Sig 239 in Sig357.

Glock 41 or WC Brig Tac

Hands down Glock 17 Gen 4.

Probably my 1911. But that's kind of cheating. Better trigger than most DA/SA guns, longer sight plane, heavier frame.

For a carry gun, probably my SigPro 2022. That thing is a laser, but again, it has a longer sight picture than my 229 or 228.

I think that with practice, I shoot any of them pretty well, certainly good enough for personal defense at reasonable personal defense range.(I.e., I can justify shooting, instead of running.) Therefore, capacity, carry comfort, and personal experience with the gun come into play. I have owned my 229/.40 the longest, shoot it well, have the most experience with it, have good, comfortable holsters for it, and absolutely trust it's reliability. Therefore, that's what gets carried.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
Carry the gun you shoot the best is the recommendation.
However, if the only ranges available are slow fire, no draw - how do you determine the best handling gun ?
Clearly the targets will move in real life and perhaps the best target pistol is not the best handling one.

That is a tough one. Obviously, the optimal choice would be to find a range that allows drawing from the holster and rapid fire.

A second option would be to find a defensive shooting course that teaches you how to do those things. Bring the gun you want to carry, or maybe bring several if you want to try different options, and see what works best in those situations. Some of these courses may also provide a variety of different firearms for you to try. Instructors and classmates may even let you try their guns, if appropriate.

Another option might be doing something like IDPA or some similar type of defensive shooting-based competition to see how well you can shoot and handle your gun under stress.

Dry fire can be a valuable tool, especially if you have something like a laser sight or one of those laser dry-fire kits. One thing I like to do from time to time when dry-firing is to make sure my gun is unloaded, I face a safe backstop with the gun in low ready, focus on a target point, close my eyes, bring the gun up until I think it's lined up with my target, open my eyes, and see how close I am. With the guns I'm most familiar with, it's usually really close. You can take it up a notch and do the same thing from the holster.

And don't completely disregard your ability to shoot your gun well in slow fire. Yes, it's best to be able to get good, quick hits on target with live ammo from the concealed holster, but the familiarity with your gun and the marksmanship fundamentals you've built up are beneficial, too.

Those are just some ideas you may want to consider or try. Hopefully there will be people who read beyond the thread title and post some other suggestions worth considering.

I'm not a BTDT type, so take my opinions for what they're worth.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
If you practice "dry," it would be most imprudent to do it with a loaded magazine, but a loaded mag changes the feel and balance of the gun. Is there such a thing as a weighted, inert (no possibility of introducing a loaded round inadvertently) magazine?

You can buy weighted practice mags for some guns. I did a quick Google search and found this vendor: http://www.alternateforce.net/bluegun-trueweight.html I've never used their products so I can't say anything about their quality. I'm sure with some additional Google searching you could find other vendors.

Sig P226 Short & Smart Mastershop.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
Carry the gun you shoot the best is the recommendation.
However, if the only ranges available are slow fire, no draw - how do you determine the best handling gun ?
Clearly the targets will move in real life and perhaps the best target pistol is not the best handling one.

The best "target" pistol I have is a compensated Beretta 90two. flat-, soft-shooting 9mm pistol with large capacity good weight to it. but it's entirely impractical for carry.

I may be MOST accurate with the beretta, but if there's a gun in the mid-size to compact range that I would be okay carrying (glock 19-sized) then I get proficient at the range with it. Groups, accuracy and such on the range, draw-and-dry-fire at home.

The local indoor range allows rapid fire and draw-and-fire, but there's no movement of the shooter. Luckily, I live within 30 minutes of desert and can work on movement drills out there. I really haven't done enough of those at all, and need to.

EDIT TO ADD: Oh, I also have a SIRT Training Pistol. they are most-similar to Glocks. I think they may have come out with a Smith M&P shaped one. It's a laser pointer pistol with a self-resetting trigger. I don't go for pinpoint accuracy - but I can hit the lightswitch consistently, even moving through the house. It fits in my Glock holsters, so I can draw and fire it too. I'm sure you could come up with some movement drills with that to implement at a time when you have an opportunity to do live-fire training.

Glock 26 and Colt 1903. Even with those itty bitty sights, the 1903 feels like an extensive of my hand.

I'll third taking a class. You can learn a lot doing dry fire but to really build your skill it's going to take shooting. It doesn't have to be a tactical class to learn something.

Look for a concealed carry or basic skill oriented class. Look for someone that has a good reputation with a long track record. It doesn't have to be an expensive class but something that is focused on building skill will be you best option.

