Semiauto pistol options

N

Nightcrawler

New member
Went to my local Gander Mountain to see what they had in handguns. I'm a two time customer, so they give me all the attention I wanted, though I didn't buy anything.

Guns that caught my attention:

Browning Hi-Power: This was a used gun, made in Belgium assembled in Portugal, with the 500 yard (what the hell?) tangent rear sight. Fit my hand like it was made for me. The magazine saftey would have to go. Good condition, ambi saftey. $500.00

Taurus PT-92: Fits my hand well, and at $449.00, the price is right. I like the locked & cocked or decocked saftey options, and the fact that it's ambidextrious. Fits well.

Beretta 92FS: Nearly identical to the Taurus. If the fit and finish of the Beretta is superior, I couldn't tell. And at $549.00, it cost a bit more than the Taurus as well.

Heckler & Koch USP45: Really liked this gun. Disappointed that a $729.00 pistol wouldn't have a freaking ambidextrious saftey (but then, neither did the sixteen hundred dollar Les Baer). Other than that, it fit my hand well. Price is a bit much for my current situation, but I can tell it's a great pistol.

Ruger P89: At $379.00, it's the least expensive of any I looked at. The controls were ambidextrious, and it fit my hand well. Trigger was okay, but I don't know about the P89. It would depend on whether or not decent 15 round magazines could readily be attained.


Now, I'm not "planning" on buying any of these right yet, but these are the pistols I looked at.
 
Heckler & Koch USP45: Really liked this gun. Disappointed that a $729.00 pistol wouldn't have a freaking ambidextrious saftey (but then, neither did the sixteen hundred dollar Les Baer).
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I'm pretty sure you can have it modified at the factory for the price of shipping+parts. Any HK gurus know better? You might poke around over at http://hkpro.com -- someone there is sure to know.

Which of these guns have you had a chance to actually fire? I just bought a Sig P220 this afternoon when I went into the shop expecting to walk out with a 1911-clone of some flavor. The on-site range and a quick test-firing made all the difference in the world for me.
 
I have not had a chance to fire any; furthermore, seeing as how there don't seem to be any pistol ranges around here, muchless gun stores with test ranges, I don't think I will, either. That's the way it goes.
 
For all practical purpose's, and the financial situation is
"right" then I recommend the Ruger P89, or the Beretta
92fs. I would leave the Taurus right where it is. Just my
opinion and $.02 worth.:cool: :) :D

Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I handled a Glock 21, too. I picked it up, and, frankly, said "eew". A Para Ordnance P14-45 and an HK USP45 both fit my hand very well, but the Glock 21 grip is just...too long, I think. The trigger was kind of mushy, too. I guess there was a clean break, but I didn't like it.

I won't be buying a Glock, most likely. Besides, I heard you can only fit 9 rounds in the 10 round postban mags, usually.
 
I won't be buying a Glock, most likely. Besides, I heard you can only fit 9 rounds in the 10 round postban mags, usually.
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Not sure about everyone else's experiences, but I've got 6 of the aforementioned mags and I don't have any trouble getting 10 into them. I will admit that I did at first, but after cycling through them a couple of times they're all good to go now.

If Glocks in general don't work for you, that's cool. Just another reason to celebrate the fact that we have a nice selection available from which to choose.

Of the firearms you mentioned, I would rank them thusly (from Bob's perspective, obviously):

H&K USP 45 (IMO, it's the best of the bunch by a comfortable margin)
BHP
Ruger P89
Beretta 92
Taurus 92

I'm surprised that Dan didn't chastise you for not fondling at least ONE Sig Sauer! :D

Oh, BTW, he would have been correct in doing so! :D

Make sure you get your hands on one before you make a purchase, because if you liked the BHP's feel in your hand then you'll also more than likely fall in love with a Sig. I would recommend the P229, because I find it to be the best of the Sig's (within reason, since the P210 costs about as much as the combined prices of the other five pistols you mentioned).

Good luck!
 
i have both handguns hk and para, the HK's ambi safety is easily
replaced using a puncher (easier than most people think) . the para limited would be a better deal if you like the extra's and you have a better trigger(not quite to my liking but could be okay to you) it breaks at 4.5 lbs though i prefer it to be max 3.5 min.
2.5 to 2 3/4 . the usp has a long double action and light single action which is
fair for a factory gun. overall its a no nosense handgun that
shoots anything you feed. the para's sometimes are a bit finicky
it would still require a gunsmith to clean up the action . but after that ALAS a nice set up for a hicap 1911. good luck.
 
I did handle a Sig 226. It's very expensive, though, at $750.00.

I'm not realy happy with the controls, being a lefty, (though since the only "saftey" is a decocker, it's almost irrelevant), and the bar-on-bar sights are weird, but the gun itself was a masterpiece.
 
