A Word Of Advice

I have been noticing more and more complaining about various aspects of daily life on social media but one aspect is extremely concerning to me because of these people’s safety and the risks they are putting themselves in. We live in a different world than we used to; I don’t know if it is the fast pace of life that society seems to demand or if it is other things causing stress and impatience. Either way we as a society have created dangerous obstacles that need to be addressed.

First, let me say I hate social media for many reasons, but I think the number one reason for me is that is gives people an outlet to complain and shame other people for things that they don’t like or to try to get instant sympathy even when the person complaining is wrong. Regardless, people seem to forget or maybe they don’t realize that shaming someone on social media is a dangerous highway to travel down. The more support you get from your friends, the more anger that can build in the person you are calling out.

We have been hearing for a long time about avoiding road rage incidents and how dangerous they can become. Yet people still engage out of pure emotion and anger. When this happens bad / violent actions occur and people get hurt or even killed over something stupid.  It happens all the time and again it gets ignored.

Going on to social media and shaming people because of their reckless driving, or passing a school bus that has their stop sign out can be equally as dangerous. People are so quick to get their phones out and film these people that are doing the wrong thing or they post the description of their car or even their license plate number. I seriously wonder if the people who respond to things like this even realize the potential consequence for this behavior. Running and yelling at someone passing a school bus or filming the person at a bus stop just let that person know who your kid is, where you live and the like. Or if they see it on social media they know who you are. What if they retaliate physically or your actions against them after it was posted on social media? Is it worth risking physical harm to you or your family? 

Before you say no it won’t happen to me, stop and think about the people who are shot and killed in road rage incidents over giving someone the finger. Do you think for one minute that that one person thought someone would kill them over it? Not a chance, because if they did they would have never responded to the negative action. If you insist on filming it and doing something about it, do it with discretion. Because if you post it on social media and something happens, you can be found to be at fault for escalating the situation is instigating it. If you have to defend yourself from physical harm that all can be used against you and before you say well they won’t find out, “NOTHING IS PRIVATE ON THE INTERNET” and everything is permanent.

Use your brain and quit trying to use public humiliation against these people; it is incredibly dangerous. Besides that, if they cared about your reaction they would not have done whatever they did that angered you to that point to begin with.

Here are some suggestions to help:

1.    Video the incident discreetly if you must video it at all

2.    Report it to the local police and give them the video, license plate number and type of vehicle.

3.    Keep in mind they may have to witness it themselves to actually take action but at least they have been made aware.

4.    Don’t get frustrated if you don’t get instant results from the police; they have a limited number of available officers to cover a large area and can’t be everywhere all the time. If the incidents keep happening, keep letting them know.

5.    Avoid any confrontation with these people; you don’t know who you are confronting and it could have a devastating end.

·      THINK ABOUT YOUR ACTIONS BEFORE YOU ACT

·      DO NOT REACT OUT OF EMOTION OR ANGER

·      BE SAFE AND KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE; YOU CAN’T PROTECT THEM IF YOU ARE DEAD.

Always remember self-defense begins with good decisions!

Brandon L. Fisher

Precision Defensive Solutions

330.888.0545

www.ncpda.us

The Glock 19 and why I think there are better options.

The Glock 19 is one of the most iconic option in 9mm for a concealed handgun option there is, it might even be the most popular option. Many people like the Glock line for their simplicity and reliability however I don’t agree 100% that it is the BEST option. I have owned three Glock pistols and I sold the first one which was a Glock 36 and I am ready to sell the other two that I own currently which are the Glock 19 Gen. 4 and Glock 42.

I purchased the Glock 19 for one reason and one reason only and that’s because I get people asking me all the time if I have one that they can try during their concealed handgun class. I have shot several of them and I have to admit from the Glock line the 19 is one of my favorites. However I have had the opportunity to shoot and work with a couple of other pistols that are similar in size, weight and magazine capacity that I believe out shine the Glock 19.

