Thread: mndog

Well My advice is go to a Gun Shop in your area Handle all you can And if you have a place that rent guns at a range go there and try em out then make your judgement then, Before you buy it and put hard money on something that you havent used is crazy. you have to be really comfortable with it if you plan to use it in self defense mode. a gun that you are comfortable with is a gun that you will be consistant with. also what type of caliber are you planning on getting 380. 9mm, 357sig, .40, 10mm, .45 those are all good choices but what you are best hitting center mass is the one you need to choose. good luck in shopping and happy Shooting. and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
JBarL

Thanks, JBarL. Probably 9mm or .45. Have shot a lot with my Smith Model 13 .357, so I should be comfortable with either 9MM or .45. With no real semi experience, I will probably not be too hard to please on a semi, I just want whatever I buy to be damn near 100% reliable. I never have even thought about a revolver not firing when I pull the trigger, and I guess that was what I was hoping for in a semi, especially if I went with a top line manufacturer and spent $1000+. Maybe there is no such thing as a really reliable semi, at least not one that everyone agrees on. Anyway, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year yourself! Love Texas!

Here is my advice, stop reading so much on the internet. there are so many people who come on the web and try to talk smart by parroting what they have heard or read and have never really had any experiance with what they are talking about. I belong to motorcycle boards and there are guys who come on and bash one brand or another as if they are an authority on motorcycles. When asked to put up a pic of their sweet ride they don't have a camera handy. It is the same on gun sites. It is so easy to get info and speak like you actually know stuff when in fact all you know is how to search and repeat.

Go to a range or a store with repuitable sales guys. If you have a gun friend take him or her along. I know when I show up with a buddy at the gun store he gets more real advice and less sales jargine. Many many semi autos are reliable and most are very close to 100% reliable. Some require a couple hundy down the tube to loosen up but thats just getting to know your weapon. There are many brands and models that are one I would advice my friends to get given your parameters. I would always advise to stay away from the low end product and anything made in Florida.

If I wanted a 100% reliable 9mm wirh a full length grip and a good feel and trigger I would suggest the CZ SP-01 and if you were looking for a bit smaller I would go with the CZ P-01. Not extremely expensive but extremely reliable and very solid. Most other brands make very good weapons as well. The poly guns there is M&P by Smith and Wesson, FN X, XDm by Springfield, SR9 by Ruger, Glocks, ect The steel guns Sigs, CZ's H&K's Berretas any of the guns mentioned are good and will suit you fine. a lot of what is read is old repeate news. Do some real life practical reasearch Thats my advice. Heck you don't even really know if I own a gun or not. Why would you take my advice?

RCG

Originally Posted by mndog

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum/blogging world. Have shot for a long time, but always with revolvers (Smith & Wesson models). Have recently gotten a concealed carry permit. Looking at semi-automatics. Have looked at, held, and researched many of the top brands. Seem to like Sig Sauer models best (P226 most of all), though it is pretty large to carry. I like the full length grip as opposed to the compact or sub-compact ones. I also like some of the Kimber 1911 models, but they seem to be very unreliable (according to many forums), and Kimber seems to be lacking in the customer service area. My problem is this.......the more I read the online forums, the more hesitant I am to buy anything in the semi-automatic category for reliable self-defense. Every gun seems to have so many detractors. What are some of your thoughts when it comes to reliability? I'll always use good brands of ammo (especially in a carry type situation, ie., not at the range), so what I want is a gun I can count on not to jam, mis-feed, etc. when and if I ever need to count on it. Revolvers certainly meet all those requirements, but I really want to feel as good about a semi as I do about a revolver. Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks!

Well, I would put some faith in what you read on the forums, but not all my faith. You will not find a gun that will work 100% all the time, so forget finding that. I'll give you an example. I have a Hi Point Model JHP in .45, and I have ran over 400 rounds thru it without ONE MALFUNCTION. Now, I use this gun just for home defense, not carry because it is too big, but my point is that even some inexpensive guns can run true. I find that most of the more high-end guns with the big names live up to their reputation, but you will always find some clown complaining that their 1K gun is a piece of crap. Do your own investigation on this and come to your own conclusions.

Thanks RCG. You confirmed a lot of what I kind of already thought........too much internet research on my part (leading to my not knowing who to believe), and too many pseudo-experts weighing in. You make a lot of sense. Wasn't familiar with the CZ SP-01, so thanks for that. And I'm betting you do own a gun! Thanks again! mndog

Thanks! You too make lots of sense!

Welcome to the forum ... I think you'll like it here.

I'd suggest that you pick 3 or 4 brands that you like ...

Like Sig
Beretta PX4 Storm
Ruger
S&W

Then borrow or rent each one and shoot them.

They all feel differently / handle differently / aim differently / and shoot differently.

It will not take you long to determine which guns you like & which guns like you.

As to automatics being reliable ... they are ... period.

Sure you can get a bad gun of any type ... but it's very rare.

You did right to do some research ... but the advice you get should be taken with a grain (or two) of salt.

By the way each brand of gun that makes your "cut" list will have it's own "forum"

Like Sig forum or Beretta forum.

Visit them and see what they have to say about their guns ... biased ... but good info. IMHO

Good luck in your search.

Let us know what you decide on getting.