Do you prefer to train on one handgun brand/platform, or many?

[JC2020]

I was a Marine Corps Pistol team member for 4 years - fully sponsored - all I did was shoot. But I was issued a .45 hardball/service pistol, .45 wadcutter, S&W 52 (.38 full wadcutter), a Beretta 92F, two .22's (primary & backup) and an air pistol. In the many years since I mostly shot my Glock 23 until the last 8 or so years. Today I move between a G43, M&P Shield and G19 as my 3 carry guns. A lot depends on what I'm wearing. I shot my first Action Pistol match in 35 years last fall. My eyes just don't work as well as they used to but when I let myself do it I still got it.

Yeah, this is my conundrum. I would stick to all Glocks, but like the p365 x macro. I shoot it well enough, and I train with it. However, after shooting Glocks for a while, I notice I’m always needing an extra moment to adjust my sights when I bring the pistol up from the ready position or draw from a holster. This is why I think I should just have one platform only when shooting.

About 10 years ago, I made the decision to stick with Glocks and Sigs. Two of one platform G19 and G21 and one of the other P365. I might swap out the G19 for a P229 but maybe not. Biggest problem, which gets your initial post, is that though I started with class DA/SA Sigs, having spent a decade shooting just Glocks, I now find the classic DA/SA has too long of a reset relative to Glocks or the P365. What this means in practice is that at least once in each mag on the classic DA/SA Sigs, I don’t come forward enough. I can shoot the Glocks and P365 just fine as their trigger reset is very similar. Not so much for the classic Sigs.

I love the idea of DA/SA, but only for fun. I just am not as accurate when I have to switch between DA and SA. It’s mostly a training issue, but my time at the range is limited.

I don’t have any trouble slow firing any of the handguns I own, regardless of platform or caliber. It’s having my red dot exactly where I am looking when I draw, or move from one target to another, or am myself moving, that is the issue. I’ve tried to fix this with dry fire, but I just see that sticking to one brand makes me much more precise than switching between, say, a G48 and a p365xmacro or xl.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Yeah, this is my conundrum. I would stick to all Glocks, but like the p365 x macro. I shoot it well enough, and I train with it. However, after shooting Glocks for a while, I notice I’m always needing an extra moment to adjust my sights when I bring the pistol up from the ready position or draw from a holster. This is why I think I should just have one platform only when shooting.


I love the idea of DA/SA, but only for fun. I just am not as accurate when I have to switch between DA and SA. It’s mostly a training issue, but my time at the range is limited.

I don’t have any trouble slow firing any of the handguns I own, regardless of platform or caliber. It’s having my red dot exactly where I am looking when I draw, or move from one target to another, or am myself moving, that is the issue. I’ve tried to fix this with dry fire, but I just see that sticking to one brand makes me much more precise than switching between, say, a G48 and a p365xmacro or xl.

Absolutely nothing wrong with sticking with one platform. If I had to pick one platform at this point, it would be Glocks. I like the same trigger pull each time (though I have gotten past the DA/SA disparity). I also like their reliability. If the red dot is a challenge, I would strongly suggest trying out the XS Big Dot front sight with the shallow notch v groove rear sight. I like the one in green. From my perspective, it gives you lots of speed. Only downside is I find it a bit harder at 25 yards to use.

 

[JC2020]

Absolutely nothing wrong with sticking with one platform. If I had to pick one platform at this point, it would be Glocks. I like the same trigger pull each time (though I have gotten past the DA/SA disparity). I also like their reliability. If the red dot is a challenge, I would strongly suggest trying out the XS Big Dot front sight with the shallow notch v groove rear sight. I like the one in green. From my perspective, it gives you lots of speed. Only downside is I find it a bit harder at 25 yards to use.

Oh, I love red dots—I meant that I get used to centering the dot on a Glock and need an extra half second when I switch to an Sig or other handgun to find the dot. Which is why I stick to one platform.

 

[Tere_Hanges]

I feel like Ive put so many rounds through Glocks over the years that I'll probably never completely lose that muscle memory no matter how many other guns I shoot in between.

 

[Smittty]

To be more clear, when you are practicing/training/taking handgun classes, do you prefer to rotate through different handguns, or do you stay consistent with the same model and/or same brand?

For me, I subscribe to the adage best expressed as

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” — Bruce Lee


I used to be Glock only for training. I shoot about 6000 rounds in handguns a year, and I tried to make about 4500 of them in Glocks. I generally took classes with the G17 or G45, but occasionally with the G48. Same with drills and range sessions.

