Posted on 10/11/2008 7:48:11 PM PDT by eaglegso
I own a S&W 357 (Long, freakin' barreled handgun) that can not be carried around at all, it's too long. I got it from my grandfather, when he passed!
I own a Walther PPK, I sold my P99 recently. But I decided to go in to a dealer today, just to see something new with some more stopping power than the PPK. They tried to sell me on a Glock 19 (which I liked alot actually). I went and shot it, in the shooting range, and I would like to get your honest opinion on that gun!
I want something with some stopping power, than a PPK. I know the PPK will not give me the stopping power I need, so I will ask you, and hope you can give me some honest responses on a Glock 19. What do you think?
Is the Glock 19 a great gun?
I want a really good reliable handgun for myself with some stopping power, beside the PPK.
Glock 19 - Good Gun??
1) Stopping power. Jack O’Conner used to point out that a bullet that penetrated something important had stopping power. One that penetrates something unimportant will not.
Most bad guys won’t be wearing body armor, so being able to shoot accurately from a close distance (preferably without sights) may be a better indication of stopping power than bullet energy.
I had a .22 pistol that I had fired 10K plus rounds out of...pulled it on 8 guys in a remote area who were thinking robbery. 6 shots wouldn’t have been enough, but I knew the gun so well that I was certain 6 of the 8 would die of head shots. Guess my confidence was contagious, because all 8 decided not to press the matter.
2) Small size is good. You cannot use what you are not carrying. I spent 6 months in Afghanistan carrying a Beretta everywhere - and boy! Was I ever glad to stop doing that!
3) Guns are very personal. I have small hands, and the S&W Model 29 I once owned - a great gun - just didn’t fit. I could shoot it accurately when sighted, but it was very awkward to shoot without sights. How the gun fits your hand and arm may be more important than how other people think.
DOH! That's right. I meant to say Glock 23.
Some will argue about the "stopping power" of a 9mm, but I think it's a good compromise between a manageable caliber, number of rounds that the magazine holds, and stopping power.
If you buy one, consider getting tritium sights. Also, make sure you buy the full capacity (15 rd) magazines and not the reduced capacity ones (10 rd).
Get some training and make sure you understand your legal rights around using a firearm for self defense. Buy a book on the topic and read it.
My search had me looking closer at the Glock. I happened upon a pretty good deal on a Glock 19 with three fifteen-round pre-ban magazines. I took the deal with the idea that if I didn’t like it, I knew that I could make a hundred bucks by selling it to some poor guy who didn’t mind carrying a plastic gun.
I shot it and liked it. I didn’t want to carry it on the belt, but still wanted to be able to conceal it when necessary. I sent off for a Galco Miami Classic shoulder holster with a double magazine pouch. It proved to be a comfortable, reliable rig. The gun shoots every brand of 9mm ammo that I have tried in it, along with a couple of different handloads that I had worked up for another gun. The frame and slide are smooth and rounded, like a used bar of soap, and don’t have any sharp corners to hang on clothing or slow the draw. I added a good set of tritium night sights for low-light shooting. It had a good balance of weight, firepower, concealability, and shootability. It was a good defense rig.
MORE ON THE GLOCKs (good link too) http://www.google.com/cse?cx=004750609532512547279%3Aajbsworgcos&ie=UTF-8&q=Glock&sa=Search
This was from 2004: The Smith & Wesson SW9VE is a reliable weapon that is well suited for personal defense or police work. It is accurate enough to fulfill its intended purpose, and feels great in my hand, and to those others that tried the weapon. The last great thing about this pistol is its price. The suggested retail is just $369, but I have seen this gun retail for around 280 bucks. That is about half the price of a new Glock. The Smith comes with two magazines, a lockable hard plastic case, instruction manual, a cable lock, and Smith & Wesson’s lifetime warranty.
http://www.gunblast.com/SWSigma9.htm
Good luck with your choice.
Yup, an you gotta love all the arguments for the 10mm short (.40) considering there’s th G29.
I hit a running rabid skunk once at 20 + yards on the second shot once, to the amazement of my DH & son. Whatever you decide upon, practice, practice, practice.
I love my G29. Fits my hand like a glove. I’ve even managed to do a smiley face or two with it ;) Bought a few hicaps for the house.
I also have the SW9VE. I wanted an inexpensive 9mm as I didn’t have that caliber. And I paid $219 for it.
I was very impressed with the accuracy. I can shoot a gnat off a fly’s ass at 15meters. Only problem is the trigger pull is long and hard. Yeah, yeah, I know. “That’s what she said.”
