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11 Comments

  1. Last May (2019) I cut my ring finger to the bone, cutting the artery and nerve with broken glass. I self treated (former SF Medic) and the finger is slowly gaining feeling. In June, I fell and ran a punji stick through the space between the pinky and ring finger on the same hand into the center of the palm (almost 3 inches). That required a trip to the ER ($1500 for cleaning and stitches). The dirt was down inside the palm and I couldn’t reach it. Point is, those 2 fingers are numb right now and it’s causing issues with the 45 shooting. So I’ve converted to the 9mm (Springfield 1911 10 shot and XD9 15 rnds). At 65 yrs old this may have been a side benefit of the injuries. The hand doesn’t throb using a 9mm. I may keep this XD9 as the new carry gun.

    1. Switch hands. I did at age 60, due to permanent hand injury. For me, it was actually switching to my dominant eye……discovered after the hand switch. Lefties rule!

  2. Pat, I really enjoy your reviews. This old coot is also getting on in years. I HAD a ‘favorite gun’. Arthritis was a gun-changer. I think some gals share the difficulty of operating larger caliber handguns. Reviews of small caliber handguns might be helpful.

  3. Speaking just for myself, I have wide hands but short fingers. I don’t have trouble with the larger calibers if the handgun is a single stack model, because I can grip it more tightly than a double stack. My favorite handgun to shoot is my full size 1911. However, it’s not my favorite handgun to EDC concealed. For that, because of my small size, I need something much smaller.That Kimber sure is pretty, though! And, Pat, I’m just as young as you šŸ˜‰

  4. Been reading your articles for some time now and really enjoy what you have written about, especially when if concerns the 1911. I’ll never see 70 again and been have using a .45 1911 off and on for many yrs, full size and commander. But a yr or so ago, I happened across a SF Armory range officer compact in a 9mm. It’s a delight to carry and fun to shoot, although it has been back to the factory once already. Then last summer, I tried out a Bersa thunder plus, it’s a little smaller in size, twice ( almost ) the number of rounds, but I don’t like or care for the Cerakoted finish. So the jury is still out on that one. Keep up the good work.

  5. For those of us 1911 guys, what about the Browning Black Label .380? I own one. Very concealable, and accurate. My son, a police officer, liked it so much, he bought one as well. Kind of expensive though.
    Just thought I’d throw that info out there.
    Thanks Pat for all your reviews.

  6. Dear Pat: Again I must stress the Taurus G2C (12 rounds of 9mm or 10 of .40). Cost and reliability are always issues for the “common American”. That is why I keep asking you to test and promote this excellent CCW pistol from Taurus. You can get an upgrade kit from Lakeline LLC for about $50.00. This kit includes a stainless striker guide, recoil spring and rod guide. Also Palmetto State Armory is a great source for a quality AR-10 or AR-15 for a most reasonable price. The USA is headed into some rough times ahead, I am most sorry to say! Hang on to Jesus real tight, as the USA is headed for a very bumpy ride for it’s law abiding citizens! May the “light of Jesus” shine on the USA. Psalm 144.

  7. Pat,
    Given the opportunity, compare this Kimber to the Para Ordnance Expert Carry. Aside from the hand grip being full size and chambered in .45, pretty much everything else is the same (in my opinion).

    Also if you are going to lean towards the Glock 19X, you should take a gander at the Glock 45 as well.

  8. Great article Pat

    This article is targeted to concealed carry. The one thing to note here is that the same Kimber frame size can be had in 45acp. I have one. Itā€™s an Ultra CDP (Compact Defense Pistol). It may have a few less rounds per magazine but my personal belief is a 9mm is no substitute for a 45acp power wise. Yes there has been new technology, mostly in bullet design that has increased the potential of the 9mm. However, thereā€™s an old engine saying ā€œthere ainā€™t no substitute for cubic inchesā€. The same is true for cartridges. Whatever can be done to a small caliber can be done to a larger caliber with greater results. That said, Iā€™m a 10mm guy since the Colt Delta in 1989. It is only slightly less in ā€œcubic inchesā€ than a 45 but has a lot more horsepower. A friend carries a Glock 20 but I prefer the Springfield XDM, lots of firepower (16r) and more energy than 45acp. Granted these are not easily concealed guns but here in bear country I donā€™t think they will notice. As a testament to the 10mm I have never seen a compact 10. I believe this is due to physics. There just isnā€™t a spring yet that short to handle the slide recoil.
    From the Hornady reloading manual:
    9mm / 124gr HP / max velocity: 364 foot pounds muzzle energy
    10mm / 180gr HP / max velocity: 624 foot pounds muzzle energy
    45acp / 230gr HP / max velocity: 413 foot pounds muzzle energy.
    Then again there is the purpose:
    In an urban environment the desire would be to stop a single threat, not multiple non threats beyond. 9mm or 45acp would be the ticket.
    In the boonies the desire is to stop a charging bear, or a moose more likely. Backround would not be a factor. High capacity 10mm (or 12ga) would be the ticket.

  9. I would say that 2 great authorities on the 9mm vs 45 ACP stopping power argument ( and I own multiple pistols/revolvers in 9mm/.40 S&W/.45 ACP/ .38 spl) are Ken Hackathorn and Larry Vickers. Ken used to be Mr. 45 and has now, due to arthritis and such in his hands, switched to 1911 style pistols in 9mm. Larry Vickers is a former delta spec ops guy and if he says 9mm is now an adequate self defense option I would not argue much. The man has been there, done that.

    At the end of the day shot placement remains the most critical factor in stopping your opponent with a handgun. If you run Kens Wizard drill ( watch it on YouTube ) you will see what he says regarding your handgun choice and how effective whatever you have will be in a lethal firearm shootout. Pass that with even a .380 and as he says you are good to go.

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