Since the Beretta M9 was adopted by the US military, there have been doubts and questions about the reliability and validity of the Beretta 92 series design as being a true combat pistol. After about 3 decades of service in the military, it has been replaced with a polymer framed pistol, the Sig P230. Since the development of the 92 series pistols, polymer pistols started to hit the civilian and law enforcement in force. Eventually, people started to see alloy and metal framed pistols like the Beretta 92 series to be outdated compared to the lighter and less complicated polymer framed pistols. But is this claim really valid? Well, let me give my impressions on this design and share what I know as far as the claims and how they match up to my experiences with this design.

Despite the mindsets of certain people out there, defending yourself in low light is not as simple as having a light. There are some challenges you have to get used to and practice to overcome. Having a light on your person means very little, just like having a gun makes you just as capable of defending yourself as owning pots and pans makes you a world class gourmet chef.

I have become pretty interested in .40 caliber lately. The ballistics are great, the recoil can be a challenge, and the round wears guns down. For most people, this is a list of reasons they don't like the .40 caliber. Personally, I like a challenge in terms of shooting, and I like to wear my guns a bit. So, for the rest of you folks out there, why would you have any interest in the Beretta 96A1? Well, hopefully I can spill some of my knowledge and experience and let you decide.

Shooting is one of the hardest skills to pick up and perfect due to the physical, mechanical, and technological variables. Your fitness, your mental state, your firearm(barrel length and construction), and your ammunition will all have an effect on your performance. Not to mention that the climate and environment will all play a role as well. There are alot of things that go into shooting, but the hardest thing for people to get right is being able to exercise great discipline and learn to control their mind and body in order to shoot consistently well. For almost all shooters, this is a lifelong struggle no matter how much better they get. A good shooter always strives to be better than they were yesterday rather than just trying to be better than the person next to them.

Fighting in a low light setting is one of the most demanding things you can do, let alone with a firearm. It requires alot of things to be done right and for you to be very proficient. This means that you must practice and constantly challenge yourself. If there is anything I have learned in my time of fighting in low light and training in low light, it is that there is no one thing that is universally applicable. Darkness will complicate everything and adding in having to use and be mindful of other gear, in addition to your gun, adds to the complexity. There are a few basic things that are necessary and vital to effectively fighting at night, and I want to go over them briefly.

Pistols that come out of Turkey are one of my newest lusts and interests. There are several reasons for this and I look forward to revealing these reasons. Also, I would like to look at the pistols I have had experience with and explain why I feel they are worthy candidates for a spot in your safe.

When .40 caliber first came out, it was apparently the coolest thing since sliced bread. It was powerful, offered a new type of effectiveness on a human threat that could not be matched well by other calibers, and Law Enforcement was jumping to it all over the place. Lately, people have started abandoning the caliber in favor of the 9mm for perceived improvements in bullet performance and technology. I will refrain from talking about caliber and getting into the debate on performance and such. My focus here will be whether the .40 caliber is a suitable round for combat or if the world got it right with the 9mm.

The roller-delayed blowback system is not complex in general, but it does require a very specific manual of arms. It is simple and universal in technique, but it has to be done the right way in order to be fluid. Now, you may never get as fast with it as you would with other weapons that have bolts that lock back on the last shot, but you will be smooth and be able to do it naturally without having to look at your gun while operating it. Practice and really forcing the rifle around is the best way to go, in my experience.

There is alot of hate put on the less expensive Turkish pistols on the market. In alot of peoples minds, time is money and that means that the more expensive a pistol is, the better quality that it must be. This is hardly the case. Paying hundreds and even thousands of dollars doesn't automatically translate to high quality. Reliable is reliable, and just paying more does not translate to more than 100% reliability or even longer life. Most of the time when you look at it, you end up paying for features and you sacrifice in other areas. However, Turkish pistols like the SAR CM9 Gen2 seem to have a bit of all the features people want, but without the hefty price tag. They aren't perfect but they work well and they get the job done.

The SCCY CPX-2 is a popular pistol in the lower price range. For 200 bucks, people are able to snatch one of these babies. SCCY makes alot of these guns in house in Florida. They constantly upgrade the components to improve durability, reliability, and quality control. But the question today is if this pistol is the best gun for your money as alot of people have felt?