Please help a rookie pick a semiauto (vanity)

me ^ | 7/4/02 | me

[newwahoo]

I need help picking a weapon from FR's firearms gurus!

Here's the deal:

1. The choices consist of the Glock 19, Sig Sauer 226, or (boo) S&W 5946. I know you all have your favorites but these are the options and they're not going to change.

2. Money is not an issue, nor is ease of use. If one is more work but worth the effort then its worth getting. I'll just have to invest the time and energy. My life is worth it so thats ok.

3. Concealment and weight are not critical. Reliability and my confidence level are far more important to me.

4. As you could probably tell, I'm already leaning against the S&W for political reasons. I'm going to need a real compelling reason to carry one of their guns.

Thank you for your opinions and experiences.

[Jonah Hex]

I have both Glocks and a Sig. (I refuse to touch a S&W until either the new holders or Justice repudiate their Clinton "sweetheart" deal.) Between the two brands, I've found I prefer the Glock. It fits better in my hand, shoots very nicely, and is very reliable (approx. 4,000 rounds and only 2 FTF's).

Given that, I don't tend to recommend it for the beginner. A Glock is designed to shoot when the trigger is pulled, every time, so it's a minimialist pistol i.e. no manual or grip safeties. A Glock owner has to remember always the primary weapon safety is between the ears.

If you choose the Glock, splurge for a weapons safety course and a good holster (covers the trigger without risking engaging the trigger bar). In the end, it's your money and your life so choose what feels right to you. And have fun!

[umgud]

Do we assume you have looked at everything else and have narrowed the list to these three? I'm a wheelgun nut. I carry a titanium 7 shot .357 Taurus snubbie that weighs less than 20 oz. and is a pleasure to carry and conceal. I also have semi autos and my 1911 is my favorite semi auto. Some people don't like the 1911 because of the "cocked & locked" issue. Check out Para Ordnance 1911 style LDA (Light Double Action) models, which can be carried with the hammer down.

[MP5SD]

Whats great about the Makarov is it fires only it's own 9mm ammo. I like Russian antiques too.

[newwahoo]

"But I would seriously consider the brilliant creation of St. John Moses Browning - the Colt .45 ACP - as your weapon of choice. There's not enough space here to adequately convince you, but I can refer you to the 1911 Forum and the good folks over there can answer any questions you have. (But you might want to lurk a little first)."

I guess I should have been clearer. These are the choices being FORCED upon me. I had a lot of fun shooting a Para-Ordnance .45 but I'm not the one making the call here. My pay grade just pays the price, we don't make the decisions (even about our choices of off-duty carry).

[AnAmericanMother]

I carried a 1911A1 for years. My husband is a big Sig fan, he's carried the big 220 .45 for a long time (he's also a BIG guy). I finally succumbed and bought the little Sig P245.

I must say that it's a sweet gun (I chose it over the Glock, on the basis of pointability for me, as well as fit and finish) and it's nice having the DA (I know what Jeff Cooper's opinion is of that already!) but nothing fits my hand like the 1911A1, so I still use that for target shooting.

[MP5SD]

I'm a glock guy. I enjoy the Sigs used at work. You could not give me the S&W. The S&W is a junk pistol with a VERY heavy trigger and VERY poor accuracy.

[newwahoo]

"You should choose the one that feels right in your hand and that you can operate the best in live fire practice"

Believe it or not I won't have the option of the latter, only the former. I guess the bottom line will be how it feels in my hand, just like you said. I may be leaning towards the Glock and Sig but if I don't think I can shoot comfortably with one or the other the one in question is going back onto the table. I WANT TO ENJOY SHOOTING THIS WEAPON SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME AT THE RANGE FOR YEARS TO COME (sorry about the caps, but its important to me).

"I think SIGs are wonderful, and that strange trigger on the Glock with its light trigger pull gives me the AD willies"

Sorry to be a idiot but what exactly are the "AD willies"?

