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--- articles:the-sme_vs_salesman [2021/02/01 21:35] – [Other Considerations] rrandall
+++ articles:the-sme_vs_salesman [2021/02/17 16:49] (current) – [And that's just the beginning] rrandall
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 Also, if your hand "fits" the pistol handle but you can't reach the magazine release and safety lever (if applicable) without altering your firing grip, then recognize that pistols come in MANY shapes and sizes (e.g., Full Size, Compact or sub-compact). So keep looking for the best "fit" you can find.
+[{{ :articles:hogue_ruger_lcp_handall_grip_sleeve-rubber_pistol_grip_sleeve-black.jpeg?direct&300|Ruger LCP with a Hogue Handall Rubber Grip Sleeve}}]
 __IF the pistol is too small__ \\
-{{ :articles:hogue_handall_beavertail_grip_sleeve_for_sig_sauer_p320_full_size-od_green_.jpeg?direct&250|}}
 For people with large hands and/or long fingers, "fit" is typically only a problem when trying to choose a compact or sub-compact pistol (as a [[articles:concealed_carry_weapon|Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW)]]). If you start with a full size pistol that "fits", then you should immediately recognize a problem when handling a pistol that is too small! However, you could add an inexpensive "Grip Sleeve" to increase the size of the grip.
 The biggest problem with guys who have large hands is them thinking that everyone has large hands - and trying to choose a pistol that they can "share" with their wife! It would be rare to find a pistol that "fits" both people. One possible solution for sharing a pistol with a small handle is to get a "Grip Sleeve". While a "Grip Sleeve" increases the size of the grip, it's easily removable for someone with smaller hands to use. [[https://www.hogueinc.com/grips/handall-grip-sleeves/sleeve|Hoage]] manufactures several different types of "grip sleeves".
+People with large and/or long fingers often have an issue with fitting their finger inside the trigger guard. In some cases it is because the trigger itself is too far forward... leaving little space between the trigger and the front of the trigger guard. In other cases, the trigger guard is just too short - making it uncomfortable or awkward for these folks to get their finger into the trigger guard! Fortunately, the majority of [[https://hk-usa.com/product/pistols/ Heckler & Koch (H&K) pistols]] have an extended trigger guard. While these can be awkward for people with small hands and/or short fingers, they're often a perfect fit for people with large and/or long fingers.
 **Grip Angle** \\
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 The 1911 grip angle (all 1911 variants) is more nearly square to the slide (about 18 degrees off square), while the Glock grip angle (Luger, Steyr M series, H&K P7, Ruger Mk II, etc.) is more raked (about 22 degrees off square). No grip angle is inherently better than the other. Some peoples’ hand and wrist anatomy just align better with one angle than the other. You should find a pistol with an anatomically-natural grip angle that "fits" you with little or no adjustment. This will help you naturally acquire targets in a stressful situation.
+**__Finger Grooves__** \\
+Many handgun manufacturers install finger grooves on handgun grips (mostly because new gun buyers think they look "cool)". They’re found in the form of the subtle grooves on the gen 3 and gen 4 Glocks all the way up to the massive canyon-sized grooves on the ubiquitous Hogue revolver monogrips. However, the vast majority of experienced/serious shooters avoid them because placing your fingers in the grooves could force your hand to be too low - or too high - on the grip to have sufficient control of the gun under recoil. Conversely, placing the hand in the correct position might necessitate that your fingers wrap around the ridges on the front of the grip, rather than inside the grooves. If the grooves are subtle enough, the shooter might be able to ignore this minor discomfort, but it can also cause pain or loss of control under recoil.
+As a general rule, new gun owners should avoid handguns with finger grooves. The only exception is where it is a finger groove sleeve that can be removed.
 ===== Other Considerations =====
-Beyond the "fit" of a pistol, someone who is new to firearms faces a dizzying array of options to consider - and decisions to make.
