Your Equipment Doesn’t Matter

Jeff Gonzales — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 16:10:03 +0000

That’s a bold statement, but it is true from a certain point of view. I see so many new shooters start down the wrong path by looking to solve their shooting problems with equipment.

Define Your Mission

When I have the opportunity to guide a student towards their first gun purchase I start by asking them what is the reason for the purchase. Why do they need a gun? I’m not asking them to justify why they want to buy a gun, I’m asking them to tell me what is the mission for the gun. Are they looking for gun to carry concealed, for home defense or strictly for sport. There really isn’t one gun that will accomplish all those missions well. There are a few that can do a good job, but they also may not be the best starting point for a first gun. Here is a harsh reality for many new gun owners, you will probably buy the wrong gun. You may do some research, talk to some knowledgeable sources and even try before you buy and still end up with the wrong gun.

It’s Always the Indian

To be honest, which gun your purchase won’t really affect the outcome as much as the training you invest in with said gun. Without the training it is nothing more than a good luck charm. Without training you will lack the insight into what really works for you, what you truly need. The other harsh reality is most who invest into training learn the original gun purchase may not be the best for their newly developed skills. As you train more, you learn more. You learn more about what you need. Can a nice gun help with the learning process, of course. It is not a requirement, it is only an enhancement.

Buy Cheap, Buy Twice

When the shooter invests in their training, they will by proxy see improvements in their skill. It wasn’t the platform as much as the hard work they put into learning. The first gun purchase becomes a stepping stone towards what will probably be many purchases. The problem becomes avoiding buyer’s remorse and realizing you don’t have to keep working with something that is suboptimal. You can find it a new legal home through a variety of methods. Don’t feel compelled to sale the ship into the rocks for the sake of staying on the ship. It’s okay to acknowledge a poor choice, don’t beat yourself up about it because you didn’t know then what you know now.

Out of the Box

As a first time gun buyer, don’t feel like you have go hog wild to update, improve or enhance your new purchase. Learn how to use it, develop skill with it and if you discover the new gun works for you then great. The flip side is there will come a point of diminishing returns. A point where you will drop more money into equipment with the expectation it will improve your skill. Yes, there is some truth to this notion. However, I caution you on using this as an excuse not to train or improve your skill. You may see some skill improvements, but do those improvements come at the sacrifice of other skill deterioration. At some point, you will find a gun you can perform well with under a variety of conditions. It is reliable, durable and accurate enough for you and your skill level plus the mission at hand.

I rarely see someone out shoot a gun out of the box. Don’t look to the gun as the source of the problems, look at your skills or lack there of and do something about them.

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Backup Throw Down

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 13:03:15 +0000

For the last several weeks I have been running my Glock 43 as primary, where normally it is reserved as backup only. I wanted to get a better feel for the versatility of the platform; which meant in all my daily activities.

Multiple threat scenarios

The Glock 43 has been a huge success in the sense of providing consumers with an ultra-compact, reliable and accurate pistol ideally suited for concealed carry. During our classes we define a primary carry pistol having a minimum magazine capacity of ten rounds. The idea behind our choice is simple; multiple threats. The larger magazine capacity platform will hopefully provide sufficient ammunition to defeat the multiple threats one may face or best case, more than enough for a isolated threat. It is becoming the norm to see multiple attackers so planning for this contingency requires greater thought into your pistol selection.

The risk versus reward

Am I making a concession when I choose to run a Glock 43 as my primary? The honest answer is yes. However, the advantage of carrying under broader conditions helps bring balance to the universe. Right about now, some people are rolling their eyes as they mutter under their breathe how adept they are at carrying their full size wonder-nine decked out with all the bells and whistles. Having completed as many concealed carry classes I’m not surprised, these are the same people who do a poor job of concealing their load out. There is a difference between concealing or covering your load out. The casual observer is not the concern, the concern is the violent criminal capable of identifying subtle clues.

True concealment

The whole point to concealed carry is to truly conceal the entire load-out, not simply to cover up. Day to day activities often place the concealed carrier in compromising positions and it becomes easier to print. There seems to be a blase attitude regarding the idea of printing. This attitude should fall into the same camp as those who profess open carry as the end all be all. The bottom line is the majority of folks could be doing a better job of concealing. Hence, my experiment with the Glock 43. I wanted to see how deep I could go and how well I could conceal in everything from formal wear to workout attire. In the end, I gained a greater appreciation for this little blaster.

Comprehensive criterion

This makes it an excellent choice for those who have reduced options for concealment. In this case, either attire or environment create restrictive measures making it difficult to conceal or grave consequences for discovery. As for the pistol itself, from a reliability point of view; please. Having put over 2,500 rounds through it since putting it into service I’d say it performs above standard. Shooting as many rounds through an ultra-compact frame can be difficult with other platforms, but I found this platform problem free. Then there is accuracy component, both mechanical and technical. From a mechanical point of view it is plenty accurate. Designed for close range engagements it has proven itself impressive out to 25 yards. The technical side has more to do with the difficulty one might have either through the recoil impulse being rude or the platform not having the inherent accuracy. The last issue I have is durability. Any skill must be practiced and while you have the added benefit of similar controls the ultra-compact frames typically are not robust enough to sustain the volume necessary to sustain skill level. That is not the case here.

The bottom line, is it my first choice with all things equal. No, but I don’t have a problem carrying one when it becomes necessary.

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