I like the Ruger P95DC for its rugged end-of-the-world durability. Rental ranges confirm that these things virtually never break. Then again, no one probably has any interest in shooting them so perhaps thats the reason. But…even more robust in Ruger’s “Ignore ergonomics, just make it a tank” style, we have today’s guest…a Ruger P89DC. An outgrowth of the P85 (and P85II) series, this was a somewhat improved version of the P85 series of military contract wannabes.
I genuinely believe this gun is unkillable. With shipping, this ugly duckling (ca.1993) set me back a hair over two hundred bucks. Whats really fascinating is that someone thought highly enough of this gun to put a set of Crimson Trace laser grips on it. Ruger retired the P89 in 2009, but they turn up in evidence lockers and gun ‘buybacks’ everywhere. I’ve never seen a broken one. I’ve seen them with pitting, rust, gouges, scratches, missing sights, and all sortsa staining…..but I’ve never seen one that didn’t work.
Friend Of The Blog(tm), Tam, did a 2000-rd endurance test and other than the cringe-worthy ergonomics, it chugged along without a hitch. That isn’t necessarily a difficult accomplishment. Tam’s 2000-rd tests prove that any well-made pistol from a major brand shooting quality ammunition will usually give that kind of performance. The pistol Tam used for her test, and which has apparently gone on to be a prop for a book cover, was a very worn, very well used pistol that, when I got it, still had the evidence tag wired to the front of the triggerguard. (You can see the wear from the wire on the front of the triggerguard in her photos.)
The P95DC is a lighter, handier gun…but thats like saying a patio paver is a lighter handier brick than a cinder block – its true, but that doesnt take away the fact its a brick. Since they both use the same magazine, and the price was right, and you can never have too many ‘disposable’ handguns to stuff under the seat of your truck, the floorboards of your cabin, or into an ammo can buried in a national forest somewhere, it seemed like a good purchase at the time.
Im still fascinated that someone went through the time and expense to slap a laser sight on it.
Nice day at the range today. Was shooting with a friend and we were using our .22 conversion kits in our AR’s to practice fast sight pictures and shots. She wound up having a .22 case do a double feed that was stuck in the receiver quite solidly. I was about to use my pocket knife to try and pry it out when she stopped me and told me that she had a tool in her bag for prying out stuck cases in AR’s. Now, there are all sorts of tools out there for that sort of thing. Heck, Gerber even sells a multitool that incorporates such a tool as one of its features. But, apparently for about a buck at any paint store you can get one of these:
And…it was darn near the perfect tool for the job. Live and learn.
Spent about four hours at the range doing drills with the .22 Glock and the Ruger MPR with the .22 kit. Also sighted in the new dot scope I put on a Ruger takedown. And I function tested a P95DC that I picked up a few weeks ago.
Most interesting was some kids (and I mean kids…like college age kids) showed up on the same range with a host of dot-sighted Glocks. This gave me a chance to get some opinions about Glock MOS vs third-party milled slide, RMR vs Holosun vs Acro, etc, etc. The short version is that it looks like optimum result will be achieved by getting the RMR on a slide that has been milled out specifically for it rather than using Glocks MOS and plates. I need to research it more, but I think that’ll be the direction I’m going…at least until I get some more research done that points me in a different direction.
All in all, a fun and productive day at the range. Getting into the habit of doing a bit of gun workout every week seems to be paying off in terms of enjoyment.
I really don’t like making too many posts that are firearms-related because, nominally, this blog isn’t about firearms but rather about preparedness. And while firearms are certainly a part of that, they are but a small part. Unfortunately, the free ice cream machine is clogged today and firearms posts are sort of a low-hanging fruit.
As years come on apace I am slowly moving forward in terms of firearms technology. I’ve put red dots on a couple carbines and I’ve decided I want to try out a red dot pistol. To that end, I’ve decided to assemble a moderately tweaked out G17 (or G34….haven’t decided yet). The reason for the red dot is simply for speed and increased accuracy.
I’ve learned, at some expense, that the world does throw the odd curve ball every once in a while and that when that pitch leaves the mound youre gonna want every advantage you can get. For me, that means fast(er) and (more) accurate shooting.
I’m looking at getting a Trijicon RMR. I’ve talked to several people and gotten some mixed messages regarding slides with optic cuts. Glock makes their optic-ready MOS series and my initial thought was just to pick up a 17MOS or 34MOS (which, sadly, are not available as Gen3 versions.) However, I’ve had a couple people tell me that the MOS mounting system leaves a bit to be desired and that I would be better serviced to send a regular Glock slide off and have the optics cut milled out specifically for the RMR, rather than using adaptor plates.
