A "What Gun" Thread

For CC use I have a Taurus PT 24/7 .40 cal I inherited from my dad. It's big enough to hold and shoot and I can conceal it on my person but it's about as big a piece as I'd want to tote around all day every day.

Something to consider also. Your ammo choice will affect how often you shoot and how much you shoot. If you choose some off-the-wall size round you may find that it may not be available. It may only be available in small, expensive boxes. It may be ruinously expensive (the above mentioned $2 a pop).

Keeping your gun collection limited to common rounds also means you are more likely to find what you need if the SHTF. 9mm, .308, 12 ga, .22 are all as common as sand. The guy with the .50 AE or the 7-08 may find it's tough to find in an emergency.

I have CCed for most of my adult life. Usually I carry a 'compact' version of a gun. Right now I carry a P320 compact, with a light, and an extra mag. (Anti-gun crazies can judge all you want, it doesnt bother me.) I cut down the beavertail because it is a little more comfortable that way. In your price range at $400ish and cheap to shoot you are looking at one of many striker fired pistols, few of which have a safety, 9mm is safest bet to shoot cheaply. M&P can have a safety. XD's have a backstrap 'safety.' Glocks can be modified to have a safety. The trigger 'safety' is not a safety at all. If you go used, you can jump into a few other styles.

Go to your local gun shop and ask about what they have and what they recommend. Also handle, and if possible, rent one and shoot it at the local range before buying to make sure you like it. Guns are very personal, if you are not required to carry a specific firearm, pick what fits you. A CZ P-07 might if your bill, it can have a safety or a hammer decocking lever (user changeable with parts in the box), is a 15-rd 9mm compact, and can be had in the 400 range.

I also have a small 2in barrel revolver I very rarely carry. On occasion I carry a full size (P226 or P220). But that is preference stuff.

The size of the gun you can carry varies on what size you are and what type of clothing you wear. Please, for the love of GOD get to be proficient with the gun, follow good safety habbits, and know your local laws (both for carrying and use) before you go running around with a gun in your pants. I am amazed at the amount of people I ask, what are you willing to use the gun to defend, and they have never thought about it before.

This cutie is always in my pocket.

Dr. Hess wrote: The Desert Eagle is a hoot. I got the complete set: 357 mag, 44 mag and 50AE. After the 50AE, the 357 mag feels like a 22. Probably not what the OP is looking for, though.

My BIL's brother has the DE in the 50. Last time out camping I spent a good bit of time making fun of his compensating for something with giant $3 bullets (mostly because it seemed to bug him though). Later in the weekend we were trying to figure out how to remove an 8" diameter dead log from over the shed with an axe. He shot it 2x with that berkeleying cannon and the whole thing went timber. He looked over at me with a stupid grin and said "Try that with your huge dick".

Where are you in PA? I am in SE PA and shoot at several clubs and indoor ranges. If you ever wanted to shoot what I have just shout, and bring ammo... Buying a gun, and more importantly, who you get training from is fun, and a good exercise in your research skills.

I like Glocks but do not shoot them as well as other brands. Springfield XDM 9mm 3.8 Compact fits the bill for your described usage to a T.

Whatever you get, be sure it is a good quality, RELIABLE, gun. You mentioned future use as a self defense tool so it must be reliable, and you need to know what to do when it is not. Think of it like cars... Project cars are fun, but dont always get you to work on time, and can be a little finicky. That is why a nice reliable DD is the way to go so when the project car is grumpy you can still pay the bills. Catch my drift?

Offer is out there, shooting is a lot of fun!

Thanks Ross

(pics withheld so big brother wont see them((even though he already knows about them)) its on principle)lol

Ahh screw it...

Also, almost more important than the gun is the holster and belt. Make sure the one you choose has a wide selection of holsters, makes life cheaper and easier, and more comfy...

OP says he likes Sigs and wants a 9mm and has $400. Sounds like a Sig SP2022 to me.

Going to 2nd (3rd/4th, whatever) the M & P Shield. Available all day long at your price point, sometimes cheaper with sale prices. It shoots VERY similar to a full sized pistol. Break down and maintenance are very simple. It's also a very good concealed carry piece. It's not a "pocket pistol" but is very easy and comfortable to carry in a soft holster in the small of your back. 9mm is one of the cheaper and more plentiful ammo types out there, so I'd recommend the 9mm version over a .40.

