Being scammed is just another part of life anymore. Whether or not the scammers are successful is up to you. There is an old saying, "Trust, but verify" that should be the philosophy of everyone.
Private Eyes subscribe to services that allow them to access a lot of data. These services are restricted since they contain personal information. There are websites, many of them scams, that promise to sell you information. Most of these sites have hidden fees that pop up when you put your request in for the information.
There really isn't an easy way to get the info unless you are a licensed PI. Some places even require previous law enforcement experience before they will sell to you. Thus, you need to talk to a PI for the comprehensive background checks. If you are involved in a business deal with thousands of dollars on the line, or personal wealth, then pay the $60-70. It's money well spent.
However, I'm going to list some free sites that will allow you to make a superficial check on someone. For the purpose of this discussion, I'm going to assume you met someone on Facebook, and you are in contact daily, or you have discovered one of you minor children had been in daily contact with someone, and you want to know who they are.
Facebook, and other social media sites can give you a lot of information about someone. They are a favorite source of information amongst PIs because the government is closing a lot its once public records to try and combat identity theft.
First, gather all the information the person is presenting on Facebook. City of residence, birthday, and any names of relatives.
A friend of mine lists his name, birthdate, wife's name, anniversary date (Which I already knew since I was at the wedding), universities he's attended, his current city of residence, and a email address.
His photos are also tagged, which means his, and other people's names appear when you move your cursor over them. If he was being cagey, and didn't put his current city, I could search for those people. He also has professional wedding pics up with the photographers name in the corner, which would be another way of letting me find him. I might be able to fool the photographer into giving me his address (Which I already know, of course), but at the very least, it would tell me where he was when the pics were taken by way of me tracking the business name. Of course, more than once we've used profile pics on social websites to get current pictures for bounty hunting work.
One of the first things you should do when you are interested in someone is to check them against your state's sexual predator. The U.S. Department of Justice has a website for looking up offenders. it is http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Conditions.aspx. Look carefully, and you'll see you can also search by location, it's just under the fields where you input the names.
You can also look up www.sexualoffender.com to find your state's list and access it. Some of the sites will probably want to charge you, but you should be able to find a free registry. In Kansas, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation maintains a Violent, Drug, and Sex Offender website anyone can access. The also will issue Criminal background checks for $20. Their website is http://www.accesskansas.org/kbi/ro.shtml.
The next thing I would recommend is to run their name through Pipl.com. This site usually give the most info about people. If his name is common, you will get multiple hits from various locations around the U.S. A full check will cost money, but you should be able to get an address and usually the age of the person you are looking for. Be aware that the ages on these sites are not always correct and should only be considered ballpark figures. Of course, if they put their birthdates online, then you will already have that information, which you can match to the ages given on your searches to figure out which is the person you are looking for at that time. Beside Pipl.com, you can also try zabasearcg.com and Whitepages.com.
Once you get a address, find out what county that person lives in with a Google search. Once you have the county, search for that county's assesor or appraisers website and put the address into the property tax info site and you will get the current owners name, and their spouses name. If the name is different, that means they have a landlord, or they'e giving a false name, or if they are living with a step-father who has a different last name than they do. If your county's website allows searches by name, put the landlord's name in to see if there is any other property listed to them. Check all the names you find with the sex offenders registry, it might be eye opening.
If you didn't get a phone number using the free searches, try running the spouse's name or the landlord's name to see if you could find one for them.
If that doesn't work, head to the library and ask to see their reverse directory, that may give you their number.
A young person will have less records online than an older person, as they are not established. Sometimes as a PI, we have to go sit in a car, with the windows up, when its 100 degrees outside because physically tracking someone is the only way to find out the information we want, even with the nifty services we pay money to use.
If you have any questions, email me at Sam@wichitadetective.com, and I will try and point you in the right direction.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Self-Defense is Awareness. Part 2
As I dicussed in Part 1, awareness is the foundation self defense is built upon. If everything always worked out in our favor, we could rely strictly on our firearms to protect us from evil men. However, if we only practice under perfect conditions, we are fooling ourselves.
There is a rule in law enforcement called the "21 Foot Rule". It is a legal standard that states anyone within 21 feet poses a direct threat to you if they are agressive and intend to do bodily harm.
What that means is, someone can bring a knife to a gunfight, and expect to win, if they can get close enough to the gunslinger before he is aware of them. Rember the OODA loop from part one and the mental steps you have to go through? If someone gets withing 21 feet, and then pulls a knife and attacks, by the time you recognize the danger, map out the situation in your mind, make a decision, and then act upon by drawing your weapon(About 2.5 seconds total) the knife man, if he knows what he's doing, will have planted his blade in some vital organ or opened up an artery or three. They can do this because it takes about 1.5 seconds for the average person to cross 21 feet.
What this translates to is that you need to layer your personal defense plan to incorporate other things besides your gun. You need to be familiar with empty hand fighting and carry a few extra things with you.
When I'm not working, and I'm just another joe on the street, I usually carry a gun, a good folding knife I can open quickly, and a small bottle of pepper spray. I also practice martial arts and am comfortable with empty hand fighting.
The only martial art I would recommend for people who don't want to spend a lot of time on empty hand training, is the World War II fighting system taught to British Cammandos and American Rangers. There are books and videos available, and a few qualified instructors around. Look for W.E. Fairbairn's Defendo. Fairbairn developed it for the Shanghai police, after he was nearly beaten to death. Later, he taught in the British Military. Also look for Col. Rex Applegate. Even if you are already studying a martial art, you can look at Fairbairn's ideas and adapt what you already know to the core priciples of Fairbairn's stuff. It is simple and uses primarily gross motor skills and can be learned in realitively short amount of time.
The knife I carry is always of legal size, and the pepper spray is legal here as well. The pepper spray is nice because I can palm it and walk down the street, or into a dark parking garage, and no one is the wiser. This gives me a faster response time than trying to draw my pistol. Pepper spray is also non-lethal, and that's important because you can't use a gun to solve every problem.
Search Amazon for the names I've given you, Fairbairn and Applegate, and you should come up with some hits. You can also Google "WWII Combatives" and see what comes up.
If you would like some more information about the strengths and weakenesses of the various martial arts, drop me an email at Sam@wichitadetective.com
I won't discuss them publicly because they only people who are bigger jackasses than martial artists when it comes to discussing their pet martial art, are gun owners talking about their favorite pistol.
Remember, a gun is useful, but it doesn't solve every problem and it takes time to deploy. Make sure you have other options available to you if you need them.
There is a rule in law enforcement called the "21 Foot Rule". It is a legal standard that states anyone within 21 feet poses a direct threat to you if they are agressive and intend to do bodily harm.
What that means is, someone can bring a knife to a gunfight, and expect to win, if they can get close enough to the gunslinger before he is aware of them. Rember the OODA loop from part one and the mental steps you have to go through? If someone gets withing 21 feet, and then pulls a knife and attacks, by the time you recognize the danger, map out the situation in your mind, make a decision, and then act upon by drawing your weapon(About 2.5 seconds total) the knife man, if he knows what he's doing, will have planted his blade in some vital organ or opened up an artery or three. They can do this because it takes about 1.5 seconds for the average person to cross 21 feet.