I still enjoyed my CZ, Sig, Walther, Nighthawk, and other pistols, but I focused on training with a single set of pistols to become very familiar with the angles and exact feel of the firearms in my hands. I measured my par times for various drills with the Glocks.

However, I really didn’t like shooting the G48, and I hated carrying it. So I’m switching. But I’d like to try the same method.

Unfortunately, while I like the p365 XL and XMacro for CCW, I prefer the VP9F overall. They don’t have a similar feel to me at all. I’m trying to decide if I just train on the separate brands now, knowing I don’t have the time (or talent) to shoot as well as I would like, or look for a CC9, which will hopefully also hit the roster soon.

What do you guys do? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Consistent only with respect to not having a manual safety and my preference is a double action first shot. Could be DA, DAO, DA/SA and could even be a DAO revolver.

 

[JC2020]

I feel like Ive put so many rounds through Glocks over the years that I'll probably never completely lose that muscle memory no matter how many other guns I shoot in between.

I need to get to this level! Hopefully, gen 6 Glocks will come to California, as has been rumored.

Consistent only with respect to not having a manual safety and my preference is a double action first shot. Could be DA, DAO, DA/SA and could even be a DAO revolver.

Amazing. I just can’t get that sort of consistency unless I stick with the same exact platform. I can be okay, I can slow fire, but nothing at speed and probably not nearly as fast under duress.

 

[Tere_Hanges]

I need to get to this level! Hopefully, gen 6 Glocks will come to California, as has been rumored.


Amazing. I just can’t get that sort of consistency unless I stick with the same exact platform. I can be okay, I can slow fire, but nothing at speed and probapynthem nothing under duress.

Dont know if this is true so dont want to give bad advice but I've shot a lot of different guns over the years: Glocks, CZs, 1911s, Sigs, HKs, Berettas, Walthers, S&Ws. And I feel like all that experience has made me just a decent shooter in general like I can adapt to almost any gun or trigger type within a couple of mags. But still, shooting is a perishable skill so you do need to shoot often. Just be careful and dont train yourself into bad technique.

I guess my advice is learn good technique to prevent bad technique when you practice. Practice the most with the gun design you want to master the most be it for defense or competition. But also practice with other designs to become proficient in general.

 

[tomrkba]

To be more clear, when you are practicing/training/taking handgun classes, do you prefer to rotate through different handguns, or do you stay consistent with the same model and/or same brand?

For me, I subscribe to the adage best expressed as

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” — Bruce Lee


I used to be Glock only for training. I shoot about 6000 rounds in handguns a year, and I tried to make about 4500 of them in Glocks. I generally took classes with the G17 or G45, but occasionally with the G48. Same with drills and range sessions.

I still enjoyed my CZ, Sig, Walther, Nighthawk, and other pistols, but I focused on training with a single set of pistols to become very familiar with the angles and exact feel of the firearms in my hands. I measured my par times for various drills with the Glocks.

However, I really didn’t like shooting the G48, and I hated carrying it. So I’m switching. But I’d like to try the same method.

Unfortunately, while I like the p365 XL and XMacro for CCW, I prefer the VP9F overall. They don’t have a similar feel to me at all. I’m trying to decide if I just train on the separate brands now, knowing I don’t have the time (or talent) to shoot as well as I would like, or look for a CC9, which will hopefully also hit the roster soon.

What do you guys do? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I used to rotate through actions. SAO, DA/SA, Striker, DAO, revolver. I acquired all the gear for these guns and went to class. It's quite a bit of fun. I learned a lot and became a much better shooter for doing so.

But now that I'm older, I tend to just stick with Glock most of the time. The Glocks are just so trouble-free that they're worth using in training. Even the mags seem to be resistant to problems despite my ability to mess any gun up.

Revolvers are a pain to train with because they get hot so quickly. I usually take three and rotate through them (they all use the same gear) and park two in the shade to cool.

I also used to like SIG, but DA/SA is too annoying; I have some SIG P22x SAO's that are better for eight hour training days. The SIG P220 was decent and I did two classes with it. But, I retired my P220's from carry after that last class. Same goes for my P229 DA/SA pistols. I'd swap them for P229 SAO's if I could.

The Browning Hi Power was the worst in training. Its slide was so sharp that it cut my hands. The trigger was heavy and the magazine well was not beveled. It was hard to reload quickly and making longer distance shots was difficult. But those dozen cuts across my fingers due to running the slide convinced me that the Glock 19 was its replacement. It was a $600 gun that needed $1,000 in mods to do what Glock did out of the box for $535.

Perhaps I am just coasting. It certainly seems like it. Maybe I'll try a 1911 for the next class because I am contemplating adding a 1911 to my CA permit. But, I know what will happen: I'll put the 1911 back in the safe and grab the Glock 21 and Glock 30S instead.

