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[AUskip07]

Also this being my first handgun what i learn how to shoot will be what i learn to shoot.   I do like the simplicity of the sigma but if you say the trigger is still rough after modifying i might knock that off the list.

[shamoan]

SECorBust said:

I have a Springfield xd-40 subcompact that I absolutely love for the money.  I just took a look at those.  I gather that you like the 9mm and the single stack poly semi autos.  I really like the 9mm and .40 caliber pistols too.  If you can get a friend to let you shoot theirs it will probably help your decision making.  Those all look like great guns though.

i second the xd-40.  imo, the perfect pistol caliber.  good solid gun.....only thing i would prefer is an exposed hammer, but thats my own preference.  i would put this amongst the top of your list, but you will probably be spending $100 more than what you specified.....but you might can find one a lil cheaper than $500.

[SECorBust]

shamoan said:

i second the xd-40.  imo, the perfect pistol caliber.  good solid gun.....only thing i would prefer is an exposed hammer, but thats my own preference.  i would put this amongst the top of your list, but you will probably be spending $100 more than what you specified.....but you might can find one a lil cheaper than $500.

I think I got mine on sale for like $439 before tax a few years ago.  I had a SIG P220 before that that got stolen, but it was a hand cannon in the .45  I really liked the safety on the sig, the weight, and the feel.  I couldn't really hit a pie plate consistently at about 20 feet for some reason though.  I think it was just too much gun for my first pistol.  The xd shoots sweetly in comparison.

XD contains features of sig, Glock, and 1911

[GoldenRebel]

AUskip07 said:

I dont really have a size preference  but those guns are the size i have held and like.   Not really for hiding under my clothes   just looking for a good shooter and if i carried it with me it would be in my car or if i was backpacking in the back of my pants. something like that.   Dont want ultra sub compact.    From what i have seen  i really like the Ruger sr9   having a manual safety and being ambidextrous are both nice since im left handed and right eyed

Ill look into the springfield xd

I'm going to be honest Skip.  Spend the extra $100 and buy either the XD, Glock, or SW M&P.  You will not regret it 5 months from now and that gun will give you many years of enjoyment.  When I bought the Sigma, I had $300 to spend at the time and was impatient.  Big mistake.  I should have waited another month or two and bought a better gun.  I would have been so much happier.  Not saying the Sigma is a bad gun or anything, because it is a great truck gun or beater and is reliable.  But in guns, you really do get what you pay for.

[GoldenRebel]

Buds has a XD9 for $458 and ships free.  Youd have to pay a FFl dealer charge in your area but that's usually only about 20 bucks.  Buds is very reliable.

Springfield 9MM 4IN Package $ Reduced $ $458.00 SHIPS FREE

Also, another reliable site has police Glock and M&P police trade ins for a great price

http://www.aimsurplu...=3&name=Pistols

[carwwest]

yeah i am about to start looking...me and the fiance are moving to memphis and a buddy of mine who is a cop told me he had a few to sell if i wanted them...not sure what he has but then again, not sure what i am looking for yet...

[bbqit]

[BhamDawg]

I ended up with a Walther P99 40S&W. It's rigid, doesn't snag when drawing, and is dependable so far. I wasn't thrilled with the price but it's perfect for my needs.

[shamoan]

go big or go home.  i highly recommend the ak 47.

[AUskip07]

shamoan said:

go big or go home.  i highly recommend the ak 47.

already got a good tactical shot gun.  i sold my Savage arms 308 bolt action  when i got laid off.... wasn t too thrilled to do that but hey thats life.

[GatorUnvrsty]

Actually, if you value reliability, it's Sig Sauer and everybody else is pretty much behind them; but they're pricey. Never liked Glocks, and if somebody gave me a brand new one, I'd trade it for virtually any other used pistol with a hammer.

I always recommend a first-time buyer purchase a hammer-fired pistol first, as opposed to a striker-fired pistol, primarily because of personal and collateral safety issues... lots of accidental discharges and accidents from striker-fired pistols, even by professionals. Additionally, hammer-fired pistols and all revolvers are significantly more reliable as they offer a second strike capability should there be a misfire either from a firing pin problem or faulty/defective ammo.

Example: If you are suddenly in a situation where you're forced to defend yourself or somebody else with your gun, you fire the weapon, but the round doesn't go off; with most DA/SA semi-auto pistols today, you'd simply have to pull the trigger again to make the hammer strike the round a second time, usually firing it. If the same thing happened with an internal firing pin or striker-fired pistol (hammerless), and it happens far more frequently than folks like to think, you'd actually have to grab the slide and eject that shell and recock the gun to be able to fire again... possibly costing you or someone else their life.

I think we all realize that if you are truly in a situation where you need to use your gun, either in a gunfight or against an assailant with another weapon, stopping and lowering your pistol to rack the slide again takes the kind of time you most definitely won't have. In other words, if you pull the trigger on a striker-fired pistol, and your gun goes "click" instead of "bang", and the other guy is armed, you're dead. Most gunfights are over in less than 10 seconds... no time to rerack a slide. At least with the hammer-fired pistol, you'd be able to pull the trigger again without having to lower your weapon to try and light off the round again.

Revolvers are superior still for self-defense, because with a revolver, if a round fails to ignite, you simply pull the trigger again and the cylinder rotates to a new round and strikes it. I don't mind striker-fired pistols, and have owned and enjoyed them; but I'd never consider one my primary self-defense weapon because of the myriad reasons listed.

You always have to consider what your need for the gun entails. Military and police needs are quite different from a regular civilian who needs a weapon for personal or home defense. The soldier or cop needs something high capacity and lightweight, because he'll be carrying the gun on his hip for 10-20 hours a day and is likely to encounter situations that call for him to engage multiple targets. In a self-defense scenario, the civilian is more likely to be faced with only 1-3 assailants at any one time, and the weapon absolutely must go "bang" every single time, or have the ability to recock and fire again immediately without having to lower the weapon to do so.

In any event, have fun with the search, fire as many weapons as you can prior to buying one; and take solace in the knowledge that modern firearms are more reliable and dependable than they've ever been... it's hard to go wrong. Every maker has a pretty reliable 9mm these days, but Sig and Beretta would probably be my first choices. Bottom line, buy the right tool for the job you're trying to do.

[UKat]

Git a BIGGIN!

[AUskip07]

Held a few  Shot a Glock 17   think im going with a ruger sr9.    Its the right size weight and feels good in my hand.  Was surprised that the pawn shop used gun prices are the same or more than new gun prices online.

[carwwest]

well im officially on the market now...i would prefer not to break the bank as i am really only going to use it for self protection...i dont have a shotgun anymore because i dont hunt and the one i had was a hand me down that i left for my dad so im thinking a pistol is the way to go...my buddy has a glock and loves it...my coworker said he has a taurus and loves it for the money...never heard anything about taurus's until now but if its a good quality for a better price, i'm all for it...thoughts on taurus??...

i've read this thread and am going to try to get to the range to shoot some of them but i feel like my time will be limited for that...i'm really not wanting to spend more than 300-400 and it might be me just getting one from my cop friend but we'll see...i think one option is a compact ruger but i could be wrong...thoughts on that??

[shamoan]

springfield xd40  game, set, match.