Looking for a new handgun.

Ken C.

Ken C.

Jack of all trades, master of none.
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Hey guys,

I am in the market for a new handgun. There are 3 criteria it needs to meet because my wife will also be using it if need be.

  • Must have sufficient knockdown power.
  • Lightwieght
  • Automatic
This gun will be used mostly for home defense as a back up to my Rem. 870 12 gauge and phone. I have already crossed off .45's and anything based on the 1911 frame. These are too big and heavy for my wife's small hands. I have been considering the Glock line of handguns having shot them myself. I haven't bought a new handgun in over 7 years so keep in mind that I am kind of out of loop when it comes to what is new on the market.

Thanks for you input. :)

PS: I have been looking at the Glock 23 and the Springfield line of pistols.
 
Glocks are great... simple to use, reliable, and inexpensive. You can't go wrong with a model 19. However, the grip is a little girthy... if your better half has small hands, consider a Browning High power in DA.
 
I'll let you in on what seems to be a pretty well kept secret. The Taurus PT 92, I couldn't find much about it online when I was looking to buy. But I handled one at the store, it seemed made well and they had a pretty good deal on it so I bought one. ($329 for the gun, 3- 10 round mags, a coupon to send in for a free 15 rounder, and a coupon to get them to buy me a one year membership to the NRA)
After buying it I posted some questions about it on www.thehighroad.org , and was surprised with the amount of positive feedback. Some folks even seemed to prefer it over the Beretta 92 costing nearly twice as much.

I haven't shot it much so far but it seems reliable, its very easy to take down and clean, and is supposed to be strong enough to handle lots of +P loads like you'd want to use for home defense.

The sights are fixed 3 dot, and very easy to see. Nice and big.

It is a large pistol, so might not fit your wifes hand too well. I don't have any trouble reaching any of the controls on it with either hand (its ambi) but I wear an extra large glove.
Its not overly heavy though, and recoil seems to be about non existent with the 124gr loads I've been putting through it. I really don't see anyone finding it too uncomfortable to shoot and followups should not be much of a problem.

It also has a 3 position safety, manual safety (up) blocks the firing pin and locks the slide, middle fires, down decocks. Its sa/da, so you've got alot of options on how to keep it. Should be able to find something comfortable between you and your wife whether its cocked and locked, or hammer down so the first shot is double action.

Only problem you might have with it is that its may be a little big for your wife's hands.

I know some folks don't like 9mm, but if your wife can't handle .45 auto she's probably not going to like .40 S&W. Everyone says it has a very sharp snappy recoil, so the 9mm seems to be the next logical choice.
 
Thanks Matt and Mutt.

I'm going to change the criteria here and stick with the 9mm cartridge. I have considered a sub-compact but then it might be too small for my hands. Anything you can suggest along those lines that will accomadate my wife's hands as well as mine?
 
Browning High Power... Thin grips, but large enough for an adult male. if the Double action pull is too long, go single action. For very small hands, you might have to drop your auto requirement.
 
Must have sufficient knockdown power.
Lightwieght.
Automatic.

...Nothing but a Glock model 23 in .40 will do.:).
 
After due consideration and gun handling I chose a SIG P-229 for my personal gun. DO check one out before you buy anything else. It fits my hand better than the rest. Mine is in .40 S&W but other calibers are available.
 
The Glock series is hard to beat for ease of use and quick learning curve to an adequate level of proficiency. I would suggest avoiding the double action/single action transition unless your wife will shoot the pistol enough to master the trigger pulls.

Single Action pistols work very well for women. If you are not going to go Glock, get a Single Action Browning Hi-Power. The trigger pull is short and crisp which seems to work well for people with small hands and women in general. I find the 40S&W version to be too top heavy and prefer the 9mm. The overall profile of the Hi-Power is user friendly as well with those classic smooth lines. With minimal upgrades from a competent gunsmith, you can have a pistol that is a worthy competitor to many "superguns" from the various high speed low drag types. If I am not mistaken, I believe this pistol is still the primary British SAS sidearm (that may have changed since the last time I paid attention to such facts).
 
Ken, what you need is a Kahr. Either a K9 or a P9. Kahr pistols are based on sort of a modified Glock action, but are much thinner and less blocky than the small Glocks. The K9 is an all steel model and the P9 is a polymer frame version. The design is different from a Glock in that the trigger parts are arranged in such a way that it brings the bore line down closer to the hand thereby reducing recoil. The guns operate just like a Glock in that there are no external safeties to remember when under stress and it is a consistant trigger pull for every shot. They're as easy to shoot as a revolver. The Kahr 9mms are all factory rated to handle +P+ ammo if you need the extra punch, but present plenty of stopping power with Hydra Shoks or Golden Sabres. While compact enough to make a great carry gun, I find no problems at all putting 100 rounds at a time through my P9 and I'm a pretty large guy. The P9 is not much larger than most .380s, but packs a full power round. Kahrs also have a great reputation for reliability, again, very similar to a Glock. They make an even more compact model, but I find it's grip to be too short to be comfortable. Mine has a stainless slide on polymer body with factory installed Trijicon night sights, but they now offer the same gun with a DLC treatment on the slide which I'd have gone for if it was offered when I bought it. They also make a .40 S&W version but I liked the 9mm myself.

