DHart
Member
The Glock 19 is an excellent choice, in fact I recently bought one myself!
As with all things, whatever you choose will involve compromise of one or more things. Capacity (mostly size-related) and caliber will always be on opposite sides of the fulcrum... and there are some other factors to include as well, such as fit and feel in the hand, shootability, concealability, etc.
For myself, I like the capacity of the nines but the potency of the .45's.
As time progresses I find myself moving toward the middle more and more... that would be to .40S&W. Capacity is much better than .45 and potency better than nine. If one chooses this caliber, what remains is to determine the particular gun which one finds most comfortable in fit, feel, shootability, and size.
It's no wonder than .40 caliber has become so incredibly popular, being chosen so often by police and civilians alike... it's a good blend of potency and capacity and there are many great platforms to launch .40 from.
Of course I still passionately love, shoot and carry 1911's in .45, my Glock 19 and 29, and my Hi-Powers in 9 and 40. But increasingly, I find the M&P 40 Compact and M&P full size .40 to be about the most appealing compromise in platforms and caliber as far as fit & feel in the hand, potency, capacity, shootability, etc. Those who haven't tried the M&P pistols owe it to yourselves to check them out... I think in .40 caliber they are the perfect blend in a defense pistol. 11 rounds of 40 in the Compact and 16 rounds of 40 in the full size. Most users find the fit and feel in the hand and the trigger (once the gun has had a couple of hundred rounds through it) to be wonderful. They are very accurate, reliable, have full case head support in the chamber, and are amazingly soft shooting with quick return to target. Add to that, USA made and the best backing you will find from any firearms company... lifetime service warranty, including free shipping both ways and very quick turnaround, if you should ever need it... from Smith & Wesson. Having been on the market for 1 year, they still have to prove themselves over the long haul, but S&W is totally committed to the new model line and will do whatever it takes in either repair or replacement to satisfy the customer - for a lifetime!
As with all things, whatever you choose will involve compromise of one or more things. Capacity (mostly size-related) and caliber will always be on opposite sides of the fulcrum... and there are some other factors to include as well, such as fit and feel in the hand, shootability, concealability, etc.
For myself, I like the capacity of the nines but the potency of the .45's.
As time progresses I find myself moving toward the middle more and more... that would be to .40S&W. Capacity is much better than .45 and potency better than nine. If one chooses this caliber, what remains is to determine the particular gun which one finds most comfortable in fit, feel, shootability, and size.
It's no wonder than .40 caliber has become so incredibly popular, being chosen so often by police and civilians alike... it's a good blend of potency and capacity and there are many great platforms to launch .40 from.
Of course I still passionately love, shoot and carry 1911's in .45, my Glock 19 and 29, and my Hi-Powers in 9 and 40. But increasingly, I find the M&P 40 Compact and M&P full size .40 to be about the most appealing compromise in platforms and caliber as far as fit & feel in the hand, potency, capacity, shootability, etc. Those who haven't tried the M&P pistols owe it to yourselves to check them out... I think in .40 caliber they are the perfect blend in a defense pistol. 11 rounds of 40 in the Compact and 16 rounds of 40 in the full size. Most users find the fit and feel in the hand and the trigger (once the gun has had a couple of hundred rounds through it) to be wonderful. They are very accurate, reliable, have full case head support in the chamber, and are amazingly soft shooting with quick return to target. Add to that, USA made and the best backing you will find from any firearms company... lifetime service warranty, including free shipping both ways and very quick turnaround, if you should ever need it... from Smith & Wesson. Having been on the market for 1 year, they still have to prove themselves over the long haul, but S&W is totally committed to the new model line and will do whatever it takes in either repair or replacement to satisfy the customer - for a lifetime!
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