A 12 gauge should always be your 2nd gun.

The question is, what to buy for the third gun?

If you can shoot Glocks, they seem like the way to go. So much so that I bought a Glock 19 and forced myself to get used to it. I really like my Springfield XD9, no getting used to that, it just fit in my hand perfectly from day one.

pres589 wrote: I was going to recommend an SKS with a bayonet but then you threw the pistol part in there.

Ooh, I like the SKS! Actually came across that the other day. What does one of those go for?

In reply to Furious_E:

J&G has Chinese ones for $330, and Classic Firearms has Yugos for $430.

Wiki Arms' "gun engine" is a pretty handy way to search for firearms at online retailers. I've used their ammo finder countless times.

Armslist, is kind of like Craigslist but for guns and related paraphernalia. There's a handful of Chinese SKSes on Armslist in my state between $350 and an absurd $900.

keltec pf9, $350 new, made in 'Murikuh

oh someone says sks? my favorite shooter in the world, back when i had a few they ran $200 all day long. accurate enough, way more solid than an ak or ar and can be reloaded quicker than either with stripper clips. i prefer a norinco (chinese) for balance and price but yugo is 2nd best (disregarding the $$$ og russians)

The only pistol I ever owned was a ruger 9mm. It was junk. Jammed all the time, and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. The only practical reason I have a gun anymore is home defense, and I have a lot more confidence in my Remington 870 than I ever had in that pistol.

Pile me on to the S&W Shield in 9mm crowd. I really enjoy mine, and 9mm is about as inexpensive as you can get right now.

I also inherited my dads ruger stainless 357 revolver and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for a first gun. I grew up shooting it and have sent tens of thousands of rounds downrange with it without ever a hiccup. It's truly the firearm equivalent of a Dodge slant six made on a Tuesday. If it were easier to conceal carry I probably wouldn't have bought the 9mm.

I also have rifles chambered in 9mm and .357 so I only have to keep a few types of ammo on hand.

Furious_E wrote: So what's the argument for a revolver over a semi auto?

They can be more accurate than a semi auto, that's about it really. Personally, I'd say get your hands on a M&P 9mm and Glock 17, for what you are wanting to do, either option will be good and both should be found within or close to your budget. Dark horse cantidate would be a cz75 in my opinion.

HunterBenz wrote: I have CCed for most of my adult life. Usually I carry a 'compact' version of a gun. Right now I carry a P320 compact, with a light, and an extra mag. (Anti-gun crazies can judge all you want, it doesnt bother me.) I cut down the beavertail because it is a little more comfortable that way. In your price range at $400ish and cheap to shoot you are looking at one of many striker fired pistols, few of which have a safety, 9mm is safest bet to shoot cheaply. M&P can have a safety. XD's have a backstrap 'safety.' Glocks can be modified to have a safety. The trigger 'safety' is not a safety at all. If you go used, you can jump into a few other styles. Go to your local gun shop and ask about what they have and what they recommend. Also handle, and if possible, rent one and shoot it at the local range before buying to make sure you like it. Guns are very personal, if you are not required to carry a specific firearm, pick what fits you. A CZ P-07 might if your bill, it can have a safety or a hammer decocking lever (user changeable with parts in the box), is a 15-rd 9mm compact, and can be had in the 400 range. I also have a small 2in barrel revolver I very rarely carry. On occasion I carry a full size (P226 or P220). But that is preference stuff. The size of the gun you can carry varies on what size you are and what type of clothing you wear. Please, for the love of GOD get to be proficient with the gun, follow good safety habbits, and know your local laws (both for carrying and use) before you go running around with a gun in your pants. I am amazed at the amount of people I ask, what are you willing to use the gun to defend, and they have never thought about it before.

Actually the XD has a specific design flaw that can allow it to AD even with the supposed blackstrap safety.....I will never recommend one to anyone. A Glock is safer. At least they only go bang if the trigger is pulled.

