Massachusetts LTC holder, first purchase - where to shop? Glock?

Just chatted with Joe at AFS. Really nice guy. I'll be taking my first private lesson on Thursday afternoon at 2:30. He sent me to Groupon to grab a bargain package. We got to talking about what guns I'm interested in and he just about jumped for joy when I said the P365. Haha. He owns two of them despite being a big Glock guy. Had nothing but great things to say about it.

Only bummer is that they DON'T currently have one I can rent. He also mentioned that they don't make them with a safety just yet - but insisted that this is how I want it. That makes me a bit nervous but likely because I'm just getting started. I plan to take their concealed carry class series with Christian and I'm sure that will help to make me a confident shooter.

Thoughts on the no safety thing? Anyone have a P365 they'd be willing to let me shoot?

Update on the safe thing: I just purchased the Kodiak I shared earlier in the thread. I didn't buy it direct from Rhino as they wanted $200 shipping on a $619 safe. I bought from GunSafesNow.com for $621, no tax and free shipping.
 
wborisenok said:
Just chatted with Joe at AFS. Really nice guy. I'll be taking my first private lesson on Thursday afternoon at 2:30. He sent me to Groupon to grab a bargain package. We got to talking about what guns I'm interested in and he just about jumped for joy when I said the P365. Haha. He owns two of them despite being a big Glock guy. Had nothing but great things to say about it.

Only bummer is that they DON'T currently have one I can rent. He also mentioned that they don't make them with a safety just yet - but insisted that this is how I want it. That makes me a bit nervous but likely because I'm just getting started. I plan to take their concealed carry class series with Christian and I'm sure that will help to make me a confident shooter.

Thoughts on the no safety thing? Anyone have a P365 they'd be willing to let me shoot?

Update on the safe thing: I just purchased the Kodiak I shared earlier in the thread. I didn't buy it direct from Rhino as they wanted $200 shipping on a $619 safe. I bought from GunSafesNow.com for $621, no tax and free shipping.
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Joe is a great guy, he's got two P365s lol. Mine doesn't have a manual safety, I'm not a big fan of manual safeties on striker fire carry guns. As far as I know, you can't find them with safeties on them yet and Glocks don't have manual safeties either. If you have the time and want to check out my P365 before your lesson on Thursday, my office is about ten mins from AFS, you're welcome to stop by and handle it. I'll be there Tuesday after work if you want to shoot it before your lesson. Did he say who the instructor will be?
 
buckfarack said:
Joe is a great guy, he's got two P365s lol. Mine doesn't have a manual safety, I'm not a big fan of manual safeties on striker fire carry guns. As far as I know, you can't find them with safeties on them yet and Glocks don't have manual safeties either. If you have the time and want to check out my P365 before your lesson on Thursday, my office is about ten mins from AFS, you're welcome to stop by and handle it. I'll be there Tuesday after work if you want to shoot it before your lesson. Did he say who the instructor will be?
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Thanks, Buck! So a G43 wouldn't come with a safety, either? This is so interesting to me as it feels like the opposite of what most would want - but at the same time, when you're in the situation a safety probably gets in the way. Confidence in shooting seems to be the requirement here.
 
TheOtherDon said:
If you don't mind a bit of a drive, Four Seasons in Woburn has a fair number of used Glocks ["Tactical Tupperware"] available at good prices. Check out https://fsguns.com/used/
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Sorry but since when was $750-$800 for a Gen 2 G19 a "good price?"
I bought mine in MA in 2016 for $350.

Buying Glocks at Four Seasons is for the lazy, rich, or a combination of both.
 
daekken said:
Sorry but since when was $750-$800 for a Gen 2 G19 a "good price?"
I bought mine in MA in 2016 for $350.

Buying Glocks at Four Seasons is for the lazy, rich, or a combination of both.
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Def NOT a good price. But many MA gun owners (especially newbs) don't know any better.
 
TheOtherDon said:
If you don't mind a bit of a drive, Four Seasons in Woburn has a fair number of used Glocks ["Tactical Tupperware"] available at good prices. Check out https://fsguns.com/used/
Click to expand...
ef8.jpg
 
I went thru the police academy a very long time ago, so I hope that it has changed a lot for the better, but we were taught very little about gun laws per see. Most is relative to real crimes: robbery, burglary, etc with weapons. I've been studying Mass gun laws for >40 yrs and teach a 6-7 hr seminar on the intricacies. I've had LEOs and lawyers in my classes (even a couple of police chiefs) and everyone of them told me that they learned things that they didn't know prior. My training will be moving out of Mass in a couple of months.
 
