Looking to buy my first handgun, advice welcomed gun guru's!
05-01-2010, 01:52 AM
#61
Like everyone else said, go to a few gun shops and check out what feels nice. I always preferred a 1911 .45 for my defense. I've shot a lot and my dad owns a ton, but my favorite to get "down and dirty" with is my Rock Island 1911. It was relatively cheap (I got mine for $285 brand new on gunbroker) and I haven't had a single issue with it for thousands of rounds. The parts are G.I. spec and interchange with other 1911 models, so replacement parts are easy to come by. All I did to mine was change out the grips to rubber ones and polish the feed ramp for smoother loading. She's in my truck on long trips and by my bed when I sleep.
05-01-2010, 06:39 AM
#62
Launching!
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Freeport
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glock is the easiet hands down, accurate and durable. But, I carried my glock for 4 years and loved it (Glock 22 .40) until I shot a Walther P99 SA. That for me was the only gun I would trade my Glock in for. IMO the P99 is the sweetest shooting gun on the market. (but it has to be the SA)
05-01-2010, 02:51 PM
#64
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Ft Hood, TX
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well I made my purchase today, got a Springfield Arms XD .40 solid black.
I wanted to hold out for the black/green XDM .40, but came across a good price on the XD and "pulled the trigger" on it lol.
Gun feels great in my hand, and am taking it out to the range in an hour to start practicing up. And man has the price of ammo gone up!!! I spent $74 on a 20 round box of hornady hollow points and a 100 round box of winchester FMJ's.
Will post up pics of the new piece later!
I wanted to hold out for the black/green XDM .40, but came across a good price on the XD and "pulled the trigger" on it lol.
Gun feels great in my hand, and am taking it out to the range in an hour to start practicing up. And man has the price of ammo gone up!!! I spent $74 on a 20 round box of hornady hollow points and a 100 round box of winchester FMJ's.
Will post up pics of the new piece later!
05-01-2010, 03:24 PM
#65
Teching In
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lone Star State
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Congrats and good luck!! This thread got me to looking again for another one. I think I am going to take a stab at the Sig P250 Compact in .357 sig with 2 conversion kits to convert it over to .45ACP and 22LR. Will allow me to carry in .357 or .45ACP and do some plinking in the 22LR caliber. Very versatile handgun.
05-01-2010, 03:43 PM
#66
Launching!
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Longview, TX
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My xdm .40 does well with the Federal ammo. Here in East Texas a box of 50 is 13.97 at Walmart whereas winchester, remington..etc is about 16.95 and up for 50...
As for hollow points I went with Magtech Guardian Gold. Box of 20 is 19.25...
I heard you can get decent deals from cheaper than dirt ammo online if prices are not good near you.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/default.aspx
As for hollow points I went with Magtech Guardian Gold. Box of 20 is 19.25...
I heard you can get decent deals from cheaper than dirt ammo online if prices are not good near you.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/default.aspx
05-01-2010, 05:17 PM
#67
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Ft Hood, TX
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow that was a blast! Took it to the local range and popped off 100 rounds to get used to the gun. Got pretty good, at the end of it al I was putting the whole magazine into the head consistantly.
Price of ammo is definately a bitch though lol, bought the 100 rounds box of winchester FMJ's for the range ($42) and a 20 round box of Hornady hollow points for the house ($24).
Gun fired flawlessly the whole time, no jams or anything. About to head to walmart to pick up some supplies then I am back to the house to clean it up and put it on the nightstand.
Oh and I already want to buy another one lol.
Price of ammo is definately a bitch though lol, bought the 100 rounds box of winchester FMJ's for the range ($42) and a 20 round box of Hornady hollow points for the house ($24).
Gun fired flawlessly the whole time, no jams or anything. About to head to walmart to pick up some supplies then I am back to the house to clean it up and put it on the nightstand.
Oh and I already want to buy another one lol.
