Divemedic

Brand Wars

When it comes to the gun world, there are few things that cause disagreements more often than brand wars. I have said before, and I continue to say that there is no such thing as a brand that is perfect for everyone. There are, in my opinion, models or even brands that are too unreliable to be good for anyone.

Grip angle

The angle of a handgun’s grip to the plane of the barrel can vary from the 55 degrees of the Luger P08, to the 18 degrees of the 1911 and Smith and Wesson’s M&P autoloaders, or even 17 degrees of the old Ruger P95. Glocks have a grip angle of 22.5 degrees. Each person will have an opinion as to which one fits their and and shooting style.

Whichever grip angle is right for you will see the pistol pointing at the target without any conscious effort on your part. Here is how to check yours:

  1. Set up a target in a safe area (even if you shot it, the bullets wouldn’t go through and hit someone or something important).
  2. Unload your pistol.
  3. Present your gun at the target as though you were going to shoot it. Get a good sight picture.
  4. Lower the gun (or holster it, if you have one).
  5. Close your eyes. Present the gun again at your target.
  6. Open your eyes. Are your sights on target?
    If they’re too high, the grip angle may be too steep.
    If they’re too low, the grip angle may be too shallow.
  7. Repeat this at least 5 times to be sure you get consistent results.

If all your pistols have about the same grip angle, you won’t have to adjust your aim when switching pistols. That is why all of my carry handguns are of the M&P line. You will get the same results if all of your carry pistols are Glocks, or Springfield, etc. As log as your grip angle is consistent, you can change handguns without a problem. If you change to a new grip angle, you can figure about 1,000 rounds to adjust to the new one. Pick a grip angle you are OK with and stick with it.

Bore Axis

Another thing that matters is bore axis. The bore axis is the distance between the top of the shooter’s gripping hand and the center of the barrel. In a pistol with a hammer, this distance can be quite large.

Note that the line of where the gripping hand is is located quite a bit below the center of the barrel. This forms a lever, with the fulcrum being where the web of the thumb grips the backstrap of the pistol, and the force being applied down the center of the barrel. This force causes two types of recoil- backwards through the barrel, and a bit of muzzle flip. The larger the bore axis, the more pronounced the muzzle flip. The greater the muzzle flip, the more time it takes to get your sights back on the target for a follow up shot. For most people, this won’t really be noticeable beyond a perceived increase in recoil. 

The bore axis for the following handguns is:

  • The 1911 has a bore axis of 1.75
  • Glock 17 Gen 4 is 1.26 inches.
  • Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 is 1.41 inches
  • Sig 320 is 1.78″
  • Sig P226 is 1.80

As a general rule, striker fired pistols will have a lower bore axis than do pistols with a hammer, because the fire control group of a striker fired pistol takes up less room.

Grip Size

I have large hands and a pretty good grip strength. That means I can handle full powered handguns and double stack magazines. Not everyone funds this comfortable. Make sure that the grip of the firearm fits your hand. and easy way to do that is see if you can push in the magazine release with your gripping hand’s thumb without shifting your grip. If you can’t, that particular handgun may be to fat for your hand.

Another consideration is grip length. If you are gripping the handgun and your pinky finger is hanging in the breeze, maybe your hand is too large for that pistol. One solution is an extended magazine with a boot on it, like the ones they have on the Taurus Millenium.

Conclusion

There is a lot that goes into handgun design- the grip angle, the bore axis, the size and power of the cartridge, the weight of the handgun, and many other factors go into the perceived recoil, accuracy, and the speed of follow up shots. Combine that with the ergonomics, style, and skill of each shooter, and the interplay makes a virtual unlimited number of possible combinations, making a determination of the “best” pistol impossible.

If you don’t yet have a handgun, find a gun range that rents firearms. See if a gun owning friend will take you to the range and let you shoot a few of his guns. In short, don’t let someone else tell you what gun you should buy. The only things that should matter are:

  • Is it reliable enough to go bang every time you squeeze the trigger?
  • Can you reliably get multiple hits with it?
  • Does it fire a cartridge that passes the FBI test of 12-18 inches of gel penetration? (This generally means 300 or more foot pounds of energy)
  • Is it small enough to do what you want to do with it? (Carry, home defense, etc.)
  • Pick a gun maker that offers a lifetime warranty. The pistols that they sell are generally pretty reliable.
  • If you are a more experienced shooter, make sure that you can pass the 5 test with it- Draw and get 5 hits in a 5 inch circle at 5 yards in less than 5 seconds.

