G19 vs. Revolver, first gun

Ginger, for what it's worth my wife is also fairly small and thin. She did plenty of research online and pretty much had her heart set on a revolver and I did as well at this point in time ( a few years back).

However, we went to a local range and she rented a G19 and a 38 revolver and at the end of it it was clear to both of use that the G19 was the way to go.

She still prefers her G19 over all other guns years later and I also purchased a G19 for myself because I enjoy her gun so much and it has been so spot on reliable.

To add to what others are saying...I would buy new. You don't want to inherit other people's problems especially on well worn guns. Glocks are very reliable even with thousands of rounds through them...but I still prefer new and it sounds like the deal you're being offered is not that exceptional. Consider the fact that if you need even a small repair to any part of the gun, the used savings are gone.

I would go with the Glock.
 
I am looking for a range with rentals but I think that may be more of an urban thing, I'm in the Idaho Falls area and still looking. I think I am going to have to find kind souls willing to let me try out their personal firearms.
 
I would go with the Glock. With the sights it adds to the value since most places would charge you between 80-100 dollars. If the gun is for CCW its defiantly the right choice because of round capacity.
 
Starting to hear back from the amazingly awesome NRA instructors in my area, they are arranging to provide me with the opportunity to try out the G19, XDMs, revolvers, etc. before my next class :D:D:D

Thanks to everyone for all the great info and advice, I'll report back on the gun I end up purchasing!!
 
Police started switching to autoloaders 20-25 years ago in response to a percieved upswing in multiple attacker incidents. I don't know if the underlying impetus for that decision had merit, but it has worked out well enough.

As far as keeping magazines loaded versus unloaded, there are a lot of urban legends surrounding this. Springs wear through cycling. Storing a spring compressed is essentially no worse for it than storing it expanded. I keep all of my defense gun magazines loaded. Unloading a magazine every time you go to put it away and reloading it every time you wish to make the gun ready is both annoying, and harder on the spring than just leaving it be. Plus, it leaves you with the potential side problem of having an empty magazine when you need a full one. At any rate, quality magazine springs are quite durable, and, properly maintained, should last a long time regardless of how you store them.
 
If you want a plastic semiauto for a home defense gun, I'd get the G17 over the G19 - it's larger size will make it easier to control when firing, and it's still plenty small and light enough. Another good choice along these lines would be a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 fullsized - also a lightweight plastic framed gun.

In revolvers, a 4-inch medium framed .357/.38 is great for home defense. Something like a Smith & Wesson: 64 (6 shots of .38+P) or a 620 or 686P (7 shots of either .38+P or .357 Magnum).

Don't buy anything unless you've shot it (or something very similar). You may find out you can't work with something that felt good to just look at and hold in the shop.
 
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Get the G-19. They are much easier to learn to shoot with than a revolver.
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I like semiautos as well as revolvers, but each have their strengths. It seems to me that simplicity and reliablity go to the revolver. How do you figure a semiauto is easier to learn? :confused:
 
Why would I want to learn on the easiest tool? That would be like learning to drive on an automatic...isn't it wiser to learn to drive a stick? If and when my maniac ex or some other home invader shows up, I plan to be proficient in doing as much mitigation as safely and thoroughly as possible. That can be accomplished with either a revolver or a semi-automatic as far as I can tell. I'm not looking for a firearm to sit idly in a drawer until that day comes, and then to use it as mindlessly as possible. I'm looking for a reliable and effective means of self defense in the home and cc.
 
You should learn on the tool that you like to shoot.

It is a bit miss-leading to say a double action revolver is simpler than a semi-automatic. Neither is bewilderingly complex.

The revolver usually has more working parts than a semi. That makes it a bit more complex when you take it apart to clean it. Still not rocket science though.

IMHO how a gun fits in your hand, how comfortable it is to point, and how comfortable you are with it's recoil, trumps what type or brand it is.

I see you're going to get the chance to shoot several types of guns. That's the best way to make your decision. In the mean time, get that shotgun;)
 
So good much advice here it is confusing for anyone to sort our in a forum.

Go to a qualified range or with an exerienced person YOU trust and try the Glock , a revolver and anything else YOU can so that YOU can make YOUR OWN informed decision. This is YOUR decision and YOUR responsiblity. The Glock is an amazing firearm, as are most of the other mentioned here, but which one is right for YOU is for YOU to decide.

