Who carries high-end pistols?

[LKB3rd]

Sandwich, the whole compensating thing gets me. I get that all the time because I bought a 98 Vette.

Crass alert. I will preface this by saying i am doing it intentionally to make a point, not to be rude or disrespectful.
If a woman says that a man has something "to compensate for a small penis" and i know her well enough to not offend her, and she has the brains to understand my point i respond with "do women wear perfume and pretty clothes to compensate for unattractive and foul smelling vaginas?" The answer is usually "Of course not, that is offensive." I say "yes, it is indeed offensive, and i am glad you get my point."

 

[98C5]

Crass alert? I was making a point. And if you read the whole post, I stated I do NOT make a lot of money.

And with that other explanation LKB, you'll likely get this thread locked.


Oh Lord, live people, be happy and stop giving annoying analytical reasons for this or that. Just do.

 

[mmike87]

If you shoot someone w/ it, it may be gone forever. Don't take the chance. That is why I stopped carring my S&W 686-1. I would hate to think that I would loose it.

Who cares. You can only shoot someone if you think you are going to die. Since the alternative was death, the cost of the gun that saved my life is not important.

Besides, if it's a legal self defense case, saying you're not going to EVER get the gun back is pretty silly. It may take a while, but I don't think that you're automatically giving up the weapon forever.

If you shoot someone you were not supposed to, then you've got other problems besides getting your gun back.

 

[mmike87]

Positive. I took a class taught by a SWAT team member and another taught by a cop. Both stated that, if you have to shoot in self-defense anywhere outside of your domicile, you WILL be arrested and your gun WILL be confiscated. Period.

I think is a pretty broad statment and depends on where you live. Certainly your weapon is being taken as evidence regardless. Fine, they can have it - I'll get another one tomorrow.

But I don't see Some City PD arresting a woman who they found injured with half her clothes ripped who just shot her attempted rapist in a public park. That would be a PR nightmare. "Cops arrest rape victim for defending herself." Nice.

Obviously, there will always be an investigation and the DA will ultimately decide. But I just don't see EVERY victim of EVERY violent crime who defends himself or herself being hauled off in handcuffs EVERY time. If that's the case, then we need a new police force.

True, a lot of "victims" claim "self defense" when it really wasn't - every incident needs to be looked at individually.

 

[LKB3rd]

Crass alert? I was making a point. And if you read the whole post, I stated I do NOT make a lot of money.

And with that other explanation LKB, you'll likely get this thread locked.


Oh Lord, live people, be happy and stop giving annoying analytical reasons for this or that. Just do.
__________________

I was agreeing with you. The whole "compensation" thing is dumb.

 

[98C5]

Okay, caffeine not setting in yet. Sorry.

 

[PTK]

My regular carry at this point (FN 5.7 pistol) is about a grand. If I ever have to use it in defense, a thousand dollars for the gun will be a SMALL cost compared to the rest of the court fees, etc.

 

[buzz_knox]

Unless you can objectively prove that a Glock is LESS reliable than a high-end gun, there's no reason (except vanity) to spend an additional $2,000 for a self-defense gun.

Actually, there are several reasons:

1. you hand size is such that a 1911, BHP, 210, etc is more controllable than a Glock
2. you want a higher level of accuracy than the Glock allows
3. your ability allows you to achieve the higher level of mechanical accuracy that a 1911, BHP, 210, etc allows over a Glock
4. you want a manual safety
5. you have the means of acquiring a 1911, BHP, 210, etc and seeing that it is worked over sufficiently to provide excellent reliability
6. you want something other than a Glock

I've carried Sigs, P7s, Glocks, Kahrs and 1911s. I carry a Glock because that is what works best for me when I consider all factors of which reliability is but one. It wasn't the deciding factor as my 1911s were perfectly reliable.

 

[colubrid]

My favorite platform for a carry gun is a 1911 with a alloy officer frame and commander slide. To get this you have to spend more. Because nobody makes this platform cheap.



Glocks and other brands just don't feel as comfortable and i don't shoot them as well.

 

[Rokman]

Not me. I just carry polymer stuff or a S&W 642.

 

[JP from Phoenix]

I think if i was in that situation my biggest consern wouldnt be if i was to get my gun back It would be whether or not i'll have to spend the rest of my life in prison for fatally wounding someone. theres a fine line between self defense and murder, id be more worried about keeping the lawyer paid than getting my gun back

 

[colubrid]

id be more worried about keeping the lawyer paid than getting my gun back

JP has caught the correct.