What this translates to is that you need to layer your personal defense plan to incorporate other things besides your gun. You need to be familiar with empty hand fighting and carry a few extra things with you.
When I'm not working, and I'm just another joe on the street, I usually carry a gun, a good folding knife I can open quickly, and a small bottle of pepper spray. I also practice martial arts and am comfortable with empty hand fighting.
The only martial art I would recommend for people who don't want to spend a lot of time on empty hand training, is the World War II fighting system taught to British Cammandos and American Rangers. There are books and videos available, and a few qualified instructors around. Look for W.E. Fairbairn's Defendo. Fairbairn developed it for the Shanghai police, after he was nearly beaten to death. Later, he taught in the British Military. Also look for Col. Rex Applegate. Even if you are already studying a martial art, you can look at Fairbairn's ideas and adapt what you already know to the core priciples of Fairbairn's stuff. It is simple and uses primarily gross motor skills and can be learned in realitively short amount of time.
The knife I carry is always of legal size, and the pepper spray is legal here as well. The pepper spray is nice because I can palm it and walk down the street, or into a dark parking garage, and no one is the wiser. This gives me a faster response time than trying to draw my pistol. Pepper spray is also non-lethal, and that's important because you can't use a gun to solve every problem.
Search Amazon for the names I've given you, Fairbairn and Applegate, and you should come up with some hits. You can also Google "WWII Combatives" and see what comes up.
If you would like some more information about the strengths and weakenesses of the various martial arts, drop me an email at Sam@wichitadetective.com
I won't discuss them publicly because they only people who are bigger jackasses than martial artists when it comes to discussing their pet martial art, are gun owners talking about their favorite pistol.
Remember, a gun is useful, but it doesn't solve every problem and it takes time to deploy. Make sure you have other options available to you if you need them.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Self-Defense is Awareness. Part 1
I was at a little gathering smoking cigars and drinking diet coke (Wine was available but I was armed so I stuck with soft drinks). The fact I was a PI came out and that led to a discussion of firearms. As the conversation dwindled, after a couple of hours debating the merits of various guns, I was talking to a single person about the mental part of self defense.
It seems that most people think they are dangerous just because they have a pistol or other firearm. And that's true to a certain extent, but not as much as most people think. Just because you have a gun, doesn't mean your safe.
Self defense is not a single layer thing like just having a gun. It's multilayered, and the first and most important foundation of self defense is awareness. It doesn't matter who you are, what kind of gun you have, or what kind of combat skills you possess, if you aren't aware of an attack coming at you, you're screwed.
Amongst the gun gurus, the concept of awareness is stated in the color code system, now made famous by the Homeland Security folks. In the gun world, Condition White means someone is oblivious to the world around them. Condition Yellow means they are maintaining awareness, Condition Orange means a threat is likely, but not identified, and Condition Red is when the threat has been identified and you move to neutralize the situation.
To illustrate the system, think of the news stories about joggers, wearing headphones and zoning out while running that step in front of a moving car. That's Condition White.
When you look both ways before you cross the street, you are in Condition Yellow. You are actively aware of your surroundings.
If you hear what sounds like a window breaking downstairs in the middle of the night, but haven't detected a person yet, you are in Condition Orange as you move to investigate the strange noise.
If you were to find a burglar in your house, then you are in Condition Red, because the threat has been identified.
Of these four mental states, Condition Yellow is the most important one. If you are in Condition White, all you have going for you is dumb luck or Divine Providence, because your brain ain't in the game at all.
If you get surprised, for all intents and purposes, you move from White to Red instantly. This is called the startle reflex. Conditions Yellow and Orange prepare you for Condition Red. So without them, you are unprepared when the crap starts flying and your opponent, assuming he's been paying attention, has got the jump on you. If you get startled, the time it will take you to deploy your weapon is probably doubled, since you have to process the event through a series of mental stages called the OODA loop. (I will explain that later.)
Time is your best friend before a fight, and your worst enemy during a fight. If you have time to prepare, you can avoid the startle reflex and maybe get the jump on the bad guy. If you spot the trouble before trouble spots you, you can deploy your firearm and at least be in the fight instead of being a dumbstruck target.
Time is your worst enemy in a fight, because the longer a fight goes, the greater the odds are you will lose. Self defense problems should be solved in the minimum amount of time possible.
One of things I told the person I was talking to is, "I don't fight."
And I don't fight, I solve problems. I try to solve those problems as quickly as possible. The speed at which I solve the problem is directly proportionate to the odds I'm going home to the wife and kids.
Okay, what is an OODA loop? OODA is an anacronym for Observation, Orientation, Decision and Action. It was a concept that came from the Korean War when a study was done to see why American Pilots were beating the Communists pilots so badly. First, the planes the Americans were flying had a bubble cockpit, which gave the pilot an excellent field of view. This allowed them to spot the enemy plans first.
The second stage of the mental combat process is Orientation. The brain constructs a mental map showing where all the players are and what is around them that might effect the combat.
The third stage is the decision making stage. Once the brain has its map, it can make a choice as to the proper action. American pilots had better training than the Communist pilots, so they made the right decison more often.
Finally there is action, The American Sabre jets had great controls and the planes could really fly and they responded quickly to the pilots commands, thus implementing the decision (almost)instantly.
You have to go through these four mental stages, there really isn't a way to get around them. If you are in Condition White, and a bad guy who decides to victimize you is in Yellow and spots you first, he may well orientate, make a decision, and act upon that decision before you even see him. This is what is called being inside someone's OODA loop.
So, being observant is the foremost part of self-defense. If someone gets inside your OODA loop, you are in a really sucky place. Develop good habits, just like you did as kid when you learned to cross the street, and look around and who's watching you or following you in a store. Watch for people following you out of store. Look for people who movements match yours or they are setting up an intercpt course. If you know they are there, they can't startle you and you can be ready for them.
In part 2, I'll discuss some more layers you need to have in place to maximize your personal safety.
It seems that most people think they are dangerous just because they have a pistol or other firearm. And that's true to a certain extent, but not as much as most people think. Just because you have a gun, doesn't mean your safe.
Self defense is not a single layer thing like just having a gun. It's multilayered, and the first and most important foundation of self defense is awareness. It doesn't matter who you are, what kind of gun you have, or what kind of combat skills you possess, if you aren't aware of an attack coming at you, you're screwed.
Amongst the gun gurus, the concept of awareness is stated in the color code system, now made famous by the Homeland Security folks. In the gun world, Condition White means someone is oblivious to the world around them. Condition Yellow means they are maintaining awareness, Condition Orange means a threat is likely, but not identified, and Condition Red is when the threat has been identified and you move to neutralize the situation.
To illustrate the system, think of the news stories about joggers, wearing headphones and zoning out while running that step in front of a moving car. That's Condition White.
When you look both ways before you cross the street, you are in Condition Yellow. You are actively aware of your surroundings.
