1911!! - quest for the first pistol.

[blutch]

I went to H&H today to shoot the Kahr CW9 and wanted to shoot the S$W Sigma. They didn't have the Sigma.

The Kahr was interesting... i could get only 6 rounds in the magazine.. when I put 7 in, the gun wouldn't rack the round and jammed open. It was frustrating, so I only loaded it with 6. It was still a little tough to load.

It felt ok in my hand, but a long trigger pull and more recoil than I expected. I was reasonably accurate at close range - 7-10 ft - but not particularly so.

Then I decided to go ahead and try a 1911 - the Springfield EMP. This is basically a copy of the Kimber Ultra Carry pistol... both have a 3.5" barrel and look pretty much the same.

This EMP just fit perfectly in my hand. I loved the way my hand felt on it. It put my trigger finger in just the right place - most guns so far i have to concentrate on not putting the finger in too far on the trigger -.

My first 4 shots were dead center and it was so easy to pull the trigger. Then I started shooting 9-shot quick fire (for me) sequences. In spite of the fact that I have very little experiencing with this kind of shooting, all shots were within a 5-6 inch group at 7, 10 and 12 yards. For me, this is OUTSTANDING.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to shoot this gun and how accurate it was for me. I wanted one immediately. Of course, there is no way I can handle the $1100+ retail price tag for this gun. *sigh* Do you ever find these things used? If so, what kind of price range?

I'm done renting guns though. I need to stop putting money into rentals and just figure out a way to buy something to practice with. Here is a list of the guns I would like to have and think I could do well with in a variety of applications.

Home Defense
1. Smith & Wesson M&P 9
2. Hi-Point 9mm - (yeah, I know, but it may be my first pistol due to price. I just want something to practice with and stop renting)

Concealed Carry
1. Springfield EMP
2. Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm sub compact

.22LR practice/plinking gun
1. Ruger MK III
2. Beretta Neos
3. Browning Buckmark

As always, I'm interested in any and all comments.

B

 

[NikatKimber]

blutch, first, come out to the swap meet, bring some ammo, and I'll bet there'll be any number of people willing to let you run a few rounds through their pistols. I have a Glock 19 and Sig 228 that you could try.

Next, if you are seriously looking at ending up with two guns, one larger for HD, and a smaller one for CCW, look at platforms that offer both sizes in the same basic gun. IE, Glock (19 or 26 for CCW, 17 for HD), S&W M&P (9c for CCW, full size for HD), Sig (228/229 for CCW, 226 for HD), Springfield XD and such. For these, they could all use the same mags for backup (the full size mags work in all the smaller guns), the buttons and levers are all the same, the grip will be nearly the same, and the trigger will be nearly the same. This strategy would allow more of your practice with one or the other to carry over to the other gun.

Another thing, if you get the Glock or Sig for your platform, you can also buy .22 lr conversion kits, that would let you practice with the same grip, trigger, etc but at .22 lr ammo cost.

Lastly, unless you *NEED* a tiny gun (G26 or M&P9c) to carry with, you could buy the mid size gun, G19 or Sig 228/229, and use that for both carry and home defense, buy a .22 kit for practice, and thus only have to buy one gun, and the .22 kit.

 

[JD8]

Honestly, it sounds like you need to pick up a new or used G19 or G23. This platform could be used for home defense, carry, and range time. I wouldn't waste your time with a hi-point. Some other options include a Ruger P series and a cheap revolver like the used GP100s being picked up for around $300. To me..... nothing beats the practicality and versatility of a Glock and a .357 revolver for starting out.

One thing to consider is that someone should ultimately have the same or similar platform for carry or HD.

 

[NikatKimber]

Yup, hard as it would be, if I had to cut my pistol collection down to 2 guns, it would be the Glock 19 and Ruger GP100. Between those two, there's not much you can't do.

Add a decent hunting rifle and shotgun, and you've got everything covered.

 

[blutch]

Thank you both for the advice.

I have shot several Glocks and a couple of Sigs. I frankly hated the Sig. It just didn't work well for me.

I have shot a Glock 19 and 26 and they were both "ok." Not as comfy IWB as the single stack Springfield EBM or Kahr CW9.

If I were going to go the route of getting the same type/brand gun for HD and CCW, I would probably go with the M&P. This would be expensive though. I hear that a lot of people carry their M&P 9's with no problems. Frankly, I'm not sure how long it will be before I finally go through the CCW course and wait for a license. Even then, I don't know how much I will carry.. it is just an unknown. It is illegal to carry where I work.

What I DO know now is that I have been bitten by the bug and right now want to keep shooting at the range and I want to take some classes in self defensive shooting.

Frankly, i think I could do it all with that one gun - the Springfield 1911 EMP. With two kids in college, it will be awhile before I can drop that kind of coin on one though. I could pick up a Hi-Point and some bulk ammo this week, no problem.

I'm interested in checking out the swap meet. Did they ever decide on a specific date? I'll check that thread again.

Thanks for all the advice and sorry to ramble on. :-)

B

 

[blutch]

Oh sorry.. one more question...

Why the revolver? I've been looking at this thread - the cheap GP100's. I could almost swing one of those soon, but I enjoy the semi-autos a lot more for some reason.

Would the revolver be best used for the home defense gun?

B

 

[Caseman]

To answer your question about seeing used Springfiel EMP's. I have seen them used at the Tulsa gun shows for about $800. I have one and they are great shooters, just a little pricey. I agree with the other posters that a Glock 19 is hard to beat for an all around pistol. Put some night sights on it and load it with some good self defense ammo and you should be good at home or to carry.

 

[aeropb]

Oh sorry.. one more question...

Why the revolver? I've been looking at this thread - the cheap GP100's. I could almost swing one of those soon, but I enjoy the semi-autos a lot more for some reason.

Would the revolver be best used for the home defense gun?

B

Cause revolvers are badass. You can plink with 38 on the cheap, or load 357 when you want some pop.

 

[NikatKimber]

They're a great multi purpose gun. The semi auto, especially something with the rail and an attached tac light would probably still be better for HD, but the .357 mag can be loaded to short range hunting levels, .38 for plinking / pest control, or shotshell loads for snakes/mice. And they're incredibly robust.

As far as the EMP, one of our other members here ezbake, bought one like you because he loved it, and then had to do further modifications to make it run right, and eventually sold it.

If at this point you're just wanting to get out and plink a lot, get used to shooting, get yourself a good .22 pistol, like a basic Ruger or Browning, and shoot the snot out of it. Then save up for a quality semi auto while you're enjoying the .22. You could do it like this, think, 550 rounds of .22 = $17 w/ tax, 550 rounds of 9mm = $100++, so every time you buy a value pack of .22, put $75 back towards your quality semi auto fund, and you'll have $500 for a good gun before you know it.

If you really want a 9mm rright now, look at this, reliable, solid, and will last till your great great great great grandkids are using it.
Ruger P85

 

[blutch]

The only revolver I have shot was a S&W .357. My word what power that gun had. The thing that struck me was it had such a long-hard pull compared to the striker fire pistols I had shot. It seemed to take forever to fire - but when it did, the shots were very accurate. (in spite of the tension).

I was told by a shop salesman that 38 ammo is very expensive now and hard to come by.. Supply and demand and all that. He was showing me the Hi-point 38 which was rated very highly in a recent review of small 38's.

So, is 38 ammo that much cheaper than .357?

B