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My P229 was called a Grandpa gun.

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January 12, 2023, 08:08 PM
Kenpoist
My P229 was called a Grandpa gun.
I took a carbine class (Randy Cain), and got all sorts of grief over having a P226 on my hip (we covered transitioning to a handgun in the course). Randy was the one who started giving me a hard time for carrying a Sig.

Next thing you know, he's telling the us that the DA/SA guy is out shooting the rest of the class
January 13, 2023, 07:19 AM
SPWAMike0317
quote:
Originally posted by Kenpoist:
I took a carbine class (Randy Cain), and got all sorts of grief over having a P226 on my hip (we covered transitioning to a handgun in the course). Randy was the one who started giving me a hard time for carrying a Sig.

Next thing you know, he's telling the us that the DA/SA guy is out shooting the rest of the class

"Beware the man with one gun. He can probably use it.”
— Jeff Cooper
January 13, 2023, 01:34 PM
Prefontaine
quote:
Originally posted by Scooter123:
Tell that youngster that this old fart loads his 40 S&W practice rounds with a 165 grain pill cruising at 1150 fps. To be blunt, he couldn't handle the recoil. Had a kid at the lane next to me one day asking if I was shooting 357 Magnums with my P239. I said "nope, just a 40 Short & Weak loaded with Longshot". BTW any who doubt these results look it up on Hodgdon Reloading, Longshot is absolutely ideal for the 40 caliber in either length.


When I was running my 229/239 combo, 229 for HD/range and my 239 for EDC, I had 9mm, 40sw, and 357sig barrels for each. I’d routinely take both to the range. I’d shoot some +p 9mm FMJ’s to warm up. Then I had some very hot, and light 40sw I would shoot as well as the heavier GR’s. Finally my 357sig practice loads (Speer Lawman) at the end and last mag was always my JHP Carry ammo (gold dots). That handgun combo was my primary for almost 20 years. Over all those years I’d get the same comments as the OP from time to time at the range. It was funny too. I’d say look at your fucking target. Now look at mine. All my groups were tight and I’d be shooting 6 different weights of ammo across 3 calibers. Both were extremely tight groups. I had CT grips on both but would only activate the lasers 10% of the time. I had a few times where I was accused of “cheating” from someone jealous of the groups. But they had no idea I’d be point shooting with the laser. At that point I’d switch it off, use the sights, and no difference. And on multiple occasions I’d put the 357sig barrels in just to piss them off. And every time I’d shoot as fast as I could without getting a RO on my case.

I remember mid to late 90’s. It was an outdoor range. A group of guys (boys) were all shooting one handgun. I was one lane over. They are shooting extremely slow, festering, and I’m just bang, bang, bang, bang. I ripped through 250-300 rounds in about 30 minutes. They finally looked over at my target at 15 yards and said “Look at that shit!”. Fist sized group because I was rapid fire the entire time. Their target looked like they were using a shotgun. It never fails to amaze the stupid shit you hear in the LGS, or the stupid shit you see on the range. People are idiots.



What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
January 13, 2023, 02:36 PM
Scooter123
quote:
Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I remember a number of years back a friend and fellow gun enthusiast commenting on how heavy my carry pistol at the time was... this was a Sig P230 in stainless.....

tell that young pup he can have his plastic wimpy 9mm play guns....

and I like Scooter's above suggestion... but I think he should shoot a P239 in 357 Sig.... I actually finally broke down and bought a box of 40 cal. ammo and ran some through one of my P239's this past week... yes it has a bit more punch than 9mm but not as much as the 357s for sure.


Blume, while I have store bought ammunition I only shoot it when I need fresh cases. The rest of the time I shoot carry equivalents, meaning same bullet weight and same velocity. My 40 caliber carry is a Speer Gold Dot at 165 grains with a muzzle velocity of 1150 fps. My hand loads are quite close to that but FMJ at 1150 fps. I suspect that the in meat performance of my Gold Dots will rival the performance of your much lighter 9mm bullets in what you choose to carry with. The other point for the 40 S&W is that it is very simple to reload and the 357 Sig has a reputation for neck tension issues and being rather fussy to reload. Note I load for every caliber I shoot and in the case of 223 I have never used one single round of store bought in any of my 223 Wylde rifles. Yeah I also build my own rifles.

So I would suggest that you pick up a box or two of those Speer Gold dots and give them a whirl, they just might surprise you with their power.


I've stopped counting.
January 13, 2023, 05:35 PM
.38supersig
I wonder how obsolete a pistol in 9mm Steyr would seem to be.

Turns out to be one of my favorites.



January 13, 2023, 06:15 PM
Sir Guy
I was training some new guys one day and I wanted to do some trigger work with them. I pulled a Beretta 92 out of the bag so they could try that in comparison to the issue Glocks. One remarked, “Wow, that’s an old gun. Heavy!”

And here I figured the Beretta, with its aluminum frame, was the lighter alternative. So then I pulled out a 1911 for them to try.

Good times.
January 13, 2023, 07:22 PM
radioman
I used a 686 in a class last year. One of the other students had never seen a speed loader before. So I showed him how it worked.


.
January 15, 2023, 07:50 AM
Blume9mm
Scooter123 I knew you were going to comment on what I said... especially since you reload, which I don't have the discipline to do. And yes, I'd bet dollars that your loads are a 'Tad' more robust than what I was shooting.

