Help me choose my gun outside the US parte 3 and final

B

Bachá

New member
Hi... I hope not to bother too much with this :-) Like I explained in my original post here:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=570454

Budget and options are limited in my country, prices are outrageous, and I basically want a gun for a lifetime because I dont want to sell guns or buy any used guns for legal safety reasons, and it is reasonable to think that it will be my only gun for a long time. I want to EDC it.

So I could try just the beretta 92 after all :-( beautiful gun, amazing shooter... but too big... I dont really like the beretta px4 storm sub compact. If I buy it I wont feel good with that purchase. Maybe if I could try it I would be amazed on how well it shoots but unfortunately I can´t try it.

I dont understand how people go to the gunshop buy the gun, and then to the carry test just like that... anyway. So the options now are:

Glock 26 gen 4 $1602 On sale, normal price in my country is $1860 The size and lack of rail is my only gripe with it. Since I am not an experience shooter I am afraid I wont be able to handle it well, then again I see kids and ladies shooting it on you tube, so I should be able to do it :D

Sphinx sdp compact $1474 on sale, normal price here was $2000. Bigger and heavier than the G26 of course. That makes me think I will be able to handle it better. It has rail, which is kind of important for home defense because it will be my only gun.

With all of this I have learned that I cant import even a spring from the USA without a permit... or at least that is what stores that sell parts keep telling me. But, how often do you need spare parts? I am totally new to this.

So, which one would you choose? With all the advantages the G26 has I cant pass the fact that it is so grossly overpriced respect to USA MSRP
 
By the way... every gun is 200% to 300% MSRP price here :-( just beretta is like 125% and now in sale sphinx is also like 150% I think.
 
If the Beretta PX4 Storm subcompact is available to you, how about the PX4 Storm compact? That is a very reasonably sized pistol that is much better sized for carry than the Beretta 92.

Any part on any pistol can break. With the Beretta 92 series there have been instances of breakage of the trigger spring (much less common since Beretta redesigned the spring), the slide stop spring and trigger bar spring, and occasionally the hammer release lever breaking, for example. I do not no if the same is true for the PX4. One of the most common failures for the Beretta 92 is the locking block, but typically only after many thousands of rounds, and this doesn't apply to the PX4 compact which has a completely different lockup mechanism.

One part accepted to have a finite life time is the recoil spring which will eventually need to be changed if you shoot enough rounds, but once again we are talking thousands.
 
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Perhaps the first common part replacement is a recoil spring at about 5,000 rounds.

The Sphinx is, by far, the better gun, as reflected by the much higher MSRP in the US relative to the Glock. Out of the box it shouldn't require any tweaking to run like a champ.

As a compact, the Sphinx should provide a full grip, vs the two-fingered grip on the subcompact Glock. Thus, it should be more comfortable to shoot because of this and the fact it's a bit heavier. The Sphinx is based on the CZ 75, a design that is inherently accurate and ergonomic. It has 50% greater magazine capacity than the Glock. The only thing the Glock would be better at is it would be easier to carry and conceal. I'm guessing parts would be easier to find for the Glock, but if your gunshop is a Sphinx dealer parts can be ordered from them.
 
pblanc no px4 compact... only full size and sub compact.

I'm guessing parts would be easier to find for the Glock, but if your gunshop is a Sphinx dealer parts can be ordered from them.
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Everything is "different" here. It could be very well the case that they are not going to deal with sphinx anymore and that is why they put the pistols on sale. I am gonna ask them... Are these really as good as they say? There are not many reviews but everyone raves about how well built they are...
 
A few guys here own a Sphinx. I can recall one guy reporting a problem, but I think it was remedied quickly and fairly painlessly. They are excellent examples of Swiss craftsmanship. You can get a similar product by buying a CZ 75 P-01 then sending it off to CZ Custom Shop or Cajun Gun Works for a lot of upgrade work. The cost and performance in the end is likely similar to just buying the Sphinx.
 
You still haven't bought one yet? Come on - hurry up already. :D

As I posted previously in your other almost identical thread - Glock 26 or if available - Glock 19.
 
