first gun questions

[dontshakepandas]

I will be buying my first handgun soon and am having a very difficult time deciding which to spend my money on. I pretty much had my mind made up on a XD45 compact. When I went to the gun shop to hold it, it felt good in my hand, but the M&P definitely felt better in my hand.

I am a college student, so I don't have much money. The XD is a bit cheaper. In fact, I can get the 45 compact with the Trijicon night sights for the same price as the standard M&P. It also includes all the XD gear. I really want to make sure I spend my money on the best possible option, if this means I have to spend a LITTLE more to buy a holster separately I can live with that. The gun will be mostly for home protection but I do want to be able to carry it concealed if I feel the need (I will be getting my permit shortly after I get the gun).

If I get the M&P I would want the 4" barrel version with the thumb safety. I know I would be fine without it, but I would like something besides JUST the trigger (the XD's grip safety satisfies this requirement). I like that the safety can stay on while the slide is racked. They didn't have a model with a thumb safety so I'm really interested in how it feels.

Would the XD really be that much better off for not having to remember to flip the switch?

How easy is it to engage/disengage the safety? I just want to make sure it stays where I put it.

Does anyone know any holsters that work with the thumb safety? It seems like many would not fit right.

The M&P trigger is another issue of concern. I understand it is heavy and gritty at first but smooths out with (dry)firing. Some even say that the plastic feels flimsy and could break off? Is any/all of this correct?

I'm sorry for the long post, I'm just having a very difficult time making up my mind. Thanks guys.

 

[WinchesterAA]

nothin wrong with the XD's, man. They're accurate and from what I've seen, very reliable.

 

[cowssurf]

I like DA/SA, but if I were to get a striker fired pistol, I think I'd like an XD for the reason you stated: the grip safety. It would make me feel that much more comfortable. And the grip safety as far as operating is concerned is a total non-issue. My brother has one in .40 and when I shot it, I never noticed the grip safety.

 

[Tribal]

I'd get the XD for the grip safety (and if you can get a model with the thumb safety that's nice, too). The "holster" that comes with SA stuff is pretty darn basic; something like a Fobus paddle holster may be worth looking into.

 

[dontshakepandas]

Getting the XD with the thumb safety would be overkill to me. I guess my main decision is deciding if I want a manual safety or a passive safety. The M&P feels better in my hand, so if I am going to have a manual safety I would rather have that one, unless there are reliability issues. This is why I asked the questions I did. If the M&P can't match the XD in reliability, the choice is easy. If it can, I have to decide if the extra half a second I save by not having a manual safety is worth having a gun that doesn't feel as good in my hand.

I think I'm leaning towards the M&P. I would imagine I would shoot better with what is more comfortable. I know it shouldn't matter, but I think it looks MUCH better than the XD. I also really like the crimson trace grip thats available for it (I would have to cut off the right side of the safety lever). Every gun I have ever fired has had a manual safety, so I don't think I would ever forget to use it, and I do like that little extra tingly safe feeling it gives me. Plus it is designed and made in America.

edit: Just saw the New XD-m. That thing is so ugly it made me like the regular XD less.

 

[mr.72]

I am not entirely sure that an XD is any more reliable than the M&P. I suspect both are going to be 100% reliable barring some fluke manufacturing defect. If it were me, I would go with what feels right in your hand unless there is some major reason for concern in terms of reliability or customer service from the maker.

I recently went through the same kind of decision and ended up with my choice of guns because of the feel. Recently I was at the range with a friend and we fired a whole collection of auto pistols that are much more expensive than my own gun and I still preferred mine simply for the feel in my hand. I shot it more accurately and more comfortably every time. I think ergonomics are king.

 

[transformerguru]

+1 to mr.72's remark. Pistols are all about feel.

 

[bowl443]

My XD has a grip safety... and a trigger safety????


I never noticed.

XD-M is bad

Seriously though, I can't comment on the M&P, but I bought the XD over some others because of it's safety features. If you use it right, you'll never notice the safety mechanisms.... and it'll shoot every time.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The M&P trigger is another issue of concern. I understand it is heavy and gritty at first but smooths out with (dry)firing. Some even say that the plastic feels flimsy and could break off? Is any/all of this correct?

I have a 9mm compact and have shot others. The first is correct, to a degree. You can say that about almost any new gun. And it was not that bad to start with. The second, I've never heard of. At a recent shoot, one of my "buds" (who owns a H&K P7M8 with a very light trigger) remarked on how good the trigger felt. It also has a much shorter stroke, instead of the long sweep with a break at the very end of the XD's.

Whichever you choose, you will be getting a good gun. What it really boils down to is personal preference. After having rented both I personally preferred the M&P.

 

[dontshakepandas]

Anybody else have experience with both?