help finding pistol

[Big Mack Daddy]

hey guys, mostly cody, but any who im in the market for a new handgun wantin something that packs a little punch for self defense yet fun to shoot if i decide to go to the range. wantin something similar to this but i'm open to suggestions.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b3/Glock_22.jpg

[DEEZY]

XD-40 FTW!

http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/cc343/tvm5star/0106091816.jpg

[Mikz86TA]

You have a Glock pictured.
They are easy to maintain, simple, and reliable. Many calibers are availible. The 9mm is the easiest to learn to shoot with and cheaper rounds for going out target practicing. I can go thru 200 rnds on one outing at the range. So keep cost in mind. If you are a more stronger person with stable nerves, you could probably start on a .40 just fine and be content with that forever. Most will start with a 9mm and after a while, go up to a .40 cal. I want a .40 or .45 but dont want to sell/trade my 9mm just yet.
One thing is comfort. Go to your local gunshop and handle a few different brands. Not different calibers. My Glock 19 9mm feels the same in hand as my buddys Glock .40 cal. They are both Compact versions. Firing them ther is a difference tho. But my 9mm is easy (firing and holding) compared to another freinds' Baretta 92 9mm.
IMO, stay clear of elcheapo brands you may be attracted to because of price and budget.
A gun is like your tools. If you get cheap ones, you wont care for them as much and you will break them.
I stay clear of Hi Point and Taurus myself.

[ShowNgo4fun]

I am a big fan of Beretta. I am a bigger guy and my beretta fit my hand pretty well. It was also extremely reliable and easy to clean. I would definately stick to 9mm since the ammo is much cheaper.

[Big Mack Daddy]

my buddy has a huge collection of guns, we're talking 100+. i have held almost every pistol he owns and so far his glock model 22 .40 cal feels the best and i can shoot it with ease but could somebody post a link to a site with detailed info on that xd i may look into it

[j894]

Just as mentioned above, don't buy cheap stuff you might have to trust your life to some day, for personal defense and some screwing around at the range I'd stick with the quality mainstream, auto/defense pistol brands like:
beretta,
sig sauer,
smith and wesson m&p series,
springfield xd series,
glocks,
walther,
kahr,
etc

Many military/police/government agencies around the world use nearly all these brands for a reason (quality, reliability, simplicity, durability,etc)

Go to different gun stores and ask to hold and dryfire some pistols to see which fits ur hand the best, and what trigger you like the best; if your looking to carry, a compact or subcompact model of the brand listed above may be best. Thats the first mistake I made was buying a full size duty pistol. Sure it had good ammo capacity but its hard to conceal (i have since bought another subcompact which hides a lot better), ask a store to try on an in the belt holster with the gun you want to buy.

Once you find one that is comfortable in your hand, and has a trigger you like, then start looking into models with different calibers/ammo capacities. There is no point in buying a gun based off its other specs when you dont feel comfortable holding and shooting it.

Another thing is not to necessarily let people talk you into getting X or Y caliber. Pick the caliber off what your application is going to be; you will run into a lot of people at gun stores,etc who only thing that bigger is better, but in a self defense situation which you say you should be getting it for - shooting someone in the right area is more important that what your shooting them with. There is nothing wrong with 9mm ( although there isn't much benefit in going any smaller), it's cheap to shoot at the range, ammo is plentyful (most of the time) and good quality hollow points you can always use to your advantage.

Be aware of the safeties, a lot of the gun brands mentioned above don't have manual safeties, only automatic safeties which disengage as your holding the weapon or have our finger on the trigger, or just have a long ass 1st trigger pull, or even a combination of a few. Think about what you will feel comfortable with, remember the gun is only as safe as the person handling it.

Dont let anyone talk you into buy only a certain brand, model, etc because they have one, there are a lot of good guns (although, there are a lot of bad ones too).... but that just means they are biased and have some kind of hidden agenda - possibly to justify their own purchase, or to look for supporters of the various brand wars that have been going on. I hear it a lot at some gun stores I go to.

Last thing is don't buy the 1st thing you see, shop around, look for used but not real old guns if you can... even thought its hard to do right now because of the recent gun run. Most of the time when you buy new, to trade it in it can loose half its value and you end up getting screwed.

