Thread: A new member seeking advice for a new gun

let me be the first so say WELCOME!!!! and to help u out with ur question, its all preference. if i were you i would go to a gun range that rents guns and see what firearm fits you the best and is the most comfortable. i like the glocks as well and am the proud owner of a G19c (9mm) and i would most def. trust my life with it, plus with the 15 + 1 you cant go wrong. another popular gun on here that people have really adapted to is the springfield XD. but like i said its all about your comfort zone, so go try a few and come read about them or vice versa

once again welcome there is a huge wealth of info here

knox

As a former investigator and reserve deputy, I'd stick with a common weapon, caliber aside if you are new to the discipline. This minimizes the confusion of control placement and muscle memory. I am not a fan of Glocks, sold mine, a G22. Everyone has a different hand size/shape and the Glock, while a fine weapon did not fit my hand, period. I have an S&W M&P 40 that does. Follow the previous post and rent several. You can shoot the 9mm more reasonable and that will translate into more proficiency with the weapon. The M&P has similar control placement to the Glock and is striker fired as well. I carry an antique by comparison, a Beretta 96 and can tell you it is shot placement, not caliber that does the job when faced with an armed confrontation. You will be reduced to the level of training, not rise to the occasion as all of us will be. Shoot often and seriously as it will be necessary in your new career. Good luck and stay aware.

I'd choose something similar to the duty weapon. If you dislike .40, get a Glock in 9mm. I own both a Glock 17 (full size) and a 26 (subcompact), and am completely satisfied with both. 9mm is perfectly adequate for defense, while being easier and cheaper to shoot than the larger calibers.

It seems to me that you already have the home defense gun covered with your duty weapon. The G23 is a fine weapon and will serve you well.
Thought 1: Stick with what is familiar. Get a G27 and you have a compact gun that utilizes your 23 mags. You would have to get used to the 40 cal.
Thought 2: Make a big change to a very compact gun. Go with a Kahr PM 9mm. Very small trim gun with a lot of holsters available.

Originally Posted by Old Padawan

It seems to me that you already have the home defense gun covered with your duty weapon. The G23 is a fine weapon and will serve you well.
Thought 1: Stick with what is familiar. Get a G27 and you have a compact gun that utilizes your 23 mags. You would have to get used to the 40 cal.
Thought 2: Make a big change to a very compact gun. Go with a Kahr PM 9mm. Very small trim gun with a lot of holsters available.

Funny you should mention the Kahr PM 9, actually. My supervisor has one and recommends it as well. Hmmm....something to think about. Thanks, Old Padawan and others.

This may not be what you want to hear but I would suggest that you stick with your Glock 23. Since it is your duty gun and the 23 is small enough to carry concealed, I see no reason to get another weapon unless you want a back up gun for work. In that case I recommend a Smith & Wesson J frame revolver in .38 Special or a Glock 27.

I am a former police officer and firearms instructor and I carried a Glock 22 on duty and a Glock 27 off duty and for under cover type stuff. Later I switched to a Glock 19 (same size as your 23 but in 9mm) and used the same gun for duty and off duty carry.

Good luck and thank your for your service.

^^^^You cant go wrong with a revolver of any caliber

Originally Posted by nighthawk74

I can feel secure that it will put somebody/something down if my life depended upon it.

Minimum caliber 9mm. Use JHP rounds.
No size bullet will compensate for marksmanship skills. Practice and often.

Originally Posted by nighthawk74

I am not sure I particularly care for the .40 S & W caliber for my personal use....I have a budget.

Again, 9mm is the most affordable caliber available. Proficiency = practice. Practice = ammo and lots of it.

Originally Posted by nighthawk74

I am debating about whether to purchase a gun to carry, or strictly for home defense...I have a budget

One gun for both.

Originally Posted by nighthawk74

For a relative newbie to firarms, in general, this gun took some time for me to adjust to. So, if I do purchase a gun for home defense, I doubt that I will want to go with the G 23. That being said, I am certainly not anti-Glock.

While there is a lot to be said about sticking to a familiar design, your comment about adjusting to a Glock needs some elaboration. Were there aspects of the Glock that extended the adjustment time or was your comment directed towards shooting skills in general?

Your comments regarding your experience will help guide us to whether recommending a different Glock model for a better shooting experience or a different handgun altogether.

For example:

If recoil management was a problem, you might want a bigger or heavier gun (perhaps same size, but metal framed).
If anticipation was a problem, you might want to avoid heavier triggers (ie Kahr DAO or DA revolvers).
And so on...

the glock 19 has the same dimensions as the g23 - cheaper ammo - and preferred my most in a recent poll here on the forum

most recommend the 124 grain +P for defense
i got the 115 grain FMJ remmingtons for practice and they were 17 cents each at walmat

for 45acp - the XD - but it is more expensive to shoot


for ccw the glock 26 - i own one and love it - most magazine articles when discussing ccw has it on the list.
also if cost is an issue then the keltec pf9 - several on here carry it and have not had a problem
also for ccw the ruger LCP and keltec 3AT in .380

Welcome to the Board !

While there is a lot to be said about sticking to a familiar design, your comment about adjusting to a Glock needs some elaboration. Were there aspects of the Glock that extended the adjustment time or was your comment directed towards shooting skills in general?

Your comments regarding your experience will help guide us to whether recommending a different Glock model for a better shooting experience or a different handgun altogether.

For example:

If recoil management was a problem, you might want a bigger or heavier gun (perhaps same size, but metal framed).
If anticipation was a problem, you might want to avoid heavier triggers (ie Kahr DAO or DA revolvers).
And so on...

Submoa,

Very good points.

I think my issues were perhaps a little bit of both: I "anticipated" the gun going off, AND recoil took me a while to control. For the most part, I worked out the bugs with the Glock 23 on the range practices, and I have a blast (no pun intended, I SWEAR!) at every qualification.

That being said, I live in sunny California and if I want to wear shorts in summer or my jeans (basically, all year round), I'd like to be able to carry.

Let me be clear, I am not one to want to stick around and shoot it out with the bad guys. I seek to get the heck outta Dodge (along with my lady or whoEVER is with me), but be able to throw some defensive shots off while in retreat. Of course, I would balance this with being as accurate a shooter as possible, with regular practice.

Thanks everybody, for the great tips and welcome.