So Maybe A Little Gun Pr0n Is In Order
Meet the newest member of the household!
She’s a Springfield XDs sub-compact .45! Featuring all the goodness of the XD line, but completely re-engineered into a sub-compact model, this 3.3 inch barreled fist full o’ nasty packs .45 ACP punch in a slim, trim package that only makes it to an inch wide because of the slide catch and takedown lever. The single-stack magazine holds five rounds.
The pistol came packaged in an oversized case with XD gear, including a paddle holster that’s a huge improvement over Springfield’s earlier belt slide holsters, a dual magazine pouch, a lock, spare fiber-optic rods for the front site, a second, smaller backstrap and two five-round magazines. The fiber-optic front sight positively screams “focus on me” which, of course, is where your focus should be when your hand cannon goes to work.
Mrs. M immediately laid claim to my XD45 service model as her new go-to pistol after shaking hands with and approving of the new lady in my life. She has reassigned her beloved XD9 to bedside table duty.
Range report is in the comments. In the meantime, enjoy your new Open Thread™.
Categories: Front Page, Open Thread | 
Tags: Open Thread | 
51 Comments »
Niiiiiiice!
I don’t believe I ever posted a pic of my XD40 on here before.
Yes indeed, a bit of gun pron is particularly in order. Read my new one, found via PISSED at Ace. You’ll love it. But, to review the subject matter at hand, NICE PIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LC cmblake6, Imperial Black Ops Technician recently posted..Well, you wouldn’t expect this BEFORE the election, would you?
I love my XD 9mm Subcompact, a friend and co-worker of mine wants to sell his XD40..Too short of a barrel, cant hold it on target after 2 rounds back to back..quick fire, he is wanting my 9mm
LC Ohio Right Wing Nut says:
It’s all technique. If he can’t keep a .40 on target, his technique is poor. Bottom line, the average 12 year old girl has adequate grip and wrist strength to accurately shoot .40 S&W. Tell him to put his big boy pants on and learn how to shoot, or turn his man card in.
The day I shot my Texas CHL qual last, it was 106 degrees outside. And not much lower than that inside the indoor range we used. I shot my XD45 in rapid-fire and double-tap mode for the largest part of the test, just to get back to AC. I scored 250 out of a possible, well, 250.
I basically just got a sight picture, fired, got the reset and fired, over and over.
Your friend won’t be helped by dropping down to a 9. He just needs to learn how to shoot his .40.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
Where do y’all practice shooting? only at gun ranges, or do you still go out “plinkin’ cans” in the woods?
@ ORWN
A couple of thoughts. If your friend is trying to tack drive and make pretty targets…his thinking maybe a bit off. We’re talking handguns here so range is close, creating identical wound channels is not the objective, creating multiple wound channels is the objective. Besides that, after two rounds your friend should be re-evaluating the target and either preparing to move or selecting another target (head) for intervention. Grip strength could be the issue and I always suggest that every shooter work to keep those muscles well conditioned. Finally they may just be trying to fire too fast. One of my mantras to my students was “slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” Or you could just offer to purchase the “defective” firearm from him at a sizable discount.
Hey Mike! Sweet new bitch you got there. Tell ya what, if Ricky and I are ever honored enough to visit again, I’ll. Let you hold mine if you let me hold yours……wait, that came out wrong……. Was glad to hear about the job and to see that you can afford to adopt the new family member. My respects to you and yours and prayers for your success and good health.
Truer words were never spake, Not-So-Terrible Troy (at least, advice-wise). It makes very little sense to shoot 6 rounds in 2.5 seconds if they all miss. A good solid hit with a .45 at close range is liable to make your target think about something else…like, for example, “why is my blood pressure going toward zero?”. Smooth…reacquire target and exercise breath control (means: BREATHE during a gunfight) and pop the son of a bitch again. Two should slow him down enough to engage a sight picture just between the lip and the nose and drop him like a bag of rocks. Those 2.5 seconds (for three shots) seem like a lot longer and a lot shorter, at the same time.
And Sir M…I heartily approve of the firearm and especially the caliber. Having survived gunfights using a .38 special with 125 grain +P+ rounds (somehow!) I appreciate how the .45 brings class and distinction to these social events.
Very nice pistol!
LC TerribleTroy says:
You and Ricky are always welcome, Troy!
