Handgun advice.

[E-Rawk]

I"m not a big fan of the revolvers I've shot cause they don't feel right in my hand. Sounds funny, just not comfortable though. I've held a few autos but never shot them but from gun in hand comparisons the auto is more comfortable.

Fengler, been looking at the Sigs too...


marsolais, what'd that Kimber run you, if you don't mind me asking.

Leaning towards a gun that would be fun to take out and target shoot with cheaper ammo. Yet still have good stopping power lest the proverbial shat hits the fan.... you guys think a 9mm or a .40 would be a good choice?

[ASCI_Blue]

I'm a fan of the Walther P99 series. Just happens I'm more accurate with that gun than any of the numerous others I've fired/owned to date including Sig Sauer, Glock, Smith and Wesson, Colt, Kimber, HK, Keltek, Kahr, and Beretta.

Kimbers start at around a grand and go up quick.

I personally like the 9mm, good 9mm ammo will still be less than .40. Trade off is that you gotta look for some heavy 9mm while .40 you can take just about anything off the shelf and have it do it's job. Again trade here is that for just having fun .40 will be a little more expensive. Needless to say you generally don't target shoot with killing ammo, likewise you don't kill with plinking ammo.

[bill]

go with the sig 9mm, good reliable gun under all circumstances....also might want to consider the kel-tec 9mm if $$ is an issue... its a good lightweight gun with a great price, good to learn with if not that experienced or comfortable around guns.. i have a .32 kel tec for concealibility and love it , fits in the palm of your hand....good luck on whatever you choose

[Scud]

Originally Posted by ASCI_Blue

I'm a fan of the Walther P99 series. Just happens I'm more accurate with that gun than any of the numerous others I've fired/owned to date including Sig Sauer, Glock, Smith and Wesson, Colt, Kimber, HK, Keltek, Kahr, and Beretta.

+1

My best friend is a Ranger in the Army and he owns one. Great gun, he likes it more than his M4 and Kimber Custom .45

[Big15]

Originally Posted by STO

Edit---> get adjustable night sights on whatever you buy unless your a natural. Trust me on this.

That is terrible advice for a carry gun. Night sights-YES, Adjustable sights-NO.

Go to a range that rents guns and shoot anything you might be interested in. I am biased toward glocks. Depending on your hand size a glock 19 or 26 might work for you. Both are 9mm and aren't bad with recoil. I personally wouldn't go with anything smaller than 9mm for a defense gun.

[marsolais]

Originally Posted by E-Rawk

I"m not a big fan of the revolvers I've shot cause they don't feel right in my hand. Sounds funny, just not comfortable though. I've held a few autos but never shot them but from gun in hand comparisons the auto is more comfortable.

Fengler, been looking at the Sigs too...


marsolais, what'd that Kimber run you, if you don't mind me asking.

Leaning towards a gun that would be fun to take out and target shoot with cheaper ammo. Yet still have good stopping power lest the proverbial shat hits the fan.... you guys think a 9mm or a .40 would be a good choice?

Well as a cop I got a discount but if price is not a problem for you you'll be looking at around $750-$850. Alittle high but the thing holds seven rounds and fits in the front pocket of my jeans. Great carry gun when your riden.

[marsolais]

Originally Posted by Big15

That is terrible advice for a carry gun. Night sights-YES, Adjustable sights-NO.

Go to a range that rents guns and shoot anything you might be interested in. I am biased toward glocks. Depending on your hand size a glock 19 or 26 might work for you. Both are 9mm and aren't bad with recoil. I personally wouldn't go with anything smaller than 9mm for a defense gun.

Adjustable sights do not matter, in defensive shooting 90% of the time you don't us your sights on the first shot or two. If you have to adjust the sights on the weapon in order for you to hit the target at 10 meters or 30 feet then you need to look at a differant weapon.

[TheSollyLama]

I didn't read all the replies yet, and I'm sure there's good advice, but I wanted to ask what is your issue with revolvers?

For my money, you won't beat a revolver for self defense. A solid double action revolver is the most reliable bang for your buck and that should be your chief concern if you really are interested in self defense.
A revolver is ready to go, no magazines, no safties, no racking a slide, no jams, no stovepipes, any ammo loads without failure.
All you do is pick it up and start pulling the trigger and it goes boom. Got a bad round? just keep pulling the trigger on a revolver. In an auto the weapon id dead until you clear it. And try doing that when awoken at 2:30am by someone kicking in your door.
The less buttons, slides, and safties you have to fiddle with in the dark, half asleep, under extreme stress, trying to assess a threat- the more likely you are to survive the experience.

Some autos also have a hard time feeding certain ammo types, where a revolver loads anything.
Autos also require keeping a magazine loaded for extended periods of time, stressing the spring in the mag. which can then fail at the one time you need it to work.
You don't need a gazillion rounds in an auto- if you shoot more than 5 times you should have been better prepared than a pistol anyway because that is combat, not a robbery. If you don't need a case of ammo to thwart a home invader or street mugger.

