Bank Security

Often we are warned of the danger of late night excursions to the automated teller machine. It is a patently bad idea to retrieve cash after dark. Night deposits are not a good idea either. No matter how well armed you are a .32 in the brain case fired by one of our protein fed ex con criminal class stepping out of the bushes is deadly. Just the same, daylight business conducted at the bank is also fraught with the possibility of peril. If something bad occurs at the bank it is often very, very bad. It doesn’t really matter if the bank is isolated or not, although the banks closest to interstate connectors seem much more attractive to robbers. Bank robbers are not always street punks. The fact is they are often well armed and have practiced with their weapons. They may even had some sort of plan. Often they have a partner in crime stationed nearby.

I have encountered a few bank robbers in my life and arrested one, although it was after the fact. Like safe crackers they are more sophisticated than the general run of thugs. Bank robbers are often more sober and collected than the lower class stick up man. As a result, they are less likely to panic and spray bullets, but if they feel they must shoot they are often more deadly than typical stick up man. The police response to alarms at the bank varies. For every robbery in progress cal that is real there may be a dozen false alarms in some jurisdictions. Cops sometimes simply walk into a bank and look around to check out the alarm! I kid you not. Just the same if you are armed now is the time to play it cool. Armed citizens should be alert to the possible danger of entering a bank. Some of us feel comfortable in the bank, and safe. I do not relax my guard in the bank, rather I move up a notch or two in threat awareness.

Many (unsolved) tragedies have occurred at banks. It seems that if a robbery occurs at the bank when there are only a few customers the chances are much greater the robber will kill all that are present in order to eliminate potential witnesses. I should stress that it might be a bad idea to attempt to stop a robbery with gunfire. If the robber is motivated by profit he may simply take the money and run. Your money is insured. I don’t think you wish to draw a snub .38 against an armored adversary.

Sometimes folks rush to the bank. Don’t. I have seen people with a handful of cash rush into the bank with hardly a sideways look. Bank robbers have lookouts. I have dealt with drug dealer and burglar lookouts successfully. They are not that hard to spot. If you see someone suspicious in the bank parking lot, then be extra alert. Perhaps even wait to do the business another day or at another branch. If nothing is out of the way in the parking lot, take a look in the bank before you enter. Most now feature glass fronts, it is easy enough to peek in. Check and see if the tellers are composed. Some actually smile. The demeanor of the teller is a good indication of the situation inside the bank.

Once inside I like to keep my eye on the door. It is true that the robber is often more interested in the teller than the customers but if you are situationally aware and make eye contact with a potential threat he may decide you are a danger to his enterprise. Remember they are often good at spotting trouble. While criminals are stupid they are not dumb.

I have heard trainers exhort their students to be constantly aware but to remain calm. Aware and relaxed are the watchwords. I think that we may jack up the awareness a notch or two inside such an attractive target. Many robberies, in fact the majority, involve no bloodshed. But a nervous robbery may produce a bloodbath. Not long ago an officer in the Northern United States engaged two robbers in gunfire and hit both, but was killed during the gun battle. Bank robbery is a grim business. Bank robbers are perhaps the most prepared of any criminal to fire and take your life. If the robber begins searching or abusing people in the bank, or has fired a shot, then he is motivated by more than profit. You may have to go with what you know. Bank robbers often have a backup who is ready to take out the first armed resistance. That is why if forced to engage you should prefer a back to the wall or covered position. You must fire as accurately as possible and hope for good effect. Be alert for the backup man on the team.

Expect the police to arrive with drawn guns. You will be ordered to surrender. I would not wish to be standing around with a gun in hand when the boys in blue arrive with guns blazing. Keep the handgun lowered if the robbers are still moving after being shot. If they are no longer a threat holster the handgun and have a bank employee call 911 and explain the situation. Be prepared to identify yourself. A rather important point-if you see armed men charging the bank, are they robbers or undercover officers in the midst of stopping a bank robber? Looks may be deceiving.

While it is not likely you will be caught up in a bank robbery, bank robbery is a fact of life. We deal in possibility as much as probability. Certain cities are bank robbery capitols. It pays to think ahead, address the issue, and consider your options.

gauging progress

GAUGING PROGRESS AND PROFICIENCY

When engaging in athletics or any endeavor requiring skill building exercises we all wish to have a swift and reliable yardstick or our progress. I evaluated myself often. When I review handguns, I also push the pistol and myself to the limit in order to record the pistols advantages and the author's ability to handle a pistol outside of his favorite types. Like any professional I wish to be able to trust my judgment and not be deluded. I have to remain objective and not endorse or reject a product based on taste. We are all entitled to our own opinion but not our own facts and performance may be gauged. Taste is a subtle thing with no indisputable judge or critic and we all have it in one form or the other.

