Does Anyone Buy Full Sized Pistols Anymore?

[Garufa]

As long as I have my own house with my own nightstand next to my own bed, there will be a full sized pistol within.  Maximum capacity.  Compacts are for carrying.

Edited December 28, 2019 by Garufa

[Wingshooter]

My last gun purchase was a full size 1911. A 1943 model from the CMP  

 

Prior to that was a S&W M&P9

[TGO David]

My last three guns and my daily carry are all "Service" sized guns.

[Erich]

On 12/27/2019 at 10:19 PM, Garufa said:

As long as I have my own house with my own nightstand next to my own bed, there will be a full sized pistol within.  Maximum capacity.  Compacts are for carrying.

Equating full size with magazine size? If so, what is that minimum capacity to qualify?

That would put out a 1911 or 629 for example. Both full size buy only a laughable (the bad guy will laugh at you) 6 to 8 rounds. 

What about those carry only compacts (not suited to defend your home) like a G19, M&P, or P01 that can carry their larger gripped "full size" brothers mags with its whopping 2 extra rounds. Are they out? Or is it just the mag that makes one feel safe or gets the job done.

If mag size is what helps one sleep at night, it seems its not about what fits in the nightstand, rather its the AR pistol under the bed with its 100 round drum.

 

13 hours ago, TGO David said:

My last three guns and my daily carry are all "Service" sized guns.

Compacts are issued by PD's and .gov, making them service pistols. G19 being a good example. I'd have to say a G45 is really a compact given its using the compact barrel. 

I'll reiterate this should be defined since folks are blending service and full size without any parameters leaving it subjective. And a service pistol is not necessarily what most think of as full sized.

[Garufa]

3 minutes ago, Erich said:

Equating full size with magazine size? If so, what is that minimum capacity to qualify?

That would put out a 1911 or 629 for example. Both full size buy only a laughable (the bad guy will laugh at you) 6 to 8 rounds. 

What about those carry only compacts (not suited to defend your home) like a G19, M&P, or P01 that can carry their larger gripped "full size" brothers mags with its whopping 2 extra rounds. Are they out? Or is it just the mag that makes one feel safe or gets the job done.

If mag size is what helps one sleep at night, it seems its not about what fits in the nightstand, rather its the AR pistol under the bed with its 100 round drum.

I am comfortable with a Glock 22 in the nightstand.  15+1 rounds of 180 gr HST satisfies me.  With an extra mag that is more than sufficient.  Full grip, easy to handle, no adaptations or need for extended clips or other absurd options.

[DL126]

Between the wife and I, there are more than 4 and less than 10 FS and a pair of micro carry units around here somewhere.

She's a "Glockaholic" and I'm partial to Sig.

Yea we like full size frames. 

[Mamba]

On 12/27/2019 at 9:19 PM, Garufa said:

As long as I have my own house with my own nightstand next to my own bed, there will be a full sized pistol within.  Maximum capacity.  Compacts are for carrying.

Mmm....but max capacity doesn't necessarily dictate FS (double-stack Glocks come to mind). That said, yah, I keep a G17 (in a CAA MCK chassis, red-dot, light, sling, extra 17rd mag in the slot) bed-side. But along with that, my SC EDC which holds 14rds (Beretta Storm PX4 & Olight Valk mini 2). Capacity doesn't require FS as much so as in the past.

As for the OP's post, my last purchase was the Storm and I doubt I'll be buying any more FS guns....not that I wouldn't like to do so. But I'm living on a fixed income now so if it's not for EDC I'll have to pass. At the range I mainly train with what I carry.

 

[DWARREN123]

Last 2 pistols are Rugers, SR9 and SR45. Both full size pistols.

[Choatecav]

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 8:41 PM, leroy said:

What are ya carryin your big glock in Choat..?  Im always lookin...I've been usin a chest holster.

Thanks,

leroy...

Hey there, Leroy. 

Sorry for the delay in replying but life happens...……….

I have been just using a basic OWB side holster, but I just had a fella in Alabama do some mill work so I can add a Trijicon RMR red dot and another friend there has made me a side holster that will accommodate the red dot so I am in a transitional period of moving to that.  I also just added a KKM match barrel for hotter loads. 

Not sure about your area in East TN, but coyotes have gotten thicker than fleas in Middle TN and I despise them so I go prepared.  When mounted on a horse, you can get much closer to wildlife (deer, coyotes, etc.) than you ever could on foot, and as you know, that 10 mm can pretty well take care of what ever needs taking care of.

thanks

Mark C.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Choatecav

[leroy]

1 hour ago, Choatecav said:

Hey there, Leroy. 

Sorry for the delay in replying but life happens...……….

I have been just using a basic OWB side holster, but I just had a fella in Alabama do some mill work so I can add a Trijicon RMR red dot and another friend there has made me a side holster that will accommodate the red dot so I am in a transitional period of moving to that.  I also just added a KKM match barrel for hotter loads. 

Not sure about your area in East TN, but coyotes have gotten thicker than fleas in Middle TN and I despise them so I go prepared.  When mounted on a horse, you can get much closer to wildlife (deer, coyotes, etc.) than you ever could on foot, and as you know, that 10 mm can pretty well take care of what ever needs taking care of.

thanks

Mark C.

Thanks Mark...

I greatly appreciate it... RE: Coyotes... They are here, but lotsa folks are thinnin em out when they are in the right place at the wrong time... Most everybody keeps their cats n small dogs inside if they are anywhere close to open fields around here.

