When it comes to defending your home, it is hard to find a pistol that is better suited for the job than the Beretta M9A3. Today, there are a few more things that people want out of their home defense pistols. Options are key to satisfying the market of people wanting to defend themselves. Some of the things people are looking for are not as reasonable as others. However, the Beretta M9A3 hits that nice balance of features and characteristics that make it a terrific choice.

The Sig P239 is one of the latest pistols that Sig Sauer has discontinued production on. This comes at a time when single stack pistols are typically thought to be better as small and darn near micro in size. ​ The P239 came in at a time when pistols came primarily in full size double stack varieties. The P239 was designed to be a step down in size and weight, and thus satisfy the demand on the market for a smaller pistol that still shoots like a full size pistol. Well, now times have changed. Pistols overall are able to be smaller and lighter thanks to modern technology and understanding metals and materials. However, I do not think that the new and improved pistols on the market offer the same things that the P239 still offers today.

First thing that I think people say too often about this pistol is that they can get a double stack pistol that is "NO THICKER" than the P239. I am not sure that these people have ever handled a P239, but I can assure you that the grip on the P239 is thinner, and you understand why it is only a single stack pistol.

This brings us to the subject of capacity. People seem so insecure about capacity these days. This pistol was designed to function in a concealed role, which means that those who see it will not expect it. Therefore, surprise will be on your side and your armed response with 8 or 9 rounds will definitely be there to keep you in the fight. It is not like this pistol was designed to go into a battlefield. The suggestion is like getting upset with a double barreled shotgun because of its capacity, as if it was supposed to match up as a combat shotgun.

The other thing to cover is the trigger pull. With the popular trigger type on the market being the striker fired trigger, the DA/SA of the P239 can seem a bit old and too much of a burden to learn and use. However, the double action still holds it's own when people actually learn how to use it properly and efficiently. The thing about the trigger system for this type of firearm is that it is safer than a striker fired trigger, and the single action pull offers better pull characteristics, as well as better accessories and modifications to make the trigger lighter without compromising on safety. As you can probably tell by now, I like the trigger on the P239 and I think it brings it all together.

Last subject to touch on would be the shootability. With most single stack pistols out there, you are gonna get a hefty snap back into your hand, but this pistol is incredibly smooth and gentle, even with hotter ammo. It snaps back on target for effortless follow up shots and you can burn through the mag quickly without taking your shots too far off target. I think this characteristic can be attributed to the grip size, spring weight, and the weight of the firearm overall. This combination makes this pistol a sweet shooting experience and makes me just wanna run it until it dies on me.

Though SIG has decided, in their infinite wisdom, to discontinue production of this pistol, they will continue to sell parts and honor the warranties. Just because they discontinued them doesn't mean they will never make them again, but it does show that the market was not really into the pistol enough to make them wanna invest further time and resources in production. However, if the P239 were to get a second shot and the demand for the pistol were to be demanded, as was the case for the P225, I believe we may see a rebirth of this sexy little pistol. Definitely check these pistols out. There are LE trade in pistols on the market in .40 S&W which are half the price of a new pistol. There are options and I highly encourage you to try it out and give it a chance while supplies last. You won't be disappointed. And this is coming from someone who isn't really a SIG fan

It has been a while since I last wrote on this blog. Things have been crazy in my personal life and I am finally getting my groove back and getting content out there for my awesome viewers and readers. For today I have a few subjects to cover such as practicing to get your proficiency back on point, reloading lessons, and an update on the SAR9 from Sarsilmaz.

First thing I want to cover is the update I have on the SAR9. This pistol has been a tank, with a couple drawbacks such as the lack of night sight options and the fact that it has a manual safety. The safety in the past has caused me some discomfort when shooting, but lately it has not been as much of an issue. However, a big issue is the sights. The white dot painted front sight popped out when shooting this week. I finished shooting the 500 rounds I had dedicated for it, which were some spicy hot loads. The sight picture was kinda difficult to pick up in my peripherals, but it was manageable. The sad thing is that I will have to paint the front sight, and I don't foresee Sarsilmaz or SAR USA producing a single night sight option EVER. That can be a down side for alot of potential buyers, but i still do hold this pistol in pretty high regard.

Next subject on the list of updates is reloading. I have been loading my own ammo for about a year now, or more, and I have found it to be cost effective for sure. I load my ammo pretty hot since I like higher pressures so I can really test my guns and wear them a bit faster. I LOVE WEAR ON MY GUNS! However, the powder I have been using(BE-86) has been not the greatest when it comes to giving me good high pressures without causing reliability issues in some of my guns. The reason I have been having issues is because I have so much powder to burn through, and even with longer barrels, there doesn't seem like every pistol has the chambers loose enough to help the brass cool in time. The brass often would get stuck in the chamber on every, or every other round fired. Not a good recipe for success. So to fix this, I have decreased the amount of this hot burning powder in order to facilitate better reliability, and it worked pretty well. Now I don't think that the kick is even as much as the NATO ammo now, but it does save me on powder and increase reliability so I don't solely practice type 3 malfunctions all the time. So that is a lesson for you gents and gentlets out there. BE-86 is awesome, but you gotta tune it in right so your brass doesn't get too stressed like mine has.

