Combat Commander. A little later on, the subcompact Officer ACP and CCO variants arrived on the scene. Without question, the Command-
er set the stage for a new generation of compact pistols. Here was a mid- size,
lightweight pistol chambered
for a wide range of legitimate service cartridges. This represented a quan- tum leap over the anemic pocket pis- tols that came before. In addition to single-action pis-
tols, such as the Commander, mod- ern compact autoloaders can be had with double action, double-action- only and striker-fired trigger systems. Despite their very different operat- ing systems, all can trace their roots back to the classic Commander.
The Better Mousetrap As American shooters embraced
Heckler & Koch P30S is a compact-size pistol with interchangeable backstraps and grip inserts.
the auto pistol, they quickly discov- ered what savvy Commander owners had known all along. Compact pis- tols strike the ideal balance between portability and power. In the hand, shooting qualities of a compact pis- tol are nearly every bit as good as with a full-size service gun and these pistols boast sufficient capacity to manage just about any personal-de- fense scenario. Their capabilities are far beyond that of the pocket pistols, yet they are only slightly harder to hide than the subcompacts. This breed of pistol enjoys quite
Bowie Tactical Concepts upgraded this Springfield Armory XD Compact.
a bit of popularity with law enforce- ment agencies, which often utilize a single model for both open-uniform carry and plainclothes personnel. Popular double-duty pistols include the Glock 19/23, SIG SAUER P229, and the Heckler & Koch P2000. Assuming concealed carry was
the order of the day; wouldn’t a sub- compact be the better choice? Not re- ally! You can hide it easier, but these downsize blasters can be tough to shoot to the same standard. Shorten- ing the slide, barrel and grip frame creates a subcompact pistol. This translates into a shorter sight radius, which degrades combat accuracy po- tential. Most users find their hand now extends below the grip frame, which also handicaps performance. On the other hand, compact pis-
tols allow the user to get a proper, full-hand firing grip. Sight radius is typically a tad shorter than a service- size pistol, but not so much as to have a negative impact on performance. I have also noted that compact pistols are typically far more reliable than their subcompact cousins. To my thinking, the subcompacts
SIG SAUER P229 with DAK trigger system is slightly smaller than the firm’s P226.
72
fill the same role as the snub revolver of days past. With the exception of really small copies, such as the Kahr,
PERSONAL DEFENSE • SPRING 2011 SPECIAL EDITION
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