My Two Constant Companions

Yes, I’m a member and always will be..

My two constant companions anywhere I go are these friends of mine:

These are only 2 of my pistols; a Glock 17 3rd gen and a Glock 21 1st gen.
Since the military, I was never a fan of “plastic” guns. I had only met one person that actually had a Glock back in the late 80s and that was while a friend and I were out hunting.
Even when I was a bounty hunter (temporary), I always used a 1911 Colt Gov. Model, but I traded it in on a Smith and Wesson 44 magnum – model 86 I think it was.
There was a reason for going to a revolver instead of a trusty 1911.

The Intimidation Factor

Looking at the business end of a 1911, you only see the hole of the barrel – a Big hole, but only one hole nonetheless.
With the revolver, especially a 44 magnum, you see the hole in the barrel and the bullets on either side – Big Bullets.
Anyway, that was my reason for going  to a revolver instead of keeping the semi-auto.
Fast Forward many years
I was looking to get back into firearms since I (we, the family) had not had a handgun in the house for YEARS. I had my shotguns, black powder and rifles for hunting, but no side-arms.
I was working out of town, probably 6 or 7 years ago and stopped at a pawn shop and looked at their pistols. There were several Smith and Wesson, Rugars, and Glocks. I picked out a Smith & Wesson 40ve. Bought it and went straight to the range. The travel on that trigger was like a football field long! I couldn’t get used to it!
The next time, I picked up a Ruger – damn… Can’t remember the model but it was the worst firearm I had ever shot!
Not because it was a Ruger. I’ve had Rugers before and they are damn fine pistols, but this one was a “new model” The trigger pull was gritty, and awful..
So,, at one time, I had around 8 pistols (left out a few from here).
I took the S&W40 and the Ruger and traded them in for a Glock 17 3rd Gen. I bout the pistol and a couple of boxes of 9mm bullets on the way to the shooting range – I know, I wasn’t a fan of “plastic guns”, but I decided to try it anyway.
Got to the range, loaded up both magazines and stepped out on the open firing range. Nobody was there and I was there during a weekday and around 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon.
Put a target up and stepped back to the 7 yard line – around 15 feet. (it was the 2nd line, not the 3 yard line). Rolled the slide back and loaded the pistol – took aim and let one go. I at least hit the target, but I was more interested in how the pistol felt when firing it.
From that moment on, I was a convert. I LOVE Glocks now and the more I use them, the more I like them!
Don’t get me wrong now, I still Love a 1911 and have one. It is a true piece of firearm history. I carried one (and others) while in the military and will always love a good 1911 pistol.
The ONLY stove-pipes I have Ever had on any of my Glocks was because of cheap ammo. Both times, when I removed the bullet from the chamber and after giving it a good look over, I found both bullets had an imperfection on the brass, a ever so slight split with one of the corners peeled back.
I’ll have to find the picture I took of one of them, can’t find it right now.
I wish I could say that the one bad Ruger pistol I had hasn’t jaded me on Ruger, but the sad truth is, I am. Not jaded on ALL Rugers, but when I see or hear that particular Ruger model discussed, I’m completely turned off.
I’ve even read some well known personal defense people review that particular model and gave it glowing/raving reviews, but I know it’ll be a LOOOONG time before I would feel comfortable owning that model and relying on it.
Reliability is the key. THIS is the reason I will always be a Glock person. Sure, Kimber is a good pistol and a masterpiece of workmanship, but if I have to put my life in a pistol’s hands – it’ll be a Glock.

FOUND IT!

Ruger SR9  (not the SR9c)

What made it so bad was it felt really good in my hands but it would jam on every other bullet almost and I used all kinds of ammo.
I was fresh on the market – it had only been out a few months when I bought it.
Someone once mentioned it might have been a prototype model that got loose in the wild.
I took that damn pistol apart so many times looking for what was causing the Really crappy / gritty trigger pull and found it. I don’t remember the name of the particular piece that was rubbing against the slide when it moved but I could see the wear on the piece and on the slide from where it was making contact.

Will I ever have another Ruger – MOST Definitely!
Will I ever have another SR9 – probably not.
For anyone out there that loves Ruger, I am NOT knocking Ruger at All. But this just shows what one bad firearm can do to your trust.

Next to the Glock, my Smith and Wesson M&P 9 is my Go To weapon, but that’s for another post..