Beretta Blog

Have you ever gotten all worked up about something only to later figure out that whatever was causing anxiety wasn’t all that big a deal? I have. In fact, I used to spend way too much time and energy thinking about the optimum way to “zero” a laser sight on a pistol.

Since the laser can’t be in the center of the bore itself, it’s (by definition) offset from the path of the bullet. That means that, like a rifle and scope, you have to choose a distance at which the laser beam and bullet path will intersect. Let’s walk through the zeroing thought process using a Beretta APX RDO pistol. This pistol has a rail forward of the trigger guard, so I mounted a Crimson Trace Railmaster Pro.

I just read a story in the news about a foiled robbery attempt where a concealed carry permit holder intervened and stopped the crime. It made me pause and reflect on the types of decisions with which anyone who carries a concealed gun can face in a moment’s notice.

When loading a fresh magazine or changing to a new one, there are two ways to “recharge” a semi-automatic pistol. You can push down on the slide lock lever using your firing or support hand thumb, or you can go through a partial slide racking motion. Some on the internet will insist that choosing the wrong method will get you killed and result in Justin Bieber lip-synching Milli Vanilli songs at your funeral.

Suppose you’re planning a road trip and intend to transport a firearm in your vehicle. You’re a law-abiding citizen, and of course, there’s this thing called the Second Amendment that should cover you, right? Well, not exactly.

In part, because the Founders of the United States believed that most laws should be made locally, states carry a lot of power when it comes to regulations of firearms ownership and transportation. As a lawful gun owner, it’s up to you to know the laws of your home state, but also each and every state you visit while in possession of a firearm. Let’s plan a hypothetical road trip to outline some of the things you need to know.

Without pictures, it didn’t happen. Unless you bring back a t-shirt, you didn’t go. And without skill and progress measurement, you can’t improve.

One way to exercise your skills and measure your progress is to practice with a structured course of fire. A good routine will “walk you through” a variety of skills like strong hand only, support hand only, two-handed shooting, draws from a holster, and magazine changes. While the shooting community has developed hundreds of such practice scenarios, you don’t have to look any farther than your local law enforcement agency to find one. While every agency differs in the details, most have a structured qualification course of fire that every officer has to complete on a regular basis.

With many things in life, I deliver better results with aggressive time limitations. There’s nothing like a tight deadline to make me focus and produce. Unfortunately, shooting isn’t one of those activities. In fact, adding a time crunch to basic shooting tasks has the opposite effect of degrading performance, sometimes to near comical levels.

If you want to become a better shooter, you must measure your both your current skill level and your progress. You can measure and track accuracy results, and depending on your personal goals, that may be enough. For recreational shooting and some types of competition, time may not matter. However, if you want to improve your defensive shooting capabilities or perhaps move up the action pistol sports ladder, being able to shoot accurately under time pressure becomes important.  

A simple shot timer is a great addition to your range kit. Here’s what you need to know about how they work. 

I don’t give a hoot about my “open carry” draw.

To clarify, drawing from an outside the waistband holster without a cover garment isn’t relevant in my chosen universe. Indeed, if I were passionate about competing in action shooting sports like USPSA or Steel Challenge, then an “open” draw would be crucial to me.

I like to compete, but I view competition as an opportunity to test and improve my skills with my everyday carry gear, sans “cheating.” That means I use my carry gun with no lightweight trigger modifications. It means I use my every day inside the waistband holster with an actual shirt or jacket that I wear when out and about. I don’t "game" my carry configuration to shave some fractions of seconds from the clock just because it’s a competition. If my setup puts me at a competitive disadvantage, so be it. My purpose, after all, is to get better with what I carry and use.

By very definition, semi-automatic pistols all have some basic features and functions in common. What makes them "semi-automatic" is the recoil system that performs a carefully orchestrated process of:

• Moving the slide to the rear.
• Ejecting the spent cartridge case.
• Cocking the hammer or striker for the next shot.
• Moving forward and stripping a fresh cartridge from the magazine.
• Loading that cartridge into the chamber as the slide closes and locks into position.

There are plenty of things that are obvious additions to a range bag. You’ll need eye and ear protection. If you like to bring guests, then pack extra safety glasses and hearing muffs, so everyone has a set. Targets, a stapler, and spare staples are also a given. Is that all you need? Not if you want to guarantee an interruption-free outing.