Another alternative, which is rapidly gaining favor with me, is to buy an aftermarket slide that is already cut for the RMR. In this manner I can have a Gen3 pistol with the optics. (It’s a personal preference thing…the Gen3, to me, is the more comfortable and reliable of all the Glock generations. Fuddlore perhaps, but I have the money to get what I want so …why not?)
Once that optic issue is in the rearview mirror the rest is simple. A quality threaded barrel, a nice trigger, suppressor-height night sites, light, and a good holster. And then loads of practice.
But, for now, the bugaboo is the optics mounting issue….after that everything else seems simple.
I’ve been to a couple classes at gun school, many years ago, and I have had forays into competitive shooting also many years ago. But any acquired skill can be easily unacquired by lack of usage or lack of repetition. And as I’ve gotten older, instead of having no money but lotsa time, it’s gone the other way. I can afford the toys, I just don’t have the time to shoot them. Thats gotta change.
A friend of mine reminded me that the difference between an amateur and a professional is that an amateur practices until they get it right, a professional practices until he can’t get it wrong. I have no desire to be a ‘professional’, whatever that means, in terms of pistolero. But what I do want is a heightened/sharpened skillset that will help me when things are in a panic and rational thought has left the room. What’s that expression about how ‘you will default to your level of training’?
The world is not getting to be a brighter, warmer, friendlier place. I would prefer, given my druthers, that if it ever comes down to some brief-but-intense moment where a pistol is what stands between the safety of those I care about and the violent intentions of some whacko, I have the muscle memory and presence of mind to perform up to the task. I don’t need to be the fastest, I don’t need the briefest split times, I don’t need to be Best In Overall finish. I just need to be able to draw my pistol and get bullets on the target in the most expeditious and efficient way possible without shooting myself or anyone else. The only person I need to compete against is me. I do not want to rely on luck.
So, I’m working on adopting the habit of getting out to the range once a week to work on my pistol and carbine skills. Not to plink, not to target shoot, not to screw around, but to actually practice repeatable drills, get metrics on performance, track those metrics, and instill some habits and behaviors that will, ideally, work in my favor if that need ever arises.
How to do that? Well, as Flannel Daddy says “Talk is cheap and ammo is expensive”. First thing is dry fire practice. Drawing a pistol from the holster smoothly, getting a clear sight picture, and keeping the gun on target as the trigger is pulled. That’s an easy enough thing to practice at home…I spent the money for the Mantis laser dry fire and I can’t say enough good things about it. I get to use my carry pistol, the holster I normally wear, the light I normally use, etc, etc. And I can do this sort of practice whenever I want and not have to leave my living room. Can’t recommend it enough.
So, part of my intended practice plan is a healthy dose of dry fire. At some point, it’s time to head to the range and put some actual metal into the air. Still, 9mm isnt as cheap as I’d like it to be, so there’s also a good bit of .22 practice going on. A while back I bought a Glock 44 specifically for this sort of thing. While dry firing absolutely has merit and utility, the feedback of a bullet hitting the metal plate sure gives some nice positive reinforcement. Yeah, there are conversion kits out there for the Glock but I have a bit of experience with them and was never all that impressed with them. I have more confidence in a .22 trainer built by the guys who also built the real thing. Your mileage may vary, of course…and I know there will be posts in the comments about how someone’s conversion kit has functioned flawlessly blah, blah, blah. Great, man, I’m happy for you…Im just telling you what my experience has been and what it’s led me to do. You do you.
And, of course, from there its another step forward and time to shoot actual 9mm. Cheap ball is around $0.25 per round today and if you think you can reload it for less than that, then you havent bought primers lately:
At eight cents per primer, youre still looking at about four or five cents for powder, and at least a dime for a bullet. I’m assuming you’re using scrounged (‘free’) brass. That puts you at around $0.23 per round. Screw that, I’ll pay the extra $20 for 1000 rounds I didnt spend all weekend reloading.
If you have to use a carbine for self-defense, things really have kinda gone off the rails but thats the world we’re living in today. As a result, I have a CMMG .22 conversion kit and I don’t really have a bad thing to say about it. As I type this, Arms Unlimited is selling the CCMG kit and 13 magazines for $205. You’re missing out if you don’t jump on that deal. I’ve bought three of those packages as gifts for friends of mine so they can join me in some casual competition. My experience has been that the Federal bulk box .22 is the preferred ammo. When youre done using the kit, fire a round or two of.223 out of it to clean the .22 gunk outta your gas system.
