When it comes to equipment, everyone has their own opinions on what’s best. We’re no exception. This is life-saving gear we are talking about, and there’s no reason to mess with poor equipment. Buy the best you can afford.

Handguns

When asked for our choice for the “best” handgun for most shooters, we like Glocks and 1911’s. Glocks are reliable and durable right out of the box, and the safe action trigger is easy to master. The 9mm Glock 19 is a great carry gun, with the caveat that the 9mm sacrifices performance to the larger calibers. The venerable .45 ACP is still king, but the .45 ACP Glocks are big guns. There are a number of companies that offer a grip reduction that re-contours the larger Glock frame to make them more ergonomic. Some people like to add all kinds of doodads and accessories to their Glocks- don’t do it! The only thing that needs to be done is to replace the plastic sights that come standard from the factory. We prefer the steel Heinies, and if desired you can add a tritium dot on the front sight. The only other modification we do on some of our Glocks is to replace the serrated trigger face with the smooth, OEM Glock trigger that comes standard on the larger models. We DO NOT mess with different springs or connectors- only the actual trigger is replaced.

In 1911’s, there are a number of companies offering a variety of different models including Colt, Kimber, and Springfield Armory. The slim profile of the 1911 makes it very comfortable to carry, and in our mind it's still the ultimate fighting gun even after nearly 100 years of service.

There is almost no end to the amount of customization you can do to a 1911, although most of it is unnecessary. A good set of sights, dehorning of all sharp edges, a good trigger, and durable parts that make the gun 100% reliable are all that’s needed. We’d much rather have a gun that shoots 4”groups at 25 yards and is 100% reliable than a 1” gun that sometimes chokes. Shooters with smaller hands can add slim profile stocks and a short trigger. Extended beavertails, match barrels, extended thumb safeties, and other additions are fine as long as they don’t decrease reliability. Ambidextrous thumb safeties are unnecessary unless you are left handed. The high end production guns from Wilson Combat, Les Baer, Ed Brown and others are OK, though some of them are built so “tight” that reliability is compromised.

If you need work done on your 1911, have it done by a professional. There are obviously many great pistolsmiths out there- but we feel Ned Christiansen of Michiguns is at the top of the game, and better yet he is as nice a guy as you could hope to meet. Check out his website to see what he can do for your dream project.

If you prefer a service pistol type gun, be sure to stick with the quality brands like SIG, Beretta, HK, etc.

For backup guns or very discreet carry, we like Kahr pistols and Smith and Wesson J frame revolvers. The Kahr P9 is a nice little gun, though the Kahr triggers aren’t perfect. The titanium J frame S&W’s in .38 Special make great pocket guns.

Regardless of which gun you choose, always use quality magazines. For the 1911, the Wilson-Rogers, Metalform, and Chip McCormick are quality magazines. For Glock, SIG, Beretta, etc. we only recommend the use of factory magazines.

If you are going to carry a gun for defense, it needs to be comfortable, secure, and easily accessed. That requires the use of a top quality holster AND gun belt. In leather, Milt Sparks and Lou Alessi are tops. For kydex, Comp-Tac and Ky-Tac both make some nice products. The UCR (Ultra Concealment Rig) from Threat Solutions is what we currently carry for our Glock pistols. Holster preferences are different for everyone, but enough of our students have tried the UCR and raved about it that we feel comfortable suggesting you give it a try. Wilderness belts are perfect for range use and casual dress, while a quality leather gun belt such as the reasonably priced offerings from Rafter S Gunleather are the choice for most occasions.
 
Carbines (AR Series)

Whether used as a patrol rifle in your police cruiser, in combat or for home defense, the AR-15 style carbine is a reliable, lightweight, ergonomic rifle that lends itself well to a variety of applications. The system isn't perfect, as some will argue the .223 caliber is underpowered and that the gas system is dirty, but the widespread adoption of the weapon is testament to it's effectiveness.

When it comes to brands, any will do as long as it says Colt. In all seriousness, the Colt rifles have proven to be consistently reliable. You may be saying that your "XYZ" gun has run through 20,000 rounds without a hiccup and that may well be the case, but as a rule of thumb the Colts are as reliable as anything on the market, and more reliable than most.