05-01-2010, 07:29 PM
#69
Wow that was a blast! Took it to the local range and popped off 100 rounds to get used to the gun. Got pretty good, at the end of it al I was putting the whole magazine into the head consistantly.
Price of ammo is definately a bitch though lol, bought the 100 rounds box of winchester FMJ's for the range ($42) and a 20 round box of Hornady hollow points for the house ($24).
Gun fired flawlessly the whole time, no jams or anything. About to head to walmart to pick up some supplies then I am back to the house to clean it up and put it on the nightstand.
Oh and I already want to buy another one lol.
Price of ammo is definately a bitch though lol, bought the 100 rounds box of winchester FMJ's for the range ($42) and a 20 round box of Hornady hollow points for the house ($24).
Gun fired flawlessly the whole time, no jams or anything. About to head to walmart to pick up some supplies then I am back to the house to clean it up and put it on the nightstand.
Oh and I already want to buy another one lol.
05-01-2010, 07:42 PM
#70
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Ft Hood, TX
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I do want to buy a 9mm for target duty, and I already have my eye on a glock that a local gunshop has. It looks really nice, which is important in my book along with being good shooting.
Hell I almost bought a Glock 22 .40 cal instead of the XD, one of the main reasons I didnt was because they couldnt sell it to me until the 6th and I wanted something today.
Here is the 9mm I am looking at:
Here is my new toy:
05-01-2010, 07:59 PM
#71
On The Tree
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
not hating on the 9mm crowd, but i remember reading an article in tactical handgun magazine(or something like that) about a guy whos best friend was being beat down by a home intruder or something of that nature. took 10 rounds to take the guy down. maybe he shot him in the leg or somethin, who knows. point is, the 9mm is a subpar defense weapon UNLESS you know how to shoot well.
that is one of the beauties of the higher caliber rounds. you can peg the guy in the arm, and it'll still likely take him down due to what is called hydrostatic shock. so not only are you blowing a hole the size of a baseball in the would-be attacker, youre likely to cause other effects such as brain hemorrhaging which would also end the confrontation. thusly, one could say that it takes less skill to take down an attacker with a higher caliber round, because you dont necessarily have to make a "kill shot" to either kill or at least incapacitate the target. penetration is another area where a higher caliber round would excel over something like a 9mm.
that said, if one were to be a crackshot with his 9mm, and somehow shot the attacker in the head, or chest, then yes, its quite possible to end a confrontation with relatively few rounds. as stated before, though, shooting a target at the range, and shooting a living, moving target under pressure are entirely different things.
i happen to work with a veteran of the israeli counter-terrorism unit(i dunno what they call it over there). they like to use 9mms over there. he explained to me once how they addressed killing a terrorist: shoot him till he drops, run up to him and shoot him once more in the head (just to make sure). needless to say, with a round such as the .45 ACP, .357, the .40 S&W, or even the .38+P, there would be no need to "make sure"
as far as brands go, everybody seems to have their preferences. i am by no means a gun expert, and as a matter of fact, im also looking to be a first time handgun owner. so far ive tried a taurus 9mm, a Ruger .380 LCR, and a Glock 27 in 40 S&W. The Taurus fired real easily, and would be a great practice pistol for the range. the LCR felt nice, and was probably my favorite out of the 3. The Glock would have been perfect if it werent for the fact it wouldnt fit in my hand. Next time i go to the range, im probably going to try to find a slightly larger Glock, or something else using the .40 round.
just my .02
that is one of the beauties of the higher caliber rounds. you can peg the guy in the arm, and it'll still likely take him down due to what is called hydrostatic shock. so not only are you blowing a hole the size of a baseball in the would-be attacker, youre likely to cause other effects such as brain hemorrhaging which would also end the confrontation. thusly, one could say that it takes less skill to take down an attacker with a higher caliber round, because you dont necessarily have to make a "kill shot" to either kill or at least incapacitate the target. penetration is another area where a higher caliber round would excel over something like a 9mm.