Next up is a shot timer. Not because I’m interested in being the fastest gun out there, but because I want to measure my own progress. There are apps you can download for your phone that provide very good shot timer functions, but I really don’t want to half-ass any of this process and I can afford a purpose-built shot timer. On Tam‘s recommendation* I purchased a shot timer off Amazon. I must say, last time I did anything that required a shot timer we did not have the fancy Bluetooth connection that you kids have today. And if you go waaaaaay back, Cooper and his gang started this whole trend with just a stopwatch and a fast thumb.
Targets are, for me , the steel plates hanging at the range, so I bring along a can of spraypaint to clean them up. I’ll probably sign up for the Big Sky Practical Pistol Club membership so I can use their stands and plates. But I’ll also swing by Scheels and pick up some target stands and go online and order up a pile of the IPSC/USPSA torso targets to use.
About the only thing left to do, logistics-wise, is research what shooting drills I want to incorporate into a routine and which ones i think will provide me the skills I foresee needing. Obviously I want something that does a draw-from-concealment, some weak-hand stuff, some close-in drill, and then whatever else looks like it may lead to a useful skillset to have tucked away for that Bad Day. The odds of ever needing those sorts of skills are pretty strong against it…but I’ve had the odds thrown out the window before.
But, for now, I’ve got most of the gear details ironed out. Now its time to draw up the schedule and regimen and get to it…which is, as we all know, the toughest part. Talking is easy, doing…not so much.
* = I should point out that when I have a question regarding gun schools and competition, Tam has been very generous in taking the time to answer my dumb questions with patience and promptness. So…h/t.
Lovely days lately here in western Montana. Time to dust off the mountain bike and get ready for warmer-weather activities.
More than anything else, I need to start an actual training regime at the range. I’ve gone through the trouble and expense of acquiring .22 conversion kits for my rifles, and picking up a .22 Glock 44 to practice my pistol handling skills….now I just need to adopt a plan of shooting drills and exercises, to be performed on a regular basis, to make sure I’m staying competent on decay-susceptible skills.
(And, by the way, the Mantis system I purchased a while back is excellent and I highly recommend it for those times when getting to the range just ain’t gonna happen.)
While Im at it, I need to get back to some form of weight and mobility training. Its been too long since I sat on the floor, did stretches, and moves a bunch of weigh around.
With the end of the world (in some fashion) seemingly just around the corner, I’d like to have a headstart on being able to competently place in the top slots in the upcoming Shoot-n-Scoot Olympics.
There is no shortage of gun drills out there….the Mozambique (later renamed to Failure Drill) is probably the best known…but there’s others out there. I’m curious – if you were going to establish, say, a weekly routine of basic shooting skill drills for rifle and pistol, which ones would you do? Please link to a description/video.
My day-to-day carry guns are twofold. When I’m at work, and have to not be obviously armed, I carry a Smith 642 snubbie in an ankle holster under my khakis. Better than nothing.
When I can wear whatever i want, I usually carry a Glock 17. If I’m running errands, shopping, at the post office, visiting friends, etc, etc, I am going to be, most likely, toting the G17. My holster of choice is a DeSantis that I picked up brand new many years back and have given a tremendous amount of ‘character’ (read:wear and tear). Its a holster that says “I’ve seen things, man.” Its pretty scuffed and battered. But it works fine.
The problem is, about fifty percent of the time it is dark. And while my G17 has a nice set of night sights on it, when lighting is a bit dim its nice to have a weapon-mounted light. However, carrying a pistol with a weapon mounted light is always a bit annoying because you have to get a holster specifically made to accommodate such a protuberance. But, as the world increasingly gets weird, I am taking my personal safety more seriously than before. So…time to get a holster that will accommodate a light.
I like leather, and my two main go-to guys for gunleather are Galco and DeSantis. Finding a holster/light combo compatible holster is dizzying. You have, generally, two sizes of Glock frame – the 9/40 and 10/45. (Discounting the smaller Glocks.) For weapon-mounted lights you’ve got at least…at least…a dozen variations. So, in theory, thats at least 24 possible combinations that may require a unique holster to fit them. But, where there is a will, there is a way.And, like all new leather holsters, it needs a little elbow grease here and there to loosen it up a little. But it seems like a decent enough product.
More importantly, it adds a bit of advantage in my favor, I believe, by giving me the option of having a way to illuminate a target. And, of course, i can also simply not use the light if I don’t feel the need…but at least its there to give me an option I might not otherwise have.