What I don’t like about Glocks

There are 2 things that I absolutely do with Glocks and suggest for others to do.

1.      Is the trigger I find the Glock triggers to be very stiff and gummy feeling not smooth and all and I really dislike them. The only one I have not changed is the Glock 42 but that’s primarily because of a lack of options. Though the Glock 42 is my current EDC is because it’s light and easily concealed.

2.      The sights! I can deal with the factory sights on Glock’s but I always change them to something better. I am really liking the straight 8, I-Dot or XS Sights if you are wondering what my preferences are.

These two things are a big deal for me and really reflect my decisions on whether I buy them or not. I might shoot the pistol perfectly find but I don’t feel you should have to struggle to find comfort shooting your carry gun.

What are the other options that I believe are better

The first one I think is a better option is the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 9 Compact. With more options on sights from the factory, a better smoother feeling trigger, the options of having an ambidextrous thumb safety and a very aggressive grip with a more natural feeling grip I find this pistol much better than the Glock 19.  The downside of the M&P 9c 2.0 is the also one of the benefits. Though the grips are extremely easy to hang on to they are also very aggressive and you need to consider how you plan to carry it when you buy it.

The second one option is the Sig Sauer P320c. Now the options on the sights are not as vast as the M&P2.0 but the trigger is much better. I still like the trigger in the M&P better but it is still much better than the Glock in my opinion. The P320 is a very modular platform that you can easily change frame sizes or calibers without buying a new gun. The trigger system is the part that is serialized not the frame, slide or anything else in the pistol. Makes for a very good option in my opinion. Though this pistol is the largest of the three it is not a huge difference.

I find that I actually shoot both these options better than the Glock 19 and even had a student who liked my Glock 19 but I suggested a M&P 2.0 9C and he likes it even better also and shoots it better.

Comparison

Brand / Model	Size	Weight	Magazine Capacity	Barrel Length
Glock 19	7.36in Length 1.18 in Width 4.99in  Height	23.65oz	15+1	4.01in
Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 9c	7.3in Length 1.3in Width 5in Height	24oz	15+1	4in
Sig Sauer P320c	7.2in Length 1.3in Width 5.3 in Height	25.8 oz	15+1	3.9in

As you can see size and weight wise the Glock 19 comes in weighing less and is smaller to some degree than the comparable pistols I have listed. Though all very similar the weight and overall height is what varies the most between the Glock 19 and Sig Sauer P320c. The weight I think is the biggest issue in size when talking about an EDC pistol. The simple fact is the weight is what tends to get uncomfortable for a lot of people. This is why smaller pistols are so popular for everyday carry. Some people the weight doesn’t bother and others it is a real problem. So it’s something you have to consider and decide for yourself and what your body can handle. I used to carry a Kimber Ultra Carry II in .45acp. Concealing it was never a problem but after carrying the Glock 42 my back and hips are very thankful. This is why I am so excited about the Sig Sauer P365. Weight has become more of a concern for me.

Other Opinions

As part of this review I have had people who were novice shooters or brand new to shooting try both the Glock 19 and Sig Sauer P320c. The first person is a larger built person, strong and able to control any of these guns without a problem. This person was the first to compare side by side and had never shot a firearm before. His grouping with each were pretty equal with a slight difference not enough to really consider an argument point. However watching his control of each of the pistols I could tell he was having a bit more of a problem with the Glock 19. On the way back from the range I asked him which one he preferred and he said he liked them both but if he were to pick one it would be the P320c.

Yet again I had the opportunity to let someone shoot my P320c only this time this person was a very experienced shooter and an outstanding marksman. This person is a police officer and carries a Glock 17 on duty and one of his off duty carry options is a Glock 26. He has been considering the Glock 43 for quite some time also. His comment was simply that he really liked the trigger in the P320c and the reset was even better. He is now considering purchasing one and even recommended it to his wife who is also a police officer.

