Do Any of You Shoot Compensated Pistols?

[Ben]

Anybody shooting compensated pistols, especially for defensive shooting?

I haven't given a lot of thought to it, but everyone seems to be coming out with compensated pistols now and they seem to be all the rage. I'm interested in firsthand accounts on if compensation really makes a significant difference, especially if you're, like me, not recoil averse.

One reason I'm asking is that Shadow Systems just announced a barrel/comp package as a drop-in for the MR and XR pistols (looks similar to the Radian Ramjet package). Since I wouldn't be buying a whole new pistol or else doing some funky "add-on" compensator, and would then have the ability to switch back and forth between comp/non-comped, I'm considering getting it just to enter the world of comped pistols to see if I like it.

[MechAg94]

I just assumed it was selling to the market for "competition" pistols. 

I don't have one so I may be biased.  I am thinking about getting a 2011 of some type next year.  We will see.

[Ben]

I just assumed it was selling to the market for "competition" pistols. 

Yeah, seems that's how it was, but I think several of the big makers, as well as the upper end Glock clones, are coming out with compensated models that seem to be designed for carry. I don't know if these newer designs help significantly with combat/defensive shooting if you're defending yourself at close range going for COM. Even when I get sloppy from trying to go to fast on something like a Bill Drill, the holes are still somewhere in COM.

Though, aim small, miss small, I guess, so maybe every little bit helps.

[dogmush]

Yes. And yes that make a difference. Not a HUGE difference, but one that is measurable on a shot clock. It is also sometimes the difference between  the dot staying in the windows the whole time, and requiring the dot after the pistol comes back out of recoil.

The biggest difference on a gun that I have was porting my 365XL.  That one really was a HUGE difference in speed back on target and follow up shots.

Ever since the Roland Special made the rounds in Afghanistan,  comps have become pretty popular mods on combat guns, if they are allowed.

I've got a G19x with a ram jet, a G19 with an arc reactor ported slide/barrel, and M&P and a G17 with Griffin's barrel and Microcomp, and the ported P365xL macro.  The 19x is my main. "War belt" gun, and the 19 or the sig are my carry guns.

I kinda, a little, prefer ports, because you aren't hanging extra weight off the front of the gun (ref. Exhaustive discussion on boosters and cans in UHC assassination thread) but I've also had good success with the "micro" comps.  Griffin, obviously,  works very well. The Ramjet took some breaking, but after about 150 rds I was able to go back to the stock recoil assembly and it's been very reliable since.  Parker Mountain Machine also makes some nice and effective micro comps.  I haven't seen Shadow System's comp yet, but I assume they are following the smaller, lighter but effective comp design trends.

This video is me doing some drills with the sig. You can see how flat it stays in recoil.  You'll have to take me word that the splits spead up about .06-.08 sec from before the porting

USPSA guns are fun, but you gotta put the time in with the EDC too.  Working on being spicy with the P365XL Macro.  There's some .12-.15 splits in there courtesy of @tampagunwerx porting. Is a game changer.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7nLoKeR_sT/?igsh=d2Z2enFiYzJnZThw

This gun probably has 8-10 thousand rounds through it in this configuration:

[dogmush]

Ironically my competition guns are NOT ported/comped, because I don't want to *expletive deleted*ck around with the open guys.  So I'm the opposite of what you guys were thinking: combat guns? ALL THE PORTS. Competition gun? No thanks, Limited Optics for me.

[K Frame]

No. I have never been a fan of compensated pistols (semis or revolvers) in a defensive package, especially not a short-barreled handgun.

Way too much chance of filling your face with gas, powder particles, and bullet shavings if you have to fire from a high & tight retention position.

Firing a snub nosed revolver from a high & tight retention position is already unpleasant enough. No sense in making it even more unpleasant or possibly injurious.

[dogmush]

No. I have never been a fan of compensated pistols (semis or revolvers) in a defensive package, especially not a short-barreled handgun.

Way too much chance of filling your face with gas, powder particles, and bullet shavings if you have to fire from a high & tight retention position.

Firing a snub nosed revolver from a high & tight retention position is already unpleasant enough. No sense in making it even more unpleasant or possibly injurious.

