If you have a Kydex holster (who doesn’t anymore), you have a solid platform that will hold up well compared to many of the other nylon and leather options out there. They don’t scuff, or need to be babied. You can beat the living daylights out of them. In many ways they are far superior to anything else on the market. Except in one.
Don’t leave the newer versions in your hot car. Many companies have found that thinner kydex works great and conceals well too. They also have created a problem in the summer with people who leave there kydex in the car and have it bake for a few hours. A deformed holster is not cool. Don’t risk ruining your great holster. Take it out of the car.
If you have a Glock pistol you have purchased one of the best pistol platforms that have ever been made. They are rock solid and reliable. The best part about them for many people is the simplicity that comes in being a Glock owner. While Glock modifications are endless, generally there isn’t much to do once you get your trigger smoothed up and add some decent sights.
However, there are two parts that it never hurts to replace in your Glock pistol. In fact in all my time working on Glocks I have only seen two parts ever fail. One of them was from abuse. The other came from regular shooting.
If you have an older Glock you should invest the money to replace the recoil spring and its captured guide rod. The part is inexpensive, and it is one of the two that I have seen broken. This part should be in your pistol box.
The other part is the magazine spring. These can be purchased three for $10. They are integral to having a pistol that functions. Before you start commenting on how great your Glock is and you haven’t ever changed the springs, let me remind you it is about maintenance not failure. Think of these two items as you would the oil and tires on your vehicle. A little preventative work goes along way.
By the way if you get the Glock Carry Package these items are replaced standard.
We have just received the 5.11 Professional Polo for review. It will be included in our Tactical Polo review along with items from Blackhawk! and Woolrich Elite. At first glance the 5.11 shirt looks really nice, and feels great too. We still haven’t heard anything from Eotac yet. Perhaps they will send something this week. We were hoping to have all four companies represented, but we will move forward if something doesn’t shake out soon.
MCC is trying to get into the new decade with a few changes. Since our inception 4 years ago, we have accepted payment by check or money order. This was done to simply things for us, and because when we started we didn’t even have a website since 100% of our business came from the local area where we were located.
Today that has almost completely changed. We now have 90% of our business coming from competitive shooters, persons concerned with personal defense and general shooters from around the country. In an effort to simply things for you we have added the beginnings of an online store. You can now pay for the MCC Glock Extended Mag Release online as well as the XS Big Dot SP101 sights so many of you have been asking for.
By the end of the week we hope to have a dedicated page for an online store at the top of the site. Please be patient as we get started on this process of modernization and let us know if you experience any problems.
As always thanks so much for reading and participating in this community of shooters. We appreciate all of our great customers.
In this video Massad Ayoob shows the differences in 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotguns for home defense. It may surprise you that the 20 gauge really doesn’t give up anything to its big brother. If you have one of these in the closet, it would be ideal for a conversion like our SM-1 package. Email for details.
Several years ago I purchased Combat Handugnnery by Chuck Taylor. It covered the basics of choosing a handgun, shooting, defensive tactics, and how to properly choose a CCW system. A new updated edition of the book, written by Massad Ayoob is now available from Krause Publications. Ayoob is the founder of Lethal Force Institute, and is widely respected in the firearms industry as solid teacher and expert witness.
The updated version of the book is a great read, and can be found in most major bookstores. If you are new to handguns or considering expanding your knowledge on their use you should check out the book. Ayoob covers everything from the basics to CCW and Open Carry. You will definitely enjoy the read and be better becuase of it.
I recently had a customer bring in a Remington Model 58 to get it cleaned in preparation for a pheasant hunt in South Dakota. The gun was his father’s so it carrys some sentimental value, but one thing it needed was a recoil pad.
He needed a pad for several reasons; 1. the length of pull 2. the gun kicks like a mule.
Length of pull is something that does more than just make the gun comfortable, it allows the shotgunner to mount the gun quickly without adjustment. When you raise the gun you shouldn’t have to adjust your sight line if your length of pull is correct.
Obviously it makes sense that you don’t want to get hammered every time you pull the trigger so the pad helps there as well. You will be able to shoot more rounds without developing a flinch. Most guns now come with a pad, but many of the older ones don’t have them. This is an inexpensive fix for your old gun. You should be able to get the pad and have it installed for less than $100 in most shops. We did his for around $65.
I have the opportunity to serve this week in the judicial system as a juror. It is a fascinating experience! I will be out of pocket for the rest of the week, but I will answer email as I have opportunity. Have a great week.
If you carry a gun on a daily basis, outside of a uniformed position, I have a question for you: Do you carry the gun you shoot the most? Being a competitive shooter myself I find that I am often lacking in practice time for my real gun.
For many years I have shot a Glock 17 in IDPA. This gun has had untold thousands of rounds put through it, but my S&W J-frame has not had even 1,000 rounds sent out of it. Obviously this presents a problem with proficiency. I am much better with the Glock 17 than any other gun that own, but I don’t want to carry a full size gun all the time.
This leads me to a thought that isn’t perfect, but it makes sense especially if you find yourself shooting one system a lot. If you are a twice a year shooter, you can’t hit anything anyway (want to find out how good you are? go to a local IDPA, IPSC, GSSF match. very humbling for me). I propose that you take a smaller gun in the same family. If you like the 1911, try the officers model. If you like the Glock 17 try the 26.
The reason that this could save your life is repittion. You will default to habits from the range whenever you find yourself in a stresfful situation. By having the a gun that has the same controls in a familiar place, you will give yourself a much greater chance of a successful outcome. You will also be a better shot.
If you think about it, it would be like Kobe practicing with a Nerf ball all week and playing with a regulation ball on Sunday. Doesn’t translate to success. The Nerf ball might be more fun, more forgiving and generally easier to manipulate, but it won’t make you a better player. Practice like you plan to play.
We mentioned that the XS sights are good defensive sights in a recent post. We also warned that they are not always as easy to install as the packaging makes it seem. This was true again for us with a 1911 that came to the shop the other day, and it got us thinking that you may want to be cautious of many of the products that are advertised as user installed.
If you look at Brownell’s catalog, you will find many items for sale that are advertised as gunsmith fitting required, or recommended. Many shooters have the desire to tinker around with their own guns, and we understand. There is a great satisfaction from doing a modification to your own gun. We would never discourage you from trying, but let us offer a few parameters for you.
1. Make sure you have the right tools. For instance, don’t try to take apart your Browning A-5 shotgun with your craftsman screwdrivers. If you want to tinker, invest in the right tools for the job.
2. Know your limitations. There are some things that our shop refuses to do because the job is outside of our expertise. It is simply better to send it off. If you are not mechanically inclined, you might not want to try to reline your own barrel. Be realistic with your abilities.
3. If you are going to modify your gun, have some money ready. Nothing wrong with trying, but if you can’t afford to fail, you shouldn’t try it. Can you afford to buy a second part for the one you ruined? Can you afford a competent gunsmith to fix your modification? If not, hold off.
Keep these rules in mind, and you can really have a lot of fun personalizing your gun.