Before we move to evaluating our performance we need to examine our training. Training is a big concern. Like many of you I began training by distance education. I studied the work of Jeff Cooper. I have examined books by others who are widely circulated and who have attended lots of schools but they have no police or military experience. That does not give me confidence in their opinion. Some have talent and others are good shots. Some feel like a big talent dissipated in a minor post that never seems to go anywhere. It is not necessary to obliterate the past to build credentials. Much of what has been developed by Cooper and his associates remains the cutting edge of training. The basics are trigger press, sight picture, sight alignment, and follow through. A good trainer must have the capacity to describe what he has seen and present a better alternative. A good student is not always a good trainer but all good trainers were once good students. While there are differing notions among responsible trainers we need to reach embassy on the basics. This includes using sighted fire and looking at the whole picture, using cover intelligently and understanding tactical movement. There are trainers who have marred their work by a cavalier disregard for basics. Training must be relevant. Innovative is fine but daring may be dangerous and counter productive.

A good trainer will build upon a students abilities. All students do not proceed at the same rate. We must balance censure with praise. I have seen instructors put their hands on students and shake shoulders in police circles. I think going for the heart and mind works better. Students proceeding along a good path will reach a certain plateau and then they will practice on a regular basis to keep the edge. A question I am often asked is 'How to I gauge my progress?' Are there drills that will tell me if I have chosen a handgun or caliber appropriate for my use? Is there a drill that will tell us something about our personal balance of speed and accuracy? There are such drills. I did not invent them but I have adapted them to my personal training regimen. They may not be used exactly as envisioned by others but they work well. Logistics is one reason I have modified the program. In one test program, the Ohio State Patrol fired 228,000 rounds of ammunition. In the end they choose a reliable and effective service handgun. I thought the points made by the OSP so good I incorporated them into my own test program. Once you have reached a certain level of skill the OSP program works well in evaluating handgun performance. Some handguns may be too large for your hand or the action simply unsuited for you. The OSP drill helps in separating these.

(As I move along I am not always certain who invented which drill so I cannot give the proper credit. I hope their intent was to illuminate students and not to make themselves famous. ) First realize this-you will have the same problem on your hands whatever handgun you carry or whatever skill you have. The problem will not adapt to your skill your skill must adapt to the problem at hand. The threat may faint at the sight of your pistol or he may decide to feed the pistol to you with most responses somewhere in between. You may have a single adversary or a take over robbery on your hands. Nothing impresses the adversary like a solid hit. Carrying a Glock with two spare magazines or a snub .38 with no reloads, the threat you face will be the same.

Drills- Get Ready!

5/5/5

This is a simple drill that works well in testing your ability and performance with a given handgun. Five shots are fired in five seconds at a five inch square target. This is a pretty fair test of combat dexterity. The range should be three yards at first, moving to seven. Perhaps not a severe test for an accomplished shooter with a 1911 but taxing for concealment handguns. Keep all shots in the five or you are not controlling the pistol properly.

Bill Drill

This drill is attributed to Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat. You draw and fire at a silhouette target at 7 yards and fire six rounds as quickly as possible. All rounds must be in the A zone. (We used to cause this the kill zone before PC.) This drill may begin at a bit closer distance for beginners. A master level of proficiency is demonstrated at two seconds.

Hansen

This drill is named for an accomplished shooter and double Kevlar survivor. In my early days of writing I often wondered why the 25 yard five shot group seemed a standard for testing handguns. It seemed a good test for hunting handguns but less suited to automatic pistols which relied upon handling for efficiency as much if not more so than accuracy. For combat ability a bench rest grouping is irrelevant. Firing five to ten shots quickly at a silhouette target placed at ten yards tells us more about the handgun and shooter. This is a good drill for an accomplished shooter. You fire as quickly as you are able to control the handgun and bring the sights back into line. The cadence of fire is set by muzzle control and aligning the sights, not how quickly you are able to press the trigger. A four inch group is pretty decent with most concealed carry handguns.

Draw and Fire One Shot at Ten Yards

This drill is practiced by quite a few of us and works well. How fast is fast? How fast do we need to be? A balance of speed and accuracy is needed. Be certain you are familiar with draw and safety precautions. The goal of this drill is to draw, fire, and get a center hit in 1.5 seconds. This is an acceptable time. On occasion I have came in at .92 seconds, with my personal handgun and leather I carry and practice with most often. Quite a few of the under the shirt carry techniques fall apart under this drill.