This past weekend we had a class and I took the opportunity to let a couple more people shoot the P320c and give their opinion on it for this article. One person was our new business partner who is an ex-marine and retired police officer. This particular individual is an outstanding shooter, very accurate. He has carried both a Beretta and Glock on duty with the most time being with the Glock. He also typically carries a Glock as his everyday carry however admittedly it is a .45 and not a 9mm. Still a Glock is a Glock is a Glock in my opinion, same trigger and feel in all of them. Of course this has been one of the selling features for law enforcement, military as well as civilian instructors and people who carry every day. Consistency develops skill because if you are not learning a different weapons platform all the time you get used to one and you can shoot them all taking into consideration the caliber and being able to control it.

His take on it was like everyone’s so far in that he really liked the accuracy and feel of the gun. Keep in mind that he was shooting solely one handed since he just had rotator cuff surgery and is still in a sling. His grouping and control was equivalent to a lot of people shooting two handed. He said that given he was not used to the Glock’s and was looking for something he would not discount the P320c and would probably choose that over a Glock.

The other person who shot the P320c is the same person I had recommended the M&P 9c 2.0 to. Now again he is a newer shooter and not terribly familiar with different guns but he knows what feels good in his hands and how well he shoots them. He is not yet a person who could pick up anything and shoot it well but he made huge strides in his technique this past weekend and started shooting beautiful groups. As we were finishing up the day is when I let him shoot the P320c. He had shot a number of rounds that day and was getting a bit fatigued. After he shot it he asked what it was and told me he would like to get one. Not that he liked it better than his M&P necessarily but liked it enough that he wanted one. Now keep in mind he originally liked my Glock 19 Gen. 4 but after the M&P and now the P320c he has not even mentioned the Glock.

Conclusion

Given the results of this review on my opinion and others opinions I would suggest before jumping for the Glock 19 solely for the name or reputation I would consider other options. I am not by any means telling you what to spend your hard earned cash on, just offering some other thoughts. If you choose one of these options do it because your like it better than the others not because someone else tells you should buy something. I have bought too many pistols that I thought I would like only to turn around and sell them it is my hope to help others not make the same mistakes.

One of the big pluses for me is the ease of cleaning and modularity of the Sig Sauer P320 model it simply makes life easier. The feel, accuracy and reliability of the Sig Sauer P320 is why I am comfortable recommending it to my students and friends.

Update to this review

On December 4, 2018 I installed the Sig Sauer flat triger in my Sig Sauer P320C. I have only shot 5 rounds out of a P320sc with a flat trigger up to this point and that was enough for me to spend the $50 to get the flat trigger for my own. I am going to see how well it works for me before I get another one and install one in my P30C-RX. On the initial test of it with only dry fire the pull was significantly smoother and cleaner. I measured the trigger pull on it and it averaged 4.1lbs vs. the stock trigger at 5.9lbs according to my trigger gauge.  

After trying it the first time I liked the feel but, I should probably not have tried it the day I was teaching a class also. Was a bit shaky and not on my game at all. So I took it out this past weekend and I am thrilled with the performance. Note I didn’t change the trigger bar or trigger spring just the trigger itself and have seen an improvement. I personally think it is a great addition to the P320 platform.

Sig Sauer P320c Information

Smith & Wesson M&P 9c 2.0 Information

Glock 19 Information

Train Hard, Train Safe & Train Often!

Brandon L. Fisher

Precision Defensive Solutions

Twinsburg, Ohio

www.ncpda.us

Defensive Handguns

Choosing a Defensive Handgun

There are so many choices today of quality defensive handguns. So many different brands that come in different sizes and various calibers it can be difficult to choose what is right for you. So I wanted to give you some ideas coming from my perspective for whatever that is worth.

The Fanboy Mentality

Ok let’s be real here the gun community definitely has its fanboy’s for a lack of a better term. Those who are Glock fans for example many of them won’t even consider another type of handgun. Not to pick on the Glock fans because every brand has that certain following just some crazier than others.

