Need advice on hand guns

[excellon]

I'm looking to purchasing a handgun for self-defense. I just picked up a Remington 870 Tactical shotgun for the house. While at the gun store, I was checking out a few of the Kimber 1911 and they look and feel great. However, the majority come in .45 and I was thinking of carrying a 9mm. (My brother-in-laws have Beretta 9mm and XD9 which I shot both but they don't have the fit and feel of the Kimbers I've been looking at.)

What's everyone take? (I think this will start becoming another hobby for me - gun collecting :biggrin

I've never owned a handgun so I don't really know what to look for. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

There is a thread on a similar topic here.

However, having just come back from the gun range recently and testing several different hand guns, I can now triple re-confirm what I've been saying all along. Each hand gun is unique and really the ONLY way to tell which one is best for you is to try each one. I shot everything from .22 to .45, from revolvers to semi's to double action, all in one sitting. Also, I was able to go with several people and what I found was that nobody agreed on what their favorite gun. Some people loved the 1911's, one guy like the USP. I prefered the Glock. I highly recommend at least trying out a Glock 9mm (my favorite is the 26 because of the compact size), but try several others as well. Here's one reason I like the Glock, on top of many others.

 

[Tanto2]

Any 1911 is a very bad choice for a beginner which it sounds like you are. Any of the "safe action" polymer guns like the Glock 26 would be good, although the M&P9C is definately another to look at, and the HK2000s is really nice. The 9 is the best route for you, and stay with a major brand like HK, S&W, Glock Sig or Berretta. Go somewhere that rents them first. And if you are going to carry, for gods sake go to a high quality training facility and take at least a two day course and keep training! You have a huge responsibility. Sorry for the preachiness, these half ass one day classes by the locals just piss me off. Enjoy.

 

[DocL]

Trying to carry a 9mm, .40 or .45 is very difficult, especially a 1911. I bought a Sig Sauer P228 for home protection and as a concealed carry and it is bulky. I love the size of the gun and it shoots very well at the range. That being said, I decided to go for something that would stop a person and be easy to carry so I bought a Kel Tec P-3AT. It's the same size as my wallet and it fits in my front pocket with no obtrusions. For protection I'm just looking for some center mass shots at close range, hence I don't need a cannon on my hip. I suggest you go to the range and try to conceal the weapon you like and then sit down with it on your side. With all of this in mind, the Glock 27 in a .40 is a great gun to start with and even carry.

 

[DucTerry]

I'm a huge fan of H&K's USP's, very well crafted. Try one of those out while you're deciding and if you find the right shop try out a MK23, you won't ever want to fire another handgun, it's smooth, accurate, durable and exudes a very commanding presence but it is not a beginners weapon.

 

[Ponyboy]

I'd go the Glock route as well. Love the USPs but, jeez, they're huge by any standard.

That said, the best advice is to try the guns out first before you make a decision. No one will know what feels best or shoots best better than you will.

Good luck!

 

[davidf]

While the topic for the best handgun can go on forever and ever. I feel every opinion is a valid one. Here is what I carry with me everywhere. Kinda pricey but with guns, you do get what you pay for. http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=75

 

[steveny]

Trying to carry a 9mm, .40 or .45 is very difficult, especially a 1911. I bought a Sig Sauer P228 for home protection and as a concealed carry and it is bulky. I love the size of the gun and it shoots very well at the range. That being said, I decided to go for something that would stop a person and be easy to carry .

My sentiments exactly. I don't have a clue how people carry a 9 comfortably. I have the same same sig you have in 380. Now yes a 9 is going to stop someone a lot quicker than a 380 BUT with the sig you can hit the target every time. It's nuts how well the sig shoots and carries and feels and.... It's just a great gun.

I had the gun in the door pocket of my Benz a few months ago. I was talking (friendly conversation) to a tenant and he saw the gun. Would you believe he reached for it like he was going to look at it. He reached in my car! I had to grab and twist his arm. To top it off he was pissed that I twisted his arm. WTF is wrong with people? Why would someone do that. Idiots!!!

