Dunno if there is a "agreed upon" philosophy... but, for me, whether "advanced" or not, key self-defense attributes for a primary handgun are 1) RELIABILITY, followed in no particular order by simplicity, high capacity, reasonable caliber (.38/9mm or above), concealability, and shootability (i.e. can I operate the dang thing properly? is it too big or small for my hand? can I reach the controls?). Easy maintainability is a big plus for me also -- corrosion resistant coatings and materials are very good features.Afff_667 wrote: Is there a generally agreed upon philosophy regarding handgun selection before seeking advanced training?
Call or email the trainers you are interested in and ask them. If they are not interested in explaining their choices...that might tell you something.
Dunno about this. 1911s are very popular, are well understood, have a long history, and are marketed aggressively, not least because there are so many providers nowadays. I have heard that at least one major school really pushes 1911s, even has a "school gun" (i.e with logo and all that). On the other hand, I know of another serious school that has settled on Glocks, particularly the 9mm ones, as the best all around handguns for SD. But they will train you with whatever gun you bring, in whatever caliber. Another serious trainer that I have gotten instruction from carries a variety of pistols himself, probably to maintain currency with what his students use, but does not hesitate to recommend Glocks and Sigs in particular. As for me, whatever it is worth, I have concluded 1911s are not currently the best design for a self-defense gun. There are newer ones in .45 ACP and other calibers that for the cost, weight, and size, have better attributes. I don't think a reliable 1911 are "bad," I just think there are better choices available.Afff_667 wrote:The popular training centers' web sites have equipment lists that are somewhat generic, but it seems like customized 1911s are the most popular platforms for those taking things seriously enough to seek those levels of training.
Not sure what you are saying here, but if you mean "pick one (type of) pistol and practice practice practice," I think it is good idea. I would, however, recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the major pistol operating systems, since you never know when you might end up with someone else's gun. More than one defender has had to turn his assailant's weapon on him.Afff_667 wrote: Although I have had my CHL for a few years now, it seems like my handgun selection lacks cohesiveness consistent with selecting and training with a specific platform, and I want to remedy that before moving forward.
I think it is a great idea. Specifically to attending an advanced course -- you want two guns, because if the one you are training with breaks, you don't want to lose training time trying to fix it, or borrowing somebody else's (different type of) gun. In real life, as noted above, guns break, need to be repaired, disappear for other reasons, hurricanes come and you can't get to repair, etc etc.Afff_667 wrote:I subscribe to the "one is none, two is one" school of thought and would like to have two identical handguns for concealed carry and advanced training so that there's no confusion with how the one that's currently in my holster works. ... Is having two handguns set up exactly the same a reasonable approach?
Not sure what "XS" is (did you mean XD?), but the others you list are all reputable manufacturers. No piece of equipment is perfect, and even good manufacturers occasionally make a dud, but you can buy some pretty decent pairs of Glocks, Sigs, FN/Brownings, S&Ws, Springfield XDs, etc, and good carry gear, for less than $2000.Afff_667 wrote:I recognize that you get what you pay for, but it's hard to believe that there's not a choice out there that doesn't involve buying a pair of $2,000 to $3,000 guns. Do Glocks make the grade for advanced training? Sigs? HKs? XSs? If so, are there any immediate reliability or other issues to address? I don't want to be a liability to any class I attend by having a weapon that can't stand up, and I certainly don't want to have something I can't count on when I really need it.
Don't be afraid of the used gun market either, especially with respect to Glocks. They are hard to wear out. Police trade ins (like CDNN advertises) are often a good buy -- the pistols are sometimes worn looking, but not shot a lot. Buy a used pair of the same model, have a good gunsmith look them over and change out the springs, buy lots of original manufacturer magazines.It's not always obvious when starting out. Keep reading and asking questions. Here's two places you can sort thru -- it will take you some effort, but worth your time:Afff_667 wrote:The answers may be obvious for some, but I am trying to make the best decision and appreciate any input.
John Farnam's Defense Training International website has a section called "Quotes, Quips, and Lessons Learned." You can find it here: http://www.defense-training.com/quips/quips.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is a collection of emails that John Farnam sends out to all his students updating them on things he's learned along the way, and experiences of other students. Covers more than handguns, but you can go through it and see if it helps.
Gabe Suarez's Warrior-Talk website here: http://warriortalk.com/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has some forums devoted to CCW pistol, general tactics and mindset (that influence pistol selection), and forums devoted to Glock, 1911s, XDs, etc where you can see each type cussed and discussed. The fastest way to get info out of these is to read the "sticky" (permanently located at the top) posts in each forum. Warning: there is no ten-year-old rule on that forum.
Should you listen to these guys? I think so or I wouldn't recommend you go see. They train lots of people, have been doing it for years, and see lots of different guns in their courses. But they are not deities, they are guys who have opinions, and you should make up your own mind as to whether what they say makes sense.
Have fun, and don't get bogged down searching for the perfect pistol. If you don't know what else to do, buy a couple Glock 19s and half a dozen magazines and (most importantly) go do the training. You could do a lot worse pistol-wise, and the training will help you sort out whether you want to say with Glocks or go to something else.
elb
p.s. FYI, I have 9mm Hi Powers and have used them in several courses with good results.