Just a point of view,.....I had a Glock but it felt like holding a 2 x 4. Sigs are awsome and a High Power is just plain sexy;) All the above a very well made. It really is all about how it feels in "your" hand and ability to operate the controls with "your" fingers. Best of luck with your choiceSmileWavy

I looked at the Glocks, and settled on a Springfield XD. The angle of the handle seems much more natural, to me. More similar to a 1911. Love the Springfield XD. Absolute reliability, safety features and 13+1 magazine.

I really like my Glock 21. It is very accurate and very reliable. Perfect for full time carry. For the range I also like my 1911 Colt Gold Cup.

Why not go old school. They work just fine and have great history. This one is a Colt from WW2, with a barrel from the Vietnam era.

Shooters could be had for what a polymer gun cost. Nicer examples, which you could still shoot, go for more but they appreciate.

http://www.japanesesword.com/Images/...1/DSCN4623.JPG

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Might try a Kimber 1911 .45 auto. They are dead nuts accurate out of the box. Aint cheap but not that pricey either. Do you want a gun you will love to shoot or one you keep feeling like it needs upgrading? You will shoot the Kimber and be happy with it as is.

As for the 9mm versus .45 argument, the lady guard shot the terrorist at Ft. Hood 4-5 times with a 9mm two weeks ago and he is still alive. Had she used a .45 auto one shot would have done it, two max and he would not be talking today. 9mm bullets just piss a lot of big guys off, while a .45 will put them down. Nuff said...

My 2 cents. Don't rule out used semi's. Two years ago I picked up a Smith & Wesson # 4006 40 cal. police turn in. All stainless steel and built like a tank. I guess I'm old school and prefer an all metal gun. Best advice I've seen posted is go to your local range and rent as many different brands and calibers they have. And most local ranges sell guns both new and used. And most have a gunsmith on site. That's who you want to talk to. I love my 40 and with 180 grain I'm going to stop most bad guys if I ever had to.:D

What he said. I love my 1911. However........... IMHO a pistol is a poor choice for home defense unless you are using Glaser safety slugs.. We have been down this road many times.

Home defense= Pump shotgun with short barrel, NO PISTOL GRIP, cut it mid comb on the stock but 30" LOA is the fed rule, barrel has to be 18". Take out the game plug to give you 5 shots, make the first two loads rubber buckshot as a safety measure, make the next 3 00 buck shot.

End of lesson.

26" LOA is the rule (unless you go AOW).

Why five shots? Why rubber? Eight double-aught all the way...

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Danny hit it. That is JUST what you need.
Just add a flash light.

Why rubber? I use it for a safety measure so if I have to use it and I'm not thinking clearly as I was just awakened, I don't kill an innocent person like wife ,dog, kid, guy in wrong house,ect. Rubber buck HURTS and will knock them down for a while but not kill unless you are at very close range. Just my pref.

Why five? That's all my Ithaca 37 holds.

I have to agree with the pump shotgun for home defense. While I have (er, how to put this) a decent selection of handguns, the only one I always keep loaded in the house is my Mossberg 500 12ga pump. It has a short barrel and a real stock (I hated the pistol grip and retractable stock that was on it when I bought it. I can't hit the broad side of a barn with a pistolgrip shotgun from the inside but am pretty good with a real stock).

A pump shotgun is to unwieldily in a hallway, cannot be operated with one hand, is too easily grabbed by an opponent, and has to be aimed every bit as accurately as a pistol.

A pistol is quite easy to employ in a hallway, can be operated with one hand, is difficult for an opponent to grab and is easier to aim than a shotgun that cannot be shouldered.

A significant number of home owner self defense situations occur in the hallway, with the home owner starting out in a bedroom and the assailant starting out in the living room. Or on a staircase, with the home owner starting out once again in a bedroom, but this time the burglar entered in the basement.

The crook often has the advantage, being awake first, and lying in wait for the approaching home owner. The ensuing encounter is up close and personal, with the hiding crook grabbing what he can. If it is your shotgun barrel, you just lost. If it is your off hand, or arm, and you have your sidearm tucked properly against your side, he just lost. You're heading down that hallway like a running back, "stiff-arming" with your off hand and protecting that gun against your side like a football, back even with your hip. It can be effectively fired from there while you hold him back with your off hand. You cannot do this with a shotgun, no matter how short it is.

You will hear charges of "over penetration" levied against the handgun bullet, where the handgun bullet misses (or even penetrates) the bad guy, continues on through your walls, and kills a neighbor. Many will use this charge to rule out the handgun for home defense, pointing out (rightly so) that the shotgun does not suffer from this inherent danger. I say hogwash; show me an actual case where someone was hurt or killed by and errant bullet fired by someone else defending their hearth and home. Yes, there is a "chance" of this happening; I won't deny that. There is, however, a far greater chance of falling victim to the inherent pitfalls of the shotgun I have outlined above. I'll play the odds and stick with the pistol or revolver.