Now that Bob mentioned it-

Sig is definitely the way to go.:D LOL Beside's the Browning,
all other's are also ran's; IMHO. The Sig P226 will
give you many enjoyable moment's at the range, and as a
self defense weapon. Be advised, pre-ban magazine's are
rather expensive.:eek: I like my P228 better, cuz it came
with (2) pre-ban high cap's.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
if you have some interest in the rugers, you might take a look at the p97. i prefer the dc model. best trigger out of the box of any gun i've purchased ( except s&w mod 28) and accurate shooter. mcole
 
I think the Browning is the classiest of any of the guns I handled, though I'd prefer one with normal sights. I'd probably send it in to Arizona Response Systems for a METACOL III finish and a trigger job/magazine saftey removal, as well as a dehorning.
 
I have been these routes. Get a Glock. I prefer the G19. Sometimes it is tough to get 10 rounds in a G19 magazine, but who cares? I have always loaded any semi-automatic one round short. Just feel it is good practice. If you need the self confidence, you can still pay 100 bucks for a new 15 round factory mag.

Still, 9 rounds and +1 of any major caliber should be enough for self-defense. In an era in which a 5 shot snubbie revolver would seem enough for some, why not 5 more rounds?

The G19 puts a package of 10 +1 in the size and weight that had most older 9mm pistols that had only eight single stack shots. Regardless of the laws, the G19 is still superior over most 9mm, except it's twin a G19 with 15 + 1 capacity.
 
good list of choices.

And bob is almost right, except he puts the USP.45 first.

I'd put the Beretta 92FS first due to its excellent reliability, ergonomic feel and quick follow up on shots due to lack of recoil.

Then I'd put in the .45, like bob had first, except I'd make it a Sig M2 .45ACP for around 400 bucks. Save ya nearly half price and you get a gun thats easily as good as the USP.

I've shot both and I like the USP better, but for 350 bucks less for the M2, you can't tell the difference.

I might slip a Glock 36 in there someplace too. Small, concealable, .45, that Glocky plasticy feel that some people like a lot and will probably shoot lots of rounds with few failures. I think I NEED one of those, actually.
 
That's the thing; I dislike the feel of the Glocks. The 21 frame does not fit my hand, and I find the trigger disagreeable. Should be no problem for you Glockers, more guns for you, and one less guy buying up the pre-bans.

If I could settle between 9mm and .45 that'd be a good start.
 
I'd like a 10mm, really. That leaves me two real choices, the EAA Witness and the Glock 20.

Glock 20

Pros: 15 round preban mags available, though expensive. Good, solid, reliable gun.

Cons: While I think I could get used to the Glock trigger, the large-frame Glocks (20 and 21) do not fit my hand well, the grip feels too long from frontstrap to backstrap, though just a bit. (perhaps some kind of grip cover could help this, but I don't know) I'm not sure there's anything that can be done about this, save a grip reduction, which costs buku bucks, typically.

EAA Witness 10mm

Pros: Inexpensive, good reviews all around.

Cons: I'd have to add the ambi saftey seperate (though it is available from EAA).
 
Don't go the route I did. My first gun was a G19 pre-ban, and I found that I came to regret the decision. Glock makes a quality gun, but for me, it felt like a 2x4 in my hand, and I couldn't stand the trigger. I bought it for the name. Some love the guns from Austria, but for me, it never worked out. Listen to your own instincts. There is a reason that SOME people do not like glocks. The BHP is a great gun, as is the Beretta. I don't have enough experience with the H&K's to give advise. I always suggest SIG's, but you're left handed. What do we all look for? Comfort, Fit, Feel, etc. Sounds like you're answering your own questions yourself. "The Glock really doesn't fit my hand", didn't fit my hand either and out went the G19. I love the BHP, but the Beretta might be the best choice. 96 series spits out the .40. I have a 96 .40 Border Marshal with the stronger slides, and the Trijicon NS. Give it a look.
 
If I could settle between 9mm and .45 that'd be a good start.
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Ahh! Now we get to the crux of the issue. Let's not rehash the 9mm vs. .45 ACP debate, but ask yourself if you're 100% confident that 9mm is up to the job you're going to ask of it.

If this pistol is for play at the range, get the 9mm. Less recoil, cheaper ammo, plenty accurate in a quality pistol.

If this pistol is for "social situations" then really ask yourself if 9mm is up to the job. Shot placement, yada yada -- if you're convinced then that's all that matters. I mention this because I've recently been asking myself the same question. Now I've got a Sig P220 in the nightstand.

The price on that Sig P226 seems awfully high. My P220 was more like $650, and even that, I've heard, isn't a great price. Sigs are wonderful pistols; hicaps are spendy, but very good quality (depending on condition, obviously).
 
Right now, I'm leaning towards the USP45. It's spendy, but it'll do everything I could possibly want out of a semiauto pistol.

How does one get a left-handed saftey, now?
 
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