 

[Mark S]

Many manufactures are now making in 9MM on 1911 platform. Colt made a 1911 9MM commander in the 60's. A few that come to mind are Springfield, Kimber, STI, Wilson, Para Ord if you want capacity. I'm an 01 FFL and seeing a BIG trend towards 9's. With modern bullet construction you are giving up nothing or very little to the good old 45. Google up 1911 9MM and look around. The others suggested are fine pistols but if you like 1911 platforn go for it. You also may want to consider a Browning hi-power these feel very similar to the 1911, @ least to me.

 

[VictorH]

Congratulation, the 870 is a good weapon. I like 870's and have several of them but I'm partial to my Benelli M1 Tactical for home defense. :smile: Regardless, make sure you learn how to use it efficiently. Notice I didn't say "shoot". The 870, like all guns, has its idiosyncracies. Learn to work around them.

You didn't mention why you want a handgun though. Is it to carry or to keep in your car? There are many considerations depending on its end use (size, capacity, manual safeties, how it hold lubrication while holstered, etc.).

I agree with those who recommend shooting as many guns as you can get your hands on. No two people have the same ergonomical needs or biases. Find one that best suites you. Don't choose one that you shoot best with because you are probably shooting it wrongly to begin with. What is important is one that feels best and doesn't beat you up and give you sores on your hands. Keep an open mind and ignore those that say you must shoot 9mm or you need a Glock, etc. I have seen small framed woman shoot snappy 357Sig rounds better than guys shooting 9mm and I've seen enough Glock failures during rigorous tactical training to know they are not the best firearm in existance. As with the 870, all handguns have their shortcomings. Good luck.

 

[lrsudog]

I do not carry a handgun for defense in civilization, but out in the boonies I do carry a Kimber 1911 in Stainless, re-barreled for the .460 Rowland round.

Concealability is not an issue for me in the circumstances I carry, and any 1911 clone is going to be a bulky carry if you are trying to hide it, although the 1911 does fit in the small of my back nicely.

 

[GreyHoundSteve]

I'd go the Glock route as well. Love the USPs but, jeez, they're huge by any standard.

That said, the best advice is to try the guns out first before you make a decision. No one will know what feels best or shoots best better than you will.

Good luck!

+1 on the Glock. I know some people consider then "scum bag" guns or guns made for criminals but i have fired almost every 9mm out there and nothing shoots as reliable and as straight as the Glock does. It will also handle any ammo you can throw in it and rarely if ever needs cleaning and if you do decide to take it apart and don't know anything about guns, well.. my guess is you still won't have any problems putting it back together.

The Glock 17 was my first hand gun and after buying many other and trying every 9mm out there, for my carry piece i decided on a Glock 26. I wanted to like allot of other guns better but you simply cant beat everything the Glock has to offer at the price point you can get them. Also, i like that all the 9mm mags are interchangeable. I have a 33 round mag i love to take to the range and shred paper with.:biggrin:

 

[VictorH]

With modern bullet construction you are giving up nothing or very little to the good old 45. Google up 1911 9MM and look around. The others suggested are fine pistols but if you like 1911 platforn go for it. You also may want to consider a Browning hi-power these feel very similar to the 1911, @ least to me.

Mark,
Excellent points. I agree with you and the 9mm cannot be overlooked any longer. There has been much more development on the 9mm projectile than the .45ACP. However, we should also add that for the new 9mm constructions to work properly, they usually need to be loaded to +P power levels which makes them very snappy to shoot on some guns. To many people, these rounds are not pleasant to shoot.

The largest benefit to 9mm in today's environment revolves around economics. 9mm ammo is ubiquitous and are cheap to buy.

For the record, I do not shoot 9mm but am neither for or against them. I am in favor of learning how to shoot what you got well.

 

[PUREVIL]

And if you are going to carry, for gods sake go to a high quality training facility and take at least a two day course and keep training! You have a huge responsibility. Sorry for the preachiness, these half ass one day classes by the locals just piss me off. Enjoy.

I agree with what Tanto has posted. Go train, take courses, shoot regularly, never handle a gun with lax or lack of attention. I may sound like a safety nazi, but we are talking about guns here, you dont want to have an accident with a gun.