Thanks again.

leroy.

[AuEagle]

As others have said, good to see ya, posting Leroy.

[leroy]

23 hours ago, AuEagle said:

As others have said, good to see ya, posting Leroy.

Thanks Brother..! I greatly appreciate  it..,

[Cruel Hand Luke]

I generally carry either a G34 or G17 but have been spending a fair amount of time lately with a full size Sig320 . The only time I carry anything smaller than a full size pistol is if wardrobe simply will not allow a full size pistol to be carried. And since IWB carry makes barrel length irrelevant in regards to concealability, anything that I can wear a belt and an untucked shirt with allows me to carry a full size pistol. Now if I'm stuck with having to tuck in my shirt and I cannot wear a coat or vest to cover it due to weather (too hot) or "dress code" (leaving jacket or suit coat on would be out of place) then yes a pocket carried or ankle carried gun is going to need to be smaller than full size.  But barring overriding wardrobe issues, a full size pistol is what I chose to carry every day. 

Smaller pistols are generally easier to conceal.... Just like a "Smart Car" takes up less space in your garage and gets better gas mileage than a full size car....but the Smart Car has no storage space and is not ideal for adult size humans to drive comfortably for long trips....just like a subcompact or a Jframe are often not comfortable to practice with (which leads to people carrying guns for the purpose of saving their lives that they don't ever practice with....YIKES ). 

  A J-frame (or a subcompact auto) is easier to carry if you dress like you are going to work out at the gym or if you chose to dress in skinny jeans and tapered shirts....but they suck to fight with compared to full size pistols.... and I was always under the assumption that I was carrying a gun in case I actually had to use it...not just as a pacifier to make me feel better or as a talisman to ward off evil . As such I want the most effective and easiest to fight with gun I can carry. 

 

[Defender]

I would prefer to carry a full size pistol, butr to be honest, my weight and lack of hips make it very uncormfortable to carry a full size.  I carried a full sized FN FNP-45  plus 2 extra mags OWB for years but got to the point that even with suspenders and a great gunbelt, my pants either kept sliding down due to the weight or the stress on my shoulder blades form the suspenders  hurt too much.  Went to a smaller gun  like the 365XL and carry IWB and its a whole lot better!

[SRST51]

Let’s see. Since Dec 1

 

Beretta M9A3. Kimber Aegis Elite Custom 9mm.  Walther PPQ M2 Q5 Match with Vortex Venom. 
 

  I have a gun for all my needs in my collection and buy guns I will shoot and shoot a lot now. 

[tnhawk]

Two of my last three pistols were full size.  One of those was a 10 mm , 6" barrel.

[pop pop]

My daily carry is a 2" 357 Mag 7 shot Taurus mdl 617 pocket carry or a MP 9C 2.0 15 shot with 4" brl carried IWB or belt slide, or both.  The revolver is a  K frame size revolver, if you are familiar with the K frame mid size, and the MP is a mid sized to full size pistol, call it a tween size(not full size but not small). 

My bedside revolver is a Mdl 629 44Mag/44Spl which I keep loaded with 44 Spl ammo. If one is forced to use either, one will want the largest gun available so why not have one at hand.  At 71 Y O, with health issues, that is my choices and yes I own several J-frames and smaller semi auto pistols(Kahr P 9, Kahr PM 40, Colt Pocketlight 380 etc), but I choose bigger because I can shoot them better. I dress around the gun. 

Yes, I purchase, and utilize mid to full size handguns, all the time, and have a preference for them.  These market items are not dead by any means. I have an 8 shot 5" brl 38Spl/357Mag on my bucket list, at this time, and would purchase one for my bedside gun, but just have not put out the coins (900 to $1000) "YET".  

I pray, daily, that I will never be forced to use one of the guns, but "if forced too", hope I will be up to the challenge. 

Edited January 13, 2020 by pop pop

[leroy]

Some interestin things here, not the least of which is Pop Pop' s insightful post above... As ive gotten older, two things have come to me, personally...

First, ya need to carry or have with you a weapon you trust and are familiar with... There is no substitute for burnin lots of powder, and a " full size " gun makes that lots easier to do for everybody, no matter the age...

Second, im big on the " two gun " idea... One physically on ya all the time, and a " full size " or " big gun " close at hand... Be it in the car, the truck, the RAZR, tractor, golf cart, or whatever...  It dont matter if its a semiauto (..which i now prefer...), a big revolver (... like my 30 yr old and Pop pop prefer..), a sawed off shotgun, an AR ... ya get the picture...

The main thing is to be able to shoot, n shoot well... The full size pistolas fill that bill for us old curmudgeons very well...  Im always thrilled when i see us older guys at the range totin a great big bag, with a great big pistol... 

leroy...

[Jack Ryan]

Last I bought was a Colt 1911, 9mm.

Before that was an FNX 45 tacticle.

Before that G20

Before that a Colt Delta Elite

I've bought a few smaller guns but they were purchased with the intent to be for my wife, 3913, BDA 380, and the one she actually considers hers now, a G19.

I don't buy guns to conceal, hide, be comfortable sitting on them all day. I buy my guns based on my ability to shoot them accurately and put lead on target. IMHO that is the mission, the reason to buy, train with, and carry a gun. Not making my shirt or pants wrinkle doen't even enter the equation or I'd just take a picture of one and carry it in my wallet.

[MisterV]

Canik tpf9 In OD Green. This is a full sized and I use it at the ranges. Best trigger for the price point.