[newwahoo]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! That sounds like great advice. Tuesday morning I will be going through both of those tests and I'll see for myself.

[AnAmericanMother]

That would be the "Accidental Discharge" willies.

There have been a significant number of ADs with the Glock. Glock (I know the regional service rep here) swears it ain't the pistol . . . but the trigger pull IS awfully light. It may be that the idea that it's a DA (double action) gives the folks carrying it the idea that it's "safe" and they thus take risks that they wouldn't take with a 1911, for example.

I haven't heard similar stories about the SIG, but it isn't an issue sidearm for any of the police departments hereabouts. (One of our local departments still carries .45 Long Colt. Talk about speaking with authority!)

[newwahoo]

"Get the Sig. It's worth it. However, go to the P220 in 45ACP since being concealed isn't a problem. You won't be disappointed."

Another Sig vote. I wish I could go bigger myself but I can't. In fact, I'm probably lucky to not be carrying a paintball gun with teargas rounds...

[RightFighter]

Sorry to be a idiot but what exactly are the "AD willies"?

That would be the "Accidental Discharge" willies.

[newwahoo]

"You had already indicated an appropriate judgement against the S&W, which narrowed the selection to a coin-flip between the other two"

Point taken. I'll see how they each fit in my hand on Tuesday. I haven't read anything yet that would rule out either one.

[PushinTin]

I have been very pleased with my H&K USP Compact .45. A real pleasure to shoot and very well designed. It has very tight groupings at all the required handgun effectiveness ranges. I have had a lot of friends try it at the range. They are all sold on it so far. This is right out of the box, which is also something you need to consider. No knocks to my 1911A friends. They are a wonderful weapon, but may require some mods to achieve perfection. All the guns you have listed so far will get the job done when required. So there is no need to worry. The best advice you have received so far is go to the range and try several. Number 2,3,4 would have to be practice, practice, and practice. For concealment I am looking at the Khar K9 or K40. Is this just for an all around handgun or for some specific purpose? (ie. CCW, Home defense, target range...)


In a world of compromise...some men don't...H&K

[Uri’el-2012]

I teach NRA Personal Protection courses for CCW permits.

Rule number one for the selection of a carry gun is "Functional Reliability"

I carry a Glock 23 and a Glock 27, both chambered for .40 S&W.

LibertyNetwork

also see Top Glock

[newwahoo]

"Do we assume you have looked at everything else and have narrowed the list to these three?"

Nope! Someone did all that for me. I've got almost no say in this at all.

[TJFLSTRAT]

If your a novice shooter, a semi auto may not be the best weapon for you, since a lack of rigidity while shooting may cause the shooters arm to absorb some of the recoil, and thus the cartridge may not completly be ejected {stove piping}. My advice , is go with a snub nosed .357 revolver, and if you must use a semi auto, get one without a manual safty, go with a Glock, or a H & K P7M8 . The H & K P7M8 has a unique "squeeze cocker" , where a lever on the front of the butt, must be squeezed before the gun can fire. So here you have a semi auto that can be drawn and fired with one motion, as well as a weapon that cant be fired by a small child.

[AnAmericanMother]

There's an echo in here . . . .

Word for word! :-D (Hope it's never happened to you!)

Wahoo, I'm curious . . . why 9mm? My dad fought in WWII (N Africa and Italy), and he said he saw plenty of GIs survive being shot with a Luger, but he never saw a live German with a .45 hole in him. And even though we have to consider the current Pope's great holiness, he STILL took 4-5 9mm rounds at almost point blank range and not only walked away, he has lived many, many more years in relatively good health until recently.

Also, if you ever take up reloading, 9mm is a screaming pain to reload, because of the tapered case, and if you squash it it can mess up your headspace.

[umgud]

Sorry, when you said "rookie", I didn't connect this was a job issue..... I'm not a Glock fan, though this is only because the handful I've shot didn't feel comfortable. I don't own Sigs but have a lot of time with them and they feel good to handle and shoot... Go with what feels best.