Discussion of Underappreciated Handguns

[TGO David]

I thought it might be fun to start a conversation about practical handguns that you believe are underappreciated by the gun media, gun owners, etc.

Tell us what handguns you feel fall into this category and then tell us why they're so good and why you think they are often forgotten about or diminished?

Be ready to defend it, though.  If you make a submission and someone challenges it, for whatever reason, don't let that deter you.  Maybe we'll all learn something in the back and forth. 

 

[Chucktshoes]

Hrmmm… before two years ago I would’ve said the BHP. the recent explosion of affordable clones has really changed that though. 
 

I strongly suspect this thread will definitely be filled with full sized metal framed offerings though. I’ll be really interested to see what folks come up with not in that category. 

[deerslayer]

Glock 43

It's not Gucci like all the mini double stacks that are now fashionable and it's too small (for me) to be a general purpose carry gun, but it's quite useful in certain roles.  I'm recovering from rotator cuff surgery and didn't realize I would struggle so much to button my damn pants, so I have been carrying a pocket gun in a kydex Aholster instead of the usual IWB rig.  Many would argue that a j-frame is the best answer for a pocket gun, but I think the 43 is superior.  

- holds three more rounds (w/ Pearce +1) 

-flatter/easier to conceal 

-easier to shoot

-less recoil

-9mm is arguably more effective than .38

Edited February 21, 2023 by deerslayer

[Grayfox54]

Anything in .32 caliber. Pistol, revolver, .32acp or .32 S&W Long. Just about anything in .32 is very underappreciated. 

The big thing these days is service calibers and high capacity. The couch commandos dismiss the .32s and wouldn't even consider them. Remember that .32 acp pistols were police issue in much of Europe for decades and worked just fine. A .32 revolver was a quite common carry gun in the U.S. well into the 20th century. 

No its not a powerhouse. But it will get the job done if you do your part. Modern ammo has much improved its performance as well. Plus we now have the .32 H&R Magnum and the .327 Federal to further expand the .32s possibilities. 

The light recoil and amazing inherent accuracy make .32s a pure pleasure to shoot. 

I have a Walther PP in .32acp. Seems like every time I take it to the range, somebody tries to buy it from me. 

When the arthritis in my wife's hands got too bad for her Detective Special, we found her a 2" S&W Model 31 in .32 S&W Long. The recoil was easy for her to handle and she shot it very well. She loved that gun. 

For older people and those with physical issues a .32 caliber gun is perfect. 

Scoff if you want. You just don't know what your missing out on. 

[Erik88]

I vote for my $225 Kahr CW9 because it's  more reliable than my $1,500 Sig. Sometimes when it comes to guns, more money doesn't always equal better quality. It's unlikely I would ever buy another Sig firearm. 

[TGO David]

1 hour ago, Chucktshoes said:

I strongly suspect this thread will definitely be filled with full sized metal framed offerings though. I’ll be really interested to see what folks come up with not in that category. 

Ah... well you just provoked my fondness for Gen 3 Smith & Wesson semi-autos.  The 3913 is a hell of a great 9mm and it was doing the slim-line DA/SA thing decades before the modern striker fired equivalents came along.

 

[Grayfox54]

In my early CCW days I carried a 3914 (same as the 3913, but in blue) for a couple of years. Great gun! 

[Calexiter]

Detonics Combat master 45. Pocket Howitzer

[Chucktshoes]

43 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Ah... well you just provoked my fondness for Gen 3 Smith & Wesson semi-autos.  The 3913 is a hell of a great 9mm and it was doing the slim-line DA/SA thing decades before the modern striker fired equivalents came along.

 

This is what was in my mind when typing that. 

[tacops]

Let's see, right off the top of my head:

• Bersa Thunder .380 - I have several and have yet to be disappointed.
• Taurus revolvers in .22,.38 and .357 - I have had several over the years with never a problem and they were all fine shooters.  I still have several in .38 and one Taurus Tracker 6" .22 that is more fun than a drunk squirrel.
• PSA Dagger Compact - Relatively new to the market it is a "Glock 19 Knock Off" by some folks descriptions.  I like it far better than the Glock and put about 300 rounds through it last Sunday adorned with a Vortex Venom and it ran like Grannies sewing machine.  I think it is one of the best "Bangs for the Buck" on the market as far as compact 9mm.

[BigK]

1 hour ago, Grayfox54 said:

Anything in .32 caliber. Pistol, revolver, .32acp or .32 S&W Long. Just about anything in .32 is very underappreciated. 