Survival is about functionality over style, and a revolver in DA is all about function. I have both and I keep my .357 by the bed loaded with Hydra-Shoks. The auto is loaded, but not my go to weapon like the .357 is.

[marsolais]

Originally Posted by TheSollyLama

I didn't read all the replies yet, and I'm sure there's good advice, but I wanted to ask what is your issue with revolvers?

For my money, you won't beat a revolver for self defense. A solid double action revolver is the most reliable bang for your buck and that should be your chief concern if you really are interested in self defense.
A revolver is ready to go, no magazines, no safties, no racking a slide, no jams, no stovepipes, any ammo loads without failure.
All you do is pick it up and start pulling the trigger and it goes boom. Got a bad round? just keep pulling the trigger on a revolver. In an auto the weapon id dead until you clear it. And try doing that when awoken at 2:30am by someone kicking in your door.
The less buttons, slides, and safties you have to fiddle with in the dark, half asleep, under extreme stress, trying to assess a threat- the more likely you are to survive the experience.

Some autos also have a hard time feeding certain ammo types, where a revolver loads anything.
Autos also require keeping a magazine loaded for extended periods of time, stressing the spring in the mag. which can then fail at the one time you need it to work.
You don't need a gazillion rounds in an auto- if you shoot more than 5 times you should have been better prepared than a pistol anyway because that is combat, not a robbery. If you don't need a case of ammo to thwart a home invader or street mugger.

Survival is about functionality over style, and a revolver in DA is all about function. I have both and I keep my .357 by the bed loaded with Hydra-Shoks. The auto is loaded, but not my go to weapon like the .357 is.

Well put.. And very true. Something like 60% of all home defence weapons are revolvers. A 357 S/W works well.

[peldor]

I would like to say that my uncle (who is NOPD) carries a Glock model 29 as his off duty weapon. Its small, fires a 10mm round (in most respects better than a .40 cal round) and can be compensated. I have shot this gun many times and I am planning on replacing my .40 with a 10mm this summer. The model 29 shoots flat out to about 25 yards without to much loss of accuracy and is amazing at the 30 foot mark. It has a shot pattern of about eight inches. 10mm also comes in all the standard loads (wad, JHP, parabellum).
The 10mm Auto approaches the .41 Magnum in power. It is capable of driving a 175 grain bullet at muzzle velocity (MV) of 1290 fps from a 5.5" barrel. This load is available from Winchester with a Silvertip JHP bullet. Needless to say, it is plenty powerful, with 649 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy (MV). As you might suspect, this load kicks like a .41 Magnum, too.

Just my 2 cents.

[Unbridled Rage]

E-Rawk, what's your price range?

Also, target-grade accuracy and combat-worthy functional dependability tend to run at cross-purposes in handgun manufacture. Tighter tolerances in target-grade guns may compromise reliability of the gun under combat conditions. The trick is find the balance between the two that are acceptable to you at your price point.

Which is why I'm a revolver man. (2" barrel snubnosed 5-shot .38 special with bobbed hammer). Plus, none of that nasty brass left at the scene.

Glocks seem to have their rabid following, and they are affordable, new. I don't own one (yet), looking at the 10mm model 29.

Give us more information.

D

[TheSollyLama]

Most importantly, you need to find yourself a throw away. Get some street thug to sell you a Raven or Lorcin POS pocket gun. Then when you cap a bastard, put his prints on it and say he pulled it. Instant self-defense against a weapon at the same level (it's a gun) as yours. Breeze right on through the trial that WILL occur if you ice somebody.

Did I say that out loud???????????????????????

[E-Rawk]

ROTFLMAO, Solly you're too damned funny sometimes. Not really looking to spend more than $600. I don't need a target gun, just something that I would enjoy taking out and shooting...and that would also me good for home defense and long distance travel. Revolvers are again a moot point due to not feeling comfortable in my hand.

[Truck]

I just bought my first handgun, and I got a Springfield XD9, it's a 9mm. GREAT gun, I really like it, 300 rounds gone through it flawlessly, and it eats anything. Search the net for it, gets great reviews and very easy to clean\break down.

[Unbridled Rage]

Originally Posted by E-Rawk

ROTFLMAO, Solly you're too damned funny sometimes. Not really looking to spend more than $600. I don't need a target gun, just something that I would enjoy taking out and shooting...and that would also me good for home defense and long distance travel. Revolvers are again a moot point due to not feeling comfortable in my hand.

At that price point, you're into Glock/Springfield XD territory, especially since you need to budget $50 +/- for holsters, concealed and open carry.

I would go with a 9mm for now, if I were you. After a few thousand rounds, you can make an educated decision about your next gun. And there will be one.

My .02, there is nothing a .40 S&W cartridge does that the 10mm does not do better. I have nines, and forty-fives, and in the future, a 10mm.

Keep us posted.

Glocktalk.com


D