Strongly considering first handgun - thoughts, please.

pathdoc said:
Choices seem to be boiling down to XDm vs. M&P. in 9mm Parabellum (Luger) right now.

First of all, I am in Canada, so 10-shot magazine maximum. Also, carry/self-defence considerations don't enter into the equation.

Second, calibre - 9mm is ballistically adequate for the purposes I have in mind for it, and I'm not considering other calibres for now (.357 Mag in a revolver and/or .45 ACP in an auto are future considerations).

I would be looking at reloading, with both commercially bought and home-cast projectiles.

I'm interested in both the ups and downs that owners of these two pistols have experienced, which I can weigh up to make a final decision (which will be influenced by price & whatever deals on extras I can get locally). I'd particularly welcome comments from those who own either or both AND who reload for them.

I am (unfortunately!) not really in a position to "try before I buy", but I have shot various 9mm pistols before and have experienced no obvious problems coping with the recoil and hitting the target at short range. Both handguns point well in my hand and the sights align nicely, which ought to be half the battle - the rest will be a matter of practice.

I will take into consideration those who have tried both and found no joy in either, and who consequently wish to suggest alternatives, but no recommendations for Glocks, please - I'm sure they're great guns and I don't want to disparage them, but I have shot the Gen 1 and did not like its ergonomics or sights, and the Gen 4 feels no better to my hand and eye.
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You can buy a UPS mail box (as distinguished from a USPS PO Box) and have the store forward your mail to your Canadian adress. There will be a charge, but thay'll gladly do it. Then when you want to order parts for your gun, you can have the seller send your order to your UPS box, which would then be forwarded to you.

This added cost clears up the lagistical issue a bit.
 
Not that argumentum ad populum is logical, but you have already dismissed Glock. You might be interested in IPSC equipment surveys. The survey for the 2010 USPSA finals can be found here:

http://www.boomershooter.com/forums/index.php/topic/589-uspsa-nationals-equipment-survey-results/.

In the Production Division, 53% of the shooters used a Glock, 19% a Smith & Wesson, 15% a CZ, 6% a SIG Sauer, 3% a Springfield, 2% a Beretta, and 2% a Tanfoglio. 94% of the pistols were chambered in 9 Luger; the remainder in .40 S&W.

Obviously, a more recent equipment survey would be interesting, as would one specific to Canada.
 
I dismissed Glock on the basis of previous experience and the feeling, on handling the current generation, that nothing had changed. Having felt better about shooting just about everything else, I see no reason why I should be obliged to do otherwise, regardless of what others are doing. I'm sure they're very good guns; they just don't suit me.
 
If you like the M&P I'd go that route. In my opinion it's mechanically the equal of Glock (though I prefer Glock's trigger based on my experiences with both) and Smith has great customer service. Certainly would choose it over XDM.

Edit: Yay, good choice!
 
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All is well. Took it to play at IPSC-style shooting, and the only real problem is the nut behind the trigger. I do find that full mags (10 rds in Canada; no politics please) are a bit hard to insert (the last round is a pain to get in even with a mag loader), and until I learn to slap them in real hard I think I'll be waiting to reload until I actually run dry. That cost me a lot of time waiting for what I thought at first was a hangfire (the slide simply hadn't picked up the next round), but all went right in the end. Any problems are really down to operator inexperience and I should have had more practice at various drills before competing against others, but I probably won't get another chance this year (work, etc) so had to make the best of it. I don't think I can blame the gun.

If nothing else, it shoots accurately enough for the purpose when I do my job well. I was quite pleased. Early days yet, but I think this one's a keeper, and with the range kit I was ready to go right out of the box if I had to.
 
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Hey pathdoc, I have not had the pleasure of any IPSC, IDPA, whatever but sounds like fun. Remember, you're really only competing against yourself.
 
I knew a guy who had an XDM 9. He loved it but was new to pistols and could not shoot any better then a dinner plate sized group at 7 yards. I shot it with him once and kept a nice tight all holes touching group at 7 yards. He used to say it wasn't very accurate until he saw me shoot it. Eventually he got frustrated and sold it. I remember later he wanted to buy it back... not sure if he ever did.

He liked the gun a lot, the look, the feel, and the idea of it, he just didn't have the patients to work on his accuracy and trigger pull.

Just spend time on the fundamentals and learn to shoot it well and you'll be having a great time. I liked shooting it a lot. Although I prefer Glocks :D

Congratulations!
 
I've been about at dinner plate standard you describe for most of the first hundred rounds, and then for the last ten or so the group shrank to something more approaching a small soup bowl. It's a completely different kettle of fish from longarms, not to mention also being the first self-loading firearm I've ever owned (so the temptation to put a lot of lead downrange very quickly is always there).

What stops me (mostly) is the knowledge that even if I weren't saving cases for reloading, it's good manners to pick up one's empties... and even though I am, I don't feel capable enough to tackle / probably won't be shooting enough on a regular basis to justify a progressive press. Reloading will be a slow process, but I'm content with that - local ranges won't be open for too much longer anyway (until the spring comes).
 
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