buy a used kahr pm9 or a new kel-tec pf9. look into cor-bon ammo.

 

buy a used kahr pm9 or a new kel-tec pf9. look into cor-bon ammo.

Thank you for the video on the Kel-Tec

 

it's hard to find fault with whats worked for over 100 years. The Colt .45, which is produced under various remanufacturers for instance Rock Island Armory, go to your local gun store, see what they have, also make sure you visit other stores, the tactical .45 I have right now would not have been in my safe if I hadnt gone visiting other places, and I would only have my .45 from back in 96 when I bought it.


Oh yeah, thats another thing... 2 is 1, 1 is none. Start thinking about redundancy and standardized ammo with your friends.

My closest 2 buddies who are also my most likely 2 BO buddies all use .45 as primary handgun, yah, lots of 9's and lots of odd balls, but NOTHING says GAME OVER like a .45, and we're good to go.

 

Kahr also makes a .40 cal same size, and a .45 thats only slightly bigger, if you need more macho fire-power. the glock minnies are great, but to wide for me as far a ccw goes.

 

Glock.

Night sites.


TRL-1 when you can afford it.

 

The one thing I observe is that people get too lage of a firearm in both caliber and size. If you are of small stature then the size MUST be a consideration. I have instructed for awhile now and see people with small hands try to shot a too large firearm with predictable results. Also will you be carrying? Again people who carry ALL the time usually has something like a kel-tec or ruger lcp. I know I am more frightened of a man with a 25acp in his pocket than one with a 45acp in his night stand at home.

 

1911 style .45 auto.. can't go wrong!:thumb:

 

I was going to suggest the Rock Island 1911 .45, you can still get these brand new for about $400. I love mine, and i'm about to buy another. You can't beat a 1911, that's why they've been around so long.

 

Full size pistol
Glock model 22 .40 S&W, with night sights (Police turn in) case 3 mags GUN IS USED $400.00
http://www.kesselrings.com/servlet/StoreFront
Call and have a firearms transfer done locally.

Midsize pistol
Glock 23 or 27 .40S&W new is $535
Glock 19 or 27 9MM new is $535

Small pistol
Keltec 3AT .380 ACP $275-$300 new
Keltec PT11 9MM 3 dot sights case lock new $300-$325

would be a few that I like however I feel a trip to the Range to Rent a gun or two would serve your personal preference better. Also a used gun would not be overlooked by myself. Another thing to consider is having the gun you want"instock right now" if this is your "First Pistol" with economics, political BS, and other factors, (crime, unemployment, drugs, violent crimes in every paper or news cast) things do no look good in America I would want a gun on my side ASAP.

Whatever you may get stock up Ammo, Magazines, and practice practice and be SAFE!

 

Wow, someone that actually spells 'defense' correctly,lol.

1911's will at some time, sooner or later, have parts break on them, regardless of how expensive the gun is, a lot of them are also picky on feeding JHP's(jacketed hollow points). Go with a Glock or a Springfield XD, they will feed anything, will not break, hold twice the ammo 1911's do, extra mags are reasonably priced, and you can find them used for under $500 or new for a little over $500, caliberwise, get 9mm, .40S&W, or .45ACP, all are PROVEN manstoppers, I prefer .40 or .45, but 9mm works well too, and like spudgun said, check out cor-bon ammo, its ALL I have loaded in my pistols, its pricey but its also the best ammo you can buy.

 

1911's will at some time, sooner or later, have parts break on them, regardless of how expensive the gun is, a lot of them are also picky on feeding JHP's(jacketed hollow points). Go with a Glock or a Springfield XD, they will feed anything, will not break, hold twice the ammo 1911's do, extra mags are reasonably priced, and you can find them used for under $500 or new for a little over $500, caliberwise, get 9mm, .40S&W, or .45ACP, all are PROVEN manstoppers, I prefer .40 or .45, but 9mm works well too, and like spudgun said, check out cor-bon ammo, its ALL I have loaded in my pistols, its pricey but its also the best ammo you can buy.

I'm not trying to seem anti Glock, I own one, but they do break. One of the most annoying things about the pro Glock crowd, is that they all claim the Glock never breaks. Sorry, but that is a fantasy world type statement. I've been on more then one Police range where a Glock has some part break. All tools can break, some less then others, but they all break down after enough wear and tear. You need to replace springs and such on all guns eventually.

If you want a long term survival gun, that will last decades without issues, get a sturdy revolver. A Ruger GP-100 or a Smith & Wesson are just two examples of quality revolvers one might want to consider. They still can break down, but it is extremely rare.

p.s. This is from a long time 1911 nut.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just remember, they can kill us, put us in prison, and take our families, but they probably will not eat you!

 

carry 1911 [para p-14]--but you can't go wrong with a glock in price range you stated--find one that feels good & shoot it+ if you shoot one well you can shoot any other one fairly well-- grips basic the same

 

Everyone seems to push the "automatics" most of the time. I own a Colt 45ACP Government Model (which I like) and also a Ruger 357mag. Revolver (which I like also). If you are a newbie to handguns, I recommend a good stainless streel revolver with a 4 inch barrel in 357magnum caliber. You won't be disappointed.

