Carry Gun Selection Dilema

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.455_Hunter

.455_Hunter

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Greetings!

I am left handed and having real trouble finding a compact carry gun that meets all of my requirements. Please reply if you have suggestions.

Here is a list of specs:

Caliber- 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP

Method of Operation- Traditional DA/SA with hammer preferred. DAO Striker fired guns must have a positive manual safety. Glocks and Kahrs need not apply. I refuse to carry a gun with a round in the chamber that has a 6 pound trigger and no manual safety!

Safety- Must be in similar position to M1911 and function the same- up for safe, down to fire. Unfortunately, some of the "afterthought" safeties on the current market, like the M&P or XD, seem to be a little too easy to disengage in my opinion.

Decocker- Traditional DA/SA guns need to have a decocker, whether incorporated with the safety, or a separate lever.

Slide Release- Prefer ambi, but could live with standard.

Mag Release- I really like Euro style heel releases, but they are not trendy. The mag release either needs to totally ambi, like HK, or reversible. I don't like my trigger finger resting right on the mag release button during firing.

Sights- Three dot or similar. Night sights OK.

Here are some guns that almost make the grade:

Makarov- Pros- Reliable, Heel Mag Release, DA/SA with Decocker. Cons- 9x18, Safety/Decocker not Ambi, Poor Sights.

Compact M1911- Pros- Ambi Safety, Good Sights. Cons- SA Only, Mag Release Non-Ambi in Wrong Spot.

Sig 239, P6- Pros- SA/DA Requires No Safety, Decocker Position Workable. Cons- Mag Release Non-Ambi in Wrong Spot.

Rohrbaugh R9- Pros- Heel Mag Release Cons- Heavy DAO.

CZ85 Types- Pros- SA/DA, Good Sights, Ambi Safety / Slide Release. Cons- No Decocker, Mag Release Non-Ambi in Wrong Spot.

Please Help!
 
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what about a CZ with an ambi decocker, like the SP-01 tactical? if you thought about carrying an 85C, the SP-01 isn't that much heavier. and FWIW, the 85C has no firing pin block.
 
swap it to the other side. a little bit of effort and it works. you can always have a gunsmith do it, shouldn't be more than an hour's labor or $40ish. i reversed it on ym 40b, and had to hit it with a file in one spot.
 
Walther P5?

Edit:
Oops, forgot it didn't have the same ambi decocker as the P88/P88C. It does eject to the left and has the heeled mag release though.
 
Welcome. It's only an 8 shot, but so is the Sig P6. There are still some police trade-ins available on GB like the P6s, but they are a little more expensive than the Sigs were. There is a compact version of it too, but I have never seen a compact version that wasn't 4-500 bucks more than the full size.
 
HK P2000?

-Ambi slide release, ambi mag release.
-Decockable hammer (V3).
-3 dot or night sights available.
-9mm or .40 S&W.
-No manual safety, but if I'm understanding correctly, this is okay per your original post calling for manual safeties only on the striker fired models.

Probably not the only pistol to make the cut, but with the criteria you've described it's everything you're asking for minus the heel release.
 
I will go back home and take a look at my CZ mags again. Mine are Mec-gars.

What about the compact HKs, like the P2000 SK V3? - OOPS- Mind meld with psyospec!
 
Has all the same specs I outlined, just reduced size and mag capacity. I can't give too much detail since I don't own one, but they do have a good reputation all around. I still prefer snubs in a gun that small, but if I didn't the P2000 SK would be on the short list.
 
The HK P2000 SK V3's look pretty good! :)

No safety is OK as long as the DA trigger pull is traditionally heavy.

Now the trick is finding one in the flesh to fondle!
 
Only thing decent is the Ruger SR9.

It's pretty much a Stainless Glock with a manual safety.

If you use a holster for carry than I don't see the point in overlooking a modern striker fired gun without a saftey.
 
FWIW:

100_9857.jpg

I've always liked Walthers a lot, but I found the P5 to be too big for reasonable cc.. It's a nice weapon, but b i g.....:D

I'm a lefty, and my choice in a 9mm pistol is the CS9. When I carry the CS9 I leave the safety OFF, but the first round is always DA, so I get the safety of the heavier DA trigger pull on the first round, and the lighter SA pulls thereafter.

It seems most folks prefer the 3913LS over the CS9 as the CS9 grip is something that either fits you perfectly, or you just don't care for it.. "Big Dog" is making grips for the CS pistols now that are thinner, but I'm lucky, the CS factory grips fit me "just right"...

I don't see any reason to have a safety ON when the first round is DA anyway.

But that's just me.. :)

Best Wishes,

Jesse
 
Try this....you might like....
0916252760996561447109.share.jpg
 
I'll put another vote down for an H&K, either a p2000 or a USP compact. I carry the later in an OWB holster and it conceals pretty well (I think the USP is also the larger of the two, if only slightly) and it's pretty accurate for a shorter gun. More importantly it fits all of your criteria, and it comes in a variety of safety configurations. The only con is that they're over priced. Hope that helps.
 
H&K P7 PSP has heel mag release, grip cocking & decocking (totally ambidextrous). Fixed barrel. Very accurate. Meets all your requirements as far as I can tell.

CZ 2075 RAMI decocker model or manual safety model. Can't have both, but the manual safety is ambidextrous on mine. Nice gun. Mag release is not, ambi, though, if I recall correctly (not at home right now).
 
A Kahr is like a flat revolver. No safety, but then again, revolvers don't have a manual safety, either. If you shoot yourself accidentally with a Kahr, then you would've also shot yourself with a revolver.

An M&P with a safety could work, as long as you have the right holster that engages the safety in the "on" position. KyTac's BraveHeart is the only one I'm aware of that does that. (www.kytac.com)

The XD's safety is too small to engage that way, but then again, it should also be too small to deactivate inadvertantly.

The mag catch on the M&P is reversible, the XD is ambi.

The slide stop on the M&P is ambi, but not on the XD. With the 'over the top' technique, it wouldn't matter anyway.

Many top shooters prefer to have the mag release under their trigger finger, so discounting a gun solely because of that ignores a benefit.

The P-5 has a horrible DA pull.

The Ruger SR-9 has already been mentioned, but I find that safety too small to take off quickly.

A Sig 250 has a very nice DA pull, but no manual safety. (none needed)

Another option might be a Cominolli thumb safety added to a Glock, but I'd go with the Kahr, M&P or XD myself.

.
 
Your answer would be a Sig p229. Just a tiny bit bigger than the 239, the mag release can be switched. Everything else you like, and I prefer the grip and ergonomics of the 229. I'm hearing that the P250's are often having problems with light primer strikes/failures to fire. I'm a lefty, btw, and becoming good at running handguns with both hands is something to train towards.
 
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