Search and Research for a Carry Pistol

L

LCBurt

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I am getting my CPL license soon and am doing research on what pistol to purchase. I have it narrowed down to a few choices but am not 100% with any of the decisions. I also want to make sure I am not missing anything or forgetting about a particular model.

I am not new to shooting and currently own a Walther PPQ first gen. Although I love this gun and will not be getting rid of it, I have decided against using this as an EDC as I am uncomfortable re-holstering this pistol in an IWB holster. The trigger is very nice but I am afraid of an obstruction like a shirt tail ect. could cause a very loud and possibly painful problem. Because of the dress code at work something a little smaller would be better as well. I have to wear dress slacks and a dress shirt. Because of this I am thinking IWB in a tuckable holster at about 4:00 would be my best option.

Here is what I'm looking for, a smaller size 9mm or better. It would need some type of safety device for re-holstering like a hammer, large easy to manipulate safety, or a passive type safety like the grip safe on an XD/1911 or the cocking indicator on the Walther PPS. I would like at least 7+1 for capacity. I don't know why but that is the number of rounds I start feeling comfortable with.

Here is what I have looked at so far. I will be renting and firing as many as possible when I have my list slimmed down a little.

Walther PPS - front runner at this point.
Pro's - The size/feel was very nice in my hand. The cocking indicator pushes out the rear of the pistol as the trigger is pulled so it is easy to feel if something is going wrong. No thumb safety, 3 size mag/grip choices, it's not new and should be reliable. I really like the paddle mag release.
Con's - 1 year warranty, quicksafe back strap.

Springfield XDM 3.8 compact in .45 or 9mm
Pro's - Grip safety, choice of grip/mag sizes. Not new and seems reliable. So far this is the other real contender
Con's - A little on the wide side.

Springfield XDs 9mm
Pro's - Size/feel, grip safety.
Con's - New.

Sig P290
Con's - I did not like the trigger and have heard about reliability problems.

Sig P938 -
Pro's - I just love this pistol it is my favorite of everything I tried, fits my hand well, great size, looks cool :) safety is in the right spot for my hand. I will probably own one of these at some point regardless of what I choose now.
Con's - I have read about a lot of stories of problems even after the redesign with this pistol. Seems like if you get a good one it's a good one but a bad one can be a problem. I don't know if I want to take that chance since this will be my only carry gun right now. Expensive, especially for any reliability concerns.

Colt New Agent/Defender - I really like this pistol as well. The Defender edges out the New Agent for me as I did not care for the gutter sight. The Con here is it's expensive at the far end of what I would pay.

Kimber - Not for me

Springfield EMP - Expensive but nice.

Ruger LC9 - No Go, for me it was too hard to work the safety

S&W Sheild - Same problem as with the LC9, otherwise I liked it very much.

Glock - same problem as my PPQ I really like the 26 and if it had the same cocking indicator as the PPS It would probably be the winner even if it's a little thicker than I would like.

Bersa Thunder UC Pro - I have not found one of these to fool with but am interested.
Con's - It may be too wide and I don't like the Internal lock thing.

CZ Rami - may be too wide, Have not found one anywhere yet, I will own a CZ at some point I'm just not sure of the model yet.

I thought by now one pistol would just jump out at me as the "right" one but that has not happened yet and I think I'm running out of options.

So what have I left out, what pro's and con's have I overlooked? What would you do? Anybody got a 100% reliable, eat anything you feed it P938 they want to sell :D

Any help you can give me would be much appreciated.
 
I don't even use the safety when I carry my LC9. Between the holster and heavy trigger pull, I'm not too worried.
 
Wishoot and Ritepath both nice guns but I think if I end up with something that has a safety I think I want to use it as part of the normal operation and making it part of my draw.

Odds are I'll never have to use it but about even that if I do, that will be the only time I didn't check it. I'm also pretty sure my reaction to the trigger not working would be to just squeeze harder. :)

Both Great Choices I'm just not sure they are right for my first carry gun.
 
I have the XDm 45 3.8 Compact and a Shield 9mm. I like the extra capacity of the 9 round magazine in the XDm and it conceals pretty well.

