Thread: 9mm Suggestions

Locate the ranges in your area and then call them and see if they rent guns. Go and try them out. Go to gun shows, shops, and stores and finger print everything you like the looks of. All of a sudden there's going to be one you like better than the rest and it feels good in your hand. Buy the dang thing and go and have some fun. That's how I do it. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Baldy

Locate the ranges in your area and then call them and see if they rent guns. Go and try them out. Go to gun shows, shops, and stores and finger print everything you like the looks of. All of a sudden there's going to be one you like better than the rest and it feels good in your hand. Buy the dang thing and go and have some fun. That's how I do it. Good luck.

What he said... if you don’t have a range that lets you rent (this is my situation) then hopefully there is someone you know who can at least let you get the feel of the Caliber weapon you are thinking of. Then go down to your gun store and hold every single thing in your price range even if you don’t like the looks of it (The gun I am planning on buying in January I hated until I held it, now I think they are the sexiest out) . See if they will let you dry fire it and let the slide out on the ones that you like the most. Then ask people who hate that gun why they hate it and people who love the gun why they love it and from that info the real picture will start to form. Fact is you cant know what you will love until you have spent some time on the range with it even if you have shot someone else’s gun. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Thirty06

Might I be overlooking something else out there?

Possibly. 9mm's are made by FN, Browning, Springfield, H&K, Ruger, Bersa, Taurus, Sig, CZ, Kahr, EAA, Steyr, STI, Kimber, Kel-Tec, and a few others that don't immediately come to mind.

BTW - there is a $50 rebate and a special for two additional magazines from S&W, good on both the M&P and the Sigma.

PhilR.

If it helps, here's my story:

I recently just bought my first handgun ever. I went to my local range/store about twice a week asking to hold anything and everything that caught my eye. I was getting frustrated thinking I was some kind of freak because nothing seemed to fit my hand. Then I held the Smith M&P 9 which I had previously passed over because I hadn't heard of them nor did I particularly like how they looked. Ahhh.... It was like the clouds parted and the sun shone down upon me. It just fit me. A couple more trips to the store and some questions to the helpful members here and I was eventually sold.

To each his own, but I'd say definitely "shake hands" with as many models and makes as you can before making a decision.

Yes, look and handle all you can. If you end up liking the P99, go for it. It's an awesome gun. The 9mm version is hard to come by in my area, but be patient and maybe try online.

I think the choices you have are pretty good. Most nine's are so reliable that it is largely a matter of style and size choice. I am a .40 S&W man myself.

look at the walther PPS
same size gun as the P22 so easy to practice with the 22
same ergonomics

also if you want smaller look at the Kahr PM9

i wouldn't get a 380

Thanks for all the input. I will most likely feel them out like most of you have said, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being too narrow minded in my preliminary selections. Something else I know little about, do Metal frames have any (dis)advantages over non-metal? Which do most prefer?