Hey guys, I was wondering what kind of recommendations you'd have on a good .40, .45, and/or 9mm? I'm going to get one for myself, been meaning to for a long time anyways, so I can bone up on my shooting before I get into the academy next year. The department issues us a Glock .40 but I'm not sure on the particular model. What would you recommend for my personal use for now? I've been meaning to get one the past few years but just haven't had a chance to. Been too busy shotgunning.
Hand Gun recommendations
- Thread starter MO351
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svtpickemup
Active member
Check these out
I would recommend a Taurus PT-92 9mm. Very good quality and affordable.
If a 9mm is not for you, check out the rest of their line---Brazilian made and very good quality.
I think Stevie-Ray has one.....maybe he'll pipe up.
I would recommend a Taurus PT-92 9mm. Very good quality and affordable.
If a 9mm is not for you, check out the rest of their line---Brazilian made and very good quality.
I think Stevie-Ray has one.....maybe he'll pipe up.
ezernut9mm
BEER ME!
cz makes a great line of pistols. affordable and accurate. the -75 line comes in 9mm and 40 cal. they're of the browning design and have the safty feature instead of a decocker. also they are distributed out of kansas city kansas so finding em isn't that hard. check em out atwww.cz-usa.com also, if ya want to shoot one before making a decision get a hold of me and we'll go put a couple hundred rounds thru my 75b(9mm).
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LIGHTNINROD
Active member
You can't go wrong with the GLOCK .40--I have one too. The Sig Sauers are better quality but costly.
Dan
Dan
Gitchi Manitou
Injun along at 140
If you're willing to spend $$$$, the best of the best is Heckler & Koch. The USP Compact in .45 ACP is shown in this thread:
http://www.nloc.net/vbforum/showthread.php?s=&postid=79543#post79543
The Sig Sauer line of pistols, I would probably rate next highest, though as was mentioned, they are quite costly. Not as costly as H&K, however.
Ruger makes a line of handguns that are among the strongest built. Their revolvers are legendary for strength and it appears that their auto line is enjoying the same reputation. I've personally shot the P-89 9mm and it was amazingly accurate. Ruger simply doesn't make a bad product. They also simply don't make an auto that lends itself to concealed carry, as they are all too large for my liking. If size is not important, they should definitely be considered. I believe they will soon start to shrink their autos in the wake of new concealed carry laws.
Taurus handguns have the best warranty in the business. I personally own 2 for concealed carry. A PT-22 which is a great little .22 cal auto with a tip-up barrel and double action only. Also a PT-111 Millenium 9mm, which is one of the most concealable 9s I've ever seen. The PT-92 that was mentioned is a full size auto and a direct copy of the Beretta 92. In it's infancy in the 70s, Taurus was copying Beretta and Smith and Wesson for it's designs, but still offering that terriffic warranty, which was what finally put them up with the big boys. Slight design improvements over the Beretta with a cheaper price made them quite attracticve. Beretta also had to come out with their own stainless version of their 92 because of Taurus. Everyone that owns Taurus products that I know has nothing bad to say about them.
Judgement call on whether you should look at Smith & Wesson. Many are boycotting them for their sell-out to the Clinton-Gore administration. I personally have 0 Smiths in my inventory, but their full line of autos are quite good and deserve a look.
This is presupposing that you are looking for a double-action auto. If single-action carry doesn't bother you, then you would look at Kimber's line of 1911 style pistols. They are the very best, and quite expensive. Colt and Springfield Armory are very close in accuracy, workmanship and durability and IMO rank right up behind Kimber. 1911s are still and probably always will be my all-time favorite handguns, they're just not very fast to get into action unless you carry them "cocked and locked."
There are many other makes out there and some will stand up to scrutiny and others will fail miserably. Glock's "safe action" is tested everyday by today's police forces, but some gun professionals swear they're an accident waiting to happen. I don't own a Glock simply because I don't like the way it fits my hand, which should be the most important consideration for you. It's the reason I went with the H&K over the Sig.
I hope this helps clear things up from mud to merely dirty water, but remember when being thrifty, you get what you pay for. If you can't afford a Sig or an H&K, don't bypass everything in between and buy a Jennings.
http://www.nloc.net/vbforum/showthread.php?s=&postid=79543#post79543
The Sig Sauer line of pistols, I would probably rate next highest, though as was mentioned, they are quite costly. Not as costly as H&K, however.
