Looking to buy my first handgun and could use some advice

a reply to: Riffrafter

I was trained on the M9 (berreta 92). Everyone i every touched had thousands of rounds through it and had been "cleaned" in such abusive ways that the coating was gone in spots and the grips had no color.
And still i have never had a failure that wasnt ammo.

It is possible to get surplus berreta 92 that get imported for under $300. You would just have to get it shipped to your local dealer.
Also there are a lot of accessories and holsters used available for cheap online because all the high speed guys in the army wanted to have to coolest safariland holsters or this and that for their M9 and then when they get out 5 years later all that # goes on ebay, usually to pay for the divorce lawyer or the 26% APR camero.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
The Springfield is a great gun for 9mm

The G19 is a standard that just works. (Glock 19)

If you are going to carry, i'd go for lower profile. But just to have one...nothing wrong with a Glock. Nothing wrong with a Springfield. Just avoid names like HiPoint and you will be OK.

Side Note: Taurus makes lower cost handguns that are effective. The difference is the finish. The slide may have some sharper edges. But nothing wrong with a Taurus. I have a couple (a smaller .40 for personal carry, and a 9mm that compares to the G19). You wouldn't do too bad to buy a Taurus to save a few bucks...they are decent guns for the price point.

Everyone #s on the hi point but they dont seem like bad guns.
youtu.be...
If you only have $180, it seems like the best you'll get.



Although...... my sister in law asked last week what a good gun around $200 was and instead of letting her buy a hi point, i gave her my old full size M&P 9 ( which now gives me an excuse to go out and find an original M&P9c with thumb safety like i always wanted). So i guess im not quite ready test the Hi points rep out on family...

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Hi-Point, which every gun person here is going to spit in my face for even writing out the name. ...

Well, I won't spit in someone's face (not my style). I'd never do that. I might repeatedly vomit sidewalk-pizzas, but I promise I won't spit in anyone's face. Oh, and uhhhh, you can't ride in my truck either (unless you duck down)...and I'm droppin' you off on the side of the road a couple miles before the range so nobody sees me with you!

Demolition Ranch did a great segment for a torture test on the Hi-Point. It survived (surprisingly), so I'll give 'em that. My experiences with them have been worse than awful though. This widow who wanted to learn to shoot bought one. It was hideous and horrible from the get go. FTF left and right. Slide hold open wouldn't work. Jam-o-matic. It was awful. I had to go shower afterwards, I felt so, well...unclean.

But hey, if a Hi-Point is what it takes to get someone out to the range and shooting then I'm all for 'em.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: ridgerunner

Kimbers have a lot of QC problems now, I'd recommend a first purchase elsewhere. And no way does Kimber belong in the ranks of Wilson Combat and Les Baer.

I've got a Kimber Custom we call the "mystery gun". Every time at the range is a surprise. It'll shoot fine for a while, then wild. Other times you'll swear the sights are messed up, then it will start shooting perfectly. I've had it in to Kimber, they can't find anything wrong with it. I've had a world class 1911 armorer (who custom makes 1911's for championship shooters) look at it, and not even he can find anything wrong with it. I'm sure we could fix it eventually after replacing enough stuff, but that model really isn't worth performing that level of surgery on.

Agree tota;;y that Kimber isn`t in same class as Wilson or Baer,meant that as a gradual step up in finish.My ultra carry 2 has been 100% reliable and very accurate,had it a while so maybe Kimber has dropped in quality.Sounds like yours has some issues,Sure you`ve tried different ammo so its a puzzle.Hope Kimber gets it together,hate to see them end up like Remington.First gun would probably recommend a Ruger because of price,quality for the money,and their customer service is excellent.

a reply to: ridgerunner

Ruger!? *spits on ground* never! Heresy!

www.firearmscoalition.org...

A couple people now have mentioned the .40 S&W cartridge. Here's a quick note about them...

