Luis,

If I had the chance to pick out a pistol-competition models excluded-I'd go with a Sig 226. I used to rent one from a local range and loved that thing.
I could rapid fire the load (15+1) into a 3 inch group @ 20 ft. in 6 or 7 seconds, keeping in mind I'm an average at best shooter. Crap, now I feel like buying one.

Handgun speaking, I own a very old 1911 .45, a S&W 44 Magnum, a Taurus 357 Magnum, and an older Colt Python 357 Magnum. Out of all of them I enjoy shooting the 45 the most. Easy to control, easy to group, and if you're getting it for a carry weapon, the knockdown power is among the best. AND, they make every accessory you could want for them.

Look into a subscription to the Gun List. You may want join a gun club in your area. You'd be surprised at how many guys out there have LOTS of guns and are more than happy to let you shoot 'em. Good luck and happy shooting!

SL

 

Never fired one, but read this
The last sentence about the first shot worries me if it's to be used for carry or home defense use.

SL

 

Man you guys really know which guns to tempt me with! The sigg 226 would be in the running if not for its price ($800+) but its kinda in the same boat as the 1911. That gun has had nothing but praise everywhere ive looked and is serving our Govt and military these days as I understand it.

Thanks for that link snappy. That gun is out of the running now. Looked good at $300 but I guess you get what you pay for. Sounds like it would just make a better toy than anything else. Oh and BTW I would LOVE to have that Colt Python. To bad there going for about $1000 these days.

Im heading to the range this morning to try a few more. Ill report back afterwards. Thanks again for the imput guys, keep'em coming!

Later,

Luis S

 

Sometimes, you can find police trade in or certified pre owned Sigs for good prices. Sig Sauer makes a top notch pistol, you won't be out or undergunned with a Sig.

 

Not a bad idea Quintin but I wouldnt even know where to start to look for them. That and Id actually prefer to buy new...

Any of you guys have experience buying from gun shows? Am I just better off buying locally? Pros and cons? Im looking to possibly buy today so let me know. If its worth it Ill wait for the show.

thanks again,

luis S

 

Ok just got back from the range. .45 is sweet. Good grouping with it for my part but it may be a bit much for the wife. looking at a glock 26 for carry or something similar. The wife and I both liked the feel very much especailly with the extension.Taurus has some nice affordable guns, any thoughts on them? Also saw Para-Ordanance? How are they? Talked to 2 instructors and really got some good info and tips from them. Between them and you guys Im starting to be able to narrow it down. Pretty sure its going to be a glock at this point but them little sub-nosed looked pretty good for carry also. Are they hard to shoot and be accurate?

Thanks again guys,

Luis S

 

I carry the next size up Glock, the 19, from time to time. Concealability is a concern, don't get me wrong, but in general you should try to carry the biggest (physically, not necessarily caliber wise) pistol you can. They're easier to shoot, more sight radius, and depending on the gun, they're usually more reliable. A good holster and belt can make any pistol within reason disappear.

Take the next frame size up Glocks (19, 23, 32, 38) for a spin if you can. I think that frame size strikes the perfect balance between concealability, shootability, and magazine capacity.

I don't have any personal experience with Paras, although I've read that they can be kinda finicky out the box. And their LDA guns, well, there's just something morally wrong to me with a double action 1911.

 

Ive shot the 19 several times. Nice gun for sure but I feel it was maybe a a bit bigger that id like. Shooting the 21 today was nice and I felt I had more control even though it was a larger round. Like I said the wife and I are short so it has to be something that can be carried comfortably. The instructors at the range made a similar recomendation like yours in fact. To me though if I were going big it would be the 1911. Right now Im looking at pricing for a Glock 26 or 36. They had the 26 for589 but that seems high. The Glock 36 seems to be going closer to that price. And its .45 which I like.

I think whats going to happen is ill wind up getting the 26 first for the wife in 9mm and then Ill get the 36 later for myself in .45. Ill make a few calls this week for pricing but I may have to wait for the gun show to actually make a purchase.

Thanks again,

Luis S

 

My local dealer sells Glock 26s for about $520-550ish, $589 is okay if it has night sights on it I guess, still seems a bit steep.