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wborisenok said:
My wife isn't a fan of guns; this is the reason I'm only just about to make my first purchase. I've had my LTC for over a year now. She's only coming around because I just took the civil service test and am trying to become a police officer. Kinda inevitable that there will be a gun in our home when that [hopefully] happens.

That said, a diesel safe will certainly help her with the idea. I'm from upstate New York where seeing someone carrying a gun or shooting in your backyard isn't a crazy thought; she's from Stoughton where the only thing you hear about guns is mostly bad news.

This is the one I'm looking at:

Kodiak KSB3020E | 30"H x 20"W x 20"D | 60 Min

230lbs should be a pretty decent deterrent without having to bolt it down. Ha! If I grab one of these I'm going to need a couple of you to come over and help me move it - I lift pretty heavy weights 4x per week, but this 33 year old is starting to feel her age! :p
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I would have went with something like this for the same cost.
Cannon Safe Valley Forge Series 64-Gun Safe | Academy
 
While everyone's been weighing in on the gear side (since that was the thrust of your original post), I suggest you "double track" your progress.

One side is the physical - mechanics of shooting, what gear works well for me?
Complementary side is the mental - training classes, seminars, books, DVDs.

Target , hunting, personal defense, competition - each is a valid purpose but have a different focus, thus training set up to match YOUR purpose will give the most benefit.

My personal recommendations (not the only ones I've taken)
- Christian Pullano has been mentioned , I took a 2-hour block from him for tune-up and then he administered the RI qual. Excellent! On his mailing list for more classes.
- Massad Ayoob Group MAG-40 , August of last year in NH -- outstanding full-spectrum training (rules of engagement, mechanics of shooting, live fire qual).
- Personal instruction - various ranges over the last 7 years, with instructors that I "meshed well with".
- GOAL.org - lots of variety, classes fill up fast.
 
MrOrdinary said:
While everyone's been weighing in on the gear side (since that was the thrust of your original post), I suggest you "double track" your progress.

One side is the physical - mechanics of shooting, what gear works well for me?
Complementary side is the mental - training classes, seminars, books, DVDs.

Target , hunting, personal defense, competition - each is a valid purpose but have a different focus, thus training set up to match YOUR purpose will give the most benefit.

My personal recommendations (not the only ones I've taken)
- Christian Pullano has been mentioned , I took a 2-hour block from him for tune-up and then he administered the RI qual. Excellent! On his mailing list for more classes.
- Massad Ayoob Group MAG-40 , August of last year in NH -- outstanding full-spectrum training (rules of engagement, mechanics of shooting, live fire qual).
- Personal instruction - various ranges over the last 7 years, with instructors that I "meshed well with".
- GOAL.org - lots of variety, classes fill up fast.
Click to expand...

Christian offers a set of 3 concealed carry classes that I plan to take. The essentials course is first; not til May though. Until then, will grab some private instruction!
 
The problem is not getting the glock. the problem is getting ********* when people try to sell preban square notch glock mags for 200$.. the mags are now scarce, so a G48 would be easier than a glock 19 at the moment.
 
russiandressing said:
Christian offers a set of 3 concealed carry classes that I plan to take. The essentials course is first; not til May though. Until then, will grab some private instruction!
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If you find yourself looking for some trigger time on April 13, the next Pink Pistols event is right around the corner. Feel free to come, hang out, and try whatever firearms folks bring and share. At the very least, I'll have my G19 and 9mm Shield with me that you're welcome to give a shot.

And tell your wife that we'd love for her to come out with you ;)
 
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Mesatchornug said:
If you find yourself looking for some trigger time on April 13, the next Pink Pistols event is right around the corner. Feel free to come, hang out, and try whatever firearms folks bring and share. At the very least, I'll have my G19 and 9mm Shield with me that you're welcome to give a shot.

And tell your wife that we'd love for her to come out with you ;)
Click to expand...

I actually said to her the other day, "I'd love for you to come shooting with me at some point." She entertained it. PROGRESS, BABY! :p

Thanks for the invite - might be fun to come hang! I will throw that in my calendar!
 
russiandressing said:
I actually said to her the other day, "I'd love for you to come shooting with me at some point." She entertained it. PROGRESS, BABY! :p

Thanks for the invite - might be fun to come hang! I will throw that in my calendar!
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If it helps with the sales pitch, many of us are instructors and love working with new shooters.
 