I really like my Bersa .380. It is accurate, feels good in your hand, and looks good. Aside from jamming a few times during break-in, it has been very reliable. I realize it is a “cheap” gun, but it is fantastic for the price.
It also has the benefit of being compact for easy carry.
I own one. kept it when I sold most of my other guns.
Get +P hollowpoints. Otherwise a 9mm is marginal for self-defense.
If you want real discretion, look at the Kahr MK9.
Had one with the frontstrap hand-checkered and tritium sights.
Almost wept when I sold it.
The Glock actually has three safeties.
None of them are the “little button” or the “lever”, though.
In my opinion the Glock 36 (.45 caliber) is an exceptional choice. In has a small overall dimension which is ideal for concealment but still has the superior “knock-down” power of a .45 Colt ACP.
There is a trade off in the amount of ammunition it holds (7/w 1 chambered) but even a “flesh” wound from a .45 is most devastating.
And, of course, it IS a GLOCK! I’ve been a long time advocate of them since I purchased my first one over 20 years ago (GLOCK 17)
even though the weapon was designed in Austria, they are mad here in Smyrna, Ga. The model 17 was the number of attempts in the design to achieve the desired results. It was merely a coincidence that this first mass production model held 17 9mm rounds in the clip.
check out this link for more info: http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/glockpistols.htm
Is it perfect? Hardly... but neither is anything else.
Mr. niteowl77
Federal Hydra-Shoks.
Depends what you want to stop.
THe G19 is a very reliable firearm. I knew a fellow who was in harms way overseas alot in the 90’s and he carried a 17 and 19. Many times he was forced to use crappy foreign surplus ammo of dubious quality, and the gun never failed to function.
I don’t care for the way it fits my hand, plus I’m a revolver and 1911 fan.
Tell us some more about this .357 you inherited... :)
I’m always interested in reading comments about guns and what people like to carry and shoot. I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments from everyone here.
I came at the carry issue from perhaps a slightly different perspective. If I had to use a handgun in self defense, I wanted the first shot to be as devastating as reasonably possible. I decided that meant a .45.
I started out carrying a Taurus PT-145 in a belly band. That worked fine, but I was unhappy about how accurate I was. My #2 son who has shot IPSA matches for 20 years didn’t have any problem with the gun, but compared to him, I really stunk. Embarrassingly so.
My #3 son has carried a 1911 Kimber for a long time. He demonstrated that he really didn’t have a problem concealing a big 1911...even with jeans and a T-shirt. So...when I ran across a bargain used Para Ordnance Nite-Tac, I bought it. I was much more satisfied with my accuracy with this gun, but Lord it’s heavy with 15 rounds in it...about 54 ounces if I remember correctly. A nylon shoulder holster worked pretty well, but I ended up being happier with my own Rube Goldberg rig...a wide polypropylene belt, Blackhawk holster and double nylon magazine carrier supported by wide strong Lowe’s work suspenders. You wouldn’t notice all this when I’m wearing a loose shirt or jacket.
The downside of the double stack Para for me turned out to be the lack of a Crimson Trace laser that would fit. Since the premises here are an estrogen free zone, I talked this issue over with my handsome Bengal tomcat. We decide that I had to have a single stack 1911 and maybe one with a lighter frame. I fell for a S&W Scandium framed Gunsite edition 1911PD and added Crimson Trace laser grips. A HS classmate who is a gunsmith worked on the springs and didn’t have to do any honing to get a 3.5 pound trigger. I love this gun.
The fact that the Luddites at the IDPA won’t let me use the laser sight should tell you something. I suspect that you have much finer control putting that red dot on a target than is possible for most with a sight picture. The three who have shot my S&W were surprised that they were more accurate with the S&W than their own guns. I highly recommend laser sights. They are expensive, but I think you will be very pleased with the result.
While the discussion here has been about automatics, I’m surprised no one has mentioned super light titanium or Scandium framed .38s. The sheriff here doesn’t wear a uniform all the time and carries a titanium Taurus under a sport coat. You do have to be careful with +P ammo...a light grip can get you torn skin.
I shoot these .45s quite a bit with 2 of my sons. Reloading with semi-wad cutters gets the cost down to 11 cents/round which beats the hell out of Walmart white box Winchesters at 32 cents/round.
No matter what automatic you shoot, I think this Todd Jarrett lesson will help you. It sure helped me.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4584332856867071363
Some of the XD models have a nifty design features. One is that you can use the supplied shorter magazine which makes the entire gun smaller and more concealable.
With a simple mag change, you're back to a full sized pistol.
If you're looking at Glocks, I recommend you check out the Springfields.
L
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