Opinion
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised” ~ Chinua Achebe.
Serious vs Silly!
The glossiest ads in gun-rags these days are devoted to promoting glitzy pistols with “features” that degrade their usefulness as serious personal defensive weapons.
Of course, many acquire pistols for non-serious purposes. I get it!
Yet for Operators, such compromises of sincerity represent non-starters.
Three such pointless compromises stand out:
- Barrel porting/venting.
- Slots cut through the slide forward of the ejection port.
- Bulky “magazine funnels” at the base of the grip.
Barrel-porting at a pistol’s muzzle is added ostensibly to counterbalance muzzle-rise associated with discharge. Manufacturers of such port-equipped pistols naively assume you’ll only shoot with your pistol extended at arm’s length!
However, during close-range/contact encounters, when the pistol is fired as it is being held close to the shooter’s body, hot gases will be expelled from the port directly into the shooter’s torso, causing burns, sometimes gas-cuts.
Such “porting” are thus ill-advised for serious pistols, and is thus not allowed at any of my Defensive Pistol Courses.
Cutting through-and-through slots (or other shapes) into a pistol’s slide forward of the ejection port (exposing the barrel underneath) is supposedly done to reduce weight. The downside is that these holes become entry points for grit and mud!
Out “in the field,” most modern pistols will continue to run, despite “field conditions” and continuous lack of maintenance. Yet, fairly inviting grit, dust, and even mud into the interior of your serious pistol seems like a pretty silly idea to me!
Serious pistols, which we Operators faithfully carry (concealed), day-in and day-out, need to be powerful enough to stop lethal aggression, but still compact, smooth, slick, and fast!
Adding needless bulk, as well as sharp corners, edges, and maladroit snags to a serious pistol is thus contraindicated.
An “extended” this, or “enlarged” that, adds unnecessary bulk and will snag on clothing at inopportune moments. An exaggerated magazine funnel, for example, is of dubious usefulness and adds needless weight and bulk, while compromising concealment.
I advise my students at the end of their training segment, “It is my sincerest wish that you’ve all wasted your money and never have to use any of the lethal skills you’ve learned and practiced here”
We Operators carry (concealed) lethal weapons in the genuine hope they will never see the light of day!
Yet, when facing sanguinary death at the hands of violent felons, we want every advantage working in our favor. Carrying compromised pistols, designed and intended for non-serious purposes, would appear not to be in our best interests!
“Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval” ~ Thomas Monson.
/John
Live Inventory Price Checker
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SMITH & WESSON M&P SHIELD M2.0 .40S&W 7RD MAG | Bereli | $ 344.99 |
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Smith & Wesson M&P 9 M2.0 9mm 4.25" 17+1 FDE | Ammunition Depot | $ 593.99 |
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SMITH & WESSON M&P SHIELD M2.0 .40S&W 7RD MAG | Bereli | $ 177.99 |
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SMITH & WESSON M&P SHIELD M2.0 .40S&W 7RD MAG | Bereli | $ 42.99 |
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About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor, John Farnam will urge you, based on your beliefs, to make up your mind about what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to ensure that its students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
I concur with Mr Farnham on this, especially regarding ported barrels. Ported barrels are an automatic deal-killer for me when considering a new gun. Also, I am not a fan of the idea of hot gasses and/or debris being launched toward my face if I find it necessary to fire from the hip or similar position.
I have never had a desire to put a bulky mag funnel on any of my guns, but I admit to being kind of fond of the slightly flared mag-well on my early run Glock 19 Gen 5.
I liked the “hope you wasted your money!” After Dad died I talked Mom into getting a S&W model 10 two inch barrel, with crimson trace grip. She wanted to pay me for critical denfense rounds. I said nope, I’m just loaning them to you. I hope I get them back!!
I like KISS
THANK YOU.
Good on you for writing this sanity. I’m sure the pistol manufacturers will be sending you bags of coal for Christmas, but this is exactly what new concealed carriers need to know. Also think about how your modifications (like a lighter trigger replacement) may be used against you in court later, if you do have to defend yourself with the weapon.