Carry Firearm recommendations: Price is an issue

I think it is a safe assessment to say that most people consider the .40 caliber the actual median. Most police units carry a .40 caliber. Also considered a service model, these types of handguns would be the S&W sigma($350 range), S&W M&P ($600 range), and the Glock 21 or 22 ($500-$600 range) I personally have owned all of these, and would probably chose the M&P over the rest.
 
CWKahrFan: Thanks for the suggestions, I am very much, the more i think about it leaning towards a 9mm - for familiarity if nithing else. But i do like the LC9s, Walthers I will need do do some homework on, never figured 'em into my designs,. I suppose I am looking middle of the soad so to speak, not too big to be uncomfortable or obvious (though obvious has its advantages), but not too small as to be too touchy (ie break-prone) to practice with.

Egor: Oh, i get you. I like "built like a tank". I am around 6'2" b/t 175-200 give or take. From looks alone, seems like it would be hard tpo hide that much steel.
 
No problem the DA pull is pretty smooth on my Smith Im sure it will be similar. Then its all single action just practice DA pulls at the range. Specifically decock the gun and fire like 50rds DA, do it till you hit black at like 30 ft. Shoot single action obviously too I think you should just throw that in there. Keep the saftey off the smith and one piped the DA pull is enough to keep it safe so you are ready. Do not get plastic pistols you will not be happy. Get a Smith you'll be happy

--Or you could just say watever and spend $850 on a Colt Defender and get a great 3" 1911. IF you cant dont but if you can do. 3913 otherwise.
 
While I do repect Hi-Point for producing a hardy firearm - have seen the abuse vids as well as fired several - I will never own one, nor entrust my life to one. Its nothing against the company its products (they make a damn nice carbine), but I just couldn't.
 
I know, lol. Am sighting in a Hi Point 9mm carbine for a buddy. Shoots well but is a b**ch to clean, looks like anyways/
 
Used CZ82. Should cost you a little over $200, including 2 magazines. It's a doublestack pistol, shoots 9x18 Makarov cartridge, has one of the best triggers of any non-customized automatic -- it's ridiculously good for a milsurp.

The Makarov cartridge is more powerful than a .380, but I pretty big step down in power from a 9mm Luger. OTOH, its bullets are a little larger in diameter.
 
I think the Glocks are kind of thick. They shortened their "compact" versions and cut the height down but they're still fat guns.

The Kahr CM9 seems to be reasonably priced. I have heard a lot of good things about the CM9, you can go to Kahrtalk and research them - people on that forum don't hesitate to post about any problems they have.

If you look up the CM9 or the PM9 here - you'll find some posts and you can always PM the guys who have these guns.

I say CM9 and PM9 because the are identical in function the differences are in the barrel and sights and the CM9 has less options and is much cheaper. But basically someone's reliability experience with the PM9 would be applicable to the CM9.

Also, I think the Diamondback DB9s are going for $340 - $360
I haven't seen a lot of data on them though...
 
zxcvbob: how hard is ammo for 9x18 to come by? out where I am, you wither have a standardized caliber or you have a shelf piece, unfortunately.

Count: I agree, glocks are on the thick side. I did look at a used Kahr P40 (?) and seemed a little beaten up, so I passed. I know Kahr doesn't have the recognition of Colt, S&W, or Ruger, but if you had to rate their dependability, what would your judgement be?
 
There's a poor selection of ammo available in 9mm Makarov, but it's reasonably priced and it's pretty good stuff. Last time I bought Silver Bear hollow points, I think it was about $12 per box of 50. You can also reload for it using 9mm Luger brass, but you have to trim it to 18mm first (a PITA, so you don't want to lose much of your brass)

They sell it at the local gun shop, but it's $17 a box there.
 
65%-70% on Kahr. You dont want a small 40 go with the Smitty and you will be happy. Otherwise your going to get some cheap crap you cant hit anything with. A Kahr in 40 is going to be hard to deal with, you want nice follow ups.
 
Are Kahrs generally depedable?
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I've found them to be, yes. There's plenty of people out there that like 'em. Of course there's also folks that have had negative experiences, but that's true for most any manufacturer.

I have heard both good and bad. I looked at a Kahr .40 (I forget the model) about a week agos at FFL down the road. Looked, emphasize "looked," in decent shape. Some visible wear on interior of chamber, what kinda worried me, and maybe I don't know enough about the design, is that when the slide was pulled back, the barrel lifted a rather noticeable degree from the frame. Not to get away from original post, but is that normal?
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Sounds like it's normal. Most autos in 9x19 and larger don't have barrels that are fixed to the frame, so most guns in 9x19 and up (as well as some smaller caliber pistols) will do the same thing, but probably not all to the same degree.