If you hear what sounds like a window breaking downstairs in the middle of the night, but haven't detected a person yet, you are in Condition Orange as you move to investigate the strange noise.
If you were to find a burglar in your house, then you are in Condition Red, because the threat has been identified.
Of these four mental states, Condition Yellow is the most important one. If you are in Condition White, all you have going for you is dumb luck or Divine Providence, because your brain ain't in the game at all.
If you get surprised, for all intents and purposes, you move from White to Red instantly. This is called the startle reflex. Conditions Yellow and Orange prepare you for Condition Red. So without them, you are unprepared when the crap starts flying and your opponent, assuming he's been paying attention, has got the jump on you. If you get startled, the time it will take you to deploy your weapon is probably doubled, since you have to process the event through a series of mental stages called the OODA loop. (I will explain that later.)
Time is your best friend before a fight, and your worst enemy during a fight. If you have time to prepare, you can avoid the startle reflex and maybe get the jump on the bad guy. If you spot the trouble before trouble spots you, you can deploy your firearm and at least be in the fight instead of being a dumbstruck target.
Time is your worst enemy in a fight, because the longer a fight goes, the greater the odds are you will lose. Self defense problems should be solved in the minimum amount of time possible.
One of things I told the person I was talking to is, "I don't fight."
And I don't fight, I solve problems. I try to solve those problems as quickly as possible. The speed at which I solve the problem is directly proportionate to the odds I'm going home to the wife and kids.
Okay, what is an OODA loop? OODA is an anacronym for Observation, Orientation, Decision and Action. It was a concept that came from the Korean War when a study was done to see why American Pilots were beating the Communists pilots so badly. First, the planes the Americans were flying had a bubble cockpit, which gave the pilot an excellent field of view. This allowed them to spot the enemy plans first.
The second stage of the mental combat process is Orientation. The brain constructs a mental map showing where all the players are and what is around them that might effect the combat.
The third stage is the decision making stage. Once the brain has its map, it can make a choice as to the proper action. American pilots had better training than the Communist pilots, so they made the right decison more often.
Finally there is action, The American Sabre jets had great controls and the planes could really fly and they responded quickly to the pilots commands, thus implementing the decision (almost)instantly.
You have to go through these four mental stages, there really isn't a way to get around them. If you are in Condition White, and a bad guy who decides to victimize you is in Yellow and spots you first, he may well orientate, make a decision, and act upon that decision before you even see him. This is what is called being inside someone's OODA loop.
So, being observant is the foremost part of self-defense. If someone gets inside your OODA loop, you are in a really sucky place. Develop good habits, just like you did as kid when you learned to cross the street, and look around and who's watching you or following you in a store. Watch for people following you out of store. Look for people who movements match yours or they are setting up an intercpt course. If you know they are there, they can't startle you and you can be ready for them.
In part 2, I'll discuss some more layers you need to have in place to maximize your personal safety.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Contractor or Con-Man?
Why do background checks?
We are strange society. Many of us don’t know our neighbors, but thanks to the internet, we may be close friends with someone in Bangladesh or Japan, and have never met them. More and more, relationships are being sought through social media. I suppose there are advantages to using Facebook to find a new mate, since they will be able to pre-screen you, and you them, before the two of you ever meet or have to have an awkward conversation when you are randomly thrown together. There are also all those rich Nigerian princes that are trying to come over and just need you to deposit some of their money in your bank account and don’t forget those nice gentlemen that are wanting to talk to your underage daughter and maybe take her out for ice-cream.
With the amount of predators slinking around, you need to know who you are dealing with before you trust them to come into your life. It used to be, we knew who we were dealing with because we interacted with them and the rest of our community. We don’t have that as much anymore, so you need to find out with whom you are dealing. The same information you use to know because it was common knowledge among the people living in your town or in your neighborhood, is available online, or through your local Private Investigator (Look at the bottom of this blog for a special price on checks done by my company, Air Capitol Investigations).
So on who are they conducted?
Contractors!
Anytime you allow someone unknown into your home, you should know something about them. I remember speaking with a friend of mine who collects World War II militaria. He has many, many thousands of dollars worth of rare uniforms and equipment. He is very strict about the people he allows into his house. The reason his strict is he knew another collector who was having some work done by a contractor. When he pulled into his driveway late one night, he saw his contractor loading his prized possessions into his van. Here in Tornado Alley, a lot of damage occurs from our booming thunderstorms. Whenever there is widespread roof damage due to storms, the gypsy roofers show up looking for work. Probably, they are honest people just looking for work. Probably, but before you spend thousands on a contractor, pay the $40-$65 dollars it takes to have someone check them out. Yes, you could call the Better Business Bureau, but if they have never heard of the person who knocked on you door looking for work, then they won’t have any record of them. The BBB also won’t have criminal records either, but a PI can research that for you.
New Love Interests.
I know, it seems wrong somehow to not trust someone who is professing undying love for you. But thieves, liars, and con-men have been using the emotions of love and loneliness to manipulate people for thousands of years. They are experts and sounding sincere and experts at hiding their evil until they have burned you. A Private Investigator is discreet. Here in Kansas, the laws that govern PIs state that Private Investigators are not to divulge the information about their clients, even to the police unless subpoenaed by the State Attorney General’s office. And then the Attorney General won’t divulge the information to the other police, but only inform the inquiring law enforcement agency that there were no illegal activities going on. You should protect yourself from men, or women, who have a known history of abusing their wives or husbands. You also need to protect yourself from people who are criminals and thieves. A discreet inquiry by a PI could save you a lot of pain and embarrassment, and protect your family as well.
Business Partners.
It surprises me that background checks by potential partners aren’t more common. Anyone can wear a suit and have some pretty business cards printed up. What you need to know is what kind of financial shape the business is in and if the person you are thinking of throwing in with is legitimate. Does the person have a lot of bankruptcies on their record, or maybe one big one? A smart con-man will have a clean bill of health in that department. What they do is tell all their creditors, one by one, they are going bankrupt, but they really want to see them get some of their money. The creditor, inspired by the loyalty of the con-man and wanting to recoup at least some of their money, agrees to settle for pennies on the dollar, thus avoiding losing everything in the bankruptcy. Once the con-man settles with all his creditors, he pulls the bankruptcy out of court. Thus, his record is clean and he’s got a ton of free money he can spend.
So what’s in a background check?
Private Investigators subscribe to a lot of different information brokers. They are also proficient in how to look up information in public records both online and in the courthouse. They also actually talk to people in the person’s past, and check them out as well. Just because someone says their references are old employers, doesn’t mean that it isn’t their cousins. PIs look for that connection to make sure what the references are valid. Other common items are local and Federal criminal searches, FEIN searches, Civil Judgments, Bankruptcies, Tax Liens, and they verify professional licenses. There is more than can be investigated, but these show the far reaching a background check can be.
Where do I get a Background Check done for me?
