1. RIA=entry level gun w/ sketchy record for reliability. Reliability should be first consideration for a self defense gun.
2. 329PD an awesome gun for hand gun hunting which is the stated design goal of the mfg. Shot to shot recovery time makes it less than optimum for self defense.
3. P3AT,gack,stuff it w/ high pressure loads and strain a weak system even more.
4. Low capacity handguns as a CC choice indicate that the user can predict the number of attackers and the shots required to stop each attacker.
5. ammo/caliber choices indicate that the user believes that the ammo is a major factor in stopping potential threats.
6. For the cost of the 329 PD you have many better choices. mr
You don't actually get around much, do you?
1. The RIA actually has a good record of reliability, overall. Any problems that I have seen or read reports of were found early and easily fixed (like extractor tuning - which is simple).
2. No one who has hunted with big-bore hanguns considers the .329pd as an ideal "hunting gun". It was never intended for that. S&W does not market that particular gun as a hunting arm, and even if they did, few would shoose it for that. It is a defensive handgun gainst large predators. As such, it s a hard platform to beat. Carried for smaller threats, it can be loaded with .44spl +p for faster follow-up shots.
3. I'm not a fan of the .380 - but if I were, I would have no problem with the p3at. Very comfortable to shoot, compared to the usual blow-back .380....even in a steel frame. For what it is designed for (deep concealment), it works very well.
I have put rounds downrange from all three, and all three serve their purpose quite well.
I owned the RIA before I passed it on to my son (which I would never do with anything I didn't trust fully). It has had a few thousand or more trouble-free rounds through it. Others I have seen are just as good (some with much higher round count). Entry level? Yes. Parked finish and no frills keep the cost down. That doesn't mean it isn't a good gun. At least one long-tme 1911 specialist I know of has stated that the RIA pistols are quite true to original spec, and the parts are not prone to breakage.
I have friends who I shoot with who own the other two. Wouldn't be afraid to put either to use as defensive arms, in the situation that calls for it. I have yet to hear of either failing to function.
