Understanding Semi-Automatic Handguns

In our first of three parts of this blog entry we discussed  revolvers for self-defense; now it’s semi-automatics.

Today’s most popular handgun is the semi-auto (sometimes referred as but technically incorrectly as an automatic). The popularity of the semi-auto began to eclipse the revolver for self-defense in the late 1970s when more models became available and police departments began to adopt them for more fire volume and capacity over revolvers (shots).

Semi-autos hold more ammunition than most revolvers and can generally be reloaded faster which is the major reason for the popularity of the gun. As with revolvers there are some choices or options for the consumer to consider.

How can we address this technique popularized by the so-called Israeli Defense Method trainers? Hmmm, let’s see, oh yeah, it is totally stupid! Why would you bring an unloaded (no round in the chamber) firearm to a gun fight? In a life and death situation you will not have the time or presence of mind to draw, grab the slide, pull it all the way back and release it and acquire a good grip and sight picture in the blink of an eye.

And if you screw up and forget to function the slide, miss the grab, fail to pull it fully to the rear, don’t get a round into the chamber, it jams up during the loading procedure, you drop it while playing with it or you don’t get a good grip after pulling (racking) the slide, etc. all while under the threat of great harm or death while trying to accomplish that loading process in a couple of seconds, well you lose!

Last, for most new and/or inexperienced shooters interested in semi-automatic pistols we recommend the double action only model followed by the double/single action and last and with a lot of practice and lots of hands-on safety training the single action, which in highly-experienced and practiced hands is probably the top of the heap.

Reprinted from Man Talk Blog.

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