In reply to WOW Really Paul?:

I hadn't heard about that with the XD. I carried a sub-compact for a short while. It was on loan to me when my Berretta Tomcat went down with a cracked frame. I was not a huge fan, of either the Tomcat breaking nor the XD. I'll have to look into that issue.

Side note because I am super excited about it. My brandy new P226 Legion should be in tomorrow.

In reply to HunterBenz:

A fall from a nightstand while hostered and landing just right will cut a round loose....I've yet to ever have an issue with a Glock.

calteg wrote: We made it two pages without anyone mentioning a Glock 19? I'm surprised!

It is the "answer" in the firearms world :) I have its bigger and smaller brethren, a 17 and 26

WOW Really Paul? wrote:

Furious_E wrote: So what's the argument for a revolver over a semi auto?

They can be more accurate than a semi auto, that's about it really. Personally, I'd say get your hands on a M&P 9mm and Glock 17, for what you are wanting to do, either option will be good and both should be found within or close to your budget. Dark horse cantidate would be a cz75 in my opinion.

Not sure on that one....if that were the case all the bullseye shooters would stop using their 1911s and High Standards and start shooting revolvers...

I love my Glocks :)

I have a Browning Hi Power, first time I picked one up it just felt "right" so that would be my pick. With that being said I will second the CZ 75 comment. I rented one a few months ago and it was laser accurate and well built though not that well known.

But like others have said, get your hands on as many different ones as you can.

I'll put in another recommendation for the Springfield XD guns. Specifically I have an XD-M 9mm Compact 3.8". Love the gun and it is very reliable. Couple of things that you should consider are, what kind of safety features you are comfortable with. Do you want a manual safety? Are you OK with one passive safety function? I like the fact that my XD-M has two passive safety features and no manual safety. Another thing that is important to remember is that in general a heavier gun will be easier to shoot than a lighter gun. There are many things to consider when purchasing a gun but as others have said the feel of the gun in your hand is at the top of the list. Go and hold some and if possible shoot them.

Thanks Jon

Excellent thread! Ironically I just started shooting (firing) last week with my son at the local indoor range. I can rent a wide variety of guns there. So far I've fired a Glock 17 and Springfield .45 model 1911 (surprised me at how well this fired, and accurate). My son bought a Glock 17. I'm still shopping, researching and comparing, that's why this thread is excellent. I value everyone's opinion here. Hopefully it'll remain civil and not get locked (er, jammed?)

Some things to consider when thinking about "home defense".

Who else will be in the home, kids/visitors/spouse? Is your spouse comfortable with the gun?

Do you want to lock the gun in a safe or is keeping it in closet more your speed?

If you have to shoot an intruder, what are your local laws regarding home defense?

If you shoot and miss, where will you bullet travel to? (This is one of the reasons I prefer/recommend birdshot for home defense). What system do you want to use for targeting (flashlight, laser sight, tritium sights, etc)

In reply to Gary:

Yea, I'll second Gary's sentiments, lots of great info in this thread! Thanks to all who have contributed.

In reply to Ross413:

Thanks for the offer! I'm located in Carlisle, so probably a couple hours west of you, give or take. Might have to take you up on that sometime though.

I think Monday I may try to make it out to a range and try some guns out, since I'm off work (and gonna be auto xing all day Saturday and Sunday - woohoo!).

chiodos wrote: keltec pf9, $350 new, made in 'Murikuh

PF9 is a great gun**

I bought a PF9 as an experiment, both in Kel-Tec quality and small gun usefulness. Bought it, tried for 150-200 rounds to get it to work, nope. Max 2-3 rounds then all sorts of failures, double feeds, failure to extract, stovepipes... Sent it back to Kel-Tec, with full intentions of selling it as soon as it came back. After a free trip to Florida and back, it came back with a whole new upper. Curiosity got the better of me and i took it out. Not one issue. Just passed 1000 rounds through it last month, without a single hiccup.

*It is not a first gun though, it is small and lightweight, and lets you know it. Stupid easy to conceal though and a fun beater gun. Mine has been underwater a ton and generally abused, and keeps coming back for more. Atlantic ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Brandywine River, beach trips and all types of crap. Clean it, and it keeps going.