Need advice on gun to buy...

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Mad_Max

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I have .22's for plinking but I've been thinking about getting a larger caliber for self defense. I've tried a number of 9mm pistols at a range that rents but I havent found one that feels controllable or is easy to get back on target for the follow up shots. A friend has a CZ75 and I find it easier to shoot than other 9mm I've tried but that could be due to its weight. Not something I'd be able to carry or afford however. I find 38 special to be manageable and have shot these from a 357 snubby.
Can anybody recommend another caliber/pistol to try that would be suitable for carry?
 
You didn't say which model of CZ 75 you shot. CZ makes several compact versions of the 75 (search for CZ 75 Compact, CZ 75 D PCR, or CZ P-01). They also make a subcompact, the CZ 2075 RAMI. All great pistols.
 
Can anybody recommend another caliber/pistol to try that would be suitable for carry?
Have you tried any of the .380s? My wife likes her Glock 42 for concealed carry. It's real small and easy for her to conceal, and it's easier for her control than a similar sized 9mm. Of course it's only a .380 ACP, so she's compromising 9mm power for .380 controllability. But that's her choice. I personally find my 9mm Smith M&P Shield controllable, and just as concealable.:)
 
The new S&W 380 EZ looks really nice. Likewise the Shield, and M&P Compact are nice choices.

I carry a Springfield XDs 45 most of the time and a PF 9 when I need a small gun. Personally I like the XDs but it’s heavy. The PF9 is small but horrible to shoot.

Since you’ve tried several at your range it seems like a list of the ones you’ve tried and why would help. Also what is your budget?
 
I don’t know what size gun is too big for your purposes, but the new S&W M&P Shield .380 EZ is going to be about as close as you can get to a lightweight centerfire gun that will handle like a .22 LR pistol. I have fired two kinds of ball ammo and 5 kinds of premium ammo out of the one that I recently acquired. It is pleasant with the ball ammo and with the 90 grain Federal Low Recoil Hydra Shok, Hornady Critical Defense and Hornady Custom loadings. Follow-up shots should be accurate and rapid with minimal practice. If you want more power at the expense of more recoil, you can use Winchester PDX1 or Federal HST. If you go camping every now and then, you can load it with Buffalo Bore 100 grain standard pressure hard cast flat point ammo for straight line penetration. I have shot them all over a chronograph, and the premium rounds all are pretty near factory specs in terms of muzzle velocity and, therefore, energy. The 90 grain rounds ran a little less and the heavier grain rounds ran a little more.

I bought the version of the .380 EZ without the thumb safety, and it appears that some are having issues with the thumb safety flipping on (unintended) while shooting. The gun is new to the market and holster makers have not yet caught up, but it should not take long.

The street price runs in the $340-$375 range, which is very reasonable, and it comes with 2-8 round magazines. I still need to test it some more. But, I think that this is going to be the gun that I will be recommending to the occasional shooter who wants a gun. Most do not run a revolver very well, and certainly not with any kind of rapidity or at distances more than a few yards.
 
To answer some questions: I believe the CZ75 was a P01. I have also tried: Ruger SR9, Glock 19 & 26 in 9mm and a SP101 in 357 with 38 spc. I have not tried 380 yet. My max budget is $400. I am not opposed to buying used. Thank you.
 
I have .22's for plinking but I've been thinking about getting a larger caliber for self defense. I've tried a number of 9mm pistols at a range that rents but I havent found one that feels controllable or is easy to get back on target for the follow up shots.
It sounds like you're fairly new to shooting. I suspect that with a little training on good stance and grip that you'll be able to easily handle 9mm (9x19). If 9mm truly is difficult for you after some training and practice, then something like the new S&W 380 EZ and similar, larger .380 ACP (9x17) pistols are probably your best options.
 
The single stack Glocks (in 380 and 9mm) will come in just north of $400, new. I absolutely love to carry my Glock 43 and it is awesome to shoot. It will eat any and I mean ANY ammo you feed it. I bet you could find a used one under budget.
 
Look at a CZ 83 in .380. For me, they have the best ergonomics and ease to shoot of any gun I have ever owned. You can find them in nice condition for about $300
 
To answer some questions: I believe the CZ75 was a P01. I have also tried: Ruger SR9, Glock 19 & 26 in 9mm and a SP101 in 357 with 38 spc. I have not tried 380 yet. My max budget is $400. I am not opposed to buying used. Thank you.
SAR and Tanfoglio make polymer variants of the CZ75 which are fine quality guns, though somewhat lighter and cheaper. I believe these are available in both 9mm and .380.

