Well, in my humble opinion, there are two kinds of people. The first camp loves the Glock, but the other hates it. The Glock employs a steeper grip angle than most guns, kinda like the P08 Luger, where as the XD's grip is made with a grip angle that is closer to the American 1911. I shoot Glocks great, but on the other hand my son has a hell of a time staying on target. He tends to shoot high with a Glock. We both have large hands so the reach to the trigger is no real problem for us. If there is a way you can shoot a few of the guns you are looking at, that would be your best bet. At 600$ a pop, you want to get what will work best for you.

Me personally, I prefer the XD. But that's neither here nor there. Was the Glock you were looking at one of the new Gen 4s? If so, be aware that they have replaceable backstraps to help correct what I always thought was an awkward grip design. So, Next time your out looking at guns, ask, because it's very likely that with some adjustment, the Glock may work out for you.
FWIW, the S&W M&P series and the XDms have replaceable backstraps as well. There are others as well, but I've not messed with them. If you can arrange to rent some of your options, you can make a better choice.

Desired caliber's are available in a wide variety of brands. Proper fit can help you naturaly point where you are looking. As previously mentioned some grips can be easily adjusted and some can't.

Try many and don't forget to try all available backstraps on those that have them. Then get one that feels right in your hand.

When you say "Glock" what Glock did you feel out? A Glock 20, 21, 29 or 30 will have a different feel than a Glock 17, 19, 22, or 23.

Okay, you partially answered your own question. You dont know how a handgun should feel so how do you know if one is better than another? ANy gun that you buy will feel natural after 50 rounds or so. You're a blank slate, you can train for anything!

XDs have certain disdvantages; look at an M&P if not a GLOCK, and if not that check out HK.

You should be gripping the handgun like a crab claw, with the center of the seond pad of your finger centered on the front of the grip. All pressure should be front to back, with no side input at all. In fact, I can see between my palm and the gun, slide a pencil between them, etc. The weak hand should be high on the gun with the right thumb tip touching the base of the left thumb, and both thumbs pointing at the target. The gun should be centered on the fore arm of the right arm. You should endeavor to cover the gun in mean. The entire frame should be surrounded by flesh, and you should feel a little tension in your left forearm. The left hand should be dipped down to its mechanical limit, so if you open the left hand while on the gun the fingers should point down about 30 degrees.Did that make sense?

Dan

The feel of the grip is important, try to be sure that the Glock you were trying was a gen 4 as it has changeable back straps for different size hands. If you are able to rent some of the ones that interest you all the better. Since all three you mentioned are quality reliable handguns then go with what fits and works best to suit you and your needs.....JJ

My experience is that you will adapt to almost any gun. A gun that feels awkward today may be your best shooter 6 months from now.

I had a fair amount of trouble with the Glock19 until I put the large backstrap on. Made all the difference in the world. I was just about to sell the thing and get the M&P because it felt so much better in my hand. By all means try the backstraps before you decide you don't like the feel. True you'll get used to things after a while, and also the way it feels is not necessarily the way it feels to shoot it. They're all quality guns, though, so you might as well learn to get comfortable with the head start of something that feels good from the beginning.

I'm pretty new aLso, I like the feel of the G26 but a few people I talked to said I should get something with a manual safety for a first pistol and learn on that before moving to a glock. My father in law is retired law enforcement and he had to carry a glock since the early nineties he says he never liked them for the simple fact that they had no safety. I guess it just comes down to what feels good to you and being able to fire the pistol accuratley imo

Originally Posted by Packard

My experience is that you will adapt to almost any gun. A gun that feels awkward today may be your best shooter 6 months from now.

Yes, this is true too. I have had that happen.

Sounds like you have smaller hands.

A handgun should feel as though it belongs in your hand.. natural and comfortable. If you find yourself having to adjust your grip when you pick it up or pull it from a holster, then you probably should not be using that gun. Especially since there are so many others from which to choose.

Among some of the ones mentioned, you might also consider the Kahr line of pistols. These tend to be more friendly to folks with smaller hands and or shorter fingers, and they have a very nice balance and feel to them (the steel models in particular). Also, I would echo others by suggesting the M&P series. With their replaceable back straps, you have a greater chance of getting an already good feeling gun to be better for you.

Originally Posted by HK Dan

XDs have certain disdvantages; look at an M&P if not a GLOCK, and if not that check out HK.
Dan

Care to elaborate?

Get your hands on a Walther PPQ. You'll never look back.

All three pistols that you mentioned are good, reliable pistols. As stated above, selecting a handgun is a personal thing because we are individuals and the gun that fits me best may not feel good to you. It is for this reason that I always suggest that people in the market to buy a new handgun go out and handle and shoot as many as they can BEFORE they make their choice/purchase.

One other important thing to consider is caliber. I think everybody on this forum will agree that 9mm will be cheaper to shoot than any of the other popular centerfire pistol calibers (i.e., 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 380, 38 Special, 357 Mag, etc.). Making a decision on caliber will help in narrowing your pistol/revolver choices. If you plan on shooting a lot, then getting a pistol chambered in 9mm might make sense.

Good luck!