Turning 21 soon. Looking to buy a handgun? What ya think

I carry a 1911 chambered in 10mm every day. yes it's heavy as hell but when push comes to shoot I know it will work flawlessly and stop whatever the threat might be.

the .40 vs 9mm debate is always tough personally if it were me I would go with a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. To me the .40 cal is a bit snappy and has more muzzle flip than I like. both are good rounds though. If you are new to shooing you might want to check out a revolver they are very easy to carry and have far less moving parts to worry about. As others have said the best thing to do would be to go to a range and test a out the pistols before you buy them.

 

My personal preference is a 1911A1 style in .45 cal. It was the first sidearm I carried as an officer in the Army and there is nothing like the feel of a full-sized frame in your hands. But, a full-sized frame is difficult to conceal and hard for people with smaller hands to handle.

So, I'll throw something different into the mix. My first concealed carry sidearm was a Czech Milsurplus vz.82 (commonly sold and called a CZ82 which is the civilian version). These are sold through lots of gun brokers online for delivery to your FFL (or to your house if you have an 03 or 01 FFL). They fire 9Mmm Makarov which is readily available and relatively inexpensive. The magazine holds 12 rounds. It is lightweight and fairly slim - I actually added aftermarket wooden grips to mine to beef up the width of the grips for my hands. With HP rounds it has plenty of stopping power.
Cost is probably still in the $260 to $280 range.

I have since retired the vz82 to my gun safe for fun shooting now and my personal concealed carry is a Kimber Ultra CDP II in .45 with Crimson Trace grips. It has a 3" barrel and fits my hands perfectly. By far, the best shooting .45 I've ever had....although I am still partial to my full size WWII vintage Remington Rand M1911A1.

 

Honestly, if I didn't have a budget, that'd be the gun I'd be purchasing. ^

 

I know what you mean, Nate. It took me years to get to the point where I could swing the Kimber.

Find something that fits both your budget and your shooting style for now. You'll have another opportunity later the get a Kimber. You might also look at gun sales sites like Gunbroker for a used deal. You can find some well cared for used pistols there at great prices.

The key is to find the frame and caliber that you are most comfortable with and most confident in.

I started out with a 1911A1 in the Army and they were notoriously bad shooters. Worn out and loose barrels, etc. But, for some reason I felt comfortable with them and always qualified easily. Then the Army switched to the 9mm Berettas and I hated them. Never qualified as well with them. It was all psychological.

So, get out and try as many as you can. You'll find one in your price range that suits you.

Mark

 

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This is a good thread and I am learning a lot to buy my next pistol. Devious6, thanks for good info on the Kimber.
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I carry an H&K P2000 as my duty weapon. It's been very reliable and plenty accurate, but not the cheapest thing out there if you're buying it out of pocket. I'd steer clear of the LEM trigger unless you want to spend some serious quality time learning it as it can real be a challenge for some shooters, the DA/SA trigger is fine though. I also own a sig P228, the slightly smaller version of the 226; it's a great gun, although the metal frame does make it a bit heftier than a polymer framed gun like the H&K, M&P, or glock. A 228 or 229 would certainly be a reliable sidearm that is both (fairly) concealable and a good shooter. Either the H&K or sig would be a good choice, but likely will run you a bit more than some of the other guns that have been discussed. If you're cool with that though, you might as well get what you want, and what you will want to carry. Please do take the time and spend the money for some quality instruction though, regardless of what you buy.

 

What exaclty is a LEM trigger?

 

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgun-talk/83102-lem-trigger.html

 

An LEM or Law Enforcement Modification trigger is a Double Action Only (DAO) trigger variant made by H&K. I use one everyday, and I'm a firearms instructor on this weapon system. Some DAOs are light and forgiving, those are not terms that I would use to describe the LEM; it has a very long trigger stroke and a two-stage heavy pull. It can be mastered and shot well, but for most people it takes a lot of practice and an instructor who is familiar with its quirks. On the plus side, if you can master this trigger, most everything else that you will run across will be easy in comparison. Even though I trust my P2000 LEM and shoot it well, it would not be my first choice for carry, and I would not recommend it over some other weapons for that reason. It's not a bad choice, just not my first.
Hope this helps.

 

Well I'm really leaning towards a sig 226 9mm or a s & w MP 9mm/possible 40. However, I also took a liking to the Springfield XD 9mm...Anybody have experience with this one?

 

the XD line is pretty nice...i really like the XDM 3.8 its a compact but also comes with full size mags so you can have a little magazine or a large one...

 

Yea Im going to take a hard look at that gun. I've heard it brought up here and there, but just wanted to see what everyone thought of it

 

lot of people swear by them...they have a grip angle that is closer to a 1911 which is nice esp compared to a glock. definitely keep shopping i dont knwo much abou the sig229 reliability so id do an internet search ont he subject

i have 2 sigs but they are both 1911 style one p238(.380 mouse gun) and a 1911 full size i like both but those are the extent of my sig knowledge

 

I have a friend with several xd's but I don't have a lot of first hand experience with them. They seemed pretty good when I shot them though, and he swears by them. The xd-m model is an updated and improved version of the original, so if you decide to go that route it might be something to look for.

 

i saw something pretty funny in my new G&A reguarding the new XDM 5.25, in the same magazine a standard issue glock 17 shot tighter groups than springfields "match" gun with it's "match barrel" that and i quote "improves accuracy up to 20% over the standard XD line" bla bla bla

made me lol, i'm not a XD hater i've owned 2 in the past and they're good guns but the XDm line is all hype IMO

 

For the reason mentioned above, grip angle, I'd focus onthe Springfield XD line.
When you shoot Glock, nothing else feels right, and I shoot lots of different handguns.
45acp or 9mm are going to be better starting points than .40SW for the reason mentioned earlier, snappy recoil, sharp muzzle flip.
.40SW won't do anything better than 9mm or 45acp, bad shots will equal bad results with either cartridge.

 

I carry the XDm9 Compact. Nice gun, carries well, shoots great! If you purchase one between now and November 1st, you can get 3 free mags and a mag carrier from Springfield. Not a bad deal.

 

nice crossbreed holster ive been thinking about trying one out

 

You won't be disappointed. It is a fantastic holster. They have also cut their shipping time from 6 weeks to just under or at 3.

 

Any LEO's here carry a Sig 226? I'm really considering picking one up in 9mm. Not an everyday carry, that would be my Taurus 24/7 in .45.

I'm looking for a 9mm to take to the range and carry when I am out on the deer lease.