Nightstand/ range gun/ occasional carry: help me pick between 5 guns

mikemxbike4

New member
Hi guys,

I am new to this forum and am looking to purchase a MA compliant pistol for above mentioned purposes.

I have narrowed it down to the following 5 pistols:

1. Beretta 92FS
2. SIG SP 2022
3. Ruger SR1911
4. H&K VP9
5. S&W M&P 9mm

Which gun would be your choice and why?

Thanks in advance
 
Pick the one that fits your hand best.

What others would choose makes little difference, since they are all basically the same as far as what you want them to do
 
I agree. I just wanted to hear from someone who may have shot or owns more than one of these guns to see what pros and cons are and what they think about them
 
Consider besides what fits your hand best the weight, length, width as that may help you, especially in terms of carry. The 92FS and SR1911 would be the heaviest, I believe.
 
VP9. It's probably ergonomicaly the best of the group. (Mp a close 2nd) It has close to the best trigger of the group, and it is just makes you a better shooter.

I have also owned a beretta m9, and liked it. Great reliable firearm, the grip just wasn't for me. I have also owned an M&P 45, and it was a nice gun but the trigger was aweful.

No experience with the sig, but I hear good things.

1911's make great range toys, but I wouldnt trust a cheaper 1911 with my life.
 
One gun for all of those purposes? Yikes.

If you could swing two, I'd go with the Beretta for nightstand duty (and range use) and the VP9 for carry (and range use). Both are top-notch in build quality, reliability, accuracy, and so forth. There's not a combat pistol on the planet that has achieved the documented reliability under military-supervised testing that the 92FS/M9 has (21,500 average MRBF), which is a pretty big plus in its favor for home defense in my book. Some other makers, like CZ, boast of documented reliability testing for their pistols that is not even 10% of that figure. (I'm not talking about mud and sand testing and the like, for which there are no standardized comparisons. I'm talking about random, standardized testing of sample pistols from a large production batch in the ballistics lab, which is the only kind of testing that affords easy comparisons.) The VP9 would be easier to conceal and quite a bit more comfortable to carry. I'm normally averse to being an early adopter of anything, but the VP9 does not appear to have had any troubles. The M&P is also a very good option, if a step down in build quality (though it's just fine in that regard), if you feel better about going with something that has had bugs identified and worked out over several years. The trigger is not very good, but you can make it very nice with a simple APEX trigger kit.

If one gun has to do all things, I'd go with the VP9, out of the ones you've listed. (My personal "list," as in what I actually use, is this: 92FS for nightstand/home defense duty, Walther PPS for CCW.) People do carry the 92, but it's not exactly ideal for that role for most people, given its weight and dimensions.

I've just told you what I would do. As others have said, and as you've agreed, personal fit is a very important factor. Some people just shoot certain guns more poorly than others for a variety of reasons. Try to rent/shoot all of these and more, if you haven't already.
 
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Since the CZ p-07 isn't on the list....


The VP9 feels the best to me, with the M&P trailing by a tiny bit. The VP is new so that's the only knock against it, but being an H&K that overcomes that issue IMHO. Of course with the M&P you also get bullet proof reliability and great quality for the price.

Of course I have lot's of love for the Sig 2022 so it would make a great option also...

PS my condolences on your sorry State.

You finished school, move take your beloved tax dollars and buy something you want not what they'll allow.

Everyone should have the choice of standard capacity and trigger weights.
 
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I love my 92 and my 1911, but they aren't easily concealable. My snub 38 and my tiny 380 are great for concealed carry, but for a nightstand gun they are unnessecarily small and limited in capacity.

It would be great to find a handgun perfect for both jobs, but it's like they say about the similar situation with people: a compromise means nobody gets what they really want.
 
I'll chime in with some of the others and SERIOUSLY suggest you get two guns. One for carry and 'the other one.'

A carry gun has to fit you well or you won't carry it. I don't think you should compromise on a carry gun...get exactly what you want, what feels good to you and then get the nightstand/range gun/home defense gun etc. (Except that I'd buy the nightstand gun first and then get the carry gun.)

Oh yeah, and find some folk to vote for so you can get rid of the MA restrictions on what you can have.
 
A single gun for ccw, Home defense, target, ect is tough..

I would go this way...

CCW, this gun is most likely the one that will have to save your life some day {if god forbid you are ever in a bad situation"} I would take this most serious. Something that is comfortable to carry, something that always goes bang, that you are not going to but thousands of rounds threw, but will get very familiar and efficient with it...

I would go the mp for ccw and a 1911 for home defense and target shooting...
 
I'd get a Glock if you can in Massachusetts.

Last a real long time shooting on the range and carrying it.

Plus you can get say a Glock 32 .357 Sig mid sized gun, then a lone wolf.40 S&W barrel, and a 9mm Wolf barrel (and some 9mm mags), and a AACK .22 unit for .22 shooting (and several .22 mags!)

Yes four guns in one and still MA legal.

Deaf
 
Of the ones you listed, I picked the M&P 9mm because it has higher capacity than most of the others. I don't like the Beretta.

Personally, I'd rather have a CZ 75B or Witness Match Elite in 9mm.
 
For me: Beretta 92FS - because of the ones listed, it's the only one I own (or have shot).

For you, the one you are most comfortable shooting.
 
Thanks for all the responses so far!

I lived in AZ a while back and then moved to MA to go to college 5 years ago, getting rid of my guns due to fairly harsh and unreasonable MA gun laws. I decided to wait to get another gun till after I was all done with education due to financial reasons.

Now, that I'm all done with school, I think it is a good time to back into it.

I don't want to go all out and get 2 guns right away. I rarely feel the need to carry a weapon and therefore not really concerned with size/weight. Once I get back into it, I will hit the range and depending on how much I enjoy it, I will get more toys down the road.

And yes, unfortunately max capacity for a new gun in MA is 10 rounds.
 
Is Ruger SR1911 solid enough in your opinion to the point that you would trust it with you life? I've heard a couple people already say that you have to be careful with "cheaper" 1911s
 
If you are comfortable with cocked and locked mode, then 1911.
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I have not CC my 1911 in a while but when I did, It with empty chamber because I was not very comfortable with C&L. Also, 1911 is big and heavy, not nice for CC but good for most anything else.

Now I CC a DAO with one in the chamber (Kahr K9).
 
I don't trust ANY 1911 to be reliable enough. If you need to ask the question you are probably an occasional shooter and not a gun enthusiast and would probably do better with the Beretta. The 1911 and the others are more for enthusiasts than occasional shooters or they are less proven designs.

The Beretta is a proven gun with a decocker/safety that lends its self well to less experienced shooters. It is not my personal preference, but I have other options. If issued one I'd have complete confidence in it and would highly recommend one for this use.
 
I would suggest you take a look at a gun that's not the list: Bersa Thunder ultra compact 9mm.

It's a 13+1 or 10+1 medium size/weight ambidextrous gun that's fine for home defense and just small enough for concealed carry.
 
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