Check out a Kahr, it seems to be exactly what you've asked for. They are also American made, although the one wierd thing is that the president of the company is the son of the reverend Sun Yung Moon (yeah, the Moonies!). But that aside, it's a weapon you could stake your life on.

DSCN0985.jpg


First time out from ten yards:

NewKahr.jpg



John
 
I would suggest one of the Kahr pistols. They have a very good reputation. The Beretta or Taurus 92 is too big but the Beretta Cougar in 9mm or 40 is designed for small hands.
 
Hi jmxcpter-

That target looks like he was running away from you! The way the target is drawn looks a tight tee-shirt drawn over the trapezius muscles and exposed triceps. That's funny. :)

~ Blue Jays ~

p.s. My hands are similarly of moderate size. I use two SIG SAUER P229s in .40 S&W and a highly-modified Robar Heckler & Koch P7M10 as my semi-automatic pistols. The SIGs are easier to handle, especially if one is sharing the sidearms. Both are fantastic.
 
Ok here is what you really need.

You need to get on line and find a shooting club or range in your area and go and shoot as many guns as you can. Everyone has different tastes and cals. that they like. I for one cannot stand the Glock. I find it blocky and uncomfortable. It is a reliable firearm however and would never talk someone out of buying one. Having spent a long time in the Corp. (before mouseguns came the craze) I shot the govt. model so it is what I choose now to carry as the PO P-14.

Everyone has different tastes, hands, experience, and loyalaties. So shoot as many as ya can and have a ball doing it. You might come out with a firearm no one ever would have thought of suggesting.
 
Ok...if you are looking for something smaller and 9mm, I would look at an HK.
First you have the USP and the USP compact which are great pistols, but for ergonomics for both you and your wife, I would reccomend looking at HK's relatively new P2000.

It is a great gun, smaller, but still of nice size, and pretty accurate.
 
As far as Glocks, let me say this. I have a G17 and shoot it very well. I still prefer my Beretta 92FS Centurion, but I must admit that I shoot the Glock better. My carry gun is a Beretta Mini-cougar DAO. I actually shoot that gun very well, suprisingly well from holster.

Now to my point: my wife cannot shoot my Glock. The gun is perfectly reliable for me, so the problem is her shooting ability. Of course, it really means she just needs to practice more and keep a stiffer wrist. But, I would not trust her with it. She does not have the time or desire to practice enough to improve her form. Therefore, she has .38 revolver for very close in use.

If she were going to carry, I would get her a S&W airweight in 9mm or .38 special. Don't know your situation, but some thing you might want to consider.

Chose your round well and place your shots carefully, and 9mm is a great round. I've moved away from .40 for several reasons, but basically b/c I believe 9mm is overall a superior round. Not trying to start a flame war or get off topic, just affirm that 9mm has "sufficient knowdown power."
 
i have a HK p2000. it is an excellent, but expensive pistol. controls are completely ambi and the grip should fit both your wife and you

the new taurus 24/7 looks interesting but i have not held one yet

the springfield armory xd series is another gun that fits your criteria.

steyr makes another piece of tactical tupperware, they have a radically different grip angle and sight system but it really works. they have changed importers and am unsure of their current situation
 
Kaloooch,

Either the Glock 19 or 23 would be a great choice for your criteria. You may want to check out the H&K USP Compact 9 or .40 as well. These models have been 100% reliable for me, and I'm sure they would more than meet your needs.
 
Ken,

I can understand something being too big. But what exactly do you mean by too heavy? Do you prefer something with a polymer frame?

I would take a long look at the CZ P-01. It is a 13 shot 9mm, so it isn't single stack. Do you prefer single stack, since the butt will be slimmer? It is also an all steel frame, so it will have some heft. But heft feels good in the hand and will reduce the recoil somewhat.

The CZ P-01 is supposedly an incredibly fine pistol. You can get one for around $400-$450, too. This handgun has passed an extensive torture test because it is being used by hard core groups around the world.
 
I have had two Glock 19's for nearly ten years, and they have performed flawlessly over this time. I can sincerely state that I cannot remember one failure to eject, feed, or fire.

I used a Beretta 92F in the Marines, and later owned one; I have owned a Sig P228, and several non-9mms. None stack up to the Glock.

My wife shoots the 19 with ease.

I have worked in a gun store, and have seen Khar, Sig, Ruger - everything under the sun. The Glock stands out for ease of use, development pedigree, continuing design refinement, availability of aftermarket add-ons such as lights and sights - the list goes on and on.

If you would like more info, feel free to contact me.

Regards,

Jeremy
 
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