Springfield Armory XD45ACP

And here are some threads on the newest XD:
The Other Side Forum

The grip is a little beefier than a .40 or 9mm XD, but it was barely noticable. I have small hands, and usually have problems with double-stack .45s. Not so with the XD.

The trigger pull is smoother than a Glock, and this caused some accuracy problems early in the shoot. It seemed like the trigger pull was almost too smooth. It was difficult to consistently tell exactly where the trigger was going to break.

Not many. I would have preferred night sights, but they’re currently unavailable on this model. I also prefer finger grooves on the front of the grip ala newer Glocks, but that would probably bulk-up the grip too much. Biggest complaint is a small one - I found the trigger slightly uncomfortable. I think the problem is the relatively wide trigger safety.

It has a bit more muzzle flip than I expected, bringing it back on target required a longer reset time. Also, the gun gets noticeably lighter as the massive 13 round mag empties.

The High Road Forum

Took it to the range and put it through the paces. Nice shooting, very comfortable. I tend to prefer 1911's, but I can shot this one just as well. My only complaint is I'd like to be able to reduce the trigger take-up length. I think Springfield's Custom shop will do a "Custom Carry" detail that reduces the trigger pull to 4.5-5.5 lbs and shortens the take-up.

The loader isnt meant to go on the front of the gun.
The holster and mag pouch have accessory rails on them. I'm pretty sure that's where it's supposed to be mounted.

I never shot a 45 auto this lightweight before. Heavy recoil isn't a problem for me... Until now. This thing required me to reposition my grip after every shot.

And I was surprised on how accurate that thing is. The muzzle flip was really not that much different than my G21 atleast I did not notice much. Not one jam ran flawlesly. I am a happy camper glad I bought it.

After putting a magazine in the pistol I hit my first, and only real complaint. I'm a lefty, and the slide release on this pistol is farther "back" than it is on my 1911's. It's not as easy to reach up with my trigger finger and drop the slide.

So, after putting the first 100 rounds through it I have to say that this is the MOST BORING PISTOL I have ever shot!! It goes bang everytime you pull the trigger, it shoots 5 shot groups (freehand at 25 yards) into 2 1/2-3 inches easily. I had 2-3 targets where my first 3 shots were all touching in I'd say a 3/4 inch group and then two flyers that opened it up to 2 - 2 1/2 inches. Now I'm not a great shot, so a pistol that shoots like this for me on a 34 degree day when my hands are a bit cold is amazing.

AR15.com Forums

My XD .45 Tac handles ACP recoil better than any other handgun I've fired. I'm very impressed.

I have a XD 45 ACP service and a Glock 21. Shooting them side by side the XD has less muzzle flip. I don't know if its the lower bore line or the grip angle , but the XD recoils almost straight back.

After getting my own 4" XD .45 I was fortunate enough to be able to compare it side by side with a G21 and G36. After about two boxes through each firearm, it was not long before it became the favorite of the three between my buddy and I. After 500 rounds of UMC and plenty of Wolf, it still kept shooting without a stutter.

AR15.com Forums

It felt just like a XD9 or 40, with just a hair thicker of a grip. Its MUCH better than a G21.

WHAT? Yes they are reliable. I'd bet my life on it!

Mine is on the way back to the wholesaler. Less than 200 rounds and seems to have a broken striker. The loaded chamber indicator was not showing when cocked and when I pulled the slide back to take it down the bbl has slid under the locking lug. I think either I got a lemmon or there is a design flaw.

Got a new M3X on mine - fits perfectly.

Dislikes
not made in the USA
Muzzle centerline is a little high which leads to more recoil snap
trigger reset is way to long
safe action trigger

The Torture Test

In my brain...

I just finished responding to a comment left by Pete and I just gotta get some feedback from folks about what you're thinking... I think that many aspects of Liberalism are essential, but like Maslow's Hierarchy, we need the Conservatives. Liberals need the 2nd Amendment as the Conservatives have fought to protect it.

I think a gay couple (one day legally married) should have the ability to protect themselves and their property with a firearm. I would hope that a woman working at an abortion clinic who finds herself against a rapist out in the parking lot has the power to protect herself.

I'm not expressing this very well. I'm very aware that the founding fathers didn't really consider that all "all men were created equally" and probly wouldn't have included gays in their bill of rights if they had the choice.

I gotta get back to Maslow... we should all be striving toward a higher social mores... not stuck in the past. We are part of a modern, diverse world and we need to understand each other in order to survive the next century without another world war... but that's just it. One day, America won't be "the" super power. We'll have to share that title with the Indians, the Chinese... or somone else perhaps. And we'll still be fighting this damned war against terrorists. We'll need to be armed to protect our homeland, our families, ourselves.

But we'll also need a whole lot of other things too. We'll need universal medical care, an educational system other countries are envious of, and a stable infrastructure that allows for our children to be raised in a safe yet developmentally challenging environment.

I dunno, help me here. I'm sick of blogs that I read that just regurgitate the news or somone else's opinions. Gimme some real, genuine ideas. Challenge me! Otherwise I'll just be stuck here in a kind of limbo.

Airsoft Science

From "Physics is Your Friend":
Let's take that 400 FPS AEG again. V is 121m/s, and the BB weight is .2g, which is 0.0002 kilograms. So, Ke=(1/2)(.0002)(121)2 = 1.4641J. Remember how many of airsoft guns have power rated in joules? Well, now you know what it means. You can reverse the equation by doing v = sqrt((2*Ke)/m)). That way, you can replace the mass with a different BB weight (.00025kg for instance) and figure out how fast the gun will shoot with that BB.

