as hand filling grips, so it can be a minor change to smaller hand/gun bulk when drawing. In regards to the pockets I have, the difference in the J or Colt D hasnt changed the ability to draw smoothly, so either works about equally.
Darryl Bolke makes a good point in the rev/auto discussion, autos tend to be more reliable in extended firing use, revolvers tend to be more reliable in long disuse and neglect. Whatever makes one feel warm and fuzzy and is functional should work. Stepping away from the strictly tiny or pocket guns, in my case, the g19 worked perfectly, until it didnt, for no apparent reason. This happened twice, both were magazine related. Bang, bang,.......wtf? No rounds feeding, they are sitting loose down in the mag body not moving upwards. Both mags worked fine every time I had used them previously. They may have had dirt or grit in them, the springs may have failed, Im not sure. Despite cleaning and getting new springs, I sidelined the mags and am unwilling to trust them. OK, so perhaps the gun will shoot 2k rounds without stopping. That means little to me in the context of the gun wouldnt fire after being loaded and carried several months/years. Despite the common descriptions of revolvers being fragile and fussy, Ive carried them fairly extensively in living outdoors extended periods, no cleaning for up to a year (other than toothbrushing off dust etc or wiping off on a sleeve when condensation rain or snow was on them) with regular carry in all seasons and weather, riding motorcycles in almost all weather (gun had to be exposed, this was pre-concealed carry days), some shooting of it during that time, none have ever simply choked and not worked when i needed one other than a 22 Smith that broke a mainspring. My life sample of one. My use history may be abuse and neglect to some, but my S&W DA and Ruger SA revolvers have always worked despite the way they were treated and used.
I dont try to prosthelytize about revolvers being anything special, I just like them better for a number of reasons, some of which include I shoot them better and more consistently well with less effort in nearly every form than nearly any auto. Capacity seems like less of an issue to me if I shoot it noticeably better, and carry something in chamberings I have more confidence in (38 spl in the pocket category, 357 and 44/45 Colt for belt guns). My background of carry is also more about outdoors, bear protection, rattlesnakes, shooting coyotes, lots of small game, whatever one may find in Arizona and the rockies and living in a log cabin by the mountains. I may also just be too ignorant to run an auto well.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
It is amazingly light and handy. And IMHO, yes it is more shootable than a .38 j-frame and the LCP Max, based on my last range trip shooting them back to back.
The .38 is also a great pocket gun, but putting anything other than wadcutters through it is not a pleasant experience. The 351c, the recoil is notable, but not tiring like in a .38.
One thing to note though, while reloading the .38 is not exactly a high speed operation, at least it is realistically feasible, with the 351c, it isn't. Between sticky cases and the short ejector rod, ejection of all 7 rounds is nigh impossible, and on the range after a couple of cylinders it becomes a chore just to back them out enough to pull them out by hand.
But I have found nothing that conceals better in NPE situations than that thing, and its light enough fully loaded that it won't drag down gym shorts even when active. The trade off of not being realistic to reload is one that I can live with to have a gun.
I have to say the 43X was the Glock i swore I would never own. On paper, it served no purpose!! It was bigger than the P365 in every measurable way, yet carried the same capacity..........then I put one in my hand. It now my favorite Glock. Damn thing just carries so well!!!
Where I worked, our pension is based on the average of our 3 highest years. So hopefully your promotion will help to increase your pension!!
I learned real quick to carry two Bainchi speed strips in my shirt pocket-for the exact reason you stated. During my first "drama", it was over to fast that there was no time (or need) for topping off the gun.
This may not help you, but not all Glock 9mm followers are the same. I was running gen 19s when the gen 3 came out. Their mag bodies were unchanged but not the followers. A new gen 3 mag in a gen 2 19 of mine would 100% nose-dive the top round if it was a hollowpoint with much of a hollowpoint. Winchester Ranger 127 +Ps would fail every single time. Changed the followers to "6" and it cured the problem perfectly.in my case, the g19 worked perfectly, until it didnt, for no apparent reason. This happened twice, both were magazine related. Bang, bang,.......wtf? No rounds feeding, they are sitting loose down in the mag body not moving upwards. Both mags worked fine every time I had used them previously. They may have had dirt or grit in them, the springs may have failed, Im not sure. Despite cleaning and getting new springs, I sidelined the mags and am unwilling to trust them.
I think the real issue isn't "Tiny Guns", it's just guns. When trying to fit a human being (with about anything) there's so much variation that one size just don't fit all. They're tools. A mechanic will have screwdrivers from an inch to three feet long for a reason.
Even as a thoroughly dedicated .45 guy (All Hail God's Caliber) I still own tiny guns down to the North American Arms revolvers. Tools to fit the needs.
Cat
I wouldn't say the revolver is obsolete as it's still the best platform for big honking magnum field guns and simply fun to shoot. With the influx of reliable micro 9mms and .380s, I do say it's obsolete in that catergory, such as the K-frame to a G17/M17. It's also the moving of goal posts by snubbie fans about these dimensions. There are smaller pocket pistols that excel in their role (ie K-T P32) and the nearly exact dimensions of a micro 9 that carries twice the ammo and is significantly easier to shoot from novice to pro makes it a no-brainer choice except in the most limited of circumstances.
Also, just because a P365/Hellcat can take a RMR/TLR7S/Extendos doesn't mean it has to. Keeping it stock and small is an option. The larger grip modules like the P365XL are for ogres that have giant bodies that still need to be strapped when driving down Helm's Deep Blvd after dark.
Every gun created is a compromise somewhere in the design and tiny guns only magnify these compromises exponentially.
The best one can do is choose those compromises that best meet their preferred criteria.
At least until the magic gun fairy creates an 8oz LCP-sized 15 round 9mm recoilless pistol... And even that still wouldn't satisfy everyone.
My Gen 1 LCP has started to exhibit double feeds. Cleaned, went back to the range and it happened all over again.
Not sure what the issue might be. .380 is expensive enough that trying to find out isn’t exactly cheap.
That's disappointing. I had some feed issues as well. I replaced the recoil springs with Wolff 13#, and have had no further problems.
https://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm...D=1&mID=52#935
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
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