Best sidearm to carry while deployed?
I'm going to be going over again in a few months but we got it cleared to carry our own personal sidearm. I have a Kimber ultra carry, a springfield XD45 and a 229 SIG but I'm looking at something custom made for carry in iraq. Posibly a desert Kimber custom shop 1911 full size or maybe a Les Baer custom? What are your opinions? Also, I'm an 89D explosive ordnance disposal tech. I'll need something that can go on a holster that can clip to the front of my suit (The suit has a couple pouches perfect to carry 5 or 6 mags so I'm not worried abou that) and also go into a tactical leg holster when I don't have the suit on. Thanks.
Brandon
Brandon
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Welcome aboard BombSmacker.
I've heard nothing but good things about Sigs, so I would suggest that. 1911's can get hinky at the best of times, so custom or not, you might want to rethink that particular model (no offense to 1911's - I own one myself).
Glad you made it back okay. Enjoy your stay back home and you be careful when you go back.0 -
Welcome aboard. That sounds like a fun job. [:D]
9mm isn't my favorite round, but that being the standard these days, I'd think you would want to take a 9mm. Otherwise ammo might be a problem. I guess you would know more about that than I would. Good Luck.0 -
I was thinking about the sig but my Kimber is the only one that has never jammed on me as a fault of the gun. I've probly put about 5000 rounds through it with no problems except for a bad box of rounds I got that I got rid of after 6 of the first 14 got stuck sideways in the chamber. The sig likes to load the rounds but the slide will get stuck locked to the rear.
Thanks for the welcom though, I just came across this board in Shotgun News magazine and currently have a bid in at a pretty good price on another kimber ultra carry for my father. Helps me get a little fix while I'm stuck here in Korea with none of my weapons with me.0 -
Good call on the 9mm, I'll have to take that into consideration even though I hope not to have to shoot more than the 250 rounds they are allowing us to bring. 0 -
S&W 44 0 -
What about an HK USP Tactical or Mark 23?
If you're spending the money on a custom gun, there is no factory gun better than the Mark 23.
Of course the MK23 is only chambered in 45Auto
http://www.hk-usa.com/le_mark23_general.html
The USP Tac is available in all three common auto calibers...9, 40, and 45.
http://www.hk-usa.com/le_usp_tact_general.html
Personally I'm a 40S&W lover.
Best of luck on your return trip.0 -
What unit are you with that they cleared you to carry your own sidearm? To the best of my knowledge NO US Army units have been granted such priviledges. Also to keep in mind, the jack@$$es in customs might not let you bring your weapon back into the states with you. Hell they confiscated all the extra M9 magazines that a buddy bought to use, and refused to let them back into the states. If you are actually allowed to carry personal weapons, great, but be careful. I'd hate to see you get screwed over. Best of luck in the sandbox. Oh and in answer to your question, don't go over with any weapon that is not a .45. Also keep in mind you'll be exposing it to extreme conditions. Get a 1911 that isn't overly fancy. Your not going to be shooting a pistol match, your going to war. Engagements will likely be quick, close and over before you know it. Get something tough, reliable and with night sights. 0 -
I'm not actually going over with my unit. Six of us are being attached to a spec ops group and we are the only ones with the option to carry our own. They tell us that they have no side arms available for us is the only reason and it's a little difficult to carry an M4 while either in the bomb suit or carrying it along with the robot. I try not to figure out why they tell us to do what they do. It's much easier to just go with it. 0 -
Get a Glock 0 -
I would also take the Kimber. No one carries a Glock in a REAL combat situation. 0 -
I had a glock before but I gave it to my little brother when he got his own apartment. I'm suprised noone has said anything about the XD45. I was actually thinking about taking that one with me since it shoots nice, has night sights already and it holds 13 rounds of .45 0 -
I do not have any experience with the XDs so anything I would say is pure heresay or speculation. The Glock, however, (3 kabooms in 2 years at the range). In my personal experience,the 1911 (a good one) is the way to go. Also you might want to consider one WITHOUT the full length guide rod in case you may have to ever pinch cock it one handed. This is a handy and life saving technique that the great John Moses Browning incorporated in the 1911 and Browning Hi power in case of necessary one handed action. You will be playing for keeps, take the best. I think your life is worth at least that much don't you think? 0 -
Oh, it's worth every penny of the best one out there. I'll be getting one hell of a re-up bonus pretty soon so I'm really not worried about what it costs me. That's why I was thinking about calling Les or someone like that and talking it over with them. I do know better than to just call and say "hey, I just got a bunch of money and I want the best you have to go to Iraq with" though. I may as well just give them rights to my first born at that point. 0 -
I have both the Kimber Ultra Carry and and XD 45. I would not trust my life on the Kimber which is why it is no longer my CCW gun. I carry the XD45 24/7 now and have not had one hiccup with its reliability. 0 -
Bonestock 1911a1 IMHO 0 -
quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
quote:Originally posted by Mr. Gunz
Get a Glock
I'm certain he wants a better sidearm than that! [B)]
HK or Sig would be my preference. [^]
Cant help it, can ya hobby?
