Need handgun advice

[Kiddunot]

good choice, great aim and plenty of safety features. I have the XD-9Any of the Springfield Armory XD models.
Own 2 of them (.40) and (.45 compact) planning on getting my 3rd in a few weeks here, Sub-compact 9mm.

[gunslinger]

When I first came on the job I was issued a Beretta 92 9mm. I carried that weapon for about a year. I now am able to carry a Glock model 21 in.45. I have had a couple HK USP 40's and they were nice but not approved to carry. I am a fan of the Glock and its safety system. No external crap. No exposed hammer or decocker. You dont need that stuff. I have put thousands of rounds through the Glock without problems and trust my life with this pistol. What ever gun you end up with, make sure you train with it continuously and get educated by a firearms instructor before you develop bad shooting habbits. As far as storing the firearm at home keep in mind an unloaded gun is a piece of metal (or plastic). Good luck.

['75 Miller]

Get used to the trigger safety and buy a Glock. Sigs, Berettas, Para, 1911s are all fine choices too, but the Glock WILL NOT let you down. Get the 4lb trigger work done and you're set....for life. Easy to shoot, easy to clean, and it will likely cost at least $100 less than any of the above.

[LOWRIVER2]

LAPD went to the Glock primarily because Beretta started charging us for every part while Smith&Wesson/ Glock did not. The Berettas starting falling apart around the 20 year mark with trigger springs, barrel lugs breaking, etc. It did'nt hurt that Bratton had them in NY and liked them.
I carried a Smith 4506 for 8 years before Glocks were approved. While the gun was never liked by civilians, it served me fine and never let me down. Accuracy was actually easier to achieve with it than the Glock.
I switched over to Glock with all of Metro in 03 mainly due to the adaptablility of a mounted tac light and the 5 lb. press on the first shot. High capacity was never an issue for me, 90% of our gun battles are over in 9 rounds or less and if you practice reloading, not a big deal.
We had issues with the 21's as Glock never originally intended to chamber it's gun for a .45. They scaled down there 10mm slide for the .45. A batch of guns had numerous problems with double feeds, two happened during Officer involved shootings. Glock reps were helpful in correcting the problem.
Metro officer's 21's were the guinea pigs for the improvements and, unfortunately, the first series of changes made the Metro guns worse.
After two corrections to the slide, the problem was solved. I went back to my 4506 for a year while the corrections were made. My 21 never had a problem and therfore did not get a new slide. All of Metro got brand new guns as to assure no issues remained.
I trust my Glock after all the rounds I've put through it and I have not heard of any trouble with our 21's since the final retrofit. Longevity of the Glocks without cleaning is amazing. I know of two officers who work the Range that own Glock 17's with over 50,000 rounds fired through them with NO OIL/CLEANING. Neither have had a misfire/malfunction. While no one recommends this, it says a lot about the fact that these guns will work for an average joe that does'nt adhere to the proper maintenance that semi autos demand to work properly.

[Freak]

I've had a few. Sigs - Hk's etc but I have to say I really like my Glock for just a simple reliable gun.
Get what ever you want.
Most important is to remember this. If you ever have to shoot someone (and you can't shoot them for stealing) you need to know what to say and only what to say to the officer.

[rivercrazy]

I can't profess to work my handgun anywhere near as hard as law enforcement or the military but my Taurus PT92AF (Beretta clone) has about 10,000 rounds through it. Its never jammed or had a problem of any kind. My experience with this gun from a civilian standpoint has been bulletproof. And it has cycled quite a few Corbon +P+ 115 grain loads.
I've shot a lot of semi auto hand guns. Sigs, Rugers, Glocks, S&W's, Colts, etc. They all all fun to shoot and have their unique advantages. But the Beratta/Taurus 92's fit my hand perfect, are very accurate, and have one of the best trigger pulls in my opinion.

[Froggystyle]

One thing I haven't mentioned yet that is really important... aftermarket grips.
Guns are made to be super durable and last a long time, chemical resistant etc... and as such they generally have hard plastic or wood grips. That is nice, but I have never owned, shot professionally or likely will ever own a gun that didn't benefit hugely from an aftermarket slip-on grip like a Hogue.
The gun gets "sticky" in your hand, and really becomes part of your musculature. You will have more confidence, better accuracy and infintely better comfort by the addition of one. I also have big hands, so they make grips that will take up a little space in your hand as well. The standard grip is very thin, so it won't take up much space at all.
They are made specifically for each model, and if they don't make one for yours, you can try different grips and sometimes get lucky. They make them for rifles, assault weapons, handguns (both auto and revolver) and shotguns.
I recommend them highly.
When you test the gun in the store, when you find a couple that you like the feel, look, capacity, features and price of, put some Hogue grips on them and see which one you like better now.

[Bense468]

I shot a brand new 92fs. second rd. jammed, cleared it, ran through the rest of that mag. Second mag had another jam. I put the gun down and said I'm done.
I never have like beretta's (except their shotguns) and everyone said you have to try the 92fs.

[AZJD]

I can't profess to work my handgun anywhere near as hard as law enforcement or the military but my Taurus PT92AF (Beretta clone) has about 10,000 rounds through it. Its never jammed or had a problem of any kind. My experience with this gun from a civilian standpoint has been bulletproof. And it has cycled quite a few Corbon +P+ 115 grain loads.
I've shot a lot of semi auto hand guns. Sigs, Rugers, Glocks, S&W's, Colts, etc. They all all fun to shoot and have their unique advantages. But the Beratta/Taurus 92's fit my hand perfect, are very accurate, and have one of the best trigger pulls in my opinion.
115 grain! What is that, 5 or 6 grain more than a BB gun?

[rivercrazy]

115 grain! What is that, 5 or 6 grain more than a BB gun?
Do some research. What you will find is this cartridge is one of the best available home defense loads. In actual use, they have proven to be effective over 90% of the time for "one-shot" stopping ability. Very few handgun loads are this effective. 357 magnum loads are one of the only that have proven to be better.
To get most hollow points to perform in this scenario require velocity and this round does just that at over 1400 fps. this allows full expansion of the load which allows more energy to be transmitted to the intended target.
However, a 12 gauge shotgun is the most effective and responsible home defense option.