Do you enjoy shooting polymer tactical guns" ?

S

SBaker34

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Jun 16, 2010
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So I got my springfield XD9 out and polished off the last of my 9mm, and found that honestly, compared to my .22 mark III or my ar15 I just didn't enjoy shooting it as much, it kind of stung the hand in an annoying manner, and while it has not had a single failure since I bought it 500 rounds ago, it definitely feels like a gun meant solely for putting a lot of lead in someone very close to you. eg, sights and such don't seem to encourage precision shooting.

I am considering selling it and buying a 1911 or a .357 revolver used, now I don't have any issues with the 9mm round, nor the reliability of the pistol. But I am finding I just prefer the feeling of a chunk of steel in the hand.

Am I the only one who prefers steel or larger handguns though?
 
I'm a 30+ year USPSA gamer... shot 1911s for about 25years (my Limited Master card was shot with a single stack .45, I'm that old)... 9mm Glocks(G17/34) for the last 6... wish I had switched to the Glock long ago... estimate about 350,000 rounds of handgun ammo during that time...naturally YMMV.... Les, L747
 
I shoot uspsa as well, I used to shoot production class with a CZ SP01 and while that gun is crazy accurate. I switched to limited class and god S&W M&P 40 to make major class and I love it. I shoot it way faster, draw faster, transition faster. Even shooting the snappier 40 it's way faster for me anyway.
 
Try a Glock, I love them. I consider myself a blue steel kinda guy, love 1911's and wheel guns, but for a plastic gun I don't think anything compares as well.


-X
 
Love shooting almost everything. I can have just a good a time shooting my XD as I do my Wilson's.
 
A couple years back, I took a chance on a Steyr M9 after getting a Cabela's gift card. I had zero knowledge of the brand or gun, and was a bit concerned due to some initial FTE issues, but after an admittedly frustrating break-in period, I'm extremely happy with the gun. It has Steyr's factory "trapezoid" sights, which most people either love or hate. Although the designer used to work for Glock and both brands are made in Austria, there is no comparing the feel of shooting the Steyr to any Glock I've tried.

My second favorite, which required a lot of patience and a bit of luck to track down, is a Sig Sauer SP2022 9mm. Overall size and weight are extremely close to the aforementioned Steyr, but it has night sights (dot) and I tend to shoot it just a little bit more accurately even though I prefer the Steyr's sights.

The bronze medal goes to the little Bersa BP9cc that has become my favored carry gun over the past couple of months. It was supposed to be for my wife, but she just never took to it, and I couldn't bear to see it sit in the safe all day, every day. Accuracy is quite good and recoil is surprisingly light. Bersa gets relatively little mention, and the BP9cc doesn't seem to have been popular for them so far, but I'm impressed.
 
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I run warren sights on my glocks. Much better sight picture than stock sights.
 
I like DA/SA pistols, like a SIG 226, HK P30, and some others. I love the looks of 1911s. However, when it comes down to it a polymer framed 9mm that is striker fired has so many advantages that you pretty much have to go that way if you want the best tool for the job. Springfield, S&W and Glock all have great handguns. If you go with Springfield, I would recommend the XDM. I don't know what kind of accuracy you're looking for, but it's a handgun - you want to be able to shoot in an 8" circle at 10-12yds quickly. They aren't built for extreme precision. You really should have a 4"+ barrel though, that's enough of a sight radius to shoot tight groups if that's what you're going for. You might prefer steel when you're taking the gun out of a box, shooting it, and then putting it up. When you use a gun for self defense though, you carry the gun far more than you shoot it. Traits like weight become more important. Since most defensive uses of a firearm at within 7 ft, it doesn't need a very high level of accuracy.

I have had the luck to shoot most of the handguns that are made, and I can say that I've never had a 9mm semi-auto handgun that was duty size sting my hand. I have had snub nose .38s, .45 derringers, and some larger caliber revolvers sting some, but if an XD is stinging your hand, the problem is most likely in your grip.

[video=youtube;J0HkjXpQBxc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0HkjXpQBxc[/video]
 
SBaker34 said:
So I got my springfield XD9 out and polished off the last of my 9mm, and found that honestly, compared to my .22 mark III or my ar15 I just didn't enjoy shooting it as much, it kind of stung the hand in an annoying manner, and while it has not had a single failure since I bought it 500 rounds ago, it definitely feels like a gun meant solely for putting a lot of lead in someone very close to you. eg, sights and such don't seem to encourage precision shooting.