I am a big 1911 fan and I absolutely love shooting them and working on them. I shoot them extremely well typically but with that said a 1911 is no longer my choice for a defensive handgun for a couple of different reasons which I will get into later on still they are my favorite and being the traditionalist I am think they should be chambered in .45ACP even though I have fired some pretty sweet 1911’s in other calibers.

In today’s world people flock towards the internet for suggestions on what people like but spend a little time on social media forums concerning firearms and you will find many are just arrogant and downright nasty to people a lot of times. People ask for help or suggestions and get criticized for it. If they are criticized for asking then they get flooded with the fanboys. I have seen many times someone as asked about which handgun would be someone’s choice between 3 or 4 different ones. Inevitably some idiot decides to throw something in the mix that the person didn’t if ask about. A lot of times peoples have researched certain guns and tried different guns to get to those few that fit their taste and budget.

Brands of Defensive Pistols

The number of brands are vast and include Beretta, Colt, Dan Wesson, FN, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Kel-Tec, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson Springfield Armory, Walther as well as some others. If I would to cover all the brands and options I would be writing a book so I am going to touch on ones I have the most experience with and some of the most popular and types all in one shot.

What should you look for in a defensive pistol?

Many ask this question and wonder what they should get; hopefully this will help clear up some of the fog rather than add to it.

·        Thumb Safeties – Many experts say that a thumb safety is a waste on a defensive pistol and I used to adamantly disagree until I was taking one of my advanced pistol instructor classes. I was doing the course with my Dan Wesson Valor Commander 1911. The pistol is a classic commander size 1911 with a thumb safety however it is not an ambidextrous thumb safety. During on the drills it called for switching hands from the strong hand to the weak hand. Being right handed I started from the right side disengaged the safety and engaged the target. When I pulled the trigger the gun didn’t fire, why you ask? Well in the speed of the drill and the focus on the target when I thought I had disengaged the safety it hadn’t dropped. After the drill I said in front of the class there is a great argument for ambi safety. I was the only one in the class using a gun with a thumb safety. Talk about feeling dumb, I did but that’s why we train. The other element to that is its one more thing you have to remember during a critical situation when your adrenaline is flowing and your fine motor skills are diminishing. It is much easier to make it a habit to keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire then to remember a thumb safety. So my suggestion is if you are going to carry a gun with a safety on it train with it a lot and I mean a lot to make it a thoughtless action to disengage the safety when you draw the firearm. You can do this just through repetitive dry fire practice.

However with that said there have been cases where someone had been disarmed by their assailant and the assailant tried to shoot the person with their own gun and failed because they didn’t know how to work the thumb safety. Rare but it has happened.

Thumb safeties also can give a person a false sense of security thinking they have a safe firearm. Insert game show wrong answer buzzer here. J The truth of the matter is the only true safety is keeping your finger off the trigger, thumb safeties are mechanical and they can fail at any time.

·        Triggers – There is nothing like a light crisp trigger for shooting accurately however on a defensive pistol carrying a gun with a super light trigger may not be such a good idea. Keep in mind in a self-defense situation it is high stress with your adrenaline flowing and you might get a little jumpy. If you pull that trigger too soon you could be in a lot of trouble. I suggest at least 4.5lbs trigger pull weight on any defensive handgun, leave the competition and target shooting triggers for completion and range shooting.

Now the different types of triggers, single action, double action or both what is better. Simply put whatever you are most comfortable with is what is better. I personally do better with a single action 4 – 4.5lbs trigger than a double action. So pick something with that is comfortable for you.

