Russian Rocket`s GoodLookingLoser Guide to Handguns
Contents
1. active manufacturers of double action defensive revolvers include Smith amp Wesson USA Ruger USA Charter Arms USA Armscor Philippines Taurus Brazil their revolvers may be more reliable than their semi autos but still beware e Rossi Brazil made by Taurus Of these Smith amp Wesson and Ruger are the best without question S amp W emphasizes higher quality but Ruger revolvers are built like tanks and will serve you just as well and ata much lower price Colt used to make fantastic double action revolvers but ceased all production of them by the mid 2000s 10 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 Hl Ammunition A Cartridges Cartridge or more simply round describes the whole object that you load into modern firearms to be fired For handgun cartridges it consists of the case the primer the powder charge propellant and the bullet The case can be made from brass aluminum nickel plated brass or steel Steel cases that are worth a damn always have some sort of coating whether it be lacquer polymer or copper The metallic cartridge has been the standard delivery system for large chunks of lead since about 1870 The primer is mounted in the center of the base of the cartridge case When struck by the gun s firing pin the explosive charge in the primer detonates and is channeled through a port in the case inside to the powder charge which then ignites The gases generated in this small explosion2. is quite a bit more expensive than 9mm 45 Glock Automatic Pistol 45 GAP Nope Let it die Please B Loads Loads center around two things the bullet and the powder charge behind it The weights of both are measured in grains The amount and type of powder determine the pressure generated and the duration of the ignition All these factors plus the weight of the bullet should be considered along with the barrel length in order to optimize performance of the bullets when both in the air and inside the target i Bullets a Practice bullets Lead round nose or Lead flat nose Just a chunk of lead usually with some kind of lubricant covering to keep it from leaving lead residue in the gun which can be difficult to remove Plated A chunk of lead with a thin copper plating around it Full Metal Jacket FMJ A chunk of lead with a thicker jacket of either copper brass or copper plated steel known as a bimetal jacket The base of the bullet is exposed lead This is the industry standard for target rounds Total Metal Jacket TMJ Same as FMJ but with the jacket covering the entire bullet Lead wadcutter a flat ended cylindrical lead bullet that is only really used in revolvers Lead semi wadcutter LSWC Similar to lead flat nose 13 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 b Defense bullets aka social ammo anti personnel etc e Jacketed Hollow Point JHP similar to FMJ in construction but with a hollow cav
3. standards for overpressure A lot of modern handguns are rated for P but make extra sure yours is rated as such before using P ammo in it The user manual will usually tell you whether it is safe to use or not That said it s best to stick to standard velocity ammo for practice purposes P will only wear out your gun faster The advantage however of using P in certain cartridges like 9mm is that it can increase the terminal ballistic performance of the bullet but that is not a ways the case P on the other hand should be fired very sparingly Since it does not conform to any standards firearms cannot be rated for it There is an exception to this 38 Special P may be fired in handguns chambered for 357 Magnum worry free so long as it is factory loaded ammunition that you know is safe to fire at all as opposed to unverified handloaded ammunition iii Examples of effective defensive loads by caliber e 32 ACP 380 ACP 9x18mm Makarov Standard FMJ is recommended due to poor penetration in other forms 38 Special 158 grain LSWCHP P 125 grain JHP P 115 grain JHP P 14 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 9x19mm Luger 124 grain JHP P 147 grain JHP 115 grain JHP P 357 Magnum 125 grain JHP 158 grain JHP 40 S amp W 165 grain JHP 180 grain JHP 10mm Auto 165 grain JHP 180 grain JHP 200 grain JHP 45 ACP 230 grain JHP Brands include Federal HST and Hydra Shok Speer Gold Dot Winchester Ranger Hornady Re
4. Il cover those in a separate post However if you are Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 new to guns recommend starting with a new one This has the massive advantage of having a warranty behind your gun should something go wrong However if you must get a used gun which is still perfectly okay you should have it inspected by a gunsmith before you fire it i Shit tier 150 or less Any new handguns that are below 150 are probably shit Examples include brands like Jennings Raven Lorcin Davis and others If you re in danger broke and you desperately need a gun in one hell of a hurry maybe you could flirt with the idea of getting one of these but then again you probably shouldn t This category is also known as Saturday Night Specials ii Ultra low tier 150 200 This is a fairly narrow category as far as new guns go Here you re looking at brands such as Hi Point While their guns are pretty crappy and are akin to giant bricks the company has excellent service and stands behind their product While their guns may not work when you initially buy them the company is willing to repair them until they re fixed if you send them back Note this level of customer service does not apply for most manufacturers in this tier Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 iii Low tier S200 400 Now we re getting somewhere Here are some very good deals in new guns and some not so good Here s a list of manufacturers and their product
5. Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 Russian Rocket Author Make or Break Co Author Editor Russian Rocket s Good Le Loser B Guide to Handguns Introduction Handguns are the staple of civilian self defense We can t carry a rifle or shotgun everywhere we go for a number of reasons First and foremost is practicality second is necessity and third is regional laws For the purposes of this guide will focus on handguns for defensive use in both the home and elsewhere Modern handguns are divided into two main types semi automatic by far the most popular in the U S today with civilians law enforcement and military and revolvers Revolvers are limited in capacity and difficult to reload under duress however they are easier to manipulate in the rare case of a malfunction or if the user s hands are physically impaired personally prefer semi autos for defense because it s better to have extra ammo than no ammo Also you don t always have the luxury of a safe escape route nevertheless will cover revolvers in more detail later in this guide should you choose to get one for self defense I Semi automatic pistols A Operation Semi automatic pistols can either be hammer fired or striker fired Hammer fired pistols can use any one of the following action types e Single action trigger performs one action release the hammer onto the firing pin e Double action single action hammer is cocked as the trigger is pulled for
6. al it in their clothing Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 which is what you should be doing anyway if you re carrying Weight is also an issue for many people However the perks of using a full sized handgun are that you get the best accuracy Capacity and power in the entire handgun category If you re okay with compromising on any of these aspects keep reading ii Compact Compact semi autos are considered by most gun owners to be the ideal for concealed carry while still providing more than enough firepower for home defense and plain old range use They strike an excellent balance of reduced size and weight with still significant capacity accuracy and power In fact wouldn t necessarily consider this category a compromise Compacts tend to fit a wider range of hand sizes than most full size semi autos iii Subcompact Subcompacts are where the real compromising starts First and foremost they are harder to control than the above categories The greatly reduced surface area of the grip means you will have more difficulty holding the weapon while firing In addition reduced weight means you feel the recoil more because there is less mass to absorb the firing energy The reduced barrel length of subcompacts also contributes to increased recoil On top of that the terminal ballistic performance of the bullets you fire from a subcompact handgun will be drastically reduced due to the lack of barrel length However some manufacturers make
7. defensive loads that are optimized for these shorter barrels will cover that in more detail later Finally with subcompacts you re looking at reduced accuracy and range I m sure you can tell by now that don t like them at all but some people do Your mileage may vary My advice is to go to a gunshop near you and try out a variety of models before you decide on one to purchase Either find a range that lets you rent these guns or make friends with someone who owns one or more iv Pocket Pocket pistols are the final compromise short of not carrying a gun at all The upside is that you can easily conceal one of these and carry it around all day with minimal discomfort but they have very limited capacity fairly poor accuracy limited power and offer far less control This is where the saying it s better to have a gun than no gun at all really comes from Most pocket pistols are chambered in weaker calibers like 32 ACP and 380 ACP but recently some have begun to appear in 9x19mm and even 40 S amp W However the short barrel performance caveat from the previous section applies even more here C Brands and prices New Most brands of semi auto pistols will stay within a certain price bracket but some produce models that cover a wide range of costs Those models will be noted in this guide This section of the guide will cover examples of new guns as opposed to used guns including police trade ins and military surplus l
8. her Communist bloc countries Great for getting through soft body armor but its penetrative power is about all it has going for it Ammo is becoming very scarce in this caliber especially decent defensive loads 380 ACP Offers some improvement over 32 ACP but still lacking See the caveats for 32 ACP Many people consider this the bare minimum for a defensive cartridge Many others disagree Your mileage may vary etc Works very well for a backup gun 9x18mm Makarov consider this the bare minimum for a primary defensive handgun Ammo is plentiful and quite affordable as are the Eastern Bloc military surplus guns that fire it 38 Special The most popular revolver cartridge of all time hands down Being made for revolvers this is also one of the most flexible cartridges ever as far as loads go I ll go into more detail on this in the next section 9x19mm Parabellum aka 9x19mm Luger or simply 9mm The worldwide gold standard for handguns Period Introduced in 1901 the 9mm has arguably seen the most interest research and development of any handgun cartridge over the past century especially once the United States took a belated interest in it in the mid 1980s 9mm offers the highest capacity of any defensive cartridge in semi auto pistols with double stack magazines up to 18 rounds in flush fitting magazines in certain models and up to 20 in just slightly extended magazines 9mm also offers more than adequate power accuracy and