If all else fails and u don't want an autopistol or dont want to spend the $, look into a cheap, snub nose .357 or .38 special, hammerless revolvers are good for self defense & taruses line of revolvers isn't bad.

I think I covered most of it; hope this helped

[Junksterr]

I personally have a XD 9mm tac version 4" barrell. I love it. Will someday get a subcompact xd 40. I have held the different model glocks and like them all except for the sub compact ones, I dont like that my pinky finger cannot fit onto the grip its like an attachment that cant become one with the gun in my hand. Just my 2Cents worth.

I bought the 9mm also b/c I got it 75 bucks cheaper, and it didnt have a 2 week wait period on ordering it.

[Big Mack Daddy]

thanks for the help guys i think tomorrow i am gonna go visit a few different gun stores and see what fits me the best

[Mikz86TA]

Oh and do yourself a favor if you get the Glock...get the Hogue grip!

[Big Mack Daddy]

had that already decided and if i get the glock, im also getting the laser/light combo

[King_Ice_flash]

You all already know what I recommend.

[j894]

I personally have a XD 9mm tac version 4" barrell. I love it. Will someday get a subcompact xd 40. I have held the different model glocks and like them all except for the sub compact ones, I dont like that my pinky finger cannot fit onto the grip its like an attachment that cant become one with the gun in my hand. Just my 2Cents worth.

I bought the 9mm also b/c I got it 75 bucks cheaper, and it didnt have a 2 week wait period on ordering it.

The pinky finger thing seems to be a common issue with a lot of the subcompact autos. I was going to avoid buying one because of it especially since I have larger hands (my pinky doesnt fit on the grip at all), but then I saw a company name pearce makes a small extension for the mag (http://www.pearcegrip.com/images/pg26.gif) to give you just enough room for you pink without dramatically increasing the size of the gun.

One day I was randomly browsing at a local store and they had a g26, 9mm cheap, and it came with 1 mag w/ a pearse extension and 1 normal mag. It was like someone read my mind.

But since getting it Ive learned to shoot the pistol without the extension, so I just use the extended mag at the range anymore.


had that already decided and if i get the glock, im also getting the laser/light combo

Whatever you buy, shoot it first b4 you buy any accessories

[King_Ice_flash]

That was my problem too. I wanted a gun, not a tea cup.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w4/nevinsb/s10planet/PIC-0019.jpg
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w4/nevinsb/s10planet/PIC-0018.jpg

[ClassicMotion]

Revolvers are best for defense since they don't jam very often... But you already knew that. I'd go with a 38 specal. You can use hollow points in it for defense and load regular 38's for target practice to keep the cost down.

[ClassicMotion]

I have a Browning high-power 9mm I keep close by for home defense... And the AR isn't far off in case the sh!t hits the fan. Some may call me paranoid. Luck tends to favor the prepared.

[DEEZY]

thanks for the help guys i think tomorrow i am gonna go visit a few different gun stores and see what fits me the best

In the end that's what it all comes down to.

[csl2006]

i'd just get a sling shot cause your gonna shoot your eye out ;) then your brains will be laying all over the floor and people will freak out.... begginer gun go with a 9mm. Easy to control, ammos dirt cheap, if your wanting defense/plinkerin go with a .40 or .45 dont really matter shells cost about the same. everyone else has it covered ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ To bad you dont live here my buddy is tryin to sell his Springfield 1911 target model all stainless 5" bull for 700$. Paid over 1100$ for it. Maybe shot it 50times

[Big Mack Daddy]

thanks everyone for your input...left rep where it was due...and in case i forgot someone, thanx to everyone except that csl asshat....






j/k cody :biggrin:

[csl2006]

Also keep in mind when going to buy a gun make sure it fits you good. I would never buy a guy that doesn't fit my hand or shoulder good because why would you want to fire something uncomfortable? Check the balance of the gun, the "lean" *left or right* weight etc. More weight will help reduce the recoil but then again its harder keep up on target. I'd take each pistol you look at and just do a quick "draw and look" threw the sights see how fast you can align them right off the get go. I dunno Im weird and picky about certain guns. I respect glocks but they dont fit me well and I dont like the controlably in my hands. The xd's have long and fat grips (the service and tact models) and the balance is distrubited good. I looked at like the xd was a mix between a 1911 and a glock. combine two of the best guns on the market and then you have one BAD ASS new gun.