I have seen far too many gun store employees try to sell people guns that are obviously not right for them. For example, selling a small woman a tiny pink colored .357 magnum. Don’t let someone else tell you what you like and what you need. You are the only one who can determine that. Others can only guide you there, but at the end of the day, it is your decision to make.

By Divemedic, ago

AOC Corruption

At this point, I am convinced that every elected official in both parties is corrupt.

  • AOC had a Colombian ILLEGAL for a campaign aide.
  • She used the power of her office to help him get a social security number.
  • She gave him a job at $80,000/year.
  • Then the ILLEGAL helped AOC get a $2.1 billion fund that gave $15,000 relief checks to ILLEGALS
  • Can somebody PLEASE explain to me why she isn’t being investigated and arrested?
  • What happened to all that “nobody is above the law” bullshit?
By Divemedic, ago

Graft and Corruption

Trump talked about the graft and corruption that has been the modus operandi of our government when he mentioned that Stacey Abrams was one of the leaders of a coalition of NGOs that got $2 billion to reduce carbon emissions. The left immediately circled the wagons to say that Trump had been “debunked.”

“Stacey Abrams has not received a penny of this EPA grant,”

Of course there isn’t going to be a check that reads “kickbacks” or “corruption” in the memo line, but let’s look at what she herself had to say:

In 2023 and 2024, I led a program called Vitalizing De Soto. We worked in a tiny town in south Georgia to demonstrate that by replacing energy-inefficient appliances with efficient appliances, you can lower your cost. And in fact, we accomplished that for 75% of the community. They got appliances that are lowering their bills,

Look at the facts:

There are 400 people in Desoto, Georgia living in 125 households. If she bought new appliances for 75% of them, that makes new appliances for 94 households. She claims that each household got 6 appliances. At $2,000 per appliance, the entire project should cost no more than two and a quarter million. Setting aside the fact that this project to reduce electric bills through buying new appliances is an incredibly inefficient way to do it, one has to wonder how many people skimmed off the top, received kickbacks, and were paid inflated salaries.

If the goal is to get people to purchase new, energy saving appliances, all the government had to do was give a tax rebate for people who buy new appliances. Instead, this was obviously a Democratic strategy that used taxpayer funds to hand out freebies in the contested state of Georgia in the run up to the 2024 election. That funds were skimmed off the top and pain to corrupt politicians was also part of the plan. That’s how so many in Congress get rich.

By Divemedic, ago

Function Report

I took the M&P10 to the range today and put 210 rounds through it: 50 rounds of 180 grain FMJ, and 160 rounds of full power Underwood 180 grain XTP.

The Holosun worked great- it took 5 rounds to get it zeroed. After that, it held that zero with no issues. Recoil was snappy, but manageable, even with the full power loads. To me, it felt like firing my M&P45 with +P loads. I will admit that the checkering was chafing my shooting hand a bit by the end of the session. Still, I am able to put a 15 round magazine into the 10 ring (OK, I admit there were a pair of 9 flyers low in the 9 ring, indicating that I was anticipating recoil a bit) at ten yards in ten seconds.

The only issue that keeps me from calling it a defense gun is towards the end of the session, I had two failures to go completely into battery and two soft primer strikes. Examining the primer of the rounds showed that the primers had shallow dents. I put them back into the magazine and both fired. Maybe it is dirty burning ammo, maybe the weapon needs a good cleaning and lubrication, I don’t know. I just know that 4 failures to go bang in 210 rounds is not acceptable in a self defense pistol.

I spoke with my neighbor and we are going to go to a local outdoor range with a chrono and some gelatin blocks to see how well this ammo passes the FBI test. That probably won’t be for a month or two though. When we do that, I will run a couple hundred more rounds through it and see how it does.

For the last part of this post, I have to admit that I may have a problem. While I was leaving the range, I was looking at the suppressors. I cannot confirm or deny that a Dead Air Nomad may or may not have accidentally been added to my shopping cart. We will see how long an eForm 4 takes nowadays.

By Divemedic, ago

Gun Leather

I seem to go through this every time I buy a pistol that doesn’t fit any of my current holsters. I am very particular when it comes to holsters. Like most people who carry a firearm, I have dozens of holsters. Over the years, I have had:

  • Fanny packs
  • Inside the waistband
  • Outside the waistband
  • Ankle holsters
  • tuckable IWB
  • Thunderwear
  • Pocket Holsters
  • Appendix carry
  • Sneaky Pete
  • Man Purse (OK, shoulder bag)
  • and I am sure others that I can’t remember.

