Firearms Friday: Always Consider The Caliber

Sig Sauer P238.

A couple of years ago, firearms chambered in .380 ACP surged in popularity. This spike in sales was largely due to the compact nature of the firearms being produced. Heck, I was one of the people that purchased a firearm for that very reason (the Sig Sauer P238 to be exact). Since that phase, 9mm firearms have definitely caught up and have been shrunk down to approximately the same size. With size now pretty much out of the equation, more and more .380 firearms can be found in the used cases than ever before (my Sig suffered the same fate) and many of them are discounted heavily due to the number of firearms that are coming back in and the significantly decreased demand.

Another deterrent keeping the .380 market subdued is the simple fact that ammunition prices for the necked down cartridge are still high when compared to 9mm. Essentially, you can get the same sized firearm with the same round count and spend a lot less on ammunition (a difference big enough to justify the slightly larger price tag for 9mm). All those small firearms don’t make much sense anymore even though the upfront cost is much lower.

However, in the end that is now the biggest draw of these firearms. People go to the used display cases, see the price difference, and decide to save a few dollars. The rude awakening (most commonly with new gun owners) doesn’t happen until later when they keep spending more and more money on ammunition with the price of 9mm, sitting right next to those pricy boxes, staring them in the face. Overall, anyone who has been around firearms knows that this is not a new dilemma just the current incarnation.

This is still something that happens when you aren’t quite paying enough attention before buying that surplus rifle or dusty revolver. I still see people, many with a pretty good background in firearms, bring back their ‘bargain’ buys once they feel the pain of the prices associated with uncommon calibers. Primarily I see with 32 and 38 Smith & Wesson revolvers. These firearms frequently rotate in and out of used cases with nominal price tags… seeing a price in double digits pretty much ensures that the firearm will be sold quickly. What many buyers don’t realize as they are filling out the forms is that they will actually spend more money on ammo during a single day at the range than they spend on the gun itself (if they can even find the ammo).

So, in the end, whether you are buying your first gun or your hundredth, don’t forget to factor in the price of ammo especially in a market that retains some volatility. Make sure that you consider both the price and availability of the ammo for the ‘bargain’ that you just discovered in the used (or new) case. Practice is an essential part of firearms ownership and if you can afford to practice it really isn’t a bargain after all. Buy what makes financial sense in the long run not just in the short term. Of course, if you really want that PPK and you can afford to feed it by all means go right ahead just stay away from the Martinis.

Firearms Friday: Army Sidearm Competition

Every once in a while, the United States Army makes it known that they are opening up competition to see if the current designs and technology are what they are looking for to replace the Beretta M9. Essentially, every time the Beretta contract begins winding down, there is new talk as to what will be the next sidearm issued to soldiers in the Army. While talks are frequent, it doesn’t mean that a change will be made as since 1911 the Army has only had 2 pistols, the aforementioned M9 adopted in 1985 and the M1911A1 adopted in 1911.

There are numerous factors that will be considered this time around that weren’t really part of the equation 30 years ago. Polymer frames have become an industry standard and preferred material for modern shooters, modularity is both readily available and cost effective as modern materials make for the faster and easier production of such parts, and manufacturing costs have gone down considerably with the advent of new processes and materials.

So what criteria will hold over from the last trial?

While there are some forces that prefer the larger .45ACP round, the Army is still set on issuing 9mm NATO rounds which provide greater round count, better recoil management, and less wear and tear on firearms in comparison to higher pressure rounds such as .40 S&W and .357 Sig. Parts interchangeability will be essential as servicing the sidearm will require readily available and standard sized parts… they want the armorer to be able to drop in a new barrel rather than have to fit it to the individual gun. Cost will be a major consideration as well especially given the history of Sig Sauer previously falling short to Beretta based on this criteria. Also, all firearms must be manufactured in the US.

Of course, the biggest requirements of them all are durability and combat accuracy. As was outlined in a recent Guns America article on the subject:

Whichever guns get entered will have to average 2,000 rounds between stoppages. The guns will have to run an average of 10,000 rounds before a true failure. And the guns will need a service life of 35,000 rounds. They will need to put 90% of rounds within a 4″ circle at 50 meters, which breaks down to about 7MOA. And they’ll need to be able to handle hot loads (at least 20% over SAAMI specs for their caliber).

While there are hundreds of potential participants, and even more opinions in the community as to what should be selected, there will no doubt be designs that we have seen previously and ones that will be a complete surprise. Those mystery entries are what is going to really make this competition interesting as there are always designs or features that will be developed for this competition that will eventually make it to the civilian market. I guess, in the end, the real question is how the previous finalists will fair against newer and younger competition?

Saturday Afternoon Detour

Final decision... Smith & Wesson M&P 9C

On Saturday I alluded to a stop that I made on the way back from Scranton with my mentee. Well, it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone, at least anyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time, that we stopped by my local gun shop. It was actually one of those instances that everything seemed to work out perfectly… we left Scranton earlier than expected, the trip was fast than anticipated, and it turned out that my passenger didn’t have to get back right away and was free for the afternoon. All of those things added up to a slight detour to enjoy looking at a variety of firearms.

It all stemmed from previous conversations that we had discussing additional carry options for him. An upgrade if you will. I kept telling him that we would eventually make it up to Tanner’s Sport Center so that we could take a look around and see what worked for him. This trip put everything into place so that our side trip made sense. We had the time to drive over there and we had plenty of time, up to Scranton and back, to discuss all the things that he wanted in a new carry gun. By the time we got to the shop I had a pretty good list of things that I wanted to show him for consideration.

Now, I want you to keep in mind that I am fully aware that a firearms purchase, especially one that is going to be carried, is a very individual process. Something that works for me, whether it be caliber, size, weight, action, etc., may not work for someone else. I am not a brand loyal shooter. There are too many options and high quality firearms out there that I couldn’t really settle on one brand, model, and caliber. I have my preferences but I am not going to rule anything out (even the cheaper options have their place).

His list was pretty basic: 9mm, smaller, double stack magazine (10+ capacity with larger magazine options as a plus... we live in a free state), and striker fired. Keep in mind that he was carrying a Ruger LCP at the time. So, with those options as a starting point we walking into the gun shop and began browsing the used gun case. While he was asking the sales person if they had a used Glock 26 I spotted a Smith & Wesson M&P 9C off in the corner of the case. While he had a few doubts at first, he soon realize when he put the two side by side that they were the same size with many of the same features. The only real difference is preference in both appearance and feel.

There were also a few single stacks that we pulled out of the case (Walther, Kahr, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, etc.) but capacity weighed heavily on his decision. What finally pushed him to make the purchase was the various holster options that seemed to work well for him and the extra magazines that were available on the rack. So, in the end, I guess you could say that I helped to guide my mentee in more than just Freemasonry. In both instances, I am really just there to offer advice and guidance with the final decision being his to make. I’m just glad that I am able to help him with two things that he enjoys.