Buying a gun

[Alien_Tracker]

Not true. I've ready plenty of articles and been in a few scenarios that prove that statement wrong. There is a reason why most LE agencies have moved away from the 9mm.

[rjdmmfl1]

Not true. I've ready plenty of articles and been in a few scenarios that prove that statement wrong. There is a reason why most LE agencies have moved away from the 9mm.

no one is gonna argue that a 9mm has as much stopping power as a .40 or .45 given identical rounds... and yes SOME LE agencies have moved away from the Glock 9mm to .40 calibers ... but to argue that someone's first gun should be a .40 or .45 based on stopping power is a bad argument.

DJ, my urgent suggestion would be to really learn how to shoot a .40 or .45 if that will be your first purchase. Get proficient at it before you buy it! Speaking only for myself, it took me a while to learn how to properly shoot a .45, a bit longer than it did with my 9mm!

But if you really want some stopping power DJ... go ahead and jump up near the top with one of these



The Desert Eagle .50AE

[Infantry1327]

hahaha, i could see him breaking his nose with the deagle. lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJjaj7pXsA

Go out and shoot a 9mm .40 and .45 then see which one you like better and fire more accurately. Don't worry about stopping power because with the right ammo the 9mm will stop anyone. Plus you will be able to put more rounds down range more accuretly. 6 9mm rounds will defenetly do more damage than 1 .45

[Alien_Tracker]

Not just Some. Why is it a bad arguement? I was a firearms instructor for 5 years before switching to my current agency. Most of the departments that went to the regional academy where I instructed did not carry 9mms. There is not that much difference between the recoil of a 9 and 40, depending on the weight and type of round. Regular ball ammo that you would use at the range isn't bad. The cost difference is only about $4 for a box of 50. The XD is a good weapon and there isn't really any noticeable shooting difference between the 9 and 40. It depends on how hot of a round you shoot. You can start off with a lighter 40 round to begin with and work your way up to a hotter round. The agency I work for now has very high firearms standards. We carry H&K 40 and every agent has to qual with it. Many of the trainees at the academy have never shot a gun before, but we have a very low failure rate due to firearms. Maybe that has a lot to do with the quality of our instructors and the amount of rounds that we shoot, but nobody starts off with a 9. The fundamentals of shooting a pistol are the same.

It's not like starting with a GSXR600 and building on your abilities before getting a GSXR1000.

[Infantry1327]

valid point Alien. But his body type and size hast to come into play. Plus if anyone else such as a wife or a girlfriend will be learning to use the gun. Given most womens lack of upper body strengh the 9mm is a much better choice. There will always be a large weight difference between a 9mm and .40 Given that you are matching the same weapons and both are fully loaded. The extra weight from the .40 ammo is what makes it so much heavier. But if both guns where empty, there wouldnt be much of a difference. The fact is with a 9mm you can shoot more rounds in a much tighter group. I would rather shoot someone with 5 9mm rounds than 1 .40cal. It is all personal preference thow. He needs to go out and rent the guns and shoot them with alot of rounds. He also needs to take his wife or who ever might need to use the gun with him and make sure she can shoot them as well.

Some people say shoot to sub due, I say shoot to kill. If you arnt ready to kill don't pick up a gun. In todays society if someone breaks into your house and you shoot him in the leg. He will probably sue you and win. But if you shoot him in the face, no law suit and know one to contradict your story.

[Alien_Tracker]

I think you're right in that he should try different pistol makes and calibers. I would recommend handling and dry firing in single action and double action if the pistol is not a DAO pistol. A good dealer shouldn't have a problem with this, as it does not hurt the pistol. The weight of the pistol also depends on the make. Most 40s only carry 10-12 rounds in the mag. 9s usually carry 15-20, so I think the weight difference is minimal. My wife shoots a Sig P229 in 40. She's accurate as hell with it and has no problems shooting it or handling it. She used to have a Taurus PT99 in 9mm that she couldn't pull the trigger in DA(too much travel and too heavy pull). It all comes down to what you are comfortable with. I could never have a Desert Eagle .50. It looks nice, but it's too big for my hand. As far as grouping being better with a 9 over a 40. That just comes down to practice, practice, practice. And last but not least, thank you for your service, sir.

[Infantry1327]

you are welcome and I agree 100% with what you said. But it depends on what state you live in on what size the mag is. I believe hear in California you are only allowed to have 9 round magazines. My Ruger .40 has a 12 round mag, but i bought it in TN. Places like AZ have very flexible gun laws. California's gun laws suck. I remember going into a pawn shop in Phonix and they had a pistol the size of a colt stub nosed .45. But instead of the traditional barrel and chamber it had 2 large barrels and was capable of fireing 2- 12 gage shells. and it was like $200 hahaha. I wanted it but didnt have a Arizona ID.

I have shot the Deagle and wasn't impressed. It kicked like a son of a ***** but was way to huge for anything less than takeing out armored cars. The Barret on the other hand is amazing. Still alot of kick but great if you really want to reach out and touch someone.

