Looking for some handgun advice!

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shandrydan1

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Feb 16, 2011
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I've got some funds finally saved up for my first handgun purchase. Over the last few months I have handled several different guns but unfortunately I have nowhere around to be able to shoot any of the ones I am considering. I will say right off I am not going to be getting a Glock. I dont disagree that the Glock is a great weapon but for me they just dont feel right and I have shot one before. Also I would prefer something full size because I plan on mostly open carry for now and then move to a smaller compact/sub compact the first of the year if I decide I want to conceal carry.

These are my main choices as of right now and are listed in order of preference:

FNH FNS

Walther PPQ

Ruger SR40

Springfield XDm 4.5

Smith & Wesson M&P: The reason I have put them at the bottom of the list is I have read some really bad things about the customer service and warranty work with an agency near where I live that ordered them over Glock and ended up with over 70% of the M&Ps having major malfunctions and not being able to get S&W to fix them. I still like feel of the gun though so I havent written it off.

Overall I feel like the FNS and the Walther are the most comfortable to me. My price range is roughly $650 and the FNS has 3 magazines over the Walther's 2 and they are higher capacity and I can get it $70 less than the Walther. Plus it has been nearly impossible to find a PPQ in my area and the 2 places I found that had them on order had no idea when they might get any in.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
 
It might be helpful to talk to friends or relatives who actually own and shoot a handgun, owned primarily for self-defense.

It is not critical but curious about your firearms experience, if any..owned, primary use. If new to firearms would be worthwhile to obtain training in gun handling safety et al before spending money on a handgun that may not meet your perceived needs.

I'm just an old trigger puller but likes my .45 acp's- here are a few;

.

Don't overlook the used market and a S&W 4" .357..spend the rest of your money on ammunition and enjoy.

Best.
 
M&P 40 is my duty gun, and I am my Department's S&W Armorer as well...very well designed firearm. IMO, recoil with the 40cal M&P compared to a Glock is MUCH better, especially for some of the "fragile" hands of some of our officers. They did a great job with this weapon, and I was originally opposed to it's adoption. I also like the sights better, and you dont have to pull the trigger to break it down (not an issue for me, but it CAN be when dealing with a department).

Detail stripping, compared to a Glock on the other hand, is more difficult.
 
I grew up around firearms and have been shooting most of my life (own several rifles/shotguns). That being said most of my handgun experience comes from revolvers (mostly 22, 22mag, and .357) 1911s, and Glocks. I've shot 9mm and .40, and 45 and I am fairly comfortable with any of those calibers as well. All of the handguns I have fired have been friends/relatives so I have never personally owned one.

Shooting is just something I enjoy and I wanted to move into the handgun realm personally. This will probably primarily carried when I am hunting/fishing, riding in the woods, and possibly home defense (I have a shotgun that would be my go-to preference).
 
S&W's are great, once Randy Lee gets done w one - finest polymer gun I've ever handled.

A PPQ is a good choice, and should be pretty well under your budget - for carry, the lever release is better, IMO, as mag buttons have a way of getting bumped.

Now, personally, I like to carry holsters with some type of retention, as I've had my pistol pop out a couple times when I've hit the ground.

I have an XDm 5.25, with a PRP trigger - excellent gun, very good quality barrel, but I'm more inclined to carry my GLOCK 20, as do several of my friends.

Carry guns take a beating - either buy decent, easily replaced/repaired tools, or well-made ones you are willing to wear.

An M&P might be second to the GLOCK, among your choices for availability of sights, holsters, etc.
 
A carry hand gun is a really personal choice. The best thing you can do is to go and actually shoot some pistols. If you can't, then you may just have to buy a pistol expecting to sell or trade it if it doesn't work out.
I've become known as the 'gun guy' (which I'm not really) in my circle of family and friends so sometimes people come and ask me "which pistol should I buy?" I tell them name brand, centerfire and comfortable.
 
FWIW, I have two M&Ps - a 9c and a 45c - and after sufficiently breaking them in, I haven't had a minute's worth of trouble out of either of them after hundreds of rounds. They eat anything I feed 'em - JHP or FMJ, doesn't matter. They are my two main carry weapons and I would trust my life or the lives of my family to either of them.

I don't have any experience with the others that you listed.
 
Unfortunately the PPQ is right at the edge of my budget I'm assuming because it is so difficult to find right now. The M&P and the Ruger were pretty much sitting equal at the top spot until I found and was able to hand the FNS and I really like the looks of the bi-tone guns since I'm not going to be trying to conceal it.

Basically I am finding the Ruger in whichever config (caliber/full/compact) for about $420, the M&P in any config for about $500, the FNS for $600, XDm for $625, and the PPQ for $650-675. All these prices are from local gun shops.
 