OSP

The OSP drill has been modified to my needs into a good test of iron and sinew. Reliability is ten times more important than anything else and during the test any malfunctions disqualify the handgun. Remember, firing from a solid bench rest often produces a more solid platform. Firing off hand and especially with the weak hand will produce a malfunction in marginal handgun/ammunition combinations. Those who advise lighter springs in combat handguns for ease of handling and a light trigger press may be surprised to find malfunctions when the pistol is fired from a variety of positions.

A sixty round modified OSP test--

Five rounds weak hand shoulder point 5 yards

Ten rounds one hand shoulder point 5 yards

Ten rounds two hand 5 yards

Ten rounds one hand any style 7 yards

Ten rounds two hands any style 7 yards

Ten rounds two hands 10 yards

Five rounds two hand 10 yards

I do bench rest---

I often fire a five round group from a braced barricade or a bench rest for several reasons. First, the pistol needs to be properly sighted in. I need to know the relation between the sights and the point of impact. I also like to know how accurate a pistol may be. There are few handguns indeed capable of the proverbial 1 inch 25 yard five shot group but I do own a couple of 1911s that will register such a group often enough to make life interesting. Firing a pistol in a machine rest is a departure from reality for the personal defense shooter. I carefully place the pistol over a sand bag or rolled up range bag. I concentrate upon the sight picture, sight alignment and trigger press and then I carefully break the shot. The average of three five shot groups is the average accuracy the handgun, ammunition and shooter combination is capable of.

If you are going to engage in this type of shooting, you really need a reliable resource for inexpensive ammunition. I recommend Black Hills remanufactured loads in the Blue Box line. They are accurate, reliable and affordable. This is all we may ask.

One shot qualifier

One Shot Qualifier

After seeing all types of training and competition for more than thirty years, I am more impressed with a single fast shot into the kill zone than a tightly placed fifty round group on the face of a one dimensional paper target. I call the single hit the one shot qualifier. Some students regard the one shot qualifier as unfair. When asked to hit the gong or the X ring only once during a string of qualification shots, they feel that perhaps they need a second chance. They are not presenting an argument but rather a rationalization. Some state they favor double taps and after all the second shot is sometimes the more accurate. Perhaps they should slow down a few thousands of a second and be certain they get that one shot hit.

Handguns are not very powerful. All we have is accuracy. There are often shots fired too quickly that somehow connect, true, but an accurate shot to the proper location is the goal. Loud noises simply do not often suffice. I realize quite a few shooters will mimic the police by carrying high capacity pistols. I suppose one out of seventeen bullets is bound to connect. But then, all will connect with something and that something may not reflect favorably on the shooter. Occupied baby strollers and school buses come to mind. Quality of fire not volume is important.

At the range the firing distance is delineated into yards. Common handgun markers are 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 yards. During a match I am able to get a perfect hit much faster at 5 yards than at 15. We all seem to have some predetermined time frame in which to achieve a hit. Unfortunately many shooters have skills that are aspirational rather than operational and thus they miscalculate their proficiency. At longer ranges accuracy is everything. Range can be the greatest advantage a trained shooter has. At close range you had better have well honed fighting skills as well as gun skills in your tactical arsenal. Moving out of the line of attack is essential. Tactics are important. Emotional control and mindset are essential. Lets look again at the one shot qualifiers. If you have fifty rounds of Winchester USA how should you use it? Rather than blasting away lets make the most of it. Try each of these one shot qualifiers. Repeat each for a total of five rounds each. Draw, fire one shot, and repeat four times. You may be on to something.

Three yards Speed Rock, one shot.

Five yards One hand shoulder point, one shot.

Five yards One hand shoulder point, weak side.

Seven yards Two hand, any style.

Seven yards Barricade, any style

Seven yards Failure to stop- one shot to cranium

Seven yards Hostage rescue target – one shot

Ten yards Draw and achieve a center hit in 1.5 seconds

Ten yards Barricade, any style

Fifteen yards Barricade, any style

There is your fifty rounds- was it well spent?

Heckler and Koch P7

Little Bear Leather

Raven Concealment Systems Kydex

The Innovative P 7 Heckler and Koch

Sometimes we use what we can, and other times we buy the best we can afford. A case in point of the Heckler and Koch Police Service Pistol or PSP. Widely recognized as one of the most reliable and effect service pistols of all time, the PSP and its modern counterpart, the P7, are simply too expensive for general issue. Even the well heeled handgunner may balk at a used pistol that brings well over a thousand dollars. While intermittently available as a new purchase, production is low and the new pistols retail for close to fifteen hundred dollars. A boon to interested handgunners has been the recent availability of used PSP pistols as a result of German police rearming with modern types. These are the original heel type magazine release P7 pistols rather than the Americanized Browning type magazine release P7M8. The offerings are characterized as A, B and C grade. As far as I am able to ascertain the difference in grading refers to external cosmetics. I have examined several and they appear to be in good condition internally. Just the same I fitted my personal example with a new recoil spring and new magazine spring from WC Wolff gunsprings. My A grade pistol appears to have a refinished slide and the takedown button is slightly damaged, perhaps from a left handed shooter banging the handgun on a police cruiser door.