The last update that I wanted to share is pretty well related to my current situation and the chaos that has been currently ensuing. Times like this can damage your proficiency and stress has a way of manifesting itself physically in alot of people. I have recently settled down and gotten back in the game mentally and physically, so I wanted to share some lessons for reacquiring that awesome proficiency and love for shooting you had. First thing you need to know is that it is good not to mix hobbies with hard stress in your life. Shooting takes alot of discipline and it takes alot of concentration during shooting to improve, evaluate, and improve. When your mind is distracted, you may miss out on being able to even maintain your skills. 

Once you are ready to get started with your hobbies again, I recommend starting at your own comfort level, going slow, or at least going at a comfortable pace. I am an advocate of dry fire and laser trainers. I like to combine the two. Best thing is to start out by getting your trigger finger back in the habit of functioning independently without any sympathetic movement. This is vital and will definitely be shown when using a laser trainer. I like double action pistols because of the discipline it takes to remain proficient on the double action pull. Like driving a car, if you are good with a manual, driving an automatic will be a breeze. If you perfect the double action, a striker fired pistol will become a breeze. Talk about an all around awesome trigger action to get you back in the game with your training.

When practicing dry or even with ammo, I recommend combining small and large targets. shoot a few rapid shots into a large  target and then maybe the rest of the magazine into a small target as fast as you can hit with precision. This is a good technique to refine your accuracy and get your body used to its role when it comes to making accurate hits.

Okay, that is all for now. Don't be a stranger to this blog. Feel free to read on and learn some things and leave a comment. I appreciate all correspondence. Also, share this content with your shooting friends if you wish. It is good to spread knowledge. Thank you all for your support and I look forward to getting back in the game and providing good content for your enjoyment and hopefully engaging with you all in the comments section.

Recently I purchased the standard AUG stock and 7 magazines for it. One magazine is the 42 round magazine which is always the starting magazine, on purpose. When I ordered the stock and the magazines, I was wondering if the magazines would actually fit any of my magazine pouches as well as my AR magazines.

The biggest concern and claim of people looking at the AUG or criticizing it is this notion that the magazines won't fit in AR magazine pouches because they are too thick all the way around. I think the picture above proves that this is an untrue evaluation of the AUG magazines. They are pretty much the same size as a Magpul magazine. The Magpul magazine is bigger around than a STANAG magazine, but not by much.

In the picture above, I am sure you can tell that the AUG magazine is very close in size to the STANAG magazine. The STANAG magazine is very slim and square, obviously, which makes it incredibly easy to fit in almost any mag pouch.

The only characteristic of the AUG magazine design is that it has a different lockup which includes protrusions that act as over-insertion protection and a locking piece. Those tiny pieces do not get in the way hardly at all, do it is not an issue like I had thought previously. The only other thing that is off about the AUG magazine is that the base plates are a bit fat, but no worse than the Magpul magazines. Overall, I like the AUG magazines for their smooth feeding, light weight, transparent characteristic, and their slightly better reputation for durability and reliability. I look forward to testing these magazines more in the future, but I can tell you already that I have had nothing but good things happen with them so far. They have a direct feeding characteristic and are exactly what the AUG was designed to use anyways. Whats not to be happy about. A more reliable set of mags but without sacrificing size and mag pouch compatibility.

I'm sure that many of you reading this article have seen and used this piece of equipment while serving in the military at some point or another. This is the system I learned Combat Marksmanship with in boot camp. I learned how to crank out speed reloads and I wore this along with the old school flak jackets. This is a new and unused M88 Enhanced Load Bearing Vest. I got this piece out of nostalgia and then came to realize that it was worth analyzing its use and effectiveness compared to the current standard molle systems.

It is a common interest for those wanting to carry concealed to want a compact pistol. Their size is easy to conceal and most of them on the market are pretty easy-going on the recoil. However, it is also a common theme for these people to get sucked into standards that are niche and unnecessary. I want to explore some of these using the firearms displayed in the featured photo. This is not meant to promote or sell any brand or type of pistol, but to help people understand the real story behind these different types of compact and subcompact firearms.

When I first started getting into the world of bullpup rifles, I was looking at the Steyr AUG but wasn't sure that it fit all my needs. The magazines were expensive and hard to come by, and the rifle was not well reviewed by those who already had a bias against bullpups. It is hard to find credible and knowledgeable reviews on bullpups anyways since few people understand the platform. However, I have found that the criticism is solely around this illusion that speed is the key to everything and intuitive function comes second to thinking lightning fast makes up for shortcomings of the more popular rifle designs. Anyways, I wanted to give an update on my experience with the Steyr AUG NATO and some of the changes I have made in how I run it and its function while shooting.

Click here for the video of testing.
The Remington Ultimate Defense is quite obviously a repackaged Golden Saber. What many people don't know is that there were minor improvements to the Goldensaber design in the form of altering the led in order to get it to the right ratio for the desired results to be consistent through a variety of velocities/barrel lengths.

In many of the videos on YouTube, you might notice that the reviewers lay their MRE contents out on a tray as if it is to be a cafeteria meal instead of a field ration. This is quite odd considering that many of these folks actually have used them in the field in the military. My goal is to discuss how you will typically find yourself using an MRE when you use it in the field like in the military. Before I write about this, I think we should start with a bit of a backstory on the history of how the MRE came to be.

There is a new pistol coming to the market in late 2018 known as the Lionheart Regulus. This is actually a series of pistols with customizable options like frame and slide sizes, sights, different color frames and barrels, etc. This pistol is not by any means meant to compete with low cost pistols from Ruger or Taurus, but rather to go in line with high end options on the market like Wilson Combat, Zev, and others..