Carry Firearm recommendations: Price is an issue

I'd stick with the 9mm for sure.

The cheapest, good quality guns I would buy are:
used S&W 5903, 5943 (lighter aluminum frame version of 5906)
used S&W 6906
used S&W 3913
used S&W 5906, 5946
Ruger P95
Sig sp2022

Mid-range price:
Glock 17, 19, 26
XD 9 in any variant
M&P 9, 9c
Walther P99 (used)
used HK USP 9

There are more, but these are easy to find.
 
i love the springfield xd compact in 45 fits in my hand perfect. i also just bought a fnx40 it seems so be good but ill find out when i shoot it
 
My little boy and my brother in law both purchased Stoeger Cougars on my recommend, given due to an article I read in the Rifleman. One picked a .40 and one a 9mm. Nice grip, good sights, easy to handle. Shot sonny boy's last itme I visited, don't remember the group size, but all fifteen rounds were placed in the same area and to POA.
 
XD9 sub-compact. My experience has been that it's as reliable as an atomic clock, small enough to carry comfortably all day IWB and is a double stack so I don't feel the need to carry a second mag.
 
Ooops, just went back and read other posts and bigkracker's recommend for the pt145 is another good pick. I have one and it shoots dandy, mostly cast thru mine but did load some +P hollowpoints and all fead nicely. I had to dress down the front sight some to get it to hit 6 oclock. It's not as nicely done as the Stoeger in my opinion, but in a fobus paddle holster it is easily concealed, light and a .45. Once again I am amazed at the number of enthusiests in here who don't reload.
 
If money is an issue, I'd recommend sticking with a 9mm if you're leaning towards a semi-auto as it is an excellent self-defense cartridge when loaded with modern JHP and practice ammo is significantly cheaper than most other popular calibers.

In 9mm, you've got several good pistols available for $500 or less. Perusing Bud's Gun Shop's website, the following pistols are all available within your price range: S&W M&P9, S&W SD9, Sig Pro 2022, Ruger P95, Ruger SR9, and several models of CZ-75. I did not bother checking Glocks or Springfield XD's since they've already been mentioned.

In a revolver, you selection is a bit more limited but there are still good guns within your price range. The Ruger LCR, SP101, and GP100 can all be had for under $500 as can the S&W 637, 638, 642, 438, and 442. In a revolver you'd probably be best served by sticking with either .38 Special or .357 Magnum as those are the two most popular, widely available, and least expensive revolver cartridges. .357 Magnum is still quite expensive compared to .38 Special, 9mm, and .40 S&W, but .38 Special ammunition can be safely fire in a .357 Magnum revolver.

Of course, perusing the used market would probably open up the options within your price range even more, but the used market is difficult to predict.
 
Something for carry I would really be looking hard at Kahr offerings as they carry very well. I would buy a 9 or .40 for SD. I personally carry an officer size .45 1911 but I was willing to spend a little more on ammo.

Glock 23 is nice too but the Kahrs are a little smaller.
 
CZ-75D PCR 9mm. I know I recommend this gun a lot becuase that is what I carry. Great range gun or home defense also.
 
Get the Smith 3913 or 6904/6906. You will be happy with either of those and they wont break the bank. I also recommend a Beretta 84/85FS is you dont mind going 380ACP. THe 84 will have 13 + 1 of 380ACP. Buffalo Bore makes a mean +P 100gr. Hard Cast Lead round that seems excellent. The Beretta can handle it but I dont recommend shooting it regularly. Also nice 95gr +P Hollowpoints are made. Its a really nice little gun I got a chance to hold an 85FS, the single stack and wanted one right there. I rather the double though. Its like a mini 92FS and feels good in your hand.
 
+1 on the Kahr CM9. I have one and like it quite a bit.

You can't go wrong with a Glock either, or most of the others mentioned so far.
 
If you want a dependable .45, don't overlook the Ruger P345. Super-reliable and pretty easy on the wallet, comparatively speaking. If you want a great 9, give the Ruger P95 a look; also extremely reliable and affordable. Can you tell I like Rugers? :D
 
The Stoeger Cougar and Cougar Compact are both good recomendations and can be found under $400. The Cougar Compact was runner up to the gun I purchased.

I bought a CZ P-07 Duty. It is a "compact" gun that can be had in .40 or 9mm. If ammo price is a consideration I would go with a 9mm. In the P-07 the recoil is not really snappy. It honestly has more of a wave type impulse than a snap or push. It feeds like a champ. It has been brutally torture tested by the Czech national police and is in use by several agencys around the world. So it has been proven reliable. I love mine.

