$400 striker/9mm

I picked up a M&P shield in 9mm for $390. I've been very impressed with this little 9mm carry gun. Accurate, reliable, fun to shoot and easily concealable.

TomKat

I have a Ruger SR9c and love it. Great design and ergonomics. Trigger is better than the one on my Glock 17. Buds has both the SR9 and SR9c for $411.

You're already thinking just fine..

I liked the way the Ruger shot but the trigger felt like a toy with a rubber band holding the trigger back. I felt that the nicest trigger between a few Glocks, the Ruger and a couple of M&P's was on the M&P.

There really isn't a lot that separates any of these though. And all of them have aftermarket kits to improve and lighten the trigger so I suggest you simply buy the gun that makes you smile when you hold it and look at it then pay for the trigger upgrade parts if you find it not to your liking.

Springfield xd

I like the trigger on the xd (the best of a bad bunch of triggers) and the feel of the smith m&p, but they're all about the same.

The SR9 was my first handgun. Very good shooter for a very fair price.

Fiv3r said:

The SR9 was my first handgun. Very good shooter for a very fair price.

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What are they selling for? My dealer just priced a SR9c for $409.

Kahr has a entry level 9mm for about that price too

The reason to go with DAO and 9mm is so that it will fit into a pocket holster. If you are going to lug around a belt rig, you can have much more power and effective range.

Kahr or Springfield XD. The Kahr has a great carry trigger but not what I would want in a range toy.

The XD is just an all around great pistol.

If it was me, I would try the Walther PPX. Don't own one, but seems like all the current walther plastic guns get rave reviews

TennJed said:

If it was me, I would try the Walther PPX. Don't own one, but seems like all the current walther plastic guns get rave reviews

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The PPX is hammer fired. I do have a SW99 (S&W badged Walther P99 - which is striker fired) and though its a perfectly serviceable handgun, I'd personally go for the Ruger SR9 over it.

If you get the SR9C clean out the striker channel, they put a lot of grease in there and you can end up getting light primer strikes. It's a great pistol by the way and gets my vote for whats in your price range.

mgmorden said:

The PPX is hammer fired. I do have a SW99 (S&W badged Walther P99 - which is striker fired) and though its a perfectly serviceable handgun, I'd personally go for the Ruger SR9 over it.

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My bad. I thought they were striker fired.

I don't think you could go wrong with SR9 or SR9c

You should have several pretty good options. I really like the M&P Shield and the Ruger SR9c.

Used Police Trade-In Glock

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Hard to go wrong with the Ruger SR series. I have a 9mm compact and it is a nice shooter and carry weapon.

You could consider the S&W SD9VE. Consider it a bargain-basement M&P... or an upgraded Sigma. Either way it's a striker fired gun for not a lot of money.

One can find used glocks that are in impeccable shape for $400. I've found them locally and online. What is its intended purpose.

Another vote for a used glock. I paid $430 total after transfer for a like new g19 gen 3 rtf a few months ago.
It has no soul but is reliable, and easy to find mags for.
Another gun I like that you might want to look into is the steyr s9

The Glock is a good gun, but it prints much more than my SR9c, and I can't imagine a better trigger than the Ruger. 1,700 accurate reliable rounds so far and it stays on my hip constantly, summer or winter clothing.