Chris
11-27-2008, 11:25 AM
One woman's selection of the right concealed carry gun
Most single women must throw themselves on the mercy of the counterman at the local gun store to try and figure out what carry gun will work best for them. They may get a real pro, or they may get a punk with "gun-store attitude." However, when your little brother's a gunwriter it's only a matter of picking up the phone. My sister Jennifer wasn't worried about personal safety when her husband died several years ago. She had an S&W K-frame and a 110-pound Akita to keep her and the and the horses company out on the spread. But the dog went the way of all pets, and one dawn she looked out to see a tweeker-esque pickup in front of her house. By the time the deputy called back to say "The owner's got a record, but he's no threat," she'd decided to go for a concealed carry permit.
"Little Brother, what would you recommend?"
I started calling various reps and arranged for a selection of top-drawer pocket pistols to be shipped to my FFL holder, Pierre Langlois, who owns On Target Enterprise in Kingman, Arizona. Magtech offered some of its nasty hot defensive ammo for the test, and I had some other bullet weights from Federal to check functioning. Testing was conducted on the Mohave Sportsman Range on Historic Route 66.
Snubbied Up
When Jenni and her good friend Jean arrived, I suggested that, as she was already familiar with a wheelgun, we start with the shrouded J-frame snubbie in .38. It was stainless and equipped with factory-installed Crimson Trace laser grips, allowing for accurate defensive shooting without the gun having to be in front of your face.
It also possessed the exquisitely smooth trigger that has kept S&W famous all these years, as well as the smooth functioning of the cylinder crane and release. All in all, a little jewel of a gun. Pierre tossed in a Taurus six-shot snubbie as a comparison. It was very close, and both Jenni and Jean preferred the option of thumbing back the hammer on the Taurus but conceded that for a CCW piece the shroud on the J-frame was a superior feature.
An experienced range hand, Jenni took careful shots at 10 yards and produced a spread-palm group using double action. She was under stage pressure but nothing like the stress of a life-or-death encounter, the exact sort that any CCW situation would be. The Taurus' group was a bit larger with double action but much tighter in single. But the chance to cock and fire a well-aimed round usually only happens in a TV show or movie where a pointed gun heightens the tension of the dialogue.
Reloading was accomplished both with individual rounds and using a rubber-grip speedloader. The loud report of the .38s and harsh recoil produced by tossing heavier projos steered Jenni away from the wheelguns, in spite of the serious advantage of the CT grips.
Para Hawg 9
I had previously tested the Hawg 9 and been very impressed with its performance. Designed by late genius Ted Szaabo, it was brought out upon the death of the assault-rifle bill. In the United States, it holds 13+1, but in California, 10+1. Considering the whallop that Magtech packs into its defensive ammo, there's plenty of bad-guy repellent in each round.
Jenni was impressed with the fit, finish and accuracy but couldn't seem to get comfortable with the full grips, even with the projecting magazine base and upswept beavertail. We got about three inches at 10 yards with perfect reliability.
Walther PPK
Jenni's eyes lit up when she beheld the classic styling that has ensured the PPK's success for more than 75 years. Alas, the joy was not to last beyond chambering. According to Pierre, many men attempt to buy a PPK for their wives or daughters when they leave home. Pierre insists that the ladies try the action on one first.
Here's why: The PPK is a blowback. The weight of the slide and the strength of the operating spring are all that keep that pretty polished breech closed. Even after 30 years of throwing saddles and cinching girth straps, Jenni's hands just couldn't work the action smoothly or comfortably. Once she got it running, it was comfy and accurate but just not right for her. It threw into a tennis-ball-size group and with moderate recoil.
If my wallet had allowed it, I would have bought the PPK myself. I respect the advances of ammo technology enough to trust a .380 to do the job. While I consider myself an acolyte of the 1911 in .45 ACP, certain sensibilities come into play. A concealed pistol must be just that, and no design is slipperier than a PPK.
Kimber Aegis
One of the sexiest pistols on the market, and what's not to like? It possesses perfect fit and finish, superb engineering, big night sights, beautiful checkering, 9x19 chambering--all with a flawless single-action trigger.
The three-inch barrel keeps pressure long enough to get almost everything there is out of the hot Magtech defensive rounds we shot for the test. It also ran well on Federal's heavier HS2s. Take your pick; they both ran the two-toned piece perfectly.
Accuracy was excellent--about 2 1/2 inches at 10 yards offhand. Functioning was great, but Jenni had trouble working the mag release one-handed. Kimber retained a .45 thickness in the mag well, simply placing a spacer in the rear of the magazine. This gives the pistol a theoretical reliability advantage in that the slide has an eighth-inch of free running before trying to feed that hitchhiking cartridge. But that extra space was just a tad too much.
Springfield Armory EMP
Springfield Armory's engineers completely reworked the 1911 to build their carry 9. The Enhanced Micro Pistol had the mag shortened by about an eighth of an inch, eliminating the need for a mag spacer and reducing the size of the grip. I knew Jenni had a friend after she expertly dumped the mag of screamers into the target, producing another 2 1/2-inch group, then dropped the single-stack mag one-handed.
All the 1911 variants have sophisticated spring sets to overcome the engineering challenges associated with high slide speed and short springs. Their reliability was exceptional, with only one failure to eject due to limp-wristing. Note that limp-wristing isn't a concern with the revolvers.
Summary
Both Jenni and her buddy Jean are retired, independent and realistic. They are quite aware that, due to the amount of methamphetamine-related crime in their part of the desert, they could be considered by predators as soft targets. Both took a John Farnum course on defensive handgun use and are regulars at the range.
Jenni was lucky enough to be able to test six different pistols before choosing the one she wanted to buy. Perhaps this description of what worked for her will guide you on your own quest to being armed and independent.
