Tips and more for first time handgun owners/shooters

[Cottonmouth]

I appreciate it, my friend.
Roy

[AlfaDog]

I have been doing a little testing with different rounds of 9mm ammo., by shooting into gallon milk jugs full of water. The hollow point rounds penetrated into the fourth jug, and I recovered them there. I know this isn't as good as shooting into ballistic jel, but the jugs were all I had. The hollow points expanded fully, just like they were supposed to. I shot a FMJ into four jugs and it went all the way through all four jugs. I'm going to have to try that one again when I get more jugs. I also want to see how many jugs a .45 FMJ round will penetrate. When I get through shooting all the rounds I want to try, I will include pics, if I can remember how to do it.

You might try a few rounds into telephone books or congressional records....just pick the one that has the least value to you.

[Jim Trueblood]

I really wanted a Glock in .357 Sig.

I actually had the opportunity to participate in some ballistic comparison testing of the .357Sig versus .40SW and .45ACP. There wasn't anything I didn't like about the .357Sig. It reigned supreme in every measurable category, muzzle velocity, foot-pounds of energy, and accuracy (just like the .357 Magnum did and still does). The only drawback was most shooters stated they found it "uncomfortable" or "unpleasant" to shoot (just like with the .357 Magnum).

Having spent years carrying and shooting S&W K-Frame .357 Magnums, I had no problem at all with the .357Sig and liked it a lot. If I was going to carry .357Sig as a CCW civilian, I'd load with Hornady's Critical Defense.

http://www.hornady.com/store/357-Sig-115gr-Critical-Defense/

[suncat05]

While you may be correct about the .357 Sig, I tend to be more cautious towards the pragmatic side of things. If the SHTF, the most common calibers like 9mm, .38 special, .45 ACP and the .40 S&W will be the most predominant calibers to be found on those carrying weapons for self-defense, as they are now. Go with one of those and keep that .357 Sig in the closet or safe for a "last stand" situation. JMHO. Yours may differ.

[Jim Trueblood]

Personally, nowadays, I carry and stock heavily .38Spl+P and 9mm+P. All other calibers I own today are mostly for my personal range entertainment. Awareness, Avoidance, Tactics, and out-thinking your opponent are far more important than caliber.

[AlfaDog]

Personally, nowadays, I carry and stock heavily .38Spl+P and 9mm+P. All other calibers I own today are mostly for my personal range entertainment. Awareness, Avoidance, Tactics, and out-thinking your opponent are far more important than caliber.

Yep brain power. The TV show Survivor sums it up as "outwit, outplay, outlast" Or USAF Col. John Boyd refers to it as the OODA loop (for observe, orient, decide, and act). OODA seems to have worked well for the US Marines as they have based their Warfighting Manual on Boyd's theory.

Sun Tzu's Art of War and an understanding of OODA should be a part of every Sheepdogs knowledge base.

[Jim Trueblood]

Sun Tzu's Art of War should be a part of every Sheepdogs knowledge base.

Best damn book on tactics ever written.

[AlfaDog]

A first step toward good marksmanship begins with just one finger. The idea here is to be able to bend your trigger finger without tightening any of your other fingers. This should be practiced until it becomes an automatic action without thought of the process.

Placement of the finger on the trigger is of utmost importance. For most people the fleshy pad of the finger will be the proper contact point. To little finger or too much will make it harder to pull the trigger finger straight to the rear. Also be aware that if the finger rubs any part of the frame or trigger guard it will probably affect shot placement.


Press smoothly to the rear with follow-through. Ease off pressure on the trigger allowing it to move forward until it resets, press again for followup shots.


Common mistakes: slapping the trigger, tightening the fingers of the trigger hand as the trigger comes to the rear, placing the joint of the trigger finger on the trigger.


Practice these tips by dry firing. A laser mounted on the weapon willing give you good visual feedback.


Safety: insure your weapon is empty. Insure your clip is empty. I remove all ammo from the room I am in when practicing dry fire. Use snap caps if recommended by your gun maker. Never point your weapon at anything you are not willing to put a hole in.

I am sure I have overlooked something on trigger control but I know someone else can make up for my oversight.

[David White]

Your comment on point #3 is very correct...with BALL ammo, it needs some more definition (is the same true with hollow points? ...probably not)

Not just ball ammo! Golden Saber 124+ p passed through a door jam, two walls with multiple ricochets!
I'm still doing the patch work from it!
It was not an AD, it was a ND.
I violated safety protocols and didn't have me head in the game.

[NWFFT]

Good observation. Hollow points by their very nature are not likley to have the same penetration as ball ammo other factors being equal. However my ideas on the subject is tainted by long term thinking. It may at some point become difficult to aquire hollowpoints in any caliber.

For instance it seems that the Social Security Administration is in the process of purchasing 174,000 rounds of .357 sig hollow as we speak.

I just don't know what this will do to supply in the coming months. Need someone with a higher paygrade than mine to tell me the result of this type of demand.

Alfadog, If you have the financal means, buy the ammo now. There is a company in Georgia that specializes in FACTORY SPEC re-loads. They are Georgia Arms. I just bought 500 rounds of .357 SIG for $145.