LEO asked to pick the gun he wants to use: what should he pick?
- Thread starter vito
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vito
Member
Reading all of the responses, which I appreciate. I have printed these out and passed them on to my son hoping it helps in his decision. I know that comments on an open forum can't be accepted as gospel truth but a lot of this has really been helpful.
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
"Whatever Fits"~!
For me it would be a quality 1911 in .45 ACP.
For me it would be a quality 1911 in .45 ACP.
Autolycus
Member
The Glock 23 and Glock 27 combo is a good idea.
An HK P2000 and P2000sk is a better one.
An HK P2000 and P2000sk is a better one.
geekWithA.45
Moderator Emeritus
He's gonna have to do what everybody else does:
Read & research, then get to a range that rents and try a few out, till he knows his own mind on the matter, then buy and train and practice.
Guys who cut corners on this make me skeptical, and cause me to wonder where they belong on the spectrum that runs from "guys lugging magic talismans around" to "competent gunmen".
Read & research, then get to a range that rents and try a few out, till he knows his own mind on the matter, then buy and train and practice.
Guys who cut corners on this make me skeptical, and cause me to wonder where they belong on the spectrum that runs from "guys lugging magic talismans around" to "competent gunmen".
jjohnson
Member
What he Shoots Best!
What does he shoot best?
I'd carry that.
(Quote from Mike)
Yep. If he's asking for advice, my guess is that he's not as hard core a shooter as some of us. That being said, there's a line of logic that says that if you can't hit something, you shouldn't be carrying, so it's not a bad idea to go with what he can comfortably hit with. Glocks and their like are fairly lightweight compared to say, my favorite M1911 .45 types... which goes a long way if you're carrying concealed all day every day. There's an argument against carrying something that's strange to you - so I'd ask the young man what he qualified with and whether he liked it. With something like a Glock, controls are much alike, so changing from the 9mm (many used in training) to something like a .40 or whatever isn't as big a deal as going from, say, a Glock to a SIG. Chances are he was trained with a Glock M17... I'd chance on a .40 (or larger) with maybe a slightly shorter barrel and night sights.
Me... I like my Glock 35 (.40 cal, adjustable sights, full size) but that's me.
What does he shoot best?
I'd carry that.
(Quote from Mike)
Yep. If he's asking for advice, my guess is that he's not as hard core a shooter as some of us. That being said, there's a line of logic that says that if you can't hit something, you shouldn't be carrying, so it's not a bad idea to go with what he can comfortably hit with. Glocks and their like are fairly lightweight compared to say, my favorite M1911 .45 types... which goes a long way if you're carrying concealed all day every day. There's an argument against carrying something that's strange to you - so I'd ask the young man what he qualified with and whether he liked it. With something like a Glock, controls are much alike, so changing from the 9mm (many used in training) to something like a .40 or whatever isn't as big a deal as going from, say, a Glock to a SIG. Chances are he was trained with a Glock M17... I'd chance on a .40 (or larger) with maybe a slightly shorter barrel and night sights.
Me... I like my Glock 35 (.40 cal, adjustable sights, full size) but that's me.
Ah, I had assumed that he was an experience shooter.
Vito, if he has not already made a decision, do this:
1. Find out if there are any restrictions (make, model, caliber, action type, etc). I find it hard to believe that a modern LE agency does not have SOME restrictions. That will narrow the field considerably.
2. Ask what calibers, if any, the LE agency will provide. That might not be a limiting factor (it's up to him and his wallet), but it's nice to know.
3. If it is still up for grabs, limit yourself to major calibers. 9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .357 Sig and maybe 10mm for autoloaders. If he is a revolver guy, consider .38 Spl, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum. As nice as .38 Super and .41 Magnum are, he'll go broke feeding that gun, and he wants to be able to practice. So, stick with common calibers.
4. After that, he needs to go shoot a lot of guns. In pretty short order he can figure out what works and what does not work for him. While extensive training would be nice before this point, it's not really required. If it feels bad in the hand, it is bad. If he cannot reach the controls, it is bad. If the procedures to load and fire seem too complex (some people hate manual safeties), it is bad. If recoil seems bad, it is bad. After fingering, dryfiring and live firing a bunch of guns, he will be able to see what he likes and does not like. He can trust his gut on this one. A gun that feels poor in the hand can be made, with practice, to feel more natural, but the opposite is not true; a gun that starts out feeling right will probably not get worse with practice.
