Can anyone recommend a decent pistol?

I have an S&W M&P 9mm compact. The magazines from a full size S&W M&P 9mm can also fit in the compact. Same might be true wth your .40 cal. S&W compact. I've also have a Kimber pro carry II .45, Ruger LCP .380 & an antique Colt .32. Out of these guns the M&P is my favorite, though I CC the LCP. My antique Colt has the best craftsmanship. The Taurus Judge may also be a good option for BOB purposes since it can fire both Colt .45 & 410 ga rounds.

glock makes some very nice 9mm in different sizes. i have a glock 26 which is 9mm and i have one of their .45 models, i really like them. i have never had a issue with either of them the glock 19 or the 26 are both very nice 9mm's, the 26 is a bit easier to conceal but you pinkie hangs off the grip, that never bothered me

the rugers SR9C is pretty nice its just a little bigger than i would like for everyday carry but a few of my friends have one and there great the S&W PM compact 9mm is very nice as well

a reply to: JBurns

Have you gone and shot all of them?

Personally, I can't stand the trigger safety on Glocks, but some of my buddies dig them (or at least don't mind them). Its tough to figure that sort of thing out without hands-on experience.

Also, some of the best advice I ever received was simple; draw the gun from a holster (or just from that position) and see which one most naturally brings up the sight picture in alignment. You can absolutely train around it, and most will be very close anyway, but it seems to be a nice, quick way to see if one of them matches up a bit more with you.

I have a berretta px4 compact 9mm (langdon ed.). Sweet, perfect size pistol imo. Feels like an extension of my hand. Not too heavy, 15 round clips with a relatively thin frame. Small print for a compact size. Shoots well. Full grip, no pinky waving. Langdon edition has extra grip, tritium sight, and flat decocker levers.

I finally went ahead with my purchase, and selected the Glock 17 Gen 4. I like the larger grip profile than my EDC M&P Shield, and its larger size is fine since I don't plan to carry it. I picked up a Blackhawk holster for it, and it disappears under a heavier winter coat without problems.

Also got a decent deal on bulk 9mm from Cabelas, $41.00 for 200 WWB 115gr

Thanks for the all of the input everyone. I may end up grabbing a G26 because I like the idea of mag interchangeability.

a reply to: JBurns
I don’t have one but I’ll admit the 17 would be the Glock I’d buy if I were going to buy one. I love the way it sits in my hand. The only reason I don’t pick one up is I already have 2 9mm’s and just can’t justify buying another.

While everyone has posted great choices for handguns, I just want to add that you may consider multiple small handguns of varying sizes from 22, 9mm, 357, 40, 45, .223, ect. In a crisis situation you will be scrounging for supplies at some point and being able to use any ammo you may find is a plus in my book.

I recommend hi-point pistols for this reason. They are cheap and reliable, plus you can pick them up in all the popular sizes.

Another benefit of multiple size pistols, is the ability to use the best ammo for any given purpose. Hunting squirrels use the 22. Suppressive fire grab the 9mm, when you want to drop something in its tracks the 40 and 45 are your go to.

Don't disregard the ol' wheelgun.

My S&W .38spl is about twenty, almost 30 years older than I am. My Dad carried it in Vietnam way back in the day. It's not equipped with all the gadgets around today for it, but it's tops in dependable. It's accurate as hell, though I am going to have think about replacing the barrel fairly soon.

With three speed loaders, I've got sufficient rounds for most any occasion. Along with my .45, and my sexy little black rifle, plus my 12 gauge single--I've got most situations covered. ...and I practice.

My recommendation is try as many as humanly possible, who is going to use it? Circumstances? How much are you willing to spend? etc...

Mine are nothing fancy. Ultra dependable, because as someone said, when you need 'em to go "Pew, pew, pew", they'd damned well better go "Pew, pew, pew".