Recently I made a trip to Cabelas, it was a fight to make myself go but I just felt I needed to do a little shopping. Seriously, I headed down to Cabelas with my good buddy Mike (Adams) to look at some firearms. He was down looking at a new Bushmaster .223 and I was in the market for a new Conceal Carry Pistol. Earlier in the year (2009) Mike and I had picked up a couple of the Ruger LCP .380’s for a comfortable carry pistol for summer time when shorts and t-shirts are sometimes the most you have to hide your gun and my “compact” Sig .45 was just a bit too big to hook to my shorts (besides, it’s heavy enough to drag my drawers down and that’s another legal problem!). I carried the little LCP around quite a bit due just to its size and not because I was comfortable shooting it. Time to start listening to my own preaching… If it isn’t comfortable, you won’t use it… The reason I decided it wasn’t comfortable shooting it was due to its size/trigger. It’s just a tad bit too small for me and with the small size the long double action trigger pull was just a bit to long for my comfort. I felt like I was trying to touch the base of my hand with my trigger finger to put it into action. I carried it because it was small and I had no problems feeling proficient enough to utilize it if events required, but it just wasn’t a “good” fit for me. The LCP is a great gun so don’t get me wrong, it’s just not a great gun for “me” to use. So, with a little time on my hands and a phone call from Mike that he was heading to Cabelas and wanted to know if I wished to go….silly question… I decided it was time to look for something else.
Expecting huge crowds at the gun counter we only had to wait about 30 minutes to get waited on. Mike went first and was soon “evaluating” the AR of his dreams… A few minutes later and it was my turn. With the large selection of firearms I had been looking for something in the .380/ 9mm or 40 cal that would have a better fit in my hand without empting my wallet (figured the .45 compacts that fit the bill would be rare). Unfortunately, that meant the Kimber, Baer, and Wilson customs were not on my list. Nor were the new Sig’s or the custom S&W’s. What I was looking at were options from Taurus, Kel-Tec, Styer, CZ, Bersa, etc… My preference is for a semi auto which would keep the frame as narrow as possible. I was looking at the CZ and the Taurus Millennium Pro series when I noticed a Taurus PT709 Slim…. In the used guns. So I quickly asked for a look-see and knew as soon as it hit my hand that this was the one for me.
I have owned and shot many different models of Taurus and have never been disappointed. While considering the Millennium models my only negative was that I was looking at a double stack which would keep the width a bit wider than I was looking for. The PT709 Slim was Taurus’s answer to that problem. The 709 also let me step back up to a 9mm from the .380 while keeping the size easily concealable. With its ergonomic grip with built in finger and thumb indents to help maintain proper form, the 709 felt like it was made for my hand.
It’s a nice hammerless double action with the double strike capability. If the round fails to fire you can pull the trigger again without having to slide the action for a second attempt. It even has adjustable sights which is very rare in an ultra compact size pistol. The trigger pull, while long, no longer felt like I was trying to touch my wrist.
While talking to the gun assistant I discovered that while this was a used model, Cabelas normally sells them new. I asked about the new price versus the price on this used one and found that the prices were identical! Further checking discovered that there was one more in the stock room...some where.
After a brief look it was found and my decision was finalized after a quick take down and inspection of the new one. Used versus a New in the box, 2 clips, lock key (built in lock) and cleaning rod…no brainer. PLUS, I had my coupon for employee pricing for the day! ….$350 was perfect and I had enough left over for a box of JHPs and a new 4-1 Waterfowl jacket (Mossy Oak Duck Blind of course) that was on sale as well. I blame Mike and Chico for the coat… they just had to take me duck hunting! LOL
One thing to note for new shooters (as well as some experienced shooters) is that with the weight design of the PT709 it is very important to maintain a solid grip. A weak grip, or limp wrist shot, can result in a failure to feed the next round. It is not a problem with the gun but the form/grip of the shooter. It is a common problem when shooting light weight pistols and just requires practice, practice, practice. Also, make sure to completely clean all the shipping/manufacturing grease from the PT709 before you fire it. A good cleaning and an application of a good gun oil will prevent a lot of problems down the line.
Expecting huge crowds at the gun counter we only had to wait about 30 minutes to get waited on. Mike went first and was soon “evaluating” the AR of his dreams… A few minutes later and it was my turn. With the large selection of firearms I had been looking for something in the .380/ 9mm or 40 cal that would have a better fit in my hand without empting my wallet (figured the .45 compacts that fit the bill would be rare). Unfortunately, that meant the Kimber, Baer, and Wilson customs were not on my list. Nor were the new Sig’s or the custom S&W’s. What I was looking at were options from Taurus, Kel-Tec, Styer, CZ, Bersa, etc… My preference is for a semi auto which would keep the frame as narrow as possible. I was looking at the CZ and the Taurus Millennium Pro series when I noticed a Taurus PT709 Slim…. In the used guns. So I quickly asked for a look-see and knew as soon as it hit my hand that this was the one for me.
I have owned and shot many different models of Taurus and have never been disappointed. While considering the Millennium models my only negative was that I was looking at a double stack which would keep the width a bit wider than I was looking for. The PT709 Slim was Taurus’s answer to that problem. The 709 also let me step back up to a 9mm from the .380 while keeping the size easily concealable. With its ergonomic grip with built in finger and thumb indents to help maintain proper form, the 709 felt like it was made for my hand.
It’s a nice hammerless double action with the double strike capability. If the round fails to fire you can pull the trigger again without having to slide the action for a second attempt. It even has adjustable sights which is very rare in an ultra compact size pistol. The trigger pull, while long, no longer felt like I was trying to touch my wrist.While talking to the gun assistant I discovered that while this was a used model, Cabelas normally sells them new. I asked about the new price versus the price on this used one and found that the prices were identical! Further checking discovered that there was one more in the stock room...some where.
After a brief look it was found and my decision was finalized after a quick take down and inspection of the new one. Used versus a New in the box, 2 clips, lock key (built in lock) and cleaning rod…no brainer. PLUS, I had my coupon for employee pricing for the day! ….$350 was perfect and I had enough left over for a box of JHPs and a new 4-1 Waterfowl jacket (Mossy Oak Duck Blind of course) that was on sale as well. I blame Mike and Chico for the coat… they just had to take me duck hunting! LOLOne thing to note for new shooters (as well as some experienced shooters) is that with the weight design of the PT709 it is very important to maintain a solid grip. A weak grip, or limp wrist shot, can result in a failure to feed the next round. It is not a problem with the gun but the form/grip of the shooter. It is a common problem when shooting light weight pistols and just requires practice, practice, practice. Also, make sure to completely clean all the shipping/manufacturing grease from the PT709 before you fire it. A good cleaning and an application of a good gun oil will prevent a lot of problems down the line.
Range report soon!
2 comments:
Sounds like a sweet gun.
Don't blame it on me! I think it was you who forced me to go to Cabelas!
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