Handgun in the 4R

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whodat

whodat

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I never shot a gun in my life. Signed up for a handgun for beginners class. I've been researching and researching what I should get as a good, reliable handgun for home self defense, recreation, and to carry and conceal just in case some wacko decides to start popping off rounds and puts my family in immediate danger. So far I'm leaning towards a Glock 19, they seem to be the Toyota of hand guns, kinda ugly, but very reliable. I'm not looking fo a "pretty" handgun, just one that'll go bang when I need it to. I respect a lot of you guys on here, so your opinions and advice will be very appreciated.
 
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Not an Expert by any stretch

But, one of my best friends is an expert. He is an accomplished marksman, re-loader, range safety officer and owner of many firearms. I am still debating the same question myself and he always tells me that for self defense you can't beat the reliability of a revolver, whereas a semi-auto can jam, and often at the worst possible moment. So, at least give some thought to a classic S&W 357 or the likes. Just my two cents, and borrowed at that.
 
Glock 19
SW M&P 9
SIG 239


in that order....

I would roll the dice on a glock jamming and have 15 +1 over a 5 round revolver any day. Besides with the proper training and practice clearing a "jam" is easy and can be done faster that a revolver reload.
 
Last year i went through the same thing you are, never even held a handgun untill spring of last year

Goto your range and try many guns to see what you like

i ended up with a gen4 g19 and recently bought a gen4 g34, if you join GSSF you get $100 off a glock per year, and there are competitions for fun which you can learn all kinds of stuff

whatever you end up with, respect it, and get lots of trigger time
dont let a price tag ruin something you want, you will end up spending x2 in ammo within a few months
 
If you can, take the time and try out all of your possible candidates. I say this because there are countless weapons out there, all with different layouts, ergonomics, feels, etc. I think all multiple gun owners out there should own a glock, just for the track record and aftermarket for them, but if this is going to be your only weapon, I do some extensive "test driving" and research as the flocks ergonomics are not for everyone (myself included). I own two currently, and I keep the. For friends to shoot and as a SHTF sort of go to. My primary carries are s&w m&p and sig. IMO, though a bit more expensive, you can't beat the ergo of a sig
 
Great choices listed above, I've become a fan of the Springfield XD... check those out too. A little cheaper than a glock and a great gun.
 
I'd advise trying out the guns if you can. I've shot a few glocks and none of them have felt all that good in my hand. The Sig P229 is an awesome gun though, fun to shoot, small enough for CCW, and can have interchangeable barrels. I've got a 40 cal and 357 sig barrel for it. I also love my Kimber 1911, super accurate comfortable bad@ss, but it is a little on the large side for CCW
 
Like others have mentioned, I would recommend going to a range and trying out as many guns as possible. For me, I am a Sig guy. Sigs feel great in my hand and I love the look and quality of their weapons. It just so happened the Sig P238 felt the best in my hand. After shooting the P238 along with some other .380s (Bursa Thunder, Ruger LCP, Taurus 738), none stacked up to the quality of the Sig. With that said, none stacked up to the price, either - the P238 is a high-dollar .380, but worth it in my opinion. Linked below is an excellent, thorough review of the P238.

Sig P238: "Reference .380" by Nutnfancy - YouTube
 
As mcfly said, go to the local store with a range and try them out. Different guns work better for different people based on their ergonomics. I would stay away from full size frame guns for concealed carry unless you are a big guy. You may want to look into the glock 26 if you are looking for a 9mm. You can always get another 9mm in a full size for your night stand gun.

A smaller frame gun may also work better for your spous . I would recommend you take the class together so she is comfortable with the weapon as well.

Stay safe and practice regularly!

Okki
 
No firearm is going to be good for every job. But the best pistol is one you can shoot comfortably an reliably. Doesn't matter what kind of firearm you have if you can't get off good shot placement or you aren't comfortable handling it.

I carry a Ruger LCP as an EDC, but I also have a Ruger P89 and Sig P229 for situations when the baby .380 won't suffice or if I am wearing layers of clothing that warrant a larger frame.
 
Shop Around

I've probably bought/sold 25ish handguns over the years trying to find the "one" that works best for me. For now I've settled on three... H&K USP Compact in 9mm is my every day carry, Sig P220 SAO in .45 is a close second. In the summer in tend to go lighter weight and switch over to a .380. After 20 some years of carrying the M9 as my duty weapon I was pretty comfortable with SA/DA semi-automatic. Take your class, borrow some of your friends weapons or hit the local range and see what they have in the way of rentals. Once you've found the one, don't forget to check prices for second hand versions.

:gun6:
 
I have a few Glocks, love them and am even a Glock Armorer. But since you are so new in handguns I would respectfully suggest something like a XD or Beretta with a additional safety.
 
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SVBIED said:
I've probably bought/sold 25ish handguns over the years trying to find the "one" that works best for me. For now I've settled on three... H&K USP Compact in 9mm is my every day carry, Sig P220 SAO in .45 is a close second. In the summer in tend to go lighter weight and switch over to a .380. After 20 some years of carrying the M9 as my duty weapon I was pretty comfortable with SA/DA semi-automatic. Take your class, borrow some of your friends weapons or hit the local range and see what they have in the way of rentals. Once you've found the one, don't forget to check prices for second hand versions.

:gun6:
Click to expand...

M9's are funny, everyone talked so much **** on them for being a lackluster caliber and too large. Now when we (USCG/DHS) switched to the smaller Sig many people complain it is too small and prefer the Barretta.

Kinda silly though that we switched since we can't carry the Sig overseas because it's not an approved NATO round. So we still use the M9 in foreign conflicts.
 
The latest bad news has made all ammo scarce, again. Even .22 is out everywhere, in store or web order. I've seen a few boxes of deer rifle calibers in the stores, nothing else for the past week.

Buy the guns and ammo you want soon as you can find 'em.
 
Sig P226 9mm. Reliable. Accuracy of a 9mm that can handle hot/higher temp rounds for added stopping power no problem.
 
I enjoy my sr9c, right size, never fails, eats any ammo, has 16 mag and 10 mag, great for carry and range. I did look at the sp xd 3.8. Nice but alittle heavy and more $$$$.
 
SVBIED said:
I've probably bought/sold 25ish handguns over the years trying to find the "one" that works best for me. For now I've settled on three... H&K USP Compact in 9mm is my every day carry, Sig P220 SAO in .45 is a close second. In the summer in tend to go lighter weight and switch over to a .380. After 20 some years of carrying the M9 as my duty weapon I was pretty comfortable with SA/DA semi-automatic. Take your class, borrow some of your friends weapons or hit the local range and see what they have in the way of rentals. Once you've found the one, don't forget to check prices for second hand versions.

:gun6:
Click to expand...

I agree with this. I've got an H&K USP 9mm full size that goes everywhere I go in the 4runner. Its a very comfortable weapon for me(big hands) and its crazy accurate. 18 rounds + 1 in the chamber means I've got plenty of time to pick my targets, and get myself and those I care for to safety. It took me about 4 years to finally settle on this one, so take your time, try out a wide variety, then go with what feels like it fits best. Good Luck!
 
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