I agree, I'm looking at a Glock 23 myself. I know a few people who have 'em and like 'em. I'm also a big 40 cal. fan.
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What to carry? (need opinions)
- Thread starter norman428
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I agree, I'm looking at a Glock 23 myself. I know a few people who have 'em and like 'em. I'm also a big 40 cal. fan.
If Glock is your thing, I suggest the G23. Can get a used police trade at Good 2 Go Tactical in Georgetown, IN reasonable. Blackhawk has a serpa holster that can you can use with a paddle or detach it. I personally like the bianchi pancake holster, it hugs close and is very comfortable for me. Ruger LCR can CC in your pocket, love it.
I have several Glocks but carry my 27 with me everywhere I go. The 21 is a great gun (It's my duty gun) but a little too big for me to carry off duty. Same with the 22. I have been considering switching and either carrying my 23 or 32 as my every day carry. Try to fire what you are considering first to make sure that it fits your hands before buying.
Personal opinion but a Glock is an accident waiting to happen.Formerly being affiliated with LE I know of too many AD's where an officer has accidentally shot himself. Most recent right in Chicago. Look at the video on you tube of a DEA agent teaching gun saftey to school kids and shoots himself in the foot. I own some glocks but they stay in the safe. My recomendations are try shooting an XD or a Sig. and get training. My XD 45c shoots real well feels great in my hand. If you want to spend some money the Springfied EMP 40 is great, this is my daily carry and love it. As far as a shoulder holster I highly recomend the Galco Miami Classic.
Ok understandable about the Xd not fiting your hand comfortably. That is very important when choosing a gun. I would still look into the FN, or CZ. CZ's are some of the most reliable handguns out there, and very accurate. I have not shot an FN, but have heard good things about them. I have shot a m&p .40, and the 9mm. They are reliable and accurate. In terms of reliablility, Glocks are reliable however the others I listed are just as reliable. Not bashing Glock, but alot of people will say Glocks are the best. Well as I said above there are other guns in the price range, that are just as reliable. Do your homework, and find what is comfortable for you. See if you can find somene that's willing to let you shoot theirs, or if you can find a place that rents one. Pretty much every gun I own, my Dad has owned at one time. That way I got a chance to shoot, before I made my decesion. My Dad has quit a few rounds through both of his m&p's with no failures to date. Both CZ's I did own I put alot of rounds through, with no failures what so ever.
Try the G26
I just purchased my first weapon this past summer. I went through the process just as you are now. I got all the same advice you are getting now. I finally purchased the Glock 26 for the following reasons.
1. The trigger safety means I can get it into action quicker. I do not have to remember to flip the safety. I just have to remember to keep my finger off the trigger until ready to fire, and since I have to do that with any weapon it eliminates one extra concern, one extra step in a stressful situation. Extra motion means lost time. Simpler is better. The key is good training and practice. Learn what to do and how to do it right; then the trigger safety is safe.
2. The G26 is 9mm. When I first mentioned this to my brother, a military lifer, he went off on me big time about how the 9mm is to weak, lacks stopping power. He went over all the history of the development of the .45 based on troubles in the Philippines with men continuing to fight after several hits with a 9 but dropping like people slain in the Spirit at an Oral Roberts healing rally when shot with the .45. He gave me a long rant against the 9mm and insisted only the .45 was powerful enough. When he finally stopped, I commented, "I plan on using hollow points." He replied, "Are they legal in Indiana?" After I confirmed it, he said, "Well, hollow point 9s are as good as the .45. No problem, then." His knowledge of the issue and immediate agreement that the hollow point 9mm had sufficient power convinced me.
3. The 9mm ammo is significantly cheaper. Shortly after I bought my G26, my son bought the XD compact .40, then a Taurus 1911, and my son-in-law bought the Glock .40. All good weapons—good fit to the hand, accurate, manageable recoil. Really nice. Every time we buy ammo I just smile. My ammo is at least $5 less per box of 50 than the .40, and the difference is even greater for .45. Every 100 rounds I save the cost of a session at the range, minimum. This means I can afford to practice with the same caliber I will carry. The FMJ fires almost identically to the hollow points, so I am training with something very near to what I will actually use in the event I have to protect my family. My son/son-in-law have to limit their shooting because they struggle to buy the ammo. My older son, who has the G26, G19 and Ruger SP101, practices with his Sig Mosquito (.22) to save money. IMO, the 9mm with hollow point ammo has sufficient stopping power, and is affordable. Advantage 9mm.
4. The G26 is a subcompact. The advantage of this is that it is very easy to carry. I currently use a Galco IWB. Good holster. The weapon does not print unless I move unnaturally. I also have a Blackhawk Serpa style OWB I use when I wear a blazer, suit coat, or long winter coat. Also a good holster. I am not really happy with the holsters, but that is a function of disliking carrying on the hip—puts the weapon too high—not of the holster or the G26. Either way, the 26 disappears and is very comfortable. As was said in an earlier post, Avoid the Uncle Mike's. The clip allows the holster to move, even turn upside down. When I had my G26 drop out of the holster, I bought the Galco. Uncle Mike stays in the bag.
