I'd choose from the following, in this order, all of which I have seen NIB at AZ dealers for under $500:

* Glock 17 or 19
* Springfield XD
* CZ75
* S&W M&P
* Beretta 92FS

Suggested retail is probably over $500 on all of these, but dealers usually discount.

That's a good list but I'd have to squeeze a Ruger P89 in there somewhere sooo.. I'll bump the Beretta....

Sigh....

I'd bump the entire list and go for a Taurus 24/7 in 9mm for about $350.00 new. Or a PT92 if you want a full size steel handgun, also for around $400.00 new. If you want something in a medium to small frame pistol, check on the Taurus website for a huge selection of just about anything you could ever want

1. S&W M&P
2. EAA Witness

I would go with Mikes list, the only thing I would change is putting the M&P on top, other than that pretty much those guns.

Originally Posted by Flashbang

That's a good list but I'd have to squeeze a Ruger P89 in there somewhere sooo.. I'll bump the Beretta....

I love my P89. Its a great gun.

But its a little large and a little heavy for CC.

WM

Originally Posted by DRAEGER

Sigh....

Or a PT92 if you want a full size steel handgun, also for around $400.00 new.

Heh heh, if I am the unpaid Glock salesman, Draeger is certainly my Taurus counterpart.

But isn't the PT92 an alloy framed (not steel) pistol? My PT99 (long since sold) was. And since the Taurus PT92 is a just a Brazilian copy of the Beretta 92FS, why so against the Italian pistol? I bought a 92FS nine months ago NIB for $459. For a whole $60 difference, I'd like to have the real Italian pistol rather than a South American copy.

I won't name specific models since there are far too many to quickly list, but as far as makers of 9mm's, I'd say CZ, Taurus, S&W, Glock and Ruger. There are others, but these are probably the most common and easily found in your local gun shop

Ive gotten very accurate with my p89, and its never failed except once during feeding but that was because i got really lazy during racking and held it back too slowly, would happen on nearly any gun. I think there are more comfortable guns but for approximately $400 its a steal. Ultra reliable, accurate beyond most shooters capabilities and affordable.

Originally Posted by Mike Barham at Galco

Heh heh, if I am the unpaid Glock salesman, Draeger is certainly my Taurus counterpart.

But isn't the PT92 an alloy framed (not steel) pistol? My PT99 (long since sold) was. And since the Taurus PT92 is a just a Brazilian copy of the Beretta 92FS, why so against the Italian pistol? I bought a 92FS nine months ago NIB for $459. For a whole $60 difference, I'd like to have the real Italian pistol rather than a South American copy.

I had at one point considered going on the Taurus payroll as a smithy, long ago... If there wasn't so much biased BS floating around about Taurus, I wouldn't have to set the record straight so often.

And yes I should have said "Metal" instead of steel, but the PT92 is not a copy. It was a purchased patent, lock-stock, barrel, factory and craftsman's that had been making the Beretta 92's, for Beretta in Brazil. Taurus re-designed and improved the PT92 before bringing it to market, with Beretta make some of Taurus's changes to their Beretta 92 over a year later. Much like when Taurus and S&W were sister company's for a short period, S&W gained more from Taurus, then Taurus gained from S&W (S&W is lucky they are still in business).

I have nothing against most firearms and I like Beretta, Glocks, XD's, H&K, Walther, etc... I own and have owned, shot and worked on them all. But I guess for my personal preference, I always side with the underdog and it seems like everyone that owns something else has a chip on their shoulder towards Taurus. I have yet to find anything wrong with Taurus quality and have found it to be as good and often better then other more popular firearms.

Also it really amuses me to say "Buy a Taurus" in a group of gun loving people, its like yelling "FREE BEER" at an AA meeting... (everyone hog piles on it)

What is really sad, is that all the really popular pistols are not made in the USA... Heck Springfields 1911's are made not far from Taurus, LOL.

I'll add one more manufacturer to the fray: FNH, or "Fabrique Nationale Herstal". They make the FNP-9 and FNP-40, and they've got an FNP-45 under development.

FNH (more commonly known as simply "FN") has been around for a LONG time. When you hear the term "Belgian Browning", it was made by FN. They are famous for the original FN FAL assault rifle and Browning Hi Power. And they are the only manufacturer besides Colt to be licensed by the U.S. military to build complete M16s.

I have one of their shotguns, the FN SLP Mark 1 ("SLP" = "Self Loading Police"). It's a 22" barrel 8 + 1 semi-auto tactical 12 gauge that's perfect for 3 gun. The quality is evident when you examine and shoot it. An FNP-45 is on my shopping list once it becomes available.

http://www.fnhusa.com

Ruger P95 family
Glock 17 or 19
CZ 75 family

You can get a Beretta PX4 in Charlotte for $579...so in TX, I bet you can get them for $3.

This would be a great gun for your budget if you can find it at the right price.

Originally Posted by DRAEGER

And yes I should have said "Metal" instead of steel, but the PT92 is not a copy. It was a purchased patent, lock-stock, barrel, factory and craftsman's that had been making the Beretta 92's, for Beretta in Brazil.

