I Need Advice...

F

flcjinflorida

New member
I plan on purchasing a new handgun. What I don't know is what gun to purchase. I do know I will only have $600 to spend on it.

I am mostly interested in 22LR, .380 Auto, and 40 S&W.

I know how professional a lot of people are here on T.F.L. and I value your advice.
 
I plan on purchasing a new handgun. What I don't know is what gun to purchase. I do know I will only have $600 to spend on it.

I am mostly interested in 22LR, .380 Auto, and 40 S&W.

I know how professional a lot of people are here on T.F.L. and I value your advice.
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22LR to a 40S&W is a pretty big difference so i guess i have a question first. What do you plan on using this handgun for? A bit more information and we can give a much better recommendation based on your needs :)
 
A good 22LR revolver is a Smith & Wesson.
I am waiting for the Browning 1911 22LR.
I also have a Ruger Mark II and I like it, but if you ever have to taker her apart be patient putting it back together.

.380 Autos: I have owned a Sig P238 and a Walther PPK/S. I still have the Walther. It is a S&W built PPK/S.

.40 S&W. I had a Sig P229. I traded it for a Browning Hi-Power in 9mm. So I can't over any real advice in the .40 area.
 
I plan on carrying it concealed. I already have a Glock 27 but I am not comfortable carrying it because it doesn't have a safety. I want to be able to carry one in the chamber and I don't want to shoot my foot off in a situation. I don't mind carrying any of the three calibers that I mentioned.
 
A good 22LR revolver is a Smith & Wesson.
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If you are looking for a gun to just have fun with at the range for cheap i agree with this. I used to own a ruger single 6 22LR and it was alot of fun. Im sure the S&W would be great too.

EDIT: Just read your post saying for concealed carry. I don't own but have shot the Ruger LCP and it had a pretty nice trigger I thought for a small carry gun and that's in a .380. Its very slim but if you have large hands i don't know how it will feel.
 
if your going to go 40. then i would go with the springfield xd 40. you can get it well under your 600 price range and it comes with loads of gear.
 
I plan on carrying it concealed.
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For self-defense? Then .22 is right out of there: unless you are unable to tolerate the recoil of something more substantial, there are better options.

I already have a Glock 27 but I am not comfortable carrying it because it doesn't have a safety. I want to be able to carry one in the chamber and I don't want to shoot my foot off in a situation. I don't mind carrying any of the three calibers that I mentioned.
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The Ruger sr40c is your answer. It is well within your budget, is one of the 3 calibers you mentioned, has a thumb safety...... If it is anything like my brother's sr9c, which he picked up for $400 new OTD, then it will be the best $400 gun you ever fire.
 
I also have a Ruger Mark II and I like it, but if you ever have to taker her apart be patient putting it back together.
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Putting it back together is like anything else: if you practice it, it becomes easy. "Drill Baby, Drill!"
 
If you are going for concealed then go with the S&W M&P 40c.

Our local PD just bought a whole string of them for back up weapons, and they also dropped their 10 yr. Glock program. You wouldn't believe the people who are surprisingly pleased with the switch over. ;)

Heck .... for $600 you could get a S&W M&P 40 PRO!!!! They retail for around $550, and are superior to anything Glock or Springfield makes. They have a 4.5# trigger with your choice of Hi Viz or TruGlo sights right out of the box! Paired with the back strap assortment, and the handling and holstering of this pistol .... that's a nice choice!

Just to give you an idea .... I carry an M&P 45c under the waste band, and it takes up less room than my old Glock 36!
 
In my humble opinion (please don't be offended) if you are looking for a carry gun , and you are considering a 22 , you would do well to put your wallet away and study this some more. If you buy a 22 , it will only be a short time before you realize you have no idea what you are even talking about. We can all debate calibers from here to eternity. No one who knows anything will be reccomending you buy a 22 for self defense. The shopping process is a great deal of the pleasure in buying a gun. If you are going to the ghetto next Monday and must have protection or some such thing , then buy the cheapest 38 revolver you can get. That may keep you alive until you can figure out a better plan. That's my opinion and we wish you good luck in the selection process.
 
