Sidearms for Naval Aviators

[PerDiem]

Well, I qualed during aircrew school, so I would think on the 'O' side of the house maybe you'll qual during API. As far as re-quals 4 years later, I had a cast on my arm and wasn't able to shoot, but still went on deployment and got issued a sidearm. The standard "Don't shoot the NavCom" still applied. :icon_wink

 

[Gatordev]

are you saying you never qualify on handguns anymore they just say here is your pistol try not to kill your Nav/Com

You qual as part of your pre-deployment workup schedule. You don't get issued a side arm. The AOs/AWs keep them locked up and you check them out before each flight (or it may be part of your gear...not sure what happens on the carrier now). You can have your own sidearm as part of your gear, but it's kind of a pain in the ass and (legally) it has to be a 9mm. If it isn't, the issue of where the ammo comes from will be a problem (again, legally). I'm sure there's stories of those that have got around this, I'm just sayin' what supposed to happen.

If you dig around on the site, you'll see several previous threads that cover this.

 

[nittany03]

The first shot is going to be different from the remainder for every DA/SA gun, regardless of manufacturer.

The thing that irks me about the M9 is the number locking block failures I've seen. You're already having a pretty sh*tty day if you have to go to your pistol, it'd be nice to have faith that the thing was going to work for more than one shot.

What I hate is that the grip is freaking HUGE. Some of us don't have ogre hands and prefer something more like a SIG or Glock. And again, since they used a Neanderthal as the ergonomics model, the safety is way the heck away from my thumb. Screw safeties. My safety is between my ears.

 

[mmx1]

You qual as part of your pre-deployment workup schedule. You don't get issued a side arm. The AOs/AWs keep them locked up and you check them out before each flight (or it may be part of your gear...not sure what happens on the carrier now). You can have your own sidearm as part of your gear, but it's kind of a pain in the ass and (legally) it has to be a 9mm. If it isn't, the issue of where the ammo comes from will be a problem (again, legally). I'm sure there's stories of those that have got around this, I'm just sayin' what supposed to happen.

If you dig around on the site, you'll see several previous threads that cover this.

You can have your own sidearm? That's news to me (probably not kosher on the Green side). I suppose bringing personally owned weapons on a carrier is easier than bringing them in/out(or not) of a foreign country.

I've heard good things about the Beretta's accuracy and I shot well enough with it to get Expert even with my svelte mitts, but I'd jump at the opportunity to carry a Sig or HK with a DAK or LEM trigger instead. I'm with nittany.....slide-mounted safety....WTF.

Incidentally, several of you said you had P226's in the fleet, so I'm guessing it's not a M11/P226 mixup. I thought only NSW had the P226's, how did aviation units end up getting them?

 

[Jim123]

Incidentally, several of you said you had P226's in the fleet, so I'm guessing it's not a M11/P226 mixup. I thought only NSW had the P226's, how did aviation units end up getting them?

For some reason I remember P228, not 226... the one without a safety (but it did have a hammer release lever). I'm pretty sure the paperwork called it an M11.

 

[mmx1]

P226 is full-size (same as the Beretta, ran against it in the pistol competition), P228 is a compact later adopted as the M11 as a pilot sidearm, among other things.

Both in DA/SA have a decocker but no safety.

 

[PerDiem]

Now that you mention it, it was probably the p228 I was given, because I remember it not having a safety. Not sure if this is a common trend among Sigs, but I specifically remember that detail.

 

[MasterBates]

Neither my P226 (personal gun in 357 sig) or my issue M11/P228 had safeties. Just decockers.

P228/M11 is basically a P229 (compact version of the P226) but with a stamped steel slide vice forged slide, so it's only good for 9mm, and not 357/40S&W

 

[Bevo16]

are you saying you never qualify on handguns anymore they just say here is your pistol try not to kill your Nav/Com

The first Navy issue pistol I ever handled was in the wardroom on the Carl Vinson. I was given a brief by an AOC, gave him a warm fuzzy that I knew my way around and handgun, and then flew with it from then on. Same deal with M-4 when we were flying over Iraq. I reported to my squadron the day we left on cruise, so I did not qualify during workups.

If it is a "requirement" to qualify before flying with it, we broke that rule for myself and 3 other guys who reported during cruise.

 

[Gatordev]

You can have your own sidearm? That's news to me (probably not kosher on the Green side). I suppose bringing personally owned weapons on a carrier is easier than bringing them in/out(or not) of a foreign country.

You're allowed 4 pounds. I'm sure it's a pain in the ass, but it can be done. Plenty of people bring firearms into and out of foreign countries everyday.

If it is a "requirement" to qualify before flying with it, we broke that rule for myself and 3 other guys who reported during cruise.

I'm pretty sure it's a requirement. Probably something tracked on this "M-rating" I always hear about. But yeah, it gets broken. I had the same experience this last det.

 

[Carlos Caliente]

Your own sidearm ? You wish.

Having just completed one over the beach damn near every day type deployment I can truly say without a doubt that the navy will never let you tote your own piece in your flightgear. Maybe so in the past but never more. It was such a pain in the ass even getting our M9s and "qualing" on them that introducing other types of firearms woulda have literally exploded some heads up the chain. M9s have a rep for being a piece of shite but what do I know, I was never allowed to use one except for in a clinically controlled environment. It's like learning the jet, gotta take it out for a JO spin without adult supervision to truly learn something. Evidently i am fully able to take a jet loaded for bear flying, but trust me with overnight liberty or a handgun?Nope.
-End of rant-

 

[Bonko]

Its comforting to know I will be well trained on my piece of shite... at least I know to point the loud end at the bad guy.

 

[Gatordev]

Evidently i am fully able to take a jet loaded for bear flying, but trust me with overnight liberty or a handgun?Nope.
-End of rant-

You just don't understand the gravity of the situation that is overnight liberty. It's amazing we (the Navy) survived the previous 200-some years, isn't it? My favorite: three man buddy rule...so that the bad guys have a larger target to hit.

 

[navyavi469]

The gun you want is simply the gun you feel comfortable shooting and hitting something with. Doesn't matter if its a .22LR revolver, or a Desert Eagle .50AE... as long as YOU can hit something with it quickly, consistently, and accurately.

If you want a gun as a CCW that you can put on your person or in your car, you'll need something small and slender enough to WANT to carry conveneiently. If its not conveneient, you won't carry it, I promise you. A .380 in your pocket is worth a hell of a lot more than a .44 mag sitting at home.

Take those to factors into consideration, and then buy what YOU want; enjoy your shooting.

 

[jtmedli]

It's like learning the jet, gotta take it out for a JO spin without adult supervision to truly learn something. Evidently i am fully able to take a jet loaded for bear flying, but trust me with overnight liberty or a handgun?Nope.
-End of rant-

Sad, but True.