handgun purchase?

R

ronss

Inactive
i would like to buy a handgun, i was thinking .40, but now seems like all the advice i see , 9mm is the best choice..

anyhow...i want to spend $500, around that area...i had been looking at a s&w mp,and xd .....are there any others out there i should look at????i don,t want a glock
 
Welcome to TFL.:D

i would like to buy a handgun, i was thinking .40, but now seems like all the advice i see , 9mm is the best choice..
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Best choice for what?
In a concealed carry roll, tge 9MM can be had in small, even easily pocketable firearms.
If the shooter is recoil sensitive, the 9MM could have an advantage.
9MM ammo vcan be cheaper than 40 S&W.
But!
40S&W is a larger round with generally more power.
I guess 26 state police departments didn't get the memo about the superority of the 9MM. In fact, It looks like only 2 did!
the most popular handgun calibers used by that state police in 49 states are (HI has no state police agency, hence only 49 states):

40 S&W - AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IL, IO, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NV, ND, OH, OR, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY (26)[ .357 Sig - DE, MT, NM, NC, OK, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA (10) .45 ACP - AR, ID, KS, ME, NH, WV (6) .45 GAP - FL, GA, NY, PA, SC (5) 9mm - IN, NJ (2)
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Not only state police departments. The 40 S&W is the most polular cartridge in all police departments in the US.
Your post is likely going to open a can of worms from both supporters, and detractors of the 40S&W round. But the surest way to decide for your self on both caliber, and gun is to shoot as many different guns and calibers you can. Look for a gun shop wih a range in your area where you can rent guns if possible.
I have CCW guns in both calibers, plus 380ACP and 38 Special. I am very happy with my Springfield Armory XD40 Sub Compact, as It is my could weather EDC firearm. My KAHR Arms CM9 is most often carried in warmer weather in either an IWB hybrid or pocket holster because of lighter clothing.
Again, your need may well be a big part of determining which caliber.
 
You can look at the opinion of other folk until you are either blue in the face or die of confusion or boredom.

Buying a gun for personal defense is a personal choice. Find something that makes you happy and comfortable that you can shoot well. Beg, borrow and rent as many as you can to shoot. Failing that, make your way to a gun show, pick up and handle (safely please) as many as you can get your mitts on. Something will likely feel right.

Buy it.

Procure some ammunition. Shoot it up. Repeat.

You will discover either how to shoot your acquisition well or what you would prefer.

Go through the process again.

This is how you build a hearty collection. It doesn't happen overnight.

I often see or hear the police/FBI argument. We private citizens live a very different day to day existence and have very different needs.

I own four handguns and one lever rifle that are chambered in .45 caliber, be it Colt or ACP, yet my nightstand/carry pistol is a 9MM Glock. Why? Because it works for me and I am very comfortable with that choice.

See the first sentence of this post.

Good luck on your quest friend, and welcome to the forum.
 
Last edited:
Cheapshooter
Quote:
i would like to buy a handgun, i was thinking .40, but now seems like all the advice i see , 9mm is the best choice..
Click to expand...
I guess 26 state police departments didn't get the memo about the superority of the 9MM. In fact, It looks like only 2 did!
Click to expand...
OP never said a thing about the "superiority" of 9mm......you brought that into the thread.:rolleyes:

I would tend to believe that the recommendation of 9mm has more to do with price of ammunition. I would bet that very few of those officers are having to provide their own training ammo.

I too, would recommend 9mm for the OP.
 
Best advice is rent a few at the range and see which ones you like. Nothing sucks worse than getting a new pistol that you just can't seems to get comfortable with.

Also make sure that the pistol fits your purpose, range gun, CCW, or home defense. From the ones you mentioned take a look at the Walther ppq, it fits well into the family you mentioned, but I'm a bit biased.
 
?s, budget, uses....

The "what should I get" questions are difficult to answer.
What training or skills do you have? Do you have any formal classes or are a military veteran? What use(s) do you have for the new pistol? Target, hunting, defense, etc. You state your budget is approx $500.00. You'd have a few choices for that range.
If you are new or entry level, Id buy a DA only or hammer fired DA only type pistol. They are safe & you can avoid false claims of shooting single action or "cocking the hammer" in a critical incident.
Good choices in 9x19mm(9mm Luger) or .40S&W include; SD9/SD40, PX4 Storm Constant action, FNS 9/40, Walther PPQ 9/40, SIG P250 or 2022, S-A XDm, Ruger SR9/SR40.
Some shooters & gun owners like the M&P series or Glocks but Im not sure those would be a good choice for a new gun owner.
If you can save any $$$, to buy a SIG Sauer DAK series P226R or P229R would be ideal. It's robust, safe & can be converted to .22LR rounds to train with.
The HK P2000 line(LEM format) is a DA only model that's well made too.

Whatever you buy, learn how to clean & use it properly. Take classes or seminars with respected instructors(with backgrounds or certifications you can verify). Learn the gun & use of force laws too. In 2013, there are many resources available to the US gun owner(even those on a tight budget).

Clyde
www.gunsamerica.com www.gunlawguide.com www.jgsales.com www.nra.org www.handgunlaw.us www.brownells.com www.sgammo.com www.shopcorbon.com www.slickguns.com www.gunvideo.com www.galls.com
 
thanks all...i was a gun shop yesterday, holding a sw mp, and springfield xd....the sprinfield felt a tad heavier ,which i liked....i sort of did not like all the safety stuff on it,,but i can live with it...going to keep looking, and take in some of the advice given.....
 
OP never said a thing about the "superiority" of 9mm......you brought that into the thread.
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but now seems like all the advice i see , 9mm is the best choice..
Click to expand...
So the "best choice" is not based on being superior to others?;)

The "best" choice still would be determined by the intended use, and the owner's ability with any handgun, or round.
A range toy, plinker. Of the two, the 9MM would be the best choice because of less recoil, and lower ammo cost. But for strictly that purpose a 22 Rimfire may well be superior.
For home defense, personally I'd say the 40 of the two choices because of it's increased power potential. But a 45ACP, or 357Magnum would have even more. But again, in that roll, a 12 guage shotgun would probably be superior.
For concealed carry, factors such as size and weight of the firearm, concealibility, and the owners ability to quickly and accuratly deploy the weapon again sets the "superority" of a chosen round.
Was the comment in the OP based on recomendations from friends who are experienced shooters, gun shop salesmen, or internet ramblings?
I hope the OP will post again with the intended use, but still all the recomendations even here are just that. Recomendations of what to try for themself.
 
shotguns indeed have a lot of power, plus,s and minus,s for home defense. you do have to sight in, the pattern is tight.. they are big, clumsy, and lot of recoil. a pistol is easy to handle, fires fast.....i do have a shotgun under my bed, but i believe i can get off more shots with a double action semi-auto
 
So you are saying you want a handgun for home defense. Dou have much experience shooting a handgun?
If you are not already accomplished at shooting a handgun, lots of practice is in order. Not only for accuracy, but operation should become second nature if you are going to rely on It for home or self defense. That may be where recomendations for a 9MM come from. Lighted recoiling, and lower ammo costs for many rounds of practice and drills.
What model of XD did you look at. The comment about "all the safety stuff" has me curious. My XD 40 Sub Compact has no external manual safety. Just the safe action trigger, and grip safety which are both very natural when shooting.
 
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