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Bible Reading
How can you tell? Take the magazine out and look up her skirt?
You can’t beat fiber optic sights on a defensive pistol. I put a set of Williams Fire Sights on my PT-145 Mil-Pro and they really stand out under the lights in the mall parking lot at night. Um, just sayin’.
Europellets (9 mm) are for shooting Europeans. 45s are for shooting dangerous people.
I frankly rely on my Crimson Trace to tell me where the bullet is going. – for fast reactions, it can’t be beat.
Yes, I turn it off at the range. Yes, I check the batteries every two months.
RANGE REPORT!
Just back from the range after putting the XDs through her paces. I ran a variety of range and carry ammo through her without a single burp, she’s not a picky eater. Most of the shooting was done with Remington UMC and Federal American Eagle, both 230 grain ball. I also shot some Federal HydraShok 165 grain JHP and Remington Golden Saber 230 grain JHP.
I shot a modified CHL course of fire, using a standard B-27 target at ranges of 3, 7 and 15 yards. The first fifty rounds pretty much destroyed the X and 10 ring, with a few flyers into 9 territory. After that, I just played for a while at various ranges. As long as I did my part, the accuracy was on a par with what I get out of my XD45 service model. Groups opened up a bit at 25 yards but still remained within the 8 ring. With a 3.3 inch barrel, that’s to be expected. While she can reach out and touch somebody, she’s really made for close in work.
Recoil was authoritative, but surprisingly manageable given the pistol’s diminuitive size and light weight. The aggressive “all-terrain” grip texturing was a big help, and I was even able to squeeze off good, accurate double-taps. Trigger pull was short and crisp, with a very positive tactile and audible reset. Muzzle flash was pretty impressive, especially with the Federal HydraShoks. In a night-time firefight, night vision will probably be the first casualty. I’ll probably settle on the Golden Saber for daily carry.
Now I just need to find a good IWB holster. I’m leaning towards a DeSantis Sof-Tuck.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
LC TerribleTroy @ #:
Nah, when the going gets tough, the tough go cyclic.
The little woman has an XD 9 with a guide rod laser. (I guess she can only shoot Europeans.)
That way, the fiber optic sight is still available, but the laser is there when she needs it. It would be really cool if the laser came in green instead of red, though.
And as far as practicing, I just go down the hill in the back yard.
LC Ohio Right Wing Nut @ #:
To add to Troy’s excellent advice, there’s a dry fire drill called trigger reset. A lot of times errant shots during rapid fire is due to slapping the trigger or just allowing the trigger too far out which means more trigger creep to reengage the sear. There’s a simple dry fire drill that can build the muscle memory to control the trigger between shots. With an empty gun get a good grip and slowly pull the trigger until the sear breaks. Keep the trigger to the rear and cycle the slide, reestablish your grip and slowly let the trigger out until you hear and feel the sear reset, then immediately start your next trigger pull. Repeat a few hundred times. (Note, yes your firing pin can handle the dry fires, but if you’re worried about it use snap caps.)
There’s also the possibility that the gun is just too small for his hands, or he has a lousy grip. Is he crossing his thumbs? Bad grip if he is. If the gun is too small he’ll have a hard time controlling recoil and reacquiring his sight picture.
Of course, he may just be a piss poor shooter.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..And Now For A Brief Musical Interlude
I wouldn’t know anything about the benefits of increased cyclic rates of fire in a combat environment. Must have missed school that day. Certainly there are environments where going “cyclic” is a reasonable tactical response, unfortunatly the concealed carry defensive handgun environment isn’t one of them. So I think I will stick with my weapon and ammo mgmt philosophy in context of the current discussion. As far as being tough, I wouldn’t know anything bout that either.
@ FA.
I owe you a apology, please accept my apology for being unreasonably sarcastic. I misinterpeted your comment. I have a tendancy to take the combat stuff way too seriously and didn’t recognize that you were goofing around.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. says:
It’s the subcompact 40, I have shot with him before, He seems to shoot his 1911 just fine he just does not like the small barrel/ recoil from this particular gun, he also has another 40 cal? S&W? don’t rightly recall,and has no problem with that one either.
LC Ohio Right Wing Nut says:
Troy had the right idea. You should offer to buy it (at a sizeable discount)!