+Beyond the "fit" of a pistol, someone who is new to firearms faces a dizzying array of options to consider - and decisions to make. For example:
-For example:
   * How the pistol will primarily be used as a "[[articles:concealed_carry_weapon|Concealed Carry Weapon]]" (CCW)
   * Whether or not it has "rails (e.g., "[[http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-1800-1999/MIL-STD-1913_17705/|MIL-STD-1913 (Picatinny) Rails]]" or "[[https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=10724|Weaver Rails]]" for attaching a laser sight, flashlight)
@@ Line 78: / Line 83: @@
   * Grip Type (e.g., material (wood, plastic, rubber) with or without texturing, with or without a "[[https://vzgrips.com/products/1911-operator2-blackgray-rockislandambi-internalmagwellcut.html|magwell cut]]", or adding a [[https://www.hogueinc.com/grips/handall-grip-sleeves/sleeve|Hoage "grip sleeve"]] to make the grip slightly larger)
   * Whether it has a manual "safety" or not
-  * Whether or not it has a "drop" safety
+  * Whether or not it has a "drop" safety (while most pistols have a "drop safety", these are not included in "1911" series 70 model models, but are included in 1911 series 80 models)
-  * Trigger "pull" (force required to release the firing pin)
+  * [[articles:triggers|Trigger Type]]
-  * Trigger Face Design (Straight or Curved)
-  * Trigger Operation (fulcrum/hinged or "straight slide" triggers)
-The list can be quite extensive, but the above cover the majority of qualities that a new buyer should understand... before considering whether the gun "looks cool".
+==== Physical Condition ====
-<note>Many, including myself, consider the "straight slide" trigger superior to every "fulcrum/hinged" trigger. However, at this point, the 1911 is the only pistol design that I am aware of with a "straight slide" trigger. \\
+Another MAJOR consideration should your upper body strength, wrist strength, and any physical conditions - such as arthritis or other joint pain/tenderness. When choosing a handgun, understand that [[articles:recoil|handgun weight & recoil]] are connected... and have little to do with caliber alone.
-\\
-However, if you want something other than a 1911, consider that a "fulcrum/hinged" trigger is actually a lever. If you DON'T put your finger in the same place every time, the force required to fire the pistol will be different every time. While a curved trigger face will always guide (index) your finger into the same position, that may not be "your" preferred position. In contrast, a straight trigger allows you the flexibility to determine where you best like placing your trigger. Many people who prefer the 1911 "straight slide" trigger will slide their finger along the inside bottom of the trigger guard to approximate the "feel" of a "straight slide" trigger - even though that may not be where they would ordinarily place their finger.</note>
-==== Physical Condition ====
+==== Pistol Modifications ====
-Another MAJOR consideration should your upper body strength, wrist strength, and any physical conditions - such as arthritis or other joint pain/tenderness. When choosing a handgun, understand that [[articles:recoil|handgun weight & recoil]] are connected... and have little to do with caliber alone.
+Once you're comfortable with your firearm, you may discover a few features that you want to add or improve. For example, adding night sights, a laser sight, a small flash light, upgraded handle grips (e.g., rubberized, or - for the 1911 - grips with a "[[https://vzgrips.com/products/1911-operator2-blackgray-rockislandambi-internalmagwellcut.html|magwell cut]]"), a grip sleeve, or using "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h41Mwsz5hK8|recoil buffer]]" pads to extend the life of the pistol. The list goes on and on.
+USMC Veteran Matt Stamp has a GREAT video on MODs for the 1911 at: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnmj8wWZiGA|1911 Mods]]". While Matt prefers the shorter GI Guide Rod in his 1911s, the "TheYankeeMarshal", in his video "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKePaNbQL6I|1911 Guide Rods: Full Length vs. GI Style (Which is better?)]]", says there is little evidence that this makes any noticeable difference. Another topic of debate, regarding 1911s, is whether the series 70 is better than the series 80 (which adds 4 parts internal to the 1911 in order to create an arguably unnecessary "drop safety" - as that risk has already been addressed using a more efficient means).
 ===== And that's just the beginning =====
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 You'll need to learn:
-  * how to properly [[articles:handgun_grip|grip]] your handgun (they can be different)
+  * how to properly [[articles:handgun_grip|grip]] your handgun (each pistol can be different)
   * a proper shooting stance
   * [[articles:disassembly_and_cleaning|how to disassemble and clean your handgun]]
@@ Line 115: / Line 118: @@
 Virtually every gun range has multiple firearms instructors for you to hire. However, which ones are good and which ones are bad? Most "civilian" Instructors are just OK... because they've probably never had to use their firearm in self-defense. So they can teach "theory" all day long (much like asking a virgin for advice about sex). However, they can get you started.