that said, if one were to be a crackshot with his 9mm, and somehow shot the attacker in the head, or chest, then yes, its quite possible to end a confrontation with relatively few rounds. as stated before, though, shooting a target at the range, and shooting a living, moving target under pressure are entirely different things.
i happen to work with a veteran of the israeli counter-terrorism unit(i dunno what they call it over there). they like to use 9mms over there. he explained to me once how they addressed killing a terrorist: shoot him till he drops, run up to him and shoot him once more in the head (just to make sure). needless to say, with a round such as the .45 ACP, .357, the .40 S&W, or even the .38+P, there would be no need to "make sure"
as far as brands go, everybody seems to have their preferences. i am by no means a gun expert, and as a matter of fact, im also looking to be a first time handgun owner. so far ive tried a taurus 9mm, a Ruger .380 LCR, and a Glock 27 in 40 S&W. The Taurus fired real easily, and would be a great practice pistol for the range. the LCR felt nice, and was probably my favorite out of the 3. The Glock would have been perfect if it werent for the fact it wouldnt fit in my hand. Next time i go to the range, im probably going to try to find a slightly larger Glock, or something else using the .40 round.
just my .02
05-01-2010, 09:36 PM
#72
I usually like to steer clear of the whole 9mm vs .45 topic, but there is a historical precedence on the issue. During the Philippine-American war the U.S. soldiers had trouble with Moro soldiers who were drugged up. Our troopers were using .38 revolvers and they noted how little stopping power they had. They briefly went to a .45 revolver and word soon got back on how much better that caliber was at keeping the Moro soldiers down. The M1911 was soon introduced and stayed as the caliber of choice from 1911 to 1990 (ish) as the side arm for our soldiers. The 9mm is around a .35 caliber so it's very close to a .38. The 9mm usually packs more grain as well so they are a little more potent than the .38. The payoff with going for a smaller round is the fact that the M9 can carry more rounds over the 1911. I hear rumors that the military is fooling around with the idea of returning to a .45 (or even a .40 caliber). It'll be neat to see what happens to the old M9 in the coming years.
Last edited by TechCam97; 05-01-2010 at 09:42 PM.
05-01-2010, 09:53 PM
#73
On The Tree
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Just because the voices aren't real, doesn't mean they're not right!
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here is a little reading for you judge lovers. link
I am not knocking them i have one. After reading the results i was a little disappointed. but regardless if you were in a vehicle and needed to quickly point and shoot at a close range like it is useful.
I am not knocking them i have one. After reading the results i was a little disappointed. but regardless if you were in a vehicle and needed to quickly point and shoot at a close range like it is useful.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...hotshell-ammo/
Btw, the Judge is available in a 3" barrel version too (model 4510)
05-01-2010, 10:13 PM
#75
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Houston,Tx
Posts: 1,844
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hmmm, wonder if Mr. Box 'O Truth tried these.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...hotshell-ammo/
Btw, the Judge is available in a 3" barrel version too (model 4510)
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...hotshell-ammo/
Btw, the Judge is available in a 3" barrel version too (model 4510)
05-02-2010, 11:59 AM
#77
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Ft. Worth-ish
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Test it before you buy it. My wife liked the feel of the P250 so we rented one. It stove piped a live round once and failed to fire multiple times (at least once per filled magazine). That was enough for her to take it off her short list.
