New Gun!!!

Finally, after waiting and waiting the new gun has arrived. What is it you ask? I'll give you a hint.

The grip should give it away. If not....

A Springfield Armory XDM-9 5.25. The 5.25 refers to the barrel length and the 9 to caliber. Yea verily it is a 9mm bullet hose. It is primarily a competition gun and is used by a lot of USPSA shooters. A lot of others hate it but what do they know. I love it and more importantly so does Lu. More on that in a minute. Here it is in all it's glory.

It came with a veritable plethora of stuff. Two additional back straps to mold it to perfection, three (count 'em three) 19 round mags, a mag loader, holster, mag pouch and the hated and useless gun lock. $760 bucks out the door. The front sight is fiber optic. Gamer all the way baby.

Why this particular gun? Lemme 'splain. No, there's no time. Lemme sum up. Warning: this is competition talk about a gun I got strictly to shoot competition. Any resemblance to a combat firearm are strictly coincidental. (Though I'd take it into a dynamic scenario in a heartbeat but that's just me)

I am currently shooting a Glock 35 (after my Sig crapped out on me) in .40 S&W. A fine pistol but one that just doesn't fit me as well as I'd like, especially when I'm desperately trying to master a new discipline. What I needed was a more traditional pistola, one chambered for a softer cartridge and suitable for hosing those difficult stages when actually aiming just won't do. I looked and searched and asked and the majority decision seemed to be this gun. Then I shot it and was instantly hooked. It's very accurate, easy to shoot and points instinctively. Ooh baby, now we're talking! Plus it's amenable to some simple adjustments (like a trigger though the stocker is pretty dang good) that are not only USPSA approved but that will take it from good to totally fabulous.

But wait, it gets even better. Lu has come along very nicely and is ready to take the next step in her development (Whatever that next step turns out to be. That's still being discussed). She's been shooting her Sig P226 9mm which she adores but which isn't exactly suited for this type of shooting. Recently she got the chance to shoot one of the guy's XDMs and she loved it. So much so that we've been looking at getting her a 4 inch. Then she saw mine and decided to wait until she could shoot it and then decide. Well, she shot it today and can you guess what she now wants? That's right, one just like mine. In fact she has already taken a decidedly untoward interest in my very gun. I have had to take it away from her numerous times. The slobber all over it is just so hard to remove. Hang on a sec.

"Lu, put that down! My gun. Mine."

"But we needs the precious. Yes we do!!!"

"My gun. Bad Lu. Bad!"

Where were we? Oh right. I am also considering a 1911 (Or maybe a 2011. One never knows...) so I can shoot Single Stack and Heavy Metal 3 Gun. If I do that we can share (Yeah, wishful thinking right there) the XDM. I'll probably get it on alternate weekends and she'll yell at me for feeding it junk food and not properly giving it a Sunday bath.

"We loves the precious. Yes we do."

So, there we are. At this point we're cussing and discussing where we're going. I've been perusing the 1911 offerings while Lu tries to hide the XDM. I may just throw in the towel and buy a second one just so I don't have to engage in a continual Tug-O-War with the woman who cooks my food and knows where I sleep. I mean it's only money. Right?

Did I mention that the gun store just got in a H&K MP5 and I have wanted one for like forever? Or that the same gun store is well stocked with a variety of tasty1911s?

Hey Sweetheart? If you really want that XDM I think we can work this out....

"We gots the Precious! Oh yes! Oh yes, my Precious!!"

I'm gonna need a bigger gun safe.

Six