40 S&W vs .357 Sig barrel swaps?
When I shot my first Sig 229 in .357 Sig the thing that impressed me the most was the flat shooting trajectory. One of the biggest issues I’ve had shooting 45acp was the adjustments I had to make in bullet trajectory when shooting with my fixed 1911 sights. Bullet impact may not be something to worry about in close home situations for some people, but for my shooting styles, I want to know exactly where my bullets are going to go from 10-50yds. I know that bullet weights can make a difference, but I’ve always thought that 230gr FMJ was the proper thing to send downrange from a 1911. Although I love my 45acp guns, I don’t use them as defensive weapons. The .357 Sig always seemed to be a step up from the 45acp in certain aspects, like penetration and trajectory. For Law Enforcement, running into bad guns with body armor is become more and more common and the only thing around that these days is a more powerful firearm.
The .357 Sig is a good step in the right direction without being too much.
What about over-penetration? From the data I have read, the .357 Sig has better bullet expansion that 9mm and 45acp and that’s exactly what helps slow the bullet down in the first place. We’re not going to bother talking about stopping power, because if you don’t know this already, it’s not something more experienced shooters attach to handgun calibers because shot placement is more important. I am not that impressed with the 40 S&W. It seems to be more bang and ammo weight, but not a flatter shooting round and doesn’t have much more penetration than the best 9mm rounds. The real reason to have a gun in these calibers is that you can get both in the same gun, if you pick up gun barrels for the other. The Sig 229 in my opinion is the best balanced. There are certain calibers that are meant for concealment and because that’s what they do best, you should use them in that manor, for combat guns, I think the .357 Sig is a step up from other handguns and the next big leap would be for a Carbine.
Why Laser Sights? Immediate Decisive AdvantageThe answer is short-and-sweet: Lasergrips provide you with instant and overwhelming advantages you wouldn’t otherwise have. Laser sights simply help you shoot better, with greater speed and accuracy, which translates into increased confidence—even in tense and threatening scenarios, when hours and hours of vigilant training can disappear in a haze of panic and confusion.
I was trying to think about how to describe the situations that many in the 20-40 age range tend to deal with in the summer months that they don’t normally deal with when carrying. I’ve found it very difficult to carry a fiream to weddings because there is usually so much human contact from dancing to pats on the back and hugging. Many reading this might think it is not a concern at all, but you have to realize that not every social environment is going to be gun friendly and considering that there is usually heavy drinking, it is something to think about not bothering to carry.
The are many ways of concealing a firearm, but when it comes to carrying backup mags, there are far fewer options. I know plenty of people that carry spare mags around in pockets, but I’ve seen too many times that the top round of a loaded mag will eventually pop loose or be out of place which could cause a malfunction. I’d recommend carrying spare ammo along the belt line for 85% of CCW. There are some tactical jackets that are designed for holding magazines, but I also recommend close the pockets and not leaving them open. Elastic retention will help hold a mag from side to side movement, but when it comes to up and down movement, those mags will probable hit the ground when you may be reaching for them.
There is always going to be a debate with any tactical or firearm accessory. What is it being used for and is it up to the task at hand. A concealment holster might not be a $180 leather shoulder rig, it coule be something as simple as $12 pocket holster. There are tactical holsters that will secure your pistol while your running through the mud and training in a Carbine Course, or you can have a IWB holster for your everyday CCW.
A great many years ago I wondered how people really knew which holster worked for them. It’s one of those things people don’t understand when they first start to carry a gun. The reality is that some holster designs are as pretty to look at in the same way we shop for clothing or for a car. Some people just need to get around from point A to point B and don’t need to show off.