I've heard nothing but good things about the SARs, and I've owned several Tanfoglios- great guns!
 
There's a multitude of full size 9mm.s out there that are relatively comfortable to shoot and have the right design components and ergonomics to help mitigate felt recoil. Guns like the Browning Hi-Power, SIG P226, CZ 75, Ruger SR9, Glock G17, Beretta M92, Beretta PX4, and the S&W M&P are some decent examples of full size guns. If possible try to find a range which rents pistols or check them out at a local gun show or gun shop to see how they feel while you're handling them.
 
Look at a CZ 83 in .380. For me, they have the best ergonomics and ease to shoot of any gun I have ever owned. You can find them in nice condition for about $300
I don’t know what size gun is too big for your purposes, but the new S&W M&P Shield .380 EZ is going to be about as close as you can get to a lightweight centerfire gun that will handle like a .22 LR pistol.

Along with those .380 pistols, I would recommend looking a the PK380, it is very similar to the S&W M&P Shield .380 EZ. There is also the Glock 42, also in .380.
 
I have .22's for plinking but I've been thinking about getting a larger caliber for self defense. I've tried a number of 9mm pistols at a range that rents but I havent found one that feels controllable or is easy to get back on target for the follow up shots. A friend has a CZ75 and I find it easier to shoot than other 9mm I've tried but that could be due to its weight. Not something I'd be able to carry or afford however. I find 38 special to be manageable and have shot these from a 357 snubby.
Can anybody recommend another caliber/pistol to try that would be suitable for carry?
The number of pistols and calibers that are suitable for carry are legion these days. That said, looking at your post, I'm guessing that you're after one pistol for HD and SD, suitable for carry and budget is an issue.

In revolvers -- I have a Ruger LCR in .357. I carry it with .38s, because I don't shoot .357s out of it very well. It 's a great little companion for Pocket Carry Days. I think I paid about $500 when I bought it 5-6 years ago, but I'm sure you could pick one up used and get it cheaper.

In semiautos, I think there are about a metric TON of pistols in 9mm that would suit your needs. Is your buddy's CZ75 the full-sized version? I shot a friend's CZ75 Compact and it was a very nice little pistol. IMHO, the "compact class" of pistols is the best bang for your buck that you'll find: Small enough to carry, large enough to shoot well. That would include the Glock 19, CZ 75 Compact, CZ P10C, S&W M&P 2.0 Compact, etc. All that stuff that has ~4-4.5" barrel, and holds ~12-15 rounds.

At the same time, there are a lot of smaller pistols that might serve you well, too. S&W M&P Shield, Ruger SR9c, M&P 1.0 Compacts, G43, etc.

I suspect that your best bet at this time would be to spend more time at the range, trying out different pistols. It's $ invested on the front end to avoid choosing something that you'll just wind up trading in later.
 
There are a lot of carry style pistols available. You just have to narrow it down as to which caliber and type (semi-auto or revolver) you want to carry and then go to some gun stores and handle them. Just remember that the smaller, lighter and larger caliber pistols are harder to manage. You just have to decide what fits your idea of a carry gun. You seem to have the right idea which is to handle as many as you can.
 
I've been carrying a pistol on me for almost 20 years now, and in that time my carry guns have gotten smaller and smaller as time went on. Once you realize that the chances of an average civilian getting into a gun fight comparable to a 1980's Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie is less likely than getting struck by lightening, the notion of carrying a full size duty pistol with extra mags becomes a bit of a hassle for a lot of gun owners.

I've found that I'm simply not dedicated when it comes to concealed carry these days. While I don't leave the house without a piece, I rarely carry anything but a pocket pistol anymore.

If you're not going to carry a great big full sized gun, I would recommend getting nothing bigger than a 380acp if you're sensitive to recoil. My wife carries a Glock 42 that has very little recoil and is surprisingly accurate. Ruger makes the LC380, which is also wery light on recoil. If you want to get into a pocket gun, I would say to stick with 22lr or 32ACP, as micro 380's like the Ruger LCP or baby Sigs have considerably more pop to them than any service sized 9mm.
 
Try out some of the Walther 9mms. Any of the smaller pistols in 9mm are going to be uncomfortable to shoot, some more than others. It's a simple matter of physics.
 
Taurus pt111 g2
Walther PPQ
H&k VP9

Second two are above your price range but are extremely nice.
 
