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Upgrade Time and a Little Flamebait Bleg |
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Gregory Morris, 10/14/08 11:27:24 am |
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I've been considering upgrading my carry gun for a while now, and there is a gun show coming up this weekend. So I've been thinking a lot about what I want in a carry gun. I've been happy with my Bersa 380, but I want something with a less marginal cartridge. I'll probably end up with a 9mm, so Beth and I can share ammo. I also want to get away from DA/SA guns, because quite frankly I like my trigger to act the same every time I pull it.
So my choices are generally between the (SA) 1911 platform and (DAO) combat tupperware. So its pro/con time.
1911
I really like the feel of almost every 1911 I have ever picked up. I like how they shoot. I like that I'll never have to worry about finding parts and accessories for one. I don't mind the 7-8 round capacity of a single stack. I don't like how shorter carry models are reported to be less reliable. I don't like how they are more expensive than plastic guns. I don't like that I have to sort through a billion options (well, the geek in me loves it, the pragmatist in me hates it.)
Tupperware
I like Beth's Glock, but it doesn't feel as nice in my hand as a 1911. I like the tough construction of most modern plastic duty guns. I like having significantly higher capacity. I like how they are cheap. I don't like that they are ugly, but I guess it doesn't really matter. I like how they have simpler lines, and less pokey bits which makes carrying them more comfortable (although some 1911-platform guns like the Para Carry models are similarly pokey-bit-less.)
My budget has me leaning towards a plastic gun, because a decent new Glock/Springfield XD/Ruger SR9/S&W MP/etc. can be had for around $500. Even a "cheap" 1911 carry model is going to run $1000.
So I've mostly been researching the plastic guns.
Glocks are simple. They work. They are cheap. You can get them in whatever size and caliber you want. You can get parts and accessories for them anywhere.
XDs get similarly good reviews, and they are available in any size/caliber configuration I'd want. They also have things like loaded chamber/cocking indicators, which are stupid. I know the condition my gun is in. It is either unloaded and taken apart with Hoppes #9 dripping from the barrel, or it is loaded and cocked. I don't need either a visual indicator, or a raised bump to tell me that. These extra bits are just something else to break. I like the grip safety on a 1911, but on the XD it seems like a lawyer decided to put it there. There's a reason Glocks don't have grip safeties.
The SR9 comes in one size... not the one I really want. It is light and skinny though, so it would be suitable. It has a positive safety in a position similar to the 1911, which I don't see a need for. However, since I'm used to disengaging a safety now, it doesn't bother me. I just have to re-train my thumb to sweep in the opposite direction (or not use the safety at all.) The SR9 has been plagued with bugs, as almost all new designs are. It seems that they have things mostly sorted out, although a lot of people still complain about the triggers. If it is at least as good as a Glock, then it is good enough for me.
The S&W MP series comes in most of the normal configurations. It is comfortable in the hand, and has a good record of being reliable. I don't particularly like S&W firearms for some reason... probably because they are overpriced, but I am considering the MP9. I don't understand the need for things like magazine safeties... they seem like something else that could possibly keep my gun from firing when I want it to.
My final consideration is that it has to be something Beth could easily pick up and use. Of the above options, the only one she doesn't like is the XD, because the one she rented jammed a lot. It was likely due to her grip not being quite firm enough, but that isn't a good excuse in my opinion. Her Glock will function properly upside-down, packed with sand, loaded with the wrong caliber, and being held by Stephen Hawking.
So, my inner geek keeps saying, "Don't get a Glock! That's boring!" But it seems to be that for an everyday carry gun, a Glock is going to fit my needs and preferences better than anything else out there.
Is there anything else anyone has to suggest other than "Glocks Suck" or "1911s Suck" or "HK IS TEH AWWSUM!!1!one!"? |
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