Craft Holsters IWB

 One of the challenges of a new carry piece is playing the game of finding the right holster. Sadly my old go-to option is no longer in production, so when I switched to the P365xl, I had to start from scratch. Serendipitously, at this same time I was contacted by Craft Holsters with an offer to review a holster of my choosing*. So with nothing to lose, I opted for their lt.92 Open-Muzzle IWB offering in black, for my little Sig. Not long after sending of my info, I received a box from Slovakia containing the holster and a small break-in kit.

The holster was nicely finished, with even double-row stitching all around. The holster is finished off with a tension adjustment screw and branded pull-the-dot snaps. The leather is evenly dyed and formed well to the shape of the gun. My pistol actually fit nicely in the holster and did not require any real breaking in other than fine tuning the tension screw.

Ride height is exactly where it should be, and the holster keeps the pistol snug to the body and holds it securely. The holster rides very comfortably, exactly what I expect from leather. At the range the draw was smooth, and the mouth reinforcement worked as expected for reholstering. Concealablity is also  good with this style of holster and the small dimensions of the P365.

These photos here were taken after wearing the holster daily for over three months. While it was the milder part of the year, I work in a fairly physical job and I tend to sweat more than the average guy. This is one of the primary reasons I lean towards Kydex. That said, this holster is holding up fairly well considering how some leather items I've daily carried in the past have quickly broken down with similar use. I can't say how the holster would hold up to my sweat in humid late summer, but I never had any issues with the leather falling apart or encountered any rust forming on my gun.

I do have a couple gripes about the holster. Though I don't have a red dot mounted on this gun yet, that is something I plan on having sooner than later, and this holster is not compatible. The cut for the opening reinforcement also leaves the front loop a bit unsupported, and it is sometimes difficult to unsnap because of this. Typically this would just be an annoyance, but if you're the sort that likes to be able to remove the entire holster without removing the gun, this can get to be downright aggravating. 

Overall, I'm definitely pleased with this holster. Fit and finish are fantastic, hitting above what I would expect at the price point; and one of the negative points isn't really the fault of the holster's. It carries comfortably like leather should, and holds up well to daily use. If you're in the market for an affordable everyday leather holster, I'd certainly say it's worth considering.

*The holster reviewed here was provided by Craft Holsters to me for review at no cost

Sig P365XL - First mag review

A little while back Sig released the P365, a tiny micro 9 that somehow squeezed 10 rounds in a nearly pocket sized polymer gun. They may have well have painted the mags blue with "police call box" markings. Then this year they went and stretched it out a little, gave it a little bit of a magwell flair, 12 round flush fit magazines, and put on a flat trigger so it could be part of their "X Series." Then to round it all out, they machined the slide to be factory ready for a micro red dot. 

I had been contemplating slimming down my off-duty setup by switching to a P365 anyway, but now the offer of a gun the same size as my M&P9c, with the same capacity, but almost 2/3 the width and optic ready made it even more tempting. Combine that with getting completely schooled at a LE shooting competition by half the field using optic equipped pistols, and the proverbial nail was driven into the M&P's coffin.

Sig on top, S&W on bottom

S&W again on the bottom

L: S&W, R: Sig

In the hand, the thin, high cut trigger guard and extended beavertail on the XL frame let me get all three fingers on the little Sig, unlike the M&P. The texture is also in the sweet spot of being comfortably grippy without being overly abrasive. Everything locks into battery nice and tight as well, and the sights are some of the best factory night sights I've had on a gun (big green ringed front, and blacked out rear with no outline around the tritium vials.)

Out of the box, the trigger had a decent take-up, but there was a bit of grit and the break wasn't anything I'd call "crisp." I've seen it described as "hollow," and I think that's a good description. On the plus side, it does break fairly consistently at 90 degrees, and the reset is miles above the M&P, even with the Apex trigger.

Today I rounded up about 250 rounds total of 9mm, including 115gr Wolf steel case, some Magtech 124gr FMJ, and half a brick of cheap Remington bulk 115gr brass cased. I also tossed in a few magazines worth of some old Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP that has been rattling around my nightstand drawer for a decade. I had recently gotten a Yankee Thunder Hang N' Hook kit for a good price recently, so I set that up with a 2" gong and a 1/4 scale IPSC silhouette and just kinda played around to check function and get a feel for the gun.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much the little gun didn't flip. Not to say it isn't snappy, it is a micro gun shooting full 9x19mm rounds, especially with the heavy +P defense rounds, but it was more than manageable. The trigger seemed to smooth out somewhat throughout the session, and once I settled in I was having no problem spinning around the little 2" steel plate at 10 yards without any struggle. Everything I put in the mag fed and fired with no issue as well.