While I do repect Hi-Point for producing a hardy firearm - have seen the abuse vids as well as fired several - I will never own one, nor entrust my life to one. Its nothing against the company its products (they make a damn nice carbine), but I just couldn't.
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Hi-Points are durable and reliable, but you're on the right track, they would make for awful carry guns. Firstly, they're not safe to carry with a loaded chamber, and relative to their calibers and ammo capacities they're just far too bulky and heavy. For example, the Hi Point 9mm pistol is probably bigger, thicker, and heavier than something like the SR9C, and despite this the latter will be made with better materials and have a higher ammo capacity.
 
I've done the research as far as the CC .45 goes.
I went with a Glock 36 and recommend it highly. Got mine for $350+tax like new.


FYI: I looked at 1911s, Sigs, HKs, Springfield XDs and Kahrs when I did the research (notice no Glocks). Shot all of them and was concerned about size with some and reliability with others (Kahr didn't fire on second round, enough for ME to take it off my list). I considered the glock as an after thought because I thought the G36 would be just as thick and blocky as the others, which it wasn't. The G36 is still fairly slim and has been completely reliable. Only suggestion would be to replace the stock magazine base plates with Pearce +0 (Pearce +1s caused FTFs for me, not enough spring power). The original magazine plates will pinch your pinky and not offer as much control.

This gun DOES have a pretty heavy recoil. By no means unmanageable, but you should rent one before you buy.
 
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If money is a continuing issue, stick with 9mm as you can afford to practice twice as much.

Hard to go wrong with a Glock - and I'm saying that as a 1911 person.
 
Stressfire said:
I have heard both good and bad. I looked at a Kahr .40 (I forget the model) about a week agos at FFL down the road. Looked, emphasize "looked," in decent shape. Some visible wear on interior of chamber, what kinda worried me, and maybe I don't know enough about the design, is that when the slide was pulled back, the barrel lifted a rather noticeable degree from the frame. Not to get away from original post, but is that normal?
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Yes, that is normal. I have an MK9 and a friend has a CW9 - they both do that when the slide is locked back.

My Kahr has been reliable, haven't had many issues with it at all, and those were during the break-in period. The anecdotal evidence I've heard on the internets is that the polymer-framed Kahrs may be a little less reliable than the steel-framed ones, but personally I wouldn't hesitate to give a polymer framed Kahr a try.
 
I carry a Taurus PT145, IWB. For the price you can't beat 10+1 of .45 but you're probably going to hear a lot of people rip on Taurus. This is the only Taurus I have owned and it has never had one issue with any round I have put through it so I can only go by my experience. The only draw back to the .45 is the price of ammo. Going to the range can get very expensive.

I am looking at the CZ 75D Compact as an option to the .45 at the moment. I have only heard good things about CZ from those who own them.
 
For price point XD's or XDMs are hard to beat. Glocks might work but really the only way to tell is to put your hand on some pistols and see what feels right and if you can test them at the range. XD's also dont seem to have the "Generational" issues of Glocks which I wont get into because I really dont care about it but apparently some generations of Glocks are better or worse than others... XD's I havent heard this same kind of commentary on.


For a bit more coin, SIGs are hard to beat. It sounds like a 9mm might be better for you than a 45 ACP if your worried about ammo price. I prefer 45 ACP but Im trying to suggest what would seem to work for you.

Carry ammo - Speer Gold Dots or Corbon DPX (you can find cheaper variants but not better), practice ammo whatever you can get you hands on thats cheap although I try to avoid Wolf ammunition, others do not...

Hope this helps..
 
Thanks for the recommendations, all.

I will definately be shopping around for a bit to find what will best fit me, but it helps alot to have a starter list to run off of. Would like to have something already in hand when I get the permit, however, I would not be foolish enough to just run out and grab the first thing that goes boom.

For ammo, also undecided, but would definately be a reputable JHP. Picked up some Brazilian knockoff of Cor-Bon/Gold Dots at a show awhile back: Magtech Guardian Gold? Shot pretty well, but with the +p it seemed to rock the 92 pretty hard. Unfortunately they buried rather deep in backstop, so could not really check mushrooming capability.

Thanks again! Print :)
 
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