any advice on a hand gun to get?

J

jwalle1

New member
I'm looking to get a handgun. Mostly just to mess around with occasionally and to use for personal protection. Figured I would get a 40 caliber. I've shot rifles and shotguns all my life but know very little about what to look for in a handgun. My brother suggested an xdm. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I'm a Glock guy and think the Glock 19 is the perfect gun for just what you want to do. 9mm ammo is pretty cheap for target shooting and with good modern hollow point ammo and 15+1 capacity it is perfect for protection. Plus they always work.
 
Go handle a bunch and see what fits you best. Glock, springfield, smith, taurus. They all work.

Maybe shoot old turtle a pm.
 
As scott said the glock 19 is good, the xdm is also good, the only thing about the xdm (at least for me) was in a life or death situation are you going to be able to get the right grip to engage the grip safety, for me trying to unholster the weapon and getting a quick shot I was not alway getting the safety engadged . You may also look at the M&P Compacts, Also find a range and rent some to see what works for you.
 
Originally Posted By: jwalle1I'm looking to get a handgun. Mostly just to mess around with occasionally and to use for personal protection. Figured I would get a 40 caliber. I've shot rifles and shotguns all my life but know very little about what to look for in a handgun. My brother suggested an xdm. Any advice would be appreciated.

Lots of excellent choices out there. I carry a Glock 27 as my backup gun and when I'm off duty. As another poster stated, 40 S&W ammo is a little more expensive than 9mm but not much more so. Since you want to do some shooting, I would suggest a Glock 19(9mm) or a Glock 23(40 S&W). Both of these are compact guns and can be pretty easily concealed if you wish but are large enough for extended range sessions. Remember, in VA you can open carry(make sure you understand where you can't go) without a permit.

The Smith and Wesson M&P's, Spingfield XD's, Beretta's, Sigs, and H&K's are excellent pistols. Handle as many as you can before you buy.
 
Ever consider a good double action revolver? Im not aware of a .40 S&W round chambered in a revolver, but there are alot of other choices. I like semi's but think a revolver is often overlooked for what you are wanting. IMO a revolver is more dependable and safer for a newcomer to handgunning. Once loaded they are perfectly safe and to fire all is needed is to simply pull the trigger. No safeties to fumble with or possible jams, plus they are available in some big calibers if you ever want to hunt with one as I do. If you need more than 6 shots to get it done you are in a very bad situation!
 
I recommend looking at and handling every gun in your price range. A lot of people will recommend one particular brand or another, but it really is a personal thing. I would love to like a Glock but they just don’t feel comfortable in my hand. They’re great guns and it may be a perfect match for you, they just don’t fit me. Along with looking at the Springfields, Smith & Wessons, Glocks, Sigs, Rugers, Berettas, etc, don’t forget to check out the CZ guns. They have great ergonomics and tend to work. I would also suggest considering a 9mm. They are much cheaper to shoot (unless you reload), which will allow you to get a lot more practice in and have considerably less recoil to start out with. Don’t let the internet commandos convince you of what you do or don’t need. Buy a gun that is comfortable in your hand and shoot it a lot. You will then develop your own idea of what you want/need in a handgun.
 
I agree, handle everything you can. My dept issues glock, good gun but like anything its not perfect, and it does not "Always work". Especially new pistol shooters, if you limp wrist it you will encounter failure to eject or feed. There are so many fantastic pistols out there now, you can't go wrong. My top picks would be M&P then Xdm then cd. JMO

Also buy the caliber you want, 40 is not that much more than 9mm. Plus there is a reason 40sw dominates in the Law Enforcement arena, it plain works.
 
+2 on revolver...an older S&W .357 in 3-4" gives you a "messing around" gun at a nominal price that you can shoot .38 target loads or .357 personal defense if the occasion calls for it.

J & G usually has some police trade-ins at
 
A 1911 is very comfortable and there are tons of parts if youre into upgrading.

I personally like the idea of the EAA witness being able to change out barrels and such, but those are getting mixed reviews and I dont have any personal experience with those.

One handgun that gets consistent reviews and I think I might one day get is a glock in 40 cal., then get a lone wolf barrel in 357 sig.

Unfortunately my rifle addiction does not allow time, or resources to lend towards a handgun affliction. One day it will be revisited.

Whatever you get put up some pics for us.
 
Originally Posted By: NewLife2626As scott said the glock 19 is good, the xdm is also good, the only thing about the xdm (at least for me) was in a life or death situation are you going to be able to get the right grip to engage the grip safety, for me trying to unholster the weapon and getting a quick shot I was not alway getting the safety engadged . You may also look at the M&P Compacts, Also find a range and rent some to see what works for you.

Sorry but I find this statement to be heap of crap! For one if you are not engaging the grip safety with your grip you are not holding the pistol correct and that is a training issue that you need to work on! Second if you did get the shot off you would most likely stove pipe the round due your grip yes even in a Glock! Not to mention I would hate to see where your round would fly if you did get the shot off.
blink.gif


I would take some handgun classes if I were you because I do think you will start seeing a lot more company's coming out with grip safety! You have already knocked your self out of owning all the newer 1911's and XDm's due to improper training.

To the OP the best way to go about this is to just go down and hold a bunch of pistol to see what fits your hands! You can look online to see the styles you like then go and hold every single one of them! You might not like the grip angle on the Glock's. I was dead set on a Walther until I went and held one at a store and it felt as if I was holding a brick!

If you could give us a price range your looking to spend we can give you some better ideas of what to look at? In my eyes if your wanting a great handgun your looking at spending at least $600-$700. Sig's, S&W MP, XD or XDM, Glock, just to name a few. Do you ever plan on carrying this pistol or will it be a range and home SD only pistol?
 
Geesh, no fans of H&K out there? I don`t own one (it`s a money thing),but I do like their feel and features.
Like everyone else said, what you feel comfortable with, and remember that like with everything else,the more you spend the better the quality (generally).
Example S&W $$$ Taurus $ both will work but the fit/finish/smoothness(mechanically)are pretty easy to tell apart IMO.
 
Love my glock, got a glock 23c. I don't see the point of getting a 19. If you want to save a little on ammo, 100 bucks and you can get a 9mm drop in barrel. cant make a 9mm a 40 w/o a lot of bs. Just my 2cents
 
If you are not experienced with a handgun, I would strongly recommend checking out a good revolver. I own many handguns and have both revolvers and automatics. They have different strengths and weaknesses. I still favor the revolver for defensive carry however. Check out a S&W model 640 or a Ruger SP101 in .357 before you make up your mind.
 
+1 to chefpiere, I have a glock 23(40 s&w), and use a .357 sig barrel really liked the increased accuracy with it, and now I'm carrying a glock 31(.357 sig) and love it, I also occasionally cary a Para Ordnance .45 ACP by far the most accurate pistol I have..
 
Look at a revolver, I have had a few handguns including a XD40 just after they came out, I intend to get a 1911 as my next handgun, but I really like my S&W 357 simple to use, never jams, good power, good gun.
 
I'm partial to the 1911's. I went through a lot of pistols but always come back to the old reliable! You can get them in most calibers and as long as you don't spring for the el cheapo most of them function and feed great.
 
Back
Top