Overall I'm more than happy with the little gun. Just need to wait for my holster and mag pouch to arrive, and for Sig to actually release their new Romeo Zero to screw on the top.

"You'll shoot yer dick off!"

I don't carry appendix myself (haven't found a gun/holster combo that feels right for it to me,) but it comes up just about every time somebody mentions it.  So, science!

Elsie Pea got Lasik

Back from surgery.

I decided to send my slide off to Innovative Arms and let them put some real sights on the tiny gun (with my favorite fightin' gun combo- Tritium dot up front, plain black in rear.)  The rear is also serrated on the front to aid in one-handed manipulations (for as much that really matters on a back-up gun...)

Since they need to do some semi-serious machining on the slide, they also refinish it, and I figured it was worth the little extra scratch to go with the ceramic coating, in OD Green, because I could. This should take care of the rust issues I was having (you can make out the ghost of the pitting just behind the 'LCP' logo.)  It's a propper finish job too, full inside and out, and very cleanly done.

Overall, the work is top-notch.  The sights are tight in the dovetails, the dovetails are straight and even. The front is from Trijicon, so you know it's going to be fine, and the IA custom made rear is as crisp and sharp as you could ever want from miniature combat pistol iron sight.  

The LCP fills a pretty specific niche in my carry rotation (work-out gun, BUG, non-permissive environment, some other buzzword...), so it was worth dropping some money on it. If you're going to handicap yourself with a tiny gun, you might as well cheat in every way you can.

New Remington 380

The RM380

(Photo from TFB)

MSRP is identical to the new version of the LCP (with the drift adjustable sights.)  Remington is going with an aluminum frame rather than poly.

I think it could be a viable option for those looking for a micro .380, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one myself.

Look for an official announcement at the NRA convention.

Why I Don't Care About the G43

So Glock finally released what people have wanted for the last decade, a single-stack 9mm, the G43.

In my opinion, I think they have done too little, too late, again.

Much like the G42, the overall size of the gun compared to the capacity is not comparable to other guns in the category (single-stack 9x19 subcompact.)  The M&P Shield is .95" in width, compared to the G43's 1.06". The Shield is a touch taller (around a quarter inch) but holds one more round (7+1 in the short mag, G43 is 6+1 in both mags.)  About the only major advantage the Glock gets is in weight, unloaded it's a tad over 1oz. lighter.

Then we'll look at the single-stack 9 I almost got (more on that in a bit), the Ruger LC9s Pro.  The little Ruger comes in at skinny .90", enough to actually be a noticeable difference.  It's also nearly 3/4 of an ounce lighter, and still holds 7+1 rounds.  Again, a quarter of an inch taller, but that's a minimal trade off for that extra round.

Both the Shield and the LC9s are cheaper to boot.

I'm sure that like the G42, they'll fly off the shelves, but that's just because it has "Glock" on the side. However, I think they should have done a single-stack the size of a G19.  Then they'd only be competing with themselves, and it's probably more of what all the fanboys wanted anyway.  Hell, I'd probably get one, do a slight stagger to the mag like the Shield and you'd get 10 rounds in there.

Earlier I had mentioned that I "almost got" a Ruger LC9s (I actually was looking at the regular "s" and not the "Pro," since I like thumb safeties. I just used the Pro for the comparison since the G43 doesn't have external safeties either.)  I got caught up with the idea this last year, since I like the size and concealability of my J-Frame, but I'm not in love with 5 rounds and a slow and tricky reload.  Mag fed autos are just tons easier to feed.  I shot my buddy's Shield, and found that my thumb rides the slide release. Darn.  I fondled the LC9s, and the safety was the perfect place for my 1911-brained thumb to go.

Then I went home and thought about it.

Does a whole 2 rounds really make it worth the expense of a new gun, holsters, and mags?  I know I just ragged on the new Glock for having one less than the others, but that's and apples-to-apples thing (but really Glock, why handicap yourself?)  The more I thought of it, the more I couldn't help but wonder if that magical quarter of an inch difference between the M&P9c and the Shield doesn't seem like much for almost double the capacity.  Plus the butt of the Compact is actually shorter than the Shield's, and that is probably the bigger concealment issue.  (For what it's worth, I haven't gotten any new gun yet anyway...)

So, having no practical experience with actually concealing these little single-stack guns, does that quarter of an inch really make it easier to conceal?  I think I can save that much just by switching from leather to kydex if it really made that big of a difference.  Anybody out there have thoughts on that?

Shield = Sad Face

Also during last Friday's range trip, I finally got a chance to shoot a S&W Shield.  I was very excited when it came out, and thought it might be a great carry gun for me... but sadly it has the same issue as Sigs do for me.  The slide stop is directly where my thumb rests, and the slide locked back on empty exactly zero times.  It could be argued that since I have to carry a Sig at work, that I should train more to get over it, but I don't think that's the best answer.

