Need a Workhorse Pistol

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I have a c-100 canik. It’s a 3-4 hundred dollar copy of a cz-75 compact. Aluminum frame. I have bigger hands than it seems you do. But I think you should try to handle one. It’s very close in size to a Glock 19. But i like the way it points better. Recoil is null. Trigger could use a little work. I found one used for 160 so adding the best trigger from Cajun gunworks I break even to cost of a new pistol. Canik is a iso certified plant and the cz75 is a proven design. I’m not sure if the grip is too thick but you can change them.
 
Wow! Lots of great info here. Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. Sounds like I need to spend more time with the M&P 2.0 and get a better feel for the gun. That will be on my list to do this week.

Also, the Gen4 or maybe 5 G19 is not out of the question. It just doesn’t fit my hand as good as I feel like something else would. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s also not impressive feeling either. It’s kind of like a make-do option.

I completely forgot about the CZ75 Compact and P01 models. I may have to start looking around at those. I don’t mind a decent da/sa gun. I do prefer the decocker only versus the decocker/safety versions.

The Beretta APX Centurion was also on my list for a while but they just look so dang funky. Then I watched a couple YouTube videos where two different guys said the slide serrations were actually not good at all if you have went hands.

I also watched some stuff from MAC on YouTube and he was not impressed with the VP9 due to weak ejection, reliability issues, and some other reasons. He’s one of the few guys whose opinion I respect so I kind of knocked that one out too. Plus the cost is higher for the gun and the mags probably of all the striker options I’ve been looking at.
 
My go-to for this role is a 2.0 Compact in 9mm. It fits my had great, very accurate, soft shooting and super reliable. Some people complain about the hinged trigger but I think it's fine, and the trigger itself is really nice and clean. A 40 S&W would offer a little more snort in the woods and may be a bit cheaper, although you'll spend the savings on more expensive ammo fairly quickly.
 
Olympus said:
I'm in the market for what I am calling a "workhorse" pistol. Something I can just use the crap out of for all kinds of different things, CCW when needed, woods carry, range shooting, truck gun, etc. I'm thinking 9mm caliber here.
Does anyone have any recommendations for something that might fit my needs?
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Guns that are considered work horses are usually all metal solid state guns like Colt 1911s, BHP, H&K, CZ 75b, Ruger P series, and lastly HPs. The Ruger GP100 is considered the workhorse of revolvers.
 
Late as heck to the thread, but I'd still recommend some variant of the S&W M&P or SIG P-320. The M&P, with its four different size backstraps, can be found used or new at way better than Glock prices, not to mention, they can be had for cheap with very good factory night sights (which almost all of the SIGs come stock with as well).
Olympus said:
Some of my other choices are the M&P 2.0 Compact, but I read that the trigger on those is still not great
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Where have you been reading this? On the internet? The 2.0 triggers are vastly improved from the first gen models.
 
Work horse gun that includes woods carry-says revolver. Basically a .357 mag 3 inch barrel L-frame gun with decent adjustable sights.
 
The possibilities are endless in the compact/midsize category even if it’s not a Glock. Handle as many of them as you can. I have over the years had or handled just about all of them and currently my favorites are:
Striker fired: XD mod 2
DA/SA: CZ PCR or P01

This is nitpicking, but I wish the XD had one same size as the G19 with 15 rounds and height right around 5”. The subcompact is just a bit small and the duty just a bit large. Again though I like them a lot and have both.
 
Sorry guys, when I mean woods carry, the largest predator animal I would ever encounter would be a coyote in my part of the world. No black bear sightings anywhere near me and no hogs either.
 
This might be too far outside the box, but have you ever considered a .22magnum for this role?
I can attest to the woodsgun, truckgun, range fun gun part.
Keltec PMR30, ruger lcr? Others...
Would work for ccw if needed.
Just a thought.
(On your dime)
 
Olympus said:
Sorry guys, when I mean woods carry, the largest predator animal I would ever encounter would be a coyote in my part of the world. No black bear sightings anywhere near me and no hogs either.
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That is somewhat surprising. I live in the Deep South in an area where the bear had been eradicated for 100 years and we started seeing them on trail cameras a few years ago. Not all the scrawny little adolescent wandering males either (Got a nice healthy 300 pounder on Camera 2 years ago) but since one got hit and killed by a car last year people are less prone to deny they exist. In an area where bears have not been illegally fed I'm not particularly afraid of them. One of the guys here almost shot one by mistake (wouldn't want to have that conversation with the Game Warden) last year when he thought it was a huge hog through the thermal scope before realizing his mistake.

