New Pistol Questions

[okie john]

First post.

I appreciate the professionalism I see here. Most other boards seem to have been created of, by, and for people who care more about one brand or design than they do about winning fights. I like not seeing that here.

Now, on to my questions.

I’m a seasoned shooter, but I’m old-school: I started shooting 1911’s as a kid, I was an 18C for six years on ODA’s in 1st SFG(A) and 7th SFG(A), and I’ve taken deer and other game with magnum revolvers. I stopped following the pistol market after I got my current 1911 dialed in about 15 years ago. It’s getting a little tired and I have a birthday coming up, so I’m buying myself a new EDC pistol, holster, belt, light, spare mags, 2-3 cases of ammo for train-up, and the train-up itself. Once the train-up is done, the Colt goes into war stock and I stick with the new piece—no daily back-and-forth.

Total budget is $3-4k, starting with renting guns at local ranges, but I want to cut the non-starters up front, so I’m seeking opinions. Thus far, I’m thinking:
• One trigger pull: SAO, DAO, or striker-fired
• Night sights, maybe upgrading to red-dot sights later
• Factory rail
• No bigger/heavier than a 1911A1
• Caliber?
• Probably a polymer frame

As near as I can tell, the makers worth considering are HK, Glock, the S&W M&P series, and maybe Springfield. I’d also consider a new 1911 or upgrading my current 1911.

Have I overlooked anything?

Thank you in advance for your time and opinions, and thank you again for the professionalism. It really is a breath of fresh air.


Okie John

[kaltesherz]

What's the purpose of this new handgun? Meaning is this for CCW, bedside, or secondary for carbine class?

You'll get a lot of suggestions for the Glock 17/19 and the S&W M&P series, both being excellent platforms that you could buy, train up on, and tweek to your liking for well under 1k including holster / spare mags / duty ammo. Both are also easy to work on yourself, no need to send off to a gunsmith should you want to modify which saves on time an money.

I've got a G19 that is my primary CCW (replaced my Kimber) and a friend has a M&P with the APEX sear that I've tried out a few times and it's pretty hard to say which is better.

Oh, and if I had a pretty big budget I'd check out the HK 45C too, if I had to go .45 all over again I'd probably pick one of those up in a heartbeat

ETA: Welcome! This forum is pretty awesome, I think you'll like it here...

[okie john]

What's the purpose of this new handgun? Meaning is this for CCW, bedside, or secondary for carbine class?

All of the above. I'm a simple man.


Okie John

[kaltesherz]

Try out a Gen III G19, they're pretty hard to beat for all around use

[m4gery]

It's hard to beat a Glock 19 in my opinion. It's big enough to shoot easily, yet easily concealable. It is also relatively inexpensive to buy and shoot. Should leave your budget intact to so you can focus on ammo, training, and practice. It's also a gun that my wife can shoot very very well, which is also a plus.

[Irish10]

I was a die hard 1911 man till I bought my full size M&P in 357sig. Being a LE gun it came with factory Novak night sites which I replaced with the Heinie Ledge setup and of course the Apex Tactical Sear. Total cost was under $700 for the whole package and I remain amazed at the capabilities of the 357 sig round. For an all around duty, ccw or just nightstand gun you cannot go wrong with this package. Coupled with a good tac light (I use a Insight Procyon) your set for just about anything that you could face. Some will argue that the round is spendy but I manage to buy Speer Lawman by the case at approx $350 shipped which is cheaper than 45 acp ammo. I carried a 1911 on duty as a LEO for years and wish that this pakage had been available then. Now to pick up a M&P compact for a backup gun to replace my 9mm ! One more advantage to this platform is the ability to turn the gun into a 40s&w with just a barrel change and the barrels run about $70.

[Garrasa]

SIG's are also pretty good. 226 220 232 are all good options for what they're designed to do, respectively. all are DA/SA with de-cocking levers. defiantly a great option. Glock 17 Is also really good, it seems the Gen IV's have been having some problem's so sticking with a reliable ugly Gen III will be your best bet right now. but hey, there's nothing prettier than an ugly gun being used beautifully.

[JonInWA]

It's hard to beat the simplicity, ruggedness, reliability and price of a Glock. You've got a huge range of options-In 9mm, I'd recommend the G17 and G19, but you also might like the G34. In .45 ACP, I'd recommend the G21, which is available in several configurations.

If you prefer cocked-and-locked, an HK 45 and/or HK45C come to mind.

Best, Jon

[Cagemonkey]

I'm going to jump in with the Glock 19 crowd also. Small enough to carry, large enough to grasp and shoot effectively with 15 rds of 147gn 9mm bonded HP's. It can also mount a weapon light for bedside use.

[YVK]

Have I overlooked anything?

No, seems like you have it covered, the question is what priorities are more important to you, as some of things you listed are a bit contradictory (i.e. considering another 1911 and polymer frame).

• One trigger pull: SAO, DAO, or striker-fired I'd cut DAO just because why make life harder, when there are so many good options without 9 lbs 1.5 inch pull? Glock, M&P, HK LEM or cocked and locked options..
• Night sights, maybe upgrading to red-dot sights later Most will opt for aftermarket sights anyway; with reddot, most experience is with Glock and M&P
• Factory rail just about any maker
• No bigger/heavier than a 1911A1 that's a criterion easy to meat
• Caliber? 9 if you want shoot more, 40 or 45 if you want better performance against intermediate barriers
• Probably a polymer frame

As near as I can tell, the makers worth considering are HK, Glock, the S&W M&P series, and maybe Springfield . I’d also consider a new 1911 or upgrading my current 1911.
I think you should first decide if you want to standartize on 1911 so you keep familiar features, MoA, caliber, holster, and have a trusted replacement ready if something happens with primary, or you just want something different...