Good day, all. Some while back I sold off most of my pistol collection to help my finance my graduate education. At present, I'm down to a single handgun: my P229 in .40S&W. I love it, but unfortunately it's a touch heavy for routine concealed carry (especially in warm weather) and .40 isn't the cheapest caliber to blast with down at the range. To this end, and now that I've discovered that finances aren't as tight as I was expecting, I've decided to add a new 9 mm pistol as the first step to rebuilding the collection. 
To be sure, I don't want a "run of the mill" 9 mm handgun, and this probably won't replace the P229 as my real "go-to" carry piece (or at the least one I keep in the car) so I have no interest in something like a Glock (too ugly anyhow - sorry!) or a 92FS.
Anyhow, I've settled upon a handful of options, and I'm curious to know which you would choose (and why!) given this line-up. Hands-on experience and feedback is always preferred - I've now handled and shot each of these (of course), and like them so that's not of any concern at this point.
So, here's what I'm considering:
Walther P1 - these have been popping up lately as some of the German state institutions have been unloading their surplus, and you can get an excellent/like-new version with the various reinforcements and upgrades (I like the offerings at www.dansammo.com) for around $300. I've always loved the look of the P1/P38 - such a classic Teutonic design (appeals to my German-born soul) with a lot of history behind it. Of all the choices listed here, this one is undoubtedly the best conversation piece (something any collector appreciates) though I will, of course, shoot it.
The real downside to the P1 is that I wouldn't trust or use it in a carry/SD situation, because of its age, size, and unorthodox shape, so it would mostly be a range blaster and part-time safe queen.
Walther PPK .380 or clone - another pistol that needs no introduction. Like the P1, a classic design - but unlike the P1, a perfect carry pistol. Downsides: price, and (from what I've read) some reliability concerns with the license-made US models. During the course of my research, I also noted that the PPK is a frequently emulated design. The one that really stood out to me was the Bersa Thunder 380 - which looks to be a HELL of a bargain and carries some pretty impressive testimonials. So good, in fact, that I'm wondering if the PPK is actually worth the cost (twice as much). Thoughts?
There's also the P232, but it seems to be too expensive for what it is. I can't really see any reason to choose it over the PPK or the Thunder despite my affinity for SIG pistols.
By the way - yes, I did say 9 mm, but .380 technically is a 9 mm round - in Germany, we called it the 9 mm "kurz" or short.
SIG Pro SP2022 - my affinity for SIG pistols naturally led me to consider their 9 mm offerings. Excluding close match/redundant models (e.g. P228/P226), the SIG Pro caught my eye. These are polymer framed pistols with folded steel slides. New-in-box models (lifetime warranty and all) are now going for around $450 - considering how similar these are to the HK USP, that's a hell of a bargain! These are all German-made pistols with proof stamps and one of the smoothest factory triggers I've ever used. Finally, I'm absolutely confident that this pistol would be an excellent self defense piece under most circumstances. These qualities have made me put the SP2022 into contention even though I originally wasn't looking for a "regular" autoloader.
So, let me know what you think - and I'm always open to suggestions, of course.
To be sure, I don't want a "run of the mill" 9 mm handgun, and this probably won't replace the P229 as my real "go-to" carry piece (or at the least one I keep in the car) so I have no interest in something like a Glock (too ugly anyhow - sorry!) or a 92FS.
Anyhow, I've settled upon a handful of options, and I'm curious to know which you would choose (and why!) given this line-up. Hands-on experience and feedback is always preferred - I've now handled and shot each of these (of course), and like them so that's not of any concern at this point.
So, here's what I'm considering:
Walther P1 - these have been popping up lately as some of the German state institutions have been unloading their surplus, and you can get an excellent/like-new version with the various reinforcements and upgrades (I like the offerings at www.dansammo.com) for around $300. I've always loved the look of the P1/P38 - such a classic Teutonic design (appeals to my German-born soul) with a lot of history behind it. Of all the choices listed here, this one is undoubtedly the best conversation piece (something any collector appreciates) though I will, of course, shoot it.
The real downside to the P1 is that I wouldn't trust or use it in a carry/SD situation, because of its age, size, and unorthodox shape, so it would mostly be a range blaster and part-time safe queen.
Walther PPK .380 or clone - another pistol that needs no introduction. Like the P1, a classic design - but unlike the P1, a perfect carry pistol. Downsides: price, and (from what I've read) some reliability concerns with the license-made US models. During the course of my research, I also noted that the PPK is a frequently emulated design. The one that really stood out to me was the Bersa Thunder 380 - which looks to be a HELL of a bargain and carries some pretty impressive testimonials. So good, in fact, that I'm wondering if the PPK is actually worth the cost (twice as much). Thoughts?
There's also the P232, but it seems to be too expensive for what it is. I can't really see any reason to choose it over the PPK or the Thunder despite my affinity for SIG pistols.
By the way - yes, I did say 9 mm, but .380 technically is a 9 mm round - in Germany, we called it the 9 mm "kurz" or short.
SIG Pro SP2022 - my affinity for SIG pistols naturally led me to consider their 9 mm offerings. Excluding close match/redundant models (e.g. P228/P226), the SIG Pro caught my eye. These are polymer framed pistols with folded steel slides. New-in-box models (lifetime warranty and all) are now going for around $450 - considering how similar these are to the HK USP, that's a hell of a bargain! These are all German-made pistols with proof stamps and one of the smoothest factory triggers I've ever used. Finally, I'm absolutely confident that this pistol would be an excellent self defense piece under most circumstances. These qualities have made me put the SP2022 into contention even though I originally wasn't looking for a "regular" autoloader.
So, let me know what you think - and I'm always open to suggestions, of course.
