Th' Vee-Eye-Pee

After a day and a half of hemming and hawing and firing countless rounds at the test range, I have my new gun. It's an STI VIP 9mm. A lot of folks around these parts are opting for the Executive, so I tried it out, but I like the feel of the VIP better, and it's also a bit smaller, which makes it nice for concealment. Semi-automatic, naturally, double-stack. The grip is awesome; it feels great in my hand. The trigger is nice and crisp, probably less than four pounds, but not a hair trigger by any means. Weighs like a pound and a half maybe. Now a lot of people complain that the 9mm doesn't have much stopping power, but you put one of those in between someone's eyes and he's not going anywhere. Plus, 9mm ammo is the easiest to get in a pinch.

While we're on the subject, there's a scene in "Ronin" where the guy is asking DeNiro about what gun he likes to use, and DeNiro says something like "Doesn't matter. It's just a tool in the toolbox." I guess that's supposed to show how badass he is, like he'll kill you whatever way suits him... but what a bunch of crap. Other people's guns are weird. Sure, you use them when you have to, but you never get used to the grip or the creep, you're always worried about them jamming up on you at the wrong time, and good luck if you need to aim from long range, because you have no idea where that shot is going. It just never feels comfortable.

So I'm comfortable with this jammie, but I still have to make it my own. And I plan to do just that this week, because it sure beats desk work.