 

[tkkr]

"An expensive gun won't function better than a glock or xd in a life or death situation."

It depends on which gun you are talking about, some 1911 clones are very out of spec. As far as SVI's go, I doubt any glock or XD will out-perform one.

 

[Ash]

Don't focus needlessly on the word Glock. CZ-75, which is cheaper still - and still reliable - can be substituted. The make matters little and is really beside the point.

Ash

 

[sturmgewehr]

I'm glad you are not impressed that my EAA and CZ are 100% reliable. I'm not impressed you paid way more for your pistol than I. I am really not impressed that you feel it takes $2,000 or some such cost to ensure safety or reliability. Spend your cash as you will. Bragging about how much you spend is generally considered poor form in polite circles.

First off, no one here is trying to impress you.

Secondly, the OP wasn't bragging about anything. No one else, that I can see, was bragging either. We answered his question. Not one of us started a thread saying, "LOOK HOW MUCH MY GUN COSTS!!!".

So, what's impolite is for you to be pretentious enough to make the blanket insulting statements that you made regarding myself and others.

It sounds to me as though you have a horrible inferiority complex. Insulting me or others with pistols you deem to be overly expensive isn't going to help you with your problem.

 

[Ash]

Owning one "...because it says something about the person that is subtle yet telling to those that recognize what you have."

This implies the purpose is to speak to others about xyz. I'm not impressed by that. But then, I don't fawn over celebrities either. I can brag and boast should I wish. I have several things about which I can really boast. To what purpose? Frankly, my philosophy is to be rich enough to drive a Ford. You see, there are those people who are so wealthy they are not trying to speak to anyone else in any subtle way about their means, sophistication, breeding, or anything else. I have a client who owns several thousand acres of timberland. He is very, very, very wealthy. He drives a plain pickup truck. He went in, paid for it with a check, and drove off the lot. You show him an expensive rifle he'll nod and say that's nice. You would not win him with any argument about a BMW. He can buy one of those with a check, too. Why bother? He doesn't HAVE to say anything to anybody.

Sturm, we have talked before across other forums and you should know by now I don't have an inferiority complex. I intended no insults and if folks were insulted, I apologize.

Ash

 

[CWL]

I hope this discussion doesn't devolve and get off the "High Road".

I think it is interesting to use "lawyering up" as a useful comparison. If the need ever arises, you'd choose the most expensive one you can afford for a reason right? Sure lower-end lawyers and legal aid probably can get you justice, but you'd be willing to pay for the 'bells & whistles" which comes from accumulated experience right?

Same goes for medical doctors.

 

[Ash]

And for guns. The more you pay, the better protected. But since reliability and accuracy can be had at far lower prices, what is being bought? Given that the accuracy of a CZ-75, for example to avoid Glock issues, is superb, as is its reliability, what bells and whistles can be had over and above said CZ?

Ash

 

[Lazuris]

This implies the purpose is to speak to others about xyz. I'm not impressed by that. But then, I don't fawn over celebrities either. I can brag and boast should I wish. I have several things about which I can really boast. To what purpose? Frankly, my philosophy is to be rich enough to drive a Ford

I don't believe my post was bragging about anything. I was only making a point that some people have multiple reasons for buying something. I recall my post saying that what makes this country great is that it allows for people of all backgrounds and demographics to make independent choices for themselves rather than have someone else tell that what they should have. You have and opinion and are so entitled to said opinion, however, it does not make the opinions of others less valid if they do not agree with you.

 

[Ash]

It does not. NOR, my friend, does it make those who use what ever tool happens to work well for the job devaluing their families/self should it not be the most expensive firearm they own. This coin has two sides. I have accepted both sides from the beginning. The price of the firearm is in no way correlated with the amount of protection. Or, can you tell me that the Ruger Police Six in 357 that I paid $160 for OTD a fool's weapon? It is fully reliable, carries one round less than most vaunted 1911's (and I prefer the 1911 to the Glock, by the way) and more powerful than any custom 1911. Price has nothing to do with it. But then, perhaps you could re-read my posts and note that what people carry is their own business, too.