I own, shoot and reload .40's (in addition to .45's, 9mm's and numerous others), so I like the round, but if you're going to go with a .40...do not get a Glock in .40!! The base of the .40 case is unsupported (in battery) on a Glock. It's because of the way the feed ramp is designed on the chamber. .40's develop pretty high pressures on firing, and I know several people who have had .40 cal cases blow out on Glocks. The cases generally blow out the mag well, and jack up the frame and certainly the mag. This isn't a problem for 9mm or .45 in the Glocks.

Smith and Ruger are probably some of your better choices in .40. The Ruger P series pistols haven't really been discussed here. They are also some very reliable pistols.

a reply to: ridgerunner

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I love that Kimber (for several reasons, not the least of which it was given to me by my Dad who has since passed). I just wish I could get the dang thing to shoot properly like my other 1911's. I've got a buddy who swears by Kimbers. I just can't bring myself to go buy another one until I figure out what's wrong with this one. But hey, a bad day at the range is better than a good day at work, right? Plus, I can always grab one of the other 1911's and reassure myself it's not me (which is what drives everyone crazy with the 'Mystery Pistol'...they start questioning themselves).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
well you know, this guy is looking for a starter gun. Just like a kid getting his starter car, it ain't necessarily going to be pretty or run the best. You can't expect every kid in school to jump right into an $8800 two year old model as their first vehicle.

I hear some people have come across similar issues that you encountered with nice lady. I just have not met them in person. It is possible that some of these pistols friends have had that I don't keep up with too much anymore may also have experienced these issues eventually. But in the time we all hung out some years back, these particular ones treated us just fine. We did get a FTE once, but I chaulked it up to dirty steel case Tul Ammo.

I know before we lost touch they had already added to their collection though with Smith & Wesson .40 and several revolvers, my personal favorites. I enjoy my 357 Taurus, and its only a five shot. I'll only need one, unless I am surrounded of course. But thats why I keep two speed loaders handy in any case.

So in a way, starting off with Hi-Points is like a gateway to prettier and more reliable arms

originally posted by: Whoisjohngalt
For concealed carry, i like my m&p shield. Its light, the short handle doesnt print so no one notices, has a thumb safety, and it is reliable. Also, you can find it on sale for around 350 whenever a gunstore has a sale.

www.impactguns.com...

Cool, I'm actually considering an S&W MP Shield .40 compact. Pretty sweet online deals, from $300-400. Actually saw one for 289, but the price has since jumped about $50.

Either the MP or a Glock 27, which is slightly more.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk d That would drive me crazy too,I know cause I have a Model 70 .243 that shot 1/2 inch groups when I was stationed in California in the 80`s.When I moved to Tennessee it opened up to 2 inch groups and ammo didn`t make a difference.Sat in the safe yill last year and I decided to glass bed it.Last group would be covered with a quarter.Hope you get that Kimber shooting right and don`t take you 30 years like the .243 did me,lol.

Other people can give you opinions but only you can say which one suits you best.

If it is strictly for home defense either the .45 or the 9mm will work well. The .45 is big, bigger than you need in a close quarters home defense situation. Yes, it has a ton of stopping power, but it can also carry through a wall or two in to your neighbors house if you miss. The 9mm is less likely to do that. The.45 will be heavier and probably cost more.

I have a 9mm and a .357 for small arms home defense. The 9mm is a semi auto Taurus and the .357 is a S&W revolver. The .357 is also a good choice because you can load it with less expensive less powerful .38 ammunition if you want to. That is what I do at home and when practicing at the range. You don't need massive caliber to be effective. Overkill is just dangerous and expensive.

If you plan to carry it you want to consider how much it weighs loaded and how slim it is for concealment purposes.

