All posts tagged gun magazines

People that are still carrying the 1911 pistol and love it

If you love the way the 1911 feels in your hand you’re probable not going to find another firearm that feels the same way.  I’ve like the traditional 1911 style guns for almost 2 decades and tried out many variations of them, but they didn’t feel like a 1911 when the makers made them a double stack.  There is something about 1911 pistols that is just balanced very well.  Once you put more than about  8rds in a 1911 the gun gets heavy and for something that is so slim and contoured right, you can mess that up with 10rd protruding magazines.  That’s fine for competition shooting but I don’t think you’ll ever see law enforcment or special operations  units running those magazines even if they are reliable.

Most of the Special operations units we deal with actually use 7rd magazines although I have found that the 8rd magazine reliability issues is a myth.  All I run through my 1911 government models are Wilson combat magazines  with the 8rd wilson combat magazines that work so well.   I have been using gun grease on my Colt 1991A1 and my Springfield GI 1911 that had some minor customizations, but I have not seen a malfunction in that firearm in years.  I am still running mostly ball ammo through my guns which is the proven reliable ammunition.  Gun grease is something that I have been using more and more on my handguns because they seem to  hold up better for long term storage.

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Competition shooting and

That seems to be one of the biggest gag lines I hear coming from people in the industry.  We had a Navy Seal come in here talking about Glocks and how he had to modify his slightly because he started out as a 1911 guy and had issues with the grip angle.  Recently I purchased a Glock 17 because it’s still widely used in our local Law Enforcement community.   I have a Glock 19 because I got tired of my Sig Sauer guns rusting out on my in the Summer but it did take me awhile to find the correct grip.  Luckily I had an instructor in here that gave me some pointers.   Handguns need to modified for the shooter if the shoot wants to be proficient with it.   I watched a Bob Vogel DVD about Mastering the IDPA and he mentioned several things he did that helped make him a more accurate shot.

Bob Vogel  uses a Glock 34 in his competition shooting and he is also a Police Officer.   One of the great things about Glock firearms is many of the Glock magazines work in various Glocks of the same Caliber.   I personally don’t like Glocks but I have a lot of respect for the design and I do agree that they are tough guns that have a proven track record.   If I was deployed and had to be issued a Sidearm it would defanitely be a Glock.   I’m a big fan of the LWRC gas gun designs but having to deal with a standard AR15 or an M16 and all of that gun maintenance and then another firearm.  I don’t want another gun to clean, just give me a Glock.

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Glock 17 still running strong

There have  been many firearms that took a big chunk of the Glock sales away from Law enforcement but not everyone that tried to replace glocks were happy.  We watch the number of guns that end up being recalled about a year after getting into service.  First it was the XD models then it was a few others.  The reality of firearms is even though they are tested out and may work, things happen out in the field that are hard to predict and when something fails too much, it’s time to fix the problem or else someone else will pick up on it.  Glock seems to have shot themselves in the foot with the Glock Perfection and then coming out with a Gen 4 that made them look like jackasses.

We know that not everyone likes the grip angle of Glocks, but if you want something that is going to run in adverse environments, needs lower maintenance than many others, you aren’t going to beat a Glock.   The other thing to think about is the availability of parts and magazines and Glock magazines are not going to be hard to find.  You can find them  used at gunshows or online auctions and it takes very little effort to replace magazine followers or magazine springs.  The caliber interchangeability of Glock firearms also makes it worth owning more than one.

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Original Magpul Assists get the job done

I have a bunch of these on my Mini 14 magazines and they work really well.  I did a zombie competition a few years ago and ran a Standard Mini 14 with a folding stock and did quite well.   No malfunctions and the light and handy carbine got the job done.   It really does make a difference having a carbine that weights about 3 pounds lighter than your average AR15 but I’m well aware that the Mini 14 is not a combat worthy firearm.   I had a few friends run AK style guns in this competition and shockingly they did not do well.   The AK variants are known to be robust by the lack of ergonomics with the gun does make it slower to run.

I have the Woolrich Elite 44903 tactical vests and I’ve used them for years, the real appeal of this type of tactical vest is that it is lower profile and more comfortable to wear than a molle vest.   My PMI magazines that I use for my Ruger Mini 14 are the magpul magazine accessories known as the magpul original assists.  They rubber like attachments protrude from the base of the magazine can make the difference in speeding up magazine changes and avoiding any fumbling.   Some tactical vests are so deep that it is difficult to retrieve magazines and for $12 you can resolve that issue.

The best thing about these Magpul products is they work for the Mini 14 guys that can’t afford a Mini 14 or if they just want to be different.   Even though Magpul Pmags for the AR15 have a thicker base and may be easier to grab, you can replace the floor plates with the Magpul Ranger Plates.  We have a large selection of the the Magpul 30rd pmags for sale and the black, OD green, Foliage Green and Flat Dark earth 20rd pmags are the strongest and most reliable AR15 gun magazines.

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Firepower vs balance

There are many things that in theory are nice but in reality just don’t work.   I remember the first time I fired a Glock 45acp which was 13rds + 1 for a total of 14rds and the thing just seemed too heavy.  If I wore that in a leg holster or thigh rig it would be too much.  There are so many arguments in the handgun world that I just don’t engage in because the truth of the situation that usually ends the caliber debates is ” get a Carbine” and forget about  your 9mm vs 45acp  or .357 Sig debates.

