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What is the best handgun?

smallmansyndrome

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It seems to me that there is alot of knowledge available on these forums regarding the quality of handguns.

Who likes what and why?
 

usSiR

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ProShooter wrote:
The best handgun?

The loaded one in a holster on your hip.

+1



but it really depends for what....

I like Sig's in stainless, I like stainless period the more weight absorbs the recoil but you feel the weight on your belt but you get use to it.

lots of people like the XD's some like Glock's, there are some that will get the HighPoints and fix the flaws in them and they work like any other higher quality gun

It just like anything you want quality you usually have to spend more money.

Go out and try a few in a few differ calibers in alloy and stainless, but do try the popular ones or suggested ones
 

SigLover

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I love my sig sauer p229 in the 357 caliber. It is very acurate and is a good size for open and concealed carry. The recoil is good, and the grips are the perfect size for the average size hand.
 

xmirage2kx

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smallmansyndrome wrote:
It seems to me that there is alot of knowledge available on these forums regarding the quality of handguns.

Who likes what and why?

Ther is no single best gun, it all depends on what you are looking for. But there are some guns you can't go wrong with:

Glock

Sig

XD

S&W

then there are some others that are still great, but every now and then you may get a lemon or an iffy model gets produced (usually just a fluff and buff or a change in ammo will make it all better)

Ruger

Beretta

Taurus

Kel-tec

Kahr

HK

And then there are some that you you can pretty much count on needing some work, Some will turn out to be great, and others nothing but problems.

Hi-Point

Lorcin

Jennings

Corbra
 

scorpioajr

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smallmansyndrome wrote:
It seems to me that there is alot of knowledge available on these forums regarding the quality of handguns. Who likes what and why?

Psshhh....

SIGMA 9mm, hands down.:D
WHY?
*16+1
*+P Capable
*Not much to snag on the exterior of the piece
*No Safety (Always ready)
*Light & Durable
*Swap the barrel and mag and will function as a .40S&W
*Accepts majority of Glock accessories: SERPA, LazerMaxx, etc.
*HALF the cost of a Glock
*Less than 3 seconds to take down for cleaning
*Good ole' S&W lifetime factory replacement warranty on all components.

...she's my baby!:celebrate
 

scorpioajr

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thx997303 wrote:
And of those, how many are not satisfied by the XD? :)

Well, except for the price.
I'm still trying to figure out why i see people getting rid of their XDs on KSL by the masses, it would seem some weeks. I mean, I enjoyed handling the XD and even considered it for myself - TOO MANY PARTS. This indicator and that indicator, this safety feature, and that hammer function, split trigger..Wow, so much going on - :shock::lol:

I only see a SIGMA on their once in a blue moon.. i guess people keep what works! :p
I will never deny the XD the title of ,"Sexy gun" though. She's pretty.
 

Jim675

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I carry the .42 ATTAP[sup]1[/sup] wildcat in a custom gun with a quadruple stack magazine for 36 + 1 capacity, with 4 spare mags of course. I handload 360 gr Hollow Point Penetrators at 5500 fps. Recoil is very manageable due to those great Pachmyr rubber grips. I sight this in at 200 yards. The great sectional density and ballistic coefficient of this round allow me to aim at the crotch for a COM shot at close range or aim just over the head at 1,000 yards in the event I’m engaged by snipers.

I also use a 1/256[sup]th[/sup] MOA red dot of my own design so it doesn’t subtend distant targets. If I do my part, good rapid fire (10 shots in 5 seconds) groups hold about ¼ MOA at 1,000 yards. I can’t confirm remaining energy until I can afford to replace my now useless ballistic pendulum, but I believe it’s adequate.
The two inch barrel and Officer's size grip allow easy concealment should the need arise but it sure would be a shame to cover the museum-quality engraving and gold inlay of the U.S. Constitution.

[sup]1[/sup] ATTAP = All Things To All People
 

scorpioajr

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Jim675 wrote:
I carry the .42 ATTAP[sup]1[/sup] wildcat in a custom gun with a quadruple stack magazine for 36 + 1 capacity, with 4 spare mags of course. I handload 360 gr Hollow Point Penetrators at 5500 fps. Recoil is very manageable due to those great Pachmyr rubber grips. I sight this in at 200 yards. The great sectional density and ballistic coefficient of this round allow me to aim at the crotch for a COM shot at close range or aim just over the head at 1,000 yards in the event I’m engaged by snipers.

