Glock (used), Springfield XD (used), Taurus, S&W Sigma...personally I'd go for a used XD or Glock over a Taurus or S&W auto.

Cool thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Joeywhat

Glock (used), Springfield XD (used),

+1

Originally Posted by Joeywhat

personally I'd go for a used XD or Glock over a Taurus or S&W auto.

+1

I'll second those notions.

If it's just going to be for home defense and you're not going to carry it, then look into the Glock 17 or 19, or the XD9 Service or Tactical Models. Good luck on your search!

-Jeff-

Be careful of the bias you will find here. There are many opinions here, and very little practical, combat experience.

Smith and Wesson, Ruger, are just as fine weapons as Glock or Sig. All of the major brands are well made, reliable and there is no reason to automatically reject any of them without investigating for yourself.

I personally like my Smith and Wesson MP 9C better than my Glock. But The Glock is a fine weapon too. Do your own research and find what fits you best. Do not believe that one major brand is somehow innately inferior. I have shot most of them, and it really would not matter which one you picked up in a crisis as long as you were familiar with it.

Looking for home defense and to shoot at the range recreationally

Sure you're never going to think about carrying it? I mean you never know. Most of us aren't filthy rich, and $400 could buy half a set of new tires or something useful.....even gasoline to get us to the range. $400 isn't going to be exactly low end impossible to find, lots of options. The spend may also depend on what caliber you want and think about ammo expenses nowadays with that in mind. Besides what has already been mentioned, a Ruger P series pistol might be close to your spending limit in brand new condition. You'll need to find what fits you best and shoots well for you, otherwise you'll be back here looking for advice on selling. Nice thing about forums...most have a member buy/sell/trade section along with alot of good advice, and most like to keep a good reputation among their fellow members. Take a look into some certified pre-owned pistols as well. Personally, I don't have any HD/plinking pistols, and nothing I don't carry. A plinking pistol in my book would be a S&W 22A and more cost effective on ammo. Think about add-ons for your HD choice as well......mine have night sights for obvious reasons, and also attach a flashlight most of the time. I'm not saying your criteria of plinker/HD is frivilous, just some deep thought required on your part. Now if you mean to say "plinking"= practice, then good for you!