Handgun Choice - Help Please

2oakes

[2oakes]

I am trying to choose a handgun for a variety of purposes - target, practical pistol and also for home defense.

I used to shoot a bit when I was in the UK until they took our guns away, but since moving to the US and gaining citizenship, I wish to take up shooting again.

I have been pointed to the Sig Sauer P226 which fits my hands just fine (the Glock 21 is just too big) but would like to seek the opinions of other Freepers before buying.

Thank you

David

[OKSooner]

Like Travis says, welcome to the USA.

My first choice for a GP, NON-CCW handgun? I recently acquired a Ruger GP100 six-shooter in .357 magnum with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights. In two months, I've learned to shoot it better than I EVER shot that old Smith N-Frame it replaced. Plus my wife shoots it too, whereas the grips on the old Smith were too big for her and the Ruger is at least manageable for her small hands. It's really making me even more of a revolver bigot.

[Woahhs]

Isn't it nice to be a part of a nation that you can be passionate about...no matter where you came from?

Mankind has always had kings and princes, generals and gentry, but only in America can you be one by being you.

[Mr. Mojo]

I like revolvers for concealed carry -- specifically, the Ruger SP-101 .357 2.25". Its beefy and well proportioned frame tames the .357 round much better than any S&W J-frame, and it's as tough as nails.

It's quite possible that if you use a handgun in close quarters battle that both you and your assailant will end up wrestling, and this is where revolvers shine. They will fire 100% of the time, even from funky angles with a questionable grip on the piece. In addition, and opposed to a semiauto, they can be placed against the perps body and fired repeatedly (without jamming).

[Shooter 2.5]

I forgot to mention.
The Complete Book of Combat Handgunning by Chuck Taylor
Cartridges of The World By Frank Barnes
The Complete Guide To Guns and Shooting by John Malloy

1.All guns are loaded
2.Never let the muzzle cover[or point at] anything you are not willing to destroy.
3.Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target.
4.Be sure of your target.

[Gore_ War_ Vet]

Whatever you do DO NOT pick one of these up!

S&W Mod 625 .45ACP

You may never want to put it down.

[El Gato]

45ACP is not that hot, but it certainly recoils MUCH harder than 9mm, and somewhat harder than 40SW.

I guess I react more to muzzle blast than recoil, since I dislike shooting 9 mm or .357, probably because of their sharper "crack". It might come from being mostly a shotgunner until I was about 35. Their recoil can be pretty stout, but it's more of a shove than a kick and their muzzle blast is not nearly so sharp. That's aside from occasional sessions with my Grandfather-in-law's .22 short Browning rifle. That's why I was careful to say "perceived recoil" the .45 has more muzzle momentum and that should lead to stronger recoil, all else being equal, which it's not of course.

[AnAmericanMother]

You raise an important point.

There is a difference in the "quality" of the recoil between smaller calibers such as 9mm and .380 (9mm kurz) and the .45 ACP. Your characterisation of it as more a shove than a kick is IMNSHO right on the money. I find the "shove" of the .45 (maybe because the recoil is spread out over a longer time - even though we're talking milliseconds) much less annoying than the sharp "kick" or punch of a .380. The .380 also tends to twist in my hand (even the extension on the magazine doesn't really give enough grip) while the .45 pushes straight up and back. As I said before, the PPK's only real redeeming quality (aside from its meticulous German workmanship) is its small size and concealability.

[AnAmericanMother]

BTW, I also began as a shotgunner (with my granddad's Parker Trojan 16 ga.) so maybe that is a factor.

[weaponeer]

You can convince people that Glocks are better than 1911s without pretending the only ones on the market are top end custom jobs that cost more than a teenager's auto insurance premium.

Just to pass on my perspective....... I've had 5 different 1911s over the years, a Gold Cup National Match, a MkIV Series 70 Gov't Model, a Series 70 Combat Commander, a Norinco clone, and finally a Wilson Combat CQB. NONE of these (some with considerable tweaking) were ever reliable enough for defensive carry. The Wilson CQB comes close. I haven't been able to make it choke on factory ammo, but the tight chamber means that I REALLY have to take pains on making reloads for competition.

I've had a lot of different handguns over the years, and when it comes to protecting me and my family, there is only one that I'll trust. Glock.

[weaponeer]

Maybe hypothetically a .45 will recoil more than 9mm, but as a practical matter it doesn't happen because the manufacturers lighten up the weight on the 9mms. The Browning "Lo-Power" (sorry! couldn't resist!) probably shoots better because as a military pistol it weighs more than your average 9mm . . .

Hi Mom! I shoot both a 1911 (Wilson Combat CQB) and a Glock 9mm (Glock 34) in competitions. (Yeah, yeah, I know, you're supposed to get good with ONE gun, but I really enjoy shooting them both.) Although the 1911's recoil doesn't hurt or increase flinch or whatever over a 9mm, the unavoidable increased muzzle flip on a stock gun necessarily increases the time it takes to get back on target for the follow up shots. I really enjoy shooting a well tuned 1911, and have shot zillions of rounds with one. Given that both have the same level of combat accuraccy, I will ALWAYS shoot a better score with the Glock 34 9mm than with the 1911 just because of the decreased inter-shot time.