The Shield conceals better and is a bit more comfortable to wear. I hardly know it's there. I have 800 rounds through the XDm and 500 rounds through the Shield. Both have been flawless and have digested many different brands of ammo with no problem. I am more accurate with the XDm.

As far as the safety on the Shield, it is not difficult for me to operate at all. Just a slight flick with the thumb and it is off. A little more difficult to put it on safety.

If I had had $150 more, I would have gone with the XDs 9mm, but I am very happy with the Shield.
 
I own/owned a bunch of different CCW pistols including the PPS, XDS, P238 etc.

Kahr PM9 is the best and if dress permits it Glock 26.

I have the PM9 with the LCI and external safety.
 
I carry a Springfield XD Subcompact with the extended clip every day in IWB, and it's really unnoticeable both to me and others.
 
mrt949, Good one. I don't know why but HK never even crossed my mind. The P30 is what led me to find my PPQ.

On paper it looks like it has some great specs, and even has the paddle style magazine release which I like. I may have to try and find one to see how it fits.
 
Just a couple of things to mention:

I *love* the Springfield EMP. It's actually my favorite pistol to shoot, carry, hold, look at, etc. Except....mine was a total jam-o-matic. Went back to the factory the week I bought it. When it came back, it worked fine for a while, but within 6 months, I was having jams again. I can't recommend it for that reason. The internets (if they can be believed) indicate that its reliability is hit-or-miss.

I would personally not let the 'cocking indicator' be the determining factor in a pistol purchase. (1) Never have blind faith in something mechanical (which can break) for safety and (2) All guns are always loaded. When you pick up your gun, always check the chamber (visually or by touch.)

I have multiple Glocks, think they're great. I like the simplicity of the design and the fact that magazines and parts are (relatively) cheap and plentiful. The Glock 19 conceals quite well on me, using either an IWB or an OWB holster + covering garment, and I'm not a particularly big or tall guy.

If you like the PPS though, you should roll with that. At the end of the day, this is not a huge purchase. If you try it for a few months and decide you really don't like it, it isn't that much of a hassle to get a new pistol, right?

(ETA: If you're in a 'free' state, anyway....)
 
Johannes_Paulsen, thanks for the review on the EMP It's too bad that it didn't work out for you, they are beautiful pistols. I'm from Michigan by the way so free'ish.

The cocking indicator is just a little extra safety for holstering, an exposed hammer or grip safety would work just as well. It's probably just me and my OCD anyway as there are plenty of people that carry Glocks without making new holes in their clothes. I don't have a problem with the PPQ in OTW kydex but it does make me nervous IWB. With that trigger I don't know that I would be able to feel it get hung up on something, especially in a stressful situation. That is where the decision to find something else comes from. A little more compact wouldn't hurt either as long as I'm shopping.

If I went to pocket carry I wouldn't need anything as I could holster and then put the holster in my pocket. That may be my next pistol purchase but I don't think I can commit to pocket carry only.
 
Kahr's the one

Oddly, I did not see the Kel Tec P11 on this list.

If I were to buy a 'small' 1911 I would be considering the EMP, and Kimber offerings.
 
@LCBurt - there's definitely nothing wrong with a Walther. Give it a try, worst that happens is that you have to sell it and get something different. Whatever you choose, take a class and train with it -- that's the only way you'll know if it *really* works for you.
 
Because of the dress code at work something a little smaller would be better as well. I have to wear dress slacks and a dress shirt. Because of this I am thinking IWB in a tuckable holster at about 4:00 would be my best option.
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Kel Tec PF9, pocket holster.

So what have I left out, what pro's and con's have I overlooked? What would you do?
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small j-frame or equivalent snubby revolver.

Anybody got a 100% reliable, eat anything you feed it P938 they want to sell
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I have a Star Firestar that's a similar concept of a gun. single stack, single action compact 9mm. Heavy though (all steel).
 
Thanks again everyone for all the help.

I think i may have my short list. Now to try and find them and see how they shoot.

HK P2000 SK - The more I look into this one the more I like it. If it fits my hand and shoots well for me I might owe Mrt949 a beer.

