[the tortoise]

I have already made my decision on a great 6.8 spc ar rifle (ko-tonics with a piston system and the daniel defense 12 in lite rail. plus all the rest o fthe nicest stuff you can thing of. acog w/ trijicon red dot on top, primary weapons flash hider and compensator, etc. no expense is to be spared ) and i am looking for a very realiable, higher capacity, preferably higher caliber (i.e. .45 acp etc.) pistol to compliment my arsenal. I want a rail so i can mount a surefire x300 on it and i would like to be able to put the crimson trace lasergrip on it, and if not I at least want a laser of some kind. I have been looking into the sig sauer p220 quite extensively and it seems nice. but the springfield xd series has a higher round capacity and there are so many other top notch manufacturers out there i need some input from experienced and/or knowledgeable people to help me narrow my selections. i really appreciate the info, thanks, -Tortoise.

 

[paulosantos]

Check out the Smith & Wesson M&P .45. Those are our duty guns and are great. They have the rails and come with three different grip sizes. The magazines are 10 round magazines. You can also get them with or without safeties. The Glocks are my second choice.

 

[rcnut]

IMHO you cannot go wrong with the XD. I got an XD9 for my daughter in the Air Force because the town she is stationed at is not quite as safe as Minot ND., My son has the XD40 and is heading to the "mountain box" and really wish he would take his along, and I have the XD45. I have shot quite a bit in the past 35 plus yrs and never never never have I picked up a weapon that felt WARM and user friendly in my hands as the XD did. that said, I picked up my lower and will send in the order for my kotonics upper soon. another weapon that felt like old home week. Get the XD and you will NOT be disappointed.
gary

 

[jadams951]

Everyone's choice is different. The best sidearm is the one you are accurate with. For me it's either a glock or HK. I hate the trigger on Sigs, I think any S&W semi auto pistol should be thrown away, and think the XD is too top heavy and rusts easy as hell.

Everyone is different.

 

[Cold]

Glock 17/19 for me.

 

[the tortoise]

thanks for the replies. looks like i will have to do some more research and some testing to decide for myself. the xd and the h&k sound pretty good, i am not a huge fan of glocks for ergonomic reasons, maybe i will check out the beretta model 92, the military seems to be pretty satisfied with them.

 

[paulosantos]

If you can, try each one out and see how they feel. They will all shoot very well. I would stay away from the Beretta's as there are better options. The M&P, XD, Glocks, and H&K's are all good. The M&P, with the interchangeable grips, will fit pretty much everyone and that is why I highly recommend them.

 

[rcrandall]

I have an HK45 (the new one) and it fits my hand well and is both accurate and reliable. Everyone has their favorites and guns they hate. There are a fair number of guys on my department that carry the XD 40's and 45's and they like them. I can shoot an XD better than a Glock, but the magazines I've seen have issues when you drop them during reloads like the feed lips bending. After the fiasco that was the S&W Sigma I have a hard time trusting S&W autos. Glocks have a good rep but I can't shoot them to the level of accuracy I demand, the grip and angle don't fit my hand, and I don't like how easy the magazine release button can be activated and turn your gun into a single shot. I have also owned, or been issued, several Glocks and the .45's have all malfunciton on me as did a brand new Glock 22 .40. It had a burr on the extractor causing multiple double feeds. I had a Sig P220 and a Sig P229. The 220 couldn't handle +P ammo and it bowed the slide out by the ejection port. This was before I reloaded and the only ammo this gun saw was factory. The 229 .40 I got wouldn't feed hollow points at all and after repeated trips to the gunsmith a large burr was found on the extractor (another burr!). The 229 is too bulky and heavy compared to other .40's anyway. I carried an HK USP .45 for a dutry gun for years and it went through 12,000 rounds of everything without a malfunction (I clean my gun after every range session). The downside, expensive, BIG, and HK's lack of customer service (but I hear it's getting better.) I now carry a Springfield Armory MC Operator 1911A1 .45. I've got 3000 rounds through it without a malfunction then I decided to upgrade it and a had a Colt gunsmith replace all the MIM parts and fit a National Match Kart barrel. This gun will outshoot anything I have ever owned before. However, I don't recommend the 1911 unless you plan on training with it alot and be prepared to have some work done on it. The Beretta doesn't even rate a review...

So, if I had to recommend a handgun I would say the HK USP compact series. I have owned several in .40 and .45 and they have all worked right out of the box withou modification except night sights.

If you have a local range that rents guns to shoot I would recommend that to see what feels comfortable. When you do get a handgun, shoot 400 to 500 rounds before carrying it to make sure you didn't get a lemmon.