5. The disadvantage is the small grip on the G26. I have small hands, but I still must have the pinky extender on the 26. I tried shooting without it at first. Accuracy was slightly poorer as my grip was affected when my left (non-dominant) hand pressed my right pinky against the bottom of the butt. It became painful after a few mags. I purchased the Pierce +2 extensions, and that was a big mistake. The top of the Pierce extension has a sharp flange designed to fit flush with the bottom of the butt, but on my 26 the mags will not fit flush. This allows my pinky to slip between the bottom of the grip and the sharp flange. After two mags, I had a blood blister where the my finger got pinched between the flange and the butt. I resolved this by filing down the sharp flange, but I will only purchase the Scherer extensions in the future—they do not have that sharp flange. With the pinky extensions, I get very good accuracy, comfortable shooting, and great concealment.
If I had to do it again, I would still buy the G26. I have tried the XD .40, the Taurus 1911, the Glock .40, the Ruger SP101. Good weapons all, but too large for good CCW. :
Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps.
I just purchased my first weapon this past summer. I went through the process just as you are now. I got all the same advice you are getting now. I finally purchased the Glock 26 for the following reasons.
1. The trigger safety means I can get it into action quicker. I do not have to remember to flip the safety. I just have to remember to keep my finger off the trigger until ready to fire, and since I have to do that with any weapon it eliminates one extra concern, one extra step in a stressful situation. Extra motion means lost time. Simpler is better. The key is good training and practice. Learn what to do and how to do it right; then the trigger safety is safe.
2. The G26 is 9mm. When I first mentioned this to my brother, a military lifer, he went off on me big time about how the 9mm is to weak, lacks stopping power. He went over all the history of the development of the .45 based on troubles in the Philippines with men continuing to fight after several hits with a 9 but dropping like people slain in the Spirit at an Oral Roberts healing rally when shot with the .45. He gave me a long rant against the 9mm and insisted only the .45 was powerful enough. When he finally stopped, I commented, "I plan on using hollow points." He replied, "Are they legal in Indiana?" After I confirmed it, he said, "Well, hollow point 9s are as good as the .45. No problem, then." His knowledge of the issue and immediate agreement that the hollow point 9mm had sufficient power convinced me.
3. The 9mm ammo is significantly cheaper. Shortly after I bought my G26, my son bought the XD compact .40, then a Taurus 1911, and my son-in-law bought the Glock .40. All good weapons—good fit to the hand, accurate, manageable recoil. Really nice. Every time we buy ammo I just smile. My ammo is at least $5 less per box of 50 than the .40, and the difference is even greater for .45. Every 100 rounds I save the cost of a session at the range, minimum. This means I can afford to practice with the same caliber I will carry. The FMJ fires almost identically to the hollow points, so I am training with something very near to what I will actually use in the event I have to protect my family. My son/son-in-law have to limit their shooting because they struggle to buy the ammo. My older son, who has the G26, G19 and Ruger SP101, practices with his Sig Mosquito (.22) to save money. IMO, the 9mm with hollow point ammo has sufficient stopping power, and is affordable. Advantage 9mm.
4. The G26 is a subcompact. The advantage of this is that it is very easy to carry. I currently use a Galco IWB. Good holster. The weapon does not print unless I move unnaturally. I also have a Blackhawk Serpa style OWB I use when I wear a blazer, suit coat, or long winter coat. Also a good holster. I am not really happy with the holsters, but that is a function of disliking carrying on the hip—puts the weapon too high—not of the holster or the G26. Either way, the 26 disappears and is very comfortable. As was said in an earlier post, Avoid the Uncle Mike's. The clip allows the holster to move, even turn upside down. When I had my G26 drop out of the holster, I bought the Galco. Uncle Mike stays in the bag.
5. The disadvantage is the small grip on the G26. I have small hands, but I still must have the pinky extender on the 26. I tried shooting without it at first. Accuracy was slightly poorer as my grip was affected when my left (non-dominant) hand pressed my right pinky against the bottom of the butt. It became painful after a few mags. I purchased the Pierce +2 extensions, and that was a big mistake. The top of the Pierce extension has a sharp flange designed to fit flush with the bottom of the butt, but on my 26 the mags will not fit flush. This allows my pinky to slip between the bottom of the grip and the sharp flange. After two mags, I had a blood blister where the my finger got pinched between the flange and the butt. I resolved this by filing down the sharp flange, but I will only purchase the Scherer extensions in the future—they do not have that sharp flange. With the pinky extensions, I get very good accuracy, comfortable shooting, and great concealment.
If I had to do it again, I would still buy the G26. I have tried the XD .40, the Taurus 1911, the Glock .40, the Ruger SP101. Good weapons all, but too large for good CCW. :
Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps.
