What pistol to get, plz advise

M

Mhael

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May 25, 2001
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480
Hi,
Well I'm moving to the great state of tx in 3 weeks or so and am looking to pick up a pistol. (I'm coming from so cal so i figure I should enjoy the great gun laws) I'm looking to carry it concealed prob on strong side carry. I'm bout 5'10" and 140 lbs. So i'm not a big guy but i'm a fairly good shot. Right now the guns on my list are a glock 30 (45), a sig 220 (45, a sig 226 (9), or a glock 36 (45). I have bout 600+ to spend on the gun so these all should be in the relitive price range. I like the size of the glocks because i believe they would be easy to conceal but its much easier to shoot larger guns and also nicer for the shooting range. The stopping power of the 45 is nice but the 9 is increadibly easy to shoot. So i'm pretty much leaning towards the .45 but not completely sure. And other suggestions of fire arms as long as they are near the same price range are appreciated. thanks for your time
trevor
 
Glock model 20. That's a full-sized 10mm that rocks the socks!.:).

BTW...I guess that you know that the Glock model 20, (and the .45 ACP model 30) are built on the LARGE (wide) Glock frame, so you really need to have large hands for this frame size.

For those with smaller hands, the Glock model 23 or 27 would be excellent choices, as well as the full-size models 22 and 35...All these are in the excellent .40 caliber.
 
Where in Texas will you be living?
It's important to ask because the weather will effect your choice of carry.
The summers here are hot. In some areas hot and humid. You will want to carry a handgun that will not print under a t-shirt. You will also want a handgun that will have excellent rust resistance, since you will undoubtedly sweat on it if you carry IWB. For that matter, if you move to an area with high humidity levels, going from a cold air conditioned building to outdoors will cause moisture to collect on your handgun.
If you go with a SIG Sauer, get a Tough Cloth to rub it down with before you carry. That or you will be appying oil to the gun at the end of each day. If you go with a Glock, you won't have to worry about it nearly as much.
For a carry pistol, I would recommend a Glock 19 or 23. They are small enough to conceal, but enough to get the job done and be enjoyable to shoot at the range.
If you go with a SIG Sauer, look at the P232 in .380, the P225 9mm or P239 in .40 or .357. I had both and they were excellent pistols. The P239 is IMO too large for 9mm, but really shines in .357 and .40 caliber. I also like the P229 alot. It's really not much larger than the P239, which is why I no longer have the P239.
If you're really wanting a .45, there's also the P245. It's a slightly shorter version of the P220.
There's also the Kel Tec P32. It's obviously not the ideal carry gun, but it's so handy and small that it dissapears in a pants or shorts pocket.
 
I want to add, that whatever you buy make sure that it fits in your hand comfortably.
 
Thought I would add my $.02 worth on this subject. I agree that thefiringline.com is a HUGE source of info...I consider it and bf.com like brother/sister sites.

CCW and average frame...look at the Kahr pistols. I have a Kahr K9 Elite98 and LOVE it for just that. Fits my hand like a glove and is a GREAT gun. Will usemost of your $600, but is worth every penny. Look at Kahrarms.com (I think that's right) and lok at their full line. Do a search on thefiringline.com about them and you will read FEW people that don't like them...alot compare them up their with Sigs, Glocks, etc. Great pistol!

David
 
I own and carry a Sig 220, a SA 1911 , and a Kahr K40. For easy CCW, the Kahr wins hands down. It is small, light, and powerful. One of its great features for deep concealed carry is that it has no external hammer, safety, or anything else to catch on clothing. I love my big ol' 45's, but the Kahr gets the majority of carry time these days. In cool weather I can hide an elephant gun on me, but in hot weather small is nice. Kahr makes small a great thing, for sure!!
 
I would say hold off and get a HK, but for the price point I would get a compact Glock 45 (not sure on model #). Glock is ready to go from the box. I personally believe that the 45 is the proven round to carry. I carry a 45 on and off duty.
 
Phillip, why would you need to protect the Sig from rust any more than the Glock? Both have steel slides, and neither has a steel frame. They both have basically the same rust resistance.

