Hey, yall, pick me a gun

DannyinJapan

DannyinJapan

Joined
Oct 9, 2003
Messages
5,594
I am going to let you guys pick the right handgun for me.
Exciting huh?
Really, I'd like it to be an automatic or outstanding revolver.
40, 10 or 45

Good for licensed concealed carry.

Im not a big fan of plastic frames, but if its outstandingly awesome, post a pic and tell me why I should buy it.

Help me pick the ultimate pistol for me.
(I am a large person, just so you know)
I had decided on a beretta cougar a while back, but I changed my mind. ($)
 
Glock 23: powerful, high-cap, lightweight, extremely rust-resistant
4" 1911a1: historical expert's gun, small and thin enough to conceal, large enough to shoot well.
3-4" N-frame Smith and Wesson. Offered in 10mm (also shoots .40), .45 Colt, .41 Magnum, and .45 ACP. Beautifully balanced. I recently called this the "katana of the pistol world". Not the highest cap or lightest, but an excellent versatile piece. .41 Magnum and .45 Colt are usually more than .45 ACP or .40 S&W, but are great calibers, with ammo that can be as weak as light target loads, or than can roll a deer. .45 ACP revolvers use half or full moon clips, which allow a rapid reload- here's a beauty.
Kahr .40: slim double-action with superb (for DA) trigger.

John
 
Way too difficult... and opinions are going to be all over... but I will offer this:

A bud needed a .40, and bought a Glock. To save money... he didn't want to pony up another 100 or 2 for the Sig P229 I am such a fan of.

He's shot both extensively.

His birthday came around, and his wife had me looking for a Sig P229. Glock for sale.

When you consider the cost of ammo, how many thousand rounds your going to put through it, the cost of the weapon, within reason, shouldn't matter much. Be happy with your choice, whenever you make it.

I'm not bashing the Glock, I'm saying, don't be cheap.


Ad Astra
 
As AA kinda says, it is a personal decision and you really need to try before you buy. And then buy quality and only cry once. Personally I started with 1911s and went to Glocks for both competition and carry. Glocks are certainly the simplest and most revolver-ish of the autos. I just got tired of jacking with the 1911, especially the mags, and went for durablity and simplicity.
 
Danny, my impression of you is you're a semi auto guy.

I guess I'd go 45, but other calibres are going to be easier to find guns for that are concealable- though the 1911 is slim as Spectre says. (many folks like the 45 shorties, too)

If you don't get a 1911, I'd look at the Sig.
The CZ-75 is a classic design though I'm unfamiliar with who is making them these days. There are lots of CZ-75 derivatives- The Witness being one.
Springfield has their XD that has recieved good reviews.
There is a lot to choose from. The buyer has it good.


munk
 
Because he may not be a handloader or interested in searching for factory 10 mm ammunition. The ten is great, but does have shortcomings.


munk
 
I am going to let you guys pick the right handgun for me.

What do want to do with it?

Each gun offers specific functional advantages and it usually comes down to how comfortably it fits your hand and how well its functionality matches your intended use.

I am a big fan of the old Colt 45 APC 1911. I like the way it points (easily slides into the proper position in my hand) and its smooth and accurate action. But, I use mine primarilly as a target gun. If I were going to carry for self defense; I would rather carry a more modern double action like a Sig. It is an equally sturdy gun, and has the important safety advantage of letting me carry it with the hammer down over a live round. The fewer buttons and switches you have to push to fire the thing - the less likely that one of them will be in the wrong position - the safer you are.

Then again, for home defense, I might go with a more traditional revolver. Home defense guns tend to be kept loaded in a static position over extended periods, and the revolver doesn't have magazine springs to worry about, and allows you to quickly cycle through multiple rounds if the loaded round fails to go off.

Further thoughts:
1) The caliber of the gun doesn't matter nearly as much as getting something that actually helps you to deliver a bullet on target.
2) High capacity guns are fun to shoot. But, it is unlikely that you will ever have to fight off an army by yourself; and, even less likely that you would succeed in doing so.
3) Big heavy magnum calibers are a must have for any handgun that you plan on using for hunting. These large frames also tend to be easier to shoot with at range. But, they can be slow for self defense, and dangerous in dense areas. You probably would not want to fires one of these in an apartment complex where the bullet is likely to travel through several apartments before it is spent.

Have fun shopping!

n2s
 
Personally, for most folks- even if large ones- I believe a Glock 22 (full-size .40) will be a better choice than the 20 (10mm). Grip size does matter.

Admittedly, I'm a much smaller guy than Danny, but I started with the 21 (.45). Yeah, it seemed like the ideal defensive sidearm, but experience led me to realize that it was too fat for my small hands. The 23 is a great all-around compromise of size, power, controllability, and concealability, and weight does matter when it comes to concealment.

If I had my 'druthers, though, I reckon I'd open carry a S&W Model 25 in .45 Colt, 4" barrel, loaded with the new 260-grain JHPs Georgia Arms has, and call it good. If you're Danny's size, you can conceal this rig without too much trouble, though of course something like a Kahr will definitely be much more at home here. Kahrs are the bomb- well made, good trigger, thin. Carry a reload, and have a nice day. Another option would be that new little 2.5" .45 ACP Smith has- some will view this as the ideal carry gun: it's .45 ACP, short-barreled, lightweight, uses clips for fast reloads, and is a revolver stamped "Smith and Wesson". :D

John
 
tsf said:
Sig or a Kimber SWAT
Click to expand...

Great guns, but if the Beretta Cougar was too much then these certainly will be.

I am very impressed with the Glock 23 I just bought for my son. Out of the box it shoots better than my 1989 Glock 19 with over $500 worth of mods, and hits harder to boot.

Other than that, I am back to Danny's first choice; that Beretta is one fine gun.

Regards,

Norm
 
For EDC, I favor the G27 as it fits into my pocket. It's the one I carry almost all the time. The G23 is better but it is bigger and heavier. I like .40 as it is readily available inexpensively these days in the USA due to popularity, and it is I think a superior round to the 9mm, which would be my other choice.
 
Your Gun Writing just keeps getting better and better, John.

I would wonder more about the bulk of the larger Glock concealed than I would Danny's handsize. But I don't conceal weapons so what do I know?

All you gunwriters and a lot of gunnies love those Kahrs- instant cult gun.




munk
 
I prefer the .45 all the way. 1911 Kimber in the size of your choosing. Followed closely by the Sig. 220. I have been trained from an early age on the 1911. It is natural to me, so that is what I carry. I had a Sig 220 for quite a few years and loved it, but it did not come up as naturally as does the 1911, so I stick with the ones I work best with. Kimbers 1911's are about as good as you can get without going the LesBaer or other custom maker route. Have fun deciding! :D ;)
 
Archangel- I do not believe the Kimbers are forged the way Springfield is.

That might be a non issue, but I do like Forged. If anyone knows about this and can elighten me please do. A gunsmith friend of mine does not believe the Kimbers are equal.



munk
 
I prefer the 1911 5" barrel. Springfield loaded 1911A1 is very nice and accurate. The 1911 design was based on 5". When you start shortening the barrel, reliability, timing, etc become much more of an issue. IMHO.

I also like Glocks too. But I really think the hi cap mag hype is, well, hype. The average gunfight (if there is such a thing) is over in seconds. Maybe 2 or 3 shots fired, if that. Of course, there is a comfort factor when I carry 16 rounds of PowRball in my G19 that's hard to deny. :D
 
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