Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2,000 Round Challenge
An update to the 2,000 round challenge for my USP 9, I currently have 1,572 documented rounds down range (not including some that I never counted). To date I have encountered 0 failures to fire, eject or feed. The only problem I have encountered has been failures to lock back on empty because of the occasional sloppy support hand grip. It has taken longer than I expected, in no small part because of my failure to document every round fired. I will definitely get to 2,000 before I switch to shooting the M&Ps and endeavor to persevere with documenting every round fired.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Pocket Rocket
Lately I've been looking for something I could slip in a pocket to carry as a backup or when a holster and proper pistol aren't an option. I looked at Smith J frames and the Ruger LCR and I may have even briefly considered a LCP (not my finest hour). But then I spent all my money on another M&P so instead I threw a new set of grips from handgungrips.com on Great Uncle Bill's Charter Arms Undercover, bought a cheap pocket holster and said that'll do.
Fortunately this is an early Charter from the company's first iteration and is therefore not a piece of junk. Combined with a couple of speedstrips and a HKS speedloader I've got a capable and incredibly inexpensive carry rig since the pistol was given to me.
I plan on putting this thing on the timer and seeing just how slow a pocket gun is. Fortunately I have shot this pistol quite a bit since it was my only pistol for a while and I'm already familiar with the controls and trigger. Hopefully the learning curve won't be too steep because of my familiarity with the gun.
However, I am not very comfortable relying on the Undercover as a primary. Everything about a small frame revolver is a compromise. The grip is small, so my grip is a compromise. I'm carrying it in my pocket which is easy and convenient but compromises speed and ease of access from many positions, including seated. It is also chambered in .38 special which is probably the best choice for a 2" barreled revolver, but falls behind even 9mm ballistics, so it's a compromise in that regard as well. It also only holds 5 rounds and is slow to reload, but the low capacity makes it small and thin, yet another compromise.
I've been carrying it a bit now, and this setup is definitely convenient, and I see how it would be easy to let that convenience convince someone that pocket carrying a small pistol is the best way to carry. Easy? Yes. Comfortable? Very. But severely lacking in capability. I don't see myself ditching my Shaggy and USPs any time soon.
I plan on putting this thing on the timer and seeing just how slow a pocket gun is. Fortunately I have shot this pistol quite a bit since it was my only pistol for a while and I'm already familiar with the controls and trigger. Hopefully the learning curve won't be too steep because of my familiarity with the gun.
However, I am not very comfortable relying on the Undercover as a primary. Everything about a small frame revolver is a compromise. The grip is small, so my grip is a compromise. I'm carrying it in my pocket which is easy and convenient but compromises speed and ease of access from many positions, including seated. It is also chambered in .38 special which is probably the best choice for a 2" barreled revolver, but falls behind even 9mm ballistics, so it's a compromise in that regard as well. It also only holds 5 rounds and is slow to reload, but the low capacity makes it small and thin, yet another compromise.
I've been carrying it a bit now, and this setup is definitely convenient, and I see how it would be easy to let that convenience convince someone that pocket carrying a small pistol is the best way to carry. Easy? Yes. Comfortable? Very. But severely lacking in capability. I don't see myself ditching my Shaggy and USPs any time soon.
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