Anyone knowledgeable on HANDGUNS?

[Megamorph]

I've had my concealed carry license for several years now and have always carried a Rugger 9mm. I rarely ever carry it on my person, but usually in my vehicle. I recently sold my Rugger, so I'm in the market for a new gun. I really like the Glock 36 for concealed carry, but since I'll be primarily keeping it in my car, I thought a larger frame gun might be better. I do have small hands though.

Any suggestions on some cool handguns (no revolvers)?

 

[bonk102]

unfortunately i can't help you out, but i am actually looking to get my pistol permit before the end of the summer, so i would be interested in this also

 

[Brutuskend]

H&K P9s

 

[Mookow]

<< I've had my concealed carry license for several years now and have always carried a Rugger 9mm. I rarely ever carry it on my person, but usually in my vehicle. I recently sold my Rugger, so I'm in the market for a new gun. I really like the Glock 36 for concealed carry, but since I'll be primarily keeping it in my car, I thought a larger frame gun might be better. I do have small hands though.

Any suggestions on some cool handguns (no revolvers)? >>



One question first... do you want a larger frame for the increased magazine capacity, or for the inherent (possible, not always the case) increase in power/accuracy/range?

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Colt .25

Holds 7 rounds, extremely small (small that the palm of the average hand) no safety switch (kinda like a glock, just pull and boom). Put P+ ammo in and you're good to go. Much better than those big guys.

I'd go with a Glock 30 over the 36. 10 round capacity and is the same size except double stack mags (where the 36 is a single stack 6 round mag).

Really tiny=colt
Don't need really tiny=Glock 30

If you wanted something in between you could get the 26, it's a 9mm and is just a tad smaller than the 30/6.

 

[littlezipp]

Megamorph-I don't consider myself a handgun expert, but I'll tell you what I know. First off, don't go for the smaller guns, the smaller the barrel, the less accuracy you will have. The point of a CCW permit is to hit your target, and you have to qualify with the weapon you buy, so make sure you get something accurate. That said, Sig Saur makes a good gun, HK, S&W, and Browning all make quality guns in various sizes and calibers. On a sidenote, I am not a fan of Glocks. I much prefer the feel of a solid steel weapon over a polymer weapon anyday.

 

[Mookow]

Another set of questions: what is your budget? Have you fired a 45 before, and if so, what did you think of the recoil? Any preference in caliber?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

You really need to go to a range that has rentals (as most do), and try out a wide complement of weapons until you find what you like. You need to start by figuring out which caliber best meets your needs. For me, that is 9mm, which is easy and cheap to shoot, and is an adequate personal defense caliber with the right load. YMMV, but 9mm and 45 ACP are by far the cheapest to shoot, and have the widest array of loads available.

IMO the Sigs are the best DA/SA guns in the world, but if you are looking for a carry weapon there is a lot to be said for the Glock's consistent trigger pull (which is really more like a long-travel SA than anything). I recently did quite a bit of test-shooting with a USP9 Compact and Sig P228 before settling on a Glock 17.

I have big hands and the compact Glocks were too small to be comfy. I liked the grip of the USP, but the trigger is a bit nasty, and other things being equal I am not fond of manual safeties like the USP's. The Sig had by far the nicest trigger but cost $150 more, and I prefer only having one trigger pull to get used to (not to mention the availability of 17-round preban mags). I bet I will end up with some flavor of Sig at some point, though - those guns are a joy to shoot. I have shot a Beretta 92FS/M9 extensively as well but those things are enormous and very heavy for a 9mm pistol.

You sound like a good candidate for a G19 or G23 to me, but to each his own . . .

If budget is a consideration at all you should really look closely at the CZ guns, which are cheap and are arguably right up with Sig and the other nicest-shooting 9mms in the world.

In terms of 45 ACP, there are many, many variations on the 1911, but from a price/performance standpoint the Kimbers and Springfields seem the nicest to me. The Para Ordnance LDA is a neat design as well. Tough not to love the Sig 220 too. These are all pretty spendy guns, though.

 

[Calcio]

My personal preferrence is a Sig. They are excellent hand guns. I actually bought mine used from a friends Dad. He used it for about seven years on duty(he's a cop), and it has never misfired. The gun is also very accurate, even after all these years. They do carry a pretty hefty price tag though, but they are great

 

[Megamorph]

I think if I got something really small it would be the Glock 36 or one of the smaller Glocks, but I was thinking that since it would primarily be carried in my car that I would get a tad larger gun for better accuracy and less recoil. My budget is about $800.

