Gun Purchase

imported post

In about two weeks I will have about $1000.00 to spend on a handgun and I was wondering what caliber most of the members here use for defence.

Today I looked at a S&W 9m with laser sights, built in, which I really liked, it was sweet, so was the price, almost $900.00 but it beats having the laser mounted on top and in the way

I used a 9m auto while working as a Correctional officer at the Federal Prison in Oxford Wisconsin and trained with a 9m on the armed escort team there. When we trained I really liked the easy recoil of the 9m as compared tothe recoil of a45. However, if I have to defend myself or someone else, I would like some impact power that the 45 delivers.

In addition, sometime down the road, (as soon as the Wisconsin Legislators get the CCW bill passed which will allow local law enforcement to trainus without being liable), be able to getcirtified and get a CCW being a federal retired law enforcement officer, and with that possibility, I would have toqualify with the same handgun that I will be using for CCW.

I'm concerned that qualifying with a 45 would be more difficult then a 9m, I guess I would have to target practice with both to see which of the two felt more comfortable, or find a smoth 45 that compairs to a 9m. Then there is the fact that I have to conceal the gun so it can't be too bulky.

So that’s my dilemma, can anyone provide any advice as to what gun would be appropriate and fit in these situations.

Thanks in advance

Don

imported post

9mm has all of the "impact power" that you need. The fact that you train with it and are confident in yourself and the handgun itself trumps a larger caliber every time. Shot placement is the single most critical aspect of stopping a threat.

If you are talking nice CCW it is hard to beat a 1911. Both Springfield Armory and Kimber make quality compact 1911s in 9mm. I have owned both the Ultra Carry II Kimbers and the Ultra Compact Lightweight. CurrentlySpringfield is only making a 9mm in the EMP line which is nearly teh same as the Ultra Compact Lightweight but a little bit smaller.


If you want double action, I would look at the CZ or Taurus offerings. They both make compact reliabledouble actions.

imported post

MY CCW for about ten years, from 1996 when the law was passed until I moved to Wisconsin, is a .40 for the compromise between momentum and mass.

KE=(m v^2)1/2 Energy goes with the square of velocity and only the first power of mass.

My CCW is an H&K USPc .40. My OC is an SA1911A1. I will carry my black satin Interarms Luger when I can wear a dress gun.

I speak against the privilege of permitted CCW and for the uninfringed right to carry.

imported post

Wow, part of me can't wait to see the variety of responses to this question. I bet it'll almost be as good as the Ford vs. Chevy debate.

I personally use a 4" compact XD .45. With a double stack magazine and a 4" barrel, I do imagine it would be more of a challenge to conceal over some of the subcompact 9's that I have held. I'm honestly not worried about that until CCW passes.

Within that $1000 budget, you have a huge range to select from. I would recommend visiting as many different shops as you can and shoot as many different models as possible. Not sure what your options are in Baraboo, but most of the ranges here in the Milwaukee area offer reasonably priced rentals.

Aside from the XD that I have, I also really like the S&W M&P .40 and the Kimber sub-compact .45's, though the latter is a bit outside the $1000 range.

Good luck in your search, and I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever it is you end up with!

imported post

I carry a Springfield XD 9mm service model. It has the 16+1 capacity, is light weight, and very accurate. It is ultra-reliable and ammo is reasonable. You can also equip it with Crimson Trace for well under $800. They are in the Cabelas ad for $449 at the moment also.

If I were buying a new carry gun today, I would probably buy the new XD(M) in .40 caliber. It is slimmer and fits better in the hand than the regular XD. Hope that helps your decision.

imported post

When I first started carrying I started with a 9 shot H&R .22LR revolver. It was light, felt good and was 100% reliable. That was 30 years ago and many pistols and revolvers have been on my side since then. I tried a Sig P226 in 9mm and it was too big. Tried a .357 magnum revolver with 2.5 inch barrel and it was great for cold weather concealment in Washington state. Not good in Florida (prints) and got heavy on the side after a few hours of carry. Tried a Springfield XD compact in 9mm (double stack magazine) and considered it too thick (lived in Florida at the time and thick guns printed on my summer clothing. I finally decided that I needed a thin gun with plenty of firepower that wasn't heavy and that was as good as the person wielding it. I bought a Glock 36 in .45 ACP for concealed carry in Florida and to me this was the "perfect gun". It has a great trigger and 6 rounds of .45 ACP. Add an extension to the magazine and you can get 7 rounds of .45 ACP. Chamber a round and load another in the magazine and there is now 8 rounds of .45 ACP available. Since moving to Wisconsin and open carrying I decided to stick with this particular gun since it is lightweight and works well for me. If I was to get another gun for open carry here in Wisconsin I would have two other choices besides the G36: One would be the Springfield XD in .45 ACP, the other would be the Glock 30 in .45 ACP.

