10mm Glock 20 Essentials for Bear Hunting Backup

 The use of a handgun to ward off a bear attack is proven. It is not uncommon for aggressive bears to climb up your bowhunting tree stand with you in it or perhaps follow you back to your truck at night or a wounded bear attacks during recovery. 

Below, find an article with documented incidents where handguns were 98% effective on all bear species black, brown, grizzly and polar. 

Handgun Defenses Against Bear Attacks – 170 Documented Incidents, 98% Effective

Unfortunately, my new 10mm Glock 20 has set of daylight sights which makes the Glock defense use in dim light or darkness difficult at best.  I swapped them out for cost effective Tritium sights so I can see them in darkness.

I purchased a simple set of TRUGLO tritium sights for around $55 bucks. Not a bad price. Take the top slide off, remove the spring and barrel to get to the front sight nut and prep to remove the rear sight. 

 

You will need to purchase a tool for the front sight nut. 

and at least a push tool or bench vise and a wood or brass punch as in the video above. 

Next, is a holster for my Glock. 

I need instant access for a possible aggressive bear attack, thus I purchased a heat molded chest holster called the Kenai from Gunfighters, Inc. Cost $160.00

firearm

The first time the holster gripped the pistol, hearing a click,  I wasn’t able to pull it out without using great force. The Kenai literature instructed to carefully use a heat gun on the click/grip area.  Luckily, I had a heat gun. It worked.  Now, after heat adjusting, I can readily pull the pistol yet keep it secure.

Some folks find that a chest held binocular case can interfere with the draw of the pistol.  However, the holster can be adjusted to allow fast access. Below is  my Vortex Bino’s case with my Glock 20.  The bino case is huge, perhaps too big to wear. The pistol draw needs both hands. One hand to hold the holster base, while my right hand draws the pistol.

I will holster and practice drawing and shooting it with my binoculars on and off. If I’m on a bear stand in a tree, I will likely not wear the bino case. 

Below this video pitts the 10mm against the 44 magnum. 

A few year back I also did a 44 mag video below. In that fishing scenario, the 44 mag already drawn on an approaching bear, worked for the first shot but the recoil raised the pistol losing fractions of seconds to get back on target. 

Good Hunting!

 

My New Glocks for Home and Conceal Carry

Below are my new Glocks, G19 Gen 5 in 9mm and G44 in .22LR.  I chose these Glocks because they are very reliable and essentially identical. The weight and caliber is different, but handling is the same and great for cross training.   

I purchased the .22LR – G44 at right for low recoil training for my wife. When she gets used to the .22, then we will train on the 9MM. Both pistols come with a lock, extra grips in medium and large. The 9mm comes with 3 clips and the .22 comes with two. 

I shot both Glocks (see the target below), just after purchase and shot CCI Mini-Mag .22’s and Remington 9mm FMJ ammo at 20 feet. If you look close, you can see the .22 and 9mm holes intermingled below the 10x ring. Not bad at all! My outdoor range was a sheet of ice to walk on, so I used just one target for both. 

I like the sights framed in white edging and can be seen clearly in darker shadows.

Glock OEM Adjustable Rear Sight SP05977 Gen 1-5Glock OEM Front Sight SP06956 Gen 1-5

The .22 pistol is lighter to handle. My wife is not an avid shooter at all, despite being married to  me for many decades. But now she is feeling fearful with large spikes in crime on TV and the need for her safety.

I already own a Kimber 1911 Pro Carry II for home protection, conceal carry. The size difference between my Kimber Pro Carry II in .45ACP  and the G19 Gen 5 in 9MM is very similar but the 45 has 8 shots and the G19 has 15 shots when fully loaded.

Weight-wise the difference between each gun when fully loaded is just 4.3 ounces, with the Kimber being a bit heavier.  The grip safety beavertail on the Kimber increases the length by an inch.

Which to carry depends on your abilities with each pistol and the kind of situations you believe to encounter. For a new shooter, as my wife is, training with a light recoiling .22 helps for confidence before using the 9mm. 

