looking to buy a gun and want opinions

[Dange]

allrighty so i think im about to go get a pistol. i had an old single action peacemaker in .22lr but its more of a collector item than something you carry.

so the two that im looking at. are as follows

Remington Model 1911 .45acp
Capacity 7 + 1
good stopping power and reliable.



and the baretta 92fs 9mm

its a 15+1
cheap ammo, extremely reliable. less stopping power but able to put 2x as much lead downrange per magazine.
I shot the military m9 version of this for years so im comfortable with it.
extremely easy to strip and clean

[I`m Batman]

I actually have a Beretta 92FS. It's an awesome gun. Very accurate and easy to shoot. A little big for carry. I have the Springfield XD9 Service for that.

1911 is awesome but just too expensive for me. (at least the Colt is)

[I`m Batman]

So, is this for carry? If it is... I would go with the 1911 since it's smaller/thinner and easier to conceal. Unless you're a big guy and can conceal the 92FS.

[D Walker]

I have a 1911 built on an Essex frame. Very very accurate and relatively easy to conceal. For years I carried an Astra 9MM compact, very much like a SIG, very small, very inexpensive and reasonably accurate for the barrel length. It was all steel so it was not particularly light, but it handled very high-power loads with ease.
Iffin I were looking for a carry piece today in a semi-auto I would strongly consider the Kel-Tecs, the smaller Glock in whatever caliber you prefer, and the "compact" H&K USP. Any of the smaller 1911's will be a winner as well.

[reconbygod12]

springfield xdm 40. or 45. it is so balanced...and it has barely any recoil....get 3 mags and a holster also with them...but to me its the best bang for your buck...also a great gun for home defense or even with concealed carry...i just have mine in the car when i take it

[ecam8000]

Is this for the wife or you? Get a man's caliber, and that should start with a 4.

Actually I do like the 45 acp (have a few). Stopping power is well above the 9mm. I think I remember the 8 rds of 45 bests the 14 of a wonder 9. Making hits is the real key to shooting/stopping. The 1911 is thin but long (std of goverment model - 5"). My two carry favorites are a S&W 645 (1983) and a Sig 220. I love the 1911, but I prefer the double action, hammer, no safety style of these two. I like the Sig design better because the decocker is spring returned. My Smith decocker can be switched down and renders the pistol inoperative (bad news when you need it to go bang). Down side to the Sig is it's price and tends to be a bit wider than the 1911. Autos are hard to teach because of the many styles of safeties and trigger pulls. Both my Smith and Sig have a "hard" double action pull for the first round and then change to single action on following shots. They both can be cocked first giving single action each time. I also have a Para 1911 (.45) that holds 15 rds in a stagger magazine. It came with 5 magazines. But that one is like trying to conceal a Volvo!

[Dange]

i know what you are saying about stopping power. but after shooting the beretta M9 for the past 4 years. I'm a naildriver with that pistol. so i get shots on target every time. and i dont care who you are you are not getting back up from a doubletap to center mass when using offensive ammo ala hydrashock
so If caliber IS the deciding factor. im going with the beretta because i can afford to shoot 9mm on a regular basis.

springfield i have looked at. its the only one of the polymer pistols i like. when i do go for my CCW im actually looking at the springfield armory EMP

[Shadowden]

I really like my SA XD40. When I was shopping I handled a lo of guns and it just fit me the best. I like the grip safety feature especially. I don't know that I recommend the 40 S&W though because ammo is fairly expensive, and I have a hard time finding 165gr. I actually sarted reloading because of this.

[mOOsE]

I'd shoot for something smaller for carry, unless you are talking OC. In terms of caliber... I'd not worry too much about it. Shoot what you can afford to shoot most often is the key. I certainly wouldn't do smaller than 380. I'd also recommend a couple good classes on carrying as a lot of the above, in my opinion (not trying to flame or start wars), is misconception. I had an instructor that carried a .32 kel-tec daily, which is far form a 45. I have carried both my xdm 3.8 compact and my 380, but 9/10 the 380 is the one that's with me daily... and I can carry that even when wearing shorts and a t-shirt and you would never know. If it's not for CCW then 1911's are fun. I am shocked at the number of people that try CCW'ing those though... they require deliberate clothing choices to hide. But some people like wearing vests year round! lol

[Shadowden]

Is this weapon being considerd for CCW? Seeing as you were considering the 1911, I figured it was more of an in house protection/open carry weapon (and you don't have your CCW yet). The SA XD is too big to really carry concealed as mOOse points out.

Have you checked out gunbroker.com? Pretty cool source for firearms.

[mOOsE]

Another HUGE thing to consider when choosing a carry gun is the type of action it is. Like mentioned above, do you want single action, double, striker-fire, safety's etc? Many people carry Glocks but without any safety, I had a tough time justifying carrying one as it's striker fired. Some of the more "peace of mind" guns to carry are Hammer-fired Double Actions. That way you are essentially carrying it ready to go, but without it being cocked and still able to fire with a nice deliberate trigger pull (7-10lb pull on most).