Background checks are done by almost all PIs. You can also get one online from several companies, I don’t use them and many people say they are rip offs, but I don’t know. Expect to pay $50 plus for an online background check. Most PIs charge $65 here in my market. Air Capitol Charges $60, but we also sell subscription rates to businesses that do a larger volume of checks due to their hiring rate. If you mention you read this blog, you can get a background check done at the subscription rate of $35. Just email me at Sam@WichitaDetective.com
We are strange society. Many of us don’t know our neighbors, but thanks to the internet, we may be close friends with someone in Bangladesh or Japan, and have never met them. More and more, relationships are being sought through social media. I suppose there are advantages to using Facebook to find a new mate, since they will be able to pre-screen you, and you them, before the two of you ever meet or have to have an awkward conversation when you are randomly thrown together. There are also all those rich Nigerian princes that are trying to come over and just need you to deposit some of their money in your bank account and don’t forget those nice gentlemen that are wanting to talk to your underage daughter and maybe take her out for ice-cream.
With the amount of predators slinking around, you need to know who you are dealing with before you trust them to come into your life. It used to be, we knew who we were dealing with because we interacted with them and the rest of our community. We don’t have that as much anymore, so you need to find out with whom you are dealing. The same information you use to know because it was common knowledge among the people living in your town or in your neighborhood, is available online, or through your local Private Investigator (Look at the bottom of this blog for a special price on checks done by my company, Air Capitol Investigations).
So on who are they conducted?
Contractors!
Anytime you allow someone unknown into your home, you should know something about them. I remember speaking with a friend of mine who collects World War II militaria. He has many, many thousands of dollars worth of rare uniforms and equipment. He is very strict about the people he allows into his house. The reason his strict is he knew another collector who was having some work done by a contractor. When he pulled into his driveway late one night, he saw his contractor loading his prized possessions into his van. Here in Tornado Alley, a lot of damage occurs from our booming thunderstorms. Whenever there is widespread roof damage due to storms, the gypsy roofers show up looking for work. Probably, they are honest people just looking for work. Probably, but before you spend thousands on a contractor, pay the $40-$65 dollars it takes to have someone check them out. Yes, you could call the Better Business Bureau, but if they have never heard of the person who knocked on you door looking for work, then they won’t have any record of them. The BBB also won’t have criminal records either, but a PI can research that for you.
New Love Interests.
I know, it seems wrong somehow to not trust someone who is professing undying love for you. But thieves, liars, and con-men have been using the emotions of love and loneliness to manipulate people for thousands of years. They are experts and sounding sincere and experts at hiding their evil until they have burned you. A Private Investigator is discreet. Here in Kansas, the laws that govern PIs state that Private Investigators are not to divulge the information about their clients, even to the police unless subpoenaed by the State Attorney General’s office. And then the Attorney General won’t divulge the information to the other police, but only inform the inquiring law enforcement agency that there were no illegal activities going on. You should protect yourself from men, or women, who have a known history of abusing their wives or husbands. You also need to protect yourself from people who are criminals and thieves. A discreet inquiry by a PI could save you a lot of pain and embarrassment, and protect your family as well.
Business Partners.
It surprises me that background checks by potential partners aren’t more common. Anyone can wear a suit and have some pretty business cards printed up. What you need to know is what kind of financial shape the business is in and if the person you are thinking of throwing in with is legitimate. Does the person have a lot of bankruptcies on their record, or maybe one big one? A smart con-man will have a clean bill of health in that department. What they do is tell all their creditors, one by one, they are going bankrupt, but they really want to see them get some of their money. The creditor, inspired by the loyalty of the con-man and wanting to recoup at least some of their money, agrees to settle for pennies on the dollar, thus avoiding losing everything in the bankruptcy. Once the con-man settles with all his creditors, he pulls the bankruptcy out of court. Thus, his record is clean and he’s got a ton of free money he can spend.
So what’s in a background check?
Private Investigators subscribe to a lot of different information brokers. They are also proficient in how to look up information in public records both online and in the courthouse. They also actually talk to people in the person’s past, and check them out as well. Just because someone says their references are old employers, doesn’t mean that it isn’t their cousins. PIs look for that connection to make sure what the references are valid. Other common items are local and Federal criminal searches, FEIN searches, Civil Judgments, Bankruptcies, Tax Liens, and they verify professional licenses. There is more than can be investigated, but these show the far reaching a background check can be.
Where do I get a Background Check done for me?
Background checks are done by almost all PIs. You can also get one online from several companies, I don’t use them and many people say they are rip offs, but I don’t know. Expect to pay $50 plus for an online background check. Most PIs charge $65 here in my market. Air Capitol Charges $60, but we also sell subscription rates to businesses that do a larger volume of checks due to their hiring rate. If you mention you read this blog, you can get a background check done at the subscription rate of $35. Just email me at Sam@WichitaDetective.com
Monday, December 6, 2010
Pistols for Private Investigators and Concealed Carry (Pt. 4 Semi-Automatics)
Here’s a list of brands and model numbers I would recommend (Not in any order)
1. Glock- Glock polymer framed pistols burst onto the scene in the 1980s with its “plastic” gun. It has become one the most common Law Enforcement weapons issued today. Typically, Law Enforcement agencies issue the .40 Caliber, and slightly less so, the 9mm (based on my personal observations). Since this is a common gun, every range will rent one to you. I recommend you shoot a 9mm (Models 26/19/17), a .40 caliber (Models 27/23/22), and a .45ACP (Models 30/21) caliber pistol to see if you can handle the recoil of these three calibers, if you can’t you may want to try a .380 caliber Glock (Models 28/25). It is important to actually shoot these calibers to see what the gun does in your hand. A .45ACP might have too much recoil to be comfortable. I would start by shooting a 9mm with any of the polymer guns to get a feel for what kind of recoil you will be dealing with. There are other calibers, but they are not as popular, and the ammunition is correspondingly more expensive, and while those other calibers might have some positive features, I am only dicussing common calibers where you can get ammo almost anywhere, like Wal-Mart. A common complaint about the Glocks are that they are clunky in the hand. Smith and Wessson came onto the market with a polymer pistol that lets the shooter switch the grips to fit the hand, and I guess they grabbed enough of the market that Glock now offers a similiar feature in their newest generation of pistols. If you just can't decide what pistol to go with, go with the Glock.
2. Smith and Wesson - Smith and Wesson have grabbed a chunk of the polymer pistol market with the M&P model (Military and Police). Originally offering in 9mm and .40S&W, I see they now offer it in .45ACP. This would be a good gun for a lefty, since the controls are ambidextrous and the ability to switch out the backstrap of the grip to find the shooter's hand. I personally would carry a M&P with no qualms at all, and my next purchase will be this gun, probably in .40 caliber.
3. Springfield Armory - Another Glock competitor is the Springfiled XD and XDm. It is a polymer pistol made in Croatia that comes in a full size and compact model. This gun also has an interchable backstrap and comes in Full Size, Compact, and I believe Sub-Compact model. They come in 9mm, .40, .45, and the new .357Sig, but this round just isn't as popular as the others and I don't recommend it for this reason. This is another gun I would feel confident about owning.