The holsters that I have generally fit guns in the following categories (Yes, nearly all of my carry guns are M&P, because it is easier to buy a holster that fits multiple handguns that way):

  • Large Auto: M&P45, M&P10
  • Midsized Auto: M&P9, M&P40
  • Compact Auto: M&P9c, Glock 19
  • Small Auto: Shield Plus
  • Minicompact: Shield9, Shield40, Shield 45
  • Micro Compact: Bodyguard 380, Beretta 3032
  • Small Revolver: Smith and Wesson 642

Over the years, I have developed a taste for what I like, and for what I don’t like.

For starters, I don’t like the feel of Kydex or other hard plastics against my skin. I find that the plastic finds a spot to dig in, which causes me to fiddle with the holster, moving it around to make it more comfortable. The more you fiddle with a concealed holster, the more obvious it is that you are carrying. That means I want a leather or hybrid holster. A good example of a hybrid holster is an MTAC.

I can and do have a couple of OWB holsters in nylon or Kydex. Leather isn’t as important for me when dealing with off-skin carry. Still, I don’t have a lot of open carry holsters because Florida law doesn’t allow for open carry.

I also don’t like holsters that attach with clips- plastic or metal. They don’t stay secure, and I find that on the draw, the holster tends to come out of your pants with the pistol. For that reason, I like leather straps or belt slots that are cut into the holster itself.

One of the problems that I had when I first began carrying pistols with microdots is there were not any commercial holsters made for them. I wound having to get a custom one from Milt Sparks. The disadvantage was that it took 10 weeks to get my holster. Now the wait for his work is over 40 weeks. That won’t do.

The good news is that there are now many more custom leathermakers who can provide holsters for guns with microdots. One of them is Wright Leatherworks. I like the Banshee, and at $155 for a microdot ready holster with a 10 week lead time is already causing me to think about getting one for the 10mm. Not because I will carry it a lot, but it will give me the option of carrying it if I want to.

The good news is that everything for the 10mm is finally in (except the 5 spare magazines), so a range trip is coming in the next week or two. I will do a function test, and I am planning on buying some ballistic gelatin in the near future. That will allow me to compare some of my carry options in the distant future.

By Divemedic, ago

Apex Trigger

In comments, Hank asks:

As a newbie with a number of pieces including a stock M&P 9 Shield 2.0, curious about your Apex preference. Can you go into some depth about the reasoning for that choice one day? What might the CCW neophyte gain by the switch? Thanks!

That’s a great question. I own a few different brands of handguns, but the one I own more of than any other is Smith and Wesson. Beginning with my very first handgun (you never forget your first), a model 59, I have bought dozens of handguns from this manufacturer. I had a few examples of the third generation S&Ws. I stopped buying them for awhile when the company went rogue, then returned to the brand when the began producing the M&P line. The M&P autoloading pistols are, in my opinion, the best that Smith and Wesson has ever made.

But they aren’t perfect. For that reason, there are modifications that I make to every handgun of any brand.

The first thing that I have done to every handgun I have ever purchased is put better sights on it. I have tried a fair few: XS DXT sights, with their large front post allow for a quick sight picture at the expense of a little accuracy, or even the TFO night sights from TruGlo, which have fiber optic for daytime use and Tritium for night time, and the latest, microdot sights.

My favorite microdot sight is currently the Holosun 507k in green. I like the green because I find that I get faster acquisition with it. I have been putting microdots on my handguns since 2019, when I bought a Performance Center Shield Plus because I foolishly thought that I would be able to volunteer for Florida’s Guardian program.

The next modification (going back to at least 2012) that I make is particular to Smith and Wesson M&Ps: an Apex Action Enhancement Kit. This doesn’t apply to the Performance Center, nor to the Shield Plus. I find both of those examples have a decent trigger. Don’t get me wrong, the M&P 2.0 has a much better trigger than the 1.0, but it still needs work. The M&P triggers are by no means the worst triggers I have ever felt. That distinction goes to the Taurus Millennium, because it feels like the trigger is dragging an iron plate across a gravel parking lot. Still, I don’t really like the M&P trigger, as it feels sloppy and gritty at the same time. It just isn’t smooth enough for me.