[eliminster]

i am going to say that the 1911 is the better of the two guns listed, A. because it is a solidly reliable pistol with less than 20 moving parts that makes for taking apart and cleaning/maintenance a lot easier. B. .45 will stop a person, 9mm even with hollow points won't stop a determined individual unless you nail him in the head. C. 1911 is easier to conceal than the 92 fs making it less likely someone will know you have the gun. d. while ammo may be cheaper there are cheaper and better more reliable pistols on the market, example xd 9mm in any configuration, any glock 9mm. This comes all from an ex armorer for 75th rgr rgt. I Personally use a sw m&p in 40 for concealed carry and have a xd 45 with the 5 in barrel for home defense since i don't feel like swinging a shotgun or m4 around plus the xd has 13 rounds of 45 that i can shoot as fast and accurately as i can with an m9.

[WINGSPD]

Just my two cents, but those two guns are very different from each other. I, personally, am a Sig DA/SA fan for the safety, reliability, and versatility of the double stack mag containing models. Your choice of gun should depend on many factors including: purpose, carry method, familiarity, and type of surroundings. (Just what kind of trouble do you expect?) I would much rather have the extra capacity of the smaller rounds in a double stack than the extra oomph of the single stack larger caliber. (That being said, I normally carry a Sig 229 in 357 Sig Caliber; only ten rounds in the mag, 12 when not in the peoples republic of Denver.) You'll find that there will be many missed shots in an unplanned encounter, and you don't want to be reloading unless the other guy is out, you have cover, and there are none of his buddies around. Think flash mob. Look at Browning hi-powers, too, for a gun between the two you listed. Well made, slender, and high cap. Otherwise, you have chosen two nice guns, just stay with the name brands. Don't go cheap. The cost of the ammo will far outweigh the initial cost of the gun.

[Dange]

to be honest Im not huge into CCW. i can see the reasoning behind it if shit hits the fan then they dont know you are carrying. but if im in circle k and i have one of these two strapped to my hip in plain sight its a deterrent. Im not LOOKING to go out and be a hero. ive been shot at and shot at more people than I care to in one lifetime already. so if they decide that robbing this place/me is more trouble than its worth. and i get to go on about my own business head home get in my undies and watch some tv.... thats perfectly fine with me.

THIS pistol will be minor home defense, open carry, and a range toy. and to be completely honest. I probably will only open carry rarely in the first place. usually its a trip and it goes on my dash and rests there. just like my grandfather did when i was growing up.

for if i get my ccw or when i move back home to az and dont need a permit to Conceal carry. i am looking at the SA XD subcompact 3" or the 3.8" SA XDM as a big contender.


about a few things commented on.
1. I WILL NOT EVER own a glock. they are great pistols. they are reliable, i just do not like them. i cant stand how they feel in my hand. and im not fond of the safety(or lack there of) no matter how reliable that safety is.
2. I did spend some time as an armorer assistant quite some time. and as a medic. I carried the m9 more than i carried my m16 or m4 ( i still prefer the m16a4 over the m4) and the m9 was easy as heck to strip. and the weapon was great. it was joe that ####ed them all up.
3. polymer pistols are good. dont get me wrong. but i prefer the 1911 style. i like the hammer. i like the feel of the metal. call me crazy but i like the weight. and like m00se said. i love the double action with a 7lb initial pull and then a standard pistol after that.
4. yes a guy all hopped up on pcp. thats mentally unstable. may not be stopped by one 9mm parabellum and ive also seen a guy just stand there when getting tazed by a airtazer that ive seen take down a full sized bull. but the standard guy breaking into a house or trying to jack a 7-11 a hot load with a defensive round and a double tap hes not getting up. and we are trained with the 2 center mass and 1 for the head anyway. hell just the sight of a weapon typically makes them run in the first place. im not trying to rule out the larger calibers or say im completely against them i mean a .45acp is one of my options.. but like has been mentioned as long as you are at or above 380/9mm. you are pretty certain to take the target down.
5. alot of people are seeming to really like the sig. i may go look into them aswell.
6. and ecam. which 1911 do you have. a 1911 with a 15+1 config seems like the best of both worlds.
7. don the H&K usp has been one of my favorite pistols for a long time. i just dont know if i can swing the pricetag. these two arent cheap by anymeans. but they are pretty close to my upper limit... id like to stay under 700

if i had the money, I really like the springfield armory 1911 custom. thats the route I would LIKE to go. but thats a $1200-1500 ordeal.

[mOOsE]

if i had the money, I really like the springfield armory 1911 custom. thats the route I would LIKE to go. but thats a $1200-1500 ordeal.

I know it. I'd also like one of these Kimber's


So sweet. Or an STI race gun. I'd open carry one of those hehe. Take out Zombies from rooftops with a pistol Ftw.