I would be into going to a meet if my schedule permits me too... my wife would also be down. Unfortunately Milpitas and Santa Clara are a bit far to make it since it's an hour drive each way.

I would like to do some outdoor shooting instead of indoors.

 

Tell her to get the Sig if it comes down to the wire... You should get whatever she likes better in terms of ergonomics and such, but if it's an even match and both feel just as good as the other, get the Sig! HK's are nice and all but they are overpriced and their customer service is the worst ever! Sig's are great guns, especially the P226 (as well as the P220 which is my fav SIG, and the P229 which is also GREAT).


Have you given her a chance to shoot the Sig P229 in 9mm? I'm not a Sig fanboy at all, I prefer Glock for my shooting style but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good gun when I see one. The P220 (.45 single stack) is my fav sig of all time, but it falls short with it's single stack magazine so you only get 7 shots and that sucks. The P229 is 9mm and .357SIG / 40S&W and is a GREAT pistol (I'm going off memory here but I'm pretty sure it's in .40 that can be swapped for .357sig and comes in 9mm, I could be wrong, it's been a couple years)


Quick question, how much does each pistol cost? The P226 VS the HK? Even if they were exactly the same price, I'd still buy the Sig. It's a better gun and you have great factory support if something goes wrong, unlike HK (worst customer service ever!!! Not just to me, but everyone on www.gunatics.com agrees).


Cliff notes: Get the Sig and avoid the HK.

 

That's cool - makes sense. Also, I realize my "is that normal" could have come off wrong.. Haha.

 

Hey Dark Onion,


What kind of gun and what caliber of bullet did you use when shooting those targets? (Gun name/manuf, as well as caliber).



I want everyone to remember that every gun is different. Every person is different, so what works well with me doesn't mean it will work for you. This is why you should try out all the potential guns that you are interested in. This is where shooting ranges come in to play. Some local ranges rent out a good variety of pistols for you to try out. You pay something around $10 to rent the gun + the price of ammo. I'd say get at least 50 rounds through every pistol that you're interested in, then narrow it down to the two pistols that feel most natural to you... Compare and contrast, look up the specs and find out how reliable they typically are, how easy they are to clean and take apart, and things of that nature.

This is the best way to find the gun that YOU want. I don't recommend ever buying a gun without first shooting it first.


Some things to consider:

1. Reliability -- How reliable is the gun? You can find info online

2. Feel -- How does the gun feel in your hands when you shoot? Are you more accurate with the gun? Keep size and caliber in mind as they are key components in finding the right gun for you. Don't get a gun that has a frame that is too big for you, and don't get one that is too small for you. You want something that fits your hands as good as possible.

3. Caliber -- This is an important factor. You should buy a caliber based on what YOU like. Don't be intimated by others who have bigger guns, etc. Caliber is very important, so you should factor in the felt recoil (what's too much? What's too little?), ballistics (if you're going for home defense), as well as price and availability. I prefer .45ACP because it's a low velocity bullet but still packs an insane amount of punch. High velocity guns like .357 SIG and even 9mm feel way different than .45. The 9mm and such is a small bullet going really fast so it has more of a "snap" when you fire. The .45 is a large slow moving round that has less "snap" and more of a "boom" which is actually easier for me to handle over 9mm. Just because .45 is bigger doesn't mean it has more recoil. You should try all common calibers (9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP for example, those are the common 3) to see which you like better. Also, availability can dictate what caliber you do buy. Do some research on price as well as how abundant the round is. This is a VERY important step and you should really focus on this!!!


Home defense -- If you plan on using your gun for self defense at home there are a few factors you should look into. Look at the ballistics of the bullet and it's penetrating power. If you live in an apartment or have really close by neighbors it's better to use low velocity rounds that expand upon impact (like hollow points and such). Bullets go through walls, so if you miss the person you're shooting at and the stray bullet hits a wall and goes right through it, you will be held responsible. So if goes through the wall and hurts someone, you are screwed! If this gun is ONLY for target shooting, then buy the cheapest caliber you can possibly find and buy the cheapest ammo you can buy since you don't have to worry about reliability. For self defense however, the last thing you want is for your gun to jam due to cheap ammo. I'd say use cheap ammo at the range, clean the gun after and then load it with high quality home defense rounds so that you have the good stuff and don't have to worry about jams when you're being attacked but you can still go to the range and use crappy ammo.


There's a good website that shows the penetration power of various calibers (pistol, rifle, and shotgun) Check it out:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/



Sorry for the long response, I just want you to be aware of all the factors that one should look at when purchasing a pistol, especially their first and primary gun.