 

"DUH!!" It just dawned on me. Why are are we discussing this in the RIFLE Forum?

 

"Personal defense pistol"?

 

I would recommend the S&W M&P9 full size or compact, but since you want something for under $500, that makes it a little tougher with the prices of guns today. You could go with a S&W Sigma 9VE http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=124352612 . For the price, it's about as reliable as you will get. Another option would be a Taurus PT111 http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=124145776. The Taurus has been known to have frame cracking issues after a few thousand rounds and sometimes only a few hundred if high pressure or 147gr ammo is used. Still, it does have a lifetime warranty and Taurus, as well as S&W, have excellent customer service.

 

I'd say pick up a S&W 686 or other L frame .357 or a Ruger GP-100 in .357 Magnum.



Rifleman 336

 

XD .45 ACP ...about $469 on gunbroker. (just my vote)

 

Over the years, have bought several handguns with concealed carry as the objective. Duty sized sidearms ( S&W 686, GP100, full sized 1911s, etc ) were not considered ( although I've owned many of those. The ones I recall right now that I tried for carry were Colt Officer's 1911, Walther PPK/S, Ruger SP101, Glock 26, NAA 22 mag, S&W 638, Taurus 605. I got rid of the PPK/S because it was unreliable ( would not feed hollow point ), and I hated that Walther bite. With the exception of the S&W 638, I found the others to just be too heavy to carry around all day.

Tuckerdog1

 

Don't know why The OP's question morphed into a carry option question for me. That's not what he was asking. Sorry.

There's a lot of info missing from the original post. We know how much, but not much else. Experience with firearms is important. There seems to be some romance with autos over revolvers. But in a true SD situation, if your experience & training is lacking, the operation of an auto can be a liability. Is a round chambered? Is the safety off? If it's single action, is the hammer cocked? Should there be a failure to feed, eject or fire, how do you deal with that & how quickly? While with a revolver, it's pretty much point & shoot. The downside to revolvers is "usually" the lower round count. Revolvers can handle more powerful rounds than autos. But that leads to the question of environment & the shooter's ability to deal with recoil. Do you live in an apartment with thin walls between you & your neighbor? Or do you have a farm house with miles between you and the neighbors? Will you be the only person that might use this gun? Or might a spouse, with smaller, weaker hands also use it?

You'll have to fill in most those blanks. A couple suggestions that fit your price range might be a S&W 65 or 66. A Ruger GP100. If grip size ineeds to be smaller, maybe a Ruger SP101. But it will hold only 5 shots and have more recoil. All those give the option of 38 or 357.

Tuckerdog1

 

This is the 44 automag and if used properly will remove the fingerprints. " I'm up for the revolver 44 spec , 357, 44 mag.

 

Go to the gunshop and pick what fits you best, or even better shoot some. The caliber isn't as important as your ability to hit the target when its shooting back at you.

 

Do some research into firearms. The pistol should not be a person's first choice for personal defense. A pistol has, since its invention, been a close range last option for personal defense. In other words, when your chosen boomstick (rifle or shotgun) doesn't go boom, then you bring your pistol into play.

Those of us who have been in combat generally learn, sometimes at a high cost, to layer our defense systems. Shoulder-mounted firearm backed up by a big or medium bore pistol backed up by a good sheath knife. After the sheath knife comes entrenching tools, BFRs and hand-to-hand fighting. BFRs = Big F**king Rocks.

If you are really new to shooting, go to a nearby range, gun store or talk to the local NRA counselor to get current/reliable information. Then you next see if there is a range or gun store close to where you live that rents guns for you to shoot. Some ranges and gun stores actually have indoor ranges where you can rent and test out different pistols. You have to generally rent the gun, buy some ammo, buy a target, rent or buy hearing and eye protection but then you shoot their gun. Sometimes with a nearby range the nice people will let you shoot their different firearms and test them out.

Good luck in your research and efforts to find a good gun for you to use.

 

:thumb:The bersa firestorm 9mm and the ruger p-95 can be had for under $400. The bersa is amedium frame ,the ruger is a large frame.

 

I like the 1911 and the MP from smith. You will need parts kits also these are 2 of the easiest to get parts for. Try get parts for glock it is almost impossible and like someone else said Glocks do break just like all the others. Glocks are very good weapons. Try out a few and see what fits. But remember you will also need parts in case of breakage.

 

I am not going to ggive you the name or model of any firearm, nor even the calliber. What I will do is tell you to go th the local gun shop and hold each gun in your price range. Find the ones that hold your hand the best. Once you have done that, rent the ones you like the best, shoot them, more than 1 mag/cylender too. Pick the one that you shoot the best groups with overall. Now go back home, look up what ammo that gun takes does the best in the FBI testing. Thats now the best gun for you, enjoy

ETA: Remember, shot placement trumps everything else when it comes to firearms. If you cant shoot well, it doesnt matter what you are shooting with, that ultramagtacnuke will not see you through the day. Its your job to do that. After shot placement comes penetration. If the bullet doesnt make it to vital organs, you may still loose the fight you should have won. After that comes bullet diameter, to include expansion. 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP are all great defensive arms if you do your part. Practice regularly, NOTHING makes up for practice.

 

Springfield XD in 45 ... Several models to pick from ...