 

[tomrkba]

Fear the man with 1gun

Nah. From what I have seen in classes as both a student and instructor, and just at the range, the vast majority of such people completely suck at shooting.

 

[tomrkba]

Haha, I really think spreading out too thin by shooting a large variety of guns can make for a lot of fun, but doesn’t allow for consistent improvement.

Sure, some have enough talent, or shoot so often, that it doesn’t matter, but in every class I’ve taken, the student who boasts the most about the number of guns they shoot is often the worst shot.

It does if the shooter plans the sessions. I could train with a Webley and make gains so long as I planned out my sessions in advance and shot them properly. But this is more a function of having the skill in learning and planning.

There isn't much difference at the end of the day; too many people obsess over minor details that don't matter with good technique or they'll never be good enough to exploit. I'm not talking about chasing that last 0.05 seconds for competition; I'm just talking about functional gun fighting training. Most people never get to that level (you should see security guards shoot...) If you want to chase those small time increments, then you already know what guns and gear you need to do so and the production polymer gun won't cut it.

 

[JC2020]

I used to rotate through actions. SAO, DA/SA, Striker, DAO, revolver. I acquired all the gear for these guns and went to class. It's quite a bit of fun. I learned a lot and became a much better shooter for doing so.

But now that I'm older, I tend to just stick with Glock most of the time. The Glocks are just so trouble-free that they're worth using in training. Even the mags seem to be resistant to problems despite my ability to mess any gun up.

Revolvers are a pain to train with because they get hot so quickly. I usually take three and rotate through them (they all use the same gear) and park two in the shade to cool.

I also used to like SIG, but DA/SA is too annoying; I have some SIG P22x SAO's that are better for eight hour training days. The SIG P220 was decent and I did two classes with it. But, I retired my P220's from carry after that last class. Same goes for my P229 DA/SA pistols. I'd swap them for P229 SAO's if I could.

The Browning Hi Power was the worst in training. Its slide was so sharp that it cut my hands. The trigger was heavy and the magazine well was not beveled. It was hard to reload quickly and making longer distance shots was difficult. But those dozen cuts across my fingers due to running the slide convinced me that the Glock 19 was its replacement. It was a $600 gun that needed $1,000 in mods to do what Glock did out of the box for $535.

Perhaps I am just coasting. It certainly seems like it. Maybe I'll try a 1911 for the next class because I am contemplating adding a 1911 to my CA permit. But, I know what will happen: I'll put the 1911 back in the safe and grab the Glock 21 and Glock 30S instead.

It does if the shooter plans the sessions. I could train with a Webley and make gains so long as I planned out my sessions in advance and shot them properly. But this is more a function of having the skill in learning and planning.

There isn't much difference at the end of the day; too many people obsess over minor details that don't matter with good technique or they'll never be good enough to exploit. I'm not talking about chasing that last 0.05 seconds for competition; I'm just talking about functional gun fighting training. Most people never get to that level (you should see security guards shoot...) If you want to chase those small time increments, then you already know what guns and gear you need to do so and the production polymer gun won't cut it.

I agree. So many instructors I have met over the years have returned to Glocks for their simplicity and lack of problems. They are “boring” in the best ways.

I thought I would like steel frame pistols, but they all bruise the knuckle of my thumb. I can only shoot 50-100 rounds before I’m compelled to stop for a bit. So plastic is better for me when taking an 8 hour class or training.

I have a limited amount of time for shooting due to other responsibilities. I would compete if I could reliably have the time to attend competitions. Maybe in a few more years. So I am focused on safety and practicality, and occasionally fun. I have too many handguns I rarely shoot already.

I really like the VP9F. So I may buy a K and another F and just use this platform. I don’t need a race gun, and I don’t need any special trigger or other modifications. I’ve done some of that, and it’s very fun, but I like my carry and HD stock for reliability.

I like shooting the FAST drill cold to see where I am at for static shooting. I’d like to be consistently under 7 seconds. But what I really need to work on is movement and shooting more accurately.

 

[weaverftw]

I definitely practice at home. I’ll put up another post someday regarding my horror with the shooting of some of my classmates in the mandatory ccw classes. Not sure why they are barely hitting paper at 5 yards. While I hate that classes are mandatory, I do think everyone who carries should practice. Otherwise, what’s the point?.

I can contribute to that thread… I was amazed that some of the guys at my class, including those seeking renewal, had giant groups (if you could even call them that) with some even missing the silhouette completely at 1.5-3yds. Slow fire, both hands. Nuts. One of em was a big talker about his military experience during class, too.