So I still shoot the 1911 .45, even knowing that my scores will be worse, just because it FEELs GOOD to shoot that old warhorse. Peace.

[weaponeer]

You raise an important point. There is a difference in the "quality" of the recoil between smaller calibers such as 9mm and .380 (9mm kurz) and the .45 ACP.

That is a very good point. And probably more to do with the locking design (blowback vs. link, etc.), the weight, and maybe the burn rate of the powder in the cartridge, than the caliber. I also have a sexy PPK/S in .380 that I just love, but after putting 50 rounds through it, and bleeding from the webbing between thumb and forefinger, I'm looking to go do something else! (But I still won't give it up. Just wish it was a little more reliable.) Peace.

[Mr. Lucky]

If you subscribe, or can find a copy, look at the cover of this month's American Legion magazine. The cover story, titled Tip of the Spear describes the awsome lethality of the Marines aboard the Belleau Wood as they deploy to send Saddam to an early rendevous with Osama and Satan.

Note that every single Marine pictured is packing a 1911A1 .45 ACP. Quite an endorsement.

[AnAmericanMother]

I've never shot a 9mm much at all, I've shot my little PPK/S a good deal but never bloodied up my hand . . . for THAT I had to resort to a friend's S&W (pre sell-out) .44 Mag. I had probably put 10-20 rounds through it when I noticed my hand was bleeding. Turned out the recoil had shaken the cylinder release loose, and the stupid thing turned around and gouged a big triangular chunk out of my thumb.

Recoil was so great I didn't notice when it happened. Like somebody on this thread said, all magnums are good for is shooting engine blocks, and folks in the next county. And gouging thumbs. :-D

There are so many variables in scoring performance that I'm not sure that caliber is the only consideration. I shot for awhile with a .38 Super - built on a 1911A1 frame, with a Bar-Sto barrel. The ballistics are hotter than a standard 9mm, it's a flat-shooting little rascal. (When I used the competition loads I could only load 'em once because the primer pockets melted. I needed the Bar-Sto barrel because the standard barrel has a cutaway on the side, and the brass bulged so bad through the cutaway that it wouldn't always eject. :-0 ) I used it for metallic silhouette because the .45 ACP falls off way too fast. But I NEVER shot as well with the .38 Super as I did with the .45. I've shot a lot of .38 S&W in the old Enfield and .38 Special in both Colt & S&W. Again, even with wad-cutters I never scored like I did with the 1911A1.

Probably just an extreme case of believing in the weapon one has trained with . . . sort of like the (possibly apocryphal) Polish lancers up against the Panzers . . . :-)

[Blue Collar Christian]

357 magnum in an L or N frame S&W are almost mellow. Got to admit 44 magnum is too much gun for personal defense, unless you are being attacked by someone 100 yards away(that ain't gonna happen in your house)but it sho nuff kills game inside 100 yards if you like to stalk up close and hunt with handguns. For personal defense I like my L frame 696 in 44 special. Only 5 rounds, but extremely accurate, and the boogyman shudders starin' down a .44 and seeing hollow points. Doesn't kick much either.

So, Dave, If you're still reading what you started, buy a bunch of guns if you can, while you can. And practice, practice, practice.

[AnAmericanMother]

.44 Special is a grand old caliber. I prefer it to the .44 Mag which is just too much gun for anything but handgun hunting, like you say.

.44 Special is renowned in GA because there used to be a superior court judge in Early County who was known as "Judge Two Gun Charlie Worrell" because he presided with two loaded .44 Bulldog revolvers on the bench and used one for a gavel (with an empty chamber under the hammer I devoutly hope.) He was a great big man, an ex-Texas Ranger and Industrial League baseball umpire (the second job was definitely the more dangerous) with an absolutely square head and no neck whatsoever. My dad used to go bird hunting with him. He was quite a character . . . and there was definitely ORDER in his court. The lawyers were all terrified of him. He once offered to "go out back" and settle a point of law with a lawyer in his court. I don't know if they actually fought or not. All sorts of amazing stories are told about him, almost all true.

[2oakes]

Yup,

I'm still reading!

Found a great gunshop in Mason, MI with someone willing to spend an hour going over dozens of handguns. I'm going back on the weekend to shoot a handful of them on the range.

I think after reading all the above posts many times that I may go for a .40 caliber from either SIG, Glock, H&K, or ParaOrdinance.

I'll shoot them all and pick the most accurate in my hand...

Many Thanks

David

[SCDogPapa]

you said ".44 Special is a grand old caliber."

I agree 100%!!

The .44 Special Tarus(sp??) I have,, shoots like a dream. It is the best shooting revolver, I have ever shot.

But,,I still like my Springfield 1911. :-)

[FNG]

I had many 1911 Jammament Models too, and the 9mm and 10mm were the only feed reliable ones. I have watched many a 1911 choke at matches when the other designs kept on ticking. S&W .45s seem to have a much better feed angle from the mag. The 3 of them that I had fed perfectly.