I am also not particularly afraid of wild hogs. Although I wouldn't want to tangle with one. Ours are well trained that man means rifles and rifles mean death. It is never ending battle to keep the pigs and property damage under control.

More people have been injured by an adult rutting whiretail buck than any other wild animal around here. Bambi can sometimes have a bad temper and puncture wounds to the lungs and gut are not much fun. A 9x19mm will certainly put one down but in my experience it wouldn't be my first choice for deer.
 
M2.0 Trigger.
1/4" of smooth light take up.
1/4" of slightly heavier, slightly springy safety release (at least I that's what it feels like).
Wall
Zero Creep
Clean Break
Minimal Overtravel
1/4" Reset, tactile and audible
The reset occurs directly at the wall so if you don't let it push your finger forward there is zero take up (I don't shoot this way but some do).

My S&W .45 Shield has a little better feeling trigger (My favorite striker trigger) which has a smoother feel to the take up with basically a transparent safety release (assuming that is what that 2nd stage of take up on the M2.0 is). It breaks at 5.0-5.2 lb and my M2.0 feels lighter after several thousand rounds. However I have not measured the M2.0.

The travel distances are approximations.
Basically it's divided into thirds. 1/3 light take up, 1/3 slightly heavier 2nd Stage (Safety?), 1/3 Wall/Break.
 
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My workhorse gun recommendations. These have all played that roll at one time or another. Guns are tools made to be used.

Wilson EDC-X9
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BHP
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Sig P228
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CZ P01
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Olympus said:
I'm in the market for what I am calling a "workhorse" pistol. Something I can just use the crap out of for all kinds of different things, CCW when needed, woods carry, range shooting, truck gun, etc. I've got a lot of really nice pistols, but I don't really have a true "workhorse" pistol. I've been carrying the P365 and still really love that little gun because it carries so easily and shoots very well. Outside of summer, sometimes I think I'd like to carry a slightly bigger gun though. But for some reason I can't seem to decide on what to buy. I'm thinking 9mm caliber here.

I think my first thought is obviously Glock 19 size. Something in that 4" barrel length seems to be a really good compromise between still being able to be carried and also big enough to be comfortable for a lot other kinds of shooting. So think Glock 19 is probably top of my list right now just because of the HUGE aftermarket support and also being priced very well. I've had a Glock 19 and a Glock 26 in the past and ended up selling them both though because I have medium sized hands and they just felt too fat for me to be comfortable with. I was able to shoot them decently well, but I never picked one up and just thought "man that feels good in the hand" like you get with some guns.

Some of my other choices are the M&P 2.0 Compact, but I read that the trigger on those is still not great and most people end up putting in the Apex trigger kits which starts adding to the overall cost of the gun. Not to mention that mags are a little more expensive when compared to the Glock. I like to have at least 10 mags per pistol. Another option was the CZ P10C which is just ok. It wasn't super impressive and it wasn't super disappointing either. It was just so-so for me. One option that I took off the list was the Sig P320. It felt way too thick in my hand and seemed like it had a high bore axis too. I love the P229 platform but it is also just too thick feeling in my hands.

Does anyone have any recommendations for something that might fit my needs?
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Walther P99 AS
Walther PPQ
HK P30
HK P2000
Grand Power Q1 or P1
Steyr M9
Beretta Px4 Compact
FN polymer pistols have also a great reputation.
 
G19, Beretta 92, or any of the old Ruger P series, 85, etc. You said workhorse, those are.
 
H&K VP9 very comfortable and accurate and reliable. They come with several grip panels.
 
Olympus said:
I also watched some stuff from MAC on YouTube and he was not impressed with the VP9 due to weak ejection, reliability issues, and some other reasons. He’s one of the few guys whose opinion I respect so I kind of knocked that one out too. Plus the cost is higher for the gun and the mags probably of all the striker options I’ve been looking at.
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Some things you have to be careful about on the reviews.

Sample Size - One gun does not a product make.

Bias - Many of the manufacturers pay for good reviews. Many pick the guns to review at least partly on viewer demand. If they get enough demand they review a manufacturer's gun that doesn't "pay to play" and let's just say they can be a bit cranky about the lost revenue.

Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of MAC or HK and the cautions above should in no way be viewed as reflective of the practices of either.
 
Spent some time fondling various pistols today and I have to say the results surprised me! I had completely forgotten about the CZ P01 and I was able to handle a P01 Omega and it felt great in my hand! Just a hair thick, but I think a grip swap would fix that. I also handled a P10C and it also felt great and the trigger was very impressive as well. Those little studs on the grip really do a great job. I have to say that the P01 Omega and the P10C are definitely the top contenders right now.

I also tried the M&P 2.0 and did feel pretty good in the hand also. I think the hinged trigger is what throws me off. I do think it’s better for me than the G19 though.

Ive definitely got some things to consider now.
 
94045 said:
Some things you have to be careful about on the reviews.

Sample Size - One gun does not a product make.
Click to expand...
Yes, and I believe the HK VP9 was originally sprung too heavily in their early production run. HK figured it out fairly quickly and recalibrated the recoil spring to the 9mm. Glock had the same problem with the early Gen 4, 9mm guns. They also fixed the problem. Both are very good companies and should be able to sort out any problems you might have.
 
I've been using my Glock 23 for my main carry "heinnie protector" for the last 3 years or so. I hated the grip until I installed the Pachmayr grip sleeve. This pistol is now a dream to shoot as the polymer grip is now extremely comfortable to shoot those snappy .40 S&W cartridges all day long without fatiguing my strong hand:

C2lzuuo.jpg

This pistol was sent to Magnaport a week ago to have some vents cut into the slide and barrel. I'm hoping to reduce, at least some, of the snappy muzzle flip I get with 170 grain bullets. Can't wait to try it out once the Big Brown Truck drops it off back where it belongs. :rofl:
 
My short list would be some flavor of Third Gen S&W 9mm pistols, 5904, 5903, for a smaller more concealable, 6904, 6906. Solid pistols that will easily outlive you.
Second choice would be a Ruger SR9 or, in the compact flavor, SR9c, if you favor a polymer frame.
All are readily available in the sub $400 range, some way more "sub" than others.
 
Olympus said:
Spent some time fondling various pistols today and I have to say the results surprised me! I had completely forgotten about the CZ P01 and I was able to handle a P01 Omega and it felt great in my hand! Just a hair thick, but I think a grip swap would fix that. I also handled a P10C and it also felt great and the trigger was very impressive as well. Those little studs on the grip really do a great job. I have to say that the P01 Omega and the P10C are definitely the top contenders right now.

I also tried the M&P 2.0 and did feel pretty good in the hand also. I think the hinged trigger is what throws me off. I do think it’s better for me than the G19 though.

Ive definitely got some things to consider now.
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A lot of good choices here. We all gave our input. Now it's time for the rubber to meet the road. What works for you. It might be something we haven't even contemplated. It could very well be a pistol I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside with. That doesn't matter as long as you can.

When you narrow it down a little, if you have a range were you can rent your finalist and shoot them that would be ideal.

Good luck with your search.
 
If the rail isn’t important you might like the PCR over the P01. Either way the compact CZ 75’s may be the ultimate all purpose 9mm out there. I had a surplus P01 for many years but sold it or traded it for something else I wanted. It was worn a bit which I don’t like but I do regret it. Will get another at some point but it will probably be the PCR. If caliber doesn’t have to be 9mm, I agree with others too that the G29 is awesome. It would be my all everything gun if could only have 1.
 
Maybe somebody suggested the Walther P99 AS. Can you handle one (you didn't mention whether it was excluded), or better, rent one?
Having the option of a first shot being SA....or DA, is a major selling point.

Mine are the P99, CZ PCR, Sig P6 and original P225 ('87).

I added the P99 recently, and liked the DA trigger ("stacking") a bit more than the DA in the HK P2000.
 
Ignition Override said:
Maybe somebody suggested the Walther P99 AS. Can you handle one (you didn't mention whether it was excluded), or better, rent one?

Having the option of a first shot being SA....or DA, is a major selling point.

Mine are the P99, CZ PCR, Sig P6 and original P225 ('87).
Click to expand...

I have always thought it a much under rated gun. The Walther AS with it's 3-Stage Trigger Pull (Conventional Double Action when decocked, similar to a light Glock Style Trigger when cocked for first shot and short action trigger for repeat shots) is a very interesting concept.
 
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