I need advice...what gun to buy?
Ok, so I am looking for a handgun for personal protection. I just do not know which are the reliable manufacturers and who produces a crap weapon. Im used to firing rifles, but I have shot a Sig 229 before (it was a good size for my hand, not too big or too small). I want something for around $500, and a caliber with affordable ammo... any suggestions?
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Springfield XDM in 9mm, great pistol, 19 round mags, interchangeable backstrap to fit your hand, around $500. 0 -
Theresa, Welcome to the forums. You have already partially answered your own question. The Sig 229 is an excellent gun and you seem to like it. All the Sig line are of excellent quality.
If you want to try others, look up a range that has rental guns. Rent several models and shoot them. Select one that fits you well, you can operate the controls on and most important , you shoot accurately with.0 -
You have had excellent advice given to you already. The Glock 19 seems to be the golden standard in combat tupperware, followed closely by the Springfield XD.
If you want reliablity, and concealment, you might look towards a S&W revolver like a model 60, or 66 with adjustable sights. They are both chambered in 357 magnum, which is the number one rated one shot stopper cartridge. They can also handle the lower powered, and less expensive 38 specials for practice. Being a double action revolver, they are more reliable than ANYTHING auto.
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This is like asking a stranger which woman to marry. You've got to handle as many as possible to find one that fits and feels right. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Resa718
Ok, so I am looking for a handgun for personal protection. I just do not know which are the reliable manufacturers and who produces a crap weapon.
That's easy. With rare exceptions service-type guns from the following manufacturers are all good-to-excellent:
Sig-Sauer (all excellent)
Smith and Wesson (particularly revolvers)
Beretta (service-type pistols)
Glock (pretty much all of them)
Ruger,
CZ,
and several others.
quote:
I have shot a Sig 229 before (it was a good size for my hand, not too big or too small). I want something for around $500, and a caliber with affordable ammo... any suggestions?
There you go. . .Sig 229. . .if you like it and can find a used example in that price range you're done. You could do a *LOT* worse.
In my opinion, people get hung on up on guns and ammo WAY too much largely because of the overwhelming number of choices out there.
The truth is IT LARGELY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. Once you are talking about the quality offerings from the major manufacturers, the differences are more a question of personal preference than anything else.
Consider: Concealability (if you are interested in carrying concealed), weight, ergonomics (does it fit your hand, and can you easily manipulate the controls), reliability, accuracy, sight picture (do the sights work with your eyes?), action/safety system (eg single action, double action, Glock-style striker-action, etc), and cost.
So long as the gun fits your hand, is in a reasonable "service" type caliber, and is reliable, your skill and comfort level with the gun are going to be FAR more important than which exact model or which exact caliber. The most important thing is that you like the gun, and practice with it until you are completely comfortable using it.
"Affordable ammo"?
Well. . . 9mm luger and .38 special are in general the lowest priced of any of the "service" type rounds. If you went with a wheelgun, you could practice with .38 special rounds and carry .357 magnum rounds, giving you the best of both worlds with respect to cost and effectiveness.
Some of the more popular offerings (1911-type guns, Glock, Beretta, Sig, Browning Hi-Power, etc) offer .22LR conversions that might let you practice basic shooting with cheap and readily available .22 caliber ammo. The conversion units themselves are generally not cheap, running $200-$300 (or in some cases more).
In terms of cartridges for a semi-automatic pistol, .40SW and .45ACP are both going to be a little more effective than 9mm luger (though how much more is highly debatable), but they are also going to offer more recoil, lower capacity, and higher expense.
IMO, stay away from anything less than .38 special (eg .22, .25ACP, .32. .380) and stay away from anything bigger than .357 magnum (eg 10mm, .41 magnum, .44 magnum, etc). Somewhat more esoteric rounds like .44 special, .45 "long" Colt, 10mm, 9x23, .38 super, etc, can all work great for defense, but ammo can be hard to find, and in general these are rounds for serious "gun nuts" who compete and/or reload.
My personal take on these things is that for the vast majority of shooters, if you aren't likely to find it on the shelf of any Dicks' or Walmart, you're probably better off with something else. So I say stick to the following and you'll be fine: .38 special/357 magnum, 9mm luger, .40SW, .45ACP.
Again, in my opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 9mm luger for defense if loaded with good ammo. 95% of the police and military on the planet seem to do just fine with it, and with proper loads you're approaching 75% of the energy/ballistics of a .357 magnum, with much higher capacity, and lower cost.
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quote:Originally posted by partisan
You can't go wrong with the XD in .40 s&w. I'm old school,I don't have faith in the 9's.
I think 9mm luger (which has been around since 1901) is a little more "old school" than .40SW! I won't get into pointless rehash of the old 9mm vs everything else arguments, but if you truly want to go "old school", but don't like 9mm, then what's wrong with .45ACP?0 -
You can't go wrong with the XD in .40 s&w. I'm old school,I don't have faith in the 9's. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by partisan
You can't go wrong with the XD in .40 s&w. I'm old school,I don't have faith in the 9's.
Partisan: If it does not fit your hand sure you can. Everyones personal milage varies.
If the 229 fits start with that you can always branch out from there.0 -
If you're not experienced with handguns, I would reccomend a revolver, which is much easier to operate and more reliable for self defense. 0 -
I've had a sig229 for years now. It's a great weapon. It's my opinion that if your happy with the 229 fit and function, stick with it.
You'll find a lot of pistols that fit similar to the sig, I suggest a trip to a gun store with no money and no credit card. grip all the firearms the clerk will let you feel. Keep in mind while your doing this, some of them have stronger springs than others and may be hard to rack a new round in.
I personally prefer glock, 50 yards and under it's dead. I own models 17/17L/19/20/21/26
Some in multiples.
However, If you do go for the sig line, don't get a 226.
The breach block is pinned in with a double roll pin. I've seen fatigue failures from that double roll pin. I've also seen shear failures when +P+ ammo is used.
On the other hand, the 229 is a very close second to a glock in toughness. It will eat anything you feed it, and has a solid breach block/milled slide and solid pin.
The 229 was produced to handle recoil of the 357 sig round. In 9mm I've fired everything I had through it, and no problem.
It is in my opinion one of the finer pistols made.
quote:Originally posted by Resa718
Ok, so I am looking for a handgun for personal protection. I just do not know which are the reliable manufacturers and who produces a crap weapon. Im used to firing rifles, but I have shot a Sig 229 before (it was a good size for my hand, not too big or too small). I want something for around $500, and a caliber with affordable ammo... any suggestions?0 -
I just tried a S&W 9mm m&p at the range. It felt good in my hand, had a little more kick than the sig 229, and I shot just as accurately (maybe more so). Is that a reliable gun or should I stick to the sig... 0 -
Look to the surplus market of used Police & Military handguns. I'm "old school" too and I don't feel undergunned with a 9mm. With Gold Dots, Golden Saber, etc. there isn't that much of an advantage carrying a .40 unless you like to have less capacity and more muzzle blast! The German Police Sig 225(P6) is a good buy AND I'll be wearing mine tommorow[8D] I also like Sig 226, 239, Glock 17, CZ-75 and Browning Hi-Power. 0
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