 

[JC2020]

I can contribute to that thread… I was amazed that some of the guys at my class, including those seeking renewal, had giant groups (if you could even call them that) with some even missing the silhouette completely at 1.5-3yds. Slow fire, both hands. Nuts. One of em was a big talker about his military experience during class, too.

I don't understand carrying something as serious as a firearm and not being able to use it safely. What is the point of carrying a firearm that one can't use? Missing paper at 3 yards is atrocious, especially when it's slow fire with minimal pressure. I wouldn't carry a flashlight I couldn't use. There's just no point.

Also, why do so many of these people boast about their abilities when we will all see how they shoot? I never understood the need. Keeping quiet draws less attention and is far less embarrassing.

 

[HarleyLowRiderST]

If I was competitive shooting it would be one platform for handgun and one platform for rifle.

I was 3 different guns in my CCW. It would be silly to have 3 of the same I would think. Lol
P365x/XL - Small for Summer in shorts
G43X/L - Winter slightly bigger gun easier to hold
G19 - Car gun or when I think I would something larger.

I have 5 other Glocks and all have the same Ameriglo 2 dot sights so shooting between them is very similar.

 

[HarleyLowRiderST]

I can contribute to that thread… I was amazed that some of the guys at my class, including those seeking renewal, had giant groups (if you could even call them that) with some even missing the silhouette completely at 1.5-3yds. Slow fire, both hands. Nuts. One of em was a big talker about his military experience during class, too.

If an instructor passes them for a CCW, I would tend to ask why. My CCW class had a few similar types yet everyone passed.

 

[weaverftw]

If an instructor passes them for a CCW, I would tend to ask why. My CCW class had a few similar types yet everyone passed.

To be fair I don’t know if everyone passed, or if maybe they pulled some people aside separately to tell them they need to requalify. If they’d announced everyone passed I might’ve said something to the owner. It did make me wonder though…

 

[JC2020]

My CCW renewal class had someone who said he hadn’t gone out to shoot since getting his license. Nothing in two years. He was the worst of everyone when testing, but I think he passed. I only saw the target at 3 yards for his first firearm, and I’m not certain 80% of the shots were inside the silhouette.

 

[trunkjunk4321]

I think the more focused one's training the better one will become. That said, Its is fun to shoot different guns, but I normally only bring one gun with me to the range so that I can just focus on improving on that specific one.

 

[JC2020]

I think the more focused one's training the better one will become. That said, Its is fun to shoot different guns, but I normally only bring one gun with me to the range so that I can just focus on improving on that specific one.

Do you rotate which gun you bring to the range? I think I feel like I should practice with the same gun every time to really improve. I agree, though…it’s so fun to shoot many different firearms.

I just keep returning to the idea that the bulk of my time should be with a single platform. I don’t spend hours every week shooting. I spend a few hours a month at the range and maybe an hour a week dry firing. That’s the time I have.

Is it better to practice with one platform/gun to gain maximal experience and accuracy with it? I’m beginning to think I would rather master one pistol as much as possible for my abilities and limitations while remaining a dilettante with the others for fun.

I’m sure the skills translate between, say, one full size striker fired pistol to the next. But I acknowledge I have not reached a level of expertise where I can shoot all alphas at 20 yards dependably. I still struggle with dot torture perfection at 10 yards. I guess that’s why I am focusing on one platform.

 

[weaverftw]

Do you rotate which gun you bring to the range? I think I feel like I should practice with the same gun every time to really improve. I agree, though…it’s so fun to shoot many different firearms.

I just keep returning to the idea that the bulk of my time should be with a single platform. I don’t spend hours every week shooting. I spend a few hours a month at the range and maybe an hour a week dry firing. That’s the time I have.

Is it better to practice with one platform/gun to gain maximal experience and accuracy with it? I’m beginning to think I would rather master one pistol as much as possible for my abilities and limitations while remaining a dilettante with the others for fun.

I’m sure the skills translate between, say, one full size striker fired pistol to the next. But I acknowledge I have not reached a level of expertise where I can shoot all alphas at 20 yards dependably. I still struggle with dot torture perfection at 10 yards. I guess that’s why I am focusing on one platform.

I think there’s something to be said about some shooting skills being transferable - maybe not between shooting clays vs pistol marksmanship or 600yd rifle marksmanship vs transitioning targets with a pistol, but getting good at maintaining sight alignment/picture while practicing a DA trigger pull or getting good at predictive shooting/maintaining consistent grip for follow up shots with a compact .45 will certainly make shooting your full size 9mm striker fired pistol feel easier, so there’s some benefit to branching out a little bit too.