Ash

 

[sturmgewehr]

Sturm, we have talked before across other forums and you should know by now I don't have an inferiority complex. I intended no insults and if folks were insulted, I apologize.

Thanks. It just seemed like you were telling those of us who own things like Eb Browns for CCW that we're rude or otherwise not polite because we answered the OP's question about what we carried.

It's good to know you didn't mean it that way.

I didn't buy my Kobra Carry because I wanted to impress someone... Hell, most of my friends think it's a waste of money and are content with their Colts. I bought my Ed Brown's because, to me, they are the nicest feeling and best made 1911's I've ever laid my hands on. To most others it just looks like any other stainless 1911. I've never had anyone come up to me and say, "Wow is that an Ed Brown?" while at the range. I like it that way actually.

To be honest, the 1911 snobs in my area tend to be Kimber owners... which cracks me up because in my view the Kimber's are bottom rung. Hehe, but that's another discussion.

 

[Mannix]

Everyone should just use what works for them, if that means a $2000 custom 1911 or a $150 Hi-Point, more power to them. No need to judge, bicker or otherwise trash talk your fellow gun owners for their choice of CCW(or OCW).

Myself, I've got my heart set on a CZ-75 Compact in .40S&W(I just gotta find someone selling.). Of course I still have to either wait a couple years or move to SD to carry .

 

[Ash]

I had one that I sold last year, the rare CZ-85 compact in 40 (same pistol as the 75, just marked 85). If only I'd known...

Ash

 

[Markbo]

98C5, I don't care why you want to investigate high end firearms and questioning why you would is just rude IMHO.

Check here... I have been here many times in person and they have the whole gammut: http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/

 

[sandwich]

I'm amazed at some of the responses here. Yes, a Glock or Taurus can defend your life just like a $2000 custom gun. But some people like a to own a high-end gun than a non high-end gun. A few even stated that the pistol was custom taylored to their needs. So, why does that bother some here? Now, it is wrong to say that a 'basic' Glock or a Springer GI model is not worthy enough, because they are.

Sandwich, the whole compensating thing gets me. I get that all the time because I bought a 98 Vette. (Hence my name) I've always wanted one when I was little and now had the means to buy one. It was NOT to impress anyone, because I could care less what anyone else thinks. And trust me, I DON'T make a lot of money, but I wanted one and got it.

My whole point to me starting this thread is not 'who's gun is more expensive than the others'. It was to see if anyone who did carry a high-end pistol and why? To each his own.

This is the High Road, and we should all respect everyone's firearms equally. Regardless if it is a Hi-Point or a Les Baer. We are here to learn and give/take advice. I mean, GEEZ, I thought this was a GUN forum, not a gun-bashing forum.

I am simply stating my opinion. I am not going to mince words because it might hurt someone's delicate sensibilities, especially when if I ever decided to start a thread saying I carry a Hi Point and I like it, I would get plenty of flack for it.

And indeed, in this very thread, there are people who belittle those who choose good pistols because they don't cost $1000 or more, and say that they don't really care about their family's life or their own life because of it.

Believe it or not, I actually don't have a problem with people buying $2000 pistols. If they want to, in my opinion, waste their money, they can go ahead. But I have seen too many self-righteous "high-end" pistol owners walk around with the idea that their guns shoot magic bullets, or that they are somehow superior to proven weapons like Glocks, CZs, etc. That is what I have a problem with.

And sorry, but I believe a number of these "high end" buyers are compensating for something. And like cars, some people just like nice pistols. Again, I don't have a problem with people buying $2000 pistols because they enjoy a well crafted 1911, just like I don't care if people like to collect stamps or buy certain cars. I don't understand why people want to collect stamps or buy $2000 guns, but I don't have a problem with it either.

But again, I have seen too many Kimber owners walking around like they crap gold because they own a Kimber to not be biased against them.

As for the compensating thing, I didn't mean to say that everyone who owns a $2000 pistol is making up for something, but I do believe many do.

As for your car, I am glad that you got the car that you have wanted for a long time. Really, I am. But that doesn't change the fact that there are people out there who will buy an expensive car, house, or gun to make up for issues that they have with their self esteem. And you know what, they can buy whatever they want to, I couldn't care less. Just don't go and tell me that I have an inferior pistol because it is less than $1000, and just because I have enough self esteem to choose a gun based on what I need rather than something that is flashy and will impress my friends.