Huh. Dictionary.com defines "copy" as: "an imitation, reproduction, or transcript of an original," and "to follow as a pattern or model; imitate." The gun in question was designed by Beretta engineers and originally manufactured by Beretta under Beretta management and direction. No matter how Taurus got the machinery and the blueprints, they are still making a copy (or "reproduction" if you prefer) of the original if it doesn't say "Pietro Beretta" on it.

No shame in a good copy, though. Look at all the good 1911 copies floating around out there - most of 'em aren't Colts. But by the above reasoning, the Tanfoglio TA90/TZ75 and EAA Witness pistols aren't copies of the CZ75 - which they very clearly are.

Taurus re-designed and improved the PT92 before bringing it to market, with Beretta make some of Taurus's changes to their Beretta 92 over a year later.

Which improvements were those? I am seriously interested, since I've never heard this before. Are you talking about cosmetic things like a "hooked" trigger guard, or something substantial?

Taurus really screwed the pooch on the thumb safety design when they “improved” it with that silly three-position decocker gadget. They should have stayed with the original selective DA design, which actually was better than the Beretta's decocking dingus (since the Taurus allowed Condition One carry). But instead they made a "safety" that is easy to decock when you are just trying to make it ready to fire. Oops.

Much like when Taurus and S&W were sister company's for a short period, S&W gained more from Taurus, then Taurus gained from S&W (S&W is lucky they are still in business).

Hey, I read that very same fluff piece in Guns & Ammo back in the mid-1980s! Was it Dave Arnold or Jan Libourel who got the free vacation to Brazil courtesy of Carlos Murgel before G&A ran that article?

S&W was in way more danger from consumer fallout from "The CLinton Agreement" and the awful (though now somewhat improved) Sigma than they ever were from Taurus.

Taurus had copied the S&W revolver design LONG before both companies were simultaneously owned by the Bangor-Punta conglomerate. And, yes, they were copies. The revolver designs of the two companies have diverged over the years, just as the 92 series no longer perfectly replicates a Beretta.

What is really sad, is that all the really popular pistols are not made in the USA... Heck Springfields 1911's are made not far from Taurus, LOL.

As I understand it, the base model (GI and MilSpec) 1911s are made there by Imbel. The forgings for the higher-end guns are supposedly shipped to Springfield for completion.

Getting back to Taurus, as I mentioned in a different thread, my old PT99 ran fine. It was reliable and I liked the selective DA feature. But Taurus makes non-selective 92s now, just like Beretta. If I was going to spend $400 on a “92” with a decocking dingus, I'd just as soon get the real deal even if it does cost $60 more. The Italian gun is smoother in my experience, and definitely has better resale value.

The Taurus 92s were a screaming deal when they were half the price of a Beretta. But now that they are almost comparable in price, I think the Taurus loses a lot of luster. (I could say almost the same about the HS2000/XD versus the Glock, but of course I would upset the XD cheering section here.)

My Ruger P95 may be a little heavy, but with it's accuracy and durability it's an easy choice for me. M&P 9 would be next.

Mike, I think if I quit posting you'd be really bored (LOL).

I am impressed with the Compact M&P in 9mm. Small, lots of bullets and shots go where you need them. Load it right, it will bring you home.

I have an old SIG 228 in 9mm that is beat up and ugly and can put 'em in a dime sized hole if you do your part. No idea how many rounds it has eaten and I clean it once a year whether it needs it or not.

Got another SIG 228 for $350.00 from the local PD which was going to .40 cals. The budget is tight for most small PD's so there is little or no pistol practice unless the officer pays for his ammo so these pistols are rough on the outside but good shooters.

Stoeger Cougars are ~$350 and less and they're pretty much the same gun as the Beretta Cougar since Stoeger is a subsidiary.
You can see them at http://www.stoegerindustries.com/fir...cougar8000.tpl.

M&P
G19
Px4
Browning Pro 9
Taurus
XD
and a few others you could add to the list. Best thing to do is go to a local range where you can rent and try different firearms and see which one suits you best. Whicheverone fits you best and you feel most comfortable with is the one you should go with. No matter who likes or dislikes what you buy should not matter as long as it is reliable and you trust it. Any gun is better than no gun when you need it most.

i would go w/ mikes list but put the xd first

If you're going to carry in the woods, I'd get a 10MM of some variety. Here in MN, it saves some hassle by the DNR if you're carrying a gun you can legally hunt with (big game). We're restricted to .357, 10MM, .41 Mag, .44 Mag, and .50AE (handgun calibers). That kind of limits what autoloaders one can buy that meet those requirements. Personally, for the price, I like the EAA Witness.

The G19 would be one of the best for occassional carry because of it's light weight and high mag capacity. You can get a new one for $450 plus/minus if you look around and a used one for much less. I really liked mine and am continually sorry I sold them. Get used to the trigger and they are extremely accurate. Although I haven't even handled one, I hear really good things about the M&P. The Ruger and the Beretta are nice but heavier and bigger than the other two. Rent 'em and shoot them all, or better yet, just buy one of each!