Our purpose at Front Sight is to positively change the image of gun ownership in our lifetime by training responsible citizens in the defensive use of firearms, to levels that far exceed law enforcement and military standards, and deliver the training without any boot camp mentality or drill instructor attitudes so the training experience is great for your entire family.<\/p>\n
We are entering our 19th year, have trained nearly a million citizens, and look forward to the day when our training will positively impact every American.<\/p>\n
Here is Training Article #10…<\/strong><\/p>\n Pick up any gun magazine and inside you\u2019ll find a full-length article about selecting the \u201cBest Defensive Handgun.\u201d This debate has raged on for years and it\u2019s not going away any time soon. Reason being, there is no clear winner. The gun writers and magazine publishers fan the flames of this debate in a shameless effort to sell magazines. But who can blame them\u2026that\u2019s their industry!<\/p>\n First, let\u2019s talk about caliber. At Front Sight we generally recommend .40 S&W as the best caliber for your defensive handgun. There are lots of other choices, obviously, but .40 S&W is a very appropriate round. The .40 S&W evolved out of the infamous FBI shooting in Miami, Florida back in April of 1986. The FBI essentially wanted a more potent round than .38 Special or 9mm. They looked at the 10mm which was relatively new to the firearms world. However, very few guns at the time were chambered in 10mm. Additionally, the 10mm has fairly significant recoil which is simply too much for some shooters. The FBI experimented with lighter loads in the 10mm and soon decided that a bullet of 180 grains travelling at roughly 1,000 feet per second was the ideal load. Those specifications however, could be achieved using a smaller case than the full-size 10mm. Lo and behold, the .40 S&W was born. Winchester was first to commercially produce the round and it hit the shelves in 1990 along with the Glock 22, which was the first handgun chambered in .40 S&W.<\/p>\n Since 1990, lots and lots of bad guys have been shot with .40 S&W. And it works well\u2026in the realm of handgun<\/strong> stopping power. It will never be a 12-gauge shotgun or .308 rifle, but in the handgun arena, .40 S&W has a very successful track record.<\/p>\n Okay, having discussed caliber, is there a \u201cbest defensive handgun?\u201d Certainly there are a few .40 S&W handguns which stand out from the crowd. The Glock Model 22, the Smith & Wesson M&P, and the Springfield XD all lead the pack. If all of our handgun students showed up at Front Sight shooting one of these three guns, what a wonderful life it would be! Of these three handguns, I personally prefer the Glock 22, but all three are neck-and-neck. These handguns are all of similar design, very easy and intuitive to use, reliable, and affordable. Combine these guns with high-capacity magazines (where legal), and quality factory ammunition, and you have a formidable fight-stopping handgun. One comment regarding the Smith & Wesson M&P. Get the version without the thumb safety or magazine disconnect unless your state mandates those features. The thumb safety and magazine disconnect are unnecessary items which will simply get in your way. Keep it simple!<\/p>\n After the Glock, M&P, and XD, there is a sizable gap back to the rest of the pack. Lots of shooters, particularly guys who have been shooting for years, like the 1911. Admittedly, there is nothing more luxurious than the crisp trigger of a well-made 1911. However, the 1911 is saddled with a thumb safety, grip safety, and exposed hammer, all of which add unnecessary complexity for a new shooter. Also, the 1911 carries a very modest number of rounds compared to a Glock 22.<\/p>\n How about double-action revolvers? Revolvers are very capable fight stoppers and they come in all sorts of sizes, calibers, and prices. They have no safeties and are thus intuitive to use. Revolvers also benefit from being extremely reliable, which is quite comforting in the middle of a gunfight! The major downside to revolvers is ammunition capacity. Having only five or six rounds in the weapon means you had better be adept at Tactical and Emergency Reloads. (Don\u2019t worry, that\u2019s where Front Sight comes in!) The strongest selling point of a revolver is confidence. Many of us grew up shooting revolvers and when the chips are down, there is no better gun to have in your hands than the one that gives you confidence.<\/p>\n The punchline to all of this is: Any gun will do if you will do<\/strong>. Some are just better than others!<\/p>\n I first passed the Handgun Combat Master test back in 1993 with a factory stock Glock 22. And you should see the rattletrap, piece-of-junk 1911 used by Front Sight\u2019s Director of Training, Brad Ackman, when he passed the Handgun Combat Master test. It was pitiful! The man (or lady) behind the weapon is clearly the most important element in winning a gunfight.<\/p>\n You really have four choices when it comes to \u201cman or machine.\u201d<\/p>\n This decision here is easy. Purchase a proper defensive handgun and get trained. Your family members will thank you after the smoke clears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n