Therefore if you wantt to max out at 1J the top velocity for a .25g BB is about 89m/s and for a .20g BB you're looking at around 100m/s.

Automatic Electronic Pistol Reviews

I just bought a G18C to back up my M4 and for CQB use.

Reviews for the new AEP's from Tokyo Marui
http://www.floridaairsoft.com/
http://www.airsoftplayers.com/

Mercenary Sniper in Iraq [2005]

I'm at lunch now here at work and I can't watch this, but I'll have to get home and check this video out.

Tokyo Marui M4A1

After reading a reply by Brian about my post on airsoft, I decided to check it out. I've been reading a bunch and have to say that I'm interested in giving it a go. I miss not being able to shoot the real thing. I have to wait until the summers - that is until I move back to the States. Airsoft might be what I'm looking for to get out there and shoot in an entirely different way. If nothing else it'll give me an opportunity to get out and practice my Japanese with the locals.

So I found a 30% off sale at Yamada-denki and picked up a New-style M4A1. I'm already considering upgrading the mechbox for woodland play. I doubt there's much CQB here, but this country continually surprises me. From what I understand, anything over 100m/s is considered unsafe for play, but I'll verify that with my local hobby shop here.

AEG Basics
http://www.geocities.com/wajoegween/aegbasics.htm

Descriptions of AEG mechboxes
http://www.airsoftguide.co.uk/infobase/whatisanaeg.html
http://www.airsoftpacific.com/viewtopic.php?p=35675
http://www.milsimairsoft.com/modules...

Upgrading the mechbox (type 2)
Info:
http://www.teamairsoft.com/tech_info.htm
http://www.airsoftplayers.com/mechbox/tutorial.asp
http://www.airsoftplayers.com/guides.asp
http://www.airsoftguns.com/articles/...
http://arniesairsoft.co.uk/articles/...
http://www.airsoftpress.com/aegupg.htm
Parts:
http://www.poweredgehawaii.com/SpringTest.asp
http://www.airsplat.com/Categories/AC-UPI.htm

Personal Defense in Nevada

My brother-in-law is moving to Nevada and was considering his options for his family's personal defense. He mentioned getting a pistol and we had a pretty long conversation about some of his options. I told him I'd send some links and here's the letter I wrote to him.

Hi (brother-in-law),
Here's some of the info I was talking about regarding personal defense in Nevada.

There doesn't seem to be any laws against you buying a firearm legally, if you're a resident of that state, even though you're not a US citizen.
http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/FederalGunLaws.aspx?ID=60

You will have to indicate that you are not a US citizen on Form 4473 when you go to purchase your firearm.
http://w3.agsfoundation.com/press_020602.htm

Here's a good website for general information about federal firearm laws.
http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/Default.aspx

Nevada laws are quite gun friendly. You only need a permit for concealed carry of a firearm.
http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/StateLaws.aspx?ST=NV

Here's other useful websites on Nevada gun laws.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/...
http://www.gunlaws.com/links/linksnv.htm
http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/f/gunlaw_nv.htm

REMEMBER: the laws do change and you can't rely upon information solely
found on the web

So once you get yourselves squared away with:
- a safety assessment of your home
- spending some serious time considering personal defense issues and strategies of living in the states
- acquainted with the laws of Nevada

the next natural step is... what should you get and for whom?
There will most likely be different options suitable for you and your wife.

What should you get to defend yourselves once you've done everything in your power to prevent a situation in which you'd need to defend yourself? Well, that's the 100,000 dollar question. In short, there is no perfect solution.

Handguns require a lot of practice/training to use properly and effectively, but are ideal for their concealability and ease of retention when someone tries to take your gun from you.

Longguns are can be more accurately used and may be easier to operate and provide more stopping power, but you might face over-penetration issues if you have neighbors living close by.

No matter what, ideally both you and your wife should be comfortable using any firearm you own.

For self defense, a revolver is an awesome choice. Anything in the .38 Special or .357 Magnum (or up) range will be good. Revolvers are a great choice because they can be stored indefinitely and be ready to use since all of the internal springs are at rest. They are also immune to jams and misfires since all you have to do is pull the trigger a second time to load another round. They are also simpler in design and that means less to go wrong. I'd recommend Smith and Wesson 640, 686
http://www.smith-wesson.com/
or a Ruger GP-100
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/...

Semi-auto pistols are also very popular and with recent designs are very reliable. Anything in the 9mm, .40 Smith and Wesson, .45 would be ideal. I would very highly recommend a Glock because of their safety features, ease of operation and maintenance, and options.
http://www.glock.com/te_english.htm
I would recommend the Glock 17, Glock 19, Glock 22, Glock 23, Glock 21

.22LR firearms are excellent for learning and improving your marksmanship. The Browning Buckmark and the Ruger 10/22 are excellent choices. I have one of each.
http://www.browning.com/products/...
http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/P-CategoryRiflesRA.html

If you decide to include or go the non-lethal option, I think the taser is the best way to go
http://www.taser.com/self_defense/index.htm

Please write me with any questions. I'm sure you'll have some. Owning a firearm is a massive responsibility so of course there's lots to consider. Anyhow I hope this was of some help to you.
Keep well!

I wish I could have written more. Maybe less. Maybe this wasn't the best advice I could have given him.

I've seen some good advice on the web that others have given about the issues of looking at personal defense options and I think I should refer back to them for more ideas. I'm new to gun ownership myself and I know my brother-in-law deserves better advice.