Carry Gun - Priorities

WELCOME TO THE NO BS WORLD OF TEDDY JACOBSON


My World of handguns has always revolved around personal carry guns because I always lived in a world of the streets. From growing up in Brooklyn I was exposed to more violence than the average kid growing up. My favorite all time carry gun was always a revolver in the early days but as semi autos became better and better I got to know them and like them. I remember when the Late Major George Nonte said that he really liked the SW model 39 and it was a new concept in the double action / single action design that went over very big in those days. Then SW came out with the model 59 which was the same design but in the 15 shot capacity version. The average person could never conceal a handgun like this comfortably in the summer months or in the hot climates, so everyone tried to buy a smaller type handgun to conceal. This was a very long time ago.


In todays world you have so much to choose from. When I look for a carry gun, I look at factors that most people do not even think about. For example when I look at some of these poorer made handguns that are cheaper all I can visualize is the internal parts how crude they are made. The average person would never dream of what I see looking at something with some what of an xray vision. I can and do live with MIM parts and if they are made right thats ok, but I can not live with parts in a handgun that look like they have been made with a file. I will not make that sacrifice for saving money, the only handgun that I will over look the internal machine marks is the "MAKAROV" and that is because it is a first class design that is heads and shoulders above handguns that are double the price.


When a new model comes out, the first thing you must ask your self is whether you will be able to buy extra magazines and a holster or extra parts. It is much better to wait a while after a new model hits the streets to not only get some feed back on the way it works but to see if the public will accept it other wise no one will make accessories for it. I for one have my favorites that I feel very comfortable with and that is a Glock of any of the mini series, either a 26, 27, or a 33. They are wonderful carry handguns in my opinion and if used with good factory ammo and kept clean will never let you down. If I could, I would buy 2 more Glock model 26 pistols. I do not care if they are black or OD green as no one will ever see them but me. The first thing I always do is polish the feed ramp and chamber and always recut the crown 45 degrees. I would air brush a ceramic or moly coating on the entire barrel. In a small Glock like that I always install the grey NY trigger spring rated at 8 lbs. I never use a 3.5 lb. connector, I mean NEVER. I have Lou Alessi make all my left handed holsters for me and they are superb, all having a forward cant. Lou knows what I like, in fact I have a velcro belt on order with him now because my waist is smaller at this time.


My other favorite carry handgun is my hard chrome plated HK P7 M8 that is quite a few years old and has never had more than 500 rounds through it. This pistol is a classic that is one of the best 9mm pistols this world has to offer. Regardless of what I own, this P7 is second to none. Again Lou has made all my left handed holsters for this very handgun. There is not a spot of rust or corrosion anywhere on this pistol as I keep it in pristine condition. I understand that HK is no longer making this handgun at this time. If you have one of these handguns do not sell it, its a piece of history that can not be replaced. I am trying to find extra springs for the P7 so that I can have some made using a different kind of spring wire that is superior.


When thinking about a carry handgun you must use your physical size and utilize your carry methods to help you select what is best for you. For example, I will give you a parrallel scenario. When the different orientals studied the martial arts it was broken down as follows, the Japanese were a very strong stocky people so they elected to use a system that best fit their physical size and they do best using a power structure system that is 50% hands and 50% feet. NOW, lets take the Koreans for example, they are taller and it was to their advantage to use a martial arts system that used more feet than hands.

Looking at the frailer Chinese people they did not always have the strength that the Japanese had or the height of the Koreans so they opted to use a system of speed to make up for the power they make have lacked. This is a very condensed version I have just explained but it also applies to your selection of a carry handgun. How could the average American with a CHL carry a Ruger Redhawk concealed in the heat of the summer, no way. Its all relative to your physical size and how you will carry it and what you feel comfortable using. Many Americans are brainwashed that if you do not carry a 1911 pistol in 45 acp that you do not stand a chance in a social engagement, that is total BS. Remember it is the type of bullet you select and where you place that bullet. I have spoken to many people that have carried a small handgun that were assaulted and robbed because they were not constantly aware of their surroundings and that an immanent threat was at hand right in front of them.


