Another "What should I get?" Thread

T

Thairlar

New member
I've been lurking here for a while and reading up on things. I'm going to be purchasing my first handgun as soon as I get my license. It'll be for personal protection as well as target shooting, etc. Here's what I have it narrowed down to, I think.

Walther P99 - Test fired a SW99 in .40 which has the same grip and I like it. I have freakishly small hands, and it was ver comfortable. It was a rental and had the medium backstrap in it, so it might have been even more comfortable with the small one. I know I can get hi-cap magazines for it in 9mm, but I don't know about .40.

Sig P239 - I've fired one in 9mm and liked it. It's smaller so it might be easier to conseal. The drawback is the lower capacity.

Sig P229 - I haven't had a chance to fire one. I've fired a P226 in 9mm and it was okay. Since the P229 is larger than the P239 but smaller than the P226 I think it could be a good choice, but I'd have to see what it feels like in my hands first. I don't know what the availability is for hi-cap magazines.

After all that, I have to choose between 9mm and .40. 9mm is cheaper and will probably always be available. .40 is more expensive. I'm not sure about less plentiful though. The other down side of .40 that I see is lower capacity.

Does this ever get any easier, or should I just be prepared to end up with one of everything? ;)
 
All pretty good choices. Personally, out of those choices I'd lean towards the P229. I'd suggest going with the 9mm for your first gun.

1. Cheap ammo = more practice
2. Less recoil = easier to learn to shoot properly
3. With good hollowpoints 9mm is an effective caliber

Note that 1 & 2 make it more likely that you will get proficient quickly, which is by far the most important part of the equation.
 
If CCW was the gun's main focus, I'd say P-239. However, since you indicate that you want to use it for range work/as a house gun, too, I'll second CastleBravo's suggestion of the P-229. It's a good all-'rounder.

9mm will be easier to acquire skill with; less blast/recoil and cheaper ammo.

Oh, and yes, be prepared to wind up wanting to acquire one of everything.
 
I'd try out a CZ-75 PCR. I have fairly small hands and it fits my hands to perfection. It's very high quality and retails for about $420. Welcome to TFL!

Dan
 
I'll fourth the P229 for home defense and marksmanship practice. For concealed carry, after you've developed your skills with the P229, the P239 in .357 Sig would be a formidable package. With a conversion barrel, you could practice with .40 ammo, which is about $50 more than 9mm ammo by the case.
 
Get a P228 if you get the 9mm and get the P229 if you get the .40. these guns are different, even though they look the same. They are manufactured differently so the P228 (engineered for 9mm) typically shoots more accurately than the P229 chambered in the same caliber.
 
Definitely check out the CZ's. They are accurate, reliable, well-made, and you'll have a hard time finding a better buy for the money.
Dennis D. Carter
 
Thanks for the advice so far. I'm looking to buy new, at least for my first one. That way I'll always have one where I know where it's been and how it's been treated. Living in MA, that leaves me with three choices as far as manufacturers go because of "consumer protection" regulations set forth by the Attorney General. :rolleyes: Walther, Sig and S&W. Anything else doesn't meet the standards, which include 10 pound trigger pull (Grandma got run over by that reindeer because she lived in MA and couldn't pull the trigger.), loaded chamber indicator (I was born with two of them. Eyes.) and passing drop tests, etc. Anything where the manufacturer doesn't prove they're compliant is considered a "junk gun." I'd rather not encourage S&W so that leaves me with two choices. Walther and Sig.

Maybe I'm being too picky in only wanting to consider a new gun, but it's peace of mind as far as dependability goes. Used ones later on, manufactured before the "consumer protection" regulations took effect, could then be evaluated while I have a dependable gun that only I've owned in case the used one turns out to be unreliable.
 
If you have a choice between the Slick&Willy SW99 and the Walther P99, get the Walther. The NJ State Police had a bad experience with the SW99.:barf: The Walther is the far better gun and you can truck over to Earl's in Tewksbury, and get a genuine P99. Earl will hook you up with a good German P99. You can also have it in either 9mm or 10mm Kurtz!!! :D
 
Add me in to the P228 column. The P229 was built around the .40 S&W cartridge while the P228 was designed with 9mm in mind. There's not a HUGE difference, but it's there.
 
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