Choices

In a previous post I mentioned that HH6 has begun to apply pressure to the firearm-bar that she has me in, to get me to stop playing so many "violent" video games (which is basically every game I enjoy playing).

A couple of weeks ago she really clamped down when she gave the green light to start shopping in earnest for a full caliber (a handgun of .32 caliber or greater according to TxDPS) hand gun.

Our search began in earnest at Academy, where she was willing to handle the weapons I recommended and I learned that she did not want a steel gun.  Which meant no 1911's Sig 226's, Beretta 92's.

Soon after we found ourselves at Carter's Country, where she plied her womanly charms and yet again engaged in handgun handling.  There I learned three important features that the boss required:

1. It had to be "curvy" like an M&P or a Beretta PX4
2. It could not be too rough and pointy like an XDM or Gen 4 Glock
3. It had to have a weighty slide with a point of balance over her knuckles

When we left Carter's Country I thought I had her pegged for an M&P in 9mm (more on the caliber choice later)...

So, we scheduled a date day which involved dinner, a movie, and a trip to the range.

We ended up shooting 200 rounds of 9mm through the following range guns (about 3-4 mags each):
1&4. H&K P30
2. S&W M&P
3&5. Glock 17

-All pistols were full size.

I fancy myself a bit of a gun snob so obviously the H&K was the bestest right? Sadly, no.
We both agreed that it had the most noticeable muzzle flash, loudest report, and most felt recoil of the bunch.

The M&P wasn't that greatest for felt recoil, but at least I didn't see spots from the muzzle flash.  Interestingly enough though, the wife and I noticed that there was a lot more unburned powder exiting the muzzle of the M&P, which turned into powder burns on the backs of hands and exposed forearms, and lead to pain when we washed up after our range time was up.

I had never really noticed unburned powder or had a problem with powder burns before that range trip.

BUT, that could all be due to the FMJ ammo that we bought at the range.

After dumping three mags through both of these, we got our hands on the Glock 17.
I didn't expect much of a reaction from HH6 as she was unimpressed with it in the store.  I figured we would have to track down a Walther P99 for her. 

Boy was I wrong.
Have y'all seen that scene in the first Harry Potter film where Harry get his wand?  Well it was kind of like that except it was in a gun range and the wand wasn't 11" of holly and Phoenix feather. No, we had 7.32" of polymer and steel.

So now we are looking and waiting for a good deal on tactical Tupperware.....Maybe I can get the wife to host one of those parties.

Any ways, looks like we are going to drink the glock cool aide (more on that later).
At least we came to that conclusion without the undue influence of flashy advertising and marketing gimmicks.  The glock simply felt the best in my wife's hands and when she shot it, she had the biggest smile on her face.  I knew she was in love.

P.S. Though I did the lion's share (connotation not denotation) of loading magazine, HH6 loaded fully a third of all the rounds she shot.


More on the adventures in firearms selection to come.
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