YMM, of course, V, but I have not found this to be as much of an issue as the internet would lead one to believe.  I won't say there's no difference in blast when shooting from retention or high retention, but it's not all that much, on top of the muzzle blast from the handgun on your tit anyway.  One will have to weigh the extra blast in that scenario against the improved performance in other scenarios and decide which they prefer.

I do do retention and high retention drills with my EDC at least once a month or so though, so I feel like if I was going to pepper myself with bullet shavings I'd have found one by now.

[Ben]

Yes. And yes that make a difference. /Snip

Geez dude, you make me look like I shoot in slow motion, especially from the cover garment. 

Easier reacquisition of the dot/sight is certainly a big pro for the comp. I was going through the Shadow Systems forums this morning looking at input on the new comp set. One guy mentioned that his comped G19 shot about the same as his stock G17. Do you feel that's a legit comparison? He may have been focusing on "softer shooting" rather than actual recoil mitigation (though I guess thay are somewhat interconnected).

[dogmush]

IMO it's not "softer" it's flatter.  The gun does not rotate as much and more of the recoil is straight back into your wrist.  I tell people that if your issue is recoil sensitivity, mitgate that with a heaverir gun.  A comp (or ports) only really helps by making the gun move less, so that your next shot or target transition is happening faster.

and to be super clear:  You aren't buying a super power here.  We're talking fractions of tenths of seconds.  You gotta do all your fundamentals right, ESPECIALLY grip and support hand before it'll make a difference.  A weak grip will still allow a comped gun to flip, and reaquiring the sights and tensioning the grip will eat any speed increase the comp gave you.

But if you are a solid pistol shooter, and your presentation and grip is good, I have found comps/ports to give you a consistent and measurable increase in speed between shots.  Coupled with a dot/w big window (SRO) you can often never lose  the dot.  It'll track up a couple inches and then settle right back on POA, allowing you to squeeze that 2nd (or 6th on a Bill drill) fast.

I've been flirting with an M&P 2.0 and am taking it out to the range tomorrow.  You want me to see if I can get some video of it comped and un-comped? Same gun and ammo. 

[Ben]

I've been flirting with an M&P 2.0 and am taking it out to the range tomorrow.  You want me to see if I can get some video of it comped and un-comped? Same gun and ammo.

Sure, if you have the time, that'd be great.

[K Frame]

YMM, of course, V, but I have not found this to be as much of an issue as the internet would lead one to believe.  I won't say there's no difference in blast when shooting from retention or high retention, but it's not all that much, on top of the muzzle blast from the handgun on your tit anyway.  One will have to weigh the extra blast in that scenario against the improved performance in other scenarios and decide which they prefer.

I do do retention and high retention drills with my EDC at least once a month or so though, so I feel like if I was going to pepper myself with bullet shavings I'd have found one by now.

I did find it to be very much an issue when I tried high retention with a ported snub we had in for testing when I worked at NRA.

It was not pleasant and I still have a small dark mark on the underside of my chin.

On a gun that's closer to full size I don't think it would be an issue at all, but I generally prefer smaller handguns for defensive carry, so that's where my mileage is taking me in this discussion.

[K Frame]

"I've been flirting with an M&P 2.0 and am taking it out to the range tomorrow."

That reminds me, it's time for my annual e-mail to S&W begging them to bring out the M&P 2.0 in .38 Super.

That would bring me back into the S&W new gun fold.

[Ben]

Well, I guess I'm gonna try one. Order placed. Kinda hoping I won't like it so that I won't have to buy yet another holster. 

[Bogie]

I can just imagine having to touch one off without plugs/muffs and inside a small room or a car...

[dogmush]

Well this may be late then, but I tried to catch the difference today.  I think this is kinda typical of what you can expect with a comp.

Part 1:
https://youtube.com/shorts/LGzwSvzdE3Q?si=2kWmdUrZyHQJv3NN

Part 2:
https://youtube.com/shorts/E8_j6q0AsyY?si=jM8HGSVSLHbAMRYn

Don't come at me for not going from the holster, I'm still feeling that M&P out.

[Ben]

Naw, not late. If anything, it makes me feel better about hitting the "buy" button.

Not just the times, but it appeared to me that there was significantly less muzzle flip, which did seem to pan out on the targets. Having two XR920s, I'm going to be really interested to quickly go back and forth between them to see how much difference I feel.