That's a tough one, but don't forget, with a good holster really any size man can conceal anything. For example I am a small guy- 5' 6" and 140lbs, not the meatiest build but no twig either, even with a cheapo blackhawk IWB, I can conceal my full size 5" 1911 under a T-shirt (one that drapes off of my wide shoulders). The larger the gun and the larger the grip, it will be easier to shoot accurately (usually). I have never heard of sphinx, so I cannot comment on it, but if it is in fact made in Switzerland it is probably a very fine firearm. The Glock 26 is a good choice but the grip feels weird to me, being so short but also wide, I have shot one and can get decent accuracy out of it. I have heard of too many problems with full size px4s to recommend them, especially a sub compact version. Also the narrower the slide and grip of the handgun, easier to conceal. Grip length and grip/slide width are really what makes things hard to conceal. I guess it depends on your body type. What country docyou live in? I didn't read the linked thread
 
Glock 26 gen 4 . . . Since I am not an experience shooter I am afraid I wont be able to handle it well
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It is regrettable that you don't have an opportunity to shoot one, because most people are surprised at how easy it is to shoot the G26. My wife and daughters really enjoyed it when they were starting to learn to shoot, and many more experienced shooters report that they shoot it better than they do the larger Glocks in the same caliber.

In the US, the wide availability of parts and accessories would be an advantage of the Glock, but you will have to judge the situation there for yourself. Holster selection could be an issue for you. Repair parts are not needed all that often, but the need may be acute when it arises.

I have owned a generation 3 G26 for several years and can recommend it as a rugged, reliable pistol. I have heard good things about the Sphinx, but no firsthand knowledge to share. It seems like a pretty close call to me. Holster availability and your own feeling about concealment of two guns which differ in size quite a bit is going to have to be the basis for your decision.

Good luck with your decision.
 
You still haven't bought one yet? Come on - hurry up already.
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drobs has a point. Dude, Scattcat posted her initial plea for input on Feb. 5, and she had her new gun in hand on Feb. 9, a model she hadn't been considering. She's pleased as punch. You're making the Y chromosome look indecisive.
 
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Drobs:
You still haven't bought one yet? Come on - hurry up already
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I know :-( in my defense... I has been mostly the gun shop owner´s fault... He said he would go to the range for me with the G26 and try it, and he posponed it various times to the point he convinced me he wont do it :-(

Limophile:
drobs has a point. Dude, Scattcat posted her initial plea for input on Feb. 5, and she had her new gun in hand on Feb. 9, a model she hadn't been considering. She's pleased as punch. You'r making the Y chromosome look indecisive.
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I know, sorry :-( you have been very helpful. the big problem I have around here is that I want a firearm for a life time, plus what I said above. I dont want to sell any firearm or to buy any used one. That make me really nervous. Plus, I am "burning" almost a monthly income here, and when I see usa MSRPs i want to cry :-)

P71pilot
What country docyou live in? I didn't read the linked thread
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Guatemala

TailGator:
My wife and daughters really enjoyed it when they were starting to learn to shoot, and many more experienced shooters report that they shoot it better than they do the larger Glocks in the same caliber.
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Thanks... that is another consideration that I think I havent mentioned. I want my wife to be able to shoot the firearm and she is realy petite :-) so one point more for the glock.
 
So... I think I want the G26 for aaaaallll the thinks you guys have said, concealability, its on sale, and would be a better gun for my wife to shoot than a beretta :-)

My only option is buy it, wait the waiting period (we do have firearm registration here), pick it up at the store and go to the CC test ASAP.

You can have a firearm without any license here but you can only have it in your house, not take it to the range or anything. You need a special permit to take it to a range... go figure.

How stupid would be to just pick it up in the store and go to the test without having fired any gun that size before? It is a BS test. An 8" bullseye 25 feet away and you have to hit it 5 times with 8 rounds :D

I know for many of you in the USA that would be the silliest thing ever, but considering my situation.... what do you say?
 
If you fail the test, would you be allowed to take it again? How long would you have to wait? Do they allow any sort of warm up before taking the test?

I wouldn't want to take such a test with an unfamiliar pistol if a second test was expensive or difficult to arrange or would delay my license by much. Every pistol has its quirks, as does every shooter, and it isn't completely impossible to get a pistol that comes out of the box with the sights off or something like that.

