Buying a handgun.

[gac]

I was at a gun store today thinking about a carry gun. The Glock 21 does not have much recoil. It's a big gun with a flexing frame that I think is easier to shoot than the model 22 in .40. I was looking at a model 30 and really liked it.

Get a wheel gun if you like but look at a full size model if you are not going to CCW the weapon.

MKD wins the thread with his P01. I have a PCR (no rail like on the P01) and I like it quite a bit.

[racer88]

I can honestly say that my Glock 19 (gen 2) has never jammed... nearly 3,000 rounds through it. Not once.

Neither has my G27, but with far fewer rounds... around 600.

G23 has some jams, but seemingly only when a light is attached to the rail.

So far, so good on my relatively new FNP-45T with 750 rounds through it.

Oh... also a Colt Pony Pocketlite. Never jammed. About 350 rounds through it.

FNH Five-seveN... 500 rounds. Zero jams.

Am I lucky? Or is it my choice of pistols? Or is it not enough rounds?

PS... Now, my friend's Kimber Ultra Carry II... lots and lots of jams. Seems to be getting better as it's broken in, though.

[vic]

Not to argue, but maybe that has been your experience with semi-autos as far as being reliable...It has not been my experience, I probably have more exposure to issues revolving around the semi-auto's reliability, as I am a certified Law Enforcement and Civilian Firearms Instructor.
I see it everyday, I own 17 semi-autos and there is not a one of them in the bunch that has not jammed at one time or another...guess that's why I carry a revolver on my own time.....Doc :)

yeah you've got more experience than me for sure, which semi-auto's were worst for you and have you had many revolver malfunctions?

[r small]

I've had good luck with the various 9 mm I have owned (Sig 226, Sig 228, Sig 239, and Browning Hi-power). No jams and thousands of rounds fired. I had a Sig .45 (220) that jammed occasionally and a Sig .380 that was a jamamatic. I've owned about a dozen revolvers through the years and never had a jam with a wheelgun. I would trust a duty size 9 or a compact 9 like the Sig 239 for reliability but for small autos in the size range of the Smith J frame I wouldn't have full confidence. For a pocket piece I'll take the .38/.357 snub over the micro 9s and .380s. I trust my Sig 239 but it's too big for a pocket piece.

[Rwb1500]

There exists a couple of problems when it come to the offerings from various companies that have the .45LC/.410 Shot combination. Are you ever going to load up your defensive firearm with .410 shot other than to have some fun at the range and to see what those little pellets will do to paper. (very cool little holes) Well as you already know the human body is not made from paper. The .410 shot is a great defense against snake, but against another two legged dangerous animal it's a whole new ballgame. Unless you use the gunfighter Q-tip technique of sticking the barrel in someone's ear before dropping the hammer. Well....You say I could always shoot the .410 Slugs not shot. Hey that's an Idea! Specially if you buy a gun like this. (which BTW I'm not suggesting). The .410 slugs are roughly the equivalent in power range as the .44 Magnum when coming out of a longer tube. So they should have the power to get the job done. My feeling though is if you want a .44mag then buy a .44mag, they will be more accurate than shooting .410 slugs through a short barrel. So we are left for .45 Long Colt...Great round, Big old bullet moving at slower speeds with lots of power to make big holes in the target, less the recoil of the .45ACP round, making follow up shots easier and the same for hits on targets.
The problem with the .45LC/.410 config. is that the shotgun slug or shot is made for a smooth bore long gun, the .45LC needs twists, turns, spirals called rifling in the barrel to spiral the projectile on a straight trajectory to it's intended target.
Ok the point is this, the .45LC will have to jump a section of the barrel, called the head space, before it can pick up the rifling. The barrels are made this way to also accommodate the .410 shot/slug rounds. What this causes is the bullet to wobble as it leaves the barrel, and at even 21 feet the effects can be readily seen on a paper target of what is called key-holing, which means your bullet is hitting target flying sideways. On the target paper you will see a hole but also the paper target torn or ripped horizontally. No the bullet is not more effective if it hits sideways cause it's bigger, It is indeed less effective as the penetration into the body will be greatly decreased, and will it also prevent a hollowpoint bullet from expanding say from .45 of an inch (45 caliber round) once opened in soft tissue can expand to .75 of an inch or larger depending on the ammunition. So hitting sideways and not expanding as designed translates to a serious flaw with regards to stopping power. Bottom line if you want to shoot .410 shot/slugs...get a shotgun.... .44mags...buy a .44mag and if you want to shoot .45LC, buy a gun chambered for that round...you'll be much happier and better armed.....Doc :)

+1.

Succinctly, the Judge and the Governor are a joke as defensive firearms.

I've probably bought/sold/traded 30 handguns in the past year, and carried most of them. I have a problem, I know.

The only good advice I can give is this;

Shoot the guns you want to before you buy. Find a range that rents handguns. Handle the guns at a gun shop.

Also, if you plan to carry the gun, think through size and weight. A Glock 21 is neither small, nor light. You'll also have to conceal it, (depending on your state and preference).

Lastly, (and I may take flak for this, but I'll stand by it) don't get caught up on caliber. With modern ammunition most handgun rounds are fairly comparable. I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. .40 S&W is only slightly larger and heavier than 9mm, but recoils more, is louder, more muzzle flash, less capacity, and more expensive. .45 acp is a bigger and heavier bullet still, but moves much more slowly, and is very expensive compared to 9mm & even .40. It also decreases capacity even more than .40.

This is an age old argument, and I'm not saying that I favor one or the other ( I like 'em all.) But in my opinion it's foolish to buy a firearm in a large caliber if you have little to no experience shooting it. All sorts of bad habbits can develop from this.

Only my opinion, but I think everyone should start with 9mm in a mid to large framed gun. It's cheap to shoot, fairly gentle on the recoil, and perfectly capable with the right loads.

Some people still insist that .45 acp is the greatest thing ever, nothing else compares, it'll knock a man off his feet, yada yada... It isn't true. I like .45, I carry a 1911 sometimes, but if I had started with it I probably would have hated it.

[Rwb1500]

And since you wanted pics;
















It's slowed down to about a gun a month kinda habit... :D

[Dr. Snubnose]

yeah you've got more experience than me for sure, which semi-auto's were worst for you and have you had many revolver malfunctions?

Let me put it this way ...my own personal firearms...I have a Sig Sauer P220 in .45 ACP, Love the gun it has more than 75,000 rounds of hot ammo through it and it has jammed on me a total of three times. Much better than most the other semi-autos I own, Happened once running a police qualification course the other times at the range...not on the street.....thank god....that's a pretty good track record considering the amount of rounds through the gun. But for me I'm not a betting man, so only three failures are three too many for me to trust. I have two Ruger Sp101s, one with a little more than 60,000 and the other with over 100,000 rounds all hot ammo. Have yet, to include this day had a jam.
Matter of fact in over 30 years of shooting revolvers of all types calibers and sizes, I have only had one malfunction, and that's having fired hundreds of thousands of rounds. I have a S&W Model 60 in .38 Special, over 220,000 rounds and never had a hick up....I like those odds much much better....Doc :D