The P7 has several unique features that deserve notice. The pistol is a blowback, unusual for a 9mm caliber handgun. The use of a simple blowback action allows the pistol to maintain a compact size and low bore axis. A gas cylinder and piston allows the pistol to safely contain the force of the powerful 9mm Luger cartridge. This system seems to work as well as the conventional locked breech demanded for cartridges above the .380 ACP level of power. The low bore axis, coupled with a 110 degree grip angle, results in a handgun that is remarkably easy to handle and use well. The PSP features a fixed polygonally rifled 3.8 inch barrel. Polygonal rifling is noted for high accuracy potential and greater average velocity than conventionally rifled barrels of similar length. However, lead bullets cannot be used safely in a polygonal rifled barrel. I think that the gas retarded blowback system would preclude the use of lead bullets in any case. This is more of a consideration than a drawback. I am certain Europeans view Americans as a bit wild for even considering using handloads much less lead bullets in a fine handgun! I am four square American in outlook and use cast bullet handloads for economy-but not in the P7.

The operating system of the P7 was designed with safety features but no manual safety. The intent was to produce a handgun that is safe at all times but instantly ready for action. This was accomplished by using a squeeze cocking lever in the front of the gripstrap. This lever requires about three pounds of pressure to depress but once activated less than a pound of constant pressure keeps it in place. When the lever is activated, the striker is cocked and the cocking indicator protrudes from the rear of the slide. The drawbar moves into place and the pistol may be fired. Single action trigger compression is quite crisp at three pounds with no creep or backlash. Naturally with any trigger the proper technique is to keep the trigger finger off the trigger until you fire. While safety is not something found in a mechanical device but in the shooter's gray matter, the P7 has mechanical features that make it among the safest of handguns. If you drop the handgun and release the lever, the strike is decocked without the handgun firing, the firing pin block is activated and the trigger bar withdrawn. The firing characteristics of the P7 are good. The pistol is easy to control due to the low bore axis and 110 degree rake in the handle. A combination of good balance, good sights and a good trigger make for high hit probability. The beginning shooter will sometimes attempt to grasp the handgun too tightly. A firm grip without trembling is best.

To load the P7, begin with the slide locked to the rear. Insert a loaded magazine. Simply depress the cocking lever and the slide runs forward loading the P7. If desired you may remove the magazine and top off with another round for carry. The pistol holds eight rounds in the magazine. I am not a fan of high capacity but firmly believe that accurate fire and a good handfit will carry the day. The P7 offers nine rounds quick and accurate, all we can ask for. The P7 is a good handgun for personal defense, but requires dedication to the system. The P7 has a reputation as one of the world's most reliable handguns. My example is a small sample but in firing well over two thousand rounds during the past year the P7 has never failed to feed chamber fire or eject. I have used an eclectic supply or ammunition including budget grade and surplus as well as the finest

premium ammunition. The P7 is not rated for +P and was designed before the advent of +P ammunition. Considering the blowback action and the fact that the frame in front of the triggerguard heats up considerably after firing a hundred rounds or so, +P loads are contra indicated in the P7. I have fired a good supply of ball ammunition from Black Hills, Cor Bon (performance match), Federal, Fiocchi, Speer, Winchester and Wolf with good results. Jacketed hollowpoint ammunition was no challenge. The single most accurate loadings are difficult to qualify as I do not use a machine rest, preferring to stay in touch with reality. But several loads have given good results off of the barricade. At present the best twenty five yard groups include several with the Winchester 147 grain SXT that have averaged just under two inches at twenty five yards. This is an excellent standard, better than should be expected from a 3.8 inch barrel service pistol of this size and modest weight. The average for premium ammunition is around three inches with some of the less expensive fodder and my own bulk handloads running perhaps four inches. A handgun's singular performance of two inches is not a true measure of accuracy potential, but an average three inch standard is my hands is impressive. Clearly the P7 is more than accurate enough for personal defense. The pistol is fast into action and easy to conceal.

