What would YOU carry, and why?

[Lucky Derby]

In my experience the short 1911's have not been reliable, so out goes the Para & the Springer. The only HK pistols that I have ever really liked are the long gone P9S and the P7 series. I personally would go for the G30, just because I don't want to have to start stocking another caliber. (same reason I don't have any .40's) but the Sig would be my second pick out of your list.

Please remember that these are nothing but my opinions. Your milage may vary.

 

[Cousin Mike]

Thanks everyone.. We should be off to the gunstore in a few hours to handle a few of these and see which one fits her hands best. I also plan on throwing a Walther P99 Compact in the mix to see if she likes that - but given the calibers it's available for (9mm and .40S&W), I'm not expecting her to take to that idea very easily. Remember, I like everything... even .40's and 9's... She's the picky one.

Thanks for everyones opinions, advice and experiences.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[GunNut]

G30


It's what goes with me everywhere. Very accurate and the recoil is very slight.

Last time out I let my wife shoot it, she almost confiscated it. She'll have to make due with her G19 for now.

Steve

 

[Cousin Mike]

Where are all my loyal H&K fans?!

Your P2000SK is dying a pretty horrible death on this poll guys.. It's breaking the girlfriend's heart.

C'mon in here and represent your carry piece!

 

[shield20]

I would choose the HK, however not in .357sig. I have as my CCW the P2000 in .40 and it is quite snappy compared to the 9mm. I have NOT shot the .357 but I wouldn't think it would be any better. Something this small just cries out for a 9mm, same with another good choice the P99C. (loved my full size QA .40 - though it kicked more then the HK).

I did just buy a 2075 RAMI in .40 though because they did not have the 9mm. I love my P2000, just didn't like the included mags and the $$$ with the P2000SK - as the bottom rest blocks either comfy place to put my pinky, however with the flat-bottomed mag it would be a great choice.

 

[ARTiger]

Not that I would, but if I had to choose a Glock in a major caliber it would be the 29 in 10mm. Yea the ammo's expensive, but when it comes to self-protection what price is too much? Also, there's not that much difference in feel recoil wise at least to a G30, .357 SIG and the 10mm G29 yet the 10mm packs (IMHO) considerably more punch.

Now then, 10mm sales pitch aside, if strictly adhering to the list given, I'd take the HK or SIG whichever was the most comfortable for me.

 

[1557]

Of the listed choices,a Glock 30. Light,softest shooting 45 ever,and dead reliable.

 

[High_Cap]

No 357 sig round for me. To much over penatration.

45 has been around for almost 100 years and It's still going strong. Why not include the colt commander? IMHO it is much easier to conceal than the glock 30.

 

[longeyes]

I have a slew of good handguns. The one I keep closest is my Glock 30. Superb handgun.

For general carry, though, and I know it isn't on your list, I think I'd rather use my Glock 26. Easier to conceal. Will do the job with the right ammo.

 

[cookekdjr]

I'd prefer the p239 but in .40 or 9mm. The .357 is just too loud for me, especially if shot indoors. If its not too loud for you, go with the p239, in 357.
-David

 

[AK103K]

Personally I would go with a Model 60 Smith in .357 Magnum. Why go with the .357 wannabe when you can have the real thing in a much more concealable package but I digress.

Oh, I dont know about that.

P239 and 2" S&W Model 60

Again

Hey, what do you know, its really not all that much smaller than a P229

Not really all that slim either

No 357 sig round for me. To much over penatration.

Actually, I believe it was designed to be just the opposite.

The more I shoot the 357SIG, the more I like it. The P239 in 357SIG is very easy to shoot well with and very accurate. There really is no compression between it and a 2" .357Mag for shootability, plus you get 2-3 more rounds and faster, easier to carry reloads. I find my 15 yard groups with the 239 to be better than my 7 yard groups with my snubbies.

 

[usp9]

which would you go with, and why?

The HK because they are so utterly reliable. The HK fits my hand but that's just me. All the guns you mentioned are fine so personal preference will and should be a deciding factor. Good luck.

 

[10-Ring]

I'd go w/ the P2000sk. I like the caliber you've chosen for this gun & I've always been a HK fan

 

[Jrsmith]

Well, I WOULD carry a Ruger p89.... mostly because that's the only auto I own, but since I live in Wisconsin I can't carry anything yet.

Guess until then I'll walk around madison with a brick strapped to my belt, figure that'll get me ready for when the bill gets passed...

(wait, in Madison that might be considered a concealed weapon....)

 

[Manedwolf]

For carry, I think the 1911's, including the Springfield at 24oz unloaded, are just too heavy. In a bag of some sort, perhaps, but with so many lightweight choices out there in the same caliber, I just don't know why someone would want something that can drag down their drawers.

 

[Cousin Mike]

Okay folks, here's the deal as of today...

My brother is visiting from Florida - and we took vacation this week to hang out with him... so even though we keep planning to go to the gunstore and sample a few of these, things keep coming up - like getting drunk and eating too much, and watching Dane Cook.

Tomorrow it's a sure thing.. We're going as soon as it opens. We've been talking a lot about caliber and platform, so there are a few more platforms to choose from, and she's open to 9mm and .40S&W as well now - so any and all recommendations are welcome concerning caliber.

Thanks everyone, and keep the votes and opinions coming!

 

[C-grunt]

Well, now that shes open to 9mm and .40, I think the HK and the Sig are the forerunners in my mind. They are smaller than the G30 so should be easier to conceal. BUT....because of the addition of the new calibers, I think you should definitly check out the G26/27's.

 

[Squidward]

The Glock. But, take a look at the 36. It's a .45 with a slimmer grip (single stack).