One thing to keep in mind before hanging every type of tactical doodad on your gun is that one of the attributes of a carbine is its light weight and compact design. You can easily end up with a 10 pound gun if you cover every square inch of the gun with "stuff". Optical sights such as the Aimpoint CompM series are nice additions to the rifle, but you should also know how to use the iron sights. For optics mounts and other gear, LaRue Tactical is top notch and highly recommended. You should also consider adding a weapons-mounted light on any long gun.

Bolt Action Rifles

The ubiquitous bolt action rifle, ala your standard deer rifle, can be a very effective tool for "social work". Instructor Randy Cain, an expert in use of the bolt action rifle and author of a soon to be released book on the subject, first opened our eyes to just how versatile and effective a tool they can be from near contact range out to 400 yards.

The current  Winchester Model 70 Classic Featherweight is an ideal platform as it is compact, lightweight, and offers the reliable controlled round feed of the pre '64 design. We like the .308 Win caliber for it's performance and versatility. The .308 is a short action round, resulting in a rifle that is more compact and lighter in weight. The .308 is a versatile hunting round that can be loaded to 30-06 velocities with modern powders. It's widespread use by law enforcement and in the military gives the shooter a wide range of premium ammunition choices, including the excellent TAP by Hornady. Furthermore, as a NATO standard round you can buy military surplus practice ammunition at a fraction of the cost of regular production ammunition.

There are a few things we do to the Model 70 Featherweight to make it into an even more efficient fighting/hunting platform. First, a high quality scope is a very useful addition- the Leupold VariX-III 2.5-8X is a nice optic. Mount it as low as you can get it in quality rings. Back up iron sights are an option. A trigger job to smooth up the factory trigger is usually needed. We cut the stock to shorten the LOP to 13" and install a Pachmayr Decelerator Sporting Clays recoil pad, as it has a hard plastic insert at the heel that aids in mounting the gun. Barrel gets cut to 19-20" to make the gun more maneuverable. Finally, we add a swivel stud just forward of the magazine plate to facilitate use of a Ching Sling. Most of these modifications can be done yourself or at low cost from a local gunsmith.

Other Stuff

A knife and flashlight are two items we never leave home without. You'll find yourself using them almost every day. High end custom knives might impress your friends, but you'll feel guilty using one to cut wire or if you lose it.  Spyderco folding knives are durable and relatively inexpensive- the Delica is very popular. Note that the feasibility of deploying a folding knife in a sudden, violent attack is relatively slim. We look at folding knives more as day to day tools, and often carry small, fixed-blade knives for defense. The Ka-Bar TDI Knife and the CRKT Ryan Plan B fit that role nicely, though you'll probably want to modify the sheaths for daily use.

In flashlights, Surefire is the brand to beat. Their lights are amazingly bright and durable. The E2E Executive is great for daily carry (the L4 LumaMax LED head is a nice option) and the less expensive G2 Nitrolon polymer lights are great to keep around the house and in your vehicle.

Unarmed training is a key component of the entire defensive package that is often overlooked by those that carry guns. We've all heard the gunshop commando- "If I have a gun, I'll just shoot him". Yeah, right. Accessing your pistol in a violent assault may very well require that you first employ empty-hand techniques to create space and/or time. This point is really driven home when we do our Force on Force scenario training in full gear. More times than not, we're finding that the defender is required to first employ an empty handed defense before he has any chance of accessing a weapon. Fortunately, there are more and more "real world" systems being taught that dispense with some of the pomp and circumstance of traditional Eastern martial arts training. These realistic, simple, effective fighting systems are being taught in numerous schools around the country.

Finally, some of the most important training you can receive for your own personal safety or that of your family has nothing to do with weapons or fighting. Are you CPR and First Aid certified? If not, you should be. You should have a comprehensive first aid kit in your home and vehicle along with the ability to use them. Defensive driving skills are just as important as fighting skills, as many more people are injured by cars than by violent crime. Our Suggested Reading section below offers some good books on the subject, and local autocross clubs can teach some important high performance driving skills that can save you on the street. There are also dedicated driving schools, like the Bob Bondurant School in Arizona, that specialize in this type of training.

Suggested Reading

Click here for our list of suggested reading. You can purchase many of these books through our website on Amazon.com

We update this page regularly, so check back often. If you have any questions or would like our input on gear you might be considering, feel free to contact us- info@triad-tactical.com.