Walther PPs - probably the most sensible choice for me. Easiest to conceal and easiest on the wallet.

Colt Defender - This one is a distant third really, it's the most expensive and has a thumb safety. Of all the pistols that I handled though, this and the Sig P928 had a very high cool factor for me. Probably the worst reason to buy a carry gun is 'cause it's cool but I can see myself owning one of these at some point.

Wednesday I am hoping to visit a shop and possibly rent a few so I should have a little more info to go on. I'll keep you posted.
 
Lee n. Field more good suggestions. I thought pretty hard about a 642 or maybe LCR but for some reason I don't shoot them as well as I do a semi-auto. I find it a little strange because I shot revolvers for quite a few years before I finally bought a Smith SD40 and even with that trigger it surprised me how much easier it was for me to shoot accurately.

I didn't really think about Kel-Tec either, I was under the impression that they had some reliability issues but I don't know why.

The FireStar looks Interesting but I know absolutely nothing about the company. How is the build quality?
 
The FireStar looks Interesting but I know absolutely nothing about the company. How is the build quality?
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They're well made. Unfortunately Star Bonifacio-Echeverria went out of business sometime in the late '90s.

For its size, it's twice the weight of the PF9.

pf9starsm1.jpg
 
I was very recently in the same boat as you (about to get my carry permit, trying to decide on what to carry). I considered many of the same choices as you. I eventually got it narrowed down to the PPS, G26, XDs (9mm), and the P938.

The first one I ruled out was the P938. It was the one I was really lusting after. Very concealable size, yet felt great in my hand... oh, and drop dead sexy. But as much as I tried (and I believe me I REALLY tried) I just never was able to justify the price. It was far and away the most expensive of the choices. And then you have to consider the fact that it only comes with one mag and those are going to run you $50 a pop. And, like you, I was a bit wary of getting "a bad one" due to all the stuff I'd read. If money were not an issue the P938 would've been the one. But alas, money is an issue. So I had to be practical.

Next one I ruled out was the XDs. Which was surprising because for awhile there I was pretty set on this one. Then I started reading all the posts from people who absolutely hated their post-recall trigger. Some to the point that they were planning on selling now as it "wasn't the gun I bought". Also, I just wasn't crazy about the grip safety. It was also heavier than the rest. Lastly, it was the newest of the bunch. So I just figured I'd go with something that has been around longer and is more proven.

That left the G26 and PPS. The G26 was a late entry to the party. I had not really been considering due to the thickness (I'm 5'11" and pretty slim at 165). And while I don't wear "skinny" clothes, I don't wear baggy stuff either. So I was worried about concealability/printing. But I was tempted by the 10+1 capacity, plus the fact that it could accepted larger mags as well. Plus it's a Glock and "they just work".

But at the end of the day, I just couldn't get over my reservations regarding the thickness. So I ended up with the PPS. I've only had it a little over a week, but man I am so in love with this thing and I really think I made the right choice (even over the P938 I was drooling over). Like you, I was a bit leery of the 1-year warranty. But dude, just talk to people who own one or read posts online... issues with this gun seem to be pretty few and far between. I mean, sure there are some negative stories/opinions out there. But they seem to be less common than most of the other guns on your list. If your PPS had a major issue I suspect it would pop up within the first year anyway.

As for the backstrap, find the one that fits your hand best and leave it the heck alone. I prefer the smaller one and don't have any plans to remove it from now on. The manual instructs you to remove the backstrap in order to field strip but it's not necessary.
 
Over the years of c.c.
I have carried .
COLT COMANDER
SW CHIEF SP 38 SP
RUGER SP101 357 MAG.
KELTEC P11,P32,P3AT,PF 9.
BERETTA 21A .22 LR
SEECAMP 32.
SW MP 40 ,MP 40C. SW SHIELD.
MY NOW GO TO IS HKP2000 SK 40V 2 LEM .
THE PISTOL IT JUST FITS MY HAND.

REMEMBER BUY ONCE CRY ONCE BUY CHEEP GET CHEEP
 
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