Hey MaddMatt,

Glad you had a fun first time at the range man! I know what you mean about the feeling you get loading the first magazine. I get a little bit of that feeling anytime I shoot a new gun. I recommend shooting a .50 cal rifle sometime. You will definitely get that feeling . It sounds like you are doing the right thing by trying guns out at the range before you buy one. I would say keep testing man. It sounds like you are starting to form ideas about what you want but I think a few more tests would probably help nail it down for you.

You might want to try a Kahr. A lot of them can be had for about $400. The trigger pull is long like a 24/7 but has more feel to it.

You said you are planning on getting something bigger but you rented 9mm so you could shoot more. Why are you planning on something bigger just out of curiosity? It sounds like you were compelled to go with 9mm versus something else because you saw it as more affordable and wanted to have a little more fun that day. Well keep that in mind when you choose the caliber for your gun. Are you going to be able to afford to practice as much and as often if you do go with something bigger? A gun that you can't afford to practice with is a very dangerous paperweight.

One last thing. I don't mean to sound like an English teacher. because I can barely spell , but long posts are easier to read when you capitalize the first letter of the sentence and don't use a lot of run-on sentences.

I was thinking of going bigger because I have read numerous times that you should carry the largest caliber you can carry and shoot comfortably. I chose 9mm that day because I was buying all the ammo (hed fed me and supplied the drinks at a BBQ the other day so it was even) and didnt want to have to buy 2 different calibers. Also, most of the guns they had to rent were 9's, they had a 45, a 380, a 40, but about everything was 9mm, so I went with that so I could shoot more of the guns with the same ammo. When looking online at a place like ableammo, about 6 brands of .40 can be had for 17-18 bucks for 50 shots, wolf's only 13, but Ive read of a couple guns not liking the stuff. 9mm can be had for around 10-12 bucks for alot of brands. Only problem about that, is that theres NO .40 or 9mm in stock. Im going to go to walmart and big 5, etc.. around here and look for any ammo in stock around this place. At the range, 9 was 15.70 on the board, but they had some for 13.95. and .40 was 17.10. So if they run out of the 13.95 stuff, then the .40 really isnt more expensive to shoot. but I could get a 9mm barrel/mag for for the 27, and just carry .40.

I dont think thay had any Kahrs for rent, but Ill doublecheck next time I go. so no guns you can think of in the price range with a steady trigger pull like the Glock?

Interesting group of guns.. I'd say you had one of each level .. decent, good and world-class.
Save your beans for a Sig, and you'll not second-guess yourself later.. Doesn't matter which caliber.

My first pistol was a P226 (certified preowned) 9mm and I can say with that one right next to a brand new XD .45, if I had to pick, I'd grab the Sig.. I know I can hit with it, and I know when you pull the trigger, it goes bang, every single solitary time, and where I want it to go.. period. The XD is too new, and I'm too new with it yet to trust me with it yet compared to the Sig.

Sigs are accurate out of the box, solid as a rock, and about the best gun you can buy for less than a grand.. As such, they're not inexpensive at all, and being metal-frame, they're a little heavier.. So there's draw-backs. Even having my new XD45 Compact, I still consider the P239 my personal favorite in a carry-weapon.. I just couldn't shell out for it and I wanted to try the XD.. Haven't formed an opinion yet whether the XD will win my heart over more than the Sig hammer DA/SA design or the DA only.. But I got lucky.. My old used Sig has a sweeeeeet trigger.

The sub-compact Glock or a service length Glock would be a fair choice as well.. But the Sig would be one you'd want to pass on to your kids.

... my biased Sig-fan opinion.

I wanna look in the classifieds here, but gotta have 50 posts to get in there. I could understand maybe 50 posts to put something for sale, just to showw youve been on here for a little while and might have built up somewhat a little bit of trust, but to buy or browse doesnt really take anybody trusting you. I mean you always pay before they ship anyways. oh well, IM sure it'll happen before I end up buying one. Im about halfway.

as far as the sig, it is nice, I just dont think Im going to spend that much on my first gun. might not ever buy a second though, but never know. even the 580 for the glock is more than I wanna spend. the 19 doesnt seem too much harder to conceal than the 26, but I had no problem holding onto the little bugger at all, so with some practice Im sure I could get decent shot placement with it.

If I somehow have lots of extra cash at the time of purchase I might take another look at the SIG. I was able to keep the 19 placement just as tight, but it was 9mm vs .40 and it was only about 22 feet away, with a her target and equal ammo, iit might have not been the same.

Matt,

I am glad you enjoyed the Glock 26. If you shot it well then I commend you. Those little Glocks are not the easiest to shoot. I know because I have a G26. I love it but I think I need more time with it. I would recommend shopping around a little more. It was a heck of a deal but I got my Glock 26 brand new at a show for $470 before taxes. I think it is hard to beat because it has the trigger you like, it is ultra concealable, has good punch, has a good size magazine, and can accept all Glock 9mm magazines in case you ever want a little more capacity. I know it is hard to be patient when you got the bug but keep shopping around. Good luck.

were my pics too big? wouldnt think so because i hosted them somewhere else.

anyways, I dont think I did too bad for the first time shooting anything, and just trying to shoot quickly and see how I did.

Im sure if I would have lined them up like I did with the Sig or the 19, probably would have been much closer grouping.

next time I feel like blowing up some more cash, Im gonna go shoot a few more of the different 9's they got, as well as the Glock 26 again, and this time Ill see how accurate I can get with it if I dont try unloading the whole clip in 3 seconds. lol

what do you think about the sig 2022?

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/14902

also, anything negative about buying a used police trade in? what kind of lifespan does a gun like this have? and Im guessing if its a police trade in, its been fired ALOT, right, they probably dont pay for ammo at the range, or do they?

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...s_id/411536413

Originally Posted by maddmatt02

what do you think about the sig 2022?

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/14902

also, anything negative about buying a used police trade in? what kind of lifespan does a gun like this have? and Im guessing if its a police trade in, its been fired ALOT, right, they probably dont pay for ammo at the range, or do they?

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...s_id/411536413

You'd be surprised. While police trade-ins typically have lots of external wear (due to inserting to and removing from holsters) they are actually not fired very often. I've been told by my LE buddies, an overwhelming majority of officers only use their pistol for qualifications (typically 50 rounds per qual). Depending on the frequency in which the department requires qualification, this could be anywhere from 50-200 rounds per year. This is a very very small amount.

alright, Ill keep that in mind when I finally decide what I want. just read the torture test someone put the XD through, sounds pretty good. I know the range had one I could hold, almost certain they didnt have one I could shoot, but I could get a little more of an idea. I also found a sig 2022 for under 500 also, so now Im looking at the XD40, G27/23, and sig 2022. seems like those are some of the better guns I can find for the 500 dollar range. I did find some others i like, but cant find em in stock anywhere online, and they arent at the range.