So I am wondering if any of you guys in this forum are firearms enthusiasts? I do not currently own anything right now but plan to after I get into the Coast Guard. I usually go with friends twice a month or more to the shooting range. So far my favorite pistols to shoot is the kimber tle II in .45. I am a avid 1911 fan but recently I have been able to shoot a glock 22 in 40 S&W which is blasphemy .  I tried the coast guards side arm the p229 in 40 S&W and its a good gun, but the trigger feels so cheap for such a nice gun. So what do you guys own/shoot/want?

Edit: also I'm in love with the cz-75 in 9. Just a great pistol! I also seem to prefer SA or DAO compared to a SA/DA. I cannot get good groupings with a SA/DA pistol because of its inconsistent pull.

I'm definitely an enthusiast.

I've owned a Sig 226, Glock 27, Glock 23, Glock 22, S&W Sigma Series (a complete toilet) 9mm, Walther P99 ( LOVED that gun), Bushmaster O.R.C. I'm currently carrying an M&P .45 on duty, which S&W really did a nice job on. Trigger reset could be better, but it's a laser beam. I also carry a Bodyguard 380 off-duty. The trigger is junk on it, but I may get a job done on it to clean it up.

I love teaching my guys how to fix shooting problems. I'm kind of weird in the Firearms training circles around here because I don't really focus too much on HSLD stuff, because I try to breed good fundamentals, reflexive shooting skills, and muscle memory.

srf13 are you a GM? I think I have not developed good muscle memory at all for SA/DA guns. Than again, I don't have any firearms which means each rental is a completely new system I have to learn. What makes you choose the M&P for your duty and that specific caliber? Do looks have any factor when you buy your firearms? Or is it all function? Would you saw you get for what you pay for? Example would be springfield armory or kimber compared to a norinco or rock island armory 1911?

Posted By Kchan on 23 Apr 2012 07:10 PM
srf13 are you a GM? I think I have not developed good muscle memory at all for SA/DA guns. Than again, I don't have any firearms which means each rental is a completely new system I have to learn. What makes you choose the M&P for your duty and that specific caliber?

Not a GM.... yet.    About 11 more months to go.

I'm the instructor for our department.  One of the reasons a lot of military and LE go with these Double Action Only, Safe-Action, or DAK triggers is so that there is a consistent trigger pull every time.  I'm not saying I agree with it, it's just how liability driven administrators think.  It's the reason that NYPD has a 12 pound trigger pull.  They want guys to really have to commit to pulling the trigger if they are going to.  I think ours break consistently at 6 pounds. 

We went with the M&P for several reasons:
1.  It's the same gun that area departments use.  Think interoperability in a mutual aid situation.
2.  Glock really didn't do much to improve their guns (in my opinion) over Gen 3 glocks.
3.  The S&W has floating slide rails, so recoil isn't transferred to lower receiver like a Glock.
4.  The .45 round is a lower pressure cartridge, that is about 350 fps slower than .40  It's got a lot less snap, and that worked better overall for some of the people I have to teach.  Slower round, less over penetration, better expansion. 
5.  Our guns were ancient, and S&W (aside from being American and local to us) gave us a great deal.
6.  Interchangable backstraps.... WIN.  We were carrying a mix of G22s and G23s before due to hand sizes.  Not acceptable to me. 

Do looks have any factor when you buy your firearms? Or is it all function? Would you saw you get for what you pay for? Example would be springfield armory or kimber compared to a norinco or rock island armory 1911?

I have to say that I don't have a ton of experience with the champagne of firearms (1911) due to my Bud Light budget.  I think that looks aren't really important, but form is?  If that makes any sense.  If the gun looks all tactical, but design has a purpose, then I'm good with it.  I will say that the M&P's aggressive angle vs. the Glock provides more balance... it also coincidentally looks badass. 

Trigger pull is definitely most important when it comes to correcting bad shooters though.  So a well designed trigger is really the foundation for us.  Again, just my humble opinion.