The best thing about looking for what is right is you get to try a lot of guns!:lol:

imported post

There is no "perfect" gun or caliber. Some are better than others but any of the above (9,40 ,45) are quite adequate. We all have our preferences. Mine is a 1911 in 45 ACP. The gun and caliber must fit you. Personally, I don't think my gun/caliber is a problem. But, I practice and shoot quite a bit. And, that is the key. The more you shoot, practice, and train with real ammo, as well as dry firing, the more confident you'll get.

Who was it that said "Carry enough gun!" and "Shoot the biggest gun you can shoot well" ? The "shoot well" is the main point.

Try as many different combinations as you can and not just a few rounds.

Good luck in you decision.

I hope I didn't offend anybody. We all have our "pets".

imported post

try the 5.7mm

imported post

Take a look at the S&W 1911pd with the factory crimson trace lazer sights. That is my care gun and will be what I use in the future. Since you intend to practice any way the 45 should not be problem. After 1000 rounds through it, the only problem I had was caused by a cheap mag. All magazines are not created equal, don't waste money on cheap ones.:banghead:

imported post

get a ruger sp 101 .357 with the 2 inch barrel. if you get the bobbed hammer model with the 2 inch barrel it would also make a great ccw. some people think the gun is heavy but its only 25 oz. plus that really helps when you shoot 180 grain bear loads(really really fun)

imported post

Like everyone else has said it's really up to you what you want to carry.

My wife and I both carry a .40 S&W for the same reason that Duggy does but without the formulas. I'm not that smart.


I both OC and CC a Taurus Millennium Pro PT140 and my wife carries, mostly CC because she doesn't like to OC and in Arkansas we can't OCso we both CC quite a bit, a Kahr CW40. She loves the gun. I will say Ican shoot a grouping of 5 shots at 10 yrds with her 40about the size of a half dollar. With my Taurus I can't. So I let her have the better gun. Her recoil on her gun isn't near what mine is and her gun is slimmer and lighter.


Now, I'm no expert but it is really what you are comfortable with.

imported post

9mm with good hot +P hollow point loads.....all you need. I will use my 34 for CCW when we get it. vertical draw Shoulder rig or small of back Holster....

imported post

a grand to spend? gee, you could get like 3 or 4 hi points .40's. then you'd have a home gun, work gun, car gun, one at each location, and still have some change for gas.

imported post

Weight and size of the grip have a lot to do with recoil. There are lots of good guns available. Do you want light and thin or big and bulky? Revolver with moon clips or semi-auto? My wife was a much better shot with my fullsize 1911 .45 than my kahr p9. 9mm will be cheaper and you should take that into account.

imported post

Your question is hard to answer. Kinda like asking people what is the best car to buy. A compact "wheel gun" in 38 special caliber with Crimson Trace laser grips is my idea of the ideal carry gun. i.e. Ruger LCR. That whole setup costs around $550.

As I_Kimplies it ain't so much what you hit them with. It's where you hit them. The key is practise, practise, practise until you can hit "center of mass" every time from at least 7 yards. Any caliber, including 22, hitting "center of mass" is apt to make the bad guy feel very uncomfortable.

The F.B.I standards are that it wants a caliber that has the energy to penetrate the body cavity and have enough energy left to sever the spinal column. The F.B.I chooses to use .40 or .45 caliber. The down side is pass through and risk to innocent bystanders. Something to consider as we open carry. Accidental injury to a bystander during a confrontation could lead to serious legal consequences.

imported post

Personally, I think that 9mm's and .40's are great for throwing at the BGs when you've emptied your mag. I like the .45. Famous the world over for one shot stops. The 1911 is golden. The brainchild of John Moses Browning. Imagined in the late 1800s and brought to fruition just prior to WWI Used extensively in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, South America Iraq and Afghanistan. The weapon of choice for special forces the world over.

Yeah, I like the 1911.

imported post

Any of those three calibers will do the job, if you can do the job. If you can't, a 30.06 won't be much better. My money is on a proficient shooter with a .380 over a mediocre shooter with a .45. I've shot with and observed a lot of people shooting, some were bad, most were average, and a few are damn good. The difference in calibers is minuscule-- the differences in shooting proficiency are considerable.

imported post

My next carry gun will be a 10mm. Probably a Glock 20, since I like Glocks, but who knows.

imported post

Shotgun wrote:

Any of those three calibers will do the job, if you can do the job.  If you can't, a 30.06 won't be much better.  My money is on a proficient shooter with a .380 over a mediocre shooter with a .45.  I've shot with and observed a lot of people shooting, some were bad, most were average, and a few are damn good.  The difference in calibers is minuscule-- the differences in shooting proficiency are considerable.

Click to expand...

No argument here. A miss is a miss in any caliber. Practice, practice, practice.

imported post

I'm a believer in the shot placement theory,being shot placement is most important,more so than what caliber bullet it is.I have a S&W 38 special revolver,a .22 semi auto Ruger,and 9mm Hi power.I recently just purchased the 9mm and reason I did is because the cost of the ammo is considerably less than a .45 caliber.Figuring shot placement being the key and to be able to get accurae shot placement,alot of range and practice is needed,I will be able to afford much more 9mm ammo than 45.So I can practice more and be confident I can hit the target in the area I aim for.