I am trying to get the funds together to take a combt focus class. Here is my dilemma. With the cost of ammunition am I better off using a 9mm that I dont like as much, or spend more money on ammo to use a 45 that I shoot better with. I have tried to like my glock 19, but just dont do as well. On one hand it would be good to overcome my weaknesses, and use less expensive ammo, But my xd 45 is so much more natural, to me. Being on a tight budget isn't helpfull. I do carry both for SD , and have used the glock in another training course, for that reason. And the fact it was put on by someone who shouldn't be training anyone, I didnt want to WASTE my 45 ammo. Any thoughts would be helpful. I have been going back and forth on this for a while now.
Personal Defense Network Forum » Training
wich pistol to bring to class
(12 posts)-
# Posted 1 year ago
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I’ll be attending a course in May and I batted that around as well. I carry a j-frame so I’ll stick with the same platform for consistency benefits. I purchased a 686 L-frame and that should go nicely.
# Posted 1 year ago -
Bring more than one gun (of those you carry for SD). This is a great way to find out how you would do in a real dynamic critical incident with each gun. You may find you prefer one over the other.
# Posted 1 year ago -
Having a second gun available can save the day when you're taking a class. In several classes that I've taken, I've seen some one's gun break sometime during the class. If they had a second gun, they simply switch. If they don't, they have to go begging to find another gun to get them through the class or be sidelined.
# Posted 1 year ago -
Bringing more than one pistol for practical reasons makes sense. It also makes sense from the perspective of getting experience with both pistols, especially if you carry both. In regard to the skill development value of attending a CFS course with the 9mm to save money... you'll get 95% of the same experience as you will with the .45. Obviously, the XD will feel a little different and the .45 will recoil a little more.
-RJP
# Posted 1 year ago -
I didnt know how big of an issue it would be to swap out firearms, in the course of a class. I realize that it would be best if they were the same type, if not the same model. As long as it wouldn't be an issue, I will plan on using both. Plus a spare. The holster setups will be the same for both.
# Posted 1 year ago -
I'll be attending the new MAG-40 course. I'm taking my 640 and 686. I'll shoot range-grade .38 and my holsters will be of similar design. Man, does anyone have a big calculator?
Regards,
Dan Ortego# Posted 1 year ago -
I helped an Instructor with a class last year and watched a few students use different handguns through the course of the training. While I don't have any scientific way of measuring it, it appeared to me that many students would've been better served to choose one platform and stick with it. The students that made the most gains used the same handgun throughout the entire five days.
I watched one student go from Glock (DAO), to Sig DA/SA), to 1911(SA), and finally back to Glock. While he was getting trigger time and manipulation skills with all of them his progress was, IMHO, impeded. He was unable to master the complexities of one platform and I think his final score in the class was evidence of that. Granted, many of us do carry different handguns for a variety of reasons. I just can't help but think however that one should find a platform and if they are going to change from that, to have the second gun be of the same platform.
The students that came with one platform seemed to make the most gains in their shooting. For example, Glock 19/26, GP100/SP101, or 1911 Government Model/Officer's Model. Sometimes that may not always be possible, but if it is I think it's something that should be considered. Just my $0.02.
Biker
# Posted 1 year ago -
It is Indian not the arrow. Any handgun suitable for self-defense will allow you to learn what you need to learn in a CFS class.
A backup gun is a smart idea so that you do not lose class time with a catastrophic failure.
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16 hours, 4 instructor# Posted 1 year ago -
BikerRN,
It is important to keep an eye on the goals. If the goal is simply to "do better in the class", then there is no doubt that sticking with one gun (or switching early to a 'better' gun for some reason) is the way to go.
If that person was, however, trying to figure out which gun works best for them, then the overall performance isn't the end goal and there may have been a good reason for them to be switching. THey may have found out that the DA gun's inconsistency was a problem and that the manual safety on the 1911 was a pain and that is what brought them back to the Glock. They may have learned which type of gun is most efficient for defense and retired the other types from consideration for carry.. that is a HUGE Win in the big picture and a great training accomplishment.
The people who stuck with one platform, of course, may have achieved awesome training goals as well, just different ones.
At some point, everyone either has to go through the "try it and see" mode or simply take other people's word for what works best or doesn't work as well. Given the time & budget, I have almost always seen better results from people who have really compared the types of firearms in a training environment and come to empirically supported conclusions.
-RJP
# Posted 1 year ago -
I ended up buying a xd9 for the class i attended. I did use the glock on the second day. I came to the realization that for me I performed better with the xd overall. One advantage I found was that the first day it was drizzling and buy the end of the day my mags were filled with dried mud. I remembered that the glock mags aren't easily field stripped for cleaning. I also learned that I had to try harder with the glock that Doesn't fit as well, but I also know that I can use both of them effectively. I think one needs to be able to run other guns than the one You carry. Just in case. I also found that the loaded chamber indicator on the xd is really helpful due to its location on top of the slide. I will take it back to S.D in may with the glock in reserve.
# Posted 1 year ago -
Rob,
I always thought the goal was to get better with one's chosen platform and that the platform was already decided prior to one attending a class.
Yes, the end result is to get better, and that skill can transfer over to any platform one selects. If one uses a platform that they learn is not well suited to them, great. Move on to something else. I contend however that it is easier to learn new skills on a familiar to them handgun than to attempt to learn the intricacies of a new handgun and a new skill. After one learns the new skill then they can move to a platform better suited to them.
It is not my desire to have a "let's see who can pee higher up the tree" contest, but rather to provide an alternative viewpoint on this topic. Skills that are mastered can be transferred to another handgun pretty easily in my expirience. The same cannot be said for learning a new skill combined with a new handgun. I have discovered various handguns that I think may be better suited to me while taking training classes. The thing is, I dance with the one I brung and then go home and try the new platform, and train using the new skills that I learned. That allows me to cement the skills in to my Tool Box, muscle memory, or whatever you want to call it, and become familiar with a new handgun under less stress than some classes provide.
Biker
# Posted 1 year ago
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