1911s are great but IMO they aren't beginner guns. They require more maintenance than maybe the average beginner would like to put in. But that depends on the individual. I have a glock, XD, HK USP, kimbers, Sig, DE. and the Kimbers are my favorite to shoot. Followed by my USP, XD, SIG, DE, Glock. I prefer the .45 over the other rounds not cuz bigger is better, but just the way it feels shooting it. .45 has a chunkier feel, not snappy like the .40 or 9. Glocks are the Honda civics of hand guns, loads of aftermarket stuff, good reliability, cheap and economical, but everyone has one. I personally dont like the grip angle but you might. So I say handle each gun and see what feels good to you.

I carry 2 kimber ultras, one on me, one in the car that im driving. Why? Because I own a stripclub and I carry the deposit to the bank at night. I doubt I'll ever need them, but better to have than not have them.

 

[davidf]

I agree with what Tanto has posted. Go train, take courses, shoot regularly, never handle a gun with lax or lack of attention. I may sound like a safety nazi, but we are talking about guns here, you dont want to have an accident with a gun.

1911s are great but IMO they aren't beginner guns. They require more maintenance than maybe the average beginner would like to put in. But that depends on the individual. I have a glock, XD, HK USP, kimbers, Sig, DE. and the Kimbers are my favorite to shoot. Followed by my USP, XD, SIG, DE, Glock. I prefer the .45 over the other rounds not cuz bigger is better, but just the way it feels shooting it. .45 has a chunkier feel, not snappy like the .40 or 9. Glocks are the Honda civics of hand guns, loads of aftermarket stuff, good reliability, cheap and economical, but everyone has one. I personally dont like the grip angle but you might. So I say handle each gun and see what feels good to you.

I carry 2 kimber ultras, one on me, one in the car that im driving. Why? Because I own a stripclub and I carry the deposit to the bank at night. I doubt I'll ever need them, but better to have than not have them.

You own a strip club? You are the luckiest man I know, LOL.:biggrin: Pics of employees please.

 

[PUREVIL]

You own a strip club? You are the luckiest man I know, LOL.:biggrin: Pics of employees please.

Sorry for the thread hijack.....

Let me tell you there is alot of headaches and drama when dealing with WOMEN ALL DAY, who would have thought right? LOL

I co-own a stripclub by night and sole own a graphic design business by day. Here are some pics of Mia (blonde) shes my favorite stripper because shes drama free and hot, she was having a bad hair day cuz her blow dryer broke.... Im going to take more pics of her soon. The girl on the bike is one of our bartenders Morgan. She wanted some pics to submit for something with sturgis but she never went.

If anyone with a myspace would like to add us to see more pics of the club, or us just screwing off feel free. www.myspace.com/envyminot

Mia

Morgan

 

[BioBanker]

Im still shocked that you guys feel that you need to carry guns for protection.

I can honestly say that except for police officers, and the kid who brought one to school 20 years ago and I saw it in his locker (may not have been real), Ive NEVER even seen a hand gun.

Be safe, but when y'all come to XPO in Toronto in 09, please remember that you cant bring them; highly illegal here!

May you never need them.

 

[PUREVIL]

Im still shocked that you guys feel that you need to carry guns for protection.

I can honestly say that except for police officers, and the kid who brought one to school 20 years ago and I saw it in his locker (may not have been real), Ive NEVER even seen a hand gun.

Be safe, but when y'all come to XPO in Toronto in 09, please remember that you cant bring them; highly illegal here!

May you never need them.

Are you kidding me? Toronto should be allowed to have them. City is horrible for crime. They aren't illegal either, they are very restricted in Canada. Which I find completely stupid, all youre doing is restricting the law abidding citizens, do you think the drug dealers and gang members care about Canadian gun laws? NO THATS WHY THEY ARE CRIMINALS, THEY COMPLETELY DISREGARD THE LAWS! I think it would be great to offer gun licenses like drivers licenses, you know how much crime would be reduced if the criminals knew everyone had a gun? LOL plus cars are more dangerous than guns will ever be. I hate talking about gun laws and sh*t.