4. Heckler and Koch (H&K) - H&K and Sig Sauer are the Mercedes and Volvos of the gun world. Very nice and very expensive. The HK 2000 V3 is a polymer pistol and the USP45 is popular among special forces around the world. Either of these pisols would be fine, really. Personally, I'd just buy a Glock or Smith & Wesson and a new set of tires, and take my wife out for a nice dinner before I spent the same on an H&K. That said, the H&K is favored by some Federal agencies, but they have our tax money to pay for them.
5. Sig Sauer - These firearms are also popular with Federal agencies, probably because they have the money to afford them. I've only had limited exposure to the Sig pistol line, but their reputation is solid and everyone considers them to be a great preformer. The Coast Guard adopted the P229r in .40 to replace their Beretta 92s as did the Navy Seals in the 1980s.
6. Beretta - After I decided to go with a high capacity pistol instead of my revolver as a cop, I went with the Beretta 92 model in 9mm. The only think I didn't like about the gun was the double action trigger pull was a bear. The 92 starts off as a double action gun, that is you pull the trigger and the hammer comes back and then falls forward to fire the round in the chamber, but then switches over to single action. Firing from single action means the hammer is cocked back and the trigger pull is lightened considerably. The slide cocks the hammer for you during normal firing. The long trigger pull followed by the next trigger pull being shorter was disconcerting, and not to my liking personally. Beretta 92s are large pistols and concealing them is not easy. Of course, Beretta has a full product line and makes smaller pistols than the one the US military fields. They are of good quality, but do shoot one to see if you like them before you buy one.
7. Colt - Colt went through some tough financial times and went belly up and then came back, but they weren't competing in the civilian market, preferring government contracts. Colt pistols are expensive and there are cheaper and better pistols on the market, at least in my opinion.
8. Ruger - Ruger's are fairly inexpensive, but they seem to be very finicky about what type of ammunition they will feed reliably, more so than other firearms made by top manufacturers. I don't have any hard data, but most people buy these guns because they are cheap and no professionals choose this brand. They make great revolvers, but the semi-automatics aren't known as anything special. Again, this is a personal opinion based off limited observations, but those observations say upgrade to one of the other pistol manufactures.
The 1911
The 1911 is a masterpiece pistol. The question is whether or not it is still viable, or if its a masterpiece weapon from the past, like a samurai sword. Some people say that it is still the premier combat pistol, others say its a relic. The Marines still issue it to their Force Recon people and the Los Angeles SIS cops have a special one made just for them by Kimber.If I lived in an area that restricted magazine capacity to 10 rounds or less, like California, I would definitely take the 1911 over any other pistol.
I personally like the 1911, I like it a lot. But to be honest I need to explain some of the things about this pistol you will need to take in consideration.
1. Its big and heavy, although smaller versions do exist.
2. If you use 8 round mags, you'll start out with 9 in the gun vs say 18 rounds in a Glock 17 9mm. Paraordance makes a High-Capacity version of the 1911 as does Glock.
3. It requires more training over a Glock because Glock is a point and shoot pistol, like a revolver, while a 1911 has a thumb safety that must be manipulated.
4. Because they are so popular, the top brands are expensive. Custom pistols run several thousand dollars.
Because the patent has expired, anyone can build a 1911, and many manufacturers do, so you'll find a lot of them on the market.
Who makes good 1911s? Kimber is one of the formost makers of 1911s. Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, Para-Ordanance and custom pistol makers Les Baer and Wilson Combat all make great 1911s. One of the least known, but with a solid fan base is the Rock Island Armory brand. This is my personal favorite, and I would recommend it to anyone. It is also one of the cheapest 1911s on the market. I paid $365 for my gun in 2004 and it outshot my much more expensive Glock.
Are there any other makers of 1911s or just semi-automatic pistols? There are tons more manufacturers out there with more pistols than I would care to count. Some, like Taurus, are starting to emerge as first class manufacturers, after decades of spotty quality control. Other pistols will remain second class guns and not reliable at all. For inexperienced shooters, I don't recommend going off the list I provided. As you become more experienced, you will be able to determine what you like and don't like and what guns are good and what aren't
Thus ends my little blog dissertation on firearms for the beginner. I've only covered a tiny little bit of gun knowledge, but I think if you stick with the guns and ammo I've listed here, you'll find yourself with a good pistol and the right ammo. This is only a starting place for you to begin exploring the world of pistol shooting. Explore, have fun, and remember that when its all over, the best shooter will win, even if he doesn't have the best pistol.
1. Glock- Glock polymer framed pistols burst onto the scene in the 1980s with its “plastic” gun. It has become one the most common Law Enforcement weapons issued today. Typically, Law Enforcement agencies issue the .40 Caliber, and slightly less so, the 9mm (based on my personal observations). Since this is a common gun, every range will rent one to you. I recommend you shoot a 9mm (Models 26/19/17), a .40 caliber (Models 27/23/22), and a .45ACP (Models 30/21) caliber pistol to see if you can handle the recoil of these three calibers, if you can’t you may want to try a .380 caliber Glock (Models 28/25). It is important to actually shoot these calibers to see what the gun does in your hand. A .45ACP might have too much recoil to be comfortable. I would start by shooting a 9mm with any of the polymer guns to get a feel for what kind of recoil you will be dealing with. There are other calibers, but they are not as popular, and the ammunition is correspondingly more expensive, and while those other calibers might have some positive features, I am only dicussing common calibers where you can get ammo almost anywhere, like Wal-Mart. A common complaint about the Glocks are that they are clunky in the hand. Smith and Wessson came onto the market with a polymer pistol that lets the shooter switch the grips to fit the hand, and I guess they grabbed enough of the market that Glock now offers a similiar feature in their newest generation of pistols. If you just can't decide what pistol to go with, go with the Glock.
2. Smith and Wesson - Smith and Wesson have grabbed a chunk of the polymer pistol market with the M&P model (Military and Police). Originally offering in 9mm and .40S&W, I see they now offer it in .45ACP. This would be a good gun for a lefty, since the controls are ambidextrous and the ability to switch out the backstrap of the grip to find the shooter's hand. I personally would carry a M&P with no qualms at all, and my next purchase will be this gun, probably in .40 caliber.
3. Springfield Armory - Another Glock competitor is the Springfiled XD and XDm. It is a polymer pistol made in Croatia that comes in a full size and compact model. This gun also has an interchable backstrap and comes in Full Size, Compact, and I believe Sub-Compact model. They come in 9mm, .40, .45, and the new .357Sig, but this round just isn't as popular as the others and I don't recommend it for this reason. This is another gun I would feel confident about owning.
4. Heckler and Koch (H&K) - H&K and Sig Sauer are the Mercedes and Volvos of the gun world. Very nice and very expensive. The HK 2000 V3 is a polymer pistol and the USP45 is popular among special forces around the world. Either of these pisols would be fine, really. Personally, I'd just buy a Glock or Smith & Wesson and a new set of tires, and take my wife out for a nice dinner before I spent the same on an H&K. That said, the H&K is favored by some Federal agencies, but they have our tax money to pay for them.
