I live in the Netherlands, guns here are a different thing then in the USA. We can only shoot guns for sports (or hunters can too) so people here got more sport type guns. So not a lot of concealed guns over here and action shooting/IPSC is not too common too. Loads of people shoot .22 because for the competitions.
I bought a Ruger GP-100 .357 revolver with 6 inch barrel but like I said it’s for sports usage and I will hand load ammo for that purpose (it also shoots .38 wad cutters and that is really good for cardboard shooting). But it will be mostly used single action.
Will buy a 9mm (HK P-30L, CZ Phantom or Walther PPQ), a .45 (HK45) and AR-15 (maybe a HK416) too next year to do IPSC. Prices are really low over here for used weapons because the number of shooters went from 60k to 40k so there is a lot of used weapons out there no one will buy (also we can only own a maximum of 5 guns). But AR-15’s and such are really, really expensive. SIG MPX is 1800 dollars, here it’s 2800 euro!
As for what I would advice for home defense, well stuff like Glock, you almost cannot go wrong there. They are cheap and really reliable and lots of add-ons and cheap magazines. I am more of a HK guy, loved the USP because of the nice recoil and it’s built like a tank. Check out the HK VP-9 but it’s a little more expensive but has a really good trigger and is like a Glock to use but is even more ergonomic and can be used left-handed out of the box. Smith & Wesson M&P or Walther (PPQ has a great trigger but is expensive) have similar firearms. Also check out CZ, they have some awesome guns and over here lots of people use them. Walther and HK have different magazine drop levers so that could be something to think about. VP-9 is also sold with push button though.
But what is most important is what really fits your hand. SIG P226 are really to big for me for instance and the HK P-30l and VP-9 can be customized out of the box to fit most hands. So don’t buy something just because it’s said to be good, hold it and ask to test it if possible. The fit and handling are so important.
Check this link:
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-handgun-beginners-home-defense/
Like I said above, get a trigger job on that GP-100 and I guarantee you will shoot it double action a LOT more often. It makes a world of difference.
“I live in the Netherlands”
Thanks for the reply. The link you gave is a gold mine as well.
Today’s global-ness still amazes me. I write something and get a reply from the Netherlands.