 

[Megamorph]

Is there a drastic price difference in 9mm rounds vs. .40 rounds?

Also, does anyone know anything about the Sig Pro polymer guns?

Don_Vito, you make some really good points. I really like the P220, but I think a full size gun is out of the question.

 

[yakko]

I have small hands also and I like the H&K. I forget the exact model number but it was a 9 mm and it was a little smaller than most but not tiny. It fit perfectly in my hand.

 

[Spike]

I am actually a big fan of the Walther P99, it just seems to fit my hands very nicely. It is a 9mm and in the US you get a 10round magazine

 

[gooseman]

I also have a concealed carry permit and I own 2 Glocks. I love them. They are both .40 cal. (you can definately tell the difference from the 9mm). One is a full sized model 22 and one is a "baby" Glock, the model 27. I leave the model 22 at home most of the time and carry the 27. While it is true that the larger models are a little more accurate, I compensate that by using a mag. extension on the model 27. It allows me to use a 10 round mag and have the extra finger grip on the bottom. With that mag in, I am just as accurate as with the larger model 22. IMHO, you just can't go wrong with the Glock.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Taurus Millenium pt140 (not the 145, they have a frame cracking problem with +P loads)
Glock 30 for small, but not as small as the 36.
Glock 22 if you want something larger (sorry, it's my fav of the glocks).

 

[JonnyDuke]

Well, there are so many choices these days for under $800... but I noticed that you said you like the 220... did you know that they now make a shorter version of it? It holds 6 rounds as oppossed to 7 in the standard size. It's called the P245 and I've actually held one, nice feel to it

If you want a double action .45 you could check out Para-Ordnance's LDA,
though I think they retail for right about $800. Or for something less expensive there is Tanfoglio and their Witness pistols.

Do you have any particular preferences that you haven't listed?

My personal favorites are Kahr pistols. I own two of them. They really are spectacular little guns.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

<< Is there a drastic price difference in 9mm rounds vs. .40 rounds?

Also, does anyone know anything about the Sig Pro polymer guns? >>



It depends on what you feel is drastic - there are certainly many, many more different 9mm loads, and .40 S&W ammo is typically 25-40% more than 9mm. This is no big deal if you don't shoot a lot, but I enjoy it and shoot at least a couple of hundred rounds per week.

I have handled the Sig Pros and they seem pretty nice, but I have heard mixed reviews from people who own them. I don't like the trigger as well as on the P-series Sigs I have shot. I think at this point the Glocks and USPs are probably still the premier polymer pistols.

Another thing that was meaningful to me (but might or might not matter to you) is the Tenifer process Glock uses on their slides - it gives the metal incredible corrosion resistance and a greater surface hardness than stainless steel. This makes Glocks excellent for backpacking or long mountain bike trips, both of which I enjoy.

 

[tdog44632]

My vote for sig P329 in .357 sig. Excellent pistol check it out at gun store. Glocks are nice too, I have Glock 19 30,000 rouns 2 misfires(both surplus egyptian ammo)

Tony

 

[ThePresence]

Personally, I like the Jericho polymer. It's a 9mm modeled after a CZ. small and accurate. Jericho

 

[Amused]

I like the stainless Walther PPK/S as a carry gun. More accurate than my Barretta 92F was and about the same as my Sig 226. I was, and still am amazed by this gun.

If you ever have the chance, go try one out.

If you still favor a full or mid sized frame, check out the Sig P226 (full size) or P229 (mid size). Get one in 40S&W with the Nitron finish and Tritium night sights and you'll never regret it.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

<< My vote for sig P329 in .357 sig. Excellent pistol check it out at gun store. Glocks are nice too, I have Glock 19 30,000 rouns 2 misfires(both surplus egyptian ammo)

Tony >>



I think you mean the P229. The P239 is a teeny compact 9mm.

The topic has been widely debated, but it is not at all clear that .357 Sig is superior to a +P+ 9mm load, which any high-quality, modern 9mm pistol can fire. .357 Sig has a lot of theoretical advantages - it might be the most accurate autopistol caliber at long distances, and its necked cartridges feed well. Frankly with a high-quality 9mm like a Sig or Glock you will virtually never experience feeding problems, so that is probably not a meaningful difference.