If you keep your dirty nose picker out of the trigger guard, and buy a quality holster so you do not have trigger snag. Then you do not have to worry about shooting yourself. Yes I prefer the Xd, because of the grip safety but I would carry an m&p! They too only have a trigger safety just like a Glock. Manula safties in my eyes are a bad thing. In a stressful situation you may forgte about it. You want to draw ready to fight. Not worrying about safties having to be disengaged.
Just throwing this out there ... I have a Kahr k40 covert which is great to carry except it weighs a ton. I am actually looking to sell it only because I have too many small guns but it is a nice gun.
Buy them both...
When I'm torn between which two Glocks to purchase I normally buy them both, because in the long run one probably ends up buying the other one down the road (it happened to me when I couldn't decide between a G17 and a G19..., both of which now reside in my gunsafe)..., I think it's called Glock-Disease.
I have a G17, G19 (9mm), a G23 in .40, and a full-sized G21 in .45ACP..., all beautiful guns based on a brilliant design..., so you can't go wrong buying a Glock (for those Glock haters out there I also own a Kimber Custom II..., which I adore..., I call her Kimberly and kiss her each night before going to bed).
That being said, what I carry is a Kahr CW9. It's slim enough to fit into my pants pocket, which I prefer to inside the waistband holsters (never found one to be comfortable enough). Kahr's are single stack, which means they are much slimmer than Glocks double-stack design (hence it's good for carrying). The downside to Kahr is the trigger pull..., it's very long..., i.e. "revolver" like. Kahr's don't have the quick striker reset, so you have to pull the trigger full length every time (so if you shoot a Kahr after a Glock expect to flinch). If anything, I'd recommend a Kahr to any new pistol shooter so he/she could understand trigger control (it's an excellent object lesson).
As to stopping power, of course, the .40 and .45 are the big players..., but I have yet to find anyone willing to take a shot in the shoulder "just to test" the stopping power of a 9mm round. There are loads of "personal protection" ammo on the market chambered for 9mm, it's nasty stuff..., some of it is designed to not mushroom until after it passes through clothing...
Whatever you end up with remember to practice, practice, practice..., with maybe a laser sight? Lasermax (red) and Veridian (green) are excellent, but expensive..., in the three hundred dollar range, but will help your shooting experience.
Good luck.
When I'm torn between which two Glocks to purchase I normally buy them both, because in the long run one probably ends up buying the other one down the road (it happened to me when I couldn't decide between a G17 and a G19..., both of which now reside in my gunsafe)..., I think it's called Glock-Disease.
I have a G17, G19 (9mm), a G23 in .40, and a full-sized G21 in .45ACP..., all beautiful guns based on a brilliant design..., so you can't go wrong buying a Glock (for those Glock haters out there I also own a Kimber Custom II..., which I adore..., I call her Kimberly and kiss her each night before going to bed).
That being said, what I carry is a Kahr CW9. It's slim enough to fit into my pants pocket, which I prefer to inside the waistband holsters (never found one to be comfortable enough). Kahr's are single stack, which means they are much slimmer than Glocks double-stack design (hence it's good for carrying). The downside to Kahr is the trigger pull..., it's very long..., i.e. "revolver" like. Kahr's don't have the quick striker reset, so you have to pull the trigger full length every time (so if you shoot a Kahr after a Glock expect to flinch). If anything, I'd recommend a Kahr to any new pistol shooter so he/she could understand trigger control (it's an excellent object lesson).
As to stopping power, of course, the .40 and .45 are the big players..., but I have yet to find anyone willing to take a shot in the shoulder "just to test" the stopping power of a 9mm round. There are loads of "personal protection" ammo on the market chambered for 9mm, it's nasty stuff..., some of it is designed to not mushroom until after it passes through clothing...
Whatever you end up with remember to practice, practice, practice..., with maybe a laser sight? Lasermax (red) and Veridian (green) are excellent, but expensive..., in the three hundred dollar range, but will help your shooting experience.
Good luck.
If people don't have better gun handling skills than having an ND with a particular type of weapon maybe they shouldn't be carrying a gun.
If you like .45's take a good look at an M&P45 compact. Same size as a Glock 19 and handles better that a Glock 30. IMHO, of course.
Coming from a good friend...or roommate of a good friend...I'd say that Glocks are a no-go as far as a carry piece. Unless you get a trigger blocker. Too light on the trigger. Plus, Glocks are like the tricycles of the shooting world. ANYONE can pick up a Glock and shoot it. Glocks, IMHO, are best suited for police work and home defense, but I'd rather not bring it into my CC world.
As far as .45, 1911's are primo. You can generally get a Springfield shorty for around $550-$600.
...now a revolver, those are good for concealing. You can generally slip one into your waistband pretty easily.
i prefer the glock (26) for concealed carry. nothing to get hung up on when drawing. while i see your point, trigger control and a good holster are the key imo
I've seen way to many 1911's especially shortys malfunction for my taste. And I used to be a great proponent of the 1911 platform. Glocks and M&P's aren't nearly as sexy as a 1911 but they work out of the box.
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