Need suggestions on my first real carry piece.

[Mosinguy]

Alright so I've carried a few different handguns before, but always on private property and never concealed. From a S&W 5906 boat anchor, a Raven .25, a Hi-Point in .45, a Glock 19, A S&W 19-4, and my personal favorite the Beretta 92FS in a leather shoulder holster. But now with the big 18 fast approaching I need suggestions on a handgun that I can carry nearly everywhere in a practical manner. I'm a long gun person so I can't really think of many handguns that may fit me.

Here's my list of things a handgun has to meet for me:

-Quality
-Easy to work on
-Reliable
-Relatively easy to shoot
-Inexpensive to train with
-Easily concealable but not teeny tiny

Here's the list of things I'd like to go along with the handgun but really aren't deal breakers:

-Sub $700
-Inexpensive accessories
-Large aftermarket
-Higher capacity is better

I'm really leaning towards an older Glock 19. I like the way they feel in my hand. I can find one anywhere. 9mm is plentiful. Aftermarket is good. If I manage to break something I can fix it. I have 15 rounds ready to go. But I have looked at the M&P9c and I like it as well. I've messed with the 1911 platform and while I'm not against a 1911, I just hear so much about reliability issues. I'm also not opposed to revolvers. Basically, recommend me some handguns that fit my criteria. Any real world experience would be great.

 

[Double T]

Glock 19 or a Glock 26.

Surprisingly I seem to shoot my G26 the best. I recently shot my first ever group sub 1" at 15 yards with my g26 and flush 10 round mag.

I would go gen3, but that's just me.

 

[MCgrease08]

Why not start with the Glock 19 for all of the reasons you mentioned, plus you can find tons of holsters and accessories for it so you can try lots of different systems and setups. The best part is, if none of them work for you, you'll have no trouble selling it off.

 

[Jeremy1066]

Glock 19 or a Glock 26.

Surprisingly I seem to shoot my G26 the best. I recently shot my first ever group sub 1" at 15 yards with my g26 and flush 10 round mag.

I would go gen3, but that's just me.

I am better with my G26 than a G19 as well.
I don't think there's a better aftermarket selection than Glock. I also don't think there is anything more reliable than Glock. You already have experience with a Glock. What else do you want to know?

 

[stephen87]

Subcompact or compact Glock. Owned botha 19 and a 26, loved both. Sold all my guns due to financial woes. Buying another Glock 19 in a couple of weeks hopefully.

 

[sloughfoot]

The Beretta 92FS is your favorite? Why not that?

Choosing a pistol is an intensely personal decision.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Shoot them/try them to see what fits you best.
xdm, m&p, glock, etc...

I have an m&pc you can try if you so desire, on the west side of indy.

 

[MCgrease08]

Subcompact or compact Glock. Owned botha 19 and a 26, loved both. Sold all my guns due to financial woes. Buying another Glock 19 in a couple of weeks hopefully.

You'd better get one soon. I hear Fenway will kick you off the forum if you aren't actually a gun owner.

 

[ru44mag]

I'm not a big Glock fan...but it sounds like you a describing a Glock 19. And if $700 is your limit. You can buy the Glock, a holster, extra mags and ammo. Why fight it.

 

[88E30M50]

The criteria you mention are all met with a Glock 19 of any generation. Plus, you already have experience with it. Don't put too much emphasis on being easy to work on though. A carry gun should not be something you tinker with regularly. You get it set up the way you want it and then try to wear it out with practice. That setup will take the form of connectors, hammers, grips or triggers depending on the type of gun you end up with. Don't be too quick to chase fads with your carry gun though. Once it works for you, expend any gunsmithing energy you have on a different gun and leave your carry piece be.

Another good choice would be a CZ 75 Compact. But, there are lots of others out there and what you end up carrying should be what works best for you, not necessarily what you like best. I'm a die hard 1911/CZ guy but carry a Glock 23 because at this point in my life, it's what I shoot best. at 18, you are at a point in life where you are evolving physically so your reaction times and hand/eye coordination are getting better each year. I'm at the point in life where I'm on the down side of that slope and need to make sure I carry what I shoot best as my eyesight and reaction times degrade. What works best for you this year may not be what works best next year or the year after so practice with what you carry and don't be afraid to trade to what works better if you find something that does.

 

[cben114]

Have you checked out the XDm compacts... very nice guns

 

[SeaCaptain49]

Why fool around? A full sized 1911 is an excellent choice.

 

[Double T]

Why fool around? A full sized 1911 is an excellent choice.

for being twice the weight of a fully loaded glock 19? Yep. Nailed it.

He also said reliable, and easy to work on. 1911's aren't typically able to use "drop in" parts. So it's out.

 

[SeaCaptain49]

for being twice the weight of a fully loaded glock 19? Yep. Nailed it.

He also said reliable, and easy to work on. 1911's aren't typically able to use "drop in" parts. So it's out.