 

I LOVE the Springfield XD in .40 cal....Ive got a .45 also, which is nice but the .40 feels more balanced and I get better groups from the .40
Personally, I woulnt even consider a 9mm over the .40. Its a great caliber that groups tight. Most LEO are going with the .40 over the 9mm now

 

Nope, $589 bone stock. Seemed a little high to me as well. Found an online price of $486 at a shop in miami using gallery of guns.com's search feature. Not sure how the purchase works but Ill look into it to save a $100 bucks. Im feeling the .40 as well for the glock. Might be a nice compromise for us. Shes going to take courses with me so Im sure she'll learn to handle it fine. I just have to get her to shoot it a few times.

Thanks Again,

Luis S

 

The .40 S&W is snappy in a G27 because from the factory you can only wrap TWO (2) fingers around the grip. Way too compact of a frame for a bullet that uses such a fast burning powder. The addition of a $10 extention makes recoil MUCH more maneagable, but after a hundred rounds or so your wrists will hurt. The 9mm isn't too snappy IMO because it uses lighter grain ammo than the .40.

The .45ACP is mammaries IMHO. Most people are intimidated by the size of the round, they shouldn't be. The .45 uses a slow burning powder and the recoil is more of a push back into the palm rather than the wrist snapping nature of the .40. As for the Springfield, hell yes. I want one, no make that two. $500 is a little on the low end for the 1911 compacts unless you find a used one. Case in point, I know someone who picked up a Kimber Ultra CDP II with the custom shop meltdown treatment ($300) and chock full of Wilson Combat parts for $689! Smokin deal

ETA: I've never shot the P99, but I have shot it's little brother the P22. Nice pistol, but again it's all in your personal opinion. I'd shoot a P99. but I probably would not buy one. Again JMHO

 

Although I hate to disagree with you Quintin, the size of the gun is irrelevant. Its becomes the familiararity with the gun and frequent practice that makes the shot. I have multiple handguns, and the one I shoot most accurately is a glock model 30 subcompact .45 I also have the sig p225 with lasermax in barrel, and a Kimber TLE/RL 1911. Along with my Colt Trooper
.357, walther P22, Kel-tec .32, and Beretta .22 I have become accustomed to all the different methods of carry and style of fire.

Now, being a rookie looking for ease, I'd recommend a glock bar none. A 4 year old could strip, clean, and reassemble that gun without an issue. Take for example mine:


A fine .45 thats easily cared for ( I have regreased it once in 5 years, and its never missfired) You can get the huge mags for fun at the range, but the stock 10 round is enough (If you need more than 10 shots, you don't need to shoot back) about $569 back when I bought it

The Sig P225 (9mm) is a great gun for range shooting and a home weapon

Mine has the lasermax in barrel which is a fun toy, but more of a pain to shoot with at close range. You get to worry more about where the damn dot is than aiming, so only get it for fun if you so elect. About $700 with laser

The Kimber TLE/RL, the mother of all 1911's. Carried by LAPD swat. Most likely out of your range at over $1000, however worth mentioning as it shoots sweet as peaches

My favorite to shoot of all my guns, however not very concealable. I never concealed when I carried, even with permit. I just carried it in my hand or carried one of my little pea shooters when in the mall or somethin.

The S&W P99. A fine weapon, relatively simple to disassemble, clean, oil, and reassemble after a few times. A good overall gun, although I don't own one. I have the Walther P22 which is the .22 caliber version. The picture is a walther, but they are identical for all intense purposes

 

Ummmmm... I'm going to have to disagree with you on the difference in powders between 45 and 40. The reloading manuals I have both list most of the same powders for each round. There are of course a couple suggested for the 40 but not the 45 and the other way around. The recoil differences you've noticed may have been due to weights of the guns. 1911's are heavy by nature, much more so than your average 40.

I owned a P99 and put several thousand rounds through it before it was stolen. It was a great weapon, and I'd highly recommend it. I am still considering purchasing another. The one that I bought to replace the P99 was a Kimber Pro-carry 1911. I liked that it was a little bit thinner, more firepower, and easy to conceal.

 

Good description of the difference in feel between .45 and 9mm. Thats exactly what I noticed today. The 9 and the 40 was a little weird to group but the .45 felt natural. Oh and the grip extension is a given, plus it ups the total capacity so Im sold on it. I wish I could find a nice 1911 cheap concealed carry be damned. Id buy it and love it Thats why Im thinking of waiting till the gun show. Any of you guys ever score good deals at them?

For now Ill call around and see what kind of pricing I can get...

thanks again,

Luis S