Good First Pistol?

xd9 is my personal, very reliable and easy to shoot accurate and with the right defense ammo, it will stop anybody!!

 

I DO NOT want to start a caliber debate, however I agree that smaller calibers are just as effective as larger ones. However far too many people take what they hear from military stories and apply it to civilian situations. "I shot him 8 times with a 9mm and he just kept comin!"

The military is restricted to FMJ ball ammo. 9mm ball is a small, fast round that overpenetrates tissue. .45 ACP ball on the other hand is slow and heavy with a lot of mass, hence it slows down faster and does not overpenetrate.

Overpenetration means that little or no energy is deposited into the target. However, when you take FMJ out of the situation and throw in hollow and soft point bullets (which civilians can and should use for protection), you're talking a WHOLE NEW ball game. A 9mm will now expand and transfer the majority of its energy into the target. 9mm, .40 and .45 are all comparably similar in this instance.

The bottom line is this. When you're talking civilian CCW, carry what you can shoot the best and feel most comfortable with and ignore this caliber BS.

 

^ This was going to be my recommendation. Small frame and excellent stopping power. Also low maintenance, reliable and pretty decent price. Can't go wrong with a Glock IMO.

 

Sig Sauer 1911 Platinum Elite Carry is one hell of a .45

 

Whats smaller, compact or subcompact? I know probably a stupid question!

 

Very well said. There is a huge diff in range ammo vs. self defense ammo as far as terminal performance goes. There are many great choices. Use what feeds well in your gun.

 

Handgun frame sizes are usually classified as (largest to smallest) full or duty size, compact, and subcompact.

Some guns like the Commander size 1911s use a full size frame but a shorter slide to make it easier for concealment. This is a good option if you have larger hands.

If you look at my earlier post you'll see the Beretta 92fs and Glock 19. The Beretta is full size while the Glock is considered a compact. A model like the Glock 26 would be considered a subcompact. Glock also makes an even smaller model 36 which is considered a slimline. It's a .45 that you basically have to hold with 2 fingers. For me though, compact is just the right size for a hybrid target/carry gun.

 

Not stupid at all. Might want to check out the .380's or a good ol' 38 special.

 

i have a glock 19 which is a compact 9mm... i just bought a glock 23 which is a compact .40... havent shot any rounds through the .40 yet.. bought it like an hour ago... but the 9mm.. ive shoot 500+ rounds.. and it shoots like its still new

 

OOPS Proabably should have worded the question better, i am not looking for the smallest, just wanted to know the difference in the sizes, The Glock site just had them listed but no mention of what was smaller than the other or bigger. thanks though!

 

One more caliper question, difference between .357 and .40 and .45? Thanks, you guys have been a great help!

 

Funny , the only two handguns I own now after years.The two most efficient guns when you look at size vs firepower , weight , ease of use , and high reliability.Don't forget the low bore axis and quick reset of the trigger.

I have thousands of rounds through both these guns in different generation frames.When you shoot them and other guns a lot....you can't take its efficeince for granted.

 

You are taking auto so I presume you are taking .357 Sig.I assume you know it is a .40 S&W cartridge with a "neck" down to a smaller .357 bullet , due to the case capacity and lighter bullet it achieves pretty smoking velocities.When considering this caliber note although a viable round for sporting and defensive use you must accept that you will have higher ammo cost due to lower production of a less popular main stream market pistol cartridge.You will also notice that the amount of factory ammo loads available is smaller in variety then in both .45 ACP and .40 S&W.This may or may not affect how you depending on how much you plan to shoot or what you expect for ammo variety.

I think you should try narrowing down the gun or guns you are seriously considering then caliber , after that find someone that owns it or a place that rents it and shoot 100 rounds or so.What you feel comfortable and confident shooting is important.

Don't put too much stock in the caliber debate you are gonna hear/read about.Its endless and borderline moronic.Did I mention it will never end.Oh yeah ,that caliber debate....did I tell you it never ends?

Good luck man.

 

Actually, the 357 Sig is a 9mm bullet, .355 diameter, not the slightly larger .357 of the 357Magnum and 38Special revolver rounds, which also generally use a different bullet-style. I suppose the reason they named it 357 instead of "9mm Sig" or "355 Sig" was to capitalize on the fame of the revolver round, and to claim near equivalence in power. The Sig is close, but not quite up to 357 Magnum potency with most bullet-weights and in most guns.

 

My advice is questions only get you so far. Find a local range that has a large variety of rentals and start shooting. Change gun types, calibers and find the gun you are most comfortable with. Like they say Action speaks louder than words.

 

You hit it on the head my friend, I too have witnessed what a .22 can do. I think the Rutger .22 mag is /was the most underrated pistol in its calibur class this century as for actual stopping power ( don't laugh you guys ). A fun-gun to shoot, for home protection I prefer my carbide pellet POTATO LAUNCHER , fucking perps think you're coming at them with a bazooka, for indoor target practice while watching TV or if I'm just bored, I like my GAMO PT-80 .177 cal semi-auto pellet plunker w/8 shot clip....

 

Kahr P9

 

I know , trying not to add confusion with .355.You get get?You explained it well.I just didn't want a post of..."what do you mean .355 Sig?".lol

 

I realize that I tend to overexplain things sometimes.......