--JB
 
JB, not quite.
True, the SIG has the alloy frame, and that will not rust. The basic finish on the slides of older SIG Sauers was a basic blue. The newer ones have a Nitron finish, and SIG Sauer also offered the K-Kote models which offered more protection but was not very durable. Also for some reason the newer Mec-Gar magazines that were supplied with my P226 .40 were blued, and attracted rust rather easily. The slide on that P226 was pretty rust resistant, and I don't recall having a problem with it. But then, I checked it after every shift. My P229 had little spots of rust starting to develop once after I left it in my holster over the weekend without oiling it (my fault).
I should have known better, but I hung my gear and got distracted with other things. There was no permanent damage done to the SIG thankfully.
I am a fan of SIG Sauer pistols. I currently own a German made 9mm P226 and intend to buy more. I have owned a .40 P226, a .357 P239, a 9mm P225, a .357 SIG P229, and a two tone P229 in .357 SIG. I recommend them highly, but they require more maintenance than a Glock.
What makes the Glock so rust resistant is the Tenifer finish. While it maybe possible for the smaller parts on a Glock (not coated with Tenifer) to rust after prolonged exposure, the rest of a Glock will be practically impervious to rust.
I currently own more Glocks than SIGs, which is something I never thought would happen. ;)
 
I like the Glock 26 (9mm) for easy carry. (I prefer my H&K P7 M8, but even the used ones are generally above your price range.)

--Bob Q
 
Phillip: You could always get a Sig with a stainless slide, if rust is really that much of a problem for you.

Bob: If oyu ever find a P7 in decent condition for $600, let me know:) I got a killer deal on mine, for just shy of a grand, with two mags. Ah, well, I'd rather have the P7 than two Sigs....

--JB
 
Well great advice, i went over to my gf's house and held her dad's 226 and it just feels that much better in my hands then the compact one. So i think i'm set on a full size sig for my first and with more to come i'll buy a compact one soon. So now i just have to decide 9mm or .45. but before i deside i will give the berretta a look and also the kahr a look also. I was going to save money and buy the hk but it doesn't feel right in my hands. thank you for all the replys keep them coming. ohh yes i will be in eastern tx (longview). And if anyone knows of any dealers out there that would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
trevor
 
I still say GO BERETTA!!! :D

You'll NEVER regret it!!!

(If you do, just give it to me!)

Drjones
 
I recommend carrying a subcompact semi-auto like a Kahr P9 or Glock 26/27/36. These guns are accurate, reliable and easily concealable. Full size guns are easier to shoot but harder to conceal.
 
e_utopia wrote:
Phillip: You could always get a Sig with a stainless slide, if rust is really that much of a problem for you.
Click to expand...

JB, I had two stainless models, and the one I regret selling the most was a beautiful two tone SIG Sauer P229 .357 SIG with night sights. The other was a P226 .40 caliber. The 2 tone rusted a bit, the blued one was pretty much okay, except for the grip screws (minor problem).
Thanks for the advise though.
 
Just want to add, that as with knives, stainless steel used for a handgun does not mean rustless.
 
For that matter, Glock's 'Tenifer' finish is not 'rust proof', either. Anything made of steel can rust, if not treated with proper respect.

--JB
 
JB, look I love SIG Sauer pistols. There was a time where I would not consider owning anything else. At the high point, I had 6 of them, which I carried on duty and off. I am down to 2 now, well actually one since I gave the 232 to my girlfriend. ;)
I especially disliked Glocks, and loved to give them hell.
The one shortcoming (other than price) that I can think of is that SIGs are more likely to rust if not cared for. If the people at SIG Arms could find a coating that could take environmental effects the way a Glock does, I would gladly sell all of my Glocks and go back to SIG's. As it stands, Glock's Tenifer finish is (as I stated before) practically impervious to rust. Granted there are parts that are not Tenifer coated, and those may rust, but I've yet to see it happen.
The only time I've ever seen rust on a Glock was on the aftermarket steel night sights that someone had installed.
Now, I've heard stories about rusty Glocks, but never seen one. I also heard about a Glock that was recovered from the bottom of NY Harbor after a year. The slide and barrel were fine. The rounds in the magazine were corroded, and some springs needed to be changed but other than that it was fine.
Take it with a grain of salt if you want. YMMV and all that. ;)
 
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