The Forward Set Trigger kit that I put in this pistol is nice. It comes with springs, trigger, sear, and other parts that allow you to smooth out the trigger pull and set your pull weight. I currently have my pull weight on the 10mm set at about 4 pounds. The new trigger also has a nice, smooth feel with a crisp break.

Installing it is a breeze- just follow the company’s instructional YouTube video, and as long as you have a proper set of tools, it’s a breeze. Essential is a good set of punches, a pistol armorer’s block, a sight pusher tool, and a good set of quality screwdrivers, you can do all of this yourself.

So that is what I generally do to make my handguns feel right for me. Don’t get me wrong, most of the handguns I have owned are perfectly fine right out of the box, but through trial and error, I have found what works for me. You may have a different experience.

The disclaimer: I don’t advertise, and receive nothing for my reviews or articles. I don’t think that I ever will. I have no relationship with any products, companies, or vendors that I review here, other than being a customer. If I ever *DO* have a financial interest, I will disclose it. Otherwise, I pay what you would pay. No discounts or other incentives here. I only post these things because I think that my readers would be interested.

By Divemedic, ago

Nuclear Pot Pie

I think everyone knows the story of the Cuban missile crisis. In October of 1962, JFK learned that the Soviets had put nuclear missiles in Cuba. This especially frightened him, because he spent so much time at his Mother’s house in West Palm Beach that in 1960, the US government installed a Presidential Emergency Facility on Peanut Island, Dubbed Detachment Hotel. It was a 1500 square foot bomb shelter, designed to house the President and his family in the event of a nuclear war.

We came so close to nuclear war that the decision of one man is all that stood between the world and a full nuclear exchange. Captain Savitsky, the commander of the Soviet B-59 submarine had loaded and armed a nuclear torpedo on October 27, 1962. That night, he had surfaced the boat to charge his batteries, and was surrounded by US forces demanding that he surrender. Believing that he was under attack, he ordered a crash dive and the firing of the nuclear weapon. The only reason it didn’t happen was that he couldn’t dive fast enough. That’s how close we came.

But why did the Soviets put nuclear weapons in Cuba? That’s the part of the story that the Americans have never really liked talking about. The Jupiter missile was a nuclear armed, medium range ballistic missile. With a range of 1700 hundred miles, this missile could deliver a 3.75 megaton nuclear warhead within 1000 feet of its aiming point. Almost, as they say, only counts in atom bombs, hand grenades, and horseshoes.

In 1961 and 1962, the US put 15 of these missiles in Turkey, near the town of Izmir, just 1300 miles from Moscow and 45 missiles were located in Italy. This put 60 nuclear missiles just 15 minutes’ flight time from Moscow. Launch detection satellites were still 6 years into the future, so these missiles would be detonating all over the Soviets’ command and control systems before anyone knew the attack was coming.

The Soviets did the only reasonable thing from their point of view- in May of 1962, they reciprocated by putting their own missiles within the same distance of Washington, DC in Cuba. That is what led us to the brink of nuclear war in the fall of 1962.

The resolution of the entire thing included an agreement for the US to remove the missiles from Italy and Turkey. Part of the deal included the Soviets agreeing to keep the existence and removal of the Jupiter missiles a secret from the US public. The operation to remove them was called Operation Pot Pie. The missiles were pulled out of Turkey, but the US still maintains a stockpile of as many as 50 nuclear weapons in Turkey to this day.

The US government has a long history of bumbling through the world, screwing up, but then making the other nation’s reaction to the screw up look like aggression. Name nearly any warlike event of the past century, and it is likely that actions taken by the US government precipitated them. Sometimes it was just inept bungling, sometimes it was deliberate provocation, but our government’s own poor actions resulted in Americans getting killed. A sampling:

By Divemedic, ago

Don’t Let Your Guard Down

I spent years telling everyone who would listen, and some who wouldn’t, that the US was being subjected to an attempted coup. I pointed out that Antifa and BLM were carrying out attacks and ambushes like they were receiving professional training, equipment, and funding. This Central Florida cell is a prime example. The entire thing was following the CIA insurgency manual. Many people thought I was nuts. They told me that my tinfoil hat was too tight. One prominent blogger publicly laughed at me.

Now seeing all of the things that DOGE is turning up, it turns out that I was right. Our own government was trying to toss out legitimate elected officials and take over. They were using our own tax dollars to do it.

Don’t think that it’s over. Trump has given us a brief respite, but they will start up again. Soon. Perhaps as soon as the run up to next year’s elections.

By Divemedic, ago