I guess back to my original thought of just getting an M&P9c, or possibly track down an LC9s to fondle.

Ruger LC9s

Got an email from Ruger today, they introduced the "LC9s", a new version of their single-stack pocket 9 with a striker system rather than the DAO trigger setup on the original.

Supposedly it has a much better trigger and fits in LC9 holsters.  More importantly (to me,) they deleted the crap-tastic LCI flag and just went with a little viewing port.  Still has a mag disconnect (darn) but they've included an "inert magazine for safe disassembly."

Looks like a good option for a small gun.

G42

In my opinion, too little, too late.

The two things you always hear from the GLOCK fanboys are "carbine" and "single-stack 9mm."  So GLOCK jumped on the now overcrowded micro .380 bandwagon.  And unless the guy in the video has tiny hands, it's in the same size category as an M&P Shield or an LC9.

I'm sure it'll sell (it says GLOCK on the side afterall,) but I don't they'll have problems keeping up with demand.

Remington R-51

Fixed barrel with a locked breach, and eventually will have a threaded barrel model. MSRP under $400.

Aside from the backwards looking rear sight (which makes sense from a CCW standpoint, just looks goofy) it's got a nice retro-futuristic look to it.  The fixed barrel and locked breach combo would be great for suppressor use too.

200k

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced Tuesday that permit number  200,000 was printed Monday at the Department of Justice’s secure processing center in downtown Madison. 

J-Frames

Caleb posted about why he tends to default to his the other day, and it made me think about why I have been doing the same lately. Depending on clothing, since I've been back I have been mostly bouncing between the LCP and the 442.

VZ Grips for the win!

My holster taste is a bit different than his, I mostly use a custom Kydex rig from White Dog Holsters (as seen on his site here, review to come;) but I've been wearing my Crossbreed SuperTuck a bit this week (the leather is more comfortable when I start to sweat.)  I also tend to drop a reload in my pocket in a quick-strip of some sort (I forget who makes it and I'm in public at the moment.)  Not because I'm super-fast reload guy, but I figure it's better to have the option and it's not much weight.

As I've mentioned in the past (I think,) VZ Grips makes a great product, as seen on both my J-Frame and my 1911.  I love how G10 feels, it looks great, and takes plenty of abuse without coming apart or scaring up and looking like garbage.  I can carry it all day on my sweaty self, and even with the minimal texture on the above gun, still have tons of control.  Plus it looks tons better than the factory black rubber.

In my quiet medium-size town I've never really felt that under-gunned with it either (I can think of one time I may have, if I wasn't carrying my M&P that day, but that's another post.)  Given the political climate of this city, I could probably carry it empty and still have the desired effect (I doubt many bad guys around here would expect their mark to be armed at all.)  However if it came down to it,  I do tend to shoot the little thing pretty well, the hammerless frame lets me get a crazy-high grip with a lower bore axis than any auto, even the LCP, and the Apex J-Frame kit is the best $26 I've ever spent on gun stuff.

Then again, maybe I'm just a tacticool hipster, I am wearing low-top Chuck Taylors today...

Did We Get a New Sheriff?

That was my first thought when Manda sent me this link.

Color me insanely surprised with our County's top LEO.  Previously he's parroted Flynn when it came to Open Carry, so I honestly never would have expected this.

Do Want.

A new longer Boberg. Barrel length of just over 4" in a still incredibly short overall package.

You keep using that word....

...I don't think it means what you think it means.



Hardly "supporting" there, Elks...

I've seen numerous "no guns" signs around now that we have ccw laws (really never were many when we only had open carry...) but this one really made me wonder more than just about any around.

Reasuring

The fact that whenever I've left the house the last few days with a bruised up side, I've had one of my little pistols tucked into my waistband.  This has easily been the most "debilitated" I've felt in just about ever, and there's no way in hell I'm running away from anything, so it's nice to know I've got a better option available.

Range Photos

Fun times.  Went out to the range with Dan and another coworker yesterday to try out the micro-pistol and Dan's new toy.  It was good, aside from the sore everything.

Dan picked up a Saiga-12 (he may or may not be in the middle of reading the Monster Hunter series...)

It'll be getting a new stock sooner than later.  In the meantime, not quite my cup of tea but it still a bit of fun, and quite giggle inducing.

Dan also brought out the S&W .44mag (I'm wondering about his fascination with self punishment...)

And, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the tiny little thing pretending to be a pistol worked too.  Surprisingly accurate, despite its lack of sights (one of the few times I'm probably going to put a laser on something.)

