With the Texas summer settling into full swing, classes are still being held but with an eye on the heat. So this past Saturday KR Training held only a Basic Pistol 1 class.

A highlight for me was seeing the TXGunGeek and misbeHaven, whom I haven’t seen in a while. Was good to see them.

Class was full and demographics were varied. About half the class was women. Ages ranged from a teenager there was his father, on up. Various ethnicities and backgrounds too. Some may choose to stereotype gun-owners as old, white, redneck men — they only show their ignorance when doing so.

Class ran well, tho shuffled around a bit in an effort to get folks out on the range before it got too hot. I didn’t see how long we were out there, but it felt like it went on longer than usual. A good thing tho, helping people try a bunch of different guns.

I found myself speaking a great deal about gun fit, and had an interesting observation at my station. I had a different set of guns: Glock 19, Glock 22, Springfield XD-9 5″, M&P-9 full-sized, M&P9 Shield, M&P-22, and a J-frame. On the one hand, I felt like I was shilling for Smith & Wesson. But the more interesting thing was showing off gun fit to the students. I’d look at the size of their hands and length of their fingers and put them on a particular gun, then have them pick up another one and compare. There were a lot of people with hands of just the right size that the Glock would be too big, so I’d put them onto the Shield and it would fit but might be almost too small. Then put them onto the M&P (medium backstrap) and it would be a “just right” fit. Not only do I hope this impressed upon students that if you pick a Glock or an XD or an M&P, they’re mostly going to wind up being the same in terms of reliability, capacity, etc., but fine details of ergonomics can often end up being the final and important factor in your choice.

Further reinforcing this, TXGunGeek has big hands and the XD fits him a lot better. While the XD is generally alright for me, the way the frame is cut is, for lack of a better term, just a hair more angular and brick-like. Due to the way I’m constructed, my trigger finger would rub the frame just enough to push everything left. But without changing a thing in my shooting style, the M&P doesn’t exhibit the problem because the frame has just a slight enough contour difference that my finger doesn’t rub. Little things like this end up mattering, and you cannot be afraid to keep working at it to seek the equipment that’s right and works best for you. Buy a gun, if it doesn’t work, sell it, try another. But then, once you settle upon your equipment, move beyond it — it’s just stuff, nothing to get too ego-attached to. Then begins the work to build skill, and onwards up the pyramid.

The day was short but significant. And I got to have lunch at the Elm Creek Cafe just up TX-21 from the range. Folks, that’s some good home cookin’, and a great way to round things off.