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
sleeper @ #: 15
Green lasers are available now.
L.C. Mope says:
Only a true bitch can bark like she does, Mope. She’s pure Rottweiler…
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
single stack @ #:
And Crimson Trace is in that market.
And I too am looking for something “new”. I’m looking to trade Der Ruger for a compact/sub-compact. As it “prints” like a motherfucker.
Here’s what I’ve got. Ruger P90DC, 3 mags (8rounders), case, stock grips (and CTC grips as the people who wanted to buy them aren’t getting back to me.), all the original paperwork.
I’ve looked locally, they’re asking “new” prices on used guns. I want to stay with .45, as I have some .45 ammo. Anyone help a brother out ?
LC Ohio Right Wing Nut says:
John Browning got it right on the 1911…for the year 1911. I’ve owned 1911s before, including a Series 70 Gold Cup.
I’ve also been in an enclosed room on three different occasions when a negligent discharge happened, most recently at work about three months ago and less than six feet away from me. On every occasion, the negligent discharge occurred with…wait for it…a 1911.
In hands other than my own, I simply don’t trust ‘em any more. Most “shooters” out there aren’t competent enough to carry one. I’m frankly glad we sold Mrs. M‘s Kimber. She never bonded with it, and purse carry frequently found it in her purse with the hammer back on a loaded chamber, and the thumb safety nudged off. It’s a wonder she never had an ND.
Now she has .45 firepower to carry, my former XD45, and I don’t have to worry about it being safe.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
What’s the best gun in the world? The one that goes bang when you want it to and fits well in your hand. He doesn’t like the gun, then he doesn’t like the gun and should get rid of it. Confidence is important to the process.
What’s the loudest sound in the world?
Hearing a click when you’re expecting a bang.
LC TerribleTroy @ #:
The second loudest sound in the world ?
You shitting your pants after hearing the click.
LC TerribleTroy says:
Why we practice. Train to fight. Fight like you trained.
Stop relying on adjuncts like a laser you won’t remember how to turn on when the chips are down. Become one with your front sight. Sight picture, squeeze, ease up to the reset, sight picture, squeeze again and evaluate.
Be fluid. If you aren’t moving, you’re dead.
Lasers are for entry teams. They strike fear into the heart of already disoriented bad guys with a visible beam through the smoke from the flashbang grenade. They have no place on a defensive firearm.
If lasers had a legitimate use on defensive firearms, every police officer and security guard in America would have one. Every soldier would be issued one.
If you can’t draw and point-shoot, in a no-shit firefight, you will probably die. It’s that simple. While you are fumbling with your laser, Mr. Bad Guy will hold his GLOCK sideways and shoot you in the face. Twice. And laugh about it over a beer, or a spoon of crystal meth, with his buddies.
The money you spend on a laser is far better spent on practice ammo and range time.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
Nothin worse than trying to run and perform tap, rack, bang with your skivvies full of shite… god I hated failure drills….
LC TerribleTroy @ #:
Troy – no worries, all in good fun.
I’m neutral on lasers. Like em with NVGs, but other than that I always relied on muscle mechanics first and foremost as under severe stress that’s going to be the default. I think that with proper training discipline lasers could be used, but I wouldn’t reccomend them until the shooter mastered and imprinted the basics. More of a advanced skill set IMO. But if the student was taught and repetitively drilled to incorporate the switch on into the presentation phase, it could be done. Most handgunning errors begin with lack of continuity in weapon presentation mechanics and failure to train under stress. How many guys you see with a different presentation “form” on each draw? Its a martial art to me and form needs to be rock solid. Once that is established we can tweak em from there.
LC TerribleTroy says:
Exactly. And the average shooter, who installs a laser that he thinks is going to compensate for his lack of skill, isn’t at that level.
A laser on your weapon, for the average shooter, only serves to tell the bad guy where you are.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. @ #:
And that’s why mine came off.
For those looking for the Ruger LCP, .380 for $299. Cheapest I’ve seen anywhere.
Handgun Pr0n, huh? Got a little of that myself. [url=http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss238/Strelok85/Gun%20Pr0n/M1911A1Loaded2_zps5fe96246.jpg]Here’s my Springfield Loaded M1911A1 with five mags.[/url]
Handgun pr0n, huh? Good thing I’ve got some of that. Here’s my Springfield Loaded M1911A1 with five mags. Sure, the Glock 21 is a superior firearm in nearly every category that matters, but I love the Loaded’s accuracy and easy of concealed carry.
