Considering a 9mm

[expatriot98]

If you're in a self defense situation, 3 or 4 rounds is all you need - if you can hit within a few inches of CBM at 15 or less feet. 9mm will do just fine.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by cabmando

IA lot of guys talk about Glock having a tendency to jamb, definite negative if true.

Horse hockey. I had an FTE issue but only because I needed to alter my grip. The G19 is light and had a tendency to "jump" in my hand thus losing some energy. Once I worked out my grip it was good to go all day.

Now maybe some of those "guys" had a eject failure and the casing got caught in the eject port, I've had that happen but again solely due to my grip.

BTW still waiting for my purchase permit on the 686.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

BTW still waiting for my purchase permit on the 686.

What are those?

[fred cook]

I bought a Sig P320 Compact not long ago. It uses 15 rd magazines and has a barrel that is just under 4" long. And, for a plastic gun, it has a really nice trigger pull! I also own a long slide Glock 34 but would grab the Sig over the Glock every time. Happy hunting!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by cabmando

I've been going back and forth between 9mm and .45 for quite some time. I think I've locked on on a 9mm for the magazine capacity and the RIP rounds. A 45 with a double stack just feels heavy.

Glock has an extended 32 round mag but that just seems excessive. Glock and Springfield offer a 19 round which seems about right. I put a Springfield Xd in my hand today and it fit nicely. It's a full size 9 not a compact. I like the feel of the full size pistol better in my hand. A lot of guys talk about Glock having a tendency to jamb, definite negative if true. I like a grip and trigger safety and want something with a rail to add a laser. My nephew has a Glock 9 with a grip laser that's pretty sweet but it feels short in my hand.

Budget for just the weapon is $600 or less. What say the brain trust?

I went with 9mm mostly for ease of access to spoon food. Also cost, size, convenience were other pluses.

I started out with the Springfield Armory (SA) XDm 9 which has the 19 round mag. It's got grip and trigger safeties and is a great gun. I downsized to a compact which only held 10-13 rounds if I remember correctly. The SA XDm series has grip and trigger safeties, and 3 different sized palm pads for the grip so you can adjust the grip to be more comfortable for you.

I then went to a S&W M&P Shield 9 which is much improved (to carry) over the other two. It's got a thumb safety and the different sized palm pads for the grip to make the gun better to hold.

I think you can't really go wrong with a Glock, SA XD or XDm or S&W M&P. They are like comparing Nikon and Canon or maybe Camaro, Mustang and Challenger. They are all practically the same and the reason that they are constantly argued over is because the only way to pick a winner is subjectively - "I prefer X on the 123 over the Y on the 567 so the 123 is the better spoon."

If you can, check them all out. You can get 9mm full size double stack in all of them. You can get compact double stack in all of them. You can get compact single stack in all of them. I suspect you can also get them all in 45, 40, and probably another cal or 2 as well.

I can tell you that many, many years ago, I was at a range with a Glock and and XD, both 9mm. I shot them back to back and switched back and forth about 3-4 times trying to figure out which I liked better. It was a tough call. They were so similar. In the end, I picked the XD because I thought there was something that I liked better, but I honestly couldn't tell you what it was. It was just a feeling.

I prefer the single stack M&P.

What's really crazy is that I carried a full size 1911 .45 a couple of times (out of curiosity) and it was surprisingly easy to carry, despite the weight.

[red-beard]

I have three primary pocket carry pistols

1. Colt 1903 in .380 - Robar coated and setup for humidity - 8+1 rounds
2. Browning HP - 9mm - 13+1 rounds
3. Colt Officer 1911 - 45 ACP - 6+1 rounds

None of them are bad in my pocket.

The 1903 is almost unnoticeable. It has generally been my "goto". With the 3.75" barrel, it is much more powerful than most .380 ACP pistols. I run FMJ. There is almost no recoil

The HP gets CORBON +P as does the 1911.

Do you NEED 19+1 rounds? Who can say. But as a fire extinguisher, 6 should be enough most of the time.

[cabmandone]

Steve,
Like I said earlier, my nephew carries a 1911 .45 so I figure a full size 9mm is doable.