That said, let's return to the original question. You have gotten some great answers. It all boils down to buying a quality gun from a reputable manufacturer; there is no "better" or "worse" designs among these, just "different". Just find the one you like; the best way is like many here have suggested - get out and shoot 'em. There is no "wrong" answer. There may be several "right" answers for you, or maybe just one, but you will quickly narrow it down once you get to drive a few.

That all changes if you try to scrimp and cheap out with some off-brand; there is a lot of junk out there. More so than probably any other field, cost can be used as a pretty reliable indicator of quality in firearms, as long as we stick with functional quality over bells and whistles. Colt, S&W, Ruger, Glock, H&K, Walther, Springfield, Kimber, Browning, Sig... pretty hard to go wrong. Outside of those, buyer beware. Remember, your life may someday depend upon your choice. Don't be cheap about it.

Sig 220

At $500 you have lots of choices.

Shoot a Sig, shoot a Glock, shoot a Springfield Armory XD (very similar to a Glock), shoot a few more if you can. Then buy whatever you're most comfortable and most accurate with.

Glocks and SA XDs are very similar in that they were designed to always work. When I was doing my research, I shot a Glock and an SA XD pretty much exactly the same. I then tried both back to back to back (and then a few more times back to back. They were pretty much identical, but there was just something that I couldn't put my finger on slightly more comfortable to me about the XD, so i got one of those.

I have a Glock 32 357sig and 40 compact, both are good and cheep.
1911's a great if you can spend the money for a tight one. Ones that have not been worked or hi end, just are not accurate and worth buying IMO. My National Match is the best gun I own... and a newer MKIV series 70 the worst.
For that price I would go with a Glock.
Do you have a used trader rag where you live? Our Valley Trader has great deals.
Second favorite has got to be a Hi-Power.

Gratuitous NM picture-
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1258208269.jpg

1911.

It's a firearm that's been tested over time. It works, goes bang every time.

My son manage to load a .45 acp in the mag backwards! The round chambered 80%:eek: out of 2k rounds it's ftf is maybe 3 or 4 rounds. The backwards round, and two times last range trip. I had a 16 year-old firing it as his first time to fire a pistol. he limp wristed it and FTF'ed twice. (the gun had fired 400 rounds that day and was also getting a little dirty)

Save up more $ and get a 1911. All of the controls are where they need to be. A 1 armed man can operate the pistol!

You can cycle the slide by hooking the rear sight on your belt or pocket and push the pistol down.

I have shot the glock, sig p226 berreta 92 and CZ-75, as well as a few others.

I only have a 1911 in the safe.

Kimber used to be good. Then they came out with the "Series II" line. Their QA went to hell and you're as likely to get a dud as you are to get a good shooter. I have first hand experience here. If you are lucky to find a pre-"Series II" (there was no "Series I", though they are sometimes referred to that way) you will probably be happy with it--especially if it was manufactured in Clackamas, OR.

For a new production 1911 I'd recommend Colt, Dan Wesson, or Springfield Armory--and then only in Commander (4.25") or Government (5.0") size. Or a "long slide" (6.0") if that floats your boat. Shorter barrel lengths are good for folks who like to practice failure drills. :D With the Colt my preference is the "Series 70" pistol that doesn't have the "Series 80" trigger-actuated firing pin safety. Some people say the difference in trigger feel is negligible but it annoys the hell out of me.

$400 for a decent 1911 is pushing it but there are deals out there to be found.

I don't know why people get excited over guns that fire .45 ACP. I just went upstairs and found three.

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I knew I had more at the shop.

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Sometimes we call 'em pumpkin rollers.
Jim

I'll take the two on the left.

I always thought I hated the look and feel of Glocks, but they are the dominant pistol in IDPA type competitions and I decided to buy one strictly (G34 9mm) for use in competition. I love my Glock now after putting several thousand rounds through it. The trigger will never be as good as a 1911, but I am actually starting to like it. For IDPA competitions, if a pistol has a safety, it must be on prior to drawing when the start buzzer sounds. The Glocks have no safety to deal with so in theory, they have a slight advantage in draw time.

I love 1911's and there is a category for .45 autos in IDPA, but .45 auto ammunition costs quite a bit more than 9mm and I knew I would need to practice a bunch if I am ever going to do well in IDPA. When going through thousands of rounds per month while practicing, 9mm is a substantial savings vs.45 ammo. Might be worth considering if you intend to shoot a lot. Sure .45 is more powerful, but I would not want to get shot by a 9mm hollow point either. ;):D


All that said, I am pretty sure I will end up owning another 1911 at some point just cause I like them. ;)



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