5. Sig Sauer - These firearms are also popular with Federal agencies, probably because they have the money to afford them. I've only had limited exposure to the Sig pistol line, but their reputation is solid and everyone considers them to be a great preformer. The Coast Guard adopted the P229r in .40 to replace their Beretta 92s as did the Navy Seals in the 1980s.
6. Beretta - After I decided to go with a high capacity pistol instead of my revolver as a cop, I went with the Beretta 92 model in 9mm. The only think I didn't like about the gun was the double action trigger pull was a bear. The 92 starts off as a double action gun, that is you pull the trigger and the hammer comes back and then falls forward to fire the round in the chamber, but then switches over to single action. Firing from single action means the hammer is cocked back and the trigger pull is lightened considerably. The slide cocks the hammer for you during normal firing. The long trigger pull followed by the next trigger pull being shorter was disconcerting, and not to my liking personally. Beretta 92s are large pistols and concealing them is not easy. Of course, Beretta has a full product line and makes smaller pistols than the one the US military fields. They are of good quality, but do shoot one to see if you like them before you buy one.
7. Colt - Colt went through some tough financial times and went belly up and then came back, but they weren't competing in the civilian market, preferring government contracts. Colt pistols are expensive and there are cheaper and better pistols on the market, at least in my opinion.
8. Ruger - Ruger's are fairly inexpensive, but they seem to be very finicky about what type of ammunition they will feed reliably, more so than other firearms made by top manufacturers. I don't have any hard data, but most people buy these guns because they are cheap and no professionals choose this brand. They make great revolvers, but the semi-automatics aren't known as anything special. Again, this is a personal opinion based off limited observations, but those observations say upgrade to one of the other pistol manufactures.
The 1911
The 1911 is a masterpiece pistol. The question is whether or not it is still viable, or if its a masterpiece weapon from the past, like a samurai sword. Some people say that it is still the premier combat pistol, others say its a relic. The Marines still issue it to their Force Recon people and the Los Angeles SIS cops have a special one made just for them by Kimber.If I lived in an area that restricted magazine capacity to 10 rounds or less, like California, I would definitely take the 1911 over any other pistol.
I personally like the 1911, I like it a lot. But to be honest I need to explain some of the things about this pistol you will need to take in consideration.
1. Its big and heavy, although smaller versions do exist.
2. If you use 8 round mags, you'll start out with 9 in the gun vs say 18 rounds in a Glock 17 9mm. Paraordance makes a High-Capacity version of the 1911 as does Glock.
3. It requires more training over a Glock because Glock is a point and shoot pistol, like a revolver, while a 1911 has a thumb safety that must be manipulated.
4. Because they are so popular, the top brands are expensive. Custom pistols run several thousand dollars.
Because the patent has expired, anyone can build a 1911, and many manufacturers do, so you'll find a lot of them on the market.
Who makes good 1911s? Kimber is one of the formost makers of 1911s. Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, Para-Ordanance and custom pistol makers Les Baer and Wilson Combat all make great 1911s. One of the least known, but with a solid fan base is the Rock Island Armory brand. This is my personal favorite, and I would recommend it to anyone. It is also one of the cheapest 1911s on the market. I paid $365 for my gun in 2004 and it outshot my much more expensive Glock.
Are there any other makers of 1911s or just semi-automatic pistols? There are tons more manufacturers out there with more pistols than I would care to count. Some, like Taurus, are starting to emerge as first class manufacturers, after decades of spotty quality control. Other pistols will remain second class guns and not reliable at all. For inexperienced shooters, I don't recommend going off the list I provided. As you become more experienced, you will be able to determine what you like and don't like and what guns are good and what aren't
Thus ends my little blog dissertation on firearms for the beginner. I've only covered a tiny little bit of gun knowledge, but I think if you stick with the guns and ammo I've listed here, you'll find yourself with a good pistol and the right ammo. This is only a starting place for you to begin exploring the world of pistol shooting. Explore, have fun, and remember that when its all over, the best shooter will win, even if he doesn't have the best pistol.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Pistols for Private Investigators and Concealed Carry (Pt. 3 Semi-Automatics)
Which Pistol to Choose
Okay, so you have my opinion on revolvers. Let’s move into the semi-automatic world and see what’s available. Since there are so many of these pistols on the market, it is impossible to cover all of them. I’m also going to put the 1911 in as a brand, which will cause purists to have a fit since it’s a type of pistol and not a brand, but I think you need to know about it, since it is a particularly popular type of gun.
What should I know, in general, about semi-automatic pistols? First off, they can be very finicky as to the type of ammunition you feed them. Some pistols like certain brands of ammo better than others. You should shoot at least 200 rounds of the ammunition you want to carry on the street through your pistol with good quality, i.e. factory, magazines. However, I recommend firing at least a hundred rounds of less expensive practice ammo through the gun first. I'm old school and think a gun needs a break in period to set itself into a groove.
Next, you need to know that semi-autos need additional training because their actions are complicated, or at least more complicated than a revolver and they may malfuntion. You need to be able to fix those problems, under stress, or your gun will be useless to you.
You also need to know, that despite what others may say, all firearms are a machines, and must recieve proper maintenance. I learned this because a supposedly "never fail" gun, failed. Luckily, it was at a range and not on the street. I didn't clean it after my last trip to the range and it gunked up on me. So, when I hear someone extolling a 50,000 round torture test that was performed on a particular brand as proof it will never fail, I know better than to listen to that hype. All that means is THAT pistol went 50,000 rounds before breaking, it doesn't mean yours will!
What caliber should I get? The three primary calibers for Law Enforcement and self defense are the 9mm (Sometimes called 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum, which is Latin meaning “For War” or it is designated 9x19 to differentiate from the Russian 9x18 pistol round), the .40 S&W (Smith and Wesson developed the round from the 10mm, which was too hot for pistols, or so the FBI found out), and the .45ACP (ACP stands for Automatic Colt Pistol). If you have trouble with these, you might consider the .380 caliber, which I think is underpowered, but can be used with the right ammo. There are also .25ACP and .22 caliber semi-automatics. They aren’t recommended, unless you just can’t stand the bigger calibers. The .25ACP is particularly notorious as pathetic round, but because there are a million cheap .25 caliber pistols on the market, they are included in this essay.
What are the pros and cons of each caliber? The US military adopted the .45ACP in 1911 along with their new Semi-Automatic 1911 Pistols manufactured by Colt. The bullet was developed specifically for this new gun by John Moses Browning and was used by the US military for over 70 years, and indeed, is still being used by some groups within the military. 2011 will mark a full century of use by both Law Enforcement and the Military. The .45ACP is a fat bullet and relatively expensive, but very common. Most guns that use this bullet are heavy and of “low capacity”, or only having a few bullets, although some gun manufacturers have hiher capacity than others, but a 9mm or a .40 pistol will still have more bullets if they are of comparable size. The .45 ACP is a very good round, all in all, which is why it’s been around for two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Granada, and even today in Afghanistan and Iraq by elite units. Do not confuse the .45 ACP with the much newer .45 GAP (Glock Automatic Pistol), which isn’t as popular and only works in Glock Pistols. The .45 ACP has been adapted to many different guns by different gun manufacturers, including Glock because of its popularity.