.357 Sig ammo is quite expensive (it is the costliest autopistol cartridge other than exotica like the .44 Automag or .50 AE), and its sharp recoil makes second-shot acquisition slower than 9mm. Also, .357 Sig is REALLY LOUD, further complicating that second shot, not to mention the likely hearing loss that will come with shooting it without hearing protection.

One nice thing about .357 Sig is that nearly any .357 Sig pistol will allow you to switch over to .40 S&W by changing the barrel, since the .357 Sig is basically a .40 S&W cartridge necked down to accept a 9mm bullet.

 

[gregshin]

Ever thought about going .45acp? I also have small hands also and find the glock 30 model .45acp very easy to control. I would rather use .45acp then a 9mm because the .45 is much superior round in stoping power and accuracy. Also Sig makes a compact version of the P225 .45acp pistol which a very fine pistol.
I used to work at a gun range and the best guns i fired out of the box with modifications were Sigs....granted they cost a bit higher then other pistols but they worth the extra cost. One thing i hate about sigs are they are a beech to clean....it takes me twice the time to clean a sig then a H&K USP pistol.

The sig .357 is very nice round also...almost reminds me of the .38 super round...i would carry a .357sig then the 9mm...sorry i just dont have respect for the 9mm, .40, 10mm rounds. Why not just carry a .357sw special revolver that's hammerless?

I say go to a range and fire off a nice .45 pistol...a sig if they have one for rent...or the glock 30. Just dont use the the rental colt .45 there because that gun does no justice for .45 unless it's heavily modified

 

[gregshin]

<< Colt .25

Holds 7 rounds, extremely small (small that the palm of the average hand) no safety switch (kinda like a glock, just pull and boom). Put P+ ammo in and you're good to go. Much better than those big guys.

I'd go with a Glock 30 over the 36. 10 round capacity and is the same size except double stack mags (where the 36 is a single stack 6 round mag).

Really tiny=colt
Don't need really tiny=Glock 30

If you wanted something in between you could get the 26, it's a 9mm and is just a tad smaller than the 30/6. >>



Oh hellz no! .22's, .25, .380's. can all go to hell! I would rather throw throw that gun at someone then shoot at them

 

[JohnnyReb]

I've had my concealed carry license for several years now and have always carried a Rugger 9mm. I rarely ever carry it on my person, but usually in my vehicle. I recently sold my Rugger, so I'm in the market for a new gun. I really like the Glock 36 for concealed carry, but since I'll be primarily keeping it in my car, I thought a larger frame gun might be better. I do have small hands though.

Any suggestions on some cool handguns (no revolvers)?

I understand the desire for a "cool" gun. However, there are some things a wise man will keep in mind for a gun to leave in your car.

First and foremost, you want the pistol to fire when needed. I have had a semi-auto fail due to dust and congealed oil (when cold). If you are going to keep a semi-auto in your car, you MUST make a regimen of monthly cleaning.

Secondly, the chance of loosing the firearm is much greater. Either due to theft or confiscation. You do not want a huge investment (Colt Combat Commander) lost.

I have carried a Charter Arms Bulldog in my glove compartment for almost 20 years. This is a .44 Special revolver. As it lies there, all springs are at rest and it is ready for use with little or no maintenance. It has gone as long as three years between handling. The perfect car gun.

If you MUST have a semi-auto then you need a true single action, so that the springs will be at rest (except for the magazine). You need to go with a military design known for its ruggedness. I would suggest the great 1911 in condition two. This will afford you at least one shot, even with a magazine failure due to age/weather/spring failure.

The Conditions of Readiness

John



Colt .25

Holds 7 rounds, extremely small (small that the palm of the average hand) no safety switch (kinda like a glock, just pull and boom). Put P+ ammo in and you're good to go. Much better than those big guys.

I don't believe Colt still makes a .25, nor is the .25 available in +p.

 

[boolerboy]

i've owned a sig p228 for almost 5 years now. i couldn't be more satisfied with it. the gun is incredibly well balanced and accurate. it is a breeze to clean. there's no safety - the DA is safety enough according to sig. yes, it was expensive, but never once have i regretted buying it. i have medium sized hands and the p228 just fits perfectly.