Need help deciding on a handgun

Originally posted by jlafleur02
Hello,
I am taking the pistol permit course and would like some opinions on what type of handgun to buy. I am looking for something reliable, that can squeeze off rounds fast, lightwieght, and doesn't jam. My wife is also taking it with me would also like opinions on a gun for a female. This gun is for defense and I plan on using it at the range a lot so it should be durable. I am not a rich person so price is also a factor.
Thanks in advanced

For work I carry HK USP 9mm but they can be pricy. For my concealed carry I use a Springfield XD tactical. Its large and hard to conceal but I found a nice inside the pants holster that works great. Both of these weapons are reliable. You squeeze the trigger and it will go bang. If you’re looking for a handgun for defense get something that is proven reliable. Don’t get anything USED because you don’t know how much it was used and yes guns do wear out. If you can't afford something reliable remember it’s your life on the line. How much is your life worth to you or your loved ones?

The most important thing is training. Take the ccw class then take an advanced class. Also take a handgun retention class. Spent lots of time at the range.

If you do get attacked in real life statistically it will last 3 seconds and it will start from a distance of 3 feet away from you. You need the training to assist you through that situation. You have to act without thinking. And if you fail you die. Remember this simple fact. 3 seconds, 3 Feet, 3 Rounds. Pay attention to your surroundings.

I think you should bye a small smith & wesson revolver. Off course only double action. also a nice company is taurus. Tuarus is in brazil and it makes some very small and reliable revolvers and semi auto pistols. altho if your a big conspiracy theorist like me i recommend a nice AK 74!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Rebel21
I think you should bye a small smith & wesson revolver. Off course only double action. also a nice company is taurus. Tuarus is in brazil and it makes some very small and reliable revolvers and semi auto pistols. altho if your a big conspiracy theorist like me i recommend a nice AK 74!!!!!!!

My next AK is going to be the Lancaster milled Ak47. Have to sneak the money past the wife though hehe.
www.lancasterarms.com...

See, this is why these quetions cant be answered. Ask 100 people, you will get 100 answers. Many on here like glocks. Many swear by them. I personally hate them. They are imbalanced, uncomfortable, and feel cheap to me, not to mention I think they are U-G-L-Y(not that THAT really matters).

Some prefer .45 acp, some .40 sw, and many will tell you a 9mm is a girly gun. I personally have found that a 9mm is perfect for me, based on capacity, availability, recoil and accuracy. I like the .40 as well. To me, losing the capacity in most .45's make them not worth it to me.

I have tried MANY guns in the last year. I can tell you, for me, there is not better fit and feel than the cz p-01 police and the p-07 Duty. Both are accurate, lightweight, and the p-01 is as tested, if not moreso, than any gun in the world.

really you cant go wrong with good ol hands on experience, however if you are worried about pricewise then my best suggestion to you would be to check out www.galleryofguns.com they have all types of guns with specs and pricing also have a feature that allows you to get a price quote from the 3 closest gun dealers to your home. Your best bet would be to search the site and narrow down to about 5 to 7 firearms that intrest you and are in your price range, and have your wife do likewise. then head out to your local gun dealer and get some hands on time actually hold the different guns and get a feal for them. Also if you can find a place that has an indoor range that allows you to rent the guns I wuld suggest to go ahead with that for both you and your wife. especially for your wife so that she can get a feal for the firearm and see which caliber recoil fits her best that she can handle.

That is the best advice i can give on where to find your firearm. As far as what you shuld buy that just comes down to personal preference so I will go ahead and toss my 2 cents in the ring as well. I own both a springfield XD in .45acp in 4 inch barrel. I also own a Ruger SR9 in 3.5 inch barrel. I wuld recomend eaither to anyone. The .45 has more knockdown power but also more recoil. the 9mm has less knockdown power bul less recoil, however in the close quarters of a home invasion situation as long as you hit center of mass it will stop any oncoming attacker. As far as durability is concerned i have put more than 3000 rounds thru both with very little to no problems. Most guns are very well made today so as long as they are cleaned regularly and properly cared for they will shoot true. It is true that revolvers do not jam yes as long as they are cleaned and properly maintained however the drawback of the revolver is that with most you are only allowed 7 shots whereas with a simi auto you get no less than 10 unless of course its a 1911 model. But on the flipside if you need that many shots to stop an attacker your gun is worthless anyway. I wuld not recomend buying the gun and just leave it laying you and your wife both should keep in good practice with your guns, take them to the range get familiar with them get accurate with them however try micing things up, instead of standing 5 feet away and shooting try shooting from different distances and angles or try shooting from disadvantaged angles where u may end up in a real life or death situation. Well hope this was helpful let us kno what you decide on

Originally posted by JROCK2527


in the close quarters of a home invasion situation as long as you hit center of mass it will stop any oncoming attacker.

In the close quarters of a home attack, I'd recommend avoiding handguns altogether, if possible.

They take more aim, and quite frankly, you dont want to be responsible for a missed 9mm round that went through a wall and killed a neighbor or, god forbid, a family member.

agreed, but agian thats where a lot of practice cimes in so if ur really worried about that then jus go for a short barrel tactical shotgun in 12 or 20 guage

reply to post by JROCK2527


Agreed. I wasnt trying to hijack you or anything, just wanted to make sure people know a handgun isnt the best solution for home defense.