In the 1980s, to replace their worn out 1911 pistols, and to standardize with their NATO allies, the US Military switched to most popular semi-automatic pistol round in the world, the 9mm. The 9mm was developed by the Germans, I suppose for their Luger pistols, and was picked up by their allies and even their enemies, like the British during WWII. If you go to a foreign land (I mean outside of the US), the police and the military will likely use the 9mm, unless you’re in a former Combloc nation. That being said, the 9mm has a bad reputation amongst gun enthusiasts in the US as being underpowered, and indeed the US army was considering going back to a .45ACP pistol, but have suspended the program. Apparently the 9mm rounds aren’t as effective for military use as the .45ACP due to their smaller size. However, it must be pointed out that militaries are restricted in the type of ammo they can carry by the Geneva Convention articles. Civilians and police have access to more effective ammo than the military. If you buy a 9mm, you’ll need to buy some +P Hollowpoints for street carry to compensate for the small bullet.
The .40 S&W is the new darling of police and self-defense gurus. The FBI in the 1980s opted for a 10mm gun, but the round is hot and tended to punch holes in people and the bullets continued on their merry way hitting whatever, or whomever was behind the perp. Not good. The 10mm also broke a lot of guns. I think Glock was the first to build a pistol capable of handling the 10mm, but it's been awhile and I may not be remembering correctly. From the 10mm came the the .40S&W (.40 inches = 10mm), a cut down 10mm round. The guns that shoot it are high capacity, and the round has a good reputation for being a man-stopper. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this caliber at all, if you carry hollow points.
The .25 caliber pistol is not a favorite of mine. It is popular because they are small and cheap. Because its small it can be stuck in your back pocket or carreied easily in an ankle holster. Some people use them as backup guns, which I suppose is better than nothing. If you want a .25, then stick with the better manufacturers and avoid the $50 junk guns.
Slightly better is the .22 semi-auto pistol. I use a .22 for target practice and I would carry a small one for back up. As with all small caliber guns, your accuracy better be very good, because shot placement is critical.
The .380 is the smallest caliber I personally would consider for primary carry. Some claim that it is better than a .38 special out of a 2" barrel. I don't know if that's true or not, to be honest. But with the right ammunition, it becomes viable.
So Which brands of ammo do I recommend?
.22 Long Rifle – The same as in a revolver, the CCI "Stinger" 32-gr. or Remington "Yellow Jacket" 33-gr. Hollow points
.25ACP First, I would recommend the Hornady 35-gr. XTP-HP round. But if it causes your pistol to jam, try using a 50 grain FMJ round from Federal, Remington, or Winchester.
.380 Any of the manufactures I listed before make decent ammo in this caliber. The Remington 88 Jacketed Hollow Point is known to be very reliable, but the Cor-Bon and Hydro-Shok rounds are more effective, but reliability beats effectiveness if you have to choose between the two.
9mm - In the +P 9mm loads, I like the Remington 115gr +P JHP because it feeds without any issues (its loaded in my 9mm now). The Cor-Bon 155gr +P JHP is considered by many to be THE 9mm pistol round. You’ll have to see what you like and what your gun will shoot reliably.
For standard pressure 9mm(not +P), I would use Federal 115gr JHP, Federal 124gr Hydro-Shok, or the Winchester Silver Tip 115gr JHP. If your gun won’t digest these bullets, you’ll have to go to FMJ ammo, also known as “ball” ammo. Again, you accuracy will have to very good for straight 9mm ball ammo, or you might experience the same problem the U.S. Military has been experiencing.
.40S&W - Statistically, the 135gr bullets seem to work very well. Try the Cor-Bon 135gr JHP or the Winchester Silvertip 155gr JHP. When last I looked, I couldn’t find any +P ammunition in this caliber. Someone probably makes it, but it really isn’t necessary. If you go with a bullet heavier than 155gr, your felt recoil be greater.
.45ACP - This is the only caliber I've discussed of which I would carry FMJ, or ball ammo, if nothing else was available and feel okay about it. The .45ACP is a very good round, and was designed to deal with tribes in the Phillipines who tended not to be stopped by the smaller .38 pistols being used at the time. That being said, I do prefer hollow points and I also know that no pistol caliber will ever be a 100% effective. What I have loaded in my .45 pistol right now, however is Federal 185gr JHP. The Federal 230gr Hydra-Shock is good, too. There is a lot of good ammunition out there besides what I mentioned here. As long as it feeds reliably, any good quality ammunition should be okay. That said, +P ammo for this caliber can be a bear when it comes to recoil, and I would stay away from any specialty loads, like Glaser Safety Slugs and such, until you become an accomplished shooter and know what to expect of those types of rounds.
Have you told us about every caliber that's available to carry? Oh Heavens, no. Not by a longshot. What I've done is addressed the most common calibers, and thus usually the cheapest and easiest to find.
Why did you start with the caliber first and not the pistol brands? Because I wanted you to know what pistols to look for, you see. Many pistol manufacturers like Glock, have pistols in several different calibers. I'm not trying to sell you a pistol, so I don't have any stake in what you buy. The guy at the gunshop who's been sitting on a Glock 10mm for four years because nobody wants it, may try to talk you into the "Greatest Man-Stopper ever", when really the 10mm is expensive and not at all popular or really effective as a self defense round (although small, the 10mm fan base a solid one).
In my next post, I will cover the brands of Semi-Automatics that are considered first class pistols.
Okay, so you have my opinion on revolvers. Let’s move into the semi-automatic world and see what’s available. Since there are so many of these pistols on the market, it is impossible to cover all of them. I’m also going to put the 1911 in as a brand, which will cause purists to have a fit since it’s a type of pistol and not a brand, but I think you need to know about it, since it is a particularly popular type of gun.
What should I know, in general, about semi-automatic pistols? First off, they can be very finicky as to the type of ammunition you feed them. Some pistols like certain brands of ammo better than others. You should shoot at least 200 rounds of the ammunition you want to carry on the street through your pistol with good quality, i.e. factory, magazines. However, I recommend firing at least a hundred rounds of less expensive practice ammo through the gun first. I'm old school and think a gun needs a break in period to set itself into a groove.
Next, you need to know that semi-autos need additional training because their actions are complicated, or at least more complicated than a revolver and they may malfuntion. You need to be able to fix those problems, under stress, or your gun will be useless to you.
You also need to know, that despite what others may say, all firearms are a machines, and must recieve proper maintenance. I learned this because a supposedly "never fail" gun, failed. Luckily, it was at a range and not on the street. I didn't clean it after my last trip to the range and it gunked up on me. So, when I hear someone extolling a 50,000 round torture test that was performed on a particular brand as proof it will never fail, I know better than to listen to that hype. All that means is THAT pistol went 50,000 rounds before breaking, it doesn't mean yours will!
