Which defence pistol to get

[Jhamblen86]

I have been on the market for awhile to get a defence pistol. I'm not sure what to settle on. I want at least 9mm up to 45acp/10mm, full capacity, and the biggest one of them all. It has to be utterly reliable. I'm open to revolvers if the caliber is adequate. I like glock, xd, 1911, etc. what do you think?

 

[KenW.]

An XD(M) fan here. There's a 1911 in the safe too.

I've been carrying professionally since 1995.

 

[smalls]

what do you think?

First you need to narrow your search a little.

What exactly do you need in a handgun? Is high capacity a must? Light weight, etc? Figure out this first. Then settle on a caliber. Do your research, we can't tell you what you're going to feel comfortable with. After that go down to your local gun shop and hold every single gun that meets that set of criteria.

You may want to set a spending limit before going, though.

Now the fun part begins, go shoot the ones that felt good in your hands. Those that shot good, and put you on target the quickest, and had the best groups, buy that one.

 

[tomrkba]

What is your experience in this area? Acquire some training first if you have little experience.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

the glock 19 is a solid option.

 

[bluetopper]

Would a defensive pistol work well as an offensive pistol? Are they one and the same?

 

[Shuler13]

Yeah. A few more details to make an educated suggestion.

Sig 2022 makes a great 9mm/40 hi capacity, reliable, accurate shooter for defense.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since you said big is OK and you are open to revolvers I would suggest a S&W M&P R8. That is an 8 round .357 Magnum on an N frame. It weighs only 36oz and has a light rail under the barrel. There is also the M327 TRR8 which is the same revolver without the light rail.

If that revolver is too long for you take a look at the M327. 8 rounds of .357 Magnum from a 2" barrel and the revolver weighs only 21.4oz.

You have to love a Scandium Alloy Frame and a Titanium Alloy Cylinder making a large N frame revolver light enough to carry all day.

 

[Jhamblen86]

Well up to this point I've only had experience with glocks and my model 29. Been shooting since I was 14 (mainly shotguns though). I shoot my fathers glocks fairly well but haven't had enough time with them since they aren't mine. I had heard that xd and xdm are beating glocks in competitions. I want the gun to be fairly light and "de-horned". Something that if I'm awakened and groggy I can still operate. With modern bullets 9mm will do the job. But more power is always better in my book. Hence the model 29.

 

[19-3Ben]

I had heard that xd and xdm are beating glocks in competitions.

I don't know if that's true or not, but does it really matter to you? I thought this was a "defense gun." Guns that work in competition are not necessarily an indication of what you'd need if your life were on the line.
Don't get me wrong, the XD/XDM are great guns and a solid choice. I'm just pointing out that competitions are not really an indication of which tool would work best for you here.

Now, you also mentioned "full capacity" but listed guns like Glock and XD in the same breath as 1911. Of course, a 1911 with an 8 round mag IS full capacity for that gun, but not in the same capcity league as say, a Glock 17 with its 17 round magazine more than doubling the capacity of a Glock.
I'll add again, that doesn't mean a 1911 is a bad gun to use for SD. It's exceptionally good.
Just figure out which things are important to you and work off of those.
So far it sounds like you want something that is dead-nutz reliable, with no regard to size, simplicity of operation, and a preference for something with a little more power than 9mm (although you wouldn't rule out 9mm).

Right now Summit has a great deal on the Glock 22.
with night sights. They are police trade ins. Sounds like it might be right up your ally, assuming you know what your ally is at this point.

I think any of the crop of modern striker fired pistols might meet your criteria, especially because of wanting simplicity of operation. No safeties to think about.
Look at S&W M&P, Glock, XD/XDM for starters. Branch out and really do research.
You might even find that you'd prefer a hammer fired da/sa once you start looking.

 

[340PD]

An old axiom that I cannot take credit for.

a.)The most reliable handgun in the world is the one you practice with the most.
b.)The handgun caliber with the greatest stopping power is the one you make headshots with.
c.) The best weapon for _____? See a. & b.

 

[easyg]

I don't think you can go wrong with either a XD or a Glock....both make great pistols.

I wanted a .45 pistol so I looked at the XD 45, the XDm 45, the Glock 21, the Glock 30, and the Glock 36.

The grip of the G21 was just too fat for my hand.
And the G30 and G36 didn't have the magazine capacity I wanted.
The XD 45 and the XDm 45 both felt really good in my grip and I liked the 13-round magazine capacity.

In my local gun shop I found a really good deal on the XD 45 so I bought it.
And it shoots very well.

 

[Skribs]

In a flush magazine, the XDm 9 is going to offer greater capacity than any other 9-.45 pistol.