I plan on carrying it concealed. I already have a Glock 27 but I am not comfortable carrying it because it doesn't have a safety. I want to be able to carry one in the chamber and I don't want to shoot my foot off in a situation. I don't mind carrying any of the three calibers that I mentioned.
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I prefer a revolver for that very same reason. I put my thumb behind the hammer when holstering it. Best of both worlds. A- I Don't shoot myself in the foot B-no safety to fiddle with in the event I actually need to use it. I have a ppk that I holster the same way.
 
I plan on carrying it concealed. I already have a Glock 27 but I am not comfortable carrying it because it doesn't have a safety. I want to be able to carry one in the chamber and I don't want to shoot my foot off in a situation. I don't mind carrying any of the three calibers that I mentioned.
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Sir you do not need a new gun, you need a good holster. I carry a Glock 22 in a Serpa holster and do not worry one bit about the lack of a safety. Sure Glocks have a hair trigger but if carried in a good holster you need not worry about it.

Don't get me wrong, a person should always get another gun just for the heck of it but don't count out your G27 just yet.
 
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Let's make a trade

You need advice. We need information in order to give you advices that you will find useful (and accurate).

Do you shoot handguns already? If so, what types? Please describe what your level of expertise is. You won't find a lot of judgementalism here, just people who will tailor their advice you what we perceive as your needs.

For example, your preference for a gun with a manual safety will lead some to a conclusion. Or, rather one of two conclusions. 1) You are not quite comfortable with firearms in general or 2) you are quite knowledgeable about firearms ad have evaluated the shortcomings of the Glock "safe-action" mechanism and decided against it. Each conclusion lead your readers to widely disparate conclusions about your advice needs.

The more you tell us, the more we can advise you.

Lost Sheep
 
I am a big fan of a S&W .380 Bodyguard loaded with good hollowpoints. It has a long-travel clean-breaking double-action-only trigger, which feels very much like a revolver trigger, PLUS a thumb safety which stops both the trigger and the slide. It is small, light, comfortable and very safe. Add the built-in laser sight and its even a good buy these days at about $340 or so. That's my $0.02.
 
For carry, I like DA/SA or DAO and towards the smaller pistols for comfort. So, I recommend:
1. Kahr CW9 or K9
2. Beretta 85.
3. Sig 232.
4. Maybe Sig P239
for these small pistols, I think, I would stick with a 9mm or 380.
If you feel that you need an external safety, then look for a 1911 or HK USP type of safety (frame mounted, up=safe/down=ready) and easily manipulated with the thumb while keeping a good shooting grip.
Also keep in mind that high capacity adds weight and size.
==========
I do not CC everyday. My primary CCW is a Walther P99 DA/SA. Sometimes I CC a 5" 1911 or a Sig P6. I feel that my CC pistols are too big for comfortable everyday CC.
 
How about a .22 and a .380 within your budget?

Consider a Bersa Thunder 22,,,
And a Bersa Thunder 380,,,
Identical handguns.
bersas-lr.jpg

I own the pair and in my not-so-humble opinion,,,
They are the sleeper buy in handguns.

A Black Thunder 22 at buds gun shop is only $252.00

A Black Thunder 380 at buds gun shop is only $262.00

For only about $25.00 more you could get brushed nickel.

I shoot mine all the time,,,
I have over 2,200 rounds through the .22,,,
I have fired over 250 rounds through the 380.

Inexpensive practice with the .22,,,
Practical defense training with the .380,,,
And my guns have proven to be very reliable.

Anyways,,,
They're worth a look,,,
And they are within your budget.

Aarond
 
A lot of possiblilities....


You could pu this on your glock http://www.tarnhelm.com/GlockSafety.html and have the thunb safety you want and then guy a 22lr for fun and still meet your budget.

or

Swap the glock for a MPc with the thumb safety and maybe still able to buy a 22lr for fun.

or

You could do what aaron said. Buy a Bersa/Firestorm 22lr and 380 for close to your budget. Identical guns - different caliber. Enjoy the cheap practice of the 22lr and know the CC is the same thing but bigger caliber.
 
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