[Big Mack Daddy]

thanks cody but i dont plan on buying any guys this century

[csl2006]

lmao wow.....sorry im tired as hell long day of workin and runnin around buying that new dirtbike. Heres some "gun" pics to hump.

http://www.s10planet.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=148&pictureid=1484
http://www.s10planet.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=148&pictureid=1485

And remember the more simple a gun is the more reliable it is

http://www.s10planet.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=148&pictureid=1486

[Big Mack Daddy]

thats almost identical to how my buddies glock disassembles

[King_Ice_flash]

Yep:
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w4/nevinsb/s10planet/PIC-0020.jpg

[csl2006]

^ lol derr xd is basically a 1911+glock ;) they use the same grip frame and grip safety as a 1911 but use some glock assests too. I dunno Glocks are nice but i dont find them to stylish. I like style, accuracy, reliablity, control etc. Its personal preference once you start gettin into the high dollar guns (not target models). Say Taurus, glock, xd, sig sauer, beretta, smith and wesson, kahr, ruger etc...... They all shoot nicely just some are a little over priced for what they are especially Sigs & Smith and Wessons. If you read any handgunner books they have alot of experienced people test these types of pistols and show accuracy pictures, bullet type/weight etc to give you a idea how well these guns shoot.

[Yeehaw92]

the brown look like a toy

[Big Mack Daddy]

thats what i think, and thats why i want an all black model

[csl2006]

;) its tan. SA XD45 Tactical 5". Shes no toy. booooo let me see if i can find me vid

[Yeehaw92]

church it up all u want, its brown

[BigMoney]

I'm not really big on xd's or glocks. They're great guns and all, but as Cody and other's have mentioned, you need to get a gun with the right "fit", and they just weren't working for me. Also, 9mm is good to start out with. Uncle Sam started me out on handguns with a Beretta 92F. I liked it, for what it was, but I tend to like something with a little more meat to it. Around the house I have a 1911 (my favorite handgun in the world). However I am currently carrying this:

http://www.sigsauer.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=37&productid=263

It's not too big, not too small, and boy does it pack a punch.

Both are in .45 ACP, but I can conceal the Sig. The 1911, not so much...

But as everyone else has already said, it's a highly subjective thing.

[csl2006]

ERA4vh44eSs

[Yeehaw92]

is that you?

[csl2006]

why not......;) see its not a toy

[Yeehaw92]

bumpfire? FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[csl2006]

no bump fire

[Yeehaw92]

im saying you should

[csl2006]

damn near impossible tried it. Trigger reset is too far out. 1911's are better to to it with. But one of these days I'll make a new vid of Rapid Fire @ 10yards 52rounds (4 clips) and see how well the grouping is hehe.

[csl2006]

BUT The main things What I look for in a gun (after I research the gun Im eyeballing) is:

1.) Feel of the gun
2.) Muzzle flip/drop, gun lean (left or right in hand)
3.) Fast sight allignment
4.) Weight
5.) Price Tag

Why the price last or care not to pay attention at first? I dont want a good feeling, good make of gun to scare me off because of a price tag. Other than that some places rent guns to shoot. Maybe call around or get some buddies who know some people and see if they have any guns your intrested in. Im not dissing anyones choices on guns Im a XD fan myself I have been ever since I've shot one about 2years ago. Fell in love with that gun. So Far i've probably chucked 1000rnds of ammo threw mine and had one missfire. Complete missfire....not even one in the tube. Some reason the slide just stayed open like it was empty. Other than that no stove piping etc. If you haven't owned a pistol before just remember they're not super accurate creatures like rifles. They take alot of practice and getting used to, to get good at. Other than that hope you find something YOU like not what we like. Do some homework, look around ask some people this and that and you'll be fine. ;) dont forget the pics too