 

[Sam Cade]

In a flush magazine, the XDm 9 is going to offer greater capacity than any other 9-.45 pistol.

..of course it's taller than pretty much everything else too.

 

[Skribs]

XDm 9mm height: 5.6".
G17 height: 5.43".
M&P 9mm hieght: 5.5".
FNS9: 5.5".

So yeah, it's bigger. But not by a whole lot.

 

[hentown]

So, after you've received a recommendation for every handgun known to man, will you be any closer to knowing more than you did when you started this thread? FWIW: I'd recommend a Glock 17.

 

[RinkRat]

Well you have a very broad range of choices you're considering. 9mm, 45acp, and 10mm. So if it were me I'd put three pieces of paper in a hat ..... no make that five, with one of the following written on them. G26, G19, G30, G29, G20 and pick one! I say five only because you seem to me to be so open at this point to your course of pursuit. As you don't really know what you want but, you want a big-reliable handgun that will shoot 9mm, or 45acp, or 10mm for SD.

Now you have to pick what works best for you. Make a list of what you are interested in, go rent or barrow what you can on your list to see what you feel comfortable with. And buy one of those.

Your question is valid in collecting opinions but it's like asking what ice-cream should I eat? I may like chocolate but you may like pistachio. But we both like Glocks. YMWV

 

[doc2rn]

I am partial to the S&W M&P 9mm over the ones stated thus far. But the guns of yester-year like the BHP, Colt, and S&W pre-lock are superior in craftsmanship IMHO YMMV. I dont worry about getting a cosmetically superior piece, dings and scratches dont bother me a bit when the action is smooth as silk. The best advice I can give is don't shy away from a used gun just because its used/old.

 

[Teachu2]

If possible, go rent whatever interests you and shoot them. One will speak to your heart.

 

[Shadow 7D]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
what 'looks cool"
can be quickly found to stick you in tender places
HURT (small/little/large caliber)
you just can't seem to hit the broad side of of the barn.....

DO
try before you buy,
DO
go shoot 1000+ rounds through it
DO
seek advice for specific issues you have


generic 'what gun'

well, hi points are cheap and work and have a bullet proof warranty.....

 

[mljdeckard]

Your options are so wide open that you really need to shoot several of them before you decide. And when you decide, you might change your mind again, and it's ok.

 

[Jhamblen86]

I will take your advice and hit the range. Thanks everyone.

 

[FMF Doc]

While the XD may (or may not) be better in competition that Glocks, that shouldn't be a factor in you decision. You are looking for a defensive pistol, not a competition one. A good competition would usually have 3lb of less trigger on it. I would NEVER have a trigger that light on a defensive gun. If 9mm is enough for you and you want capacity, then look at the Glock 17. The standard capacity is 17 rounds. You can stick a +2 base plate and bump that to 19 rounds. With one in the chamber, that gives you 20 rounds of utterly reliable 9mm on tap before having to reload. If you prefer a revolver, there are several good options as well. You can get a S&W 686p which gives you 7 rounds of .357mag. The last thing that I would add is that if you choose to go with a 1911, be sure to get one that feed JHP trouble free. A lot of people run out and get a Rock Island, or Citadel, etc... inexpensive 1911, and find they still need several hundred dollars in work to reliably feed JHP. If you start out with a Springfield loaded or other quality pistol, then you are in better luck. Shoot as many different guns as you can, and good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[chanroc]

I'm going to throw another vote for the XDs and XDms. I think for the money, you can't go wrong with the XD (regardless of caliber). Personally own two XDms and four Glocks and I tend to shoot my Springfield's the most. Out of my Glocks (21, 22, 19, 26) I shoot my Gen4 26 the best out of the bunch, so I have a soft spot for it as well. While I never had any issues with it or my Gen4 19, there might be some still on the shelf that have the ejection issue. With that said, I think every gun maker is letting a few more lemons out than they care to. Others said it best - if possible, rent a few and see what works for you. Good luck!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[AKMtnRunner]

I have been on the market for awhile to get a defence pistol. I'm not sure what to settle on. I want at least 9mm up to 45acp/10mm, full capacity, and the biggest one of them all. It has to be utterly reliable. I'm open to revolvers if the caliber is adequate. I like glock, xd, 1911, etc. what do you think?

Sounds like the Glock 20 or 29 will satisfy. These really don't kick more than a 45. I know that my new 29 is more comfortable shooting than my XDm .40, because the barrel is lower to the hand and the grip is thicker. After two trips to the range, I sold my XDm because I knew that I would never shoot it again.