Another evil black handgun...

This was recommended to me as a wise choice for personal carry. HK USP .45.

And why? Okay, here goes; Because Tom Cruise carried it in the movie "Collateral" and that proves it's a good gun that can be easily concealed.

I shit you not. Now, it is a nice handgun. Too pricey, too heavy, too bulky for everyday carry, and since we're a full-service blog, here's a Hollywood insiders tip about movies.

Mike *******, property master for MGM feature films:

"It's a fucking movie, Fits.Whenever they want to stop the action they can, then they slide old Shortshits gun back into the holster and the director yells ACTION. Unless you can afford to have a film crew follow you around town, carrying this gun will not be as easy for you as it was for Shortshit."

Thank you, Mike, it was as I suspected. I've carried far heavier guns, but the reason they still make them when there's not much of a reason to, is because of the fact that recoil is troublesome to a lot of non-military, non-law enforcement type folks, and the extra weight tames the kick a bit. The same Princesses buy such a weapon, remark that it's a soft shooter, then try to lug it around town with them. Soon it becomes a safe queen and they're off to find something lighter. They find something lighter, but it kicks like a mule in their soft pudgy hands, so into the the safe it goes to keep the bigger gun company.

This continues for many years, and at the end of the tunnel they find the perfect little .38 Special, feed it with lead hollowpoints ala the old FBI loads and proudly announce that they don't feel under-gunned at all.

There are range guns, and home protection guns, and carry guns. Unless one lives in an open-carry environment, it is wise to get something along the lines of a G-23 or 27, a G-30 or 36 if you're convinced that bigbore is the way to go, or a Kahr, or any number of low-weight, high-power-factor weapons. Nothing wrong with a .38, but feeding it is another tale for another time.

If possible, always check with the manufacturer BEFORE buying a weapon. As an example, Beretta's are popular plinkers but Berretta wants them back after 15 thousand rounds to give 'em a rebuild. If you shoot a lot, then this is not the gun for you, and there are many such carry-often, shoot-not-so-often products that await your eventual dismay.