For home defense I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want a carbine or shotgun with a light on it vs a handgun.  Ballistics test show us time and time again that loading up your  magpul pmags with 30rds and frangible ammuntion is a better thing to use in a modern home than a 38 special or 9mm handgun.  A better thing would be the 20rd magpul pmags which give you a stronger magazine but better balance and easier maneuverability than a larger protruding magazine.   After all, what firearm has 20rds and has the balance of an M4 Carbine?

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And the most popular concealed carry firearm

According to all of our holster requests are hands down Kahr firearms.  I don’t have a ton of experience with these firearms, but I will say that they are the smallest 9mm handgun that I would ever consider carrying.  I find them to be a little too harsh to shoot for that size, but depending on the on the circumstances I would not feel under gunned with one of these.   I actually first found out about the Kahr firearms from a retired Law Enforcement Official that work in the NYPD for 3 years.   He was the first person I ever met that actually carried two firearms, and  one was a Kahr PM9.

The .380 is a buzz, but every time I look at the ballistics of the firearm, I just cringe.   If I’m going to carry a gun, the 38 Special is the smallest caliber I will carry, but the Kahr PM9 and some spare Kahr Magazines fill my pockets.   I have several friends that pocket carry these firearms and 6 or 7 rounds of 9mm and a spare magazine is not minimal.  Maintenance on the firearms is not different than any other,  it is always wise to keep up with your recoil spring replacement and magazine rotation.

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Stop screwing around with those inferior gun magazines

I just pulled out one of my gun cases and noticed that I had a couple 30rd magazines still in it.   I never stow loaded magazines in gun cases, but there have been times that I have gone to gun ranges and realized I had a bunch of Mini 14 magazines and not the GI AR15 magazines I thought they were.   I still have a few GI magazines laying around but I never bring them to the range.   It’s funny that I view my AR15s in a different light now that I have been using PMAGS.   Almost a decade ago I use to spend a lot my weekends at a gun range about an hour from me, and use to watch the guys with the AR15’s in amazement because of how much money they had tied up in the firearms.

I finally broke down and picked up a Bushmaster XM15E2 and took it to the range.   I must have had close to 6 malfunctions with it the first month I shot the thing and almost retired the gun.   I heard about Magpul Pmags after a friend sent me the link to a Youtube video.  I picked up one magazine because I didn’t want to end up getting screwed if they weren’t good, well, needless to say I ended up picking up more magazines a few more AR15s.  Magpul industries really has their stuff in order when it means creating combat reliable magazines and accessories.

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Not just about weight but also about balance

There are many things you can do to mess up the balance of your M4 Carbine.   Most people I know that own an AR15 rifle now are toting an M4 Carbine variant and it is rarely an A2 version.   Just about everyone know has  a fore grip on their guns, but in all honesty most of those never seem to feel right.   I have always been use to the traditional AR15 rifle and never felt the need to put a vertical grip on them but I have recently become a fan of the Mapgul Angled Foregrips.   Sometimes it take a good training course to really test your gear out and many times it means adjusting the stock you have or moving the foregrips forward or back.

I have seen numerous times that guys ended up with failed gear or ended up taking some gear off of their Carbines by mid-day.   Some of best training I have done was by a teacher that told us that we could not drop gear or take it back to our car, we had to leave all of are accessories and even magpul pmags with us or in a bag.   It was an important lesson about not over packing and thinking about what you really need to use.   There is no reason to load up 13 pmags when you probable won’t need that even if you’re going to shoot that many rounds, 6-8 magazines is a lot and speed loaders and boxed ammo is an easier way to pack.

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Getting away from the toxic stuff

I have stopped using Hoppes gun cleaning solvents for a very long time and it was mostly due to complaints from family members about the smell.  The older I get the more I think about the chemicals that I expose my friends and family too and it is worth considering changing the product lines that you use in for your gun cleaning.  M-Pro7 gun cleaning products are non-toxic and won’t stink up your home.  There is nothing smelly about them and they actually do work.  Carbob will disappear from your bolt carriers quickly.

Wearing gloves for gun cleaning can be a hassle because there are so many small parts on a firearm that it is very difficult to feel them.  Many gun cleaning supplies will work, but like we mentioned above, not all of them are good for you.  Having a safe gun cleaning station that doesn’t expose your kids to lead or other harmful products is a good thing especially now that so many people are testing for it and concerned about it.   Otis has a very inexpensive gun cleaning mat that can be rolled up and put away.

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Sexy guns? Not my terminology

When we look at firearms, sometimes we immediately think about the movie we’ve seen them in or the actor.  Ever since I found out about the types of guns that were used in the Star Wars movies I no longer viewed them as the blaster weapons they were suppose to be.   The Beretta 92FS is in move movies than I can name and became extremely well known after the Matrix movies.   If you want to see plenty of technically incorrect firearms scenes the Matrix movies are a good test.  Wrong caliber brass comes from firearms ect.

Nothing catches more attention from people walking in the door when they see a Walther PPK.  The Walther magazines are still very hot sellers for .380 caliber CCW holders and the Walther PPK has a very long history to prove it’s reliability.   This gun is very well known for being a Spy gun and that is precisely what it’s good at being used for, hiding it on  your body.  The gun has a very slick look to it and in my personal opinion the 32acp is a better choice.

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