FWIW

I had an XD9 Service and XD40 Tactical. I disposed of them and now have an M&P9 and M&P40.

My wife had a hard time operating the slide on my XD9 Service size but does not have any trouble operating the M&P slides.

The M&P grip is adjustable XD's are not.

I had several thousand shots throught the XD's and have comparable through the M&P's

The XD's were good pistols but I prefer the M&P's by far.

If your wife is going to use it let her pick. You may have to purchase a second for yourself. Nothing wrong with that.

Not sure by what you mean about the Glock safety, but given that you don't have to switch a safety on and/or off, it would seem easier for a novice to use. The nice thing about a Glock is that it is always safe, until you pull the trigger.

Sigs are great guns and worth the money, but a Glock will do what you desire.

S&W makes great pistols, as does Beretta and CZ. So does Colt, Springfield, Kimber, Heckler & Koch, Feinwerkbau, Walther, Stoeger, Kahr, Bersa, Ruger, Taurus, and a few others that don't immediately come to mind.

Buying a Sig should not be looked upon as an investment, at least in the monetary sense.

Not all Beretta's have fat grips.

What does "expended bullets are pretty random" mean?

PhilR.

First of all, you're on the right track just by being here on this forum. Any opinions you get will be those that are good for the person who offers it, including me.
You live in a cold state where six months of the year, any BG you might have to defend against will probably be wearing several layers of clothing, and the 9mm might be marginal in that situation. (I was born and raised in N.J.)
You mention a range/ home defense gun, but then say "carry". They may not be the same gun, but there's no reason a carry gun can't be used to defend your home.
Most likely, you and your Mrs don't have the same size hands, so you will need two guns (that's how it starts) Let her pick the gun she feels comfortable with as the starter. It would be easier for you to shoot a slightly smaller gun, than for her to shoot a slightly larger gun.
All that said, I'm a believer that beginners should start with a revolver. They are less complicated to learn. A 4 inch bbl, .357 mag gives a lot of versatility. As I was told, "Start with the lightest shooting .38 Specials you can find, then work your way up."
You ask about the CZ line. They are excellent. Currently the CZ 2075 P is at the top of my list for a CCW piece, although I really want a Sig 229 DAK.
Well, I could rant on, but I'm sure that someone else has valid opinions to offer so I'll cut it here. Good luck.
P.S. Have the Mrs check this site. It offers opinions from a womans point of view. http://www.corneredcat.com/

Originally Posted by PhilR.

Not sure by what you mean about the Glock safety, but given that you don't have to switch a safety on and/or off, it would seem easier for a novice to use. The nice thing about a Glock is that it is always safe, until you pull the trigger.

Sigs are great guns and worth the money, but a Glock will do what you desire.



What does "expended bullets are pretty random" mean?

PhilR.

Well I hear conflicting reports about the Glock's lack of external safety. Some people are not bothered by it, but some say they would never own one because of it.

What I meant by the random expended empty cartridge thing, is that I've read people say the expended shells often fly up at your face.

Originally Posted by drummin man 627

First of all, you're on the right track just by being here on this forum. Any opinions you get will be those that are good for the person who offers it, including me.
You live in a cold state where six months of the year, any BG you might have to defend against will probably be wearing several layers of clothing, and the 9mm might be marginal in that situation. (I was born and raised in N.J.)
You mention a range/ home defense gun, but then say "carry". They may not be the same gun, but there's no reason a carry gun can't be used to defend your home.
Most likely, you and your Mrs don't have the same size hands, so you will need two guns (that's how it starts) Let her pick the gun she feels comfortable with as the starter. It would be easier for you to shoot a slightly smaller gun, than for her to shoot a slightly larger gun.
All that said, I'm a believer that beginners should start with a revolver. They are less complicated to learn. A 4 inch bbl, .357 mag gives a lot of versatility. As I was told, "Start with the lightest shooting .38 Specials you can find, then work your way up."
You ask about the CZ line. They are excellent. Currently the CZ 2075 P is at the top of my list for a CCW piece, although I really want a Sig 229 DAK.
Well, I could rant on, but I'm sure that someone else has valid opinions to offer so I'll cut it here. Good luck.
P.S. Have the Mrs check this site. It offers opinions from a womans point of view. http://www.corneredcat.com/

I was born and raised in NJ also... I just moved to NY a few years ago.

I see your point about the 9mm stopping power. I was torn between that and the .40 caliber at first, but decided the 9mm should be adequate enough. Eventually moving up to a .40 or .45 would be an option. But I think the 9mm is a decent middle of the road caliber and the ammo is cheap.

I want something that is all around decent. For the range, carry and home defense. For now they are all going to be the same gun.

Originally Posted by funkypunk97

Well I hear conflicting reports about the Glock's lack of external safety. Some people are not bothered by it, but some say they would never own one because of it.

What I meant by the random expended empty cartridge thing, is that I've read people say the expended shells often fly up at your face.

gotcha..

Most pistols can eject shells towards your face, with the exception of the CZ52, which kicks them out into the next county. It can sometimes depend on how the ejector is shaped, along with a combination of how powerful the ammo is and how you hold it. My Glock does not hit me, but instead ejects them over my right shoulder. The only pistol I have that hits me in the face is my Seecamp, which will do it occasionally. I just need to adjust the ejector (the left side magazine lip) to fix it, if I ever decide it bothers me enough to do so. BTW, I'm not trying to talk you into a Glock. There are other great pistols out there, and you should buy the one that you don't have to second-guess.

The Glock does have an external safety, along with internal ones. The external safety is in the face of the trigger. As long as you don't pull the trigger, it will not go off. Depending on a user-switchable safety is fine, but that doesn't mean that it is better than the type used in a Glock. I personally could care less about an external switchable safety, as the only time I pull the trigger is when I want it to fire, and I don't carry my 1911's.

PhilR.