Ruger makes a line of handguns that are among the strongest built. Their revolvers are legendary for strength and it appears that their auto line is enjoying the same reputation. I've personally shot the P-89 9mm and it was amazingly accurate. Ruger simply doesn't make a bad product. They also simply don't make an auto that lends itself to concealed carry, as they are all too large for my liking. If size is not important, they should definitely be considered. I believe they will soon start to shrink their autos in the wake of new concealed carry laws.
Taurus handguns have the best warranty in the business. I personally own 2 for concealed carry. A PT-22 which is a great little .22 cal auto with a tip-up barrel and double action only. Also a PT-111 Millenium 9mm, which is one of the most concealable 9s I've ever seen. The PT-92 that was mentioned is a full size auto and a direct copy of the Beretta 92. In it's infancy in the 70s, Taurus was copying Beretta and Smith and Wesson for it's designs, but still offering that terriffic warranty, which was what finally put them up with the big boys. Slight design improvements over the Beretta with a cheaper price made them quite attracticve. Beretta also had to come out with their own stainless version of their 92 because of Taurus. Everyone that owns Taurus products that I know has nothing bad to say about them.
Judgement call on whether you should look at Smith & Wesson. Many are boycotting them for their sell-out to the Clinton-Gore administration. I personally have 0 Smiths in my inventory, but their full line of autos are quite good and deserve a look.
This is presupposing that you are looking for a double-action auto. If single-action carry doesn't bother you, then you would look at Kimber's line of 1911 style pistols. They are the very best, and quite expensive. Colt and Springfield Armory are very close in accuracy, workmanship and durability and IMO rank right up behind Kimber. 1911s are still and probably always will be my all-time favorite handguns, they're just not very fast to get into action unless you carry them "cocked and locked."
There are many other makes out there and some will stand up to scrutiny and others will fail miserably. Glock's "safe action" is tested everyday by today's police forces, but some gun professionals swear they're an accident waiting to happen. I don't own a Glock simply because I don't like the way it fits my hand, which should be the most important consideration for you. It's the reason I went with the H&K over the Sig.
I hope this helps clear things up from mud to merely dirty water, but remember when being thrifty, you get what you pay for. If you can't afford a Sig or an H&K, don't bypass everything in between and buy a Jennings.
My suggestion to you is find a range where you can rent several different types and makes of guns and try as many as you can. If nobody rents range guns, check with friends and see if they shoot and will let you go with them. See what works best for you. If there is a gunshow in the area or a dealer with a good selection look around and see what you like the feel and looks of. When you find one in your price range that feels like it's part of your hand you are probably through searching. My Kimber Ultra Carry was that way. If you are looking at small pocket pistols check out the Kel-tec P-32. Mine is pretty reliable and they have a lifetime warranty.
Tim
Tim
Russ94
Destroyer of Cones
Adam, I own the Glock .45 cal and really, really like it. It's a piece I can depend on if need be. I've sent close to 3,000 rounds through it...it still fires like new. The only times it's ever jammed was with reloads or low quality ammo.
The standard magazine used to be 13 rounds. If you're law enforcement I believe you can still get them (?).
The standard magazine used to be 13 rounds. If you're law enforcement I believe you can still get them (?).
What's the difference between the Safety and the decocker? I was looking at the CZ 75 line and saw this. I've been a shotgun/rifle man and need to learn more about the handguns.
This is about the size I want.
I don't want a real big gun with long barrel and handle, yet I don't want the really compact little guns either. Just the middle sized, compact so I can carry, too.
This is about the size I want.
I don't want a real big gun with long barrel and handle, yet I don't want the really compact little guns either. Just the middle sized, compact so I can carry, too.
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Gitchi Manitou
Injun along at 140
Adam,
That particular gun is a 1911A1. I can't make out the manufacturer, but it looks like one out of Sprinfield Armory's custom shop or it's a Kimber. Being single action it will have no decocker as that is attributed to double-actions. That gun pictured will have several safeties such as the ambidextrous manual (both sides) I see, along with a grip safety, and a slide-out-of-battery safety. That's a beautiful gun with many great features along with it's small size, such as skeletonized trigger and hammer, beavertail grip safety, non-snag sights, and beveled ejection port. As I said though, a single action should be carried in condition one (cocked and locked) for fastest action. This is why most opt for a double-action as you can load the chamber and then decock the hammer. For some, this is an added measure of safety, as the trigger has to be pulled all the way back for the gun to fire. However if cocked and locked carry doesn't worry you, you've already got good taste in firearms. I love 1911s.