I don't know any good 'full' sized ones, as I live in Texas and only have guns I can CC, my favorite is the Ruger LCP, man that thing fits my hands perfectly. But if you have large hands this is definitely not be a good choice for you!
Picture from thattexaslady:
RugerLCP2.jpg

Good luck, just ask family and friends, get your hands on different pistols and see which one feels most comfortable, it's not all about whats the best gun on the market, its about whats best for you and what you can handle easily and comfortably.
How do you like this? ;) S&W 500:
748621.jpg
 
shandrydan1 said:
I've got some funds finally saved up for my first handgun purchase. Over the last few months I have handled several different guns but unfortunately I have nowhere around to be able to shoot any of the ones I am considering. I will say right off I am not going to be getting a Glock. I dont disagree that the Glock is a great weapon but for me they just dont feel right and I have shot one before. Also I would prefer something full size because I plan on mostly open carry for now and then move to a smaller compact/sub compact the first of the year if I decide I want to conceal carry.

These are my main choices as of right now and are listed in order of preference:

FNH FNS

Walther PPQ

Ruger SR40

Springfield XDm 4.5

Smith & Wesson M&P: The reason I have put them at the bottom of the list is I have read some really bad things about the customer service and warranty work with an agency near where I live that ordered them over Glock and ended up with over 70% of the M&Ps having major malfunctions and not being able to get S&W to fix them. I still like feel of the gun though so I havent written it off.

Overall I feel like the FNS and the Walther are the most comfortable to me. My price range is roughly $650 and the FNS has 3 magazines over the Walther's 2 and they are higher capacity and I can get it $70 less than the Walther. Plus it has been nearly impossible to find a PPQ in my area and the 2 places I found that had them on order had no idea when they might get any in.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Click to expand...

Are the Walther handguns serviced by S&W? I thought I had read that somewhere so you might want to verify that first. I love the SR9/SR40c guns so that would be my choice. I love Glocks too and you can't argue their dependability but the Ruger just fits my hand like a glove and the trigger pull is in my opinion the best in that class or style of handgun. I've been through through more handguns than I can count and I ultimately felt the most comfortable with the Ruger LCR revolver. Love the way it feels and it's so small and lightweight it conceals better than any semi auto handgun I've had and for how light it is for a .357 mag it really doesn't hurt my hand to shoot it which is surprising. Even if you don't hit the bad guy I'm pretty sure the amount of fire and sound it throws out the barrel would blind and deafen them lol.
 
I'm not sure if S&W services them or not. I need to check that out. Seems like I might have read something like that somewhere.

Thanks for the input so far! After doing some more looking some today I am still leaning toward the FNS because of how well it fit me but the Ruger and M&P are tied really close behind it.
 
What are your thoughts on the amount of rounds that the PPQ mags hold compared to the others I have listed? 11 I believe compared to 14/15 in the .40 cal
 
IMO, go with whatever you can shoot the best, among modern guns. 11 rounds is a bit light, but I wouldn't really worry about it.

I, personally, dislike FN because I had one, lost the mag release spring, as was told the ~2 year old gun was worthless because they no longer supported it.

After a certain point (like small frame GLOCKs cutting your hand w the slide, or hammer bite from a high power or old style 1911), it's just a matter of controlling your eye focus and trigger finger
 
I'm a USPSA practical pistol game player... go to a USPSA match, and follow a squad of Production class shooters... ask them what they compete with and why.... a USPSA competition pistol will be shot more in a year, than most pistols see in a lifetime
 
I own a 45ACP FNP model. While was a big fan of the smaller frame pistols, my 45ACP is a great pistol. I would buy the new FN pistols today if I need one.
 
I own a 45ACP FNP model. While I was not a big fan of the smaller frame pistols, my 45ACP is a great pistol. I would buy the new FN pistols today if I needed one. I am a Glock'aholic FWIW ;)
 
For an open carry gun, it's hard to beat a CZ 75. Full size, all steel 9mm that's accurate, sexy and reliable as the day is long. Plus it comes in all different flavors, depending on your taste. Manual safety or decocker, SAO or SA/DA, accessory rail or not, firing pin block (better for safety in theory) or no firing pin block (better trigger). Best of all, you can order it plain jane in the configuration you want or you can order it tricked out into one of the finest handguns you'll ever handle by ordering it from CZ Custom or sending it to Cajun Gun Works for a sweet, sweet action job.
 
The Springfield XD's are the most natural grip & ergonomically designed for me. I have small hands. I have shot them. It will be my next gun. I currently own a Beretta 92FS full size (Made in Italy) & a Beretta 21a. Love both of those guns. 92FS eats anything & is uber reliable. 21a is small enough for pocket carry or not to be seen belt carry. Bought it in 1992 & have had zero issues with it. 1500+ rds through it.
 
I would think very hard about carrying a handgun with any kind of external safety/decocker. Unless you are committed to training yourself to sweep the safety off as you draw to the point where it's reflex, you could find yourself in a really bad situation should you only have seconds to draw and fire.
 
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