You’ll get no opinions on this forum.....
They're much easier to learn to shoot well IMO and the money you save over a new auto-loader can be put into ammunition, training, and range time.
Just a thought.
I love my Sig P239/9 in a Milt Sparks Versa Max II.
I have a question.
Anyone on the list collect antique handguns?
For the same price as a USP, you could carry five Hi-Point C9’s and at least some of them are bound to work at any given time.
:^)
# Models available = # of opinions you’ll get :)
My 2 pennies - if you ever plan to carry this on a daily basis, make sure its compact enough (and light) to comfortably wear. There are alt of Clint Eastwoods out there who will steer you towards large caliber...but the 9mm have enough energy to be perfectly adequate.
Glock for carry and 12 gauge tactical pump for home defense.
Small pocket nines work best for concealed carry, not so good for target and hunting.
If you want a CCW, then concealment and weight should be top consideration. I think a full nine is the minimum defense weapon, ammo is cheap(er) and easy to find around here.
If your local range has a try before you buy, then that should be your first stop. I find a Glock 19 to be a fine compromise, cheap, and quite re-salable if you don’t like it. I personally carry a Glock 26, the wife goes with the Glock 19. I can drop my 26 in my jeans pocket and you can’t tell it’s there. Both are hard use serviceable.
Not really a Glock fan boy, my all time favorite is a 1911, but cocked and locked doesn’t work for most concealed carry for me. I open carry that.
I’m an HK USP40 owner with no regrets.
Get what you comfortable with
Just get a gun that fits your hand and feels right.
Kimber is great in .45. Love it and the feel. Shoot it all day long. Requires a tool to break down. Don’t care, just love the darn thing.
USP is also terrific and breaks like a traditional pistol. No tools.
As for accessories, it’s a personal thing.
Would recommend a Serpa Holster and place a piece of stairway strip on the release mechanism for greater feed back on your trigger finger.
Go to your local range and rent the Kimber Tac II and the USP. See which one you like.
I would tell you more but I have no recent experience with guns, due to a boating accident.
the pissin match on .45 vs 9mm begins in 3...2...1
Have you handled the P30 or the HK45(not to be confused with the HK45C)? The grips are fantastic. I own a P30. I’ve run 1500 or so rounds through it in the past year and never had a failure of any sort. All sorts of different brands of ammo as well.
As for concealment, they’re all pretty big but HKS great guns.
Check out the new 9mm. Ruger SR9C.
The best handgun for home defense is not a handgun at all. Remington 870... accept no substitute.
If you have a shooting range available that will rent these weapons for practice I would recommend going there and trying each of them. (it would be worth traveling some distance to find a range that rents)
Buy the one that fits your hand the best and points naturally to the target.
If you intend to use this weapon for self defense remember if you should need this weapon to save your life at that particular moment you will be under extreme stress, you will need a weapon that naturally comes to target with little more than your pure instincts.
After buying the weapon then practice, practice, practice drawing and pointing. When that becomes natural then proceed to drawing and dry firing (with a dry fire cartridge). When that becomes natural proceed to actual drawing and firing.
The best choice for a self defense weapon is a purely individual one. But remember to purchase safety slugs when loading for home defense. You do not want to shoot through a wall and injure or kill an unintended person. Most any caliber of handgun will shoot through at least one wall and still be lethal.
Glock 19.
I sold my SIG P229 to buy one.
I like/love SIGs, but the simplicity of the Glock is unmatched. It’s also a lot lighter and more concealable than the SIG.
get your butt down to the range, get your hands on all the ones you are considering, and try them out. you may think a sig or HK is great, but it may not fit your hands, or PoA may be not quite right, or you may detest the trigger.
also consider size and weight for carrying. a full size kimber is a great gun, comfortable to shoot, etc., but all that steel will weigh you down, be uncomfortable, and won’t always comform to your body if you sit down alot.
a good all around calibre would be 9mm. i personally don’t care for it, but it is less expensive to shoot than .40 or .45, and has a lot less recoil. if you plan on shooting alot, consider it. however if you plan to roll your own, check out the .45. they tend to be more forgiving on tolerances.
The Glocks are very popular - for good reason, and the XDs are a very nice gun, but I prefer a 1911 .45, and Kimber makes several nice ones for CC.
.45 is far superior to 9mm in stopping power, but makes for more difficult CC and/or smaller capacity mags.
Some questions you want to ask yourself. Do you need protection for your home, or while you are out and about? How big is your hand? Getting a gun with the right feel is important. How readily available is ammunition for certain guns in your area? How expensive is ammunition? You will want to practice quite a bit, I am sure. Understand the pros and cons of semi-automatic pistols vs revolvers. My only advice is to get a pistol that will go through 2 layers of drywall that still has its stopping power. I am told a .357 and higher will do this.