O/T going to buy a handgun

[rotty]

Haha the state where everything is illegal! I understand that, I just moved to Cali and its made procuring some work equipment extremely stressful.

anything else you like besides the XD?

 

[Achilles-reborn]

The XD has outperformed any Glock I've owned and it feels great. I love to shoot it but I had to back off. Getting way too expensive.

Still though for some reason I usually grab my CZ-82 for concealed carry. I think because its small and I have a great inside waste band Don Hume holster.

 

[norm1220]

My wife loves her XD .40 cal, I have one too but mine is a 45 auto/460 Rowland.

My last .40 was a Glock 27. It was accurate, dependable, and easy to carry. I had to put the pinkie extensions on the magazines though.

 

[Tom]

Guess I like to be different. Just waiting for my permit to come through and got my eye on a Ruger GP 100 .357 revolver 4 inch barrel. Also looking at the same thing in a S&W 686.

 

[Turkishexpress]

I had a P226 for well over a decade before I sold it. Never had any problems with it. Many people will say Sigs have too many moving parts blah blah blah. I say you're not taking the darn thing to battle. It is more than enough for a citizen's needs.

I hide a S&W M&P .45 around the house and it has treated me very well and used to carry a Kahr PM9 (unfortunately the current state I live in has some of the worst gun laws in the country and no CC allowed). I could put it in my gym shorts and you wouldn't know it. Great CC weapon if you can carry in your state.

 

[Turkishexpress]

Bro I can't remember right off hand but either glock or sig. make a 40 that you change into a .357 sig. Check it out bro its about the same price of just the 40.

With most glocks the .40 and .357 barrels are interchangeable.

 

[JOB01]

AGAIN YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN INFORMED DESCISION...

It is dependent again on what was asked earlier? Home Defense? Or Concealed Carry?

Personally I CC my sig sauer p238 extreme, its a .380cal 7round mag, which is the short 9mm. I love it, never had any problems ever!! This really is an awesome pistol for CC and personal defense. Totally concealable and with Hornady xtp critical defense rounds you got yourself one bad-ass little rig.....

Now for Home defense, I have an plethora of options (these are just a few), Remington 870 Express 12G pump(loaded with 00 buck, I keep my Ruger SW40 with tac sights in the nightstand(loaded with Hornady critical defense), and my Glock 22(with glow in the dark night sights) .40(loaded with Hornady critical defense), on my end table, my wife CC Ruger's LCR 38.spl+P (loaded with Gold-Dot Critical Defense), and also keeps the Taurus Protector .38spl+P in her nightstand(both revolvers, easy for her to just point and shoot, no racking of a slide, no magazine issue's, point and shoot). OP, you need to try lots of different weapons, and find out what you are comfortable shooting, I know several of the local gun-ranges here rent guns and usually have the more popular brands for rent. IDK about Mass, but here you can even rent full auto machine guns and stuff, makes for a fun day.
No experience personally with Springfield, so I will not comment, I do have several buddies that swear by the XDM 45compact.
Another suggestion would be the EMP comes in 9mm, or 45compact bad-ass, little pricey.... There are lots of options around, check out ARMSLIST - Gun Classifieds, and **broken link removed**
Good luck and happy SHOOTING!!!!!
JOB01

 

[Gunsmith]

With most glocks the .40 and .357 barrels are interchangeable.

Yep the 357 Sig uses the same mags and every thing at the 40 does because it's just a 40 necked down to 357 (well .355 actualy)

try several if you can or at least hold several and see what fits your dick beaters the best , I'm not gonna get into the argument about what round is better because it's a moot point and 90% of the people have little to know knowledge about actual ballistic performance on live targets.

find a gun that fits you well and shoot it as much as you can afford to then stuff it full of a quality defense round for carry.

I'll take a slow weak hit on a man center mass with a good bullet than a fast marginal hit with a hot round every time !!

 

[JRBD]

I've had a glock & a springfield XD but price to quality ratio my SP2022 is
my fav my far... very accurate and reliable. you can find them for $499 new. but if money and its heaviness is not a concern the 226 or 229 are the best.

 

[jaltb4k]

Yep the 357 Sig uses the same mags and every thing at the 40 does because it's just a 40 necked down to 357 (well .355 actualy)

try several if you can or at least hold several and see what fits your dick beaters the best , I'm not gonna get into the argument about what round is better because it's a moot point and 90% of the people have little to know knowledge about actual ballistic performance on live targets.

find a gun that fits you well and shoot it as much as you can afford to then stuff it full of a quality defense round for carry.

I'll take a slow weak hit on a man center mass with a good bullet than a fast marginal hit with a hot round every time !!

yes sir i couldnt agree more,gotta be able to keep it on target......or its not much good.

 

[JOB01]

double-tap....

Yep the 357 Sig uses the same mags and every thing at the 40 does because it's just a 40 necked down to 357 (well .355 actualy)

try several if you can or at least hold several and see what fits your dick beaters the best , I'm not gonna get into the argument about what round is better because it's a moot point and 90% of the people have little to know knowledge about actual ballistic performance on live targets.

find a gun that fits you well and shoot it as much as you can afford to then stuff it full of a quality defense round for carry.