9. ii Semi custom and beyond 1300 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 From here on out the field is dominated by the model 1911 pistol but you may still find the occasional exotic handgun that does not fall into that category Brands listed below are known primarily for 1911s unless otherwise noted Les Baer Custom USA Wilson Combat USA Ed Brown USA Nighthawk Custom USA Colt s Custom Shop USA Springfield Armory Inc Custom Shop USA Kimber Custom USA Heckler amp Koch Germany Mark 23 Note the Magnum Research IWI Desert Eagle is not listed here because it is not a defensive handgun Il Revolvers Now as promised revolvers giddy up cowboy There isn t really a set standard of sizes for these so l Il sort them by barrel length Typical revolvers will come with barrel lengths anywhere from just under 2 inches to 4 inches to 6 and beyond 4 inches was the standard for the final half century or more that service revolvers were still well in widespread service 2 inches is the most common length for snub nosed revolvers which are what most revolver users carry now 4 5 inches is about the optimum range of barrel length it balances ballistic performance and maneuverability in a revolver 6 inches is pushing it especially on the draw You will only be able to carry a six incher concealed in a shoulder holster sorry about any aspirations you had with that new Bathmate Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 Current
10. ity for a tip and often some lengthwise cuts in the jacket This bullet is designed to expand violently upon penetrating a target causing maximum damage These are not recommended for cartridges weaker than 9x19mm as those do not meet the FBI s 12 inch minimum ballistic gelatin penetration standard Bonded Jacketed Hollow Point same as regular JHP except the jacket is chemically bonded to the lead core This helps the bullet remain in one piece while it is doing its work inside the target thus ensuring it penetrates to its goal i e a vital organ Bonded JHP is ideal for when your target is hidden behind certain light barriers such as wallboard car doors auto glass etc e Lead semi wadcutter hollow point LSWCHP same as the LSWC but with a hollow cavity in front This aids expansion and maximizes damage to the target This was the FBI s and just about everyone else s preferred bullet while revolvers were still in vogue It still is the best for 38 Special There are a few other more exotic types of bullets in the market but these are by and large what you will find for most calibers and really are the best options ii Overpressure For a lot of calibers especially 9mm 45 ACP and 38 Special there are loads marked as P or P P means the case is loaded with a specific amount of extra powder and is thus overpressured within the standards set for that category P means the cartridge exceeds even the former s
11. jority of the best reside here Glock Austria USA 17 19 20 21 22 23 etc in other words their entire lineup Beretta Italy USA 92FS M9 Px4 Storm 92A1 96A1 SIG Sauer Switzerland Germany USA P250 SP2022 CZ Czech Republic CZ 75 series CZ PO7 Smith amp Wesson USA M amp P series Stoeger Turkey Cougar series Remington USA 1911 R1 Kahr Arms USA K series P series FN Herstal Belgium FNP series FNX series FNS series Walther Germany PPK PPQ P99 PPS Magnum Research USA Israel Baby Eagle II Springfield Armory Inc USA in cooperation with IMBEL of Brazil and HS Produkt of Croatia XD series XDM series 1911 A1 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 vi Upper tier S750 1300 COLTS MK IV SERIES 70 GOVERNMENT MODEL 45 AUTOMATIC CALIBER 45 A Ic The pistols in this tier perform about as well as the ones in the mid tier but cost more In this category you re mostly looking at name brand recognition or other special features Not to say that most of the guns here are not excellent but there s a question of necessity that you ll have to keep in mind for yourself as you make your choices Heckler amp Koch Germany HK45 P30 USP P2000 SIG Sauer Switzerland Germany USA P220 P226 P227 P229 Colt USA 1911 series the original Browning USA Canada in cooperation with FN Herstal of Belgium Browning Hi Power Para Ordnance Canada 1911 series Kimber USA 1911 series v
12. mington Corbon Buffalo Bore Underwood and Double Tap Conclusion So there you have it A dry run on handguns Hail to the King Baby by Russian Rocket and Make or Break As part of the GOOM LOOKING LOS F community http www goodlookingloser com httop www gll getalife com
13. penetration All around feel it is the best balance That said it s not the be all end all of handgun cartridges There is simply no such thing Some people shoot 45 better than they shoot 9mm Your mileage may vary Ammo is plentiful and cheap 357 Magnum This revolver cartridge a lengthened and strengthened version of the 38 Special was the gold standard in defensive revolvers for decades That is until people stopped giving much of a shit about revolvers Since the mid 1980s development of bullet technology for 357 Magnum has lagged and the snubnose revolvers in common use today instead of longer service revolvers do not offer enough barrel length to make adequate use of the 357 Magnum Still if you really like revolvers and use a full sized service model it s a well proven option 10mm Auto Created in the 80s this is one bad motherfucker The most powerful cartridge designed for mass produced semi autos However that doesn t make it better than the rest Power is relative and when you re talking about handguns it s never enough to reliably put a man down in his tracks without proper shot placement 10mm is no exception If you can control 10mm well and wish to use it for defense more power to you Most people however would be better served by a different cartridge 12 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 40 Smith amp Wesson aka 40 S amp W 40 Short amp Wimpy amongst other derogatory nicknames Created in the ea