Handguns are like a pair of shoes, one size will not fit everyone.
Just my opinion, of course.

 

[the tortoise]

I do like the h&k usp pistols. and i have fired a few s&w's before. as of now i m leaning toward the h&k.

 

[paulosantos]

I do like the h&k usp pistols. and i have fired a few s&w's before. as of now i m leaning toward the h&k.

The H&K's are awsome, but very pricy. FYI, don't compare the regular Smiths to the M&P. They are totally different.

 

[rcrandall]

I've heard some good things about the M&P handguns but haven't tried them out. For the average shooter most of the main manufactures, Glock, HK, Sig, S&W, will work fine. It's mostly personal prefrence. Us American's are weird about our guns..... :shock:

 

[Test_User]

I love my M&P 45. With the different back straps you can get a perfect fit. It is as close to a 1911 I have felt. The trigger is OK and gets better with use. For the ultimate and as close as you can get to a 1911 trigger in another gun send it of the Bowie Tactical. David does awesome work. Many LE agencies use him as well as HSLD guys. He does amazing work.

Tim

 

[constructor]

Glock 34 partly because I use it for 3gun.

 

[the tortoise]

this is a truly tough decision, so many great pistols, i will have to buy a few . but for now I have actually started to look more seriously at the 1911, mostly the kimber desert warrior with the rail, and the kimber 1911 pistols can accept the crimson trace grips, another plus. the 1911 is a proven design and a classic, and i have only heard good things. they are pricey but hey, what is money for? i dont plan on retiring anyway :lol:

 

[ChopperGuy]

Remember, what you chose should be with you ALL THE TIME or it's worthless as a defensive side arm. Remember sheep dogs/good guys are defensive, not offensive (unfortunately) in the situations which call for the use or threatened use of deadly force.

Chose what you -

Shoot well & will carry all the time.

See a theme here?

I have a Ti frame J frame Smith that's with me ALL THE TIME. That being said, I do prefer the H&K USP Compact 45 as an off duty gun. I like .45 acp, it fits my hand well, I shoot it well, I practice with it a bunch, and it's wth me most of the time.

I also keep it in my truck when weather does not allow me to carry it completely concealed. For that duty, the J frame comes out. Most times off duty (and soon to be retired duty if I'm lucky) means NO ONE knows you are carrying.

I also shoot the J frame a lot. Heck, I carried a J frame as my primary side arm many years ago in the 1970s & 80s when working plainclothes and investigations. I grew up on them and still am very comfortable with them.

My advise, check out SEVERAL models of all calibers at a range that has rental guns or some you can borrow to shoot. See what works for you and practice with it a LOT.

When the fecal matter hits the rotating blades (i.e. sh-- hits the fan) you'll need every bit of confidence in YOUR ability to use what's at/in hand to ensure you and those good folks next to you survive the situation you got into by no fault of your own.

That's the commitment anyone who choses to carry or use a firearm in self defense needs to make to themselves and their loved ones.

By the way, have fun shooting what ever you chose. That will increase the confidence you gain many fold. :wink:

 

[Cold]

ChopperGuy

well said as always

 

[the tortoise]

thanks chopperguy, that was truly well put. one of my buddies is the dnr warden and also the armorer for the county, he has access to almost any firearm available and i shoot alot of skeet and trap with him and his wife during the summer, i am sure he will be able to help get me aquainted with many firearms. And also i now am thinking that the hk usp .45 looks like a very possible choice, the 12 round mag and the fact that most people speak highly of it on this site and others has helped to sway my decision. altough I will be trying many firearms before i make my decision to purchase one, so, thanks.

 

[rcrandall]

The HK USP .45 was one of the only guns, right out of the box, that worked everytime I pulled the trigger. The grip angle is like a 1911, the recoil is smooth (double recoil springs), and it is easy to shoot. It takes some training to get used to the first double action trigger pull but then the following single action is smooth. I carry my 1911 now but I will never sell my USP .45 Tactical.

 

[paulosantos]

Although you guys are all wrong, this has turned out to be a very good discussion without any arguments or egos (I think that's how it is spelled ). Just joking with you guys :lol: .

As you can see everyone has different preferences when it comes to handguns. That is why the best thing is to try them out if yo can, even if it is just going to a gun shop and see how they feel in your hand.

 

[the tortoise]

well put. i m going to do what i can and i intend to foind something that suits my needs well. thanks for the help. i will try to post something when it comes to the time that i make my purchase.