I want my wife to be able to shoot the firearm and she is really petite
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Size doesn't make much difference in pistol shooting, as long as she knows that she needs to grip the pistol firmly. So-called "limp wristing" is actually a failure to provide a firm enough platform for the pistol to cycle, absorbing the recoil that should work the slide. Some people argue that it doesn't exist, but my youngest daughter had some failures to cycle when she first picked up my G26. She is an engineer now, was at university then, and as soon as I explained the problem she immediately understood and literally has not had a single failure since with it or any of several other pistols she has shot. If your wife learns good technique she will be fine with the little Glock.
 
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I would get the Glock 26. I don't even really like Glocks, but I have some experience. They are reliable, corrosion resistant and easy enough to carry. My thought is G19, but a G26 with a new mag base would be fine to me. There are sticker grips available and tons of parts available, if required.

Really no need to try before you buy. A Glock is darn near a sure thing and 99% of people could adapt to it, if required.

Here you get lots of opinions from people who can buy a gun in 30 min for less that a weeks pay, so they don't really get the one time lifetime purchase issue.
 
If you fail the test, would you be allowed to take it again? How long would you have to wait? Do they allow any sort of warm up before taking the test?

I wouldn't want to take such a test with an unfamiliar pistol if a second test was expensive or difficult to arrange or would delay my license by much
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As far as I know they dont give you any warm up time. I think you can re take the test the next week... knowing that ranges dont have rental guns dont know what is the porpuse. In the other hand I have never heard of any one failing the shooting test. Some people have been denied the carry license because they fail the gun laws test... go figure :eek:. You have to read our gun law and they give you a test about that...

Test is free. But if you win you have to pay an anual fee for the license. $20 a year.

What I could do (which would be a total pain in the ass) is pick up the gun, take it home, then ask for a temporary permit to go to the range, and then take the test. The thing is the office where I need to ask for the permit is 4 hours from where I live.
 
Really no need to try before you buy. A Glock is darn near a sure thing and 99% of people could adapt to it, if required.

Here you get lots of opinions from people who can buy a gun in 30 min for less that a weeks pay, so they don't really get the one time lifetime purchase issue.
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My thing with trying before is not as much that I feel unsecure of the gun but that I feel unsecure of myself :-D havent shot that much, and only much bigger guns.

Sure... my situation is so much different than mostly everyone else here, but you all have been really helpful. While it is legal to sell person to person (you have to go to a lawyer and notify the authorities though) I would never do it. I dont want to be in the chain of owners of a firearm that was used for a crime. Not only for moral reasons but also for legal reasons... out system is totally broken.

So you know. Spending a monthly income, in something that you want to hold for a lifetime and... your life and your family´s life could depend on it... plus, I cant test it!!! It has been a nerve racking decision for me that am already indecisive :rolleyes:
 
Glock 23?

Sorry I have not followed your entire saga.

I have a Glock 19 for EDC, and am very happy with my choice.......however if I had to do it over I would spend the extra hundred bucks or so and purchase the Glock 23 and a 9mm conversion barrel.
From what I read and hear the .40 mag will work fine for the range with 9mm.

My thought of course is two guns in one. That only applies if you have access to ordering parts like a barrel and a 9mm magazine.

Of course they may get 1000 for that hundred dollar barrel. YMMV
 
Dang Bachá, with those prices, you're making me want to get back in the ITAR (International Trafficking in Arms) business.
Mind saying what country you're in?
 
Bacha,

If you decide to take the test immediately after buying the gun, I recommend you bone up on some youtube videos of basic Glock / Semi-auto handling (grip, sight picture, locking forearms / wrists, stance, trigger pull, etc), safety, operation, and shooting.

I'd recommend what I call the Glock Grip that most everyone uses / teaches where the thumbs of both your hands point forward.

leatham-enos-grip.jpg

Good Article on different grips.
http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/maximizing-the-combat-grip/

This forum has some good instructional stickies on grip, stance, draw, and reload: http://glock.pro/training-tactics/index2.html

Glock has a university:
https://us.glock.com/confidence/university
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3rc1YTnBfSLKIcDP9K3UD8pOoAdf9oL0
 
If you decide to take the test immediately after buying the gun, I recommend you bone up on some youtube videos of basic Glock / Semi-auto handling (grip, sight picture, locking forearms / wrists, stance, trigger pull, etc), safety, operation, and shooting.
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Thanks... amazin resources and advie!
 
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