What should I get?! Open to ALL suggestions

If you are truly enamored with the P226, you can find a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) P226 that has been back to Sig to be refinished, springs and other worn parts replaced, and otherwise retuned. What you get is a P226 that is almost indistinguishable from a brand new firearm, except that it has the je ne sais quoi of having been worn in well, and will run like a Swiss watch.

These can be found at or around $5-600 with some patience.
 
Last edited:
To expound a little bit here are my thoughts on pistols.

Beretta for fun, they are cheaply priced but not cheaply made, they are pure point and click guns, great guns for new shooters as well as they have big safeties on them and just feel good in the hand.

Glock for down and dirty business, want a carry gun that is completely smooth so nothing is stabbing into you while you wear it? want something you can fill with sand, dip in mud then leave it in the sun for a week then pickup and empty the mag without a problem? want to swap out barrels to fire different calibers? Buy a Glock.

Want something that is as tough as a Glock and as fun a Beretta? get a SIG, but you will pay the price.... they are not cheap.

And disclaimer everyone's feel for guns and opinion is different, this is just mine.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone I appreciate it. I have shot a Glock before and I agree they are great firearms. Not what I'm looking for at the moment. I also talked to a guy right down the road from where I live and he runs a small shop that does FFL transfers for $25! I felt that was a great deal so I've been on gun broker a lot. For about $350 it's looking like I can get a nice 5906 which is well within my budget and at the moment that's my top. Keeps Ammo cheap shooting a 9mm and a cheap, proven firearm. I'll be sure to get back with everyone with what I get
 
You like the 5906 and M&P, go with one of those. I am inclined to agree with you though, I would take the 5906 over the M&P.
 
So I got a S&W Model 66 .357mag. What next? I want semi auto. Have about $500 to spend. Prefer full size handgun in 9mm, .40, or .45ACP. OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS? What would YOU get and why? I kinda like S&W 5906 or S&W M&P at the moment. Just really torn on what I should get. Have some experience with handguns and do know my stuff but don't own one. Now, let the debates begin...
Click to expand...

A S&W Model 66 K Frame revolver is really a great start into handgunning, how well can you shoot this? But I think I'd want to concentrate on practicing with the Model 66, since there really aren't a lot of guns that will shoot more accurately and no autopistol is more reliable. You could rent a CZ 75B to see how well it shoots alongside the Model 66, in my opinion, the CZ 75B is the best autopistol in the $500 price range. I shoot my S&W Model 15 K Frame revolver alongside my own CZ 75B and both guns hit the targets very nicely!
 
QUOTE:
If you are truly enamored with the P226, you can find a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) P226 that has been back to Sig to be refinished, springs and other worn parts replaced, and otherwise retuned. What you get is a P226 that is almost indistinguishable from a brand new firearm...

Buying a used SIG pistol might mean not getting the lifetime warranty that comes with their new ones-something maybe to consider.
 
S&W Shield 9. ~$400, accurate, very manageable recoil for its size, fun as hell to shoot, and great for ccw if you go that route.

I know you said full size, but you also said open to all suggestions as well.
 
I do love the shield! But and still a ways out from CCW as I am not yet 21
Click to expand...

It's easy to forget that states have so many different laws. For instance, New York has different kinds of ownership and carry permits. Next door in Vermont, all you need to own and carry is proof of age over sixteen. (While perfectly legal to own and carry, they still can't receive handguns from a FFL holder.)

Just like magazine restrictions in states like New York have boosted revolver sales, your situation has pointed you at a sweet range gun. rcase1234, you said you've got about $500 to spend. Is the M66 your first handgun and will this purchase be your first semi-automatic? I ask because I've realized something about the guns I really love. They stay with me. With proper care, they last practically forever and I can keep enjoying them again and again. Over a relatively short period, the gun becomes less expensive than the ammo you feed it. In the long run, a few hundred bucks is meaningless.

I share this because I love 4" K-frames (especially in .38 special) and I see the M66 as a lifelong partner that could give you a lifetime of enjoyment. Keep this in the back of your mind as you look at semi-automatics. If you really love a Sig and you know it when you hold it, don't let the budget cap stop you. The price difference might mean waiting a little while, skipping a few luxuries for now, and squirreling away a little more than usual; but it will mean having the gun you love with you.
 
Stoeger Cougar 8000 . . . exact same as the Beretta.

Can find them new for under $400. Great gun.

stoeger_cougar45_01201111_zpsfdtnhlpw.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
Thanks for the replies everyone I appreciate it. I have shot a Glock before and I agree they are great firearms. Not what I'm looking for at the moment. I also talked to a guy right down the road from where I live and he runs a small shop that does FFL transfers for $25! I felt that was a great deal so I've been on gun broker a lot. For about $350 it's looking like I can get a nice 5906 which is well within my budget and at the moment that's my top. Keeps Ammo cheap shooting a 9mm and a cheap, proven firearm. I'll be sure to get back with everyone with what I get
Click to expand...

I have two 5906's. They both have really nice triggers but the last one I bought has an unbelievable buttery smooth trigger.

Was at Gander Mountain just looking. Saw the 5906. The stock smith grip was pretty beat up . The gun was dirty. Asked to look at it anyway. Safety checked the gun. Pulled the trigger in double action... Oh my! Oh my! Couldn't believe it. Pulled it again... Oh what a trigger. It matched the trigger on my Smith 686.

I asked, "How much you got on this gun?" Guy says $382. Long story short... new factory grip, thorough cleaning, little bit of polishing and it's a thing of beauty. Shoots lights out. Also, FYI the 5906 has a 1/8 of an inch trigger reset after each shot. I didn't know that until after buying the second gun.

It's carried in an Alien Gear cowhide holster and rides great.
 
Last edited:
If you correctly notice and identify somebody who is a threat, then get into a gunfight, whichever of those you are very good with. Seriously.

I know two middle-aged guys who are very alert, but robbers realize that you Might be armed and remain in your blind spot until the last half second. Both of those alert guys (one is a recently-retired Fedex A-300 pilot who bought our Memphis house) had No chance to even Reach for a gun.
One of those two guys was armed when robbed.

Why worry about 9MM vs. .40 versus quad 23 mm Shilka ZSU ? There is no substitute for being lucky enough to realize that somebody is in your blind spot. They run up as quick as a cat....and very quietly, to neutralize the possibility that you might be carrying a gun. Without detection, having even a Thompson machine gun is no good at all.
 
Last edited:
S&W 5906

I would give the S&W 5906 another shameless plug. I think they are great guns at a wonderful price. When they were dumped on the market a few years ago as police tradein's I bought 3 of them, one for each of my sons and one for me. Being all stainless they make great range / home defence guns, 9mm is cheap to shoot and its a great gun that was built to last a long time. They are still priced fairy cheap so if your thinking about getting one you need to do it soon, the seem to be slowly going up in price. Good luck with your search.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top