[rjdmmfl1]

you are welcome and I agree 100% with what you said. But it depends on what state you live in on what size the mag is. I believe hear in California you are only allowed to have 9 round magazines. My Ruger .40 has a 12 round mag, but i bought it in TN. Places like AZ have very flexible gun laws. California's gun laws suck. I remember going into a pawn shop in Phonix and they had a pistol the size of a colt stub nosed .45. But instead of the traditional barrel and chamber it had 2 large barrels and was capable of fireing 2- 12 gage shells. and it was like $200 hahaha. I wanted it but didnt have a Arizona ID.

I have shot the Deagle and wasn't impressed. It kicked like a son of a ***** but was way to huge for anything less than takeing out armored cars. The Barret on the other hand is amazing. Still alot of kick but great if you really want to reach out and touch someone.

not true on the use of the .50 DE.... Omar uses this to shoot through bullet proof glass!

[Alien_Tracker]

Yeah. I would love to buy a Barret. The gun stores out here have a couple of them, but it's not in my finances. Besides, I could do a lot to my AC with that kind of money.

[maxentropy]

haha when I went shooting at the range the last week they had a used deagle. I felt the thing and just in my hands it was like holy crap its difficult to even hold this thing straight downrange. I can't imagine firing it.

Anyway, I've shot both 9mm, .40, and .45-- I like the 9 because I can accurately and quickly shoot the handgun and get a nice close grouping, whereas with the .40 and .45 I need to take time to regain my aim after each shot. Of course, some of that is due to inexperience-- but for protection I want a handgun thats easy to use so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go 9mm.

I heard a lot of good things about that new handgun round-- what is it? .357 or .307 or something? Anyone have any advice about that new round?

[Alien_Tracker]

It's the .357 Sig. It's basically a .40 casing necked down with a 9mm bullet. It's a really hot round. I've seen people use it for hunting cougar. The airport PD back east used it. It was interesting to see on the firing line at night. Loud and big muzzle flash.

[rjdmmfl1]

It's the .357 Sig. It's basically a .40 casing necked down with a 9mm bullet. It's a really hot round. I've seen people use it for hunting cougar. The airport PD back east used it. It was interesting to see on the firing line at night. Loud and big muzzle flash.

Alien tracker... ever shot a true 10mm pistol? What did you think of the recoil. These fell out of populariy before I became a hobyist, and I've always been curious about them!

[Alien_Tracker]

Yeah, I shot one just after the FBI initially swiched over to them and before they got rid of them. It was about like the .40 but with a sharper recoil. I don't know what weight round and powder charge they were using, though. It was sort of a knee jerk reaction to the Miami shootout. I didn't care for it much. Hard to get accurate follow up shots fast. Here is a link with some good info. It did have some serious penitration, though.

http://www.thegunzone.com/fbi-guns.html

[maxentropy]

How are the weapons that shoot .357 Sig? Quality or not?

How is the recoil with the .357 Sig round? Since it's a .40, but hotter round-- does hotter round translate to more or less recoil than a regular .40 cal?

Appreciate your expertise and advice Alien.

[LongBeachCoupe]

now THATS a gun! A supersized Potato gun!Our tax dollars hard at work lol

[Alien_Tracker]

No problem. Well, the round was developed by Sig Arms. Sig Arms (Sig Sauer) make high quality weapons. I have a Sig P229 in .40. It is my favorite pistol. Well balanced and fits my hand perfectly. The bullet, the part that comes out of the barrel, is a 9mm. The casing (brass) is a .40 that is necked down, at the end of the brass, to fit the 9mm bullet. You're basically shooting a 9mm bullet with the recoil of a .40. I'd say it has a little more recoil than a regular .40. Hotter round usually means that there is more gun powder or faster burning powder that translates into higher muzzle velocity. Muzzle velocity is basically the speed at which the bullet is traveling when it leaves the barrel. For example, most .40 bullets travel around 1200 feet per second, depending on the weight of the bullet.

[08Coupe]

I use this site to buy most of my guns and then have them shipped to a local gun store. It's also a great tool to see current values and accessories

http://www.gunbroker.com/

[maxentropy]

Alien, thanks again for the info-- would you recommend a Sig handgun for a beginner?

[maxentropy]

I use this site to buy most of my guns and then have them shipped to a local gun store. It's also a great tool to see current values and accessories

http://www.gunbroker.com/

Have you found this to be the cheapest place to buy?

[08Coupe]

Have you found this to be the cheapest place to buy?

It was but since Obama won gun prices have gone up some., even tho he never took a stand for gun controls a democrat scares the market I guess. Also I have had several sigs and they are well built, another tip for home protection a full clip of .380 (baby 9mm) will do plenty damage with the proper (+P+ hydroshock hollow point ammo )

[Alien_Tracker]

I would. You get what you pay for. The Springfield XD is a good weapon. I just think that the Sig is a step above it. It also depends on which model Sig you get. The Sigpro is a good pistol. I carried that at my first PD, but I like the Sig classics better. Any of the P series Sig pistols are excellent craftsmanship and quality. Pick up a few Sigs and see how they fit in your hand and feel. I have small hands, but the P229 fits my hand like it was made for it.