·        Night Sights or No – The clarity of the sights for you is the most important aspect when it comes to your sights. I personally prefer to have a front sight that contrasts to the rear sights typically a red or orange in color. This way I can pick up the front sight quicker. I do have the Trijicon HD sights on all my guns except my Sig Sauer P320 which I am sure will get changed in the future. But either way my sights do have the tritium inserts but honestly think about this if you are in a defensive situation I think you better have enough light that you can identify your target not just your sights. Remember that fourth rule “Know your target and what’s beyond”. Though the night sights can help you ID your sight in low light don’t rely on them 100% you still have to ID your target and not shoot at shadows or silhouettes. That shadow might be your kid or your spouse.

·        What is the best caliber to use for carry? – The answer is much easier than one might think so are you ready for my magic answer, the best caliber to carry is one that you shoot the best and can control the recoil from the best. With all the jokes about calibers aside the simple fact is with all the Hollywood flare society is also pre-programmed to believe what they see on TV or in the movies is real. True a .45ACP round is going to do a lot of damage but so will a 9mm. Knockdown power is nothing more than a myth especially with a handgun caliber. So shot placement is so much more important than caliber. Just as an example my everyday carry gun is typically a Glock 42. It’s small and light and very easy to conceal and I shoot it well. The rounds are typically Hornady Critical Defense which I have plenty of confidence it will do the job if god-forbid I ever need it and won’t over penetrate putting innocent bystanders at risk. The other ones are in various guns in 9mm which I carry nothing less than a 147gr round. Yes it is slower than the typical 9mm but very powerful and still won’t over penetrate. If I am carrying a gun in .45acp I don’t use a heavier round than a 185gr. My choices are well thought out to prevent over penetration and still do the job they are meant to do. Will a .357 magnum do the job? Absolutely probably more than you would want it to.

What Brand To Choose?

I am only going to talk about a handful of the brands that I mentioned in the interest of keeping this shorter.

First off probably the most iconic handgun other than the 1911 is the Glock. Glock is one of the top choices for law enforcement and military use around the world because of their reliability track record. Glock is probably one of the simplest designs to ever be created and used regularly. Incredibly easy to maintain and care for these guns will last an incredibly long time if they are properly cared for.

The downside to Glock is a couple of things and even the Glock fanboys make these upgrades even if they don’t admit to it right away. First off the stock sights on Glock are “ok” in function but they are cheap and fragile. The stock sights are plastic and most Glock owners switch them out for better sights pretty quickly. The other downside is the triggers are stiff and spongy and simply crappy out of the box. This is yet another thing a lot of people do work to and I don’t blame them at all. A bad trigger is as dangerous as a light trigger. If you can’t get a good smooth trigger pull it certainly affects your accuracy.

The next of the top choices would be Sig Sauer. Sig Sauer is one probably the next top choice for law enforcement in this country and they just picked up the US Army contract in the last couple of years beating out the Beretta M9 that had been in service with the US Army for 25+ years. Sig Sauer is used in many special operations units and federal law enforcement because of their top grade reliability and accuracy. Typically you will find the P226, P229, M11-A1 and P320 in service with the occasional P239. My take on it is if the United States Secret Service, US Navy Seals and all the law enforcement agencies that trust their lives and the lives of those they are protecting to Sig Sauer that’s good enough for me.

The Smith & Wesson M&P line is another great choice again incredibly reliable and Smith & Wesson is just a tried and true name in the firearms industry. With the release of the M&P 2.0 line I feel that was a major improvement with the line of M&P pistols. They greatly improved on the trigger and the texturing on the frame adds lot to enhance the grip on the gun when shooting. However it is so aggressive concealing it against bare skin is ill advised. The number of options and sizes available in the M&P line is awesome with calibers ranging from .380ACP - .45ACP though the 9mm and 40 S&W models are very popular. Sizes very also with the M&P Shield, M&P compact and M&P full size with the .380 bodyguard being the baby of the family and a great little pocket gun.

The Springfield Armory XD line is probably the next most popular and though I personally don’t like the texturing on the frame they shoot well and seem to be quite reliable. Again Springfield brings a lot of options in sizes and calibers to choose from. Let’s face it Springfield is another iconic name with a good strong reputation on reliability.

