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Guns
Jan 10, 2015 19:42:36 GMT -6
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Post by ickes on Jan 10, 2015 19:42:36 GMT -6
Fellas, I'm in the market for a handgun. I'm looking for something for home defense and that I can carry with me when I'm out and about to keep in my vehicle or carry if I feel the need. I'm looking to spend about 500 bucks (ish).
I don't know much about guns, however I've been raised with them as my Dad started taking me and my bro shooting at a young age. I am familiar with them and know how to handle them but I lack the technical knowledge.
what would you guys recommend?
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Guns
Jan 10, 2015 19:58:37 GMT -6
Post by variable on Jan 10, 2015 19:58:37 GMT -6
For your price point, a Glock 19, used. If you wanted to spend a couple hundred more (and don't have annoying mag size limits) I would easily recommend the HK VP9. If there's a range nearby you where you can rent, I would suggest trying the G19 (Gen4 or Gen3), a Smith & Wesson M&P9, a Ruger SR9c and the HK VP9. Not everyone likes how the Glock holds in the hand, but I found the Gen2 G19s that I have work damned reliably. Newer ones (and the S&W/HK VP9) will have customizable grips, which lets you more tailor it to your hand size (the VP9, for example, lets you change the backstrap and both side panels). I found that even with the stock "medium" panels, the VP9 was, bar none, the most accurate handgun I've ever shot. I'd offer to let you try a bunch of mine, but I reckon you're not local to New England.  |
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Guns
Jan 10, 2015 21:56:29 GMT -6
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Post by usctroll on Jan 10, 2015 21:56:29 GMT -6
I hate Glocks, but if you like the way they shoot then it's hard to argue with the quality. My warm weather carry gun is a cheap ass Kel-Tec P3AT. My vehicle/home gun is a Kimber Stainless Gold Match.
If you're not going to carry it much definitely get a full size frame in .40 or .45 ACP. I love 1911s, they're the raw denim of the gun world for sure.
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Jan 10, 2015 21:57:38 GMT -6
Post by Old26 on Jan 10, 2015 21:57:38 GMT -6
For your price point, a Glock 19, used. If you wanted to spend a couple hundred more (and don't have annoying mag size limits) I would easily recommend the HK VP9. If there's a range nearby you where you can rent, I would suggest trying the G19 (Gen4 or Gen3), a Smith & Wesson M&P9, a Ruger SR9c and the HK VP9. Not everyone likes how the Glock holds in the hand, but I found the Gen2 G19s that I have work damned reliably. Newer ones (and the S&W/HK VP9) will have customizable grips, which lets you more tailor it to your hand size (the VP9, for example, lets you change the backstrap and both side panels). I found that even with the stock "medium" panels, the VP9 was, bar none, the most accurate handgun I've ever shot. I'd offer to let you try a bunch of mine, but I reckon you're not local to New England. Good recommendations. Ruger SR9c is a fun gun, and probably would suit you. I'd get something for sport - the range - because I don't think (hope) you'll have much need to use it for protection. Get a good sport gun, and don't be afraid to get a good used one from a reputable source. Being in AZ, you're not castrated like we are here in KALI... |
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Guns
Jan 10, 2015 21:58:50 GMT -6
Post by Old26 on Jan 10, 2015 21:58:50 GMT -6
I hate Glocks, but if you like the way they shoot then it's hard to argue with the quality. My warm weather carry gun is a cheap ass Kel-Tec P3AT. My vehicle/home gun is Kimber Stainless Gold Match. If you're not going to carry it much definitely get a full size frame in .40 or .45 ACP. I love 1911s, they're the raw denim of the gun world for sure. I'd like to see pic of your Match! If you feel comfy doing so... |
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Guns
Jan 10, 2015 22:15:09 GMT -6
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scooter likes this
Post by usctroll on Jan 10, 2015 22:15:09 GMT -6
I'd like to see pic of your Match! If you feel comfy doing so... I think this might be from the listing years ago when I bought it, but it still looks the same. It's a series I, which in my opinion are finished to a much higher standard than IIs. Zero misfires in at least 3k rounds since I've owned it. I've also shot an 8 point whitetail with it. Definitely my favorite gun that I've purchased.  |
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Jan 10, 2015 22:20:47 GMT -6
Post by exophobe on Jan 10, 2015 22:20:47 GMT -6
I hate Glocks, but if you like the way they shoot then it's hard to argue with the quality. My warm weather carry gun is a cheap ass Kel-Tec P3AT. My vehicle/home gun is a Kimber Stainless Gold Match. If you're not going to carry it much definitely get a full size frame in .40 or .45 ACP. I love 1911s, they're the raw denim of the gun world for sure. I had a Smithfield Armory Mil-spec 1911 for a couple years. Had to sell it, but it was a great pistol. |
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Jan 10, 2015 23:17:51 GMT -6
Post by variable on Jan 10, 2015 23:17:51 GMT -6
I hate Glocks, but if you like the way they shoot then it's hard to argue with the quality. My warm weather carry gun is a cheap ass Kel-Tec P3AT. My vehicle/home gun is a Kimber Stainless Gold Match. If you're not going to carry it much definitely get a full size frame in .40 or .45 ACP. I love 1911s, they're the raw denim of the gun world for sure. I like 1911s, have a couple, but you're not going to get into a good one at his price point. Well, at least not in my neck of the woods. A used, 9mm striker-fired gun is probably the best bet. The ammo is cheap and if he hasn't been shooting pistols in a while, he'll need the practice (not a dig, I notice significant loss in skill if I don't go pistol shooting regularly). |
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Guns
Jan 11, 2015 0:38:22 GMT -6
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Post by ickes on Jan 11, 2015 0:38:22 GMT -6
guys, thank you so much for the input! Greatly appreciated.
