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From: jkh@jade.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.rec.guns
Subject: Re: 9mm vs. .45 automatics
Message-ID: <852@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Tue, 17-Jun-86 07:17:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: jade.852
Posted: Tue Jun 17 07:17:32 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Jun-86 00:13:36 EDT
References: <791@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 46
Approved: jkh@ucbjade
Author: Davidsen <dual!lll-crg!seismo!rochester!steinmetz!davidsen@ucbvax>
In-Reply-To: <807@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>

Article: 6:15

In article <807@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> Clayton Cramer writes:
>Article: 6:10
>
>> I am on the verge of purchasing my first handgun and I need
>> some advice. The models which seem the most appealing are the
>> Colt and S&W .45 automatics, and the Browning and Beritta 9mm
>> autos.  Some of the information I am looking for includes:
... discussion deleted...
>
>I have no experience with the S&W, Browning, or Beretta large autos.  
>I have a Colt .45 auto -- and I have been completely happy with it.
>With factory hardball ammo I have had about three failures in almost
>a thousand rounds -- and two were when the gun was quite new.  I find
>it very easy to fire, as does my wife (and we both qualify as wimps).
>>From what I have seen of people firing a variety of 9mm pistols, I
>think either the Colt is easy to fire well, or the .45 ACP cartridge
>is instrinically more accurate.
>
>The Colt has a grip safety -- the others don't.  That makes the argument
>for me real easy.

I think it only fair to mention that there is some disagreement on grip
safties. Certain people find that the Colt grip safety doesn't always
allow the gun to fire, a fatal (literally) flaw in a self defense
weapon, and a sure way to lose points in a rapid fire match.

Grip safties which are either full length on the back of the grip, or
at the bottom of the front below the trigger guard are a bit more
reliable. A number of gunsmiths can either disable the grip safety, or
extend it to a full length safety.

This is a personal choice, but since the original posting was asking
for advice I want to be sure that he knows there is a choice to make. I
consider the safety on my "380 Backup" to be ideal (I'm not claiming the
rest of the gun is, just the safety).
	-bill davidsen

  ihnp4!seismo!rochester!steinmetz!--\
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         sixhub ---------------------/        (davidsen@ge-crd.ARPA)

"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward"