I used to carry a P239 in .357 SIG. It was loud, with lots of muzzle flash, but it was very accurate and very reliable. .357 SIG feeds like a dream since it's a bottleneck cartridge. Ammo is expensive and relatively hard to come by though. That was the main reason I went back to 9mm and .45 auto.

 

I had a .357 SIG barrel custom made made for my P99 .40 S/W...the .357 SIG's cartridge fit in the .40 S/W magazine. Makes for some interesting range trips. People ask if I have the 9MM or .40 P99...sometimes I say .357 SIG sometimes I say .40 S/W. But I'd rather shoot my 1911...either will do well in a gun fight..

R/
Craig

 

For rec/HD shooting, I like the Springfield XD 45 with the 5" barrel. Holds 13+1, which is a lot power in one magazine. But I would not use this for hunting: pickup up a Ruger Superblackhawk in 44mag. While not the ultimate powerhouse that some of the new calibers are, you can still get a lot of power out of it and the ammo and guns are not out of site price wise. I have seen [not shot yet ] some Buffalo Bore ammo in a +p+ configuration that is listed at 1650 ft-lbs of energy..... Not much that you can't hunt in North America with that.

You can pick up both and still have a little left over out of the $1300.00 for ammunition.


Woof
Bowser

 

My next door neighbor has a Desert Eagle .50 cal. That's a BEAST.

But, with DE, they all look about the same size, the .357, the .44, and the .50. But, the price ramps up exponentially. The last time I priced a DE .50, it was $1,500.00. The .357 was $900.

I've always wanted a .45, but when it comes to handguns, I was cheap. I wanted a Ruger 9MM, they were about $370.00. What turned me off from Ruger, was that the first two the guy showed me were both "malfunctioning". Lended a LOT of weight to a good friend of mine's argument for a revolver instead of a pistol. The only revolver I ever fired was a .38 Special.

With the Ruger, I don't want to ever be in a position where I "Need" my gun, but if I ever did- I certainly don't want one that's unreliable.

I bought a little .380 (Belly gun) ($220). Big bullet, short range.
When they started breakign into homes back home, I gave it to my Mom.

I need another one. After seeing how Cheap the Glock 19 was, I might pick up one of those... Gotta hide it from the wife though- now that we have a baby, she doesn't want any handguns in the house. 3-4 times a year here in Big D, some baby kills themself, or a friend, by getting Mommy or Daddy's gun.

 

Might look at the Springfield XD: had the Glock, but the SA-XD fits my hand much better-> I have a large paw and it fits it well. Also, look into one of the biometric safes [like the Secure Logic]. It fits into the wall and has a biometric sensor for quick access. I have kids in the house and the HD gun is locked up in this in our bedroom.

Woof
Bowser

 

Yeah, that 45 looks sweet, not a bad price either. I'm looking to stay cheap, so the 4" barrell would do for me. The concealed carry permit in Texas is $400 too. At least it was. Who knows, it may be even more expensive now.

My best friend picked his up from a police auction- I guess every so often they get new firearms. He had a chrome plated Beretta 9mm.

 

kimber custom TLE 2, i love that gun, sold my springfeild 1911 to get the kimber 45, thing works like a dream, best 1911, IMO

 

A wise man once told me, "Never skimp on anything that goes in your stomach, on your feet, or in your holster."

 

That use to be the case when Autos first came out and before higu quality control and modern technology. Nowadays, the $350 Glock will be as reliable, if not more than the $2500 raceguns. But common sense is required too; The Saturday Night special wont go bang first time, everytime.

 

but now the .45GAP is becoming more and more popular. from what I've herd, the PA state police might be switching to it with the G37.

 

I have always hated the feel and sights on a glock, but they are good guns!

 

I'm with ya on that. Very accurate guns. I think the feel of them is horrible. Shooting a glock, in my opinion sucks.

 

You show me where I can buy Glocks NIB for $350/ea. I'll take a 17 and a 26, please.

 

show me where you can find a used Glock for $350.

 

Just have to keep your eyes open. Check gunbroker, the gun forums, occasionally you get a break at a gun show. You have to look hard for the 350 but you can find used ones for under 400. Police depts that are trading to the S&W MP are a good place to look for cheap pistols that are in pretty much unfired condition.