The ideal concealed carry pt. 4

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As I mentioned in my last blog I have a minority opinion on the subject of a double action trigger with a double-strike capability in case of a misfire. The tap, rack and bang method is useful for almost all malfunctions, including stove-pipe, failure to feed, etc. In those cases, it is the best (and probably only) way to clear the malfunction and get back into the fight.

However, based on my more than fifty years of experience shooting .45 ACP and numerous other centerfire and rimfire cartridges, I can tell you that a simple misfire does occur; not often, but it does happen. When it does, you lose several seconds before you get back into the fight, if you rely on tap, rack and bang.

If, on the other hand, You pull the trigger the second time while reaching for the “tap,” you have a 95 percent chance that the apparent dud will fire. If not, pull the trigger as you start to press the slide to “rack” it. If the dud still doesn’t fire, you’ve loss nothing while clearing the dud and chambering a fresh round. So, in my opinion, a second-strike DA trigger is a necessary feature of my “ideal concealed carry pistol.”

To recap my requirements for an ideal concealed carry pistol, it must: (1) be chambered for .45 ACP (a 9mm might expand, but a .45 doesn’t shrink). (2) have a frame-mounted ambidextrous thumb safety (which disengages with a downward sweep of your thumb as you grasp the pistol). (3) have an outside hammer (that great, big cocking indicator that can be manually de-cocked). (4) have a second-strike DA trigger (tap, rack, bang isn’t enough for immediate action in case of a misfire). Of course, it goes without saying that it must be extremely reliable so malfunctions are astronomically rare in the first place.

Does such a pistol exist? To the best of my knowledge, no. The LDA carry pistol comes close, but its DA trigger does not have a double-strike capability.

My favorite concealed carry pistol is my Kimber Ultra CDP II in .45 ACP—it has three out of four of my requirements but , alas, it has a single-action trigger.

I would be remiss, however, if I failed to mention the CZ-82 military pistol adopted by the Czechoslovakian Army in 1982. It is available in the U.S. through military surplus arms channels.

It is a slick little outside hammer, blowback-action pistol with a polygonal barrel. If you look at the bore with a bore light, you’ll think it is shot-out with no rifling at all, but trust me, the polygonal barrel spins up the bullet just fine, and it is pretty doggoned accurate for a concealed carry pistol.

The CZ-82 has a DA/SA second-strike trigger. In double action, the trigger breaks smoothly at 9.5 to 10 pounds. In single-action, the double stage CZ-82 trigger breaks crisply at 4.25 to 4.5 pounds. It has a solid, reliable frame-mounted ambidextrous safety and a double-stack 12-round magazine. It’s a bit too big for a pocket pistol, but would work well with an IWB or belt holster.

It’s almost perfect!—just one fly in the ointment. It’s chambered for 9x18mm Makarov, which is considerably less potent than the 9x19mm Luger (or Parabellum). Hornady does make its Critical Defense® ammo with a 95 grain bullet. This load leaves the muzzle at 1,000fps and barely tops the.380 ACP in power.

Too bad!

Stan Skinner

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