05-02-2010, 12:19 PM
#78
TECH Regular
iTrader: (26)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
not hating on the 9mm crowd, but i remember reading an article in tactical handgun magazine(or something like that) about a guy whos best friend was being beat down by a home intruder or something of that nature. took 10 rounds to take the guy down. maybe he shot him in the leg or somethin, who knows. point is, the 9mm is a subpar defense weapon UNLESS you know how to shoot well.
that is one of the beauties of the higher caliber rounds. you can peg the guy in the arm, and it'll still likely take him down due to what is called hydrostatic shock. so not only are you blowing a hole the size of a baseball in the would-be attacker, youre likely to cause other effects such as brain hemorrhaging which would also end the confrontation. thusly, one could say that it takes less skill to take down an attacker with a higher caliber round, because you dont necessarily have to make a "kill shot" to either kill or at least incapacitate the target. penetration is another area where a higher caliber round would excel over something like a 9mm.
that said, if one were to be a crackshot with his 9mm, and somehow shot the attacker in the head, or chest, then yes, its quite possible to end a confrontation with relatively few rounds. as stated before, though, shooting a target at the range, and shooting a living, moving target under pressure are entirely different things.
i happen to work with a veteran of the israeli counter-terrorism unit(i dunno what they call it over there). they like to use 9mms over there. he explained to me once how they addressed killing a terrorist: shoot him till he drops, run up to him and shoot him once more in the head (just to make sure). needless to say, with a round such as the .45 ACP, .357, the .40 S&W, or even the .38+P, there would be no need to "make sure"
as far as brands go, everybody seems to have their preferences. i am by no means a gun expert, and as a matter of fact, im also looking to be a first time handgun owner. so far ive tried a taurus 9mm, a Ruger .380 LCR, and a Glock 27 in 40 S&W. The Taurus fired real easily, and would be a great practice pistol for the range. the LCR felt nice, and was probably my favorite out of the 3. The Glock would have been perfect if it werent for the fact it wouldnt fit in my hand. Next time i go to the range, im probably going to try to find a slightly larger Glock, or something else using the .40 round.
just my .02
that is one of the beauties of the higher caliber rounds. you can peg the guy in the arm, and it'll still likely take him down due to what is called hydrostatic shock. so not only are you blowing a hole the size of a baseball in the would-be attacker, youre likely to cause other effects such as brain hemorrhaging which would also end the confrontation. thusly, one could say that it takes less skill to take down an attacker with a higher caliber round, because you dont necessarily have to make a "kill shot" to either kill or at least incapacitate the target. penetration is another area where a higher caliber round would excel over something like a 9mm.
that said, if one were to be a crackshot with his 9mm, and somehow shot the attacker in the head, or chest, then yes, its quite possible to end a confrontation with relatively few rounds. as stated before, though, shooting a target at the range, and shooting a living, moving target under pressure are entirely different things.
i happen to work with a veteran of the israeli counter-terrorism unit(i dunno what they call it over there). they like to use 9mms over there. he explained to me once how they addressed killing a terrorist: shoot him till he drops, run up to him and shoot him once more in the head (just to make sure). needless to say, with a round such as the .45 ACP, .357, the .40 S&W, or even the .38+P, there would be no need to "make sure"
as far as brands go, everybody seems to have their preferences. i am by no means a gun expert, and as a matter of fact, im also looking to be a first time handgun owner. so far ive tried a taurus 9mm, a Ruger .380 LCR, and a Glock 27 in 40 S&W. The Taurus fired real easily, and would be a great practice pistol for the range. the LCR felt nice, and was probably my favorite out of the 3. The Glock would have been perfect if it werent for the fact it wouldnt fit in my hand. Next time i go to the range, im probably going to try to find a slightly larger Glock, or something else using the .40 round.
just my .02
05-02-2010, 01:43 PM
#79
Teching In
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lone Star State
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the advice, will do. I am suprised by your results with it though. Sig is usually top notch on their products. I am sure if you owned that gun and notified Sig, it would be corrected right away. I also looking at the Ruger LCP.
05-02-2010, 03:52 PM
#80
Any semi auto with stove pipe is you limp wrist it when you are firing. I guarantee that it is the person firing the gun and not the gun or the ammo used. If a round has the primer contacted then it not the gun. My little brother has a p250 and I have shot it several times, its a good shooting gun. Guy next to me at work has one also and loves it as well and never had a problem out of it.