Captain Nemo
Regular Member
With the tremendous emphasis in concealed carry there are more handgun add-ons, modifications and accessories out there than you can shake a stick at. Some are good some are not so good. Reading gun book adds and window shopping in gun shops is akin to walking into a bait shop to buy a fishing lure. There are laser sights , flashlights, high visibility sights, trigger assemblies, high performance barrels, snap caps, special holsters, ad infinitum. Do they all have their place? Certainly they do. For example a flashlight shining into a bad guys eyes or a red dot bouncing all over his body definitely has a psychological effect. However I would guess that most of the people that slap a laser sight on their gun could not keep it on a 6 inch paper plate at 20 feet. There is no accessory or modification to a firearm that will magically make you a better shot. Only range time and practice with the "raw" gun can do that.
A high percentage of people that wish to conceal carry are homeowners. People with a home mortgage, one or two vehicles to pay for, credit card debt, couple of kids to raise and maintain. People, that aren't gun magazine writers that get free guns to shoot, or are wealthy enough to afford a $1000 Kimber. They are lucky enough to afford a .380 Phoenix. So when they plop down $300 - $600 for a gun, pay the taxes, buy a $75 holster and then they find out it costs $30 a box for ammo, plus another $20 an hour range time and $20 worth of gas to shoot it, the bank is just about broken. They look for crutches that make them think will make them a better shot and reduce the high cost and need for practice. Doesn't work that way. There is nothing you can do to or put on a gun that will make you a more proficient shooter, only practice can do that.
So what' s the answer? There are Airsoft pistols that replicate nearly every popular handgun available. Many are available on the internet or at gun shows for a couple of bucks. They can be used to practice in your living room (with a suitable backstop). Except for the noise and recoil they are just like shooting your carry gun. The plastic bb's are inexpensive and can be used over and over.
I have the luxury of owning more than 30 handguns and being able to step out on my back porch and shoot them. What do I use to do my daily practice? My airsofts and my CO2 BB pistols.
Do crutches have their place? Of course they do, but only after you know how to shoot your firearm well. What happens when at that "moment of truth" your flashlight battery goes dead, or the switch on your laser sight doesn't work, or your add-on sight gets displaced, or you accidently load snap caps instead of live ammo in your gun, etc.? Many people might panic because they bet their lives on those crutches. The situation goes South in a hurry.
My opinion, What are yours?
A high percentage of people that wish to conceal carry are homeowners. People with a home mortgage, one or two vehicles to pay for, credit card debt, couple of kids to raise and maintain. People, that aren't gun magazine writers that get free guns to shoot, or are wealthy enough to afford a $1000 Kimber. They are lucky enough to afford a .380 Phoenix. So when they plop down $300 - $600 for a gun, pay the taxes, buy a $75 holster and then they find out it costs $30 a box for ammo, plus another $20 an hour range time and $20 worth of gas to shoot it, the bank is just about broken. They look for crutches that make them think will make them a better shot and reduce the high cost and need for practice. Doesn't work that way. There is nothing you can do to or put on a gun that will make you a more proficient shooter, only practice can do that.
So what' s the answer? There are Airsoft pistols that replicate nearly every popular handgun available. Many are available on the internet or at gun shows for a couple of bucks. They can be used to practice in your living room (with a suitable backstop). Except for the noise and recoil they are just like shooting your carry gun. The plastic bb's are inexpensive and can be used over and over.
I have the luxury of owning more than 30 handguns and being able to step out on my back porch and shoot them. What do I use to do my daily practice? My airsofts and my CO2 BB pistols.
Do crutches have their place? Of course they do, but only after you know how to shoot your firearm well. What happens when at that "moment of truth" your flashlight battery goes dead, or the switch on your laser sight doesn't work, or your add-on sight gets displaced, or you accidently load snap caps instead of live ammo in your gun, etc.? Many people might panic because they bet their lives on those crutches. The situation goes South in a hurry.
My opinion, What are yours?