 

[Alan Fud]

No 357 sig round for me. To much over penatration.

Actually, I believe it was designed to be just the opposite.

Are you saying it doesn't over-penetrate?

 

[BsChoy]

Die hard Glock guy here...all good guns in their own right

 

[AK103K]

Are you saying it doesn't over-penetrate?

Its my understanding that it was designed not to in the human body. I know the federal air marshalls use it, and would think if it was a penetrator, they would have chose something else.

 

[Cousin Mike]

For the .357 Sig haters

www.miragetechnologies.net/images/Video/SPEER Gold Dot 357 SIG.wmv

There ya go.

FWIW, this isn't the test where the plywood holding plates were broken, but this one's pretty cool too... Sound ain't that great, but you get the point. Check out the 'energy dump' on that last shot.

I'm still waiting for the girlfriend to wake up.. Long night last night. We'll be heading to the gun store as soon as she wakes up and gets ready. By the way, if any of you ever come to Columbus, you HAVE to eat at this place called Bonefish... amazing.

Back on topic... I like the ideas presented on the other Glock models as well. We'll check out the 26 and 27 models, but somehow I think finding a 36 locally is going to be a challenge. I showed her one online though, and she liked the slim frame. I should have a more solid list of "finalists" when I come back.

 

[Cousin Mike]

The gun store report

So.. we're back from the gun shop, had a pretty good time looking around and trying out different models. They hired a new kid at the gunstore. He was pretty cool... helpful kid. Very opinionated, especially about the 9mm round being the most effective He offered, or attempted to offer a 9mm for every single gun we wanted to look at.. That got a little old.

...but he was helpful nonetheless.

No real complaints, other than the 9mm stuff - but he seemed to like my girlfriend a little more than he should have... I'm not a jealous guy, so that didn't bother me. At one point, he recommended she go for bra carry. That I didn't like too much. I think he knew how bad he messed up there - he apologized pretty quickly and we moved on without incident.

So, here's how things went.

Glock 30: She thought it was bulky. She liked it, but she liked the G36 a lot better. I think her favorite model was the 36, but she liked the 26 as well.. She also liked the G19 and G22, surprisingly - but the trigger put her off and we went to look at other offerings.

Para-Ordnance Warthawg: She liked it, loved the way it looked, loved the way it felt in her hand. It was thicker than she thought, but she liked it nonetheless. The weight put her off. She thinks that 11 rounds of .45ACP might make it just heavy enough to be a PITA to carry. Because of the weight issue, we didn't look at any other 1911's.

Walther P99 and P99c: Way bigger and bulkier than they look in the catalogs or online. Disqualified before she even got ahold of it. A Walther P22 is in our very near future though.

H&K P2000sk: Same as the P99... it was bigger and bulkier than she thought, and she doesn't want one for carry. She actually got her hands on this one before she decided that.

Kahr P9 and PM9: The salesman insisted she check these out. The triggers actually pissed her off, I think. I've never quite seen her make a face like that before. She liked the slim profile, but just didn't care for the feel, fit or finish of either one. Don't think we'll be buying any Kahr Arms pistols in the future, seeing as how I don't like them either.

S&W Model 60 LadySmith: She liked it, but she's still scared of the .357 magnum, and wants more than 5 shots if she's carrying a .38 special. She also wants the easier reloads and higher capacity that comes with an auto, so I didn't press the issue. I think for now, she just likes shooting MY revolvers. She'll gain an appreciation for them, I'm sure. She didn't want a 1911 not long ago... Now she wants one for sure - just not for carry.

Sig P239 SAS: Loved it... Her absolute favorite of the flock. Fit her hand like a glove, she loved the trigger, and I think she shares my Sig infatuation. She was very impressed, and decided upon holding it that this is the pistol she wants to carry. They also had regular models, but she was thoroughly impressed with the SAS model. She said she'd take a regular model if I didn't feel like shelling out a stack ($1000 = a stack) for the SAS...

Gee, thanks babe

AND

Just for good measure, I wanted her to check out a Walther PPK/S. She absolutely loved it... Now she can't choose between the PPK and the Sig P239 - I'm not sure which one she'll end up with. On one hand, she's very fiscally minded, so the low price of the PPK might win her over. OTOH, I've never quite seen her as impressed with any gun as she was the Sig P239... Until she held the PPK/S. Then there's caliber. She likes power, but she's been doing her homework, and feels confident that a .380 would be more than enough. Knowing how well she shoots, I'd be hard pressed to think she'd need more than 8 shots of .380 to take a bad guy down. If that's what she wants to carry, then I'll carry one with her.

So, that's the progress report. I think she learned a lot about what she does and doesn't like. It'll be interesting to see what she goes with. Figured this might help with further suggestions, recommendations, etc. Feel free to keep the votes going, she wants to go back soon and compare the Glocks and Sig side by side one more time.

I want the Sig...

...we'll see what happens.

 

[AK103K]

If she liked the PPK, get her to look at the SIG P230/232. I think she'll like one of them even better.

 

[Cousin Mike]

Funny you mentioned that... We saw one of those, and she liked them as well. She didn't get her hands on one, but she didn't think she needed to, given that it looked just like the PPK/S, but with finger grips. She wants to do a little more thinking between the Sig P239 and PPK before we start breaking them down into more categories... If she does go for the PPK style/design, then we'll definitely be looking at the P230 and P232. I wouldn't mind having one of those myself, to be honest.

She also likes the P229, and said she would carry that too.

That would be great, as my Sig Pro uses the same mags as the P229, so I wouldn't even have to buy a 2nd gun to have compatible mags and ammo. I also have both .357Sig and .40S&W barrels, so either caliber she chooses would be fine.