options comprable to glock 23

[getsomesy]

hey guys, thanks for stopping into my thread. the purpose of it is to try to find a good carry pistol for me given the criteria i know i want.

ill start off by telling you a bit about my personal situation.
i am looking to buy my first handgun, i have shot 38,9,40,45 and feel comfortable with all. i am pretty sure i want a .40 cal pistol cause me and my friend can reload it and i feel its a good medium between capacity and punch.

the primary reason for wanting to carry i mountain bike, backpack, and camp in remote areas alone frequently... i have felt like couger bait on quite a few occasions and incase of coming across hostile back woods drug manufactures and whatnot.

i want a pistol that has these qualitys:
-compact size
-lightweight
-double stack
-does not snag easily
-potential to pocket carry if need be
-night sights

the reason i dont just get a glock 23 is that if there is an option that was sa/da but still draws easily, and maybe a more comfortable grip i would like to consider it.

thanks for your input.

 

[denfoote]

Look at the Glock 27.

It kinda looks like this.

 

[Remo223]

The obvious options are as follows:

springfield XD and XDm
S&W M&P
Beretta Px4
FN FNP
walther P99

 

[modifiedbrowning]

Walther P99 or P99 Compact with AS trigger.

 

[ChristopherG]

Is pocket carry really a significant criteria for you? 'Cause while I'm sure there are a few who find they can reasonably pocket carry a gun the size of a G23, there are a whole lot more who will tell you it's not realistic. I would be among the latter.

Unless you have a compelling reason to want a DA/SA, I'd suggest you put hands on compact models of the model lines listed by Remo, find one that feels good, and shoot it enough to know what you can do with it.

 

[[email protected]]

To comment on your pocket carry requirement.
Pocket carrying can be difficult to present the weapon in a high stress situation and a couger trying to eat your you know would be stressful. What if the couger has the upper hand or your hand? Would you be able to get the weapon out of your pocket. While in the open country i perfer to open hip carry my weapon as I do when I go to work.
I am limited in my handgun expierence and both of my carry weapons are glocks because my department says so, but in the field i perfer a 357 revolver. I am not trying to start a glock vs others war but after countless rounds through mine I do trust them and my ability to operate that platform in high stress situations.
I cannot suggest a gun, but I do suggest that you train with it so it can be used if needed

 

[getsomesy]

for the most part no, i dont see myself pocket carrying and i agree a holster is defiantly better. unforeseen situations do happen and i would like to have a gun that will not snag easily if i need to draw it from a coat pocket.

the m&p is an attractive gun. is it Single action only?

 

[88 Cutlass]

M&P is double action only just like a glock.

 

[Remo223]

If you are dead set on a gun with a decocker, sig is generally considered to have the best decocking lever ever designed. I don't think they make a polymer version yet though. The most concealable version is the sig 239. That one is a single stack mag though. You have your choice of 9mm, 40S&W, or 357sig.

 

[ForumSurfer]

-potential to pocket carry if need b

I own a 26 and I'd never consider it for pocket carry. My pockets just aren't big enough.

I'll never be a pocket carrier, though. I've attempted drawing and practicing drills with a pocket holster and I hated it. IWB or OWB are the easiest and fastest ways to draw. If I find myself in an awkward position (lying down, lying on my weak or strong side, fetal, crouching tiger hidden dragon, or whatever), IWB and OWB are easier to draw. I carry OWB whenever possible because it is easier to draw when seated, or seated in a car.

Just my opinion, YMMV.

 

[jad0110]

You say you may reload for .40, is ammo cost a significant consideration? If so, and if you are set on a semi auto, I'd suggest a 9mm. Picking up brass is a royal PIA, IMO, but 9mm is cheap enough for me that I wouldn't bother reloading for it. In the end though, go with what you shoot best.

As others have suggested, double stack autos can be pocket carried, but most will find them too fat and blocky. In an auto, you might consider a single stacker like the Kahr.

 

[millertyme]

I have a Kel Tec P11 and it's too thick to pocket carry, IMO. Unless I put it in a cargo shorts pocket, which I don't wear a lot of clothing with cargo pockets, so that's not going to happen.

For this I would stick to either a G23 or a G19. I prefer full-size pistols, but "all over the west coast" says California and 10-round magazines to me, not to mention no such thing as pocket carry.

Personal preference will win out here. I don't care for 40SW in compacts and I really don't like it in anything that isn't full-size. YMMV.

I think a decent retention holster and a mid-sized to full-sized auto is the right way to go. The CZ P07 is a mid-sized pistol and has a great decocker, if that's what you're into. It might even go about 100-150 less than the other models.

 

[gearhead]

Taurus 24/7 DS Pro Compact. It's available in 9mm, .40, and .45ACP. I have one in .45 and it's pocketable though a little bulky. It's also DA/SA with a decocker/safety.

 

[cwp3420]

I would get an HK P2000SK. It's a little pistol and easy to hide, and the quality is top notch. They are more costly than the Glock, but much better quality, IMO.

 

[getsomesy]

wow thanks alot for all your helpfull responses.

so am i understanding correctly that on all m&p models the first time you pull the trigger you pull the striker 100%, then about 2/3 the way back on each following shot?

that is some great insight on the pocket carrying, that makes alot of sense. having a double stack semi-auto is much more important to me.
i think i will be carrying IWB (in waist band?) on the small of my back, or on my hip when wearing a backpack.

