News

Yesterday proved once again that some things take hands on research. I do a lot research via books, magazines, and even the web. (Though caution there. Some websites don’t check their facts much. One exaggeration on one website sometimes gets re posted as fact on another site.) The copy edits of THE HARLEQUIN have come and gone. There will be one more chance to change things when the manuscript returns to us. So, before that happens we went gun shopping. The we included Charles, because ex-military, whose actually seen combat, and ex-cop, is always a good background to have with you when looking at weapons.
I’d actually settled on a new gun for Anita to carry, retiring the Browning Hi-Power. I’d chosen the Heckler & Koch P2000. But the only H & K handgun I’ve been able to shoot so far, the USP, didn’t please anyone that was shooting with me. Admittedly, it was a gun at a range that a lot of people had used before us. It shot high and to the right, no matter which of us shot with it. When we questioned the attendant at the range, he said I flinched. I didn’t argue with him, but I pointed out that for all four of us to flinch, and have the exact same problem, was highly unlikely. All of us had shot guns before, but even if we did loose our cool and flinch that badly, the gun shouldn’t do the exact same thing for all of us. Our height ranged from 6′ 4″ or so, to my own modest height. I’ve since talked to other people more familiar with the USP, and they all said that the sights probably needed adjusting. A small problem, but sadly, it left both Jon and I with a bad impression of what I’m sure is a fine gun. It also just simply didn’t feel right in my hand. Guns are strangely sensual. When all other things are equal, it is how a gun feels in your hand that is often the deciding factor.
But I let myself be swayed by good press, and both articles and web stuff about the P2000. I reasoned I’d get a chance to be more up close and personal with the gun before final edits. Sadly, no, I would have to have my local gun shop buy the gun, and only then would I be able to put it in my hand. I was almost ready to do that, then we went shopping.
One of the things I’ve never been completely happy with for Anita, since she does so much concealed carry, is the Browning Hi-Power’s bits and pieces that stick off of it. It is not a smooth silhouette. For concealed carry smoother is usually better. But yesterday, I picked up the Browning BDM, and fell in love all over again. I just flat like the feel of most of the Browning’s in my hand. The BDM can be both single and double shot. It has a smoother silhouette than the Hi-Power, but has many of the same features so the learning curve is quicker. Familiarity is what makes you good with a gun. I’m not sure it’s the last word for concealed carry for Anita, but I’m certainly enamoured of it.
The Firestar on the other hand needs to be replaced. I have not personally had the stove piping problems that other’s have had. (Stove piping is when the cartridge of the bullet, the metal casing, gets stuck in the firing mechanism, jamming your gun.) I have read article after article, review after review, and talked personally to people who have had serious stove piping problems with the Firestar. None of the serious gun people I’ve spoken with would want it as their back-up piece. Your back-up piece can be just a secondary gun, but most police treat the back-up gun as the gun of last resort. When you’re pulling the smaller gun out, then something has gone seriously wrong, and your life, and the lives of others, depend on the gun working. Sadly, the Firestar just hasn’t had enough happy reviews, so it is definitely retired.
I’m quite happy with it’s replacement so far. It’s a Kahr CW9. If I like it as much as I think I will once I get it to the range, I may go back and get the Kahr P9. I looked at one of their even smaller guns, but it hurt my hand to even wrap around it. I won’t mention what type of Kahr it was because I’m sure it was a fine gun, it was my bad arm that made it not work for me. The injury to my hand that causes me to have to limit the number of books I sign per person, and sometimes ice my arm during the signings, also means that some of the very small hideaway guns are too painful to use. Literally, simply holding the gun in my right hand, hurt, instantly. Not good. So I’m actually limited to slightly larger guns than I might want for Anita to use as a back-up. I will continue to search for her to have a hideaway gun, that I can use. I am also beginning to learn to shoot left handed. If I get better at it, then perhaps I can widen the type of guns I can look at for Anita to use.
This blog is actually taking longer than I thought it would. Since I still owe myself four pages today, I need to get to that. I’ll try tomorrow to finish up about some of the other nifty guns we saw. We got to look at some stuff that Edward might use. Until tomorrow.