I like a SW 3913 and as you are aware by now I am completely at ease using a 9mm caliber providing its a bullet of my choice. The bullets I made years ago are super hot and reliable at 1320 feet per second and they are lethal. I never used anything but new brass when loading carry ammunition. I now carry a Glock 27 in 40 SW caliber only because I am used to the sights. I had Virgil Tripp hard chrome the slide for me years ago. I think that the SW 3913 is a definte contender for a daily carry pistol for many people and I have no reservations about recommending it. Its true there is some plastic being used internally that I do not like but it works fine and the pistol can be easily concealed in many different ways. The very best way to conceal this pistol for deep cover is a belly band type holster as made by DeSantis, they used to call it their model 60, I would think its still the very same model number. I know Lou Alessi owns a SW 3913 as I reworked it for him many years ago. There are many things about SW third generation pistols that I really like.


When we start to speak of 1911 pistols I see the parts over and over in my mind. I know how many junk parts there are on the market and even if you buy a high dollar production pistol, that does not mean you will be getting superior parts. The trigger in a new SW 1911 pistol is poor at best, I am referring to the physical trigger. The hammer in a DW 1911 pistol looks identical to the hammer in a Kimber 1911 pistol. Its a decent MIM hammer. When we decided to buy disconnectors for the Project Street Gun I said NO to the McCormick disconnector with the do nut on top. There was a better choice, even though it was more money. When we decided to buy a sear, we went with an expensive very well made sear, its not the money its the fact that we wanted to get the best part. So when I look at a handgun, I am not evaluating it like Gun Test because they just shoot it and report their findings which may or may not always be correct. I evaluate a handgun not only on performance and a proven track record but what it looks like inside. For example comparing the sear of the Beretta 92F to the competitive Taurus 99, if you look at each sear under high magnification you will see that the Beretta sear is far better in overall finish than the Taurus but some one like Gun Test does not evaluate handguns like that.


When a woman must carry a handgun she needs to decide what is best for her. Having a James Bond 007 Walther is not always the answer because it has a 20 lb. recoil spring and most women can not rack the slide. All women that carry a handgun should look at a handbag made by Coronado leather company. They are excellent for the money.
Forget the BS in the advertisements go to a local gunshop and you put each model in your hand and see what you feel comfortable with, you can not always go by what the salesman or saleswoman recommends because they may be over stocked on a particular model and are told to push that handgun.
You want to speak to some one like that famous woman gun writer Gila Hayes in Washington State. She knows and is sharp as a tack.
Don't rush to buy new models, make sure they are a good solid design and perform well.
Check to see if magazines are available before you buy any semi automatic pistol. Stay with magazines made by the maufacturer of the handgun, many people have had problems with certain mags, in say a Taurus 99. Stay with original equipment.


To sum it all up you must be open minded before you decide to purchase a handgun. Some ranges rent various handguns to use on their own range, this may be the way to go for you. In my case I know what is best for me. Some calibers I will not use because of the noise as my shots indoors or in a car will be ear crushing. I do not have to be a macho guy for my protection as I know where to put that very bullet I have selected if that was a final confrontation that left me no alternative to survive. I do not recommend that you buy any used gun unless you know what to look for or the exact history of that handgun. Buy a new handgun from a reputable dealer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with carrying a revolver, for most women I would recommend they use 38 special caliber in a +P load. I have always found the SW "J" frame model 60 with a 3 inch barrel to be an excellent choice for a woman. I do not know if the factory still makes the 3 inch barrel. Forget what you see in the movies and in the ads, do what is best for you, you do not need exotic wood grips, you do not need exotic leather holsters that no one will see but you. Rubber grips cling to clothing, I never use rubber grips for that very reason.
You need to stay with reality and use common sense in this very dangerous world that is getting worse day after day after day. Buy good ammunition, stay away from the bargains, look how people eat junk food and what it does to them. Always keep your cool and seal your primers.


Should you want to email me I will answer you. You can always call me most any day after 10 am central time and I will point you in the right direction but in the end the final choice is up to you.


AUTHORS PERSONAL NOTATION:
This commentary as well as all my previous commentaries are my personal opinion and my personal viewpoint only. I read the scriptures daily, read ISAIAH chapter 17, verse 1 and you can see what is in the future for Damascus.


Teddy Jacobson / Pistolsmith (semi retired)
www.actionsbyt.com
281 277 4008
tjacobson@houston.rr.com
jaj45f@alltel.net
www.actionsbyt.blogspot.com/