I have carried the P7 in two good holsters, one a belt scabbard suitable for IDPA and practice and the other a deep concealment holster. The Raven Concealment (ravenconcealment.com) Phantom has given excellent results. This is a holster with a combination of good speed and security. For concealment under light covering garments, the Little Bear Leather (littlebearholsters.com) IWB , specifically the V 1 version, has given good results. Overall, in the P7 we have a mechanical marvel with good performance and more than a little pride of ownership. It is chambered for the most widely distributed personal defense and military cartridge in the world. This is a good choice for an all around defensive handgun, providing the user is willing to dedicate to the system.

RKC

LEVER ACTION LIFESAVERS

When it comes to personal defense sometimes simpler is better. There are any number of quality semi automatic rifles available, but many are priced beyond the reach of the average shooter or those on a budget. Frankly, for those who cannot practice at least monthly the manually operated rifle has much to recommend. For home defense, as a truck gun, or for general use on a farm or camp the long gun has much to recommend. The handgun is best suited for concealed carry and for defense against unforeseen problems. But the long gun excels at static defense. Among the better choices for personal defense is the lever action rifle. The lever action rifle is dependable simple and handy. The lever action is flat, with no protruding magazine. The lever action is easy to store. Generations of Americans cut their teeth on the lever action rifle.

Unfortunately we also have to consider what is politically correct. There are jurisdictions in America that make owning a handgun difficult. It is far easier to purchase a long gun. And long guns are easier to transport. Current federal law allows non residents to purchase a long gun out of state. Overall, many factor favor the long gun. But the greatest factors are performance. Lets face it, compared to a long gun the ‘ weak .38’and the ‘strong .45’ are more alike than they differ. A .30-30 carbine offers considerable advantage. If loaded with the new Hornady LeverRevolution round, the .30-30 offers greater ballistic effect and range than ever. Plus, the carbine is very friendly to fire and use. My personal Winchester .30-30 rifle is fitted with Ashley Express aperture (sometimes called peep) sights. These sights are a great advantage in a long gun used mainly for personal defense. The .30-30 has been proven in use by peace officers for over a hundred years. The .30-30 was also used heavily during the Mexican revolution. The cartridge is plenty accurate as well. The Winchester lever action rifle is considered one of the all time great hard use go anywhere do anything rifles. My personal rifle has managed to group five shots of the Hornady bullet into two inches at fifty yards, plenty for personal defense. However, a dedicated hunting variant with a Bushnell scope will do the same at a long 100 yards. That is accurate enough for most problems.

A very interesting rifle is the Rossi R 92. . It is also marketed under various trade names but Rossi manufactures the rifle. The Rossi is offered in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44-40, .45 Colt and .454 Casull. The .357 may be used with .38 Special loads, the .44 Magnum with .44 Special loads, and the .454 with .45 Colt loads. These are light and handy rifles with much to recommend. When chambered for a short pistol cartridge the lever action has far more leverage, allowing very rapid work to be accomplished. The Rossi is a copy of the Winchester Model 92 but with modern heat treating and certain improvements. I am not wild about the new safety lever, the hammer is safety enough. But in these PC times I suppose I can tolerate the safety on a lever gun.

The manual of arms of the lever action is simple. Load the magazine through the gate. (The .454 Rossi also offers loading through the magazine tube by unscrewing the tube end.) Lever the action open and shut it briskly. The hammer is now cocked. You may either fire or carefully lower the hammer and cock the hammer for a shot at a later date. All lever action rifles should be kept chamber empty, although the rebounding hammer of the Rossi is a safety feature. It is easy to quickly lever a round into the chamber. I normally prefer rifle carbine carbines. As an example, I strongly prefer a .223 rifle to any 9mm, .40 or 10mm automatic carbine. But in the lever action rifles we are looking at a different story. The .357 Magnum is a good defensive cartridge. When fired in a carbine the cartridge gains over 200 fps in velocity. The .44 Magnum and the .454 Casull are grand cartridges, capable of taking medium game to over 100 yards. The .44-40 is one of the great combination calibers of all time, a great light recoiling cartridge in both the handgun and the carbine. But the .44-40 is not likely to be on the shelf at Academy Sports or Dick’s Sporting Goods. The .45 Colt is more common.

I have used the .454 Casull carbine extensively. Cor Bon produces a medium velocity load that is about in .44 Magnum territory and a wide number of semi custom .454 loads as well. The 240 grain JHP is more than adequate for personal defense or deer sized game. The heavy loads using bullets over 260 grains are credible for any game on the North American continent. While the .30-30 has more penetration by most accounts if I needed something- from a felon to a grizzly-to go down right now I would choose the .454 Casull. If you handload for the lever action rifles, cast bullets are a good resource. I have used Magnus cast bullets with excellent results. They are hard enough for 1500 fps or a little more and give good accuracy. For the faster calibers such as the .44 Magnum and .454 Casull the Hornady XTP bullet has practically an unequaled reputation. The XTP is an accurate bullet, with just the right nose forward bias. There is plenty of bearing surface for accuracy and the XTP is designed to expand and penetrate and never fragment ever at velocity higher than the original design parameters. As one example, the XTP is among a very few bullets in .357 Magnum caliber that may be countered on for use in the Magnum carbines. A 125 grain .357 Magnum at 2,000 fps plus is a very interesting performer. In the .44 Magnum, the 300 grain XTP offers both heft and accuracy.

