Remember the previous “In Search of…” TV show with the late Leonard Nimoy? It didn’t matter what it was they had been looking for, you had been sure to finish up with an ambiguous ending after getting sucked into watching the presentation (and the not countable business messages in-between segments).
Finding the proper every-day carry is usually a lot like that, I feel. You usually begin with a pistol that you just consider to be your “dream gun,” determine it’s too heavy or too one thing else to hold daily. You begin going by weapons like most of us undergo holsters, on the lookout for Mr. Goodpistol.
This is the story of how I discovered my good EDC gun. I inform it to not attempt to persuade you to purchase the gun I did, however to elucidate my course of within the hopes that it helps you discover your good on a regular basis carry weapon.
My first pistol was a 1911 from Springfield. The solely nod to fashionable conveniences was a beavertail grip. It was a good looking gun. It was correct and will double as a ship anchor in a pinch.
I attempted an IWB holster and located that whereas I may carry it, the pistol was simply too rattling expansive and heavy for me to hold comfortably. I bought it after which purchased my “dream gun,” a Kimber Crimson Trace 1911. Aluminum body. Laser grips. Commander-length barrel.
This one was simpler to hide and a bit lighter, however not by an entire bunch. Again, I attempted carrying it, however discovered it was simply too cumbersome to wish to do this on a regular basis.
When I bought concerned within the non-public safety guard/bodyguard biz, I used to be advised by our Lt. Commander that I wanted a weapon with at the least 15 rounds within the magazine. I opted for a GLOCK 17, which occurred to be the gun many of the different officers carried, too.
It was a pleasant gun. Accurate as hell. I’d deliberate on getting a Springfield XD-M like my spouse’s, however after shooting hers subsequent to a G17 that I rented at our vary, the GLOCK blew every little thing else away by way of accuracy.
I requested the Lt. Commander what he really helpful for an EDC, as a result of we tricked out the G17 with a Trijicon SRO crimson dot sight, and a Streamlight TRL-1 weapon gentle. Subtle it’s not. Neither is it light-weight.
He advised I do what he did…carry the G17 as my EDC as a result of, as he put it, “it’s paid-for.” Um, yeah. So I attempted it. Understand, I’m 6’4″ and about 280 on an excellent day. I don’t have a beer intestine, however my affinity for Coca-Cola way back saddled me with a muffin high that makes IWB each painful and tough.
So I returned to my pleasant neighborhood shootin’ gallery and began renting weapons once more. Now each EDC pistol –- hell, each gun is a compromise in options. Reduce the load and also you’re going to scale back the dimensions, which is able to, in flip have an effect on the quantity of felt recoil.
Everything is interconnected. I get it. So I needed one thing as gentle and small as potential, chambered in 9mm. I needed it to be straightforward to subject strip (which unnoticed the 1911s redesigned for 9mm) and one thing that wouldn’t value me an arm and a leg. Most importantly, it wanted it to really feel good in my hand and be near-as-damnit correct as I’m with my G17.
I rented quite a few pistols, and narrowed it right down to a Springfield Hellcat and a GLOCK 43x. Both are excellent firearms. But the deciding issue for me was I merely shot the rental GLOCK higher than the rental Hellcat. And the GLOCK felt surprisingly good in my expansive meathook hands. My solely reservation was that the G43x is restricted to 10+1 with the factory magazines whereas the Hellcat offers you a pair extra.
It took seemingly without end for the GLOCK to reach, largely as a result of I opted for the G43x MOS model with the slide pre-cut for a crimson dot sight and a body with a built-in (proprietary design) rail.
After an on-line evaluation of the accessible crimson dots for subcompacts, I settled on the SIG SAUER Romeo Zero. Both the gun and the sight arrived on the identical time, so I wasted no time in including the sight to the rail.
First glitch: the screws equipped with the Romeo Zero are only a tad too lengthy, inflicting the ejector to get its smelling appendage outta joint and fail to cycle. A fast excursion to my gunsmith and the shortened screws fastened the issue.
I’m happy to report that the gun is each bit as correct as my G17. I takes a bit extra management to shoot, however that’s highly anticipated. We’re nonetheless barely off the “perfection” mark, by only a bit, as a result of 10-round journal. Then I heard about Shield Arms S15 magazines. The S15s are a marvel of Yankee ingenuity, by some means squeezing 15 rounds into the identical area GLOCK swears will solely maintain 10.
Of course, there’s a catch. In this case, {a magazine} catch. Because the GLOCK manufacturing facility mags are polymer-over-steel, the G43x comes with a polymer magazine launch. The metallic S15 mags will prematurely put on the GLOCK polymer magazine launch. But for a nominal price, Shield Arms will promote you a metal mag release that you could swap out for the manufacturing facility half.
Et voilá! Problem solved. So I now have an EDC that runs 15+1 in a kind issue and weight that feels fairly a bit extra svelte than a G19 or comparable weapon.
Next I turned my consideration to the, ahem, lower than terrific sights on a inventory GLOCK. Are you conscious that the inventory sights are simply little items of plastic? I wasn’t. I checked out all the most important manufacturers. Trijicon is at present about 9 weeks backordered. TruGlo is equally swamped, as is AmeriGlo.
But Night Fision presents a set of tritium sights designed for the GLOCK 43 that regarded nearly good in each approach, and can be found now for buy. Another fast excursion to the gunsmith and I used to be rockin’ evening sights and a crimson dot, co-witnessing to my satisfaction together with the healthful consolation of 15 rounds, plus one within the pipe.
i’ve to confess I’ve not but solved the weapon gentle conundrum. Streamlight has introduced (however not but shipped) a brand new mannequin — the TRL-7-sub — designed expressly for subcompacts, together with the 43x MOS. Because the MOS mannequin has its own rail, nothing made for the unique 43 or 43x will work.
I don’t know why GLOCK selected to place the notch what place they did, however this can be a larger query for larger minds than mine. And it wouldn’t matter now, anyway. With the recognition of the G43x MOS (like so many weapons, GLOCK is promoting them quicker than they’ll make them), I’m sure there might be a wide range of selections accessible quickly.
One final concern; a holster. As a card-carrying OFWG, IWB is problematic. And till I get the sunshine factor sorted, I see no motive to spend $80 or extra on a Kydex holster that received’t match a lightweight. My resolution for now could be a compression holster shirt. This works nicely for me, and sure will, proper up till the summers right here in Texas drive me to discover a holster that matches.
So that’s my story. If you’re available in the market for an EDC gun, I’d encourage you to go searching, strive a wide range of manufacturers and fashions, then go for the one that matches your hand, your carry type and your way of life. And in the event that they ever wish to convey again that show, I’ve bought an “In search of…” that’s able to shoot, both on movie or on the vary.