I'll take a slow weak hit on a man center mass with a good bullet than a fast marginal hit with a hot round every time !!

DOUBLE-TAP.......
JUST SAYING, If you pull it once you better pull it twice. If the day ever arises that I need to draw down on an intruder/attacker, my only prayer is that I get him before he gets me. No questions asked. You are correct in Ammo selection, cause if you can't put the bullet on the target you are pretty much screwed. If you want to point and shoot from the hip, I suggest a Home-Defense SHOTGUN 12G/20G, point, shoot, then ask questions.
JOB01
And yes I personally understand ballistics and FPS, and Grain/Powder Ratio, but you are correct the average joe doesn't understand Terminal Ballistics.

 

[Gunsmith]

DOUBLE-TAP.......
JUST SAYING, If you pull it once you better pull it twice. If the day ever arises that I need to draw down on an intruder
JOB01
And yes I personally understand ballistics and FPS, and Grain/Powder Ratio, but you are correct the average joe doesn't understand Terminal Ballistics.

Actualy a failure drill or Mozambique or whatever the latest gun rag is calling them is the first option in a gun fight and should be an automatic response once the trigger pullin gets started.

as a certified weapons and CQC instructor as well as a balsitician ive got a fair handel on what works especially after "being their and doing that" and being able to see what works on live targets including human I assure you that a good bullet put where it needs to be put will do the job better than a much bigger much faster one out where it doesn't need to be put or missed all together

 

[Tyrone]

Just my 2 cents...

I like the 1911 with hollow points for home defense. You have a .45 hollow point round, the weight of the gun takes away from any 'kick,' and of course it's shorter than a shot gun. Minimal practice is needed, at least for me personally as it's a point and squeeze to hit the target. Like I said, the weight takes away from the 'kick' or whatever so you're already going to most likely be more accurate. Also, you have a big .45 round for stopping power along with it being hollow point which would not only blow a larger hole in em but hopefully it would also prevent any missed rounds from going through unnecessary walls or similar. Just my $0.02 though...

Gunsmith is the expert and I think everyone should carefully listen to EVERYTHING he has to say regarding the issue...Even to the point of running a search on past posts due to this being brought up multiple times.

 

[Gunsmith]

I like the 1911 with hollow points for home defense. You have a .45 hollow point round, the weight of the gun takes away from any 'kick,' and of course it's shorter than a shot gun. Minimal practice is needed, at least for me personally as it's a point and squeeze to hit the target. Like I said, the weight takes away from the 'kick' or whatever so you're already going to most likely be more accurate. Also, you have a big .45 round for stopping power along with it being hollow point which would not only blow a larger hole in em but hopefully it would also prevent any missed rounds from going through unnecessary walls or similar. Just my $0.02 though...
.

You bring up a very very important topic here , over penitration !!
most people don't realize just how far a bullet can go though interior walls , easily through one interior wall possible hurting or killing sombody in the next room weather that be a child or neighbors , their are so many factors in chosing a fighting gun.

first and formost is getting somthing you can handel well and if that means stepping down to a 380 then so be it , you have to be able to hit you target to stop it , the mighty 500 S&W won't stop a man if you don't hit him.

second is running proven ammo the round must deposit all of its energy in the target to kill it , yea I know a big gaping exit hole sounds like a good idea but if the bullet exited then it dident dump its payload , gunshots kill from hydrostatic shock not hemorrhage , two holes arn't always better!!

shoot that gun until its function is second nature , you should be able to run it , reload it and clear a stoppage in total darkness

get a light on it , you can't shoot what you can't hit and a good weapon mounted light can blind a would be attacker and possible prevent a gunfight

for you guys running shotguns forget about the buckshot or slugs , get a full choke and run #6 bird shot , he bird shot !! at the ranges in home shooting happen the shot patter on a 1 5/8 ounce load of bird shot is about the size of a base ball and when it hits a man it's like shooting him with a grenade!!

don't get cought up in the hype on the newest latest greatest wiz bag super mag it'll cost you a fortune to shoot it and you won't be able to shoot it effectively.

I have staked my life on a 9mm far more than any other pistol round and would not hesitate to do it still , I Personaly run a Glock 21 , that's a 45 but I shoot that because it fits my hand better than the 17 does so I shoot it better , if I could convert it to a smaller round I would !!

their is not a hill of beans differance in stopping power between a 9mm or a 40 or a 45 when they are loaded with a good bullet
I guarndamntee that a bad guy isint gonna take 2 rounds from a 9mm or a 45 and tell the differnce

 

[JOB01]

You bring up a very very important topic here , over penitration !!
most people don't realize just how far a bullet can go though interior walls , easily through one interior wall possible hurting or killing sombody in the next room weather that be a child or neighbors , their are so many factors in chosing a fighting gun.

first and formost is getting somthing you can handel well and if that means stepping down to a 380 then so be it , you have to be able to hit you target to stop it , the mighty 500 S&W won't stop a man if you don't hit him.