Even in a perfect world where you have the funds to purchase a two thousand dollar AR 15, there are obvious advantages to the lever action rifle. The fact that the rifle will survive, function, and even thrive with little or no maintenance is a big plus. The advantages in penetration and the ability to cleanly take medium size game with powerful big bore cartridges is another advantage. When all is said and one the lever action rifle is quite simply a live saver of the first order. Don’t neglect this important resource.

Captions

beginning with photograph at the lower point on page

This is among the author’s favorite go anywhere do anything rifle. This is a Winchester Model 1894 fitted with XS aperture sights.

The short Trapper version of the Winchester is a viable home defense rifle. It handles pretty smart in close quarters.

The Puma in .454 Casull offers unprecedented power in a light carbine.

The Rossi R92 is a very, very nice lever action rifle. The octagon barrel is not necessrry but makes a nice tough.

This is a heavy JSP from Cor Bon. Such a load in .44 Magnum caliber offers more real power at close range than a .30 caliber rifle.

A stainless lever action? We never had it so good.

This is a saddle ring carbine in .44-40. This is a wonderful all around light carbine that hits hard at moderate range.

The Beretta 92 9mm

The Milt Sparks Summer Special

A well worn Beretta Brigadier

Beretta Getting a set of WC Wolff gunsprings

A Hard Look at the Beretta 92

Not long ago I decide that if I were not mesmerized by the 1911 I might find an interesting pistol or two among modern handguns. I still carry the 1911 on my own time but I have collected a representative sample of double action and double action only handguns to serve during training classes. After all if a student is using the Beretta 92 on duty then I should probably own one of my own. I have owned several Beretta pistols over the years, from the original Model 92 with slide lock safety to the Beretta Elite II. I have reached definite conclusions concerning the pistol. The Beretta has served but whether it has served well is a matter of opinion. The pistol has proven reliable enough. I have never experienced a malfunction with any of my personal Beretta pistols. I probably have less than ten thousand rounds in the Beretta personally but I have seen many thousands of rounds expended by agencies issuing the Beretta. After the US Military adoption of the pistol in the early 1980s the Beretta was quite popular as a police purchase. My main problem with the pistol is the caliber, but when agencies were purchasing the Glock SIG Smith and Wesson or Beretta, all in 9mm, the features of the

individual pistol would prove more important than the caliber as everyone was using the 9mm. The 9mm Beretta proved as reliable in service as any pistol and more so than most. The original double action configuration with hammer dropping safety is the pistol I have the most experience with. The pistol has a long trigger press that some shooters manage other than others. The thick butt is typical of the 9mm 'wondernine' pistols but a bit thicker than some. Managing the long trigger action in order to achieve an accurate first shot hit is something many officers have difficulty with. There are techniques that make using the Beretta well possible but they are time consuming to apply. Bean counters resent training time and usually approve a training budget grudgingly.

The master technique for handling double action pistols is to begin the trigger press as the pistol comes toward the target and then break the shot just as the front sight lands on the target. Considering that the felon may already be held at gunpoint when we fire the pull through technique is the most applicable to police action, with the Mater Technique actually better suited to military operations. After the first shot the Beretta reverts to single action fire. The single action press is often good. The single action press is controllable. There was some controversy as to how to carry the pistol, particularly after a number of officers fumbled the safety during critical incidents. I am not aware of any who were injured as a result but the events definitely occurred. Many of us believe that an automatic pistol without a safety abrogates the advantages of the type. The Beretta has several safety features, including a loaded chambered indicator offering both tactile and visual inspection and a firing pin block as well as the hammer dropping manual safety. The manual safety is small and difficult to manipulate quickly. If the pistol is carried on safe, the safety really needs to be taken off safe on the draw rather than after the pistol is drawn. A rapid upstroke with the thumb may work well but actuating the Beretta safety quickly is not something learned quickly and without effort. As a result many agencies specified the pistol be carried off safe. Interestingly the Beretta 92 is largely based upon the Walther P 38 but the Walther featured a longer safety that is quicker in operation. Agencies eventually ordered the pistol with a safety lever that served as a decocker only. Training was simplified. Another advantage of the Beretta is the pistol's safety record. True safety is between the ears but some handguns seem to be more prone to accidental discharge. In my experience the Beretta almost never is implicated in an accidental discharge.

