Stick wrote on Jan 21
st, 2008 at 5:58pm:
Hey Bob or anyone with good input,
Where could I get a crash course in pistols, or offer me one here if you have the time. I'm looking to get my license to carry and I know only about caliber sizes and brands, but I don't know much about the performance and costs of pistols.
Thanks.
Sorry it took me so long to get around to this thread. I wanted to offer a decent reply and haven't had the chance to do it. Believe it or not, I've been doing real, actual work during the day (shut it, Spanky!) and haven't had much time to lurk on the forum the last two weeks.
What kind of "pistol course" are you looking for? Do you just want to send some rounds downrange to get the feel for a semi-auto, or are you looking for tactical training? CCW training?
If you just want to familiarize yourself with the safety and operation of pistols, I'd be more than happy to meet you at the range. I've got the following pistols...
Springfield XD .40 Service - This is a service-sized pistol with a 4" barrel. For the moment, it's my primary (and only) CCW pistol. It's a single-action-only platform.
Colt .38 Special Police Positive - This is an older .38 six-shot revolver. She's a real beauty, but I'm not real fond of revolvers for concealed carry. It's a ton of fun to shoot, though! It's a typical double/single-action revolver. You can cock the hammer for a single action trigger pull, or simply pull the trigger for a double-action shot.
Walther P.38 AC43 - This is a semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9mm from WW2. Although it rarely gets shot, I wouldn't mind bringing it to the range and putting a few rounds through it. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of how much kick you can expect from a modern 9mm. It's also my only double/single action semi-auto, so it will help you get familiar with that platform.
Ruger Mark I Competition - This is my "training/fun" pistol chambered in .22LR. It's definitely not a carry gun, but you can shoot it all day with $5 in ammo and it's a real tack driver. It has a competition bull barrel and staged trigger, so it's incredibly accurate with the right ammo. I use it mostly for a "first time" gun, especially when training the ladies. It's fairly quiet and has absolutely no recoil, so that's a definite plus around trigger-shy girls.
I'm hoping to be the proud new owner of a Kahr P9 within the next three months, so that will be another option. It's a smaller 9mm double-action semi-auto that's intended for CCW, and it will become my main concealed carry pistol during the spring/summer/fall seasons. This will also be available for shooting once I pick it up.
For what its worth, here's an ammo price breakdown:
.40S&W 155gr FMJ - 100rds @ $27.50 = $0.28 each.
.38 Special - I have no idea, but it's probably the same as .40.
9mm 115gr FMJ - 100rds @ $24.00 = $0.24 each.
.22LR Soft Nose - 500rds @ $11.00 = $0.03 each.
If you're looking for tactical training, it's definitely pricey, but I can give you the names and addresses of some of the more popular outfits.
If you're looking for CCW training, I've got several local recommendations, including the company I went through to get my CCW. They range in price from $80 to $150 and offer a variety of perks and benefits.
-b0b
(.../ramble.)