[MrChem]

I spent most of the morning at the range today with my XCR and my 92F. Using M193 the results were good but I was less consistent with the Wolf 62gr and even had a couple of failure to fire with the Wolf. My pistol shooting left something to be desired at 25yds. I am still not comfortable with the feel of my 92F. I just can't get a comfortable grip on it which may explain my inconsistent results. Oh well, either way it was better than working!

[email protected]/XCR

Wolf [email protected]/XCR

9mm [email protected]

 

[gunner69]

I think you have this "in a nut shell"......... save the Wolf for plinking. It alows you to shoot your piece "more" than you can afford!!! :2cents: :machinegun2:

 

[TEXAS SOLFTAIL]

LOOKS LIKE A FUN DAY, GOOD SHOOTING.

 

[MrChem]

It was fun but hot as hell as the day wore on but of course it was Houston in the summer so I shouldn't be surprised.

I may have to try another pistol that fits my hand better. Being a lefty, just compounds the fact since I can't use the slide or mag release as intended. I need to look for a more lefty friendly pistol....at least that's what I will tell my wife

 

[1redgmc]

Option 1 is to gather all your gun-toting friends together for a range session and shoot as many different pistols as you can.

Option 2 is drop by Cabelas or Gander Mtn and handle as many as you can!

Try a nice SIG P229 DAK or P226 and you can (easily) switch the mag release for left hand use. There are a lot of pistols that provide this feature.

Good luck!

 

[badman400]

MC the XD's are pretty lefty friendly.

Ambi mag release.

Good shootin'.

"The worst day at the range is better than the best day at work." 8)

 

[Sloan441]

I'll say it again (and again and as long as the question comes up) that if you want the best fighting pistol devised by mind of man--and fully ambidextrous--get a P7. Preferably the M8.

Yeah, it's expensive, but so what? You have an XCR? If you do, then you can afford a P7. Simple as that. Moreover, it's worth it. If you're serious about your personal arms, then the P7 is a good option for you. It works, it lasts, it shoots extremely well, and it's easy to shoot well. Sure, it's 9mmP, but that's not that big of a deal. I like .45s, too, but I have no real problem with the 9mm, especially in this platform.

Get one. It's a lot of money, but it's a no-regret decision in the long run.

 

[1redgmc]

I think Sloan is correct about the P7 being an excellent choice.

As a fan of HK (I have five of my own - but admittedly not a P7), I would have to agree!

The P7 is a pleasure to handle and isn't outrageously priced (all day long at CDNN for $599 and two on GunBroker right now for $570) - and they will retain their value.

I found one recently at the local Gander Mountain and found it to be very nice. I wish I could have shot it to tell you more, but Sloan can attest to that.

I went back to GM two days later to look at it again - and it was LONG GONE! The man behind the counter said it sold about an hour after I was there before, and that it had only been in the store for maybe 48 hours. Even at their (somewhat high) price of $695 - someone snapped it up.

BE ADVISED however that some of the hi-cap magazines are HIGH DOLLAR!!!

For example, the 13 round P7M13 mags seem to sell for $99 on average. There's one on GunBroker now for $199 !!!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SearchResults.asp?SearchResults.asp?SearchType=0&Keywords=hk+p7+mag

The standard 8 round mags are selling on GunBroker for $60+ and go as high as $70 plus shipping. The cheapest I've seen them is $40 - but that is a rare exception. Sloan - have you found them cheaper?

If you are a mag-a-holic like me (I have a minimum 10 mags for every pistol) - then it might be a deal breaker. If you are content with a few mags, you will be good to go.

Either way - I really liked the feel of the P7 in my hand.

Sloan - do you carry the P7 - and if so, what rig do you prefer?

 

[Sloan441]

You can always find cheaper is you look around some. The internet is a great resource for gun parts. Well, usually.

The older P7s (referred henceforth as PSP) are drying up. If you don't mind the heel release, I'd get one NOW. Do not wait. I like the M-series guns, but I've had mine for many years. I thought seriously about grabbing a PSP, but decided I didn't want the hassle of yet another set of magazines. I've been looking for another M8, but no luck so far. I should take my own advice and just get one, but I'm cheap (sorta) and I'm pretty sure I can scare one up for under $1200 if I look hard enough.

P7 magazines are high. Hell, HK magazines are high and the P7 is just a case in point. However, if you look you'll find PSP and M8 mags for around $55, give or take about $5. M13 mags can be ugly, but you can find them around $90 if you look hard enough. I like six mags for each sidearm. That's good enough for me. Also, M13 mags are built like no other pistol mag. You could use these things for field expedient hammers and they'd be none the worse for wear. The newest ones look like they have the hostile environment coating on them.

I do carry the P7. Mostly the M8. The M13 is a porky little devil. I generally use a Wilderness Zip Slide rig. Mine was made when Ralph was still operating things on a day to day basis. I know they're making them again (got a 1911 one relatively recently), but not sure if they'd do any more for the P7. You'd have to call. I've been seriously thinking about getting on Milt Sparks waiting list for a 55BN straight drop rig. VERY nice, and the recent ones are actually more like the original Nelson rigs than they were when Milt was still with us.

