Ben,
looking to pickup a new toy(pistol).... didn't have a chance to talk too long lastnight so I figured I'd pick your brain here. Going up to wallingford tonight. Was looking at something a bit more compact... not sure if i want to go .45acp,.45 gap,9mm, 40S&W...etc... also looking at revolvers.... maybe a 45 long colt in single action. an old ruger vaquero.... actually, anyone with any advice. I've done a ton of reading but would rather hear first hand reports of pistols.

thanks,
Chris

I've been real happy with this S&W .40

It's compact, has decent capacity, and as much as I like the .45's, to me, it's a bit less punishing to shoot and therefore more pleasureable.http://www.firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293509&item=831359&sw_activeTab=1

I have two Hk's on a compact, and one a fullsize both .40 S&W

full

There are two things I can talk all day about. Fishin and GUNS.

Wahlie,

The most important thing about gun buyin is deciding what you want to use it for. With prices the way they are today, it is a big investment to have sitting in a closet collecting dust. Carry, target, both. Than you need to decide what caliber. .380, .38, .357, 9MM, .40 S&W, .45 ACP. Revolver or Semi-auto? Double action semi or double only (AKA Glocks and such without an exposed hammer)

Between my father, brother and I we have enough guns to oufit a small army. All different types and calibers. Most are Smith & Wesson. Each has its purpose. All semi-autos are single/ double action . (hammer)

My recommendations are solely what I have found and experienced as someone that does a lot of shootin and packs 80% of the time, but remember, I am NOT an expert firearmist. I am an on and off member of American FireArms School in N. Attelboro, MA which is a great facility because they sell guns there, and as a member, you can take any of the guns in the display cases out onto the range, so I have shot a very wide range of makes, models, and calibers all the way up to the .50 AE. (HAND CANNON)

If you're gonna be doin a lot of shootin, I'll pass on some of my old man's advice. Get yourself a good, heavy framed revolver with a 4 inch barrel in .357 caliber with adjustable sights. (S&W model 19; Model 66 (stainless)) You can shoot all day relatively cheap with a gun that will handle the recoil and not beat your hand. And you don't have to police up all your brass. The big advantage of a .357 is you can also shoot the more enjoyable .38 Special out of it. You can really learn how to shoot effectively.

As far as semi-autos go, my old man is a firm believer in the .45 ACP for protection. Problem is it is a big load and with the compacts such as the SIG P245 or compact Glocks, the smaller gun isn't something you're gonna wanna go to the range and put 200+ rounds through in day. You'd really want a full size size such as the H& K's which Are REAL nice shooters in all cailbers, but also very pricy. And the full size .45's aren't very pleasurable to carry a lot.

We don't shoot much .40 S&W, infact my brother is the only one that owns one, so I can't honestly give you much advice other than how I feel about the .40's. As I understand they were supposed to fill a niche between .45 and 9mm. It gives more round capacity than a .45 , but better stopping power than a 9mm. If its so great, why after all these years are most Tactical units going back to .45? Cause it will stop what ever it hits.

We shoot and carry mostly 9MM. Recoil to size and capacity raito is probably best. As far as stopping power (personal proctction), well I have read all the ballisitcs reports about the inadequecies of 9mm, but I haven't shot anything yet and they move about 1300 feet per second, so how fast can you run? If you god forbidding get into a situation, I am sure that a 9mm is gonna do a sufficient job.

For carry guns other than some of the newer models that are hitting the streets and probably won't be available in Mass., The Walther PPK/S is a time tested reliable (Bond) conceal semi-auto in .380. Some of the Kahr's are pretty nice. A good 2 1/2" snub nose .38 such as some of the S&W Titanium revlovers are nice, but recoil is punishing. You need to decide that if you want a light weight gun made from polymers and carbon and what not that the recoil is goin to be unpleasant with or a heavy frame that will help tame recoil, but be more of a burden jammed into the waist band of your tighty whities.

I am preferential towards Sigs just because of the way they feel in my hand and after shooting them a lot, have found them to be accurate and reliable firearms (Do not own one though) but are pricey. Not a big fan of Glocks just because I like having a hammer.

You as the buyer need to really decide what you want it for. Then the caliber. If you can't decided, then you end up like us. You end up with one in every caliber and size and before you know it, you have a full fledged arsenal. Just remember you can legally only carry 6 at a time (in MA). Be safe and happy shoppin. Let me know if you want to talk more or a report on particular makes/ models.

Wahlie,

There's so much to cover here, and you could spend a lifetime finding the answer to this question. That's why gun nuts have so many guns. They have to find out the answer(s) for themselves. :hihi:

I would say this...you're going to have more than one pistol. One or two will be tackdrivers for the range, one or two might be fun plinkers (.22's), one or two might be just for hunting (usually, these are revolvers in .357 or .44 mag), one or two or three or four or five or six might be investments/collectors items! Lastly, you'll have a few favorites that you will just come to trust to defend your life with.

As far as the latter, I would just use this as a guiding princple. Don't overanalyze. Pick a gun in a COMMERCIALLY LOADED caliber you're most comfortable shooting ACCURATELY (never carry handloads for self-defense, you're risking a lawsuit). That same gun has to be comfortable in your concealed carry holster in winter, spring, summer, and fall. Where you carry it is and what conditions that gun will encounter is also something to consider. One wouldn't carry a tricked out competition 1911 to the beach where it might choke on sand and saltwater, but one might take a Glock or an HK there. If one is in a setting that is not as hostile environment-wise, then sure, go ahead and carry your custom Wilson Combat 1911 that you just plunked down $5,000 for.

As far as common defense calibers go, they start at 9 mm parabellum and include .38 special/.357 magnum, .38 super, .357 Sig , .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .45 GAP and 10 MM.

You'll see more offerings in the popular and established .38/.357 mag, 9mm, .40 S&W, .44 mag and .45 ACP calibers. I suggest you start here and see what you are most comfortable with. Personally, I think the .357 mag and .44 mags are too much for the average shooter to handle in a defensive situation. If you believe Mas Ayoob, the .45 ACP in a 1911 is an expert's-only weapon, and you really need to train with it to get the most out of it. Starting with a 9mm is a good place for most people. I wouldn't go below .380 ACP (9mm kurz).

As long as a round doesn't over penetrate, I don't get too wrapped up in looking at terminal ballistics. Shot placement is equally important, and so that should really be what you should be focusing on. Also, you should practice with the ammo you intend to carry with, to make sure it cycles properly through your weapon.

I'll dig through some of my LFI notes on preferred commercially available loads. In the meantime, there is a kewl site to browse if you want to look at defense ammo.

http://www.ammolab.com

Guys... thanks for all the insight/advice... I've fired the H&K 9mm and fell in love with it... A little to pricey for a carry piece though... Redlite, I've read a lot about the lack of stopping power of the 9mm hence why i've kinda steered towards the .40 and 45acp. Like you said, I think there is a reason why departments are going back to government guns. They are reliable and will stop anything they hit. For the meantime (meaning I needed to buy a new toy) I ended up going with a glock 23 .40 S&W I know that there will be many many more added to the stockpile over time but I figure for a carry gun now either that or the kimber eclipse pro II will work nicely. Just need to hide them all from the wife. It's not like fishing gear where I can just combine everything... I think she'd pick up on the fact that there are a few more pistols locked up ;) so i've got the plinking gun walther p-22, my target/possibly carry the springfield XD-40(awesome gun) nice weight and smooth trigger pull, and now the glock 23... Hopefully, i'll be adding a kimber to the collection soon(wink wink ben ;)