Handgun Questions

So I am about to be a first-time gun buyer. I have shot and cleaned a couple of handguns (mostly .40 and .45s), but I have lived on a college campus for 5 years so I have not been able to legally own one. I finally have a job and can buy a handgun that I want. I am looking at .40 cal semi-autos for personal protection and going to the range. I like the idea of a gun with night sights, high capacity magazine and maybe even a 2 lb. trigger :naughty: I have been looking at S&W, Glocks, and SIG-Sauers so far. I want to spend $700-$800 at most on the gun itself so I can buy things like extra mags, ammo, and a good way to lock it up when I need to.

So who owns a gun? Any recommendations on models/makes? Maybe even more importantly does anyone know of a good gun shop in the Metro Atlanta Area that has a good selection and really knows their stuff? Anyone want to do a WRXAtlanta gun range G2G in the near future?


Scott

 

I'm down for a meet at the gun range. Bump for similar info, as soon as I move out of this party house I'll be owning a weapon of some kind but for now there's too many drunks wandering around my house at all hours.

 

SpringfieldXD>Sig>Glock>S&W

Springfield has alot of recognition the past year or two with their high-cap .45auto pistol. But any one of their XD series is a great way to go. They all shoot great, have alot of safety features and are extremely good quality. And i'm almost positive you can put some nightsights on them. Or at least have their "m3" tac light. I know BC2003UGA has a .40 Springfield XD.

I personally don't own one, i'm more of a AR15 guy. But I've shot numerous handguns and by far the XD takes it. Another interesting gun you may consider is one made in cumming, GA. The STEYR M-A1.

Here's mine for shits and giggles

 

well HK is in another class if you ask me...the USP 45...i mean damn

 

Now I say God Damn!

 

i love my springfield, IMHO they make excellent first guns. double safeties, one in chamber indicator, cocked indicator all make it really hard to have an accident. I paid just over $500 bucks out the door at bass pro for my XD40, 2 hi-cap mags, mag holders, speed loader, holster, cleaner, slide lock, and hard case.

 

It's in my trunk right now...wanna play!? :wavey:

 

Note to self: Don't piss off Keegan

 

+1

 

I've owned a ruger P90 (.45), Glock 27 (.40), Keltec P-11 (9mm), Jennings 380 (.380), and a walther P99 (.40).

And the best shooting out of those are the Walther P99 and the Glock 27. Both are .40. The Glock 27 is a smaller gun meant for concealed carry more than the P99. The P99 rubs my thumb when I shoot it, but its very accurate.
The Ruger P90 went wild everytime I shot it, but it was my first handgun so that might have just been lack of skill at shooting. The Keltec P-11 shoots fine, but its a concealed handgun in 9mm and you aren't looking for 9mm. Same with the Jennings 380, only its a .380 and you don't care.

So basically I'm saying that my experience with what you are looking for is with a Walther P99, Glock 27, and a Ruger P90. Walther = Glock > Ruger.

I'm down for a range G2G. I still have the Kel-Tec, Walther, and Glock.

 

So where does everyone go shoot? I have been to Bob's Guns in Marietta and some place in Austell.

 

Keegan, Greg and I shot at Bullseye Marksman in Alpharetta last weekend. it was a pretty nice facility. a little pricey, but definitely a good setup. Down here, I go shoot at the county outdoor range about a mile from my house, its free and less crowded. but you do have to worry about bugs.

 

i've been there. i usually shoot outdoors on a friends property in jasper...less restrictive...ranges tend to frown upon shooting tracer rounds into coleman propane tanks.

 

God bless this country.

 

I've owned and shoot just about every gun you can probably think of. Out of all of the ones mentioned the ones I personally think are worth considering are....Springfield XD Series, SIGs, H&K, Glock

I have had an awful lot of really expensive guns but for a carry gun give me the Springfield XD any day. I like the springfield so much that I bought my brother one to carry. I currently Carry a H&K USP 9mm and I don't like it nearly as much as I did my XD. Ill probably buy another XD shortly. The Sig 1911 is a awesome gun its one of the best shooting guns I own but its not a good carry gun unless you carry in a shoulder holster. I personally hate glocks however they work for a lot of people and you will be hard pressed to find someone that can actually give you an eyewitness account of one jamming.

The bottom line is...Guns are for killing people when the situation calls for it...if that situation should arise then you want one that will do the job. Some people don't like to hear that but that's life.

Matt

 

Uh oh, Scotty's gonna start packin' heat? Being the Counterstrike nerd that I am and having no experience with real guns at all, I recommend the H&K USP. I mean, if nothing else, ze Germans know how to engineer just about everything, so I'm sure they make a damn fine pistol.

 

^^^ Who is that?

ze Germans!!!

 

i like mid-sized guns, Sig 226 DAK or Glock 23 both in .40

 

It's fun until one of them comes wizzing by your head at who knows how fast. But it sure is loud!

 

I'd suggest going to a range that has rental guns, and trying several before you decide. Both the Springfield XD and Glock are hard to go wrong with, but you may find that something else flips your burger. Most pistols in your price range will be decent, reliable items. I'd avoid a light trigger (2-5lbs), and stick with how the gun comes from the factory for any defensive weapon. There are plenty of opinions out there, but what works for you may not work for others. Have fun and enjoy!