 

[1redgmc]

Hell yes, HK factory mags in general are definitely high $$

However, I recently got the deal of the century when a friend of mine who has VIP status with HK nabbed me (10) of the new HK45 mags for $20 each. If you have an HK45 - you most likely know they sell for $60+ (when you can find them in stock). As it turns out, the HK45 mags also work in my USP45C - and I am hoping that someone will soon make a sleeve to fill the gap, although the HK45 base seems like it might be hard to match up with the contour of the USP45C.

The only "cheap" HK mags I've found are the abundance of full size USP 40 and USP 45 (10 round) mags that recently flooded the market. In quantity, I've snagged them for $10.95 each - and (10) round mags are plenty fine for the range.

Now that we've hi-jacked MrChem's thread, I apologize for doing so!

 

[MrChem]

The P7 is fantastic and even legendary but it is hard for me to buy a pistol without handling it first. I am just weird that way being a lefty. I have handled a Glock 17 and an XD 9mm M and sub compact. I really like the feel of those. Kimbers seem to fit my hand also but they might be a little out of my price range right now.

 

[MadDogDan]

Don't sleep on the S&W M&P9 or M&P40. I traded my three XDs in for the M&Ps. You get three interchangable back straps which will fit most size hands. I am left handed and not only is the mag release changable to either side but there is a slide release on both sides so it is truely ambidexterous.

The best thing about the M&P.........it doesn't look or handle like a brick like the XDs and Glocks.

MadDog

 

[MrChem]

Don't sleep on the S&W M&P9 or M&P40. I traded my three XDs in for the M&Ps. You get three interchangable back straps which will fit most size hands. I am left handed and not only is the mag release changable to either side but there is a slide release on both sides so it is truely ambidexterous.

The best thing about the M&P.........it doesn't look or handle like a brick like the XDs and Glocks.

MadDog

Thanks. I will add the M&P to my "go try" list.

 

[Sloan441]

Find someone with a P7 and bribe him to shoot a few mags through it (six packs of Smithwick work on me). You will not regret it! This might be the end of days of relatively easy P7 availability. Move quickly, or be lost.

Still, there are alternatives. One that might be worth looking at is the HK P30, if you're a 9mm sort (and who isn't with ammo prices these days). If you like .45, then the HK45 is something you shouldn't miss. I've personally never shot the P30, but I have handled them and it's a very comfortable pistol. It feels GOOD in the hand. The HK45 is similar, just somewhat larger. I do have one of those and it's rapidly becoming my goto .45. I'm not sure it's my favorite yet (that title belongs to the HK P9S, but mostly from nostalgia and not performance, though the P9 is a real shooter). Check out Greg Bell's blog on both HK30 and HK45 shoot-to-destruction tests (links on HKPro). He never broke one and the .45 is up to almost 9k round with NO malfunctions. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Can't ask for much more than that!

 

[seatfool]

MrChem,
Is Baily's gun range in south Houston still open? Used to be the best place in town when I was 9 years old shooting my $150 M1 carbine.

 

[DSM]

Can't say much about the slide release but did you swap the mag release to the right side? Probably a gee-whiz question I know. We used to have toruble on the firing line with the M9's and lefties for the same reasons. We weren't supposed since it was considered above operator maintenance but we'd teach them how to swap it out.

 

[XCR-Fin]

Try a nice SIG P229 DAK or P226 and you can (easily) switch the mag release for left hand use. There are a lot of pistols that provide this feature.

I have the P226 DAK and its a nice gun. It fits my hand really well, but the trigger is a bit stiff for my liking (6.5lbs) so I'm looking to have it lightened 1lb or so.

 

[1redgmc]

Any of the SIGs that have the SRT (Short Reset Trigger) package are SWEET. Trigger pull is crisp and clean at something like 4.5 lbs in SA but the difference is exactly like SIG advertises - and the reset is 60% shorter. Aussie turned me onto the SRT setup. Changing the mag release on a P226/P229/P220 is EASY, if you have the right tools and knowledge. It takes maybe two minutes - but BE CAREFUL - those springs and pieces are SMALL and if you lose them - your pistol will be down until you can obtain a replacement.

There are plenty of south paw entries on the various forums, so it still comes down to getting what you like, what fits you and what you can afford.

The HK's (for example) have factory (ambi) mag releases on either side of the trigger guard... so personal preference and fit/feel are still the keys.

Again - good luck!!!

 

[MrChem]

MrChem,
Is Baily's gun range in south Houston still open? Used to be the best place in town when I was 9 years old shooting my 0 M1 carbine.

I honestly don't know. I haven't been south of town in a while or even heard anyone mention it lately.

 

[Carl AMG]

The P7 is fantastic and even legendary but it is hard for me to buy a pistol without handling it first. I am just weird that way being a lefty. I have handled a Glock 17 and an XD 9mm M and sub compact. I really like the feel of those. Kimbers seem to fit my hand also but they might be a little out of my price range right now.

The HK P7 is totally ambidextrous. My brother is a lefty and bought his p7m13 in the 80's for that very reason. You should try to handle one at a gun show or something. However, the downfall to P7's have always been the price and it is out of a lot of people's price range.

I have carried my P7M8 in a Milt Sparks Exec Defender IWB for twelve years. It is an extremely soft shooting 9MM that can be shot and operated very quickly. Low bore axis, steel construction/weight (it's no lightweight) and the soft recoil make it a double tappers dream. The squeeze cocking feature allows for a nice single action trigger as well. I feel pretty good with Winchester +P+ 127gr. Talons loaded for defense.