[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I'm sure that we all have a favorite automatic. For most purposes mine remain the Browning Hi Power in 9mm as well as the 1911 in .45 ACP. For strictly self-defense, I opt for the larger caliber, but do not believe that differences are as significant as we've heard in the past.

Others might favor something in 9mm, .40, .357 SIG, and so forth.

What's yours?

Best.

 

[Josh Smith]

Mr. Camp,

Taurus PT92, manufactured in 1991, pre-decocker model. I see it as an 'improved' Beretta.

I can ride the safety and the mag release is reversable. The 9mm +P is plenty of felon repellant IMO.

Josh

 

[icecreamsoldier]

I have a Star BM that get the nod these days.
Simple economics has made that choice for me.

Im simply ina place where I cant spend $400 or $500
Anymore on handguns.

This is the third Star BM Ive owned.
I got apir of them ina trade for Personal Defense CZ83 I once had.
The CZ 83 was great...I really should not have traded it but something about the BMs spoke to me!

Well livefes unexpected cost got those two from me last winter but about 3 months ago I got a beautiful 100% condition BM and It is my Current CCW/CHL weapon.
I use the Winchester 115 gr (the non silver silver tips).

I dont have my 1911s or P35s but thats Temporary!

 

[jimhigginbotham]

Greetings all and thanks to Joshua and Steve for a new resource on the web!

While I will post my response here I feel compelled to point out that the selection of a personal defense sidearm is an intensely personal choice. Too many folks probably make that choice either on what they have read or on emotional issues. Not that I am claiming to be faultlessly objective but the point is go out and test a lot of firearms (this takes more than just shooting a group or 10 on the range...test your speed and gunhandling also!) then make an informed decision.

Also don't get the impression that because a more experienced person has selected a different firearm than you that you are necessarilly "wrong"...to be sure there are some dogs out there when it comes to reliability, durability and ergonomics but for the most part any quality handgun will serve you well.

Sorry for that long winded intro but I needed to put this in perspective.

Self defense (and occupation) make that mission my most important. My choice has been confirmed *for me* many times over - every time I put the choice to the test in actually shooting drills. It is the 1911 pattern Govt. Model (with very little modification) in .45 ACP followed closely by the 1911 in other calibers (.45 Super, 10mm, 9X23). That does not mean I would feel helpless with other weapons.

While I enjoy hunting with a handgun, I have used the 1911 for everything from squirrels to groundhogs to wild boar. I might enjoy hunting with a revolver from time to time and it might even be an improvement for hunting but the 1911 will suffice for stuff under 400 pounds and I don't feel hindered with it.

Again, your mileage may vary and I don't look down my nose at those who choose differently.

Press on!
Jim Higginbotham

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, Jim, and welcome. Have you tried any of the SWC's in .45 (ACP or Colt revolver) on hogs? If so, what were your observations concerning "effectiveness' when compared to JHP's that actually got in deeply enough?

Best.

 

[jimhigginbotham]

Hello, Jim, and welcome. Have you tried any of the SWC's in .45 (ACP or Colt revolver) on hogs? If so, what were your observations concerning "effectiveness' when compared to JHP's that actually got in deeply enough?

Best.

I have used the old Keith 255 SWC in .45 Colt (at 1000 fps) on deer and a good friend used to hunt wild boar with us using that load (in fact I handloaded the rounds). They worked great when placed well (shoulder area). In fact he kept putting boar down with one shot and we made him use something else because we were only learning that the .45 Keith bullet is motonously effective. That said I think if you slipped back to far and hit just the lungs that an expanding bullet might be a bit more effective.

I have not shot anything bigger than ground hogs with the 200 H&G so common in .45 ACP. Had one friend who took a small doe with one. But I really don't know much about it. My sense is that it really does not cut a big hole in flesh like it does in paper (it seems to be the "killing flat" up front that works for a SWC).

To my surprise you can shoot the old 255 Keith in most .45 Autos and I got right at 1000 fps but I would not recommend that, it has to be hot!

A very similarly effective bullet in .45 is the Lee 260 gr. flat point. It too feeds OK in autos.

Happy trails!
Jim H.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, Jim.

This mirrors what I've personally seen in the hunting fields.

The Keith-type wide meplat does "things" in tissue. I first noticed the difference when just shooting jugs of water with a H&G #68 loaded to 1030 ft/sec from a Gov't Model and then a 246-gr. (linotype so lighter) SWC intended for .45 Colt.

It would do about 846 ft/sec or so if I recall correctly. The jugs acted like they'd been hit with a JHP. Not very "scientific" but something was occurring that had not with the feed-friendly #68.

Later, I tried both on animals from jackrabbits to deer. The flat SWC intended for the revolver did better, significantly so, in most everything I shot with it. I've seen one deer that was poorly hit with one loaded to apprxox. 950 ft/sec. It hunched at the shot and ran. The guy who shot it hit it a mid-section and we had to track it about 300 yards...which was easy due to the copious blood trail.

For hogs, I've had good luck with Hornady XTP's. They seem to expand a bit and penetrate nicely, but I've only shot a few with the XTP so I'm still watching closely. Seldom mentioned loads have done pretty well in the limited results I have. One is Federal Classic 230-gr. JHP.

Thanks again and best.

 

[jimhigginbotham]

last year my good friend Tom Givens and I went boar hunting and he took a medium sized boar with one shot using the Federal Classic. It went down quickly.

On the other hand, experimenting with light fast bullets, I had a rather *interesting* fiasco with a smaller boar that was hit well but refused to stop until I ran out of those light fast bullets and shot him with a Ranger Talon in 230 grs.

