Just purchased my first full sized handgun ever..

94045 said:

It was definitely a step up from my LW Commander .38 Super and Combat Commander .45 ACP. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as a PPK (That pistol was apparently designed as a custom torture device for me).

Click to expand...

My Hungarian FEG PA-63 (PPK clone) has a bit of a bite to it. 9x18 Mak has little more kick than 380.

Yeah I'm alot like you and I just posted a thread very similar earlier this week, lol. I started with full size revolvers with my grandpa but when old enough to buy and carry the focus went to compact and smaller. Just acquired a Beretta 92 fs and Sar b6p, boy am I in trouble. Especially with how light and crisp the SA is, the ammo is gone in the blink of an eye. Way to easy to send money down range. Once you shoot an all steel beauty with a trigger and slide as buttery as the 92 you'll be in real poop.

My first pistol was a 3913 smith. Later I bought a p32 then a Glock 26 then snubs. I focused on small guns because I was carrying them and figured that where my focus should remain. i have owned a few full size guns but don't shoot them often because it was not as challenging. I wonder how much I have handicapped my shooting focusing on small guns. Lately I've really enjoyed my Glock 19 and 45. I'm wondering how much I could benefit from focusing a while on full size guns.

Yeah when it comes to just having fun shooting, nothing beats a full size frame. I've got a handful of compact style guns that I bought for carry purposes, but I consider a carry gun a "working gun" so as long as I have a few for different situations, I don't have a yearning for any more. For just familiarizing myself with a platform, shooting for fun, and collecting, I always buy full sized so about 85-90% of my handguns are all full-sized. When I do buy a compact its always begrudgingly.

That’s why duty and military handguns are full size. Or as some could say, regular size.

I’ve always shot sub compact because I carry sub compact.

I can't say I've noticed a ton of difference between compact but still duty size (like a Glock 19) and their full size cousin, like the Glock 17 or full size 320.

Now, take a heavy steel or alloy full size gun like a CZ or Sig 226 or Beretta 92 or 1911 and yeah, it's really sweet to shoot in 9mm.

I generally gravitate to the G19 sized autos but do have a few full sized guns in the mix---M&P 1.0--APX--G20--1911 and yes, a GP100

Started out with mostly full size service type pistol because at the time that's pretty much all that was available. Gradually moved to compact and sub-compact size guns for concealed carry. Still use the full size guns for range use, load development, and for home defense. Even have a Colt Lightweight Government Model that I occasionally put in the concealed carry rotation.

Despite all the obvious flaws of the Norwegian handgun ownership system, requiring one to practice with club weapons for 6 months before before being allowed to apply and purchase ones own weapons, at least one normally gets to practice with full size pistols. My club has 6 Benelli MP95, good and precise weapons with ****ty toilet roll grips. I believe this is common practice in most clubs here, and how can one recruit new members without access to decent weapons?

Several members of my club practice with handguns of limited size, for the challenge, or aiming for small gun competition categories, after acquiring experience with full size guns.