Reconsidering next handgun purchase...

[Mr.Goodtimes]

I was strongly considering purchasing another 1911 but, i've sort of changed my mind about that. I dont have any combat tupperware and am considering purchasing one now... strongly.

I'm considering either a glock or a M&P. I already have a Beretta 92FS 9mm and the 1911 thats me and my dads project gun. I'm considering one of the above in either 9mm, .40, or .45.

The gun would be a by the bed gun/SHTF gun so id doesnt have to be concealable, although that would be just fine.

My dad has a M&P 40 full size, so im gonna go buy a couple boxes of ammo and put a few hundred rds through that gun to see if i like it or not.

I've held both the glock 21 sf, m&p 45, g19 and I like the way they all point/feel.

I'm not worried about the cost of ammo (within reason) my local wally world always has 9mm/40/45 in stock and the cost difference isnt that huge.

If i go with a 40, its going to be an m&p, if i go with a .45 or a 9, its a toss up between the m&p and the glock.

Is the .45 that much better of a gun that you all would consider going with it over the 9mm? what about the .45? is 9mm more then enough gun for defensive purposes or would .40 be a considerably more effective cartridge? what about .45?

What im looking for is the most effective cartridge for self defense. the one most effective at putting a "bad guy" on the ground, fast; when my life or my families is at stake, and keeping him there till the coroner arrives.

what im set on the most right now is the M&P 40 and 45 (45a)


now lets here some ideas....

[sadmin]

if it was me, it would be between the g19 or the m&p45. eventually I would go home with the g19 due to battle-proven reliability. guess thats why I have one.

[Mr.Goodtimes]

if it was me, it would be between the g19 or the m&p45. eventually I would go home with the g19 due to battle-proven reliability. guess thats why I have one.

the g19 has always been on my want list, i almost bought a g19 instead of my 92fs. I went with the 92fs because for my first handgun, i wanted it to be a steel framed gun with a soul.

The only, and i mean the ONLY reason the g19 wasnt on the super serious consideration list was because I somehow feel that because i already have a 9mm, i should for some reason get either a .40 or a .45. thats it, thats the only reason.

[Business_Casual]

I don't see an option to vote for mastering the current handgun before spending money/time on a new one. Particularly one with a completely different FCG.

M_P

[Mr.Goodtimes]

I don't see an option to vote for mastering the current handgun before spending money/time on a new one. Particularly one with a completely different FCG.

M_P

ive had the gun for quite some time, i dont have trouble hitting what im aiming at... at all. the question wasnt have i mastered my current gun or not. i've been shooting handguns (9mm mostly) on a regular basis since i was 15. Im 20 now. I've had my Beretta for almost a year, before the beretta it was my dads 226. lets stay on topic....

[C4IGrant]

I would either get the M&P in 9mm or the G19. If you decide on the G-Lock, I would wait for the GEN 5 model coming out shortly.



C4

[Business_Casual]

ive had the gun for quite some time, i dont have trouble hitting what im aiming at... at all. the question wasnt have i mastered my current gun or not. i've been shooting handguns (9mm mostly) on a regular basis since i was 15. Im 20 now. I've had my Beretta for almost a year, before the beretta it was my dads 226. lets stay on topic....

Oh, I see. I didn't realize you were an expert. I apologize, of course.

M_P

[John_Wayne777]

ive had the gun for quite some time, i dont have trouble hitting what im aiming at... at all. the question wasnt have i mastered my current gun or not. i've been shooting handguns (9mm mostly) on a regular basis since i was 15. Im 20 now. I've had my Beretta for almost a year, before the beretta it was my dads 226. lets stay on topic....

He is on topic.

All of us...well, most of us....probably like buying new guns. We enjoy the experience of playing with new toys today about as much as we did when we were little kids.

...but if someone is looking to improve their skill for competition, self defense, or just the sheer pleasure of bettering themselves with a firearm, investment in quality formal training is a far better expenditure of money.

Merely practicing at the range generally doesn't build a lot of skill because most people aren't enough of a "natural" to do everything right from the get-go. They often have huge holes in their game that a top quality instructor can point out and address in short order...and the newer the shooter the less ingrained the bad habits will be. Trust me on this: If buying more handguns made you a better shooter Dave Sevigny would be my bitch. Training and disciplined practice based on that training is what makes you better. Otherwise you end up with 35 or 36 handguns (I can't remember how many I have at the moment) and you'll still suck.

If you're able to shoot the Dot Torture test clean at 10 yards on demand, and you're scoring at least 270 on the Hackathorn standards, then forget everything I just said. If, however, you aren't hitting marks like that, then training would be a much wiser investment of any spare cash you have laying around than a different gun.

If you want to standardize on something that's relatively easy to support and maintain (as well as carry) as you seek to improve your skill, so be it...a 9mm Glock or 9mm M&P will probably serve you well...but a Beretta should be just fine for a good number of rounds if you properly maintain it. You also have to consider sunk cost...how much money have you put into the pistol, carry gear, and spare mags? Generally buying another gun won't save you any money because it will be more expensive to replace all of that than to just stick with what you have.

Learning to master what you've got is the best advice you'll ever get from anyone whether you realize it or not....because you're probably not as skilled a shooter as you think you are. Again, if you're shooting Dot Torture clean at 10 yards and you're smoking the Hackathorn standards, ignore all of that...but if you have never tried some of these skill drills or competition to see how you stack up skill-wise against other shooters....well...you have no idea what your level of skill is.

None of that even begins to go into the realities of using a handgun in a real fight, which involves a lot more than just core shooting skills. Buying a new gun won't help you with any of that either...but training certainly will.

There are a lot of guys on the forums here that have learned lessons the hard way, or who have spent $$$$$ obtaining training from the best in the business...or both. It's in your best interest to listen to the input they offer because it will help you avoid mistakes they've made and will ultimately lead you to a better place than with the penny-in-the-light-socket learning method.

[Alpha Sierra]

I don't see an option to vote for mastering the current handgun before spending money/time on a new one. Particularly one with a completely different FCG.

M_P

If you master one handgun you should be able to master any other in short order. Otherwise your fundamentals sucked to begin with.

And what's with the FCG fetish? Are you really that inflexible? Or is it just dogmatic?

[Business_Casual]

If you master one handgun you should be able to master any other in short order. Otherwise your fundamentals sucked to begin with.

And what's with the FCG fetish? Are you really that inflexible? Or is it just dogmatic?

Yes, I am inflexible, dogmatic and clearly my fundamentals suck.

M_P