I am considering selling it and buying a 1911 or a .357 revolver used, now I don't have any issues with the 9mm round, nor the reliability of the pistol. But I am finding I just prefer the feeling of a chunk of steel in the hand'

Am I the only one who prefers steel or larger handguns though?
Click to expand...

No, you are not. I don't have a single polymer gun. I've tried Glocks, mostly (not that there is that much to choose from, where I live). There is nothing wrong with them. It's just that they just don't appeal to me.
 
1911A1 Colt Govt. .45
S&W 6906 9mm PB
Kahr CW .45
Glock 30 .45

Smith feels best in the hand.
 
My favorite gun to shoot was a buddy's s&w revolver, I believe six inch barrel, don't know what model but I think it was a k frame. I could put six in a quarter at ten yards easy.

That being said, I love my glock 22, but I haven't practiced enough to be that good with it yet. I'm thinking operator error. I think it depends, some guns for certain people just seem to make the shot on their own. I kinda feel like I'm fighting with my glock.

I, like you, have a Mark III that I can clip mosquito wings with, but it's a heavy .22 with a bull barrel, my own trigger job, and some sweet grips from Altamont.
 
I have owed and shot the gambit from 1911's to S & W wheel guns & auto's to many of the
tactical Tupperware Glock, XD9 and a few others.

If you like the 9mm but don't like the tactical tupper guns go try out a Browning Highpower. One of the best balanced and the first high cap wonder nines. unless you count the old C96 that If memory serves me, was converted to 9mm. and is a boat anchor.
 
Still not a fan of polymer handguns, most just don't feel right.

Glocks don't point well for me, and those damn finger ridges need to be taken to a belt sander. XD/XDMs feel slick and the triggers feel mushy. Styers actually point well for me, and are somewhat comfortable, however they don't get much love in Indiana. 2022s feel okay, but I immediately pick up a 226 and it's a winner of the two. Ruger SR series are too lawyered up for me to enjoy. Some HKs feel okay, but I have a problem with paying that much for a gun that has a warning label.

CZs and FNs both point well for me, but CZ factory triggers in their poly guns don't float my boat. FNS and FNX both point well and the triggers are shootable.

My carry gun is a Sig P290, my first polymer gun, I chose it because the poly didn't feel slick in my hand, I've been happy with it. I also have a M&P but don't shoot it much, it pretty much just a project gun of adjusting the trigger bar, sear engagement, etc. until it becomes shootable. I bought it without a thumb safety then installed one, but the sears in the ones without safeties are nasty compared to the models with safeties.


I'm still drawn to steel/alloy frames over poly
 
I like my steel.

seawc4.jpg


I used to shoot a full size HK45. The recoil for a polymer 45 was tame. I just hated the feel of plastic fantastic. I prefer the custom shop CZ I posted above.
 
I own the gambit of firearms. Wheelguns, Springfield TRP 1911, Sigs several Ruger SAA and 3 Glocks. Gen 3 model 23, Gen 4's model 22 and model 20. I love my big boar handguns probably the most especially my 454 Casull. When I carry concealed the nod goes to my Glock 23 40 caliber. Despite what some people think a Glock is very accurate. I was a Master Firearms trainer for our Department for a lot of years and could shoot center mass all day long at 50 yards.
 
While my 6" Python is more fun to shoot, my XD subcompact is much more practical to carry, and I enjoy shooting the XD too.

If you want a polymer gun that feels really great in the hand, check out the Walther PPQ, which might be my next purchase.
 
I like most polymer pistols that I have owned or shot excluding the XD40 that I sold to my dad. It felt clunky and seemed like the bore was a mile from my hand. My dad likes it though; in fact he's the opposite of me. He can't stand my G19, 26 or Shield.
 
I don't have a lot of pistols. CZ-75b, Baby Desert Eagle, S&W M60, and a couple of 22.'s. Looking at my accumulation, you'd think that I was a steel frame kind of guy. But honestly I prefer polymer. I really really liked my H&K USPc (I like my wifes snow tires better though) I also really liked my (gasp) taurus pt145. It's probably my favorite gun to shoot, the only reason I sold it was because it was too big to pocket carry.
 
I own both polymer and steel guns. IMO for target guns like my Mark III, fun guns like my 1851Navy, or heavy recoiling hunting revolvers like the S&W 629 steel is the way to go. For carry pieces I prefer polymer like my Glocks or at least alloy frames like my S&W 386.
 
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