For someone about to go thru the police academy looking for a leg up on self-defense training with a firearm, my top recommendation would be one-on-one training with Cloverleaf. Stu is a great instructor, active police officer and can give the appropriate training to someone looking for that level of knowledge.
 
Len-2A Training said:
For someone about to go thru the police academy looking for a leg up on self-defense training with a firearm, my top recommendation would be one-on-one training with Cloverleaf. Stu is a great instructor, active police officer and can give the appropriate training to someone looking for that level of knowledge.
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@Cloverleaf Firearms Group, hear that? We'll get you out of "retirement" eventually.
 
Len-2A Training said:
For someone about to go thru the police academy looking for a leg up on self-defense training with a firearm, my top recommendation would be one-on-one training with Cloverleaf. Stu is a great instructor, active police officer and can give the appropriate training to someone looking for that level of knowledge.
Click to expand...

Stu, wanna hang out?! :D (@Cloverleaf Firearms Group)
 
russiandressing said:
Thanks, Buck! So a G43 wouldn't come with a safety, either? This is so interesting to me as it feels like the opposite of what most would want - but at the same time, when you're in the situation a safety probably gets in the way. Confidence in shooting seems to be the requirement here.
Click to expand...


Glock 43 is a single stack sub-compact striker fired polymer pistol.
It has what Glock calls a "safe action system", which requires the trigger to be pulled to fire; it has no external safety.
Just about every manufacturer makes a comparable firearm these days, (a striker fired polymer semi-auto).

1911 is the clearest example for an external safety. They're usually carried "cocked and locked". Round in the chamber, hammer back, safety on.
As the firearm comes up from the draw, you sweep the safety down with your thumb (dis-engaging it).
Now all you have to do is press the trigger to fire your first shot.

With a Glock (or similar), you simply draw it, line up your front sight, and pull the trigger.

With the 1911, the trigger pull is purely a release. With the Glock, it's more of a pull.
The Glock is sort of halfway between a 1911 and a revolver - for a bad analogy.

I like Glocks for defensive firearms, (and for action shooting sports like USPSA/IDPA).
Because they work. Load it, rack it, aim it, pull the trigger.
Operating it is simple, and they'll take a fair amount of abuse/neglect before they'll fail.
I generally put new sights and a trigger on mine.

Most people either love or hate Glocks, they argue about them almost as much as whether 9mm or .45 is better.
My wife can shoot my Glocks, but she hates them - she likes her Sigs.
 
Took a ride over to Gartman Arms this afternoon and spent an hour shooting the shit (no pun intended) with the owner, Jim. What a good guy. We looked a handful of guns:

Sig P365
Walther PPS
Springfield XD-S
Smith + Wesson M+P Shield

Ultimately, the P365 came out on top. He had a lot of good things to say about the PPS, but he also gave the nod to the P365. We talked all sorts of stuff and I truly could have hung out there for another two hours. Haha. He made some great points and I learned a lot even in the span of an hour. Knowledgeable guy. When I do make my purchase, it will be from him.
 
russiandressing said:
Took a ride over to Gartman Arms this afternoon and spent an hour shooting the shit (no pun intended) with the owner, Jim. What a good guy. We looked a handful of guns:

Sig P365
Walther PPS
Springfield XD-S
Smith + Wesson M+P Shield

Ultimately, the P365 came out on top. He had a lot of good things to say about the PPS, but he also gave the nod to the P365. We talked all sorts of stuff and I truly could have hung out there for another two hours. Haha. He made some great points and I learned a lot even in the span of an hour. Knowledgeable guy. When I do make my purchase, it will be from him.
Click to expand...


Have you SHOT the P365?

I bought the G42, Glock in .380 thinking my wife would like it, (I already had G34, G17, blah, blah, blah). She HATED it.
Finally talked her into shooting my Kimber Target II, (9mm stainless 1911 style). She liked that enough that she stole it from me.

Guns are like cars, or jeans, or writing implements. What works for one person is horribly uncomfortable for another.
I can shoot just about any handgun, but some of them feel a lot better in my hands and point more naturally.
 
Gartman Arms in Wrentham is a great shop. Very knowledgeable.

I have a new favorite handgun I bought at Gartman. It's the Canik 9mm handgun. OK... I have 2 of them. Very comfortable, accurate and a great striker fired trigger. Maybe the best striker fired trigger I've shot.

But there's lots of inventory there to fondle along with the voice of experience.
 

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