I'm interested in purchasing my first gun. I'm leaning toward a Glock 17 or 19 9mm. This gun would initially be for fun at the shooting range and I would possibly get a concealed weapons permit later. What do you guys think about the Glock? Any other suggestions?
Ok the main thing with buying a gun for yourself is do listen to what people advise you with, but buy something that fits you and you like!!! if it doesn't fit your hand right you won't be able to shoot well with it. If you don't like it you won't ever be happy with it.
But on to what I would suggest and why. I would NOT suggest a Glock due to it's lack of safety, bulky size, bad grip angle, and much lacking trigger. The lack of safety is a major issue for a newb. ESPECIALLY if you are looking into concealed carry. You have to remember that there is your life to think of and those around you. If you have been around guns for a long time then you really understand about the safety factor. I don't know how long you have been around guns so if I say things that seem like I think you know nothing about guns there is no offense intended. I just am not sure how much you know. The Glock is very bulky for concealed carry. The small so called "compact" models are still very thick which can really be an issue. If you are carrying concealed it needs to be literally concealed. It doesn't take a lot to see when someone is carrying when they make a bad choice of gun style. Before anyone jumps on me for not knowing enough about the Glock I did previously own one and ditched it for a SIG, which I was more impressed with. Oh I almost forgot to mention that my Glock in the middle of an IDPA match JAMMED. Using Winchester factory ammo and the gun had just been cleaned. Not only did it JAM the extractor completely broke! At that point you are absolutely screwed in a defensive position. My KIMBER 1911 has never once jammed on me!
The gun that I would personally suggest like several others have is a Kimber 1911. I shoot a Kimber Custom II. You can pick a new one up for about $700. Only about $150 more than a new Glock and if you are trusting your life to this gun then what is $150. As far as a manual safety goes it DOES have one. And trust me it DOES NOT take a rocket scientist to turn it off when you are ready to fire. The way it is positioned your thumb naturally comes down on it when you grip the gun. It also has a grip safety that will only allow the trigger to be pulled if your hand is on the grip. Then it has a firing pin safety which protects you from the gun firing if it is dropped. The 1911 has a smaller grip profile to it making it a comfortable fit for any hand large or small. I don't know anyone who does not like the feel of a 1911. The 1911 is no longer a .45 only. You can get a 1911 from Kimber in 9MM, .38 super comp, 40 S&W, 10MM, and of course the classic .45. I would suggest the .45 due to it's knock down power and you don't have to worry about over-penetration. The recoil is VERY manageable. Definitely more than the 9MM, but by no means is it too much to easily handle. When I said that I had NEVER had a round jam I didn't say how many rounds had been fired through it, but there have been over 6500 through it so far. sorry Turk, but I have to correct you on this. The 1911 mag holds 8 rounds and everyone I know tops off making the total capacity 9 rounds. If you can't take care of the job with nine rounds of 45 then you might not need to carry a gun. The mags are also nice and thin so you can carry an extra without a problem. When it comes to capacity it just means you have to make your shot count, and from a defensive position if you miss the target then that could be someones life that was totally innocent. If you are out-numbered enough that 9 well aimed rounds won't do it then you probably are either not going to fight or are not going to live through it.
When selecting which caliber it really comes to personal preference. The 9MM is not the greatest, but will get the job done. .38 super comp was designed for competition not for defensive take-down. .40 S&W is a great choice due to it's manageable recoil that even a small frame female can easily handle it, but it still has plenty of take-down. 10MM is not one that I personally like or would recommend. .45 is obviously my preference since that is what I own and use. you just have to decide which you want and why.
To address what was said about the Kimbers jamming that is easily explainable. Kimber made a bad decision two years ago and that was to change from the classic internal extractor to an external extractor. For two years they used them and after so many gave problems they have now gone back to the internal extractor. My uncle had one with an external and it did jam some. He sent it back to Kimber and they sent him one back with a new slide that used the old school internal extractor. Kimber made a bad choice when they used the external extractor, but they did the right thing by fixing them at NO COST to the gun owner.
For carry the 5"1911 may look large, but the Thickness profile is MUCH slimmer than most guns. It is not hard to conceal a 1911 at all. The length would make you think that it would be a bad choice, but it's not at all.
There is also nothing wrong with a good wheel-gun. I love a .38 snubby for carry. Smith & Wesson have released a line of lightweight aluminum frame snubby's that are awesome guns for carry. You can just throw it in your pocket and go. I think that the 4-6" full size wheel guns are a little bulky for carry, but to each his own.
Hope that this will help you a little bit, and if you have any questions for me feel free to PM me if you would like. Remember though SAFETY FIRST. Then remember, get what you want, get what fits you, get something that meets your criteria, and have a good time with it.