The double action trigger is a little stagey when running it slow. If you are running it in a realistic defense drill you won't notice. It is a little heavy for some people though and can be shakey. In single action it is a dream and can can be run amazingly well by even a novice. My wife was nailing 2.5" groups at 7 and 10 yards after ten rounds.

My other choice would be a CZ 2075 Rami. You can get it in 9mm or .40S&W. I hear a lot of people say it is easier to carry (and run) because it is a slimmer gun. The grips are a bit thinner feeling and make the reach for the trigger easier. It is a typical CZ and will run like a champ while being nearly indestructible.

You can also consider the Ruger SR9c. It is a smaller 9mm. The gun runs well and is dependable. It is actually on my short list with the CZ Rami for my next purchase.

All of the guns I listed can be had for under $450 if you order on line. The Rami would be the most expensive and probably run $480 with transfer fees.

My ammo recomendations are Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger Bonded, Winchester Ranger T, and Federal HST. There are others out there but those tend to be the most common in use by law enforcement.

The Winchester Bonded will give less expansion than the Winchester T. However the Bonded gets more penetration and has none of the jacket seperation issues.

The Federal HST is considered by many to be the new "top" round. They expand better than Winchester Bonded and have none of the jacket seperation of the Winchester T. They also tend to perform extremely well after passing through barriers.

The Gold Dots are also top performers and will perform consistently.

I am currently carrying Winchester Ranger Bonded. I got a great deal on the ammo and it will work just as well as the other choices.

I tend to avoid the Remmington Golden Saber line because of bad experience with the .380s not expanding in my personal testing. By bad experience I mean 1 out of 7 partially expanded. The other six failed to expand at all. That was with a Kel Tec p-3AT. So it may be a result of the short barell and a velocity sensitive bullet design.
 
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I think with the price point you are looking at - you probably should consider how small you want to go...

A small .40 is going to make you pay in the "ouch" department...it's a snappy caliber....

I think definitely go with a 9mm. Larger capacity, not as much recoil [faster follow-up shots] and less expensive to practice with.

I think the Rugers in the SRC and the LC9 would be very good choices but I would go with the SRC...better sight picture, little bigger, more capacity.

I have quite a few 9mms that would be ideal for CC: Kahr, PX4 SubC, G19. If I wanted to get another 9mm that would tend to be small - it would probably be the Ruger.

The G26 Glock is a favorite of many but frankly - it may not fit you well. I like my G19 but it just doesn't fit my hand right compared to the Beretta PX4 SubC.

I do have a Taurus 24/7 MP DS in .45. It's pretty small for a .45 but a bit of a beast to shoot - price was about $369.00.

I also have a .38 snubby S&W J frame that I REALLY like. You can get some good used ones out there. New retail on the 637 is under $500.00 and it can shoot +p.

After all said and done though - Ruger SR9C ....

Check out this video from a Glock o phile - Hickok - he loves the Ruger SR9C...and you can get it new for under $400.00. I just watched the below video again and now I want one [again].

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT1q1C_PnIY
 
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I vote for the G19 as well.

I own a G23 which is a .40, 13 rounds in the mag and one up the snout it is the same size and weight as a G19, and I find it extremely easy to CCW with for those reasons.

A G19 will allow you to have one in the chamber, and fifteen more rounds in the magazine. That is great capacity in a weapon perfect for CCW, or home defense for that matter, as one can still get a full three finger grip on it.
 
I throw in a another vote for the Glock 26 for CCW. I happen to like the looks of the Glock in a form-follows-function type of way. Can't beat their simplicity and stone reliability.

I also have a G19, a SW 686 revolver and Ruger LCP pocket .380. I like the 26 better than the 19 for CCW as the 3/4" shorter butt doesn't stick out (I carry IWB 3.30-4.00) and I shoot both with about the same accuracy. Don't really trust the Ruger - inaccurate in my hands, feels cheaply made (well it is), and it's had reliability issues. Although it carries the best, it is not fun to shoot (too small) - the G26, in comparison, is a joy for a few hundred rounds at the range.

Here another important angle about gun ownership that people don't talk about much.... cleaning. First the Glocks are probably are least sensitive to reliability issues when dirty, so that means less frequent cleaning, and second, they are by far the easiest of my guns to clean.
 
budget buys

Might I recommend (as that differs from "suggest") the Ruger P345 in 45 ACP.

A Glock 19 or Ruger P95 is also an excellent choice for 9x19.
 
Inexpensive 9mm:
Taurus PT111
Ruger P95
Taurus 908 (9mm snub-nosed revolver)
used Star Firestar

9x18 Makarov:
Bulgarian Makarov
Polish Radom P-64


I own all of them, all are around $300, and I've never had ant problems with any of them.
 
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