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Guns
Jan 11, 2015 2:10:08 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2015 2:10:08 GMT -6
Guns are like Ford and Chevy. Some people love Glock, some people hate them. The same can be said about beretta. I will say that a Glock has no safety. They will say that the trigger is the safety...which means you have to pull the trigger for it to fire (trigger has stages that have to go in order or something). It is a good feature if you won't have kids etc around the gun because it is ready to go. I would conceal carry my glock on the motorcycle for that reason. I wouldn't recommend shooting anyone ever, but if you are going to pull a gun, that is pretty much the plan and you might not want to think about the safety or pull the trigger and have nothing happen. Will a safety really stop kids from accidentally shooting a gun? Probably not either way. Some would recommend a Beretta fs92 in the stainless version. Stainless is awesome because it is less worry. A buddy of mine says that it wouldn't be the Army's official sidearm if it wasn't good, but I noted that most other militaries I seen during my Civilian job in Afghanistan carried glocks. Also, look into the rounds. I have a friend that recommends 9mm for a few reasons. They are cheaper and your mag will hold more. The "stopping power" in a larger round is higher, but I liked his response,...can't remember it exactly but it was something along the lines of, if you put 15 rounds of a 9mm into something or a group of something and it doesn't stop the problem, then you have bigger problems than you can handle. oh and I used to keep a loaded revolver in the house in the states. Keeping mags loaded wears out the springs if you don't rotate them often. You won't have that problem with a revolver. so...asking opinions on guns will just give you a lot of information but no answers. Good luck! Make sure you go out shooting as much as you can when you get it...only a matter of time before they come for our guns at this rate.  |
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Jan 11, 2015 7:35:19 GMT -6
Post by jockohomo on Jan 11, 2015 7:35:19 GMT -6
Once you have made the commitment to acquire and learn how to use a handgun there are a few decisions you need to make prior to selecting a specific make and model. In my view, the first decision is whether you feel more comfortable with a revolver (a good choice if your wife and/or girlfriend might be a user of the gun) or pistol (semi-automatic). After you have made that choice you need to select a cartridge that meets your needs. As someone above suggested, a visit to a gun shop that has a range and rents handguns is the perfect place to start. Try as many makes, models, and cartridges as you can and seek out opinions (like you are here) from as many trusted, competent and knowledgeable people as you can.
. As for me, I am fond of most things that go bang. However, when it comes to handguns, I tend to shoot my pistols more (mostly .45 ACP) and my 1911's get the most work. Keep in mind, the 1911 platform has 2 safeties (thumb and grip) and it's single action trigger can be tuned to be the best feeling trigger on the planet Earth! As for cartridges, I like the .40 S&W and .45 ACP however, I don't think I would suggest either of these for a casual shooter, stick with a 9mm Parabellum, and nothing smaller. For a revolver, I would stick with a .357 Magnum in which you can shoot a lower recoiling .38 Special for practice at a lower cost.
These days it is hard to get a dud when you are selecting a handgun (especially at the high end of your budget). I am partial to Sig Sauer (so are the Navy Seals) and if you can juice your budget by a few hundred dollars (maybe quit backing those nasty Gustin products?) you are in that range. As for 1911's, I would take a hard look at Springfield (not Smithfield, they grow pigs)Armory or Sig Sauer. Many custom 1911 pistolsmiths will start with Springfield frames and slides, they don't use Kimbers.