I did come to the conclusion that with my hands, the tiny bit of concealability I loose is a worthwhile trade-off for the controlability of the finger rest extension.

Elsie Pea Club

I joined it.  This thing makes the P64 seem absolutely huge and clunky.  Very much the "21st Century Vest Pocket Pistol."

It's been on "the (long) list" for a while, with the stipulation of "only if it's a deal..."  Well, when scoping out the new shop in town I noticed one in the case for a good chunk off retail, despite being brand new.  Turns out it's the classic "I won it at a raffle, and don't like it" trade, just plain too small for the guy's hands.  (ETA :p ) We had left the store, and about halfway to the car Manda looks at me and simply says "go back and buy it, otherwise you won't shut up about it all weekend."  So I did.

Picked up some cheap Russian ball to wring through it, and a box of Hornady Critical Defense.  Also had an Amazon package waiting at the door when I got home containing a Desantis Nemesis Holster for it (I love Amazon Prime.)  Should get out in a couple days to try it out.

WI Hits 100,000 CCW Permits

Madison, WI (Northland's NewsCenter) - Friday morning marked a milestone for a new Wisconsin law. The 100,000th Concealed Carry License was printed fewer than six months after 2011 Wisconsin Act 35 took effect.

Yet nobody's drowned in the waves of blood in the streets. Amazing.

Should be interesting...

On January 30th, 2012 a law-abiding Wisconsin concealed carry license holder, Nazir Al-Mujaahid, used his sidearm to shoot a shotgun-wielding armed robber who entered a north-side Aldi's grocery store in Milwaukee and threatened the cashier and customers. As is standard protocol, the armed citizen's holster, gun, and ammunition were taken into evidence by the Milwaukee Police Department.

A few days later the Milwaukee District Attorney's office cleared the armed citizen of any wrong-doing and declared the shooting justified.

Despite being exhonerated by the DA, making repeated attempts to obtain the return of his firearm from Milwaukee Police, and sending a letter to the DA's office requesting assistance in the return of his property, Mr. Al-Mujaahid's gun remains in Police possession.

Wisconsin Carry, Inc. has observed what appears to be a pattern of civil-rights infringing behavior from the Milwaukee Police Department. The Milwaukee Police Department appears to have a practice of concocting baseless reasons to seize any and all guns they come across in the City - even when those guns have never been used in connection with a crime. The Police Department also appears to have a practice of refusing to return firearms or unduly delaying the return of firearms that were seized incident to an arrest despite the fact that no charges were brought or when the gun owner is exonerated by the court system.

WCI believes that these acts by the Milwaukee Police Department represent violations to law-abiding citizens constitutionally guaranteed right to be free from illegal seizures of their private property and their Constitutionally recognized right to keep and bear arms. By seizing Al-Mujaahid's property, refusing to return it to him, and refusing to allow him to file a petition for the return of his property, Nazir has been deprived of his property without due process of law.

On Friday, April 13th, Wisconsin Carry filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, Police, Clerk of Courts and District Attorney seeking the return of Nazir's property or alternatively, an opportunity to challenge any claims that his property is needed as evidence. Furthermore, we seek a declaration that the Milwaukee Police Department's practice of seizing firearms, even those never used in a crime, and requiring firearm owners to engage in formal litigation in order to recover their seized property, is unlawful.

A copy of this lawsuit is available here:

http://www.wisconsincarry.org/pdf/Milwaukee/Doc1_Complaint.pdf

We encourage individuals who, despite facing no charges and having committed no crime, have had their firearms seized by the Milwaukee Police and been forced to go to court to obtain their return, to contact Wisconsin Carry, Inc.

Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is a non-profit Wisconsin Corporation dedicated to the advancement and protection of the right of law-abiding Wisconsin residents to carry in the manner of their choosing.  WCI pursues its mission of "Constitutional Carry" through grass-roots legislative activism, education including free concealed carry license training courses, litigation, and public relations.

Carry On,

Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
nik@wisconsincarry.org
www.wisconsincarry.org
www.facebook.com/groups/wisconsincarry
www.youtube.com/wisconsincarry
www.twitter.com/wisconsincarry

 Far from the first time the City of Milwaukee, or Milwaukee County officials, have been less than respectful of gun owners' rights.

A note of interest in the case: the grocery store where the shooting occurred is a "posted property" (ie., no guns allowed,) and by all accounts, and from personal experience with the local example of the chain, poorly marked as such (I'm fairly certain the local one is not up to snuff with the law.)  I'm pretty sure that has a lot to do with Al-Mujaahid not being charged with carrying there in the first place.  As far as I know, Aldi's hasn't fixed it yet either, but I haven't gone back since the first time I saw the sign.  Also, the would-be robber was not killed, despite being shot in the face.  Not sure what he was using.