That particular gun is a 1911A1. I can't make out the manufacturer, but it looks like one out of Sprinfield Armory's custom shop or it's a Kimber. Being single action it will have no decocker as that is attributed to double-actions. That gun pictured will have several safeties such as the ambidextrous manual (both sides) I see, along with a grip safety, and a slide-out-of-battery safety. That's a beautiful gun with many great features along with it's small size, such as skeletonized trigger and hammer, beavertail grip safety, non-snag sights, and beveled ejection port. As I said though, a single action should be carried in condition one (cocked and locked) for fastest action. This is why most opt for a double-action as you can load the chamber and then decock the hammer. For some, this is an added measure of safety, as the trigger has to be pulled all the way back for the gun to fire. However if cocked and locked carry doesn't worry you, you've already got good taste in firearms. I love 1911s.
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Yup, Stevie, that's a Kimber. I think I'll go with the double action though. I don't like the thought of carrying cocked-and-locked. My luck I"d shoot myself. That is a gorgeous gun though. Are Springfield's guns good too? I was looking at some on the net. I'm assumming they are. I'm thinking pretty hard about a .45. I like those 1911s. Also those USP's are sweet. How much are they though? H&K didn't have any prices? Looks like I gotta save up some more cash because everything's looking to be between $400-$500 for a good gun. Guess mods for the L might be on the back burner for a while.
Gitchi Manitou
Injun along at 140
H&Ks are really expensive, Adam. I paid $759 for mine. Sigs are a little cheaper and quite good also.
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ezernut9mm
BEER ME!
adam, when i bought my cz (about 3 yrs ago) i paid $416 /w tax at denny's guns in NKC. they also have a sale on demos and scratch n dents once in a while. my friend bought a cz-97(45) for less than i paid for my 9. he saved about $250 and it just had one small scratch in the top slide. he got a great deal on it. kinda pissed me off . so ask around and price compare. a few phone calls could end up saving you big $$$.-chris
. so ask around and price compare. a few phone calls could end up saving you big $$$.-chrisNateLightning
Active member
Desert Eagle 357. Aslong as you dont need something you can hide.
What's the avg. recoil and muzzle rise difference in each caliber (.40, .45, 9mm)?
Anybody know anything about the Taurus PT-945? Looks like a good gun. Don't know if it's double action or not. Here's the desc.:
Caliber .45 ACP
Action Semi-Auto
Capacity 8+1
Barrel Length 4.25 inches
Weight 29.5 Oz.
Sights Drift Adjustable, Front and Rear
Firing Pin Floating
Safety Manual/De-Cocker Lever, Firing Pin Block, Chamber Load Indicator
Finish Blued, Stainless
Grips
Checkered Ruber
And has anyone ever gotten anything from www.discountfirearms.com/ man they have alot cheaper prices. Makes me wonder. For example, check these prices out for the Taurus line.
http://www.discountfirearms.com/prices.asp?mid=38
Rugers for $200-300.
http://www.discountfirearms.com/prices.asp?mid=49
H&Ks for $500-$600 some dollars
http://www.discountfirearms.com/prices.asp?mid=22
Anybody know anything about the Taurus PT-945? Looks like a good gun. Don't know if it's double action or not. Here's the desc.:
Caliber .45 ACP
Action Semi-Auto
Capacity 8+1
Barrel Length 4.25 inches
Weight 29.5 Oz.
Sights Drift Adjustable, Front and Rear
Firing Pin Floating
Safety Manual/De-Cocker Lever, Firing Pin Block, Chamber Load Indicator
Finish Blued, Stainless
Grips
Checkered Ruber
And has anyone ever gotten anything from www.discountfirearms.com/ man they have alot cheaper prices. Makes me wonder. For example, check these prices out for the Taurus line.
http://www.discountfirearms.com/prices.asp?mid=38
Rugers for $200-300.
http://www.discountfirearms.com/prices.asp?mid=49
H&Ks for $500-$600 some dollars
http://www.discountfirearms.com/prices.asp?mid=22
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You will probably have to add $20 or so to the price from discount, you can't mail order a gun like you can a truck part. Most states require that the gun be transferred to someone with an FFL (Federal Firearms License) so there will be a transfer fee and an instant background check fee.
Tim
Tim