Finally, I would suggest you get a subscription to American Handgunner magazine. I would also strongly encourage you to seek out some quality instruction whether that is reading, videos, or actual instructor led courses, there is no substitute for proper technique. And once you acquire your chosen handgun and rudimentary (or better) skills, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, you don't want to find out you can't hit shat with it at 7 yards under stress when someone breaks thru your front door!
PS: Do a Google search on: "does keeping m" to learn about magazine springs.
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Guns
Jan 11, 2015 9:13:16 GMT -6
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Post by variable on Jan 11, 2015 9:13:16 GMT -6
Keeping mags loaded wears out the springs if you don't rotate them often. You won't have that problem with a revolver. so...asking opinions on guns will just give you a lot of information but no answers. Good luck! Make sure you go out shooting as much as you can when you get it...only a matter of time before they come for our guns at this rate. As to keeping mags loaded wearing out the springs, that's false. Compression cycles is what wears out the springs. Don't fear leaving a magazine loaded. Revolvers do have a place, especially in the magnum calibers, but at the OP's price point, I'm not sure what I could recommend in a wheel gun. Maybe a Smith 642? Whatever you choose, practice, practice, practice. |
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Guns
Jan 11, 2015 9:35:34 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2015 9:35:34 GMT -6
Everyone in the past told me to rotate mags every month (they said same things about springs in shotguns). I never did any additional research on it because I never came across anyone that said otherwise. Now that I think about it, they were all U.S. Military and that is their SOP...which doesn't make it right, but will explain why it was everyone I talked to about the subject.
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Jan 11, 2015 9:57:46 GMT -6
Post by variable on Jan 11, 2015 9:57:46 GMT -6
Everyone in the past told me to rotate mags every month (they said same things about springs in shotguns). I never did any additional research on it because I never came across anyone that said otherwise. Now that I think about it, they were all U.S. Military and that is their SOP...which doesn't make it right, but will explain why it was everyone I talked to about the subject. Yup. But in any case, you have to consider a magazine a consumable commodity. They will break, fail or become unreliable. You can fix it by replacing springs and followers, but eventually they will need to be replaced. |
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Jan 11, 2015 10:40:11 GMT -6
Post by Old26 on Jan 11, 2015 10:40:11 GMT -6
Everyone in the past told me to rotate mags every month (they said same things about springs in shotguns). I never did any additional research on it because I never came across anyone that said otherwise. Now that I think about it, they were all U.S. Military and that is their SOP...which doesn't make it right, but will explain why it was everyone I talked to about the subject. Yup. But in any case, you have to consider a magazine a consumable commodity. They will break, fail or become unreliable. You can fix it by replacing springs and followers, but eventually they will need to be replaced. Which makes me laugh some as we have a ton of WWII mag's of different types that we used monthly. German and Soviet rifles/autos. None of us use repop mag's, so if modern mags are wearing out (with the exception of a cop or someone using them daily) I would be bummed out, and I would also buy a bunch and rotate. Most of what we have is either WWII vintage or 30's handguns of the revolver types. Nothing I need to do requires the accuracy of a modern gun so I have but two, and as I said, they're for sport (range). |
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Jan 11, 2015 10:41:48 GMT -6
Post by Old26 on Jan 11, 2015 10:41:48 GMT -6
I'd like to see pic of your Match! If you feel comfy doing so... I think this might be from the listing years ago when I bought it, but it still looks the same. It's a series I, which in my opinion are finished to a much higher standard than IIs. Zero misfires in at least 3k rounds since I've owned it. I've also shot an 8 point whitetail with it. Definitely my favorite gun that I've purchased. Damn, that's lovely! I really like the darker contrasting grips too. Thanks for posting it. |
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Jan 11, 2015 13:10:09 GMT -6
Post by variable on Jan 11, 2015 13:10:09 GMT -6
Which makes me laugh some as we have a ton of WWII mag's of different types that we used monthly. German and Soviet rifles/autos. None of us use repop mag's, so if modern mags are wearing out (with the exception of a cop or someone using them daily) I would be bummed out, and I would also buy a bunch and rotate. Most of what we have is either WWII vintage or 30's handguns of the revolver types. Nothing I need to do requires the accuracy of a modern gun so I have but two, and as I said, they're for sport (range). Hooray for modern manufacturing, eh? Anything plastic will eventually crack (although I have 90s-era Glock mags that are still going strong), welds will fail on metal mags, etc etc. If you're going to carry a modern semi-auto remember "two is one and one is none". Always have a spare. |
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Guns
Jan 11, 2015 13:18:05 GMT -6
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Post by usctroll on Jan 11, 2015 13:18:05 GMT -6
After thinking a bit more, I'd seriously consider a Sig P938. It's all metal, has 1911 controls, easily concealable, available with night sights and high quality. I bought my wife the .380 version of this gun and it has been great for her. It was especially convenient because she was already very familiar with 1911 operation. www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=462890554 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2015 18:12:00 GMT -6
Another Sig 1911 guy here! Love my tach ops!