Even if you hit your target with a 9mm, the bullet can travel through a wall.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots

Many on here like glocks. Many swear by them. I personally hate them. They are imbalanced, uncomfortable, and feel cheap to me, not to mention I think they are U-G-L-Y(not that THAT really matters).

agreed, glocks are way over rated give me my springfield any day

no offense takin good lookin out u pointed out somethin i forgot to mention. something really important tht i forgot to mention at tht

I would suggest a Glock 23 or 19. Personally I like the .40 S&W but some people think, even though it's a downloaded 10mm, the recoil is a little stout. The 9mm isn't a real man stopper but with modern high performance hollow point ammo it will do the job. Actually none of the commonly used defensive pistol calibers are real man stoppers. It's been said, "A pistol is used to fight your way to your rifle when the SHTF". Anything 9mm and up will do the job if you do yours with regard to shot placement. I have a Glock 22 and enjoy shooting it but my favorite gun to shoot is probably my S&W 686 in .357 Magnum. The S&W oozes quality manufacturing where Glocks work but are not pretty about it. My 686 has had a good trigger job and wears custom Herrett Jordan Trooper grips for my big hands. One last thing, revolvers do jam and when they do it usually requires a trip to a gunsmith to get them working again. When I carry a gun it's my Glock 22.

when i carry its usually my SR9, nice compact easy to manuver and hard to detect

Originally posted by JROCK2527
no offense takin good lookin out u pointed out somethin i forgot to mention. something really important tht i forgot to mention at tht

It's something that I never really considered, until I spent a over a year researching, testing, shopping and talking to people.

I guess that's the biggest thing for any new gun owner-Decide what you really want it for(home defense, carry, other) do your homework, put your hands on some, and choose what feels best for you, not what someone else thinks you should go with.

exactly, has to be what you want but most importantly what you feal comfy with

Originally posted by JROCK2527
when i carry its usually my SR9, nice compact easy to manuver and hard to detect

What made you choose the sr9 over some of the other carry pieces out there. I havent fired them much, but hear they are great pieces, especially for the price. Was there something in particular that sold you on it? I always like to get other's opinions.

no such thing as too much knowledge, you know?

I agree with you that springfield makes a fantastic gun, and if I could get used to the grip safety, it may have ended up being my choice.

reply to post by captaintyinknots


Captain, I agree with you whole heartly on one thing: that Glock is the most butt ugly, awkward shaped piece of crap in existence!

I never understood this .40 caliber crap.

There's a reason that Special Ops, led by Special Forces have abandoned the 9mm, the FBI has abandoned the .40, and other military forces have abandoned all that halfway crap and gone back to the .45 ACP.

When it absolutely, positively, has to be taken out - .45. Because they don't make a .46.

Wheelguns are awkward to conceal carry. Glocks are ridiculous.

Did I mention they were butt-ugly?

I rather carry a flare pistol.

reply to post by captaintyinknots


well actually there were a few things that sold me on it but mainly the feal of it. the profile is built nice and slender so it is easy to conceal and dosent present that telling bulge under your shirt. also i dont kno if you have ever handled the SR9 but it is the most conforming gun to any persons grip I have pretty big hands both long and thick so i have a hard time finding a piece that feals good in my hands but when i grabbed the SR9 it was an instant love affair it forms well to my hand but the dealer that i bought it off of says that he keeps them in stock because they are a popular academy gun especially for femail recruits with smaller hands. It truly is a gun that will fit anyones grip, also the short barrel and slender profile were a factor along with the weight, I love my XD .45 but it is a little too bulky and heavy to be lugging around. also i kno the reliability of the Ruger line too, the only time i have had the slightst problem with it is when i took it out shooting one time and it locked up on me, but of course that was after 450 rounds being put thru it that day alone n not cleaning it, field stripped and cleaned it and it was as good as new, thats why i emphasised in my first post to keep your firearm clean. I always clean all my firearms after every shooting session even when there was as little as 30 4ound put thru it. But agian as has been said numerous times over the post tho it really comes down to each individuals personal preference of firearm but those are most of my reasons for choosing the SR9 as my carry gun

Originally posted by FarArcher
I never understood this .40 caliber crap.

There's a reason that Special Ops, led by Special Forces have abandoned the 9mm, the FBI has abandoned the .40,

The .40 is very simple to understand, just look at the ballistics. The 135 gr hollow point from Cor-Bon duplicates almost exactly the ballistics for the 125 gr hollow point in .357 Magnum, the pistol round attributed with the most one shot stops ever. At the .40s inception there were no .45 rounds that could touch it as far as kinetic energy went. It gives much better terminal ballistics than a 9mm in a gun that can be built on a 9mm frame. As far as I know the standard issue weapon of the FBI is still a Glock 22 as well as the standard issue of most police departments around the country. The .40 is not going anywhere anytime soon because it works. Issues of weapon size and recoil with the .45 that were part of the decision to abandon it are even more valid today with the larger number of women and smaller recruits. Glocks were rejected by the military because they lacked an external safety not because they are bad guns. I love .45s too and am saving my pennies for a nice Kimber but to say the .40 S&W is "crap" is just plain wrong.

I did alot of research myself and after alot of thinking and comparing i settled on a Glock 22C.

The Glock is gonna be the most durable, easiest to maintain, and simplest to take apart and keep clean. They have lot's less parts than most other guns, are very reliable, accurate, light, and have a great reputation.

There's a reason that it's the most carried sidearm for LE.

The 22C will run around $500-$600 new and will come with two 15 round magazines. It's chambered for .40 caliber. The 22 is the same gun as the 22C, except that the C stands for 'compensated'- which means the 22C has two slots, or ports, on the topside of the barrel and slide at the end. When the gases from the shot exit the barrel they also exit through the slots, helping to minimize the 'kick' or 'rise' of the gun, which means you can get back on your target faster.

There are alot of great options, but after all my research, the Glock 22C came out on top.

Oh yeah, the other thing is that the ergonomics of the Glock were sweet. It fit my hand and wrist angle perfectly. I seriously couldn't have found a better fitting gun to my hand.....but that's just my hand personally.