Choices Choices

As you can see there are a ton of options so how do you choose? Ask yourself these questions and keep in mind there are a lot of people who have multiple carry guns to fit what the needs of the day are.

1.     Are you going to carry it? If it’s too large or cumbersome to carry you won’t it’s that simple.

2.     How do you intend to carry it? It is a big factor when making a choice.

3.     Reliability! Make sure it’s reliable and has a good track record. No manufacturer has not had issues with something but how they take care of it is huge. For example the Sig Sauer P320 and the drop issue. It is being taken care of and people are saying when they get the gun back the trigger is better than original.

4.     Cost! If you have to mortgage your home to buy your carry gun it is probably a bad choice. There are people who are carrying $4000 guns (why? I don’t know) but they are and if they have the money to do that well more power to them.

Here are my suggestions for carry guns broken into 2 categories. The nice thing is most of these you can get in multiple calibers:

Single Stack	Double Stack
Glock 42 / 43 (top of the list because of size) Sig Sauer P239 Sig Sauer P938 Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Shield Springfield XDs	Sig Sauer P320C Sig Sauer (M11-A1 or P229) Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact Glock (19, 26, 27) Springfield XD

It is my sincere hope that this helps you make your choice(s) easier.

Brandon L. Fisher

Precision Defensive Solutions, Twinsburg, Ohio

www.ncpda.us

About Brandon:

Brandon has studied the defensive arts for the majority of his life. Having started in the martial arts at age 8 and started shooting at age 13. Today with over 30 years of training and 25 years of teaching Brandon is ranked as 7^th Degree Black Belt in Shorinryu Karate and 4^th Degree in Okinawa Kobudo (weaponry). He is also a certified NRA pistol instructor certified to teach (basic pistol, personal protection inside the home, personal protection outside the home and defensive pistol). He is also a NRA Certified range safety office and Refuse To Be A Victim Instructor. Brandon has also taught many self-defense courses for local schools, recreation departments, YMCA’s, colleges / universities and corporations. Brandon continues to learn having taken courses on de-escalation tactics, police tactics, defensive shooting, physical control tactics and more. Brandon teaches karate at his karate school 4 days a week in Twinsburg, Ohio.

For class information or to schedule a self-defense seminar for your group contact him through the Precision Defensive Solutions Website at www.ncpda.us.  

Handgun Selections

We get a lot of people asking what is a good defensive pistol or what should they buy. I would like to address that question in short form. There are many “defensive pistols” on the market and many are of very good quality. So the question is kind of a loaded question.

1.      Q: What should I look for in a pistol?

A: Is it comfortable in your hand? Is the handgun chambered in a caliber that is comfortable for you to shoot? Is it concealable for your body type?

2.      Q: What is a good brand of pistol?

A: Smith & Wesson, Glock, Springfield Armory, Sig Sauer and Dan Wesson are all great companies that make outstanding firearms. I suggest picking one on the comfort, at a price point you can afford and if you can “conceal” it well.

3.      Q: What is a good caliber for a defensive pistol?

A: .380ACP, 9mm, .38 Special, 40S&W & .45ACP are all great calibers for a personal defense pistol. We will get into more detail on ammo selection at another time.

4.      Q: Should I get a revolver or a semi-auto pistol?

A: Both of them have their positives and negatives so get what you are comfortable with

The bottom line of it is this:

1.      If it is too big, heavy, uncomfortable or you can’t conceal it you won’t carry it

2.      If the price is too expensive for your budget you will regret it and probably sell it

3.      If the handgun is uncomfortable to shoot, you won’t shoot it

4.      If the trigger pull is too heavy or you can’t rack the slide efficiently you won’t enjoy shooting the handgun.

5.      So purchase what you are 110% comfortable with, try various types of handguns out (you can rent them at most ranges) and be happy with your purchase.

For information on training classes please visit our website at: www.ncpda.us or call us at: 330.888.0545