 

OK, I keep hearing about the springfield XD being such a good choice, but why?

And are you talking about a .45 .40 .357 or 9mm? 3" 4" or 5". Ported or non ported?

With everyone talking about how good they are, I'm going to have to rent one and experience it myself.

edit: Do they have a model with a de-cocker?

 

+1 for these guys. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Come to think of it I still have some range credit up there. I also bought my XD from these guys!

 

Any of the XD series caliber's are great. I've shot a 9mm, .40S&W, and .45 auto. They're all very nice. The big fuss about these guns is in my opinion their safety features, which BC2003UGA mentioned, both a trigger safety (like a glock's) and a grip safety (like a 1911's), a "chamber loaded" indicator, and a 'firing pin primed" indicator.

The other great thing about the gun is it's ease of aiming. They use a more natural grip angle, so when you bring your hand and gun up to line up the sights there's almost no adjusting needed to get sited in on your target. The natural angle your hand is at when it's pointed out in front of you is exactly what it needs to be shoot straight at your target.

Also it's price and available caliber's and sizes. Sub-compact, compact, regular, 3in, 4in, 5in, are all available in different combo's to suit your needs.

I believe some come ported but most of the time people get it without it for home defense etc. I don't believe the gun design allows for a de-cocker like a sig.

 

http://www.springfield-armory.com/

edit: holy shit, they have an option for a thumb safety now...nice addition for those who want that.

 

yeah i saw that the other day when i was parusing the website. triple safeties is just ridiculous. soooper safe now.

 

Im down 4a range meet. I have an AK47 and a Taurus 40. I paid just under $500 included a hard case a 10 and 8 round clip and 2 keys to lock the gun for additional safety. It is a good gun. My buddy has a limited edition Sig and claims that it is one of the better guns he's ever owned.

 

AK FTW! I've got a stamped steel romanian version too. They're hella good guns. And cheap too for romanian, around $350ish!

 

Do you know which limited edition SIG? I know they have the limited edition one that is the same gun the Navy SEALS carry. I looked at those online, but I figured the intricacies of that gun may be lost on a noob like me (not to mention I did not want to pay more $$ and they are kind of a PITA to find). Still looking at normal P226s though...

 

Thanks.
Bummer on the lack of a de-cocker though. I've gotten used to being able to carry my firearm with a bullet chambered, and knowing that the firing pin is not ready to pop on it. the Walther P99 I have has this feature and I really like it.

 

If you want to buy a gun for self defense, this is the best you can possibly get. Concealed carry is given a new meaning here.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=526655&in_page_id=1770

 

Not having a decocker shouldn't keep you from carrying with one in the chamber. When is the last time you decocked a gun....the only time I have is to show people how a decocker works. If you need to decock it take the clip out and rack the slide to get the round out of the chamber.

As Kegan said the XD has a very natural hand position, I found that it is the easiest gun for me to find the target with.

Matt

 

I have an XD40 and absolutely love it. However had I shot the Steyr first I would have bought one of those. The Steyr is the best shooting handgun I have ever shot. http://www.steyr-mannlicher.com/en/sporting-weapons/steyr-pistol-s-a1/large-view/

Better than any of my other pistols, and they are made here in Cumming Ga.

My two choices are the .40 Steyr

And the Springfield XD40

 

I have a Sig Sauer P229 .40 and let me tell you it rocks! My dad has a Springfield Arms XD and compared to it the finish and make is 100x better. You do get what you pay for. If you wanna fire it anytime just give me a holler and we can go to the range.

 

yay someone else who has heard of steyr.

 

I know that you are right on, but I'm just not comfortable with the firing pin back because of the way I carry the handgun.
I have a clip draw on the gun and I keep it clipped to my pants directly to the right of my belt buckle. So I basically sit at my desk with the gun pointed at my right femoral artery all day. Knowing that I have to do a full pull of the trigger to fire a round into my leg makes me feel much better.

Clip draw - http://www.clipdraw.com/handguns.html

The clip draw is great. It allows me to carry a full size handgun without a bulky holster. I used to have to carry a little 380 on my ankle with 8 rounds. Now I carry a .40 with 13 rounds.



EDIT: I am not saying that the OP shouldn't get an XD JUST because they dont have a decocker. I'm just saying that a decocker works best for me because of the way I carry.

 

you still have to do a full pull of the trigger on an XD to fire the first shot. and both safeties have to be depressed for it to even go all the way back.....

 

Adventure Outdoors on South Cobb drive usually has the best prices and a very large selection of hand guns. They do not however, have a range.

 

^^^My co-worker told me they have a HUGE selection. Thanks for all the input! I think I need to go shoot some of these guns and see which one I like the best. Do any of you lock up your guns, or do you all carry/keep them in the nightstand. I am still moving every 6-12 months to a different place so I don't need a full safe, but I definitely want the ability to keep my investment safe.

 

i keep mine in my nightstand, but only because i trust my roomates. if i had kids or people i didnt know well living with me, then it would be a different story

 

They have some really nice single gun safes available for pretty cheap. But they have to be bolted or screwed to the floor. You could probably pick one up for under $75.00 that uses a 4 digit electronic combination lock.

 

Bushmaster Ar15-$800
Tuarus 9mm (still In Box)not Regest.$500