The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: madarcher427 on February 21, 2009, 10:06:36 PM
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iam considering these hand guns for home protection & for target shooting .i plan on getttng a sub compact later for carry . which one do you recomend & why ? ,also what do you use it for on th ejob or at or carry& how do you rate the accuracy& durability
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I have no experience with a Glock, but I do have an XD9 sub-compact that I like. Depending on what I'm wearing I alternate between it and my Sig 229. I've only run about 1,000 rounds through the XD so far, but no trouble with it to this point.
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For home and range either Glock or XD full size are good choices. For home you gain nothing with the compact XDm.
Glocks have been around for 20 or 30 years and the only REAL complaints I've ever heard about them that were valid were
1) The ONLY safety is to keep your finger OFF the trigger
2) some people find the grip uncomfortable
Best advice is find a range or a friend who will let you try both then decide.
I would go with 9MM, you can get the ammo anywhere, it's less expensive than .45 and you can get more rounds in the Mag. Don't believe the "stopping power" myth. A .45 is no better at STOPPING an attacker than a 9MM it just makes a bigger hole. If you want a pistol that gives one shot STOP get a S&W.500. People have been known to keep coming after being hit with one or more .50 BMG, that's where the extra rounds in the 9MM come in.
Then get professional training in SD
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so as far as accuracy which one would be better ? is it better to have adjustable sught & which sights should i be looking at something i could see in the dark? i plan on putting one of the white lights on it as well
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I recommend you try both and see which one you like. See if the local ranges let you rent. What one of us likes, you might hate. Both guns are more accurate than most of us will ever be. The most important question is which one are YOU more accurate with, and that can only be answered by spending time with each.
The Glock-like guns out there from Springfield and S&W are pretty well liked by people who like that kind of gun (no mechanical safety, a polymer frame, and no hammer). Some people hate them across the board because they want metal frames, they want a hammer, etc.
You will want different qualities in a home defense gun and a carry gun. A home defense gun can be a lot heavier (useful for absorbing recoil) since you don't have it on your belt all day. A longer sight radius from a longer barrel might make you a better shot with it. Heck, you might even want to question if a handgun is right for home defense. A lot of people prefer a shotgun for that purpose. Personally, I have a 12 ga shotgun, a .308 VEPR, and a full size 1911, depending on the situation.
A carry gun usually conceals best if it's a little thinner and has a shorter barrel. It's more comfortable to wear if it's lighter. Some of the mini Glocks out there are really small, but can be a little too thick to conceal easily. It depends on your body type, style of dress, and how you want to carry it.
For shooting in the dark, tritium night sights are really useful. They are a glowing green comfort that don't give away your position. While laser sights are nice, they can also tell the bad guy where you are if you're not careful. The last thing you want is to have a flashlight and a laser shining down the hall past the room the bad guy is in, so he knows exactly where you are. If you want to put a light on it, make sure it has a rail. Not all guns do. The question is what you will use the gun for in a defensive situation. Will you go looking for trouble in the house? Or will you call the police from the bedroom and wait there for them to arrive? If you don't have training and practice clearing rooms, you're better off to think defensively (how can you best defend the room you are in). If you are staying in one room, the light may be more useful as a handheld flashlight (not to mention cheaper) and the laser would be less of a giveaway.
Adjustable sighters (which are adjustable for windage and elevation are nice if you are shooting longer distances (like 25 yards or more) in competition. For self defense, there's no reason for them that I can think of.
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1) The ONLY safety is to keep your finger OFF the trigger
Come on Tom ::). Dont make such a loaded statement to a Newb who might not know any better. Glocks are as safe as ANY revolver, but I KNOW you would not make that same statement if he was asking about a wheel gun.
Here is the run down on Glock.....
Glock is a striker fired pistol with a long DAO style trigger pull - which like on a revolver, is a great safety feature in and of itself.
DAO style guns are incredibly safe, and have probably saved more Cops and/or people who use them as CCWs then there have ever been injuries due to accidental discharges. When your life is on the line, draw and shoot is faster and far more effective then draw, disengage, and shoot will ever be.