Ok, you got me on the weight issue.

However, unless you're buying a $300 1911, the "reliability" issue is a myth. My Kimber 1911's function 100% of the time, all the time. I've owned Glocks previously as well. I'm not a 1911 fanboy, but they are no less reliable than Glocks.

As to "drop in" parts, I'd argue that 1911's have a much broader market for "drop ins" than any other platform.

And as far as easy to work on, you can field strip a 1911 as easy as a Glock. With a quick youtube search, you can also detail strip a 1911. Try detail stripping a Glock and let me know how that works out.

I was somewhat being facetious with my original comment, but the bottom line is, the 1911 is just as valid an option for carry as any other platform. It all boils down to what works for the individual person.

 

[Double T]

I'm not bashing the 1911 entirely, but to say 1911 drop in parts are widely available is a gross overstatement. Even "drop in" parts routinely need filed and stoned. I've never seen a glock part that needs filed or stoned to get put in, unless you are wanting to eliminate overtravel on a ghost rocket trigger. That's the only item that needs to be filed, if you decided to eliminate overtravel.

Yes, you CAN detail strip a 1911 without any tools, but likewise you can use most anything to detail strip a glock, and you rarely need to detail strip.

Tomatoes to potatoes sadly.

I had a 1911, and carried the glock. So the 1911 went on the chopping block. 1911's are great, I just prefer twice the capacity in a smaller, lighter frame.

 

[arthrimus]

I carry a beautiful S&W 6906 to work every single day, concealed in a low profile remora holster. I absolutely love this gun. Aftermarket accessories pretty much a no go for it though.

I OC a Beretta 96 everywhere that's not work (The boss man likes that I carry at work, but doesn't want me to scare away the sheeple), and it is definitely my favorite gun to carry. Not even remotely practical for CC as I'm sure you know.

 

[Glock10MM]

Glock 19 or a Glock 26.

Surprisingly I seem to shoot my G26 the best. I recently shot my first ever group sub 1" at 15 yards with my g26 and flush 10 round mag.

I would go gen3, but that's just me.

Absolutely.

 

[church]

Im gonna add a little bit and expand on whats already been said. No parts for a 1911 are true drop in. Some garbage manufacturers (taurus, armscor, etc) sell parts that are drop in ready. But their guns are built on an assembly line with no or very little fitting and in reality they arent truely fitted, they remove metal until the parts fit together. Every single part inside of a 1911 needs to be hand lapped for precision fitting. If you purchase a 1911, you will get what you pay for. A good 1911 is a peice of art work and it is a tool that will last you a lifetime if you take care of it. Some people own 1911s, others are passionate about them. The folks that own 1911s usually get rid of them for glocks or something. The folks that are passionate, usually have half a dozen or more. Its all going to depend on what you like and what fits you the best. If you can look at a 1911 and see beauty, give it a try, if you just see another firearm then a piece of plastic is probably right for you. Also, a springfield Range Officer is a great place to start, its a tack driving no nonsense ready to shoot out of the box 1911. The fit on it is good enough that you'll have quality without spending a thousand or more and it will hold its value well enough that you'll be able to sell it and get good money if you dont like it.

 

[Mosinguy]

See I really like the 1911 platform. But I really have no clue what a good one to start with for carry would be. A mil-spec Springfield comes to mind, just upgraded the sights and be done with it. I don't like extra tactical ninja upgrades I like my stuff simple. But I'm a noob when it comes to a 1911. I've fired things from a Rock Island to a Dan Wesson and I can feel the quality differences but do I need a $2,500+ 1911 for daily carry? Will a $600 one do the same thing cheaper? I'd love a 1911 but with so many different variants and quality controls throughout the manufacturers it just doesn't seem like my first real carry gun should be a 1911. That's why I gravitate towards Glock. A Gen 1 is basically a Gen 3 with minor differences. Same with most other plastic guns.


Don't get me wrong I love the way the 1911 looks and functions but I am clueless when it comes to them. I'd carry one if I knew more about them. I just hear a lot about feed ramps not working with certain ammo, general pickiness especially with magazines, and the fact parts usually would need fitting. But I'm really not opposed to carrying one if I knew more.

 

[minuteman32]

I own & have carried a lot of different guns over the years and the one that is on my hip right now, has been for several years & will continue to be is a G19. I have found it to be the best combination of reliability, capacity, caliber, concealability, cost, etc. The only thing I would change (for me) from stock are; night sights, 3.5 connector, grip plug & maybe a smooth trigger.
One thing that I used in the decision process was, if you ever use it for defense, the police will likely take it for awhile. I figured that I could more easily afford to go buy another, if needed, to replace it and even if I am unable to put hundreds of rounds thru it initially, Glocks are generally very reliable. Just my $.02. Good luck. Btw, check PSS & Bradis. You can usually find a G19/26 at one or both for a decent price.