What caliber should I get? The three primary calibers for Law Enforcement and self defense are the 9mm (Sometimes called 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum, which is Latin meaning “For War” or it is designated 9x19 to differentiate from the Russian 9x18 pistol round), the .40 S&W (Smith and Wesson developed the round from the 10mm, which was too hot for pistols, or so the FBI found out), and the .45ACP (ACP stands for Automatic Colt Pistol). If you have trouble with these, you might consider the .380 caliber, which I think is underpowered, but can be used with the right ammo. There are also .25ACP and .22 caliber semi-automatics. They aren’t recommended, unless you just can’t stand the bigger calibers. The .25ACP is particularly notorious as pathetic round, but because there are a million cheap .25 caliber pistols on the market, they are included in this essay.
What are the pros and cons of each caliber? The US military adopted the .45ACP in 1911 along with their new Semi-Automatic 1911 Pistols manufactured by Colt. The bullet was developed specifically for this new gun by John Moses Browning and was used by the US military for over 70 years, and indeed, is still being used by some groups within the military. 2011 will mark a full century of use by both Law Enforcement and the Military. The .45ACP is a fat bullet and relatively expensive, but very common. Most guns that use this bullet are heavy and of “low capacity”, or only having a few bullets, although some gun manufacturers have hiher capacity than others, but a 9mm or a .40 pistol will still have more bullets if they are of comparable size. The .45 ACP is a very good round, all in all, which is why it’s been around for two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Granada, and even today in Afghanistan and Iraq by elite units. Do not confuse the .45 ACP with the much newer .45 GAP (Glock Automatic Pistol), which isn’t as popular and only works in Glock Pistols. The .45 ACP has been adapted to many different guns by different gun manufacturers, including Glock because of its popularity.
In the 1980s, to replace their worn out 1911 pistols, and to standardize with their NATO allies, the US Military switched to most popular semi-automatic pistol round in the world, the 9mm. The 9mm was developed by the Germans, I suppose for their Luger pistols, and was picked up by their allies and even their enemies, like the British during WWII. If you go to a foreign land (I mean outside of the US), the police and the military will likely use the 9mm, unless you’re in a former Combloc nation. That being said, the 9mm has a bad reputation amongst gun enthusiasts in the US as being underpowered, and indeed the US army was considering going back to a .45ACP pistol, but have suspended the program. Apparently the 9mm rounds aren’t as effective for military use as the .45ACP due to their smaller size. However, it must be pointed out that militaries are restricted in the type of ammo they can carry by the Geneva Convention articles. Civilians and police have access to more effective ammo than the military. If you buy a 9mm, you’ll need to buy some +P Hollowpoints for street carry to compensate for the small bullet.
The .40 S&W is the new darling of police and self-defense gurus. The FBI in the 1980s opted for a 10mm gun, but the round is hot and tended to punch holes in people and the bullets continued on their merry way hitting whatever, or whomever was behind the perp. Not good. The 10mm also broke a lot of guns. I think Glock was the first to build a pistol capable of handling the 10mm, but it's been awhile and I may not be remembering correctly. From the 10mm came the the .40S&W (.40 inches = 10mm), a cut down 10mm round. The guns that shoot it are high capacity, and the round has a good reputation for being a man-stopper. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this caliber at all, if you carry hollow points.
The .25 caliber pistol is not a favorite of mine. It is popular because they are small and cheap. Because its small it can be stuck in your back pocket or carreied easily in an ankle holster. Some people use them as backup guns, which I suppose is better than nothing. If you want a .25, then stick with the better manufacturers and avoid the $50 junk guns.
Slightly better is the .22 semi-auto pistol. I use a .22 for target practice and I would carry a small one for back up. As with all small caliber guns, your accuracy better be very good, because shot placement is critical.
The .380 is the smallest caliber I personally would consider for primary carry. Some claim that it is better than a .38 special out of a 2" barrel. I don't know if that's true or not, to be honest. But with the right ammunition, it becomes viable.
So Which brands of ammo do I recommend?
.22 Long Rifle – The same as in a revolver, the CCI "Stinger" 32-gr. or Remington "Yellow Jacket" 33-gr. Hollow points
.25ACP First, I would recommend the Hornady 35-gr. XTP-HP round. But if it causes your pistol to jam, try using a 50 grain FMJ round from Federal, Remington, or Winchester.
.380 Any of the manufactures I listed before make decent ammo in this caliber. The Remington 88 Jacketed Hollow Point is known to be very reliable, but the Cor-Bon and Hydro-Shok rounds are more effective, but reliability beats effectiveness if you have to choose between the two.
9mm - In the +P 9mm loads, I like the Remington 115gr +P JHP because it feeds without any issues (its loaded in my 9mm now). The Cor-Bon 155gr +P JHP is considered by many to be THE 9mm pistol round. You’ll have to see what you like and what your gun will shoot reliably.
For standard pressure 9mm(not +P), I would use Federal 115gr JHP, Federal 124gr Hydro-Shok, or the Winchester Silver Tip 115gr JHP. If your gun won’t digest these bullets, you’ll have to go to FMJ ammo, also known as “ball” ammo. Again, you accuracy will have to very good for straight 9mm ball ammo, or you might experience the same problem the U.S. Military has been experiencing.
.40S&W - Statistically, the 135gr bullets seem to work very well. Try the Cor-Bon 135gr JHP or the Winchester Silvertip 155gr JHP. When last I looked, I couldn’t find any +P ammunition in this caliber. Someone probably makes it, but it really isn’t necessary. If you go with a bullet heavier than 155gr, your felt recoil be greater.
.45ACP - This is the only caliber I've discussed of which I would carry FMJ, or ball ammo, if nothing else was available and feel okay about it. The .45ACP is a very good round, and was designed to deal with tribes in the Phillipines who tended not to be stopped by the smaller .38 pistols being used at the time. That being said, I do prefer hollow points and I also know that no pistol caliber will ever be a 100% effective. What I have loaded in my .45 pistol right now, however is Federal 185gr JHP. The Federal 230gr Hydra-Shock is good, too. There is a lot of good ammunition out there besides what I mentioned here. As long as it feeds reliably, any good quality ammunition should be okay. That said, +P ammo for this caliber can be a bear when it comes to recoil, and I would stay away from any specialty loads, like Glaser Safety Slugs and such, until you become an accomplished shooter and know what to expect of those types of rounds.
Have you told us about every caliber that's available to carry? Oh Heavens, no. Not by a longshot. What I've done is addressed the most common calibers, and thus usually the cheapest and easiest to find.
Why did you start with the caliber first and not the pistol brands? Because I wanted you to know what pistols to look for, you see. Many pistol manufacturers like Glock, have pistols in several different calibers. I'm not trying to sell you a pistol, so I don't have any stake in what you buy. The guy at the gunshop who's been sitting on a Glock 10mm for four years because nobody wants it, may try to talk you into the "Greatest Man-Stopper ever", when really the 10mm is expensive and not at all popular or really effective as a self defense round (although small, the 10mm fan base a solid one).
In my next post, I will cover the brands of Semi-Automatics that are considered first class pistols.
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