Beyond that, there are a lot of drills you can do without working from the holster that will help build skill and let you evaluate your pistol. Working from low ready or compressed ready during live fire will teach you a lot.

If you want some specific drills send me an email. I can point you toward some stuff that will help. In the long run you'll find out that the gun you choose is a small part of the equation. Having the right mind set, confidence and competence with the tool of choice matters as much as anything.

G19 followed very closely by a G26. I also shoot an Xds surprisingly well. I shoot it like a bigger gun. This is practical shooting. I'm sure there is a target gun that I could drive tacks with.

I'm talking carry guns.

I agree that time at your customary public range isn't going to prove anything about how a pistol handles. Taking advanced training courses that may be offered at that range however would be more revealing. Or as we often do here, we go out to friendly private and federal forest land and practice, practice, practice. And practice even more with it unloaded when we get back home.

The gun that I shoot "the best" (accuracy with speed) is not the same as the gun that handles the best. That former is my CZ75 Shadow T-SA. It comes quickly back on target like almost no other I own (my CZ SP-01 Tactical is right there, too). Fantastic trigger however, unlike the SP-01. But it has one aspect that I have problems with: its thumb safety. I'm getting proficient operating these mechanisms but my motions and actions sometimes comes off being awkward and...well...klutzy. Particularly with the CZ, and my Hi Power, for that matter. 1911s less so. Too many years shooting a gun without a thumb safety I suppose plays a part, but I think that it's more about the shortness of my thumb than anything else. Well maybe also the shape of the safety's control surface, as I have similar issues with other CZ75 pistols so equipped. Then to top it off that dang gun is HEAVY. Steel frames will do that, especially after decades of conceal carrying something that has a frame extruded with the contents from a vat of goop. That boat anchor of a CZ certainly would not be anywhere close to being a satisfactory choice to me for an all-day-long carry gun.

All of which leads me to the type I handle the best, that latter one, and most thankfully shoot pretty decent with at speed to justify the choice and continued reliance. A compact Glock is the one that glides right into my sweet spot. Whether G19, G23 or "G32" (more like a G23 with a 357SIG conversion barrel), that size Glock is the one that hits all of the right buttons. Light, check. Thin, check. Ample firepower, check. Comfort enough to wear, check. No thumb safety, BIG 10-4.

I currently carry the 40S&W, but I feel right at home with any of them. It's true that I can shoot tighter groups with the CZ but I can be quite center-of-mass effective with the ol' compact Glock in any generation. And yeah, its grip angle feels so right as rain natural.

Ass odd as it may sound, my best shooter (in my hands) is my Springfield 1911 EMP, 3 inch barrel in 40 Cal.

Appreciate those that read the post. IPDA sounds possible. I spent my working years buying handguns. Now I am reducing the quantity. Since I mostly shoot paper I have no idea how I or they would do in pratcical application. Too expensive to take a course with each one.
Good suggestions,
Thanks

Nearly 20 year old Kimber Gold Match stainless 1911.

Either of my 228s. Or my West German 226. But definitely my 4 inch S&W 10~6. Tack driver. that is. Smith & Wesson sure used to know how to make stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
Clearly the targets will move in real life and perhaps the best target pistol is not the best handling one.

Same goes for the gun that feels best in the hand...

There is no guarantee that it will be the one you shoot the best.

Wasn't even my gun I've shot the best. I've never really liked 1911s. Just not my cup of tea.

Friend of a friend asks me if i want to shoot his. I shrug, say sure and step up. Thing was a freaking laser gun. All rounds in one hole.

I flip it over to see what brand. It was some sort of super high end Les Baer. Totally made sense. He knew nothing about the pistol as it was a gift from his father.

The gun I shoot the best, and the one that feels the best in my hand, just happens to be my carry gun, a 226. I also took a pistol course with it, and did well.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
Appreciate those that read the post. IPDA sounds possible. I spent my working years buying handguns. Now I am reducing the quantity. Since I mostly shoot paper I have no idea how I or they would do in pratcical application. Too expensive to take a course with each one.
Good suggestions,
Thanks

Check here for local matches. This would be your best bet. Not only that it's freaking fun to do. I'm a middle of the pack shooter. I don't care if I never come in first. I just look to improve and build skills you just can't practice dryfiring or in a pistol range.

http://www.matchsignup.org/local_matches.php

If you are willing to post your location, or closest city to you, them I'm sure some members would invite you to either matches or private ranges.