5. Stick with major makers. Glock, Springfield, S&W, Sig, Ruger, Colt, Kimber, H&K, Beretta, FN/Browning, etc. If you've never heard of the maker, that might be a sign.
Of course, you're looking for suggestions. Consider these, but if they don't fit, don't sweat it.
Glock. They're all the same, except for details like caliber, barrel length and grip size. See which one he likes.
Springfield XD. Great gun, may or may not fit his hand.
1911. There is a reason why this gun is alive and kicking, coming up on its 100th birthday.
Browning Hi-Power. My first gun. It just feels right. Available in 9mm and .40S&W.
S&W M&P. New, so it does not yet have a track record, but early reports are pretty good. Nice trigger, feels good in the hand.
Mike
Vito, if he has not already made a decision, do this:
1. Find out if there are any restrictions (make, model, caliber, action type, etc). I find it hard to believe that a modern LE agency does not have SOME restrictions. That will narrow the field considerably.
2. Ask what calibers, if any, the LE agency will provide. That might not be a limiting factor (it's up to him and his wallet), but it's nice to know.
3. If it is still up for grabs, limit yourself to major calibers. 9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .357 Sig and maybe 10mm for autoloaders. If he is a revolver guy, consider .38 Spl, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum. As nice as .38 Super and .41 Magnum are, he'll go broke feeding that gun, and he wants to be able to practice. So, stick with common calibers.
4. After that, he needs to go shoot a lot of guns. In pretty short order he can figure out what works and what does not work for him. While extensive training would be nice before this point, it's not really required. If it feels bad in the hand, it is bad. If he cannot reach the controls, it is bad. If the procedures to load and fire seem too complex (some people hate manual safeties), it is bad. If recoil seems bad, it is bad. After fingering, dryfiring and live firing a bunch of guns, he will be able to see what he likes and does not like. He can trust his gut on this one. A gun that feels poor in the hand can be made, with practice, to feel more natural, but the opposite is not true; a gun that starts out feeling right will probably not get worse with practice.
5. Stick with major makers. Glock, Springfield, S&W, Sig, Ruger, Colt, Kimber, H&K, Beretta, FN/Browning, etc. If you've never heard of the maker, that might be a sign.
Of course, you're looking for suggestions. Consider these, but if they don't fit, don't sweat it.
Glock. They're all the same, except for details like caliber, barrel length and grip size.
See which one he likes.Springfield XD. Great gun, may or may not fit his hand.
1911. There is a reason why this gun is alive and kicking, coming up on its 100th birthday.
Browning Hi-Power. My first gun. It just feels right. Available in 9mm and .40S&W.
S&W M&P. New, so it does not yet have a track record, but early reports are pretty good. Nice trigger, feels good in the hand.
Mike
Mr Kablammo
Member
Smith & Wesson Third-Gen Semi-Auto. High cap, combo saftey-decock, mag safety, affordable, proven, lots of support. Maybe a 4006 or 4046. Or maybe the new M&P.
He's a qualified handgun shot and don't know what handgun to pick? Since he's an investigator maybe he should put his skills to use. Only he will know what handgun is best for him no matter what everyone here recommends. Tell him to get out and try all the models he can. Go to the range and see what other officers use and ask to try their models. As they say get from behind the desk and do some field work.
Harley Quinn
Member
How many times do we need to hear about the very heavy and cumbersome guns on your hip for days at a time???
This person is plainclothes.
HQ
This person is plainclothes.
HQ
SAG0282
Member
SIG Pro, 229, or GLOCK compact series (19/23/32).
OldBillThundercheif
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2006
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Semi-auto is for wussies. Glock 18
Harley Quinn
Member
Model 18 He has a model 18
Not many of them around.
Good thing, can we say lots of ammo but you need a 30 round Mag to really look cool.
HQ
He has a model 18 Not many of them around. Good thing, can we say lots of ammo
but you need a 30 round Mag to really look cool. HQ
Harley Quinn
Member
Hi, that is cool
So does that mean I can just buy the slide and not worry about the rules??? I am asking about the G18, and the 30 rounder.
So how about a good look at a target that is 10yds out? Can it be kept on a man size target? What kind of burst's are we doing?
HQ
So does that mean I can just buy the slide and not worry about the rules??? I am asking about the G18, and the 30 rounder.
So how about a good look at a target that is 10yds out? Can it be kept on a man size target? What kind of burst's are we doing?
HQ
pendentive
Member
vito - does he have any answers to the questions posed here? (regarding regulations, who buys ammo, etc.)
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