I will write more on these pistols in the near future. 

Good Shooting and Training!

© Copyright 2022

 

 

 

 

Why Firearms Training at New Hampshire’s Sig Sauer Academy?

As a defender of my home and property I know that we are in the midst of a flood of Criminal Activity from the Southern Border with drugs, MS 13 and the like. I need to be firearms trained and ready to protect my family and home with Defensive Shooting Skills.

Sanctuary Cities Abound 

https://cis.org/Map-Sanctuary-Cities-Counties-and-States

See this Investors Business report.

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/trump-crisis-at-the-border/

 

And a Mexican Drugs like fentenyl pour into New Hampshire from Massachusetts Sanctuary City of Lawrence said the President Last Year.

https://patch.com/massachusetts/northandover/trump-singles-out-sanctuary-city-lawrence-nh-opioid-source

Are you ready to defend your loved ones at home and away at a Department store, Gas Station, Restaurant etc.

If you haven’t done it already, now may be the time to prepare.

Get Training in use of your firearms. I use Sig Sauer Academy. They are the Best!

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/

Keep your firearms in a safe and locked up. For protection have a firearm that is accessible with a key or finger print from a state of the art Safe.

Sig Academy however will not allow a person to train who has not been investigated via the Permit Process by town and state officials.  Accordingly, it is best to get a Permit via your Town or State Level.

Be Prepared and Stay Safe!!  

 

 

 

Sig Sauer P320: Conceal Carry or Home Defense

I took the Sig Sauer Intermediate Handgun skills course with the Sig P320 and was impressed at the start with the trigger pull, I measured it at 7 lbs but very smooth.

It resets itself with a felt click by easing your finger pressure after the shot and now ready for a follow-up. I believe it is a dual purpose pistol at ease for conceal carry though not as small as some conceal carry and it is ideal for home defense.

I can only say that recoil with 115 grain bullets was so mild that it was never a thought that recoil was ever an issue.

The use of an expanding bullet is perhaps the best for self-defense. If I were to carry all the time as a citizen, then I would opt for a shorter frame like the Sig P320 subcompact which holds 12 rounds. But for general use and home defense the standard P320 would be better as the barrel and sight radius is a bit longer.  There are lots of pistols out there but this one has won the contract for the US Army making it a very tested product. I had difficulty reloading the new clips provided, common to all 9mm pistols of every make. They do need to be broken in, and loading to 10 or so instead of the 15 during break-in can make it easier on your thumbs. Better yet get a magazine loading tool.

https://www.amazon.com/Maglula-ltd-UpLULA-Magazine-Unloader/dp/B01MQTZVZY

I give the Sig P320 a big thumbs up and it is very cost effective! And it breaks down with a flip of a lever for easy cleaning.

As to whether the 45 ACP is better? That depends on its use and your comfort and skill. Folks have written books on it….

The 45ACP is heavier in general for conceal carry. I have a Kimber 1911 and like it very much but you must remember to cock the hammer if you have it down or to drop the safety lever. But I am used to that.

On the P320 there is no hammer as it is striker fired and there is not a safety lever. It is all in that great trigger design.

If you are going to do competitive shooting then the Sig P320 would be a great choice over the 45ACP.

Keep your firearms safe! Good Shooting!

 

 

Sig Sauer Academy -Intermediate Defensive Handgun 103 Review

Yesterday I took the Sig Sauer Academy – Intermediate Defensive Handgun Class 103 in Epping, NH. Here is my review…

The Intermediate Defensive Class I took was an all day class 8:30AM to 5 PM at the SIG SAUER ACADEMY In Epping, NH.

It was just what I was looking for, a course jam packed with shooting skill builders for self and home defense with a great deal of safety instruction too beginning with Muzzle Management (where you pistol points) and Trigger Management ( finger off the trigger till your going to shoot). Below we prepare to engage targets from behind barriers.

The class instruction also touched upon the serious nature of having to defend our family and life with a firearm and it’s personal psychological and legal impact.