Looks like I might as well join in. Here’s mine. Two mags loaded with Hornady’s 230gr XTP’s and one with PMC Bronze 230gr.
LC LOBO says:
Bud’s has good prices, but a lousy rep for customer service. Caveat emptor!
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Bible Reading
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. says:
Unlike a certain other online retailer.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..Puffy Eyes?
LC Alric says:
Depends on your definition of “superior”.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..Puffy Eyes?
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. says:
I recently found this clip from a movie I’ve never heard of. I know it’s Hollywood which is the absolute last place to go for firearms training, but this clip is different.
I train my officers to draw and hit one round under 1.5 seconds as a baseline objective standard to build on. I’ve watched this clip over and over again and picked apart everything in it. It’s an absolutely beautiful example of how to do it. Of course it’s choreographed so it’s prettier than real life would be, but still.
Collateral.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..Puffy Eyes?
I was running guys for the State dept through the entry level course. Had plenty of time built in, so first phase of hands on I had them standing and “presenting”. Started very very slowly and began speeding up the tiempo. Broke the movements down etc etc. I finally released them for a break after a number of hours and as I was a “new” instructor to this particular outfit, the Training Director actually approached me and commented that he thought I was spending a inordinate amount of time. Did I mention I had plenty of time? I responded to him “sir, if they can’t get their guns out of their holsters and online properly they are probably going to lose the gunfight as they are reacting to a attacker and behind in the game.” Fucking guy looked at me like I was crazy. Over the next three days I pushed them through the course of fire, completed the papaerwork and submitted my resignation citing that it wasn’t a good fit. And this was for people providing to the State Dept HQ in DC in 04.
And talking about guns, ears appoints wife of Univision to the U(less) N(itwits). Can we say “pay-off” ?? As in, “Here’s a un seat, barry that report.”
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. says:
LOL we try, Crunch, we try.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. says:
From my experience Mike, you succeed.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..A Little Firearms Training, Free of Charge
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. says:
What can I say? We don’t like unsatisfied customers. I routinely direct customers to other web sites when we don’t have what they need.
Well, to anyone but Bud’s or Midway….
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. says:
A great baseline to build on. The average CHL holder “trains” far more frequently than the average law enforcement officer, and can’t do that.
Training isn’t about standing on a line and punching holes in paper. It’s about learning how to use cover, shoot from unusual positions, how to present your weapon, how to shoot both strong and weak side from UNSUPPORTED positions. How to shoot while moving. How to recognize threats, and have a PLAN, from the first second, how to deal with them. That’s training.
At three yards, you should be able to hit center of body mass with a double-tap from a strong side draw before the weapon rises above your lowest rib. Once your weapon is in BOTH hands, you should be able to stop ANY threat out to 25 yards. First two shots at 2 seconds or less, third (two handed) shot before 4 seconds have elapsed.
That’s how you survive a gunfight.
Crunch, your video clip was spot on. That’s how it’s done.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. says:
What specifically don’t you like about Midway, their prices? I’ve rarely ordered from them so I don’t have much of a base of knowledge there.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..A Little Firearms Training, Free of Charge
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. says:
They’ve got one of the best websites in the industry, I’ll give ‘em that. But they’ve always seemed pretty high priced to me. Usually anything they advertise I can find cheaper at the local Cabela’s or CTD.
And we get a lot of customers that need small parts that none of the major dealers, including us, even stock. Without fail, I send ‘em to Numrich. If they don’t have it, nobody does.
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. recently posted..Today’s Thought
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. says:
I love Numrich, most of the time. When I don’t it’s because they don’t have what I need and I know that what you say is true, therefore I won’t be getting what I need any time soon.
LC 0311 Sir Crunchie I.M.H., K.o.E. recently posted..Ahhh Sweet Schadenfreude
LC Sir M – Imperial Tobacconist™, K.o.E. @ # 25: The 1911 was God’s gift to man through His prophet, John MOSES Browning.
LC cmblake6, Imperial Black Ops Technician recently posted..If not the Desert Tactical, how about a CBRPS?