The comment was made "you don't get anywhere trying to turn a .45 into a .38." It was probably pretty apt

Onward,
Jim H.

 

[Guest]

Hello all. Glad to see this board here. My favorite is my Kimber Custom CDP II. I've shot over 3K rounds through, mainly cheap Wolf ammo and reloads and never had a failure though that may be due to my anal retentive cleaning and liberal use of FP10.

My Hi Power is a strong seocnd but until I get some decent sights on it (bought XS sights, didn't like them) and convince myself it can shoot as well as my Kimber, it will be second

 

[Guest]

Am I the only one that thinks the Beretta 92 is a great shooting handgun?, I would have to go with the beretta 92 as my #1 auto even if I like my Kimber and BHP clones, but this beretta has never failed to fire and cycle, it will shoot anything I put into it, and I have shot some really poor reloads in this gun too, so I am going to stick with the most reliable handgun I have ever owned, I know this gun don't sound very exciting but it does what it was meant to do,

Nate.

 

[Josh Smith]

Nate,

The only thing that made me decide upon my Taurus 92 over the Beretta 92 was the safety.

I prefer to ride it when shooting and I have the cocked'n'locked option.

I do like Berettas but for a pistol that feels so much like my carry gun of going on seven years, not having that safety to ride just doesn't feel right.

The 92 family, be it Taurus or Beretta, are good pistols IMO and well worth owning.

Josh

 

[Guest]

8 years in the military and I hated the Beretta. Very hard to teach someone with smaller hands to use. It does go BANG when you pull the trigger

I'm just biased towards the single action, designed by John Browning genre.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. When they first came out designated only as Beretta Model 92, they were spitting images of the early Taurus PT92
and had the frame-mounted thumb safety, along with the same smallish fixed sights. I owned one and it worked well enough but I eventually traded it. (I did lots of that back then.) I bought an early Taurus PT92 and still have it though I don't shoot it as much as I should. It is flawless in operation and I was surprised that it groups as well as it does.

My only concern with the Beretta/Taurus 92 series is the number of internal parts. That seems to be more theoretical than real as the guns do work...so long as the Gov't doesn't use substandard magazine springs...from what I've been told.

The guns do lend themselves to being suppressed as the barrels don't tilt during locking/unlocking. A friend owns a legally suppressed Beretta 92 F that is fitted with a hush puppy suppressor. This uses neoprene washers with an "X" shape slit in them to retain the gasses that normally escape the muzzle at firing. Lifespan of the washers are limited, but it is pretty darned quiet with subsonic ammunition. Accuracy is affected as the bullet contacts the washer, but "minute of bowling pin" is there to about 15 yards or so. It is interesting that when the slide is locked closed for single-shot maximum noise reduction, quite a bit of debris hits the shooter in the face from the Beretta's open top.

Best.

 

[mueller]

nI tend to favour the 1911 and the Browning hipower, more because when I picked them up they fit me and shot to my point of aim.

The Berretta from the Brigadier to the current genre are good weapons, but they don't do it for me and some shooters have problems due to small hand size, dependent on model and others don't like the open slide feature and the DA to SA etc etc. If a Model 92 in 9mm all that was available to me I will adapt and consider myself suitably armed, but since I have a choice....

I have had reason to carry the Husqavarna Model 1907 in 9mm browning long (similiar to the non +p 38 super or 380 acp) and didn't feel undergunned and the business like feel and clean lines make it a nice pistol to shoot, the grip safety will bite on occasion.

I like the Cz52 with original Czech ball or a modern reload that duplicates the M48 loading and while it can seem awkward at first it is to me a first rate handgun and I have carried one and would do so again.

I agree with Mr. Camp on the relative similarities of performance and effectiveness of modern self defense loadings, so it really comes down to the platform and not the minor gains that one cartridge may have over the other.

Regards, Mueller

 

[Guest]

I'm at a slight toss up. First choice would be my kimber 1911. But my EG makarov feels nice as well. :-/

And thanks for the new forum.

Steelheart

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello,

Here's mine inorder.

1a. FN/Browning High Power in 9mm.

1b. FN/Browning High Power in .40S&W.

2. Colt Goverment Model 1911 in .45ACP.

I have just flat lost all interest in my other four Brands of automatic pistols about 5yrs. ago, and they have since just set heavily oiled for storage in the safe, however I do still clean & reoil them on a regular basis.

Take Care,
THE SOCKMAN

 

[slidestop]

Mr Camp, Hello, in reply to your query. I have shot, owned, tinkered with and loved the 1911 for over 40 years, "it is a stopper." But my heart has been take away by the HiPower (9mm) and more recently be the CZ75B. Your articles on the CZ75 tempted me to try it out. As usual I am an unfaithful cad, but I do enjoy all of my harem.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I understand just what you mean. Besides, "harems" are meant to be enjoyed!

Best.

 

[Guest]

Hello Gentlemen-

I am a die hard 1911 fan. Carry one every day on duty and most of the time when off. I will admit however, to having taking a liking to a S&W m3913 becasuse of it's light weight and compactness. It's also fun to shoot! I purchased a Mak on Stephen's recommendation and that is also fun (and cheap) to shoot. A Kel-Tec .380 rides in pocket my all the time and next week I'm trading for a massaged/modified BHP in .40 S&W. But the 1911 is still #1 for me.

 

[Guest]

Hello. I'm pretty much in the same place as Sockman, although my preferences are in a different order.
1. HP Practical in .40 S&W
2. Colt Combat Elite in .45 ACP
3. FN HP in 9mm
Joe