My best advice is go to a range that will let you try a couple out. Find the one that feels the best to you. If its not a perfect fit don't worry. There are usually quite a few aftermarket grip variations you can use to customize the fit. I would also recommend a laser site. Not only does it help in critical situations but its a visual deterrent as well. Sometimes all it takes is to see that laser dot appear and all of a sudden people don't want to play any more...

originally posted by: Liquesence

originally posted by: Whoisjohngalt
For concealed carry, i like my m&p shield. Its light, the short handle doesnt print so no one notices, has a thumb safety, and it is reliable. Also, you can find it on sale for around 350 whenever a gunstore has a sale.

www.impactguns.com...

Cool, I'm actually considering an S&W MP Shield .40 compact. Pretty sweet online deals, from $300-400. Actually saw one for 289, but the price has since jumped about $50.

Either the MP or a Glock 27, which is slightly more.

I really like the shield because of the thumb saftey. Also, it is thin, the grip is short so it doesnt print when you are carrying concealed, and its really light. I carried it in an aliengear IWB holster. The only downside is that its only 7 or 8 rounds depending on the mag.
I dont like glocks. They are too unforgiving. You see it happen to often when somebody spaces out and they put their finger on the trigger when manipulating the weapon and next thing you know *BANG* you have a new A-hole. I mean, we all know firearm saftey but no one is 100%, 100% of the time. All is takes is a split second and your life is changed forever (unless youre an FBI agent doing backflips, then its no big deal). Id rather carry with a round in the chamber and have less risk because of a saftey

a reply to: Whoisjohngalt

Yeah, the SP without the thumb safety is slightly cheaper, and as you said, it seems like a great conceal firearm, small and light, which is a primary interest of mine. The capacity is certainly a downside, and I would prefer to have 10-12, but I'm a pretty small guy so I can't conceal too large. I also prefer the larger caliber to a 9mm.

For those considering a Shield, be patient and wait for S&W to offer a rebate.

I keep hearing so many good things about this Smith Shield. I think I'm going to have to get one of these.

I really like the single stack (even though the capacity is low), it's just so much easier to conceal. Big guys have so much harder of a time concealing (without printing) than 'less full figured' guys do. It already takes a tent maker to make a suit coat for me, so anything under it sticks out (badly). I almost open carry now more than concealed just because of that. I've had only positive reactions from people too (which was kind of a surprise).

I'll open carry my Beretta 92FS, and get nothing but compliments and thanks. Of course, the general public seems to react much more favorably to stainless pistols over black ones (for some reason). I carry high cant strong-side right in a nice Galco tanned leather holster. It looks professional, and it is.

a reply to: Liquesence

If your looking to split the difference, the original M&P line offered a compact that was, in my opinion, subcompact. It came in 40 also. And 45 but that looked too big. But the M&P40c was about the same dimensions as the shield, just a little wider. And it was double stack, taking full size m&p mags so if you wanted to you could stick a 30+ round extended mag in there.

www.impactguns.com...

Glock 19.

The only answer.
You big? Concealable.
You small? Concealable.
Don't like massive recoil. Great.
Like something that isn't heavy as hell. Great.
Manageable and reliable as hell.
I've dropped mine in the snow and it fired with a barrel full of snow(don't try it. Lol)

The price point is fantastic and you cannot go wrong with the Gen4s and 5s. Interchangeable backstraps for all hand sizes.

I run a Gen3 personally but I would trust my life with it. 110%.

a reply to: Whoisjohngalt

Not familiar with the original line, but I'll check it out.

There is a an MP 40c that's 10+1, which is slightly larger and heavier (not by much), and about $100 more than the Shield 40 that's 7+1.

At this point it's about what feels more comfortable in my hand, I guess. Still deciding.

a reply to: Liquesence

Thats the one. The 2.0 have a textured grip on more area and are larger.

Feel both and decide if the extra wieght and $100 is worth the 3 extra rounds and the ability to used extrended mags like this....

www.budsgunshop.com...

Also. Price is arguable. I had my 19 on lay away for 3 months just because I felt bad about dropping 550 on a gun.