Thanks for the input guys! I'm going to go do some more looking tomorrow at a few different shops.

[Rick Lee]

Lots of very nice 1911s out there in 9mm.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Lots of very nice 1911s out there in 9mm.

I know! That's the problem! Too many flavors to choose from. And each flavor seems to cost more.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Steve,
Like I said earlier, my nephew carries a 1911 .45 so I figure a full size 9mm is doable.

Thanks for the input guys! I'm going to go do some more looking tomorrow at a few different shops.

Yeah, the SA XDm 9mm 19rd is doable, but I have to say that it gets to be a PITA, and surprisingly the 1911 seemed much more comfortable to me the couple of times that I carried it. I can't explain why.

[cabmandone]

I don't really plan for it being a concealed carry piece. I like beer and you can't do both legally. It's more a home defense, carry when I'm going to the woods piece. It might come with when I go up to Northern Michigan fishing just so I'm not easy bear bait.

[Rick Lee]

For a home defense, non-carry gun, get something big and heavy that holds as much ammo as possible, has minimal recoil and has a rail for a light. I have a SIG P226 in .357SIG in my nightstand. The extended mags hold 18 rounds and the light on there will blind anyone. It's a bowling ball of a gun, but super accurate and easy to shoot. My EDC is a SIG P365, which is tiny, doesn't print at all and holds 12+1 rounds. I have a flat trigger, lightened trigger spring kit and Trijicon night sights on it. It is also super accurate, and pretty cheap too. Grabbed 2k rounds of 9mm from a widow last week, whose husband was a reloader.

[Bill Douglas]

If you really do want a 9mm a CZ 75 or one or a CZ 85 is really nice gun for the money.

[Por_sha911]

Glock is known for reliability and the 9 mm Glocks will fire almost any brass round you put in it. Like car brands and favorite oil brand, some prefer Glock, Sig or other brands but you definitely want to stay away from price only brands. As others have said, you need to get the gun in you hands and see if you feel comfortable with it. Some ranges have guns you can rent for the hour to try out different brands or types. Either that of find a "gun nut" who one of everything and get an "edjumacation".

As far as Glock goes:
The G17 is a full size 9 mm and you can practice with 115 grain target rounds and use JHP +p rounds for defense. The G19 is the same gun with a slightly shorter barrel but still reasonably sized. You can also get a conversion kit so the same gun will shoot .22LR. Great for low cost practice and plinking. The nice thing about shooting .22LR with the same weapon is that you have muscle memory and will feel more at home. For just a little more than the cost of the conversion kit you can get a G44: the G19 size but shoots .22LR. Now you have two complete guns.

One more thing: Concealed Carry will dictate what size gun you get since a heavy gun is hard to carry and a long barrel is a hard thing to draw. There is a great quiz at https://us.glock.com/en Entitled "Which Glock is right for me"

You don't want to cheap out on your weapon. Spend a little more and have the best. You won't regret it.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by masraum

Yeah, the SA XDm 9mm 19rd is doable, but I have to say that it gets to be a PITA, and surprisingly the 1911 seemed much more comfortable to me the couple of times that I carried it. I can't explain why.

[island911]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

If you really do want a 9mm a CZ 75 or one or a CZ 85 is really nice gun for the money.

sounds right.




not my picture.

[Jim Bremner]

[Bill Douglas]

this was my one.

[911Ghia]

Ive read the book on the development of the Glock, seems like everyone including Hickok 45 is a fan.. personally I have never fired a Glock that warmed the cockles of my soul. Everyone Ive fired seems to pinch my trigger finger . Trigger pull is atrocious, trigger guard too small and I don’t have big hands. I will take any hammer/sear fire arm over striker fire any day . Like Ford Vs Chevy or vice versa.. All my neighbors have me sight in their rifles and pistols.
My 2 cents .........you can leave it on the counter like we all do.

Rich

Did I mention I’m not found of striker fire weapons...................;-)

[cabmandone]

Ambidextrous thumb safety on those? I'm a lefty.

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

this was my one.