Choosing the right pistol

My take on CC - carry the biggest pistol YOU are comfortable carrying. Capacity matters as much as shot placement , however - in a holster clearing gun pointing situation , you will mag dump all your rounds in the general direction of the threat and miss 75% of the shots. even at bad breath distance. This is why real training and consistent training is critical to practice. and i dont mean go to a range and shoot from a bench at man sized targets. i am talking about dynamic shooting that involves close range targets , magazine changes , malfunction clearing , and movement / communications drills.
I carry a full size Sig 226 9mm with 19 rounds because i may be assaulted by more than one attacker, and those threats may take a few +P hollow points to stop. I may not have the opportunity to swap magazines and i dont want to be one round short of stopping a threat.

edit - also , if the pistol does not feel good in your hand , you will not shoot it effectively.

 

https://www.militarytimes.com/off-d...-norris-loves-glock-so-you-better-love-glock/

I have multiple types, depend on day, place and situation, but this is strong support for GLOCK

 

Unless you're in a jurisdiction that allows open carry and you're into that sort of thing, you're going to be carrying concealed. The difference then is just a matter of preference. IWB carry is more discrete but usually less comfortable, as you now have a firearm tucked in between your pants and your body. OWB carry is more comfortable but harder to conceal. I have a gun that I sometimes carry in an OWB holster but usually only in the winter when I have a jacket to help cover it up. A t-shirt isn't as effective.

 

Get yourself a Glock, and maybe a revolver if you can work out a sweet deal.

 

Maybe you should get all of them just to be on the safe side. Then you have plenty of time to figure it out.

 

Striker based actions are the most forgiving of poor form due to the shortest elapsed time between sear break and primer ignition.

I was a Glock hater and Beretta 92FS fan for decades until I was gifted a G23. That Glock forgave all my crappy flinching and turned me into a 25 yard marksman.

I've since bought a G20 and walk down avenue and wooded path alike with the same confidence that King Tiger tanks enjoy.

 

Go out and shoot a few and see which one you shoot the best. In hindsight I wish I would've bought a Springfield XDM over my Glock 17.

 

If you don't currently carry, my suggestions start with...1) Learn the 4 rules of gun safety. 2) If you don't train regularly with a gun that has a safety, that safety (in the heat of the moment) will get you killed. 3) Kids are naturally curious by nature. Teach them the 4 rules, and take them shooting. Remember, a family that shoots together, survives together. Out of the 4 you listed, unless he was a friend of yours, and you wanted a gun as a keepsake of his, I wouldn't buy none of them. Here's why...the G42 is a 380. 380 is slow. Carry a 9mm or larger caliber. The revovlers only hold 5-7 rnds. What if there were multiple assailants, and they all just kept coming? 1 or 2 per attacker, and you're out. What if you miss? A wounded person can kill you just as quickly as a non-wounded one can.

Just my 2 cents

 

Ironjaw covered all the bases, and I add that you can trade that G42 for a nice G19 and some double stack magazines.

 

Which is not always a good thing. I spent two years on crutches from a glock. Humans inherently do not have perfect control of our hands. This is why every dangerous device we have...including our vehicles has safeties in it. (open door chime, brake safety in order to shift, etc etc.) Thousands of examples in everyday life....yet glock has sold the idea that somehow a gun is better without one.

Okay...of the four you listed, I would go with the 38 revolver. Its safer, its more powerful (.380 auto is a really low power cartridge) and its just a nicer gun.

But based on the questions your asking....you need a bunch of training.

"Speaking on this issue of where you carry your weapon, how do i know if you are allow to carry inside or outside the wasteband?"

Are you talking about open vs concealed carry? You look it up. Gun laws in this country are a mess and vary state to state, city to city.

MOST places open carry is allowed. Most people do not open carry. They think they will somehow use the element of surprise in a legal defensive shooting.

I open carry and am a big advocate of the practice. This was a little op-ed I wrote about it once.

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2...tal-5-reasons-open-carry-is-a-very-good-idea/

Anyway. A DA (double action) does not have a safety but it has a relatively long, heavy trigger pull that is a good hedge against accidental discharges.

9mm revolvers are a good idea on paper, I once had one, but as 9mm was never intended for revolvers it can have reliability issues. Google "crimp jump"

Anyway.....glocks.....good guns but not for beginners there ....I would want a 9mm glock if it was the zombie apocalypse. In the present day however your odds are many many times higher that you will accidentally shoot yourself then you will ever fail to shoot someone else who needs shooting.

