Switching between handgun platforms

I have never had a problem switching between different style pistols. I have 2 1911s (3&4 inch), a S&W 3rd gen. and a Kahr as my carry pistols. I can see having a problem if I didn't spend ongoing time with each pistol but I do.
Even for competition I can switch back & forth from revolver one week to 1911 to M&P to CZ 75 SA. without a real problem. I do have a handgun in hand dry firing about 5 days a week so I stay very familiar. The one that did give me issues was trying to switch from a Glock to any of the pistols with the 1911 grip angle. I finally realized that even though I could shoot Glocks ok, I did not like the ergonomics. I fixed that by selling the Glocks.
 
I brought this up because I have trouble maintaining acceptable accuracy with some platforms. I shoot 1911's and similar grips as well as DA Revolvers well. If I pick up a Glock or a SA Revolver I am only hitting the target by luck at 25yds. No surprise as I have the least amount of trigger time with those platforms. I am planning on getting a SA Revolver in the near future to hopefully cure the issue. It seems that from your comments above my primary issue in this case is trigger time.
 
boogieman said:
If I pick up a Glock or a SA Revolver I am only hitting the target by luck at 25yds.
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My personal experience has been that the type or brand of pistol is irrelevant. As long as you have the sights aligned and a smooth trigger squeeze the bullets go where the gun is pointed.

Glock, 1911, SA, DA makes no difference. I'm faster with a semi-auto than a revolver, but accuracy at 25 yards is identical given guns with identical inherent accuracy.
 
It seems that from your comments above my primary issue in this case is trigger time.
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Now you have it.
At one time I used to regularly switch around with three very different handguns for club matches.
My scores were very much the same, regardless of the one chosen for the day.
Mostly due to regular practice with them all.
Probably more dry fire than anything else.
 
Does anyone have an issue going from a pistol to a DA revolver to a SA revolver? Or even going from a 1911 to a Glock style grip for that matter.
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I don't.

Other than "going to a GLock style". I don't have any of those. Have shot several. Don't have any for just that reason.
 
NO ! NEVER ! Go to the range every time with all three and there is NEVER a problem with it.
IF you do have, it is between your ears NOT between your hands.
And so it goes...
 
I shoot all kinds of platforms when playing at the range. However, when it comes to real life carry, I stay with what I have trained to for 27 years which was either Glock or Sig. I am not so much concerned about the triggers, but the external safety. Even in Afghanistan, I refused to use the safety on my M9 Beretta. Just way too much muscle memory to be thinking about clicking a safety off when real shooting is involved. Anyone who says they can easily do this in a real gun fight most likely has never been in a real gun fight.

My other consideration is ease of "take down". Have been in situations where I needed to do a quick field strip and reassemble with no time to waste. A simple and familiar FA is key.

We did an interesting stress exercise once involving moving from multiple points of cover and completing various tasks at the point before engaging target while live fire over head, speakers/sirens blaring and people screaming for help . One station involved loading a shotgun and another involved reassembling a field stripped service weapon. Interesting how fumble fingered even trained people become and the things they forget. Well, that is why we train the way we will fight.

This is why I do not recommend auto loaders (especially with external manual safeties) to new shooters. You can train to any weapon platform but the key is that you have to put in the time to do it. Switching back and forth is not a good idea.
 
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Just as a point of order, the OP didn't ask anything about combat, high stress situations gunfights, or anything else like that.

So, all arguments and reasoning about why one system is better for what, and so on does not address the question.
 
I've never had an issue, and I'm always a bit puzzled when I see people talk about not being able to adapt to a different platform.
 
I was not talking about "high stress" or combat situations. In most of those cases the operator trains extensively with the platform they are carrying such as Soldiers or LEO. I dont think that RECON or LEO ever carry a Colt SAA or similar.
I am only referring to proficiency at the range. I dont shoot single action revolvers at an acceptable level nor do I shoot pocket guns (walther PPS size) at a acceptable level.
 
44Amp thanks for that point of order. I was going to say the same thing. we're talking range time. Take what you want and learn to shoot them all! Its a lot of fun and keeps things interesting. A half dozen firearms at the range is fun. My wife and I will usually have at least that many with us, sometimes even double that. It keeps it interesting and fresh. Just enjoy the range time, we get so little of it as compared to what we want.:)
 
No problem switching platforms at the range. With one exception I'll detail later. In fact In fact I enjoy changing guns, and platforms when shooting.
The only place I could see a problem is with CCW, and if some are DAO or striker fired with no safety, and others are SA or SA/DA with a safety. My simple answer to that is none of my CCW guns have a safety.
That brings up the one exception to range guns. The ridiculous, and unnecessary safety on the SA Heritage Rough Rider. I almost always forget to flip that stupid safety that shouldn't even be there off the first time I shoot it at the range.
 
That brings up the one exception to range guns. The ridiculous, and unnecessary safety on the SA Heritage Rough Rider. I almost always forget to flip that stupid safety that shouldn't even be there off the first time I shoot it at the range.
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I solved that problem years ago with mine. I flipped the safety off and never toughed it again. Why in the world would you use the safety when you said it should not be on it in the first place?
 
I carry a handgun usually all day everyday and it's usually a 1911. My hands don't seem to be as flexible as they used to and sometimes even making a fist is difficult, so when I switch guns some times it's a little awkward for awhile, I like to think of it as muscle memory from handling and shooting 1911's so much and not so much as age and abuse.
 
solved that problem years ago with mine. I flipped the safety off and never toughed it again. Why in the world would you use the safety when you said it should not be on it in the first place?
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I guess because it looks even dumber when it is in the "fire" position!. I really haven't looked into it, but I might some day see if I can take it off completely, grind the part that blocks the hammer down, and epoxy it back in place in the "safe" position.
 
If you were to remove the safety on a rough rider, how would you safely carry it with all six beans, you can't see if the hammer is resting on a empty chamber, loading one then skipping the next is fine until you cock the gun and decide to lower the hammer. Most original style SA's can and will go bang if dropped or something like a stirrup or what have you hit's the hammer. It's all about familiarization.
 
This is a platform?
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I freely admit my first thought on "platform" was something you stand on.

Despite being repeatedly shown the way, today folks seem obsessed with "engineer speak" (aka Techno-babble).

It's a "platform" when you are discussing things you can add / attach to it. That is technically correct. Its not a platform when you are comparing one gun type to another. That is an inaccurate use of the term.

But, like Greek Gus, "nobody listen to me..."


Like a lot of other things, the misuse of "platform" seems to be solidly entrenched in use today. DO something wrong, long enough, and get away with it, people come to accept it as right. J.Goebbels knew this, too.
 
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