Many agencies have now gone to double action only or safe action pistols. But they may have lost another advantage if they abandon the Beretta. The pistol is very accurate. It is among the most accurate of service handguns in my experience. While the SIG P 226 may shade the Beretta slightly the Beretta is a very accurate pistol. I have in my files an incident in which an Air Force military policeman fired at a gun wielding threat at a long eight yards and connected, neutralizing the threat. The pistol was a stock Beretta M 9 with ball ammunition. The Beretta exhibits low muzzle flip, an aid in long range fire. The pistols longer barrel also generates more velocity than the SIG P 226 or the Smith and Wesson 5906.

Reliability is one thing, longevity another. The pistol features practically in line feed that thrust any type of wide mouth hollow point into the chamber with equal disdain for geometry. Cycle reliability is quite good. The pistol will fire full power loads of 90 to 147 grains with equal reliability. At one time the locking wedges used to lock the Beretta were subject to early wear but these wedges were subtly changed to a more rounded profile and the problem was fixed. These locking wedges were first used in the Mauser 1896, our first successful semi automatic pistol, and have stood the test of time. So the Beretta is a pistol with advantages and disadvantages. If your hands are large enough to properly grasp the pistol and you have learned to use the action, it will served you well. The pistol is reliable. Many of us like steel and the pistol is well made of good materials. There is a sufficient reserve of ammunition, the pistol has light recoil and low muzzle flip and can be quite accurate. My main complaint is the caliber. The 9mm Luger caliber is inadequate for personal defense and military use in my opinion and no weapons system can change that. The Beretta has served for twenty years or more and certainly has a place in history but it is time to move on to a more effective caliber or rather back to a more effective caliber. Civilians have broader choices in ammunition and may find that the 9mm Luger +P loads with quality expanding ammunition is a good choice. If you cannot train often with the .45 ACP then the 9mm is a wiser choice. Not the ideal choice but few things in this world are ideal. The 9mm Luger just may get the job done if the man or woman behind the sights is skilled and determined. The pistol is of good quality and will not let you down if you do your part.

Postscript

When converting the pistol to use +P+ loads I often install WC Wolff premium springs, including both recoil springs and magazine springs. I install a heavy firing pin spring as well. This done the Beretta will stand the momentum of heavy loads. Standout loads include the Black Hills 115 grain +P which exits the Beretta at 1350 fps and the 124 grain JHP that breaks about 1200 fps. Another good load is the Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P at about 1240 fps. These loads will do the business if the shooter puts the bullet in the right place. Another addition that I have found effective is the Sprinco full length steel recoil rod with heavy spring. This addition is often used with the Colt 1911 but the company also makes a unit for the Beretta 92. The Beretta already exhibits moderate recoil and muzzle flip but this unit really helps when using full power loads. That is the great advantage of the Beretta. It is easy on the hand with light recoil and the piece is accurate.

25 yard bench rest accuracy. Five shot groups with the Beretta 92 Centurion.

Load 25 yard group

Black Hills 115 grain FMJ 1145 fps 3.0 inches

Black Hills 115 grain +P 1340 fps 2.25 inches

Black Hills 124 grain JHP 1190 fps 2.0 inches

Federal 115 grain JHP 1156 fps 2.15 inches

Speer 124 grain Gold Dot 1119 fps 1.9 inches

.38 Super and 9mm Luger

9mm versus .38 Super

I have always enjoyed a good contest. Whether a battle of the wits or against our protein fed ex con criminal class a good contest is exciting. A shootout between handgun calibers is a delicate balance and we need to avoid the obvious. Comparing .32s is interesting and the .40 Smith and Wesson and .357 SIG are often compared. The 9mm Luger and the .38 Super are very interesting for comparison and contrast. Due to differences in the handguns, the test is a little difficult to perform in a uniform manner. The 9mm is offered in a wide variety of handgun with barrel lengths from three to five inches. The Super is most often offered in the 1911 format. The handling qualities of the 1911 give the .38 Super an advantage, while the compactness of the 9mm gives it an advantage in concealment. Some handguns are offered in both calibers, including the EAA Witness and the Colt 1911. The difference in the cartridges may lead to a difference in the direction we are going. The .900 inch long Super case must be chambered in full size handguns such as the SIG P 220 or the Colt 1911. The 9mm may be chambered in full size handguns or compact.