This is my x-ray from 20 years ago. Google Glock leg.....its no joke,



This is my EDC (everyday carry gun)

A beretta PX4, 9mm



Which I would use to fight my way to one of these:

 

I will also add this, I consider it required reading for ever gun owner. It clears up a lot of misconceptions people have about handguns.

http://gundata.org/images/fbi-handgun-ballistics.pdf

 

For the right price, i think i might. not sure on prices yet, hopefully by Friday this week

 

If you get a good deal you can sell them all and get exactly what you want.

 

Why? The Glock didn't feel good in your hand, or something else?

 

The XDM feels better in my hand and I'm far more accurate with it than the Glock. In fact, I shoot most other pistols better than the Glock for whatever reason.

 

Right, which is why i've openly said that multiple times.

 

Don't take it as an insult, its encouragement.

 

I've heard this from other too. I'll def have to study-up on this. I cross multiple state lines with work/personal travel all the time and i hear some states not so friendly.

No offense taken. I take the safety element VERY seriously, which is my i'm posting about this in the first place. i do not currently CC and don't want to end up with something like that gnarly pic you posted. By the way, did your leg ever fully heal? looks nasty

My dad's telling me the same thing. will take the G42 and the S&W if the price works. don't have prices quiet yet.

 

If you don't like any of the 4 i posted, what do you like for a first time CC? again, i handle rifles/shotguns but not pistols so i'm seeking something with good stopping power and beginner friendly.

 

Where you live, is there a gun shop that does rentals? I ask that, because it all boils down to what pistol gives you the best npoa, natural point of aim. The way you hold the gun, determines the grip angle you want. Glock is more or a slanted angle, whereas a Springfield xdm, or m&p grips are more vertical.

 

Another stupid question - the G20, a 10mm product. we're talking elephant gun with something this big? must kick like a donkey?

 

9mm, 45acp or 10mm

Glock, M&P, Sig Sauer.

Start there

 

Never even thought about this. I do have a local gun shop. I'm gonna stop and ask about that tomorrow and look at their other inventory. Did not know that was an option. Basically, that's why i'm looking to buy used, thinking about maybe some small savings in case i buy the wrong thing. G's are not cheap new

 

When it comes to gun laws, there are more differences between some states than there are in some countries. What may be completely legal and even popular in one state, may be a very serious felony in another. Even when laws are the same CULTURE may be a big issue, in some places what will have someone give you a smile and a handshake, will have someone calling the cops in another.

Yes. My leg healed. My femur was replaced with a metal rod and over time new bone grew over it.

Something to keep in mind is that all the choices you posted are very small guns. Small guns are inherently harder to shoot well than larger guns. They have more recoil, less capacity, and have harder sights to use. They are not good guns for beginners who are just starting out. They are more specialty tools for people who have already learned how to shoot. To shoot a small gun well you will have to practice more and harder than you would with a larger gun.

In addition, pistols in general are harder to shoot well than rifles.

If you find you have a hard time hitting your target with one of those compact pistols try not to get frustrated and remember that you are starting out with a weapon that has a steep learning curve.

When you figure out a price check it online since you don't know much about guns. I wouldn't want you to get ripped off. Neither the .38 S&W or the Glock are particularly expensive guns to buy new.

 

About the Glock safety:

I have been shooting Glock pistols since 1985, and I've never experienced a negligent discharge but I have seen others with traditional safeties fire one off accidentally while checking their safeties. You will be okay if you always assume the gun is loaded, also the G17 and larger frames fit my hand best... I don't own any little Glock pistols. If it don't fit your hand, trade up to something that does fit your hand.

 

I also think the walther PPQ has the best ergonomics and best stock trigger.

 

In the pic i posted, the G42 has that little 'extender' for the pinky finger, not sure what that's called but guessing it's there if your hand is too big or something?? on the Glock website, the stock pic of the G42 does not have that thing for your pinky. i'm not small so something to think about i guess

 

Small pistols are meant to be held with three fingers (part of why they are more challenging) Some people don't like this so you can have the option to have a magazine with an extension on it for more fingers. This of course makes it a little larger and harder to conceal.

 

I have tried them, but those extensions don't work for me.

 

Just as @Sas said. Go shoot different brands. I shot the G43 and liked it. You can't go wrong with a Glock. I ended up shooting multiple guns, until I finally settled on a Walther PPS M2. Good luck