I know that there is a contingent of people who feel that weapon lights are ridiculous because all they do is telegraph your location to the lurking bad guy. I can see the argument, but I can also see arguments in the other direction. As I said, at least this way I have the option as I deem the situation warrants.
While upgrading the sights on a firearms is always a worthy endeavour, the real pain in the tuchus comes from having to re-sight the bloody thing in. But it’s gotta be done.
As I mentioned, I had installed night sights on my favorite GP-100. It’s a very nice pistol..I got it from Caleb Giddings a number of years back and its got a nice smooth action to it. It really is my favorite .357 at the moment. And..wow, is it accurate. My preferred ammo is 8.0 gr. of Unique under a 158 gr. JHP. Not an earthshaking load, but not a powderpuff either. Cases eject cleanly from the cylinder, recoil is manageable, and, in my two GP-100s, it’s really really accurate. I shoot really well with this gun.
Anway, with the new night sights there was a need to re-sight the gun in and….it was great. Took about three cylinders to get things where I wanted and confirm where they were hitting and it was some tight groups. I’m pleased. I wouldn’t want to run the apocalypse with a revolver if I had a choice, but if I had to carry one through Ragnarok…. this little package would be hard to beat.
Sighting in the new 8-shot Redhawk, however, was a different story. I just could not get it to group nearly as well as the GP-100. I think part of the problem is the grips on the gun. Smooth hardwood that doesn’t really fill the hand well. I normally like Pachmayr Grippers on my revolvers, but the GP-100 has a Hogue Monogrip on it an I shoot that gun quite well. The smooth grips on the Redhawk make it hard to keep the same grip, recoil whips the gun around in my grip, etc, etc. Why do gun companies go through the expense of making these types of grips that are just going to call for replacements anyway? Frustrating.
But..I got to spend time at the range, had a very satisfying time with my GP-100, and crosses some stuff off my To-Do list. Calling it a win.
As pretty much everyone has noticed, it’s dark at least 50% of the time.
One of the nice things about the Ruger GP-100 series of pistols is an easiliy swappable front sight. In fact Ruger sells different colored inserts inserts of color so you can find pretty much whatever you want. Unfortuantely, a self-luminating (self-luminous?) front sight was not one of them. Not to fear, the free market abhors a vacuum. I went with the Meprolights since, to be honest, there’s not a huge amount of choices when it comes to revolver night sights, unlike, say, Glocks where everyone makes them.
The rear sight was an easy install, the front sight took a little time with a stone to remove a bit of excess material from the sight.
The finished product, of course, needs to go the range and be sighted in with my usual load of Unique under a 158 gr. JHP.
I have met people who have said that night sights are pointless…if you can’t see your sights, then its dark enough you can see your target. I want to call this a rather stupid argument but I’m a bit more diplomatic than that so I’ll just call it ‘shortsighted’.
These arguments discount the possibility of scenarios where, for example, you may be standing in a darkened area but your target is in a lit area. Or the light is dim/fading and theres enough light to see a target but not quite enough light to rapidly acquire your sights.
But here’s the most important reason for me: because I believe they have a utility to me.
Crom forfend, but if I am ever in a situation where gunplay means the difference in terms of my immediate and long-term safety, I’m going to want every advantage possible. Night sights are an advantage.
I put night sights on all my Glocks, and whenever possible I add a tactical light as well. I am surprised that night sights on revolvers are such a seemingly rare commodity these days. I understand that it’s kind of a pain in the butt to make a Model 60 with an interchangeable front sight blade and a dovetail for what would normally be a fixed frame, but, cmon, a gun designed for self-defense should recognize that often those moments take place in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Ruger, at least, recognizes this and offers a version of their excellent SP101 snubby with front and rear dovetail sights.
I’m pretty sure someone in comments is going to say something about how night sights give your position away to anyone with NOD/NVD’s and therefore you’re not being tactical by having them on your gun, etc, etc. For that, I refer you to the paragraph three above this one.
I genuinely believe this gun is unkillable. With shipping, this ugly duckling (ca.1993) set me back a hair over two hundred bucks. Whats really fascinating is that someone thought highly enough of this gun to put a set of Crimson Trace laser grips on it. Ruger retired the P89 in 2009, but they turn up in evidence lockers and gun ‘buybacks’ everywhere. I’ve never seen a broken one. I’ve seen them with pitting, rust, gouges, scratches, missing sights, and all sortsa staining…..but I’ve never seen one that didn’t work.
