i have two Firestars, a 9mm and a .40S&W i carry the .40
Posted on 07/20/2012 9:24:49 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps
Sorry for yet another which firearm thread. Been putting in some OT the last several months, banked up a few extra $$$. Going to celebrate my right as guaranteed by 2nd Amendment. (note, not granted, the government doesn't give me this inalienable right)
So, I am literally set to "pull the trigger" on the purchase of a handgun tomorrow. I have narrowed it down to either a Beretta PX4 Storm (Compact, 9mm) or a Glock 19. This will be a concealed carry weapon.
I don't want to go any larger (full size) as I'm only an average sized guy with slightly smaller than average sized hands. (plenty of hand/arm strength from weight training) I don't want to go any smaller because I don't like the way the grips of the sub-compact weapons don't fill out even my hands.
I was leaning towards the 40S&W round but like the wider availability of 9mm, plus I can share ammo with my wife.
I was originally thinking Glock, almost went for it. Then a guy at a firearms store almost talked me into the Beretta. Now I'm leaning back towards the Glock. Lots of factors at play here, trying to sort them all out.
The Glock is simple, dirt simple to operate. The Beretta has more controls on it.
I like the looks of the Beretta slightly more.
I like the triple-dot sights of the Beretta slightly more.
Several informal polls of fellow firearms enthusiasts say the Glock may have a slight edge in reliability and accuracy. Not sure I'm a good enough shot though to make a difference.
Beretta claims their barrel line is lower, closer to your hand thus reducing felt recoil. Don't know, I've fired a S&W 9mm compact and the recoil is very manageable. (I can be fairly quick, fairly accurate)
Things that aren't factors: magazine capacity (same), accessory rail (both have one, though I don't plan on putting anything on it).
Glock 19. Buy a quality holster.
Why did you narrow it down to two? Give us the rationale? Cuz I think you don’t know why you did that. There is XD, 1911, CZ, and others. I think you need to open up your search.
i have two Firestars, a 9mm and a .40S&W i carry the .40
Glock .40 model 27 9+1 in the chamber
it’s just a hair over 4” X 6” and it will fit in the same holster as my Wives .380
Get ‘em both: they’re both good pistolas. And you can never have too many guns...
Go in your local gun shop and look at a Taurus 740 slim .40S&W fits just right in the back pocket of a pair of jeans and retails for around $340 Lifetime warranty. Also includes an extra magazine in the box. I have owned nine or ten Taurus pistols over the years and have gotten great service out of all of them. I also own Glocks, Sigs, a couple of Kimbers, S&W’s and many others for the price size and quality the 740 is hard to beat.
FWIW, between those two options, I’d definitely go Glock, but Beretta isn’t a bad option, so buy what suits you best. I’ve got three 9mm—Glock 19, Ruger SR-9, and a Kel-Tec PF9. The KT is for concealed carry and I shoot it often enough to be competent with it, but when I just want to shoot, I go with the other two (or another caliber). After thousands of rounds each, I’ve never had a single malfunction in either the Glock or the Ruger, so I trust them equally. I shoot with slightly more accuracy with the Ruger, but that’s probably because the Ruger perfectly fits my hand.
Don’t forget to take the cost of extra magazines into account. Going to the range with only one or two magazines will get old fast, and paying $40/each for extras will get old even faster, regardless of how much money you have. Going to the range with 5-10-15 pre-loaded hi-cap magazines is a lot more fun than watching other guys shoot while you are constantly loading magazines. And if there is ever an all-out SHTF emergency, you will be thankful you have plenty of magazines.
I would also consider the holsters that are available for both guns. It’s frustrating to buy a new gun and then find out there aren’t many holster options.
Definitely go with the Glock.
Ultra reliable, and more after-market options than any other handgun except the 1911.
Also, those options are dirt cheap, and usually user installable.
Yes, I've narrowed the field down to a pistol over a revolver. (personal preference) Yes I've narrowed it down to a mid-sized frame based on preference when firing. I can't see carrying a full-size and I hate the way the subcompacts feel in my hand - all of them. Sure they may be easier to carry, but if they are miserable to fire at the range, that takes a lot of the fun out of the sport as well as means I'll probably practice less, which isn't a good thing. I'd rather carry and rely on a weapon I'm comfortable with, even if it means adapting to a little more bulk.
Besides real range time/firing I've held and dry fired just about every semi-auto in three different local shops. I narrowed it down to the two I mentioned based on feel in my hand, reputation of the manufacturer, combination of features. What I was looking for here was (were?) the anecdotes, the personal experiences (first or second hand) such as the jams, trigger issues, magazine problems, ammo sensitivity, nooks and crannies that are hard to clean, etc.
You see, my theory is, if you go on the net and look around at reviews what you're going to see are both ends of the bell curve. Those people that care enough to post a review are going to either be fanboys that think manufacturer X can do no wrong. Or people that had a bad experience and hate Y with a passion. In general, these kinds of reviews are biased and not that useful. They're only useful if they occur a lot - indicating a real problem or a really good product that a lot of people fall in love with. Every product is going to have it's irrational fanboys and detractors. Those kinds of reviews are only useful in a statistical sense. What I'm more interested in are the experiences in the middle of the bell curve - what are they like to live with day by day.
The Glock 19 is an excellent firearm and you cant go wrong with it. Accurate. Reliable. Indestructible. Hard to beat as a concealed carry weapon. I have the Gen 4 Glock 19, and I really like it.
Good point. No children in the house, nor as regular visitors. My dress code is always casual and loose-fitting. ;-) While I’m of average height, I do have relatively broad shoulders and narrow waist. (eg. my few suits are 48 jackets, pants are a 31 waist) Meaning shirts/jackets tend to hang loose around my torso. So concealing is not a problem.
Best reply of the thread! Sadly no can do. Wife wants a .380... But that's a whole 'nuther discussion...sigh That'll be the next purchase after my 9.
If you don’t have a defense shotgun yet,get an 8-shot maverick 88 by mossberg for around 200 and stick an ati talon/scorpion 6 position stock on it for another 70. Mavericks work as well as the 500s. This particular stock will reduce felt recoil greatly.
Sounds like full size handgun is not your quest.
Me, I have a Ruger P90 .45 acp I like, but nothing, and I mean nothing, gives me the confidence of my old GI issue 1943 vintage RR 1911A1.
To me, it is the most instinctive pointing pistol there is, bar none, and when the .45 acp round connects, it does the job.
If you were a cop though and protected from lawsuits while working, and operated with officer safety being the highest priority, I’d agree with you.
9 mils do not stop fast enough....
Oh yea..... Beretta sucks.
Just remember to hold the slide, and shove the gun forward.
Totally safe, instantly available.
10 years of waiting, then - Bang On Demand
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