Glocks, in fact, have 3 safeties which are deactivated when the trigger is pulled - and automatically activated when it is released:
1. TRIGGER SAFETY
* prevents inadvertent firing by lateral forces on the trigger. Releasing the trigger will automatically reactivate the safety.
2. FIRING PIN SAFETY
* blocks the firing pin channel, rendering the igniting of a chambered cartridge by the firing pin impossible. The firing pin safety is only pushed upward to release the firing pin for firing when the trigger is pulled and the safety is pushed up through the backward movement of the trigger bar. Releasing the trigger will automatically reactivate the firing pin safety.
3. DROP SAFETY
* prevents unintentional firing of a shot through hard impact such as accidentally dropping it out of a helicopter (Search uTube).
For my recomendation:
Go Glock! You won't be disappointed. They are uber reliable and will go bang each and every time you need them to. I have been shooting Glocks for almost a Decade now and I have never had a failure.They are also priced right. They are around $500 and you might be able to find a nice used one for under $400 if you look hard enough.
Like maybe here------------> http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=411536067
For a subcompact concealed carry gun, I carry daily and would highly recommend the Glock 26 9mm (Bane will too once he gets some trigger time ;)). Perfect size, lightweight, easy to conceal and they bring plenty of firepower to the fight (10+1). Above all, they are reliable as all get out.
http://www.downrange.tv/reviews/showproduct.php/product/6/cat/6
For home defense, I would say that you could definitely go with a full size Glock in .45 or get the Glock 17 in 9mm (17+1) to compliment the 26. Then they both would be able to run the same ammo and the 26 can also use any mag that fits the 17. Besides, 9mm is much cheaper to shoot then .45 so you would save money at every practice session..... and with the 9mm you also have the option of 33rd mags, which makes for a formidable home defense pistol (17 or 26).
http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=629
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"Come on Tom Roll Eyes. Dont make such a loaded statement to a Newb who might not know any better. Glocks are as safe as ANY revolver, but I KNOW you would not make that same statement if he was asking about a wheel gun."
Why not ? The only revolver I can think of that has any other safety is the Heritage Arms single action,so the same generally would be true of revolvers.
But when I posted I was thinking more of an inexperienced shooter who may be more comfortable with an external safety that is more obviously positive. Personally I would be more concerned with my item 2
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thank you ! i use to have a p89 ruger & a s&w 44 mag .i also have a 12 gauge for home as well which it will be my first choice home defense .
how does everyone feel about the .40 cal.
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"how does everyone feel about the .40 cal."
Easier to find ammo for 9mm or .45
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thank you ! i use to have a p89 ruger & a s&w 44 mag .i also have a 12 gauge for home as well which it will be my first choice home defense .
how does everyone feel about the .40 cal.
.40 is a waste...... if you need more power then the 9mm then go all the way up to the .45
Here is a nice thread debate about 9mm vs .40
http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php/topic,1896.0.html
re: Tom's #2......... I completely agree..... it seems that reason is the major deciding factor of whether or not people love or hate Glocks...... I am a firm believer that Glock needs to offer interchangeable backstraps....... then they would be able to RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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i plan onned on trying the .45 my dad & my grandfather swore by them . how does the recoil of the .45 compare to the .45
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how does the recoil of the .45 compare to the .45
I think you will find them to be exactly the same ;D
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oops! .40 to .45
there dosent seem to be to many people with s&a xd or xdm
is para usa the sam as para ordance
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It will vary from gun to gun
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oops! .40 to .45
there dosent seem to be to many people with s&a xd or xdm
is para usa the sam as para ordance
Yes, Para Ordnance Started as a Canadian company, when they moved their Hq. to the US they changed the name to Para USA. They recently moved the manufacturing to America as well.
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thats good news for us
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I have an XD .45, and I'm very happy with it. Good shooter out of the box, have had no problems at all with about 1,000 rounds through it.
Rent some of the guns you're looking at and see how you like them.
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ive had a couple of 40s but i found the recoil of my 1911 ,45 acp more comfortable to deal with.