The big thing these days is service calibers and high capacity. The couch commandos dismiss the .32s and wouldn't even consider them. Remember that .32 acp pistols were police issue in much of Europe for decades and worked just fine. A .32 revolver was a quite common carry gun in the U.S. well into the 20th century. 

No its not a powerhouse. But it will get the job done if you do your part. Modern ammo has much improved its performance as well. Plus we now have the .32 H&R Magnum and the .327 Federal to further expand the .32s possibilities. 

The light recoil and amazing inherent accuracy make .32s a pure pleasure to shoot. 

I have a Walther PP in .32acp. Seems like every time I take it to the range, somebody tries to buy it from me. 

When the arthritis in my wife's hands got too bad for her Detective Special, we found her a 2" S&W Model 31 in .32 S&W Long. The recoil was easy for her to handle and she shot it very well. She loved that gun. 

For older people and those with physical issues a .32 caliber gun is perfect. 

Scoff if you want. You just don't know what your missing out on. 

I know you're touting the caliber not all guns in this category, but the only .32acp I've ever shot is my Kel-Tec P-32. I almost gave up on it because it choked on every single hollow point I ever tried. It was literally a single-shot pistol w/ hp ammo. Luckily .32 acp ball ammo suited me just fine for SD.

[papa61]

3 hours ago, Erik88 said:

I vote for my $225 Kahr CW9 because it's  more reliable than my $1,500 Sig. Sometimes when it comes to guns, more money doesn't always equal better quality. It's unlikely I would ever buy another Sig firearm. 

Don't know where you found that deal but great shopping!

[papa61]

1 hour ago, BigK said:

I know you're touting the caliber not all guns in this category, but the only .32acp I've ever shot is my Kel-Tec P-32. I almost gave up on it because it choked on every single hollow point I ever tried. It was literally a single-shot pistol w/ hp ammo. Luckily .32 acp ball ammo suited me just fine for SD.

my P32 has been 100% reliable with everything I've fed it. I have heard Kel-Tec was hit and miss but I like mine so much I bought a PF9.

[papa61]

Thanks David. you had to start something near and dear to my heart. Most all of my handguns are out of the mainstream. I have a soft spot for Taurus, at the moment I own 4. I much prefer all metal handguns and have never owned a Glock. I see a lot of "the last blank I would ever sell" and it would be a very hard decision but my little Firestar M45 would probably be it. It's small (Officers Model size) but heavy, accurate, and the two I've owned were dead anvil reliable. The only failure I ever encountered was due to ammo covered in brass shavings. 
Oh, I don't care for striker fired and only have a couple, one is new to me and I have yet to test it but it may replace the PF9 as daily.

[Jamie Jackson]

I carry a Glock and an LCR.

But thought I'd toss in consideration of the SCCY 9mm.

I purchased one from a coworker several years ago. I doubt he'd even run a magazine of rounds through it.

The SCCY was very light weight, kinda chunky, and had a long , yet smooth double action trigger.

I'll be darned if I wasn't impressed with it. It was very shootable, albeit it had a very small safety.

I put around 800 rounds of handloads (various 147 gr 9mms) and well over a 50 round box of HST 147's through it. I did have a couple of FTF the first 200 or so rounds, but after that it ran without a hitch.

For less than $200.00 at the time I was quite pleased with it.

I have no idea what the current ones are like FWIW.

[Moped]

H&R 929 .22LR 9 shot revolver. Back in the day, they were very inexpensive with decent accuracy and capacity. Dad bought one for $79 at at a gun shop on Clinton Hwy, back in 1973. I learned to shoot pistol with it. Certainly not a S&W or Colt, but still a very good pistol. 

And I two, enjoy .32ACPs.  I'd love to have another one in my stable.  I've also been searching for a .32 S&W Long/ .32 H&R/.327 Fed Mag. revolver, but can't find one to trade on.

[NoBanStan]

20 hours ago, TGO David said:

I thought it might be fun to start a conversation about practical handguns that you believe are underappreciated by the gun media, gun owners, etc.

Tell us what handguns you feel fall into this category and then tell us why they're so good and why you think they are often forgotten about or diminished?

Be ready to defend it, though.  If you make a submission and someone challenges it, for whatever reason, don't let that deter you.  Maybe we'll all learn something in the back and forth. 

 

Oddly, any CZ.