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Jan 15, 2015 8:27:00 GMT -6
Post by jockohomo on Jan 15, 2015 8:27:00 GMT -6
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Jan 15, 2015 9:59:16 GMT -6
Post by usctroll on Jan 15, 2015 9:59:16 GMT -6
Nice, 10mm is a really great round. I've shot a few 1911s and a couple S&W revolvers in 10mm and it makes .40 seem pitiful in comparison. Too bad I hate SA/DA decocker guns. |
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Jan 15, 2015 10:32:40 GMT -6
Post by jockohomo on Jan 15, 2015 10:32:40 GMT -6
Nice, 10mm is a really great round. I've shot a few 1911s and a couple S&W revolvers in 10mm and it makes .40 seem pitiful in comparison. Too bad I hate SA/DA decocker guns. I have a Glock model 20 that I bought right when they came out in the early 90's (Ted Nugent's 10mm of choice). Was looking at a Nighthawk, but the Sig is going to save me a few thousand I suspect. Hang onto those model 610's they will only become more valuable. As for hating decocker pistols (I love my made in Germany P220), they sure beat the heck out of double action revolvers! |
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Jan 15, 2015 10:40:34 GMT -6
Post by ickes on Jan 15, 2015 10:40:34 GMT -6
Guys what is a 1911? I have seen that mentioned several times in here so far. Enlighten me please.
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Jan 15, 2015 11:02:06 GMT -6
ickes likes this
Post by usctroll on Jan 15, 2015 11:02:06 GMT -6
Guys what is a 1911? I have seen that mentioned several times in here so far. Enlighten me please. It's the back to back World War champion originally made for the US armed forces. Now it's largely obsolete and expensive, but possibly more popular than ever. You can get about a millions configurations in many calibers made by a hundred different companies. The gun I posted above is a 1911 and of all the guns I've ever shot, it feels the best in my hands. They run about $400 on the low end to $5k+ on the custom high end. |
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Jan 15, 2015 12:28:15 GMT -6
Post by jockohomo on Jan 15, 2015 12:28:15 GMT -6
Guys what is a 1911? I have seen that mentioned several times in here so far. Enlighten me please. It's the back to back World War champion originally made for the US armed forces. Now it's largely obsolete and expensive, but possibly more popular than ever. You can get about a millions configurations in many calibers made by a hundred different companies. The gun I posted above is a 1911 and of all the guns I've ever shot, it feels the best in my hands. They run about $400 on the low end to $5k+ on the custom high end. Lots of information on the history of the 1911 online, just Google: "John Browning 1911". I would beg to differ with USC as to whether it is obsolete. In my view it is far from obsolete for someone who is trained to shoot it and can effectively place 9 rounds where they aim. That is, there is no need for high capacity magazines. It is a single action pistol with 2 manual safeties that can be carried "cocked and locked." This fact allows the user to get off a first shot using a relatively light trigger pull which, in the hands of a trained user, allows for a more accurate first shot. A 1911 can be tuned to give amazing accuracy (not available with more non-obsolete pistols). I have a Colt Gold Cup that was worked over by one of the top 1911 pistolsmiths in the USA that can shoot 5/8 inch groups at 25 yards in a Ransom Rest. There are maybe 15-20 top notch 1911 pistolsmiths in the US who have waiting lists (many don't even accept orders anymore) that encompass years of waiting, I spent 3 years on a waiting list and another 8 months waiting for the completed pistol. Check out this months American Handgunner magazine for an article on Stan Chen, he just started to selectively take orders and one of his pistols will set you back somewhere around $8,000. Finally, these guys apparently did not think an over 100 year old design is "obsolete:" www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/semper-fi-colt-m45a1-cqbp-marine-pistol-review/undefined |
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