As for these newer poly shooters... I had an instructor point out my P226 was too wet with lube and would jam from the dust kicked up by all the students shooting on the line... I just looked at him and kind of chuckled.


My Native American Name:
"Runs with Scissors"
January 15, 2023, 01:39 PM
radioman
quote:
My P229 was called a Grandpa gun


In my mind the 1911 has always been a grandpa gun since, well, that's what my grandpa actually used Smile


.
January 15, 2023, 02:14 PM
Flash-LB
quote:
Originally posted by Blume9mm:
As for these newer poly shooters... I had an instructor point out my P226 was too wet with lube and would jam from the dust kicked up by all the students shooting on the line... I just looked at him and kind of chuckled.


They used to show a lot of shooting Instructors conducting classes of various types on the Outdoor Channel and Sportsmans Channel.

I found an awful lot of them would say things that showed they really weren't as expert as they thought they were.
January 15, 2023, 06:55 PM
MMSIG229
quote:
Originally posted by radioman:
I used a 686 in a class last year. One of the other students had never seen a speed loader before. So I showed him how it worked.

I took my personally owner 686 to the academy in 1991!!! I had the twist speed loaders, not the push button type.
January 15, 2023, 06:58 PM
MMSIG229
quote:
Originally posted by xd45man:
Discussing pistols at work as you should do in any proper American workplace, a youngun referred to my Sig P229 as a Grandpa gun. I was only offended by the Grandpa comment as I am not a Grandpa and I am under 50.
Anyway, youngun said that .40 S&W is for old people and that a pistol shouldn't be so heavy.
I responded that my P229 is over 20 years old and performs as it did on day 1 without ever changing anything.

Thought I would share.

My first semi auto duty gun was a 229 in .40 about 1993.I think the non railed Sigs look so much nicer, but then again I'm grandpa age.
January 16, 2023, 06:58 PM
Scooter123
quote:
Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Scooter123 I knew you were going to comment on what I said... especially since you reload, which I don't have the discipline to do. And yes, I'd bet dollars that your loads are a 'Tad' more robust than what I was shooting.

As for these newer poly shooters... I had an instructor point out my P226 was too wet with lube and would jam from the dust kicked up by all the students shooting on the line... I just looked at him and kind of chuckled.


I also have an early P229 Elite Stainless and at one time could shoot a dead president with it at 40 feet with a .26 split. It doesn't get shot much because it's actually so smooth shooting I find it boring. Used to think the P239 was like a hotted up Camaro and the 229 a Cadillac Limo. Then I discovered the 1911, it fits my hand like a glove and "sights, I don't need no stinking sights.

Had a time when my Arthritis was bad enough that I stopped shooting handgun except of CCW Qualifications. Started shooting Skeet to maintain my point shooting skills and got hooked bad by the sport. Now most of my shooting is Skeet or Sporting Clays and handgun shooting happens when I think about it. I have a tip for you, start doing the shotgun sports because it will build point shooting skills that no other type of exercise will produce. I'll also tell you that if you have Arthritis cutting as much auger out of your diet as is possible will yield much less pain.


I've stopped counting.
January 16, 2023, 07:56 PM
LoboGunLeather
I am a grandfather of 9, and a great-grandfather of 7. My most recent handgun purchase was a Sig P229 .40S&W in November 2018. Great pistol by any standard.

One of my sons is a combat veteran. Three of the grandchildren are veterans. Two more grandchildren are currently serving.

I am a two-tour Vietnam veteran, Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star "V", Purple Heart (3 oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal "V", and a half-dozen other decorations. I'm also a retired cop.

I've carried a sidearm daily since 1968.

I suppose I could learn something from a modern expert, if they weren't so annoying to have around.


Retired holster maker.
Retired police chief.
Formerly Sergeant, US Army Airborne Infantry, Pathfinders
January 17, 2023, 08:58 AM
HRK
Yout's today are raised on Striker Fired Poly Guns

Market today is micro 9's with high capacity mags ala P365

They know what they know, you don't see as much of the heavier firearms being sold, plus the price of a new P series is much more than a basic Glock.

Times they change, imagine most even here don't carry P series or heavy guns like in the past, at least I don't, the 1911 and P220 Carry rarely see rotation, most days it's G43 or Ruger Max 380.
January 18, 2023, 12:52 PM
patw
I loved my P229 but as time went on, it was harder for me to shoot than my striker guns unfortunately. The P229 just oozes quality and craftsmanship. Too many young people think they know best, I guess like we did to some extent and they think the older stuff is junk and outdated. The sad part is some younger people don't realize that when something works, why change it?
January 20, 2023, 11:03 AM
selogic
I have several firearms that could be called a " grandpa gun " . I could not care less what other people think . Wink
January 20, 2023, 05:24 PM
gunnitt
Tell him Thank you for the compliment since the younger generation is too lazy to carry the extra weight of a weapon, and has to resort to plastic fantastic so as not to be over worked.
January 20, 2023, 05:32 PM
jhe888
quote:
Originally posted by BurtonRW:
What the hell does that make my P228?

It's a KF and I'm only 42.

-Rob


Or my 225?

Who cares?




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
January 21, 2023, 01:01 PM
stickman428
I wonder if they hold the same opinion towards the AK47 & AR15? That would have been my response.


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The price of liberty and even of common humanity is eternal vigilance