If reliability is your thing then you can't beat a good old fashion Glock. Glocks are very simple with very little moving parts which makes it SUPER reliable. I have 5 Glocks and none of mine have EVER jammed, EVER! My primary pistol is a Glock 21 (Full size .45) and I've gone well over 5,000 rounds with the pistol in between cleaning... Not only did I not clean it but I used some NASTY dirty ammo which created so much residue that it covered the entire front of the pistol. Some people will tell you that Glocks aren't accurate but that's a lode of BS. The only reason that the gun is inaccurate in the hands of the person who says it's not accurate is because they don't know how to shoot it. Probably because they aren't used to it.

There are many great pistols out there, from revolvers, to 1911's, to "tupperware" guns (meaning that they have polymer bodies), don't pick a pistol based on someone elses opinion, buy it based off what feels right for you... Once you find the gun that's right for you in terms of feel thats when you can start to compromise in terms of caliber and such... It's very important to have a gun that fits you well!!!



Sorry for the long post, but all that info is really vital for the newbie gun owner, or someone who is about to buy a gun for the first time.

 

Brucelee,

Glock 19, not sure what generation. 9mm. Not sure what manufacturer for the 9mm. Remington? Whatever they sell at Target Masters for $13.50 + tax.

 

I think we are leaning more towards the sig 229. in 9mm. It is not a home defense handgun just a target plinker so we are going with 9mm for cost effectiveness. Last time I looked just at one shop the price had dropped significantly to $800. I like the versatility of the 229, and until you mentioned it I didnt know you could do just a barrel swap on them.

The army is transitioning in certain units to the 229 as well so I have access to certain things in that respect.

This is going to be her last two pistols to choose between as it is going to be her christmas present.

I was so proud of her the other day she was like "man I really love the kimber warrior but you already have the springfield operator so it would be almost like having the same gun." I nearly shed a tear at her wonderful discerning tase, and knowlege of handguns. I am so proud of her I may buy her both. lol

Thank you for the input, and I am down to go shooting anytime.

 

I'm a fan of Glocks as well and until my Springfield that was all I've owned. My current Glock is a 23. I wasn't very comfortable with it until after I went to my class and I didn't even use it there. I only used the Springfield XD at the class.

I've been pleasantly surprised with my XD. I bought it before firing one, which as Brucelee pointed out could have been a mistake. I was lucky in that regards as it works very well for me...

 

im down. were do you guys normally shoot? theres only a couple places that allow me to bring/shoot the "special" guns. i would bring the following for people to shoot
-sig p220
-xd 40
-glock 19
-kahr cw9
-T/C 7mm rem mag
-savage .300 win mag
-T/C .50 muzzle
-(2) ruger 10/22(tack drivers)
-special gun 1
-special gun 2

 

I'd like to try the XD. I hear it is kind of a Glock clone, but what do I know. I'd like to try rifles at some point as well.

 

Eh, not exactly a Glock "clone" - more like a Glock/1911 hybrid in my opinion. Two of my favorite features of the Glock are (i) the low bore axis (meaning point of aim is very close to point of impact), and (ii) the short trigger reset. The XD has neither of these - the bore axis is quite high (which for me, also affects the aesthetics of the gun - makes it look chunky), and the trigger reset is not that short. Also, and this may just be me, but the XD trigger seemed to be "mushier" than the Glock's trigger, and the Glock factory trigger is nothing to write home about.

However, the XD does have some benefits - primarily, the grip safety. Many people feel uncomfortable with Glocks because they do not have a safety (although, in some regards, this "simplicity" is a benefit) - the XD's grip safety (a la the 1911) alleviates some of these concerns. Also, I believe the XD's are lower in cost than a comparable Glock.

Lastly, the grip angles of the two are different. The XD's grip angle is similar/same to the 1911's grip angle (~103 degrees), whereas the Glock's grip angle is higher (~110 degrees). If you're used to the 1911 grip angle, Glocks will tend to shoot higher, and vice versa. With enough practice, you can definitely learn to shoot both platforms.

Try both, see what you like.
________
Easy Vape Convection

 

i own both the xd and glock for 2 reasons. both super solid guns. no real negatives(i deleted the grip saftey on the xd otherwise that would be the neg)
i shoot the xd in .40 so much better than the glock. im down right lethal with a 9mm glock and kahr. im trying to find my last target,the range wanted to hang it up.

 

The XD is a super gun. It's not a glock clone, they feel very different from each other, the first thing you will notice is the way the grip feels (angle and such,).


Made in Croatia too! I have an XD-40, wish I bought the 9mm instead

 

I've got an XD 45 Tactical - best gun I've ever owned

I agree - it's more of a modern 1911 in feel than a Glock. I like the general "hold" of the XD better than Glocks

 

Looking to pick up another hand gun, it will either be an XDm 3.8 .40, or a Sig 226 .40. Suggestions?

 

When and where is this going to happen?