14. propel the bullet out through the barrel i List of cartridges e 22 Long Rifle Not a defensive cartridge This has been the global standard target shooting round for many generations and used to be much cheaper Since the end of 2012 though political crises and the resulting panic buying have disgustingly inflated the price It has yet to go down as we near the end of 2013 e 5 7x28mm Developed by FN Herstal for the Five seveN pistol and P90 submachine gun It was intended to punch through standard body armor of the early 1990s but that s the only thing it s good at doing It doesn t do much actual damage and on top of that the armor piercing rounds for it are generally not available to civilians in the U S Fun to shoot because of its low recoil and high capacity but it s little more than a glorified 22 Ammo is scarce and expensive would not recommend this for defense 11 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 25 ACP Once was a last ditch defensive cartridge but honestly it s practically worthless You might be better off with a baseball bat Not many firearms are made in this caliber anymore Good riddance 32 ACP By most standards this round is still sub par but it can do in a pinch provided you use the right ammo and shoot very accurately Works pretty well in backup guns though 7 62x25mm Tokarev Soviet standard pistol round from 1933 to the mid 1950s Carried on in service for another 30 years or more in some ot
15. rly 90s for paper pushing pansy FBI agents who couldn t handle the power of the 10mm Auto and as a marketing ploy It s been the standard in U S law enforcement circles since then but recently there s been quite a bit of shifting back to 9mm a trend which is likely to continue It offers no substantial improvement over 9mm yet it reduces the ammo capacity of the gun due to its larger diameter 357 SIG Basically 40 S amp W with a case bottlenecked to take a 9mm bullet instead The result is a bit more power Same capacity as 40 and 10mm but again since we re talking handguns not enough improvement 357 SIG is also not necessarily pleasant to shoot 38 Super Auto Not to be confused with 38 Special this is a cartridge for semi autos Popular in places like Mexico where civilians are strangely prohibited from owning firearms that are chambered in military calibers It s also popular in competition You won t find many good defensive loads for this anymore though It s somewhere in between 9mm and 357 SIG in performance 45 Automatic Colt Pistol 45 ACP The American legend Designed in 1905 this is an outstanding choice for a defensive handgun cartridge When you ask what the best pistol cartridge is the vast majority of people will say either 9mm or 45 ACP These two have been neck and neck since their introduction Truth is you d be well served by either Pick which one you shoot best and can afford 45 ACP
16. s that fit in this category Zastava Serbia M57 Tokarev M70A Tokarev M88A CZ999 Walther Germany PK380 Kel Tec USA P 32 P 3AT P 11 PF 9 Bersa Argentina Thunder 380 Smith amp Wesson USA SD9 SD40 Sigma Ruger USA LCP Beretta Italy USA Tomcat Bobcat PICO Nano Taurus Brazil PT809 PT22 PT738 Note many if not most of the guns in this tier are pocket pistols Beware cannot in good conscience recommend Taurus as a brand especially as of late 2013 Their quality control has gone down the shitter in the past decade and it appears to be continuing to spiral down that way iv Low mid tier S400 500 Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 This is where things get interesting The low to mid tier includes some of the best deals in new handguns on the market but you don t necessarily need to stop here unless your budget is tight An extra 100 will put you in the solid mid tier and more than likely net you a better shooting experience Ruger USA SR series Rock Island Armory Philippines 1911 series Smith amp Wesson USA M amp P Shield Taurus Brazil PT92 and PT1911 probably the only decent semi auto pistols that Taurus makes American Tactical Imports Philippines FX45 1911 Auto Ordnance USA 1911A1 Walther Germany PPX v Mid tier S500 750 The mid tier commands the lion s share of the semi auto pistol market You ll find most of the major brands here and the ma
17. the first time and then the hammer is released when the trigger reaches the end of its pull subsequent shots are single action unless the weapon fails to fire in which case it reverts again to double action e Double action only the hammer cannot be cocked and only moves while the trigger is being pulled Issue 1 0 11 29 2013 Striker fired pistols however simply cut out the middleman the hammer which stands between the trigger and the firing pin B Sizes There are four classes of semi automatic handguns based on size full size compact subcompact and pocket sized The definition of each category tends to vary slightly between manufacturers so there will be some slight overlap That said full sized semi autos generally have a barrel length of 4 inches or more compacts tend to have barrels between 3 5 inches and 4 inches and subcompacts usually have barrels shorter than 3 5 inches Pocket pistols are a somewhat special category and typically have barrels closer to 3 inches in length or shorter Pocket pistols are also much thinner and lighter and until very recently were not chambered in any full power service cartridges such as the 9x19mm Parabellum Luger i Full sized Full sized semi autos are ideal for both home defense and the range Many people even concealed carry full size pistols Contrary to popular belief packing a full size handgun is perfectly feasible for most people so long as they appropriately conce
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