I am very steadfast in what I set as the requirements for a Combative Pistol, a Back Up Pistol, and a Get Off Me Pistol (and yes, I do refer to pocket rockets as such).
First we'll define the mission of each category, as the mission ALWAYS drives the gear and not the other way around.
A "Get Off Me" Pistol is a deep cover weapon where compactness is the number one priority. It's intended for use inside 10 feet. A snag-free profile is paramount as these pieces are coming out of pocket holsters for the most part.
A Back Up Pistol is intended to make an attacker BACK UP or is intended to back up the Combative Pistol. It is slightly bigger than a Get Off Me Pistol but concealment is still a primary concern. These may be carried any number of places but are typically a bit too big for a pocket. This is typically a mid-sized pistol that is a full service caliber yet easier to conceal than a full size weapon at the cost of being harder to shoot and being of reduced capacity. Snag-free isn't as high a priority as the Get Off Me Pistol but more so than with a Combative Pistol. This pistol can be used between 0 and 150 feet in skilled hands.
A Combative Pistol is a full size pistol that is as useful as a Primary Weapon System, in lieu of a long gun (though any handgun will not perform as a long gun will) such as a Police Officer's Duty Handgun, as it is in a concealed carry environment. High visibility quick acquisition sights are an extreme priority as in the event this is used as a Primary Weapon accuracy and speed must be balanced and both must be maximized. A high magazine capacity is extremely important, as this may be the single (or most potent) weapon system available for an extended fight. This MUST be a service caliber weapon.
What attributes define each pistol? I'll give a few examples of each that I recommend as well.
Get Off Me Pistol:
-Caliber .32 ACP or higher (Sorry, but .22's and .25's don't do so well when it comes to actually shooting bad guys) in a Semi-Auto, .38 Special in a revolver
-Double Action Only
-Minimalist sights (this can be a CrimsonTrace Laser or even a notch through the slide)
-Capacity of at least 5 rounds
-Diminutive size (J-Frame or smaller)
-Capable of a muzzle-contact shot
-Snag Free profile... We're talking "Well Used Bar of Soap" smooth here...
-NO extraneous control (Manual Safeties to include grip safeties, etc.) lever other than slide lock (not necessary), magazine release, and takedown lever
Examples:
-NAA Guardian
-Sig 290
-DAO J-Frame
-Kel Tec P32 or P3AT
-S&W Bodyguard
-Ruger LCP
-Taurus TCP
-Glock 26/27/33/29/30/39 with 26 coming most recommended
-S&W Shield
-Beretta PX4 Storm subcompact
-HK P2000SK
Back Up Pistol
-Small enough to conceal, big enough for duty use if needed
-Capacity minimum of 5 Rounds
-Accurate enough for "Minute of Face" at 75 feet and "Minute of Chest Cavity" at 150 feet
-Low Profile, high visibility sights (like Novak's, etc.) sights
-Service Caliber (9mm, .357 Magnum, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, .45 ACP... with 9mm STRONGLY preferred)
-NO extraneous control (Manual Safeties to include grip safeties, etc.) lever other than slide lock (not necessary), magazine release, and takedown lever
-DAO STRONGLY preferred, DA/SA acceptable, Single Action NOT acceptable due to need for use of a manual safety.
Examples:
-Ruger SP-101
-S&W J-Frame (any configuration)
-S&W K-Frame
-S&W L-Frame with short barrel
-Glock 19/23/32/29/30/38 with 19 coming most recommended
-S&W M&P Compact
-Sig P228 or P229
-Sig P250
-Beretta PX4 Storm Compact
-HK P2000
-HK USP Compact
Combative Pistol
-Magazine Capacity minimum of 12 rounds with a flush magazine, and capability of higher with longer magazines
-Low Profile, high visibility (like Novak's, etc.) NIGHT sights
-Barrel Length of 4" as a minimum (for sight radius)
-Accurate enough for "Minute of Face" at 150 feet and "Minute of Chest Cavity" at 300 feet
-Service Caliber (9mm, .357 Magnum, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, .45 ACP... with 9mm STRONGLY preferred)
-Capable of accepting a weapon-mounted light producing in excess of 150 lumens
-NO extraneous control (Manual Safeties to include grip safeties, etc.) lever other than slide lock (not necessary), magazine release, and takedown lever
-DAO STRONGLY preferred, DA/SA acceptable, Single Action NOT acceptable due to need for use of a manual safety.
Examples:
-Glock 17/22/31/34/35/21/20/37 with 17 coming most recommended
-S&W M&P
-Sig P226
-Beretta PX4 Storm
-Beretta 92 or 96 with 92 coming most recommended
-HK P30 or P30L
-HK USP
What we do not recommend under any circumstances:
-Any weapon requiring use of a manual safety such as 1911 (ANY 1911) or Browning Hi Power (which I actually like... but as a Cocked and Locked gun, I can't recommend it)
-Any weapon with a grip safety
-Any weapon used in a Back Up or Combative role without night sighting capability (laser or night sights)
-Any weapon with fiber optic sights
-Any weapon that has not proven it's reliability (more on that follows)
-Any weapon that is picky about ammunition
-Any weapon that needs aftermarket magazines to function correctly
-Any weapon whose manufacturer says needs a break-in period in excess of 50 rounds
How do we determine reliability?
-2000 rounds in one day... WITH NO CLEANING OR ADDITIONAL LUBRICANT!
-Weapon must have minimum of 72 hours before start time since last cleaning and lubrication
-More than 10 malfunctions (0.5%) not the failure of the user's technique constitutes a failure. This includes failures due to the factory magazine, unless the factory magazine is truly defective.
What kind of additional attachments do we like and recommend?
-Night sights from Trijicon, Meprolight, AmeriGlo, or XS Sight Systems
-Trijicon RMR is the only red dot I can recommend, and only when the rear sight is BEHIND that RMR
-Crimson Trace (and ONLY Crimson Trace for handguns) LaserGrips or LaserGuards
-Surefire and Streamlight weapon mounted lights
-Glock NY-1 trigger springs (yes, it's heavier, but I think it's smoother feeling than a factory 5.5lb trigger)
-Apex trigger parts for M&P pistols
-MecGar magazines for Beretta and Sig pistols (To be honest... At one point, MecGar made the OEM mags for those two if I'm not mistaken)
-The LEM trigger for HK Pistols
Hopefully this will shine some light on why we do things the way we do... And yes, drills are set up for certain categories of weapons and if working on Instructor-level courses in Combative Pistol, I'm not altering shit because your gun doesn't hold enough bullets or something... Your own damn fault. The world isn't fair, so I'm not making my courses fair. Our courses are setup to maximize the weapon system in question for use in the niche we see that weapon fitting into... You're free to do things other than how we recommend as long as it's safe and to use whatever hardware you want to... but we recommend those things we recommend for a reason! Just sayin'!
Stay Frosty and Watch Your 6 folks. 1*
v/r
-Kenny Smith
Chief Master Instructor
President, Total Force Training Group