Here’s to being prepared and ready… but hoping that time never comes. 

Personally, I received “hands-on” training with the Sig P320 I am testing, but you can use any approved semi-auto pistol.

Courtesy Cabelas Image

Many students had their own SIG pistol, one had the Glock 17 or similar in 9mm or 40 cal. There were no 1911 or 45 cal shooters today and most all shot 9mm pistols. We had attendees that were lawyers, engineers and educated folks from local and far.

Before class I met a student that just arrived after a 26 hour drive from Texas to take a week long instructor class. They come from around the world too. Below our instructors Justin Christopher and assistant instructor Julia Banks. Justin, a former policeman and martial arts instructor and Julia an active NH police woman. Justin teaches all levels of Pistol to both military and civilian. Very Impressive!! 

This course is serious training and has you shooting at torso silhouettes targets as soon as safe handing practices and a discussion among the students and expectations were completed.

We covered a wide array of topics while at the outdoor range such as:

  • Review and reinforcement of SIG Principles
  • Presentations and recovery from the holster
  • Sight picture and its relationship to size and distance
  • Trigger control
  • Shot delivery
  • Refining shooting fundamentals
  • Reloading techniques
  • Malfunction clearance procedures
  • Single hand techniques
  • Moving then shooting
  • Target to target transition drills

We covered shooting fundamentals quickly as we are already have some skills. But moved to hone our grip, shot delivery, trigger control for the SIG and keeping the bullets in the core of the targets.

We all made improvements rapidly with Justin’s leadership and had fun too.

Every gun will eventually have a malfunction or a jam of some kind, for many reasons, so we practiced with each-other clearing the malfunction safely and continued shooting.

I have to say that I was simply delighted with the SIG P320 handling with very low recoil to my hands and came back on target so much faster than my Kimber 1911 in 45 Cal. The P320 I was shooting had a 15 round capacity in each of the two magazines provided. I did find loading the new magazines by hand to be very difficult, thus I recommend that a speed loader tool is an essential purchase if you wish to shoot volume like we did.  I was impressed with my improved shooting skills with at P320 in my hand. The second target in from right is mine, yes, the one with the center punched out with a big hole. Nice group!

 

We each shot around 300 rounds of ammo!!

Here is a photo of the successful students in attendance. I’m the chubby old guy in the middle!

This course is worth every penny!!

I highly recommend it!!

I give it an A plus!

Other classes such as Conceal Carry and other special training such as competition follow this course.

Go to https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/

And sign up!

Look for more on New Hampshire Rifleman’s further testing of the SIG P320

Good Shooting!

 

Preparation for SIG SAUER Academy – Intermediate Defensive Skills 103

I have been recreational shooting all my life so I felt comfortable defending my home as many like me have.

However, that said;

“You and I can do better”… and go to the next level and beyond by taking Defensive Pistol Training and other classes like I am about to do in three weeks at the SIG SAUER Academy in Epping, NH, which is just up the street for me. 

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/productdisplay/intermediate-handgun-skills-intro-defensive-shooting-handgun-103

This is serious training my shooting friends. Should be great fun too…

In preparation I need a new rugged belt 1.5 inches wide to “properly and securely” hold holster and the magazine pouch they can provide if you don’t have them. Even the gun can be loaned for the class.

Go to the above website for all the details…

SIG will provide New Hampshire Rifleman with a SIG P320 for Test and Evaluation and for class use.

Next is to buy my 300 rounds of 9mm non-toxic, non-jacketed frangible ammo at the Academy before training begins.

Course Outline from website
  • Tactical communication
  • Search and scanning
  • Threat identification
  • Presentations and recovery
  • Shot delivery
  • Refining shooting fundamentals
  • Reloading techniques
  • Malfunction clearance procedures
  • Single hand techniques
  • Moving then shooting
  • Failure drills

I am reading up on Tactical drills.

Should be a terrific learning experience.

Good Shooting!

When you sign up tell them New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine sent you!