Most single women must throw themselves on the mercy of the counterman at the local gun store to try and figure out what carry gun will work best for them. They may get a real pro, or they may get a punk with "gun-store attitude." However, when your little brother's a gunwriter it's only a matter of picking up the phone. My sister Jennifer wasn't worried about personal safety when her husband died several years ago. She had an S&W K-frame and a 110-pound Akita to keep her and the and the horses company out on the spread. But the dog went the way of all pets, and one dawn she looked out to see a tweeker-esque pickup in front of her house. By the time the deputy called back to say "The owner's got a record, but he's no threat," she'd decided to go for a concealed carry permit.
"Little Brother, what would you recommend?"
I started calling various reps and arranged for a selection of top-drawer pocket pistols to be shipped to my FFL holder, Pierre Langlois, who owns On Target Enterprise in Kingman, Arizona. Magtech offered some of its nasty hot defensive ammo for the test, and I had some other bullet weights from Federal to check functioning. Testing was conducted on the Mohave Sportsman Range on Historic Route 66.
Snubbied Up
When Jenni and her good friend Jean arrived, I suggested that, as she was already familiar with a wheelgun, we start with the shrouded J-frame snubbie in .38. It was stainless and equipped with factory-installed Crimson Trace laser grips, allowing for accurate defensive shooting without the gun having to be in front of your face.
It also possessed the exquisitely smooth trigger that has kept S&W famous all these years, as well as the smooth functioning of the cylinder crane and release. All in all, a little jewel of a gun. Pierre tossed in a Taurus six-shot snubbie as a comparison. It was very close, and both Jenni and Jean preferred the option of thumbing back the hammer on the Taurus but conceded that for a CCW piece the shroud on the J-frame was a superior feature.
An experienced range hand, Jenni took careful shots at 10 yards and produced a spread-palm group using double action. She was under stage pressure but nothing like the stress of a life-or-death encounter, the exact sort that any CCW situation would be. The Taurus' group was a bit larger with double action but much tighter in single. But the chance to cock and fire a well-aimed round usually only happens in a TV show or movie where a pointed gun heightens the tension of the dialogue.
Reloading was accomplished both with individual rounds and using a rubber-grip speedloader. The loud report of the .38s and harsh recoil produced by tossing heavier projos steered Jenni away from the wheelguns, in spite of the serious advantage of the CT grips.
Para Hawg 9
I had previously tested the Hawg 9 and been very impressed with its performance. Designed by late genius Ted Szaabo, it was brought out upon the death of the assault-rifle bill. In the United States, it holds 13+1, but in California, 10+1. Considering the whallop that Magtech packs into its defensive ammo, there's plenty of bad-guy repellent in each round.
Jenni was impressed with the fit, finish and accuracy but couldn't seem to get comfortable with the full grips, even with the projecting magazine base and upswept beavertail. We got about three inches at 10 yards with perfect reliability.
Walther PPK
Jenni's eyes lit up when she beheld the classic styling that has ensured the PPK's success for more than 75 years. Alas, the joy was not to last beyond chambering. According to Pierre, many men attempt to buy a PPK for their wives or daughters when they leave home. Pierre insists that the ladies try the action on one first.
Here's why: The PPK is a blowback. The weight of the slide and the strength of the operating spring are all that keep that pretty polished breech closed. Even after 30 years of throwing saddles and cinching girth straps, Jenni's hands just couldn't work the action smoothly or comfortably. Once she got it running, it was comfy and accurate but just not right for her. It threw into a tennis-ball-size group and with moderate recoil.
If my wallet had allowed it, I would have bought the PPK myself. I respect the advances of ammo technology enough to trust a .380 to do the job. While I consider myself an acolyte of the 1911 in .45 ACP, certain sensibilities come into play. A concealed pistol must be just that, and no design is slipperier than a PPK.
Kimber Aegis
One of the sexiest pistols on the market, and what's not to like? It possesses perfect fit and finish, superb engineering, big night sights, beautiful checkering, 9x19 chambering--all with a flawless single-action trigger.
The three-inch barrel keeps pressure long enough to get almost everything there is out of the hot Magtech defensive rounds we shot for the test. It also ran well on Federal's heavier HS2s. Take your pick; they both ran the two-toned piece perfectly.
Accuracy was excellent--about 2 1/2 inches at 10 yards offhand. Functioning was great, but Jenni had trouble working the mag release one-handed. Kimber retained a .45 thickness in the mag well, simply placing a spacer in the rear of the magazine. This gives the pistol a theoretical reliability advantage in that the slide has an eighth-inch of free running before trying to feed that hitchhiking cartridge. But that extra space was just a tad too much.
Springfield Armory EMP
Springfield Armory's engineers completely reworked the 1911 to build their carry 9. The Enhanced Micro Pistol had the mag shortened by about an eighth of an inch, eliminating the need for a mag spacer and reducing the size of the grip. I knew Jenni had a friend after she expertly dumped the mag of screamers into the target, producing another 2 1/2-inch group, then dropped the single-stack mag one-handed.
All the 1911 variants have sophisticated spring sets to overcome the engineering challenges associated with high slide speed and short springs. Their reliability was exceptional, with only one failure to eject due to limp-wristing. Note that limp-wristing isn't a concern with the revolvers.
Summary
Both Jenni and her buddy Jean are retired, independent and realistic. They are quite aware that, due to the amount of methamphetamine-related crime in their part of the desert, they could be considered by predators as soft targets. Both took a John Farnum course on defensive handgun use and are regulars at the range.
Jenni was lucky enough to be able to test six different pistols before choosing the one she wanted to buy. Perhaps this description of what worked for her will guide you on your own quest to being armed and independent.