@Graham Baates Yes, reassembly is tough the first couple of times, but once you figure it out, it's not so bad. Compared to my dad's old Ruger Mk II, it's very simple! 😃 I don't know if range time counts as "training", but I'm definitely getting more comfortable and accurate with the GP. When were at our friend's place in WI, I managed to hit a couple of two liter soda bottles from about 50 yards out. I say "we" because my wife came with and she tried both of my guns (the GP and a Kimber Micro 9). As a first-time shooter, she said she was much more comfortable with the Grand Power. Not surprising with a rotating barrel that is about 1-inch longer than the Kimber's.

Thank you! While waiting (forever) for my Illinois FOID card to process, I took the 16-hour CCL class to better prepare for my eventual ownership of a firearm and the responsibilities it entails. I was not a complete stranger to guns, but I wanted to start from square one before I learned any bad habits. My CCL class was hosted by a local gun range, so when I finally took delivery of my Grand Power, I took the advice of my instructor and introduced myself to the Range Safety Officer before taking my first shots. I told him I was a new gun owner and asked him for a run-through on their safety protocols. I was nervous, so I also went by myself so I could take my time in my assigned lane. I didn't want the distractions of a well-meaning friend cluttering my head with additional advice. Since that first time in March, I've purchased an additional gun for carrying (Kimber Micro 9) and I try to get to the range at least once a month. Friends of ours also have some property in rural Wisconsin where we can shoot to our heart's content. It was at their property where I got to do my best Hickok45 impression and shoot up some two liter bottles of orange soda! 😀

Hi All I've only been a gun owner since March of this year. Like many new owners, my motivation was the rioting that took place last year, some of which was very close to home. I live in a northern suburb of Chicago, about 9 miles from the Wisconsin state line. Kenosha, WI, home to some of the worst rioting last summer, is a 25 minute drive from our house. We have family in Kenosha and have shopped and dined at some of the very businesses that were destroyed last year. It is very sobering to see businesses in your own town pre-emptively boarding up their windows, and to see friends and neighbors rushing to the grocery store to stock up before looting might occur. I felt very powerless to protect my family and knew the time was now to exercise my 2nd amendment right. Illinois is a VERY blue state, so securing a Firearm Owner's ID card (FOID) took almost nine months, even though by statute it is only supposed to take 35 days. One benefit of this delay was that it allowed me to do quite a bit of research on what I wanted to buy. Of course, almost every gun owner I spoke to said to buy a Glock, but I wanted to get something different. If I was going to take the steps necessary to buy a gun, I didn't want it to just be an appliance. (No offense, Glock fans!) Out of sheer boredom one day, I randomly clicked on an link for a Stribog on the Gun Broker web site. From there, I searched Grand Power on You Tube and came across Graham's "Wonderfully Different" series of videos. Having never owned a gun and never even picked up a Grand Power, I ordered a P1 Ultra online less than a week after my FOID card was finally issued. I'm officially a Grand Power Fanboy now!! 😀 Graham - Your low-key and fact-based reviews are really appreciated. It's been great seeing Teya get more comfortable in her appearances as your video library has grown. Congratulations on the new venture!