 

[ediddynsx]

I have a HK 45 USP that is great for home.....Sig 40s are nice, Glocks are nice, Kimber 1911s are nice too, but if you plan to carry one on you than go for a 38, Glock or 9.

My shooting instructors are all about the 1911's especially when they have custom ones going for $1600-3000.

I agree go to the range and shoot as many guns as you can before you decide which one suits you.

I have shot at least 15-20 guns this past 6 months and a few shot guns with different types of shells. I like them all :biggrin:its gonna get expensive to want to collect them all. :redface:

Btw nice pics of the girls

 

[PUREVIL]

I have a HK 45 USP that is great for home.....Sig 40s are nice, Glocks are nice, Kimber 1911s are nice too, but if you plan to carry one on you than go for a 38, Glock or 9.

My shooting instructors are all about the 1911's especially when they have custom ones going for $1600-3000.

I agree go to the range and shoot as many guns as you can before you decide which one suits you.

I have shot at least 15-20 guns this past 6 months and a few shot guns with different types of shells. I like them all :biggrin:its gonna get expensive to want to collect them all. :redface:

Btw nice pics of the girls

Another issue about using a 1911 for home defense is they are limited to 7 or 8 rounds depending on mags.... unless you buy 10 rounders. But some of the other pistols can hold 13 to 17 rounds depending on model and caliber. Also may want to find a pistol with a rail so you can mount a light, good and bad in HD situations, or a laser again good and bad in HD situations. Something to think about as well.

 

[eNeSeX 95T]

IF you want a 9mm Check out the Browning Hi power. One of the best and most comfortable handguns iv ever held. They are also very reliable. Never had a round jam on me yet.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=007B&cat_id=051&type_id=001

Also the CZ75s are great guns as well and very affordable.

http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=29

The M9 berettas are great as well.

DEFINATELY try a .40cal. Very smooth and comfortable round imo. And good stopping power. Most cops carry 40s now because 9s dont put people down fast enough.

 

[fullracehonda]

While the topic for the best handgun can go on forever and ever. I feel every opinion is a valid one. Here is what I carry with me everywhere. Kinda pricey but with guns, you do get what you pay for. http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=75

thats a good looking gun

 

[Ponyboy]

Here's my Beretta 92FS (M9 in military terms), terrible pic, I know.

Haven't had a FTF or FTE yet. It's a larger size gun, very comfortable to shoot, fairly accurate. Small hands won't like it though.

 

[JeffShoots]

Im still shocked that you guys feel that you need to carry guns for protection.

I can honestly say that except for police officers, and the kid who brought one to school 20 years ago and I saw it in his locker (may not have been real), Ive NEVER even seen a hand gun.

Be safe, but when y'all come to XPO in Toronto in 09, please remember that you cant bring them; highly illegal here!

May you never need them.

You are so wrong
My Uncle is a registered gun dealer on the island.

If you see me I'm armed. Just looking around my living room from where I sit on the couch with my Mac in my lap I count 2 loaded handguns and a .308 auto rifle.

You need an education before posting your own personal opinion as fact

 

[BioBanker]

Why are you guys so defensive? If you want to own guns, fine; Ive not said anything about that aside from being shocked that people feel the need to own them for personal protection. Ive been in your cities, often, and I would never have suspected that people around me would have guns for protection reasons. Im not commenting on gun ownership, I am commenting on your perceived level of safety. THAT IS ALL as Ive felt safe, perhaps naively, at all times when Ive traveled to your cities (except for once when I took a wrong turn down a street that was scarey in Tampa).

I am interested in guns. I dont know anything about them but I find them interesting. If I lived in a place where they were okay, I would *probably* own one. I bet they're fun to fire (I have shot .22s at a range once and that was a riot).

Im not posting any opinions and the only fact Im stating is that 1) handguns are illegal here (I believe they are, perhaps Im wrong - carrying a handgun is definately illegal here but it could be legal to own one and keep it at the range), and 2) saying that Ive never seen one outside of an officer.