Best pistols for New Mexico desert carry

Ammo warrior

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Living in New Mexico's desert has changed my perspective on carry guns. I spent a day hiking near Albuquerque recently and my pistol was caked with dust by the end. The combination of dust, heat, and dry conditions seems tough on firearms, now I am looking for something that won't choke up from constant sand infiltration
 
Out here, the Glock 19 is King for dust and heat, keep the lube minimal, use a good holster, and you won't get choked up...it just runs
 
What size and caliber do you prefer for carry, and do you want optics or just iron sights? I carried a compact steel pistol in dusty country and found regular field cleaning paid off
 
You need tough, basic pistols. Think sealed controls, rust-proof finish and a dependable extractor
 
The CZ 75 was the choice of Russian officers when they were in Afghanistan, because it performed quite reliably in mountain, desert, and urban actions. It has internal slide rails for reliability and the full size model holds 15+1 (15 magazine +1 chambered) of 9mm Luger cartridges which one may get in many versatile configurations. There are other models of the CZ if you do not want to carry a full size handgun. The CZ 75 is the second most copied semi-auto handgun in the world, and second only to the Model 1911 A1. It is a double/single action weapon; it is of all steel construction, and has 3 finishes: polymer, blued, and stainless. The CZ's are known to be quite accurate right out of the box, and I will attest to the fact that the trigger pull is smooth in both double and single action modes and improves (like most firearms) with use. CZ-USA has an assembly facility in St. Louis which is the U.S. distributor/warranty/repair location. While in New Mexico (and other locations) I have carried a CZ 75 for many years; desert, high plains, foothills/mountains, rain snow, wind storms, etc., and have never had a problem with that firearm. Caveat: Any weapon requires maintenance, and while it may not need it, I ALWAYS clean and inspect any firearm after use...if one is going to rely on a weapon, especially for protection, they bloody well better keep it in excellent functioning condition...even after firing one single shot, and/or exposing it to environments which may affect performance.
 
The CZ 75 was the choice of Russian officers when they were in Afghanistan, because it performed quite reliably in mountain, desert, and urban actions. It has internal slide rails for reliability and the full size model holds 15+1 (15 magazine +1 chambered) of 9mm Luger cartridges which one may get in many versatile configurations. There are other models of the CZ if you do not want to carry a full size handgun. The CZ 75 is the second most copied semi-auto handgun in the world, and second only to the Model 1911 A1. It is a double/single action weapon; it is of all steel construction, and has 3 finishes: polymer, blued, and stainless. The CZ's are known to be quite accurate right out of the box, and I will attest to the fact that the trigger pull is smooth in both double and single action modes and improves (like most firearms) with use. CZ-USA has an assembly facility in St. Louis which is the U.S. distributor/warranty/repair location. While in New Mexico (and other locations) I have carried a CZ 75 for many years; desert, high plains, foothills/mountains, rain snow, wind storms, etc., and have never had a problem with that firearm. Caveat: Any weapon requires maintenance, and while it may not need it, I ALWAYS clean and inspect any firearm after use...if one is going to rely on a weapon, especially for protection, they bloody well better keep it in excellent functioning condition...even after firing one single shot, and/or exposing it to environments which may affect performance.
The old nineteen eleven is hard to beat. What i've learned from living out here is your better off to carry a cheap one that doesn't fit too tight. I have a Dan Wesson specialist, and that's some b****Gets dirty, really quick out here?And I have to clean it often. My metro arms, American classic, I paid about 450 bucks for just keeps on shooting.It doesn't care about dirt or dust or grime. It may not be the most accurate in the world but at under fifteen yards to the chest 12 the head every time.
 
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