We are due to travel to the US from the UK in maybe 8 weeks time, the dates keep changing but 8 weeks seems about right for now. The first thing, indeed the very first thing I intend to do is buy a handgun on my wifes drivers licence in Philadelphia (Maybe Pittsburgh) before we head down to North Carolina, and here it begins, a rare and privileged look inside my head.
Originally it was just going to be a .22, maybe a S&W 22A with the short 4 inch barrel, then the new P22 from Walther, but S&W (who seem to field all enquiries) have told me via e-mail that the gun won't now be shipped until July/August so it may be too late, forget the P22. Rugers then, oh God they all look so awful just like tose old Nazi pistols, the P-08 that's it, and how the hell do you clean one anyway, everything seems to be inside the things, hidden away from all cleaning implements, no Ruger then.
What the heck, go mad and get a decent carry piece ready for when the permit comes through in 90 days time in NC, but I want to do some club shooting and a compact 9mm is not really much use for serious target work or pin shooting. So how about a full size, but what caliber, .40 is too darned costly, I'd never shoot it and anyway the wife is not keen on heavy boomers, a .45 then, also costly and light on bullets unless it's BIIIG, and it's still a boomer, ok so maybe a full size 9mm then, but what make ?
How about a USP, hmmmm not bad, but they're sooo ugly, ok a Glock then, ugly but functional, but I could never feel comfortable letting my wife use it except at the range, that trigger is an accident waiting to happen, and it would HAVE to be a 9mm because otherwise sooner or later it would blow my face off.
A Sig P226 then, nice but we haven't tried one and it looks very big, anyway Sigs are rust buckets and seem to be slightly more expensive than a new Space Shuttle. A Beretta then, a 92FS, not bad, but they look large as well, the wife tried a Taurus copy (PT-99) and it looked ridiculously large in her hands, ok a Cougar, but they have no hi-caps and she had trouble racking the slide at the rental range. How about the new Elite II Brigadier 92G, looks a little cissy with all that fancy printing down the side, I don't know about that non existant super slim front sight either, shouldn't that be big and bold for target acquisition, oh I see it's specifically for target and IDPA work, but it feels great and oozes quality.
OK a Kahr then, no good for competition work, a Makarov - they fall apart around the safety, not particularly sound, and anyway they suffer from slamfires by virtue of having no FP return spring, maybe a CZ, neeeever even seen one, all these euro guns are great but noone ever seems to stock them. A HS2000 then, still a euro gun and I don't like the look of that razor blade sticking out the back of the upper grip, oh so that's a safety like a 1911, aha, a 1911 then, hey do I look THAT OLD, anyway it's single action, only peope who dress up as Star Wars characters like single action pistols.
All this may amuse you, bore you more likely, please don't take any of the negative comments too seriously, but if you still have any suggestions and care to post them, please do, I really need all the help I can get.
Regards,
Mike H
Originally it was just going to be a .22, maybe a S&W 22A with the short 4 inch barrel, then the new P22 from Walther, but S&W (who seem to field all enquiries) have told me via e-mail that the gun won't now be shipped until July/August so it may be too late, forget the P22. Rugers then, oh God they all look so awful just like tose old Nazi pistols, the P-08 that's it, and how the hell do you clean one anyway, everything seems to be inside the things, hidden away from all cleaning implements, no Ruger then.
What the heck, go mad and get a decent carry piece ready for when the permit comes through in 90 days time in NC, but I want to do some club shooting and a compact 9mm is not really much use for serious target work or pin shooting. So how about a full size, but what caliber, .40 is too darned costly, I'd never shoot it and anyway the wife is not keen on heavy boomers, a .45 then, also costly and light on bullets unless it's BIIIG, and it's still a boomer, ok so maybe a full size 9mm then, but what make ?
How about a USP, hmmmm not bad, but they're sooo ugly, ok a Glock then, ugly but functional, but I could never feel comfortable letting my wife use it except at the range, that trigger is an accident waiting to happen, and it would HAVE to be a 9mm because otherwise sooner or later it would blow my face off.
A Sig P226 then, nice but we haven't tried one and it looks very big, anyway Sigs are rust buckets and seem to be slightly more expensive than a new Space Shuttle. A Beretta then, a 92FS, not bad, but they look large as well, the wife tried a Taurus copy (PT-99) and it looked ridiculously large in her hands, ok a Cougar, but they have no hi-caps and she had trouble racking the slide at the rental range. How about the new Elite II Brigadier 92G, looks a little cissy with all that fancy printing down the side, I don't know about that non existant super slim front sight either, shouldn't that be big and bold for target acquisition, oh I see it's specifically for target and IDPA work, but it feels great and oozes quality.
OK a Kahr then, no good for competition work, a Makarov - they fall apart around the safety, not particularly sound, and anyway they suffer from slamfires by virtue of having no FP return spring, maybe a CZ, neeeever even seen one, all these euro guns are great but noone ever seems to stock them. A HS2000 then, still a euro gun and I don't like the look of that razor blade sticking out the back of the upper grip, oh so that's a safety like a 1911, aha, a 1911 then, hey do I look THAT OLD, anyway it's single action, only peope who dress up as Star Wars characters like single action pistols.
All this may amuse you, bore you more likely, please don't take any of the negative comments too seriously, but if you still have any suggestions and care to post them, please do, I really need all the help I can get.
Regards,
Mike H
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