-If you're serious, then seek out a Police Officer who trains other Police officers. Many Police officers retire and offer firearm training to supplement their retirement. These folks typically operate several levels above the "civilian" Instructors... and will teach you about the legal ramifications of using a firearm for self-defense in a civilian environment. While many retired police officers may have had to "pull" their firearm for self-defense, few have ever had to actually use it. So while they are better than most civilian Instructors, their focus and experience are still limited.
+If you're serious, then seek out a Police Officer who trains other Police officers. Many Police officers retire and offer firearm training to supplement their retirement. These folks typically operate several levels above the "civilian" Instructors... and will teach you about the legal ramifications of using a firearm for self-defense in a civilian environment. While many retired police officers may have had to "pull" their firearm for self-defense, few have ever had to actually use it. One negative to be aware of is that police forces tend to select only one to two pistols to train their officers to use. And that tends to be what former police officers are best at training others to use. So while they are better than most civilian Instructors, their focus and experience are still limited.
-Another option is former military personnel. IF they only served for 4 years (or served in a non-combat role). Pass. Seek out former military personnel who were deployed multiple times and served in Special Forces, Navy Seals, etc. Many experienced former military personnel have had to use their firearm(s) MANY times. So they can move well beyond "theory" and talk about "practical application" in real-world "live fire" situations. This training will be VERY good... but often VERY different from the instruction offered by Police Officers. The bottom line is... get a true Subject Matter Expert (SME).
+Another option is former military personnel. IF they only served for 4 years (or served in a non-combat role). Pass. Seek out former military personnel who were deployed multiple times and served in Special Forces, Navy Seals, etc. Many experienced former military personnel have had to use their firearm(s) MANY times. So they can move well beyond "theory" and talk about "practical application" in real-world "live fire" situations. And while they're primarily trained in use of the standard-issue weapons (including pistols), they often have experience in using multiple weapons - including multiple pistols. This training will be VERY good... but often VERY different from the instruction offered by Police Officers. The bottom line is... get a true Subject Matter Expert (SME).
-<note>As a fan of the 1911, the best video that I've seen specifically addressing the basics for the 1911 is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thHqypf4-h0|1911s And How to Properly Use them]]".</note>
+<note>The best video that I've seen specifically addressing the basics for the 1911 is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thHqypf4-h0|1911s And How to Properly Use them]]".</note>
 - Ammunition \\
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 Without going into great detail, you'll need to go somewhere to live-fire practice. This usually involves a shooting range - which has membership and/or usage fees. And, of course, you'll need both ballistic eye protection and good hearing protection. Many people like to double-up on their hearing protection by wearing both earplugs & earmuffs (electronic noise canceling earmuffs are often preferred). This is because, in order to work properly, ear muffs must have a complete seal... which is not always complete. The ear plugs dampen any noise that may enter through a poorly sealed ear-muff.
+<note important>While a Shooting Range is great for beginners, these offer an extremely limited / restricted opportunity for practice / training (e.g., confined single lanes with little or no ability to move laterally, Range Rules often forbid drawing from a holster). Therefore, most serious shooters will graduate fairly quickly to a tactical training course.</note>
-- Modifications \\
-Once you're comfortable with your firearm, you may discover a few features that you want to add or improve. For example, adding night sights, a laser sight, a small flash light, upgraded handle grips (e.g., rubberized, or - for the 1911 - grips with a "[[https://vzgrips.com/products/1911-operator2-blackgray-rockislandambi-internalmagwellcut.html|magwell cut]]"), a grip sleeve, or using "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h41Mwsz5hK8|recoil buffer]]" pads to extend the life of the pistol. The list goes on and on.
-USMC Veteran Matt Stamp has a GREAT video on MODs for the 1911 at: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnmj8wWZiGA|1911 Mods]]". While Matt prefers the shorter GI Guide Rod in his 1911s, the "TheYankeeMarshal", in his video "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKePaNbQL6I|1911 Guide Rods: Full Length vs. GI Style (Which is better?)]]", says there is little evidence that this makes any noticeable difference. Another topic of debate, regarding 1911s, is whether the series 70 is better than the series 80 (which adds 4 parts internal to the 1911 in order to create an arguably unnecessary "drop safety" - as that risk has already been addressed using a more efficient means).
 If you haven't figured it out yet... becoming a proficient marksman is an expensive - and time-consuming endeavor to undertake. And, just to be clear, I am by no means a SME on this topic.