Further Reading Required

[RACastanet]

Van: In the past six weeks I've read DeBecker's 'Gift of Fear', Izumi's 'In Self Defense', Ayoob's 'In the Gravest Extreme' and 'Handgun Primer'. All of the above relate well to the preceeding thread regarding awareness, mindset, performance under stress........

Along this path, there is a myriad of selections to further my study. What two or three books or reference sources would you recommend I read next?

I have been adding in aspects of this forum and the above material into my beginner classes. Also, I add in a little of what I have learned from Raffi D. sensei and Evan sensei as well. There appeared to be a lot of interest, but to be certain, I did a 'take home' survey with '20 Questions' to find out if the interest was really there (no names on the forms). One question was 'do you like the weekly self defense portion of the class and should I continue it?' The response was a unanimous yes, so I will continue to include it in the training. The benifit to me is that I get to try out group scenarios and practice things that have come up on this forum and others.

Any and all inputs are welcomed.



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Rich in Richmond on the James

[Van Canna]

Rich,

I highly recommend the following:

1] Real fighting [ Peyton Quinn ]

2] Guns , bullets and gun fights [ Jim Cirillo]

3] The truth about self protection [ Mas Ayoob]

4] Real world survival [ Walt Rauch]

5] Effective defense , the woman the plan the gun [Gila-May Hayes ]


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Van Canna

[RACastanet]

Thank you Van sensei. I'll start at the top of the list and work my way down.

Now, a separate concern where I need guidance, and you may want to take this off line - The S&W Ti does appear to have a defect.

Mine shoots about 6 to 8" low at 10 yards. I've had others try the gun with the same result. When I contacted S&W they told me that they sighted the gun in with 158gr +p, and that the ammo I was using, 129 gr Federal +p hydrashock was too light. OK, I believe them. However, almost all of the practice and personal defense ammo is in the 110 to 130 gr range. Virtually all of the 158 gr is non jacketed which S&W says is a no-no in the Ti.

I found a box of CCI round nose jacketed 158gr +p and have ordered a box of Triton jacketed hollow point at 158gr to try out. These rounds are not widely available. So, what to do - search for ammo or return the Ti to S&W demanding they resight it for readily available ammo (110 to 130 gr jhp)?

I checked out a website called guntalk.shooters .com and they have a forum similar to ours, with a self defense chat room. Sure enough, others have posted the same problem. Likewise, in the May issue of Guns Magazine, a Charles Petty did a test/review and noted a 4" drop. Interestingly enough, he did not feel that to be a problem. Perhaps S&W is a major source of revenue. In any event, S&W does know of the problem.

Another thing I could do - I asked S&W if they could send me another front sight and a new roll pin and let me make a mod. This was ok with them. However, I'd have to grind the sight myself or have a local gunsmith do it. A good learning experience but maybe I should just let S&W correct what I see as a product defect.

Please comment here, or to UechiRich@aol.com. directly. Your guidance is appreciated.

Regards, Rich

[Van Canna]

Rich ,

I really would not concern myself with the low point of impact at 10 yards of 6 inches or so ! Believe me when I say it ; you will use that gun at much less distance in a real conflict! And low point of impact can be good , as under stress you will have a tendency to shoot high especially after the first shot ! You will not even see or be able to focus on the front sight under the chemical cocktail , your eyes will go naturally to the threat and you will hold that gun in a death grip as you shove it into center mass ! Your 'fight' will be at about 8 to 10 ft[drop off will be minimal] and you want a groin shot a la "Mozambique" style after the first two center mass ! Low impact point will help you in such placement if need be ! Or you can always decide the ammo you like best to carry and have S&W adjust the sights ! However , remember that gun is a 'belly' gun , a reactive gun , not a target gun ! You just 'punch the gun into the body of the punk and fire !

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Van Canna

[RACastanet]

Van: Thanks for the advice. I'll wait until I can try the CCI 158gr +p jacketed and the Triton 158gr +p jhp before I decide what to do. If those loads give me improved accuracy then I'll probably leave the gun alone.

You made a good point about the Ti not being a target gun. I was actually comparing it to the Glock .45, which is not an apples to apples comparison. I must say though, I really enjoy firing it, more than the Glock. Perhaps my Sanchin training and closed gate stance prepared me for the recoil. I was warned by many that the recoil would be totally unbearable with such a light handgun, especially with +p loads. Quite to the contrary, I thoroughly enjoy the recoil. In fact, up to 10 yards, my shot grouping is great. Beyond that, however, the accuracy falls quickly away. At 25 yards, the Glock will put a full clip easily into the center of mass of a silhoette target, and with the Ti, I'm all over the place. To your point though, the Ti was not made for that use.

I'll keep you posted on this journey into the world of handguns. So far, so good.

Regards, Rich