By the way the saftey of whatever YOU chose is YOUR responsibly to keep it safe from anyone. Please do not leave YOUR gun unsecured in a house with ANYONE, but especially YOUR children.

Good luck on YOUR decision.
 
Thanks Buzzcook. Sorry all if I got a little ticked off there about the simplicity thing. Guess I took it as condescension, which I don't take well, and maybe it wasn't intended as such.
 
Definitely good advice. And I cannot say enough about how responsive and wonderful my local NRA instructor group is. Within literally minutes of emailing them they were collaborating on ensuring I get exactly the kind of opportunity needed to make a sound decision. Inspiring!
 
Why would I want to learn on the easiest tool? That would be like learning to drive on an automatic...isn't it wiser to learn to drive a stick? If and when my maniac ex or some other home invader shows up, I plan to be proficient in doing as much mitigation as safely and thoroughly as possible.
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Well, enough people with a lot more experience than I in these matters feel that simplicity is an advantage, and for my part, I find it hard to understand why greater complexity would be an advantage.

If you need to actually use the gun to defend yourself, that means that someone right in front of you, is trying to kill you, and you have only seconds to live. That would be an exceedingly stressful second or two or three that could be your last moments on earth. The idea is, that having fewer things that can go wrong, and simpler and faster procedures to recover from what could go wrong, is a big plus under these circumstances. Just my opinion, but that's all we give on these things, and it makes perfect sense to me.

Of course a semiauto will give you higher capacity, so you can get off more shots, and that's also an advantage, but compared to a revolver, in a semiauto:
  • You might forget to set the safety off
  • You might forget to rack the slide to chamber the first round
  • You might get a failure to feed a round
  • You might get a failure to eject a round
  • You might get a failure to fire - now that can happen in a revolver too, but in this case you just pull the trigger again, rather than try to go through a quick clearance drill while someone is shooting or stabbing you or taking you to the ground.
 
Those are all good points. I'm going to do two things, 1. go with whatever is most comfortable in my hand and shooting because that way I will enjoy practicing the most and 2. bring photos of my staircase and bedroom door scenario to my instructors for their input. I kind of checked it out today, if I have an entry alarm on the ground floor I can rapidly position myself so anyone coming up the stairs has their back to me with me above them, and I don't see how I could miss with anything given the shape and size of the stairs and landing. I can also set up so that both doors to the hall to the stairs are locked at bedtime, so between triggering the alarm and getting into the hallway I'm already in position with the kids rooms behind me, equipped with rope ladders to get out, and I can announce I'm shooting if the stairs are mounted. So this brings me back to the sound of a shotgun, although I do have to work out details like do I want my kids climbing out of the house while I'm scaring the BG away, they could cross paths. All this assumes the bg enters while I'm in bed, but fortunately I'm lazy and we all spend alot of down time in our rooms. Given my stature I'd maybe feel best with a shotgun upstairs and handguns downstairs, I'd have an easier time shooting the shotgun without being lunged for if I was upstairs than down. At this point I'd feel better with any gun, and alot better with one of each :) But I am going to have to take things in a proper order, first reinforce the doors and get some exterior lighting, then get a german shepherd for my dalmation (who isn't going to be very happy about that), then get some safes, then check out prices and options on alarm systems, while hopefully having meanwhile bought myself at least one first gun for my birthday :D I suppose I am being a bit complacent because my ex is on parole and is seeming compliant over 1000 miles away, which seems like it is buying me some time, but that will eventually come to an end and meanwhile we are still vulnerable to a home invasion, but thankfully the neighborhood is very quiet and all parts of the lot are visible to neighbors, the closest and nosiest of which any bg will hopefully not know are nearly deaf.

Reading through this, it occurs to me that if I am able to set up the alarm, lock the points of entry to the hallway, maybe I should be heading out the window with the kids, in which case I'd rather be carrying a handgun than a shotgun. And wouldn't I be keeping a round in the chamber anyway?
 
revolvers are much easier for a woman
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Is that because you believe that women find it much easier to operate the stiff double action triggers that come on most DA revolvers?

Or is that because you believe women can't appreciate the benefit of the recoil absorbing properties of a semi-auto?

Or are you saying that because you are a woman and have firsthand experience with what's much easier for women?