Once you realize that the chances of an average civilian getting into a gun fight comparable to a 1980's Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie is less likely than getting struck by lightening, the notion of carrying a full size duty pistol with extra mags becomes a bit of a hassle for a lot of gun owners.

Yes one isn't likely to get into a gun fight. But with all of the social unrest, with crime increasing in certain areas, and with all of the unreported crime the odds are greater than you think that the need to defend yourself is there. Now, I've studied martial arts for decades and feel comfortable that I can use my skills if needed. Actually they're why I'm typing this as without them I'd be dead when a kid shot up my classroom.

Years before that, I saw a friend get carjacked by a guy with a knife in the middle of the afternoon in safe Salem Va by a guy that didn't look dangerous. Thankfully my friend was carrying his 45 and ended it by pulling it and getting the guy to drop the knife. My buddy drove the guy a few miles away and dropped him off instead of to the police station. Now I don't agree with that as I'd have taken him to the police or called them.

Anyway my point is that you never know when something will happen. And I know I wish I'd been armed the day my class was shot up. After all, the only thing worse than being armed and not having a round in the chamber when you need it is not being armed at all when you need it.
 
Yes one isn't likely to get into a gun fight. But with all of the social unrest, with crime increasing in certain areas, and with all of the unreported crime the odds are greater than you think that the need to defend yourself is there.

Meh, I grew up in the 80s in a minority-majority neighborhood. Crime for me is miniscule compared to when and where I grew up. Crime in general in the United States is at incredibly low levels compared to the Past, but mass media driven sensationalism keeps us living in fear as if crime is getting worse. Well, it's not. Technologies like DNA evidence, cameras on our phones, and extensive background databases have made taking part in violent crime a lot harder to get away with.

Ask any old timer on this forum that was a police officer in a large city in the 1970s about crime these days, and they will probably laugh.

I still carry a gun everyday as I posted. I just don't feel the need to carry a full size duty pistol with extra ammo anymore because I'm "over it.". I don't feel the need to carry anything more than my tiny 32 ACP at this point because there are just simply so many other things to worry about besides getting into an extremely unlikely defense scenario involving bullets flying everywhere at distance. There was a thread regarding this subject a while back where a poster brought up how insane it is that there are people that won't leave their house without a modern double stack service pistol on their hip as well as a backup gun, yet they don't even own a fire extinguisher or they will drive without snow tires in the winter. They are ready to take out a gang of thugs in a high-profile shootout, but they don't have the ability to put a medium house fire out or effectively stop their car in the winter when some idiot blows through a light.

Nobody wants to hear stuff like this on a gun forum, but it's something to think about. Where are your priorities when it comes to your life or the lives of your loved ones? Is the new AR15 you bought to defend your home really more important than knowing CPR or having a decent first aid kit?

Think about it for a second.
 
Yes overall crime is going down. But in places it’s going up and getting more violent.

I grew up in Northen Virginia. It used to be extremely safe. Now the police look like soldiers because of the violent crime due to MS13 and the other gangs that have become widespread.

Again, I agree that a gunfight isn’t something most people will ever get into. But AGAIN, there is a good probability that you could get into a situation that being armed will save your life.

Are you serious? If you choose to carry a 32 ACP that’s your choice. The last time I checked no one is telling you to carry a double stack or an AR. And I’m not sure why you bring up all the tangents except to deflect and shift this thread.

The reality is what I’ve said in many threads. We all decide what to carry. In my case I carry an XDs 45 with a spare mag most of the time. When I wear dress clothes I carry a PF9 with a spare mag. No double stacks there. Now I live and work in areas with extremely low crime. But even here a guy killed someone a few miles away in a laundry mat. The victim had no chance, and the likelihood was slim, but stuff happens.

As an aside, not only do I have fire extinguishers, been first aid and CPR trained, I have a dog. One that barks if anything is outside. But that too is a tangent. If I feel something he barks at is a risk, I’ll check it while armed. And being away from town, our only defense is ourselves. So it’s, guns, dog, and such until the sheriffs department could arrive. So in a bad situation an AR and/or a shotgun could be needed.
 
I live a half hour from town. If the deputy on patrol is on the wrong side of the county, it could take him an hour to reach my home. Basically, when it comes to crime, I'm on my own.

I keep a 12 gauge pump shotgun by the bed, and carry either an M1911 and two spare mags, or a Colt .45 and two speed loaders.
 
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