fooman
08-09-2008, 16:01
I'm 31, come from a very liberal background and never thought I'd own a gun, but with the beauty of insanely expensive real estate in Seattle, I've found myself living in an area where shootings are not rare and crack dealing is a daily occurrence. I finally decided that I wouldn't mind a bit of backup if things went down.
The search for a gun was fairly typical in the way I approach things. Consume all available information out there. I originally was thinking of getting a Ruger SP-101, as the simplicity of the gun and versatility of the cartridges was appealing. However after a day at the range renting 6 different guns, from 357's to 40s to 45's, I realized that five (or six) shots in a wheel gun just didn't give me the security I wanted, despite the many statistics saying you need less. On that range trip I tried both the XD's and the Glocks and found them really quite similar in how they shot. I found that my original preference for the XD due to its grip safety really didn't make much sense, as gripping the gun seemed like the natural state you'd be in if you had an accidental discharge.
For a while I was seriously considering the Walther PPS, and really I might still find myself with one before too long, but ultimately the reports of early failures and continuing issues with the 40s (along with Nathan's incredible net sphere of influence) got me back to the Glock 23 with factory night sites.
Above all I wanted a gun that I knew would function if called upon, wouldn't be finicky from improper cleaning or maintenance, and which would last. I also wanted something small enough that if I heard something going on on my front porch I could conceil carry it as I went to check things out. (I believe that it is always better not to immediately escalate the situation with a firearm, and that having a conceiled firearm is in itself an advantage over having it drawn)
So about a month ago, I applied for my conceiled license, ordered my Glock 23 online and got it shipped to the sole FFL dealer in Seattle limits I could find and started watching the calendar. The permit finally came through yesterday, and I picked up my gun and headed to the range to become more familiar with it.
I brought along 150 rounds of Speers Lawnman 165gr and 50 rounds of Federal Tactical Hydra Shok 165gr JHP. I have done a good bit of reading on shooting technique, but as I said, before the rentals a few months ago I had never shot a firearm before. The 23 performed just great, not a single issue through the 200 rounds I put through it. I definitely need to work on my shooting skills however, and look forward to taking some classes and spending more time at the range to become very comfortable. I've always had somewhat 'brittle' nerves despite being very athletic and found myself with a slight quiver when really trying to control the gun. But I'm sure in time that will pass and I will gain more consistency.
One big surprise is that I found the Lawman's to have significantly more recoil than the HydraShoks. The latter was much easier to shoot and stay on target. Is that typical? In my newbie state of buying my first 600 rounds online I did notice that I think I got the OLDER version of the HydraShoks so maybe that explains it? As I understand it the Speers are meant to simulate 'carry' rounds, so maybe that recoil is more similar to the new HydraShoks. Ultimately I want my practice rounds (350 speers left!) to be as similar to my carry round as possible, so I either need to change the speers to something with less bite or find the better HydraShoks.
In any case, that's my story. I've come from thinking I would NEVER own a gun to thinking about purchasing a second. I did find the range time strangely fun (but expensive!) and although I hope to never have to use it, I do like the added security of having a mean of recourse if the **** hits the fan in my neighborhood.
Thanks all for the countless advice and threads I've read on here that helped make my decision.
-Foo
PS. Oh and here's my last mag of speers @ 25ft.. pretty horrible, but hey I'm newbie and I was getting tired. :)
The search for a gun was fairly typical in the way I approach things. Consume all available information out there. I originally was thinking of getting a Ruger SP-101, as the simplicity of the gun and versatility of the cartridges was appealing. However after a day at the range renting 6 different guns, from 357's to 40s to 45's, I realized that five (or six) shots in a wheel gun just didn't give me the security I wanted, despite the many statistics saying you need less. On that range trip I tried both the XD's and the Glocks and found them really quite similar in how they shot. I found that my original preference for the XD due to its grip safety really didn't make much sense, as gripping the gun seemed like the natural state you'd be in if you had an accidental discharge.
For a while I was seriously considering the Walther PPS, and really I might still find myself with one before too long, but ultimately the reports of early failures and continuing issues with the 40s (along with Nathan's incredible net sphere of influence) got me back to the Glock 23 with factory night sites.
Above all I wanted a gun that I knew would function if called upon, wouldn't be finicky from improper cleaning or maintenance, and which would last. I also wanted something small enough that if I heard something going on on my front porch I could conceil carry it as I went to check things out. (I believe that it is always better not to immediately escalate the situation with a firearm, and that having a conceiled firearm is in itself an advantage over having it drawn)
So about a month ago, I applied for my conceiled license, ordered my Glock 23 online and got it shipped to the sole FFL dealer in Seattle limits I could find and started watching the calendar. The permit finally came through yesterday, and I picked up my gun and headed to the range to become more familiar with it.
I brought along 150 rounds of Speers Lawnman 165gr and 50 rounds of Federal Tactical Hydra Shok 165gr JHP. I have done a good bit of reading on shooting technique, but as I said, before the rentals a few months ago I had never shot a firearm before. The 23 performed just great, not a single issue through the 200 rounds I put through it. I definitely need to work on my shooting skills however, and look forward to taking some classes and spending more time at the range to become very comfortable. I've always had somewhat 'brittle' nerves despite being very athletic and found myself with a slight quiver when really trying to control the gun. But I'm sure in time that will pass and I will gain more consistency.
One big surprise is that I found the Lawman's to have significantly more recoil than the HydraShoks. The latter was much easier to shoot and stay on target. Is that typical? In my newbie state of buying my first 600 rounds online I did notice that I think I got the OLDER version of the HydraShoks so maybe that explains it? As I understand it the Speers are meant to simulate 'carry' rounds, so maybe that recoil is more similar to the new HydraShoks. Ultimately I want my practice rounds (350 speers left!) to be as similar to my carry round as possible, so I either need to change the speers to something with less bite or find the better HydraShoks.
In any case, that's my story. I've come from thinking I would NEVER own a gun to thinking about purchasing a second. I did find the range time strangely fun (but expensive!) and although I hope to never have to use it, I do like the added security of having a mean of recourse if the **** hits the fan in my neighborhood.
Thanks all for the countless advice and threads I've read on here that helped make my decision.
-Foo
PS. Oh and here's my last mag of speers @ 25ft.. pretty horrible, but hey I'm newbie and I was getting tired. :)