Or perhaps it's because you are privy to the results of a scientific study or poll indicating that women find revolvers much easier?

Revolvers tend to be a bit simpler to operate, but anyone who can learn to drive or operate a computer can easily learn to operate a semi-auto--and in fewer lessons than it takes to learn to drive or use a computer. That goes for both men AND women.

For what it's worth, I know several women who find autopistols are much easier for them. As well as some who feel that revolvers are much easier for them. Much the same divide that I find among men who shoot.
 
revolvers are much easier for a woman
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I don't see what the sex of the operator has to do with it. A double action revolver just has fewer operations, and fewer things can go wrong. You draw the gun, and pull the trigger, that's it, only thing you may need to do is to repeat pulling the trigger.

And it's not a matter of intellect for either sex, for goodness sake. Most any fool can figure out how to work a semiauto with a bit of training and practice, and if anything goes wrong at the range, you have all the calm time in the world to set it straight again - not so if someone's already drawing a gun on you or running at you with a big shiny knife in your living room or hallway - 1,2, at most 3 seconds, and you're already fatally wounded. It really comes down to stress, fractions of seconds, and reliability, for those who prefer the revolver for defense.

I realize it's not right for everyone, but a revolver makes me feel better, and I am a PhD physical scientist, so it's not because I am puzzled by mechanical things.
 
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If the Glock fits nicely into your hands, I'd say go for it. The more comfortable with the weapon you are, the more confident you will be with it. That's as important as the reliability of the weapon IMO. The reliablity of Glocks are as good as any other top brand handgun. When there are millions of them out there, some are going to have problems.

You are already on a great thinking path. Learning how to clear jams is crutial to semi-auto SD/HD use. With a high end auto, the chances are extremely rare, but there's still a chance. I've seen FTF's that took a very long time to clear. Personally that's why I have guns everywhere:D I understand that your situation wouldn't be the best for that though. I've seen problems with revolvers to. I'd say that the statistical chances that a semi auto will fail on you before a revolver are so small that it's not worth spending time worrying about. Just fire whatever weapon you get enough for you to be 100% confident in the weapon.

Reinforcing your home security is a great idea as well. Just owning a firearm isn't a cure for a security problem. The fact that you have a dog is a great thing. When you decide where and how to store the firearm look at it from three points of view:

Yours. See how easy it is to get to. Always keep it in the same place and in the same position. Practice getting to it under different circumstances. The night sights will help a lot with this in total darkness.

Your kids'. Put yourself in the shoes of a curious child. I don't know what gender, age, or maturity level your children are so I can't give a lot of advise. The only advise I can give is what my father did with my sister and I. Let the kids know about the gun. Let them see it and handle it (unloaded of coarse). Show them how to safely operate it. The most important thing is to let them know that they should never get it or touch it by themselves, but any time they want to see it all they have to do is ask. Be prepared to do that as well. That'll keep their curiosity satitsfied, but keeping it secure is important as well.

The BG's. Depending on all of the variables that make up your life you have to figure out what type of threats you are most likely to encounter. Keep the gun secure and out of sight from the BG's. Don't keep it in the same place you keep your valuables, because that's the first place they're going. If you get a safe, get one big and heavy enough that they can't carry the whole thing out, or mount is securely.

$450 is a great price for a Glock with tritium night sights in my area. I would pay that. The night sights alone are usually worth about $100. I have a set of Trijicons on my FNP-40 and I love them. I would try to ask how old the sights are. Tritium only lasts about 12 years or so. If they're still bright the'll probably be fine for many more years.

The only reason I don't like Glocks is because they don't fit in my hand. If one did the way you describe the G19 and your hand I would probably own two. There are Glock lovers and Glock haters out there. I'm neither. I've fired a few, handled and sold more than I can count, but never owned one. If you can rent one to fire, I would do that just to see how it fires, but I've never fired a gun before I bought one, and I'm happy with all of mine.

When it comes to your questions about spare magazines. All of my research has led me in the direction that it's the constant loading and unloading of the magazine that wears out the spring, not the constant pressure. Keeping spare mags loaded all the time shouldn't be a problem. I do it, as well as many others.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and keep going about things as you have been. You seem much smarter than many of the people who go looking for their first firearm. All of the above is just my humble opinion and is probably stuff you've already heard a hundred times. Just thought I would put in my $.02.
 
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