I also use a 1/256[sup]th[/sup] MOA red dot of my own design so it doesn’t subtend distant targets. If I do my part, good rapid fire (10 shots in 5 seconds) groups hold about ¼ MOA at 1,000 yards. I can’t confirm remaining energy until I can afford to replace my now useless ballistic pendulum, but I believe it’s adequate.
The two inch barrel and Officer's size grip allow easy concealment should the need arise but it sure would be a shame to cover the museum-quality engraving and gold inlay of the U.S. Constitution.

[sup]1[/sup] ATTAP = All Things To All People
1942 Wildcat?? :p

f4f_grumman_wildcat_feb1942.jpg



with a quadruple stack magazine
Now that sounds attractive, Can we get you to post a pic of your gun??

I carry the .42...wildcat
Are we talkin' about the STI?
 

joelevi

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ProShooter wrote:
...

The loaded one in a holster on your hip.
I've got to concur with ProShooter, but I'll add my two bits as well.

The best handgun is the handgun that's best for you.

Get information about what other people have and carry, and why (which I presume is why you posed the question here), the decide what characteristics you're most interested in, then get out and try the various options at your local range.

My brother has been employed with Salt Lake County Sherriff's for 20+ years. He carries a Sig Sauer .45 ACP. He cited factors in making his decision: Sig, as he called it, is the Cadallac of handguns, it's tough and super reliable; .45 because at the time you couldn't get a handgun in .50.

I dug deeper about his reasoning of .50 (I was leaning more toward 9mm at the time). He pulled out his LEO text book and showed me a case of a "perp" that was high on PCP. He took 50+ rounds of 9mm (the standard round for the PD that did the shooting) and was still a threat. It took 3 point-blank shotgun blasts to finally take him down.

So, why .45 instead of 9mm? Simply, .45 is a bigger slug. The bigger the slug the fewer rounds needed to stop the threat.

Looking at self-defense shootings, in many, many cases even when rounds are fires, few (if any) hit their mark (due to stress, tunnel-vision, circumstances, etc.). So if I shoot 10 rounds and only one hits its mark, I want that one round to have the highest likelyhood of doing what it's supposed to: stop the threat.

This brings up another point: if the reason you're not hitting your mark is because .45 is "too big" a round and you cannot effectively control its placement in a controlled environment (the range), it's not going to do much good in a real-world self-defense situation.

This leads to the conclusion that you should carry the largest calibur that you can effectively and relaible control in the firearm that fits your carry-strategy. Remember, a firearm that you can't readily access won't do you any good.

I carry a Glock Model 30, which is a compact .45 with a 10+1 or 9+1 capacity (depending on magazine choice). It's small enough for me to effectively conceal, has enough capacity to "equal the odds" and is of a calibur that I can control.

Glock makes a single-stack sub-compact .45 (Model 36) which is substantially thinner than the Model 30, but for me, shooting this gun physically hurts the palm of my hand (the grip is thinner and the recoil concentrated on a smaller part of the palm).

My wife can shoot my sidearm when she needs to, but she does much better with a 9mm compact Glock than the .45 compact Glock. She can control her rounds better and has faster target acquisition, and it's a smaller gun which would allow her to conceal it more easily than mine.

Ultimately, the best handgun is the handgun that's best for you. Try out a lot and take other people's advice as suggestions only.

- Joe Levi
Do you know where you're a Sitting Duck? Check http://SittingDuckPolicy.com
 

rightsreserved

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, Utah, USA
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smallmansyndrome wrote:
It seems to me that there is alot of knowledge available on these forums regarding the quality of handguns.

Who likes what and why?
If you can go out and shoot a variety of guns. There are many arguments pro and con for calibers, maker, semi auto/revolver. ultimately it comes down to you as the shooter. When you select what you like don't scimp there are alot of good guns out there but the quality of the manufactuer should be one the buying points.
 

billynair

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Feb 4, 2009
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Do you want one with or with out a safety? I like no safety - Glock

Do you want reliability? - Glock, shoot a few hundred thousand rounds out of mine with no problems so far.

Do you like ease of use and cleaning? Glock

As for the ammo... I liked the smaller rounds of the 9mm when first testing guns, but later have grown partial to the heavier rounds now that I am used to shooting. Wish I would have gotten at least a .40sw, but no more money to get a different gun now so think about that when buying one.
 
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