second is running proven ammo the round must deposit all of its energy in the target to kill it , yea I know a big gaping exit hole sounds like a good idea but if the bullet exited then it dident dump its payload , gunshots kill from hydrostatic shock not hemorrhage , two holes arn't always better!!

shoot that gun until its function is second nature , you should be able to run it , reload it and clear a stoppage in total darkness

get a light on it , you can't shoot what you can't hit and a good weapon mounted light can blind a would be attacker and possible prevent a gunfight

for you guys running shotguns forget about the buckshot or slugs , get a full choke and run #6 bird shot , he bird shot !! at the ranges in home shooting happen the shot patter on a 1 5/8 ounce load of bird shot is about the size of a base ball and when it hits a man it's like shooting him with a grenade!!

don't get cought up in the hype on the newest latest greatest wiz bag super mag it'll cost you a fortune to shoot it and you won't be able to shoot it effectively.

I have staked my life on a 9mm far more than any other pistol round and would not hesitate to do it still , I Personaly run a Glock 21 , that's a 45 but I shoot that because it fits my hand better than the 17 does so I shoot it better , if I could convert it to a smaller round I would !!

their is not a hill of beans differance in stopping power between a 9mm or a 40 or a 45 when they are loaded with a good bullet
I guarndamntee that a bad guy isint gonna take 2 rounds from a 9mm or a 45 and tell the differnce

VERY VERY GOOD POINTS HERE, I could not agree more and I like the #6 bird shot theory, makes a whole lot of sense!!! I agree .380, 9mm, 40.cal, .45cal are all great choices as long as you can operate them like clock-work in any given situation. I still am a fan of a 165 grain JHP, put hundreds through my guns... Very comfortable with the load.
JOB01

 

[jaltb4k]

You bring up a very very important topic here , over penitration !!
most people don't realize just how far a bullet can go though interior walls , easily through one interior wall possible hurting or killing sombody in the next room weather that be a child or neighbors , their are so many factors in chosing a fighting gun.

first and formost is getting somthing you can handel well and if that means stepping down to a 380 then so be it , you have to be able to hit you target to stop it , the mighty 500 S&W won't stop a man if you don't hit him.

second is running proven ammo the round must deposit all of its energy in the target to kill it , yea I know a big gaping exit hole sounds like a good idea but if the bullet exited then it dident dump its payload , gunshots kill from hydrostatic shock not hemorrhage , two holes arn't always better!!

shoot that gun until its function is second nature , you should be able to run it , reload it and clear a stoppage in total darkness

get a light on it , you can't shoot what you can't hit and a good weapon mounted light can blind a would be attacker and possible prevent a gunfight

for you guys running shotguns forget about the buckshot or slugs , get a full choke and run #6 bird shot , he bird shot !! at the ranges in home shooting happen the shot patter on a 1 5/8 ounce load of bird shot is about the size of a base ball and when it hits a man it's like shooting him with a grenade!!

don't get cought up in the hype on the newest latest greatest wiz bag super mag it'll cost you a fortune to shoot it and you won't be able to shoot it effectively.

I have staked my life on a 9mm far more than any other pistol round and would not hesitate to do it still , I Personaly run a Glock 21 , that's a 45 but I shoot that because it fits my hand better than the 17 does so I shoot it better , if I could convert it to a smaller round I would !!

their is not a hill of beans differance in stopping power between a 9mm or a 40 or a 45 when they are loaded with a good bullet
I guarndamntee that a bad guy isint gonna take 2 rounds from a 9mm or a 45 and tell the differnce

very good post! this is very sound advice from someone who obviously knows what hes doing.

 

[Irishmen24]

Sig 1911...accuracy is unmatched.

 

[Gunsmith]

Sig 1911...accuracy is unmatched.

unless your willing to sell a kidney and buy one of the upper end custom production 1911's the Sig unit is a fine weapon!!

The Sig Sauer line of pistols are great guns , their is a reason that the U.S Navy SEALs are issued the Sig 226 (they call it a MK25) the thing run great and is very durable and from what im told is extreamy "shootable" from a beginners stand point because of its point ability.

Again ive run Glocks from so long their grip angle has me trained from them

 

[rotty]

unless your willing to sell a kidney and buy one of the upper end custom production 1911's the Sig unit is a fine weapon!!

The Sig Sauer line of pistols are great guns , their is a reason that the U.S Navy SEALs are issued the Sig 226 (they call it a MK25) the thing run great and is very durable and from what im told is extreamy "shootable" from a beginners stand point because of its point ability.

Again ive run Glocks from so long their grip angle has me trained from them

Massachusetts is fucked. I don't think we can buy anything that is pre 1998...so there are Glock options, but I'm not exactly sure what they are. A lot of gun manufacturers won't deal in this state because the state is such a pain in the ass. There's actually 2 sets of standards that each handgun must pass to be on the MA gun compliant list. They have some tests that they all must pass, but then there's another set of criteria that must be met. It's confusing and I don't blame any of the gun companies for not bothering with Mass.