+1 go with glock, reliable, lightweight, easy to maintain and disposable.0 -
I'm gonna have to go with no on the glock. The one I used to have cost me more than my XD and, from what I've gotten to use of it, the XD blows it away. The glock liked to jam too and that's NOT what I need. If I took a Kimber, it wouldn't be my ultra carry, it would be something like a TLE or another 5" full size with an extended mag. The only thing that's holding me back is 10 rounds is the most I've seen in a practical sized mag to fit it and the XD holds 13 nicely. I don't count the +1 because that wouldn't matter in the field as you wouldn't walk aroud with one in the hole and you don't reload with one there either. 0 -
I've thought about it but when you compare 15 rounds of 9mm to 13 rounds of .45, it's hard to choose the 9 0 -
I say again....HK![:)] 0 -
How many rounds does a hi cap HK hold? 0 -
I'm not too worried about the weight when I'll be either wearing or humping a 90lb bomb suit around anyway 0 -
It can fire under water huh? Too bat the round comes out at about 10fps 0 -
quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
quote:Originally posted by cartod
quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
quote:Originally posted by Mr. Gunz
Get a Glock
I'm certain he wants a better sidearm than that! [B)]
HK or Sig would be my preference. [^]
Cant help it, can ya hobby?
+1 go with glock, reliable, lightweight, easy to maintain and disposable.
Nope cartod, I can't. Just don't view them as many Glock fans do. I like my firearms made out of metal and I don't trust polymers or plastic. You're right about them being disposable though. My department dropped Glocks within two years and went with Sigs. I believe that says alot. [^]
You anti glockers kill me. "I dont trust polymers"..what an uneducated statement that is. My dept still uses glock and I trust my life with it daily. Im not saying that is what this guy should take with him to the sandbox, cause I like my HK and 1911 too. What I am saying is that you should'nt turn this into another one of those moronic threads where you have to swear your alligiance against glocks and ruin a perfectly good conversation. I will not respond again on this thread, like hobbyguy, its trollish. [^] . Godspeed to you with whatever you choose bombsmacker, they are all good guns.0 -
Bombsmacker....
Go back and read the links I posted.
That MK23 is amazing
12rds for your 45 HK's0 -
Springfield 5" XD in .45ACP. All the capacity (minus 2 rounds) of an M9 with the bite of a 1911. 0 -
I hadn't thought about problems bringing your pistol back until PATBUZZARD mentioned it. It shouldn't be a problem, BUT, you never know when you are going to run into that bureaucrat who thinks his life's work is to complicate everybody else's life.
Keep a certified copy of the documentation authorizing taking a personal weapon, and it might be a good idea to get the personnel guy to put it in your orders.0 -
This may be trollish, but how about combat-testing the 5.7??? Got to be better than a Glock. Ammo is lighter/more compact than the 9mm and a 20-30 round mag capacity. 250 rounds of 5.7 won't take up much space and you get great long range accuracy! 0 -
Just a caution: Geneva Convention says you can only use ball ammo. I'd love to carry a .45 but where are you going to buy ammo in the desert? 9mm is the standard.
Also you can;t carry more that your normal duty supply. For OSI, NCIS, practically all feds that means 39 rounds. Period.[:(!]0 -
Everything, guns included, will be shipped before we go and SHOULD be there waiting for us. I know about the ball ammo but they didn't say anything about 39 rounds. Combat load for an M16/M4 was 210 rounds the last time I was there and I'm sure it's still the same. I don't know why a side arm would be so much less. 0 -
In the same vein as whompuss and others, I suggest something in 9MM - ammo availability being the deciding factor, even though I prefer the .45, you will still need some practice over there. I've had 4 Sons over there - two in SpecOps - and both said that .45 ammo is hard to come by. Still have one of them, there.
The platform I would suggest would be the all time classic 9MM - the Browning Hi-Power, worked over by Cylinder and Slide.
Wahttaya think??
Doug0
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