Regarding the Decocker:
i suppose i will want to carry with one in the chamber and without a manual saftey, if i am going to try to be quick enough for a mountain lion
a decocker seems nice, but doesnt seem like a necessity to me. what are your opinions on this?

i do enjoy shooting so cheep ammo is nice but i also would like to be able to rely on this gun when it matters. cost of ammo is definatly second to function of the round... whatever that means

one other important factor for me will be the danger i potentially present to myself by having the potential energy of a gun strapped to my body while ragdolling through rocks and brush as crashing is a regular occurance for me while riding.

 

[2wheels]

so am i understanding correctly that on all m&p models the first time you pull the trigger you pull the striker 100%, then about 2/3 the way back on each following shot?

No, like the Glock or XD the trigger pull on the M&P is the exact same from the first shot to the very last. Think of it like a Glock.

I think the M&P is technically considered a double action only gun, it isn't really.

 

[ForumSurfer]

so am i understanding correctly that on all m&p models the first time you pull the trigger you pull the striker 100%, then about 2/3 the way back on each following shot?

I'm a little confused. Are you referring to trigger reset? If so XD's, glock, m&p and most any striker fired weapon have that in common. Fire the first shot and you only have to let the trigger out halfway or less to hit "reset," or the point at which you can fire your next shot. It took many, many dry-firing sessions for me to get the hang of this since I came from a single action world.

on the small of my back

You may want to rethink that. If you fall or get pushed against a solid object really hard, you have a lump of steel against your spinal column. Injuries can ensue, or if nothing else you could get a really painful bruise. If you don't like it on your hip, I'd suggest between 4 and 5 o'clock.

i do enjoy shooting so cheep ammo is nice but i also would like to be able to rely on this gun when it matters. cost of ammo is definatly second to function of the round... whatever that means

That's why many of us carry 9mm. You don't get real stopping power unless you are packing those big bore revolvers, a shotgun (410 out of a judge doesn't count) or a rifle.

one other important factor for me will be the danger i potentially present to myself by having the potential energy of a gun strapped to my body while ragdolling through rocks and brush as crashing is a regular occurance for me while riding.

Yeah, stay away from small of the back. FWIW, I've fallen when carrying and it hasn't hurt me. I was carrying a 1911 and fell against a curb hard enough to break the safety lever, but not hard enough to break me. If I knew I was going to potentially fall hard, I wouldn't carry at 3 o'clock on my hip, either. I don't have love handles (anymore, took over a year in the gym) to cushion the blow to my hip bone.

Just my 2 cents...which is worth less than that.

 

[bcp280z]

My 23 only fits well IWB, if I'm wearing slacks I can fit my 27 in pocket. I would recommend a revolver for your most of your criteria, or a small 1911 for "cougars" there's not too many plastic sa/da's I can think of at the moment, IMO HK would be the way to go but a tad pricey. With all the drama with Sig right now I'm just steering clear.

The sub compact M&P/xD/Glock fits most of your criteria as well. If you expand your list out of SA/DA or pocket carry, you'd have some good options, generally people don't pocket carry double stacks, and SA/DA is out of fashion for carry nowadays too I believe.

On a bike you could IWB, bellyband, or shoulder carry, I see shoulder most feasible, then just get yourself a used USP40

 

[NG VI]

Why you want an SA/DA more than a different (striker) fired system?

Personally I'm starting to realize I would rather rock a DAO with a good trigger or a pre-cocked striker system than a DA-SA for really any purposes. I realized I'm just as good a shot with the DA, actually better since I pay more attention o the sights and follow through, and it's repeatable. With something like the Glock's trigger, you got the very short reset that is effectively a single-action trigger as well.

 

[NG VI]

How about the FNP-9M? If the fullsize FNP isn't too big (it's barely bigger than the -9M) then you could get it in .40 or .357 or 9mm.

Good triggers, great sights, great reliability, build quality, balance, they rock.

 

[NG VI]

Yeah they do, (sig making a poly), it's called the 2022 or 2340, AKA the SigPro, and they're supposed to be the most underrated Sigs out there.

 

[bcp280z]

I was about to mention, FNX/FNP and CZ, moderately priced, polymer, SA/DA

 

[Leviathan5964]

I find the grip on the g23 uncomfortable as well. I strongly reccomend you take a look at the XD. Very similar to the Glock in some way but (IMO) better ergos. I have been carrying mine for awhile and have been taking it to the range (I am a range instructor for a federal agency), it's really a top shelf piece of equipment.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I find the grip on the g23 uncomfortable as well. I strongly reccomend you take a look at the XD. Very similar to the Glock in some way but (IMO) better ergos.

When I was shooting mostly 1911's, that was my opinion, as well. For whatever reason, I bought a glock instead. First a gen4 17, which I sold and bought a gen3 rtf2 19...now I own a gen4 19 and a gen4 26. I recently bought an xdm 40. While I originally thought the XDM had a better trigger and better egos....I didn't feel that way this go around. I ran about 500 through it, decided it wasn't for me even though it was a great gun and sold it. I tried each backstrap configuration and none of them made a bit of difference to me. That grip angle and awkward feeling grip on the glock come to feel pretty natural after 400 rounds. Now a government sized 1911 and a glock 19 are the most natural feeling weapon that I've ever shot. I guess it is just what you get accustomed to and those differences aren't anywhere near as bad as we make them out to be once you start running the gun.

 

[Zerodefect]

Plenty of guns out there like the Glock 23.

IMO, they all get spanked by the Glock in performance unless your willing to tune up a M&P or spend mucho bucks on a custom compact 1911. Only my best 1911's can keep up, let alone actually surpass. (give or take those terrible things that Glock calls "sights")

You may want to look at other compacts like the S&W M&P or Dan Wesson CCO.

Bottom line: When you start a thread trying to find alternatives to a certain weapon.......your often better off just getting that weapon your trying to avoid. Nothings really the same as the good old Glock 19 or 23.