Basically, the Super is an alternate to the .45 while the 9mm is chambered in lighter handguns in most cases. Still, there is some interest in the 9mm as a competition cartridge. The 9mm is easy to use well-not my first criteria of a combat cartridge but a legitimate criteria- and increasingly important, the 9mm is affordable to fire and use. Recently I was in a unique position to compare the two cartridges. My Colt Government Model .38 Super is an ex Army Marksmanship Unit pistol with an impeccable lineage. It is fitted with a Bar Sto Precision barrel. And when I say fitted I mean fitted. The barrel was specified as a gunsmith fit and the barrel hood and upper and lower lugs were painstakingly fitted to the handgun. The results are very good. I also have a Bar Sto Precision barrel in 9mm Luger for this handgun. This was a drop in barrel that fit the locking lugs in the slide perfectly but needed work in the lower lugs for a proper fit, as is often the case even with a drop in barrel. Results have been good.

All that is needed for such a conversion is a barrel and appropriate magazines. My magazines are Metalform, the premier supplier of 9mm and .38 Super magazines for the 1911. In the case of a 9mm to .38 Super conversion the breechface must be opened from .384 to .405, a simple task. In the case of the .38 Super to 9mm, occasionally the extractor needs to be tuned. A comparison of the cartridges could not be fairer, as the handgun is the identical platform in each case for comparison. We may make the decision based solely on the ballistic properties of the cartridge. There are those who brag that the modern 9mm +P+ is the equal of the .38 Super. The 9mm certainly has seen some development but by the same token so has the .38 Super. The Super’s case is designed for high pressure and has greater powder capacity. But the 9mm may be had in a high ammunition capacity handgun such as the Glock 17 or the Beretta 92.

I think that the .38 Super will remain an alternative to the .45 rather than the 9mm but just the same the experiment is worthy of our interest. As it turns out the 9mm is probably better than its detractors think and also not quite up to what its adherents claim. It is an accurate cartridge that is suitable for practice and competition. The .38 Super remains a more powerful cartridge with many good traits. Just the same, we have to admit that with the Cor Bon 115 grain JHP available the 9mm certainly is deserving of interest. When economy and the availability of first class handgun in the caliber is combined with modern ammunition prices the 9mm is clearly a good choice.

Firing impressions-

Since the .38 Super burns more powder, the muzzle blast was often greater, even with loads more or less comparable to the 9mm. However, the heaviest .38 Super loads including the Cor Bon were by no means unpleasant to fire. You certainly know you are firing something special. It should be noted that the old Colt 1911 required a bit of ramp polish (throating) to feed both 9mm and .38 Super loads reliably. The modern Kimber .38 Super eats them all straight from the factory. RIA .38 Super pistols are variable, with the versions with a ramped barrel far more desirable for feed reliability. In fairness for ease of shooting we have to favor the 9mm. The .38 Super produces more muzzle blast even with loads of similar velocity to the 9mm because more powder is being burned in the .38 Super.

As far as accuracy goes the .38 Super has an advantage, but this may be largely due to the Bar Sto barrel in the Colt .38 Super. This is a toss up. There are accurate CZ type pistols in 9mm Luger, including the AR 24, among the most accurate 9mm handguns I have ever used. There are .45s that are not as accurate and then there are Supers that are dogs. But either caliber may be had in an accurate handgun. Overall, neither caliber has a particularly good reputation for accuracy compared to a properly set up .45. But just the same the Colt and Bar Sto combination is very accurate, certainly up to any reasonable task.

If you are considering setting up a good 1911 the 9mm is probably most viable for a competetion gun because of the current ammunition situation. For personal defense the .45 would get the nod. If you must have a small bore the .38 Super really churns up the velocity. It is all up to the user. On the one hand it is your hide and on the other your dollar.

Fired in Colt/ With Bar Sto barrel(s)

Comparison

9mm Velocity 25 yard group in inches

Winchester 115 grain USA 1190 fps 2.8

Federal 115 gr. 9B JHP 1171 fps 2.0

Black Hills 115 gr. EXP 1288 fps 1.5

Black Hills 115 gr. JHP +P 1315 fps 1.4

Speer Gold Dot 124 gr. +P 1209 fp 2.0

Cor Bon 115 gr. JHP 1370 fps 2.25

.38 Super

Winchester 130 gr. FMJ 1172 fps 3.0

Fiocchi 129 gr. FMJ 1220 fps 2.0

Winchester 125 gr. Silvertip 1255 fps 1.9

Cor Bon 115 gr. JHP 1456 fps 2.4

Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP 1266 fps 2.0

Cor Bon PowRBall 100 gr. 1503 fps 3.0

Cor Bon Performance Match 147 gr. 1101 fps 1.25

9mm