IWAC
Member
I am thinking about buying a 9mm handgun, and I am of two minds; the modern 9mms, like the Ruger SR9, the Glock, Sig, and Springfield Armory feel O.K. in my hand, some moreso than others, but I have had a decades-long love affair with The Smith & Wesson 39 series of autoloaders. The 39-2, 439 and 639 just look right, and most of them are steel. The Browning High-Power and the Colt Combat Commander 9mm are other old designs I really like, and also fit my hand very well.
I know gun manufacturers have put many millions of dollars into making autopistols as user-friendly and reliable as revolvers were/are, but, the used autopistols of yore are now as or more expen$ive than a brand-new one.
So, new or used? I am no gun expert, and have no clue about telling a good gun from a lemon, so , I guess it would be the luck of the draw to get a good used gun. Are the modern stable of autopistols with polymer frames as durable and reliable? I know, I've watched the two yahoos on TV do all sorts of unthinkable things to the newer designs, too, but I still wonder... When I buy one, I want to pass it on to one of my grandkids, so he or she can in turn, gift it to one of theirs. OTOH, a small 5-shot revolver, like the Ruger SP 101 might be an answer, with no transition needed, and I have all the reloading stuff...Hmmmm... Decisions, decisions!
I know gun manufacturers have put many millions of dollars into making autopistols as user-friendly and reliable as revolvers were/are, but, the used autopistols of yore are now as or more expen$ive than a brand-new one.
So, new or used? I am no gun expert, and have no clue about telling a good gun from a lemon, so , I guess it would be the luck of the draw to get a good used gun. Are the modern stable of autopistols with polymer frames as durable and reliable? I know, I've watched the two yahoos on TV do all sorts of unthinkable things to the newer designs, too, but I still wonder... When I buy one, I want to pass it on to one of my grandkids, so he or she can in turn, gift it to one of theirs. OTOH, a small 5-shot revolver, like the Ruger SP 101 might be an answer, with no transition needed, and I have all the reloading stuff...Hmmmm... Decisions, decisions!