I know that's an odd submission because anyone who has used them knows better, but it's surprising to me just how unknown they are with your average joe. I was in the same boat as a young buck. The only CZ I ever knew about was the old vz 61.

Even a fair amount of "gun guys" just talk about their M&P or Glock all day but haven't shot a CZ

[hipower]

My first was a CZ75. Had heard the name form others, but knew very little about them.

While walking a gun show, cira 2000, I noticed this pistol on an old "gentleman's" table. Stopped to look and ask about it. The reaction was something to the effect "I don't know anything about this. Never heard of them, but traded into it." Odd reaction from a known wheeler-dealer back then. I asked what the price was, and the response was "make me an offer."

I just popped off 200 bucks, figuring I'd be told to get lost. Surprisingly, he said yes.

This 75 appeared to be almost new. No scratches, clean bore, no sign of powder anywhere on it. Came in origional box and had the factory paperwork.

So I forked over the cash and never looked back. It's been a great pistol and wish I could get a few more at that price!

[Smith]

The Taurus 85UL hammerless I have has surprised me how good it is. Once I switched all the springs with S&W springs, the trigger is fantastic. It wasn't bad stock. One of the best DA revolver pulls I've handled.

[Moped]

1 hour ago, hipower said:

My first was a CZ75. Had heard the name form others, but knew very little about them.

While walking a gun show, cira 2000, I noticed this pistol on an old "gentleman's" table. Stopped to look and ask about it. The reaction was something to the effect "I don't know anything about this. Never heard of them, but traded into it." Odd reaction from a known wheeler-dealer back then. I asked what the price was, and the response was "make me an offer."

I just popped off 200 bucks, figuring I'd be told to get lost. Surprisingly, he said yes.

This 75 appeared to be almost new. No scratches, clean bore, no sign of powder anywhere on it. Came in origional box and had the factory paperwork.

So I forked over the cash and never looked back. It's been a great pistol and wish I could get a few more at that price!

I won a new 75B on a Harvey's Online Auction several years ago ($430+ tx & TICS).  I found it was a great shooter, but it just didn't fit my hand at all. I guess they must be sorta small, but in order to engage the safety on or off, I had to either break my grip or use the other hand. There was no flicking the safety on and off with my shooting hand thumb. I also found it to be quite heavy to carry.  A friend of mine at work, was looking for one, so I sold it to him for $500.  It's his go to carry pistol now.

[monkeylizard]

The Taurus Curve . . .

nah . . . just kidding! 

[monkeylizard]

23 hours ago, deerslayer said:

Glock 43

 

David said be ready to defend your answer!

How do you justify the larger G43 as being underappreciated for deep concealment/pocket carry when compared to the noticeably smaller Kahr PM9/CM9 (PM9 is pricier, but not the CM9) with the same 6+1 capacity (7+1 with the extensions)?

Or if you hate the loooooong Kahr trigger, the S&W M&P Shield-9? It's larger than the Kahrs, but still smaller than the Glock 43, gets an extra round over the Glock and the Kahrs, it's cheaper than the G43, and can be had with or without a thumb safety. Buyer's choice.

I'd argue any of those are better at their intended function than the G43. I have a PM9, M&P Shield 9, and a G43. The G43 is my least favorite because it's bigger than its competition without providing something beneficial for that extra size.

Then there's the seemingly magical Springfield Armory Hellcat with even more rounds in a smaller size. I haven't tried that one yet.

Edited February 22, 2023 by monkeylizard

[deerslayer]

16 minutes ago, monkeylizard said:

David said be ready to defend your answer!

How do you justify the larger G43 as being underappreciated for deep concealment/pocket carry when compared to the noticeably smaller Kahr PM9/CM9 (PM9 is pricier, but not the CM9) with the same 6+1 capacity (7+1 with the extensions)?

Or if you hate the loooooong Kahr trigger, the S&W M&P Shield-9. It's larger than the Kahrs, but still smaller than the Glock 43 and gets an extra round over the Glock and the Kahrs AND it's way cheaper than the G43 and can be had with or without a thumb safety. Buyer's choice.

I'd argue any of those are better at their intended function than the G43. I have a PM9, M&P Shield 9, and a G43. The G43 is my least favorite because it's bigger than its competition without providing something beneficial for that extra size.

I've owned all three (43, CM9, and Shield) and the Shield was bigger than the other two.  The CM9 and the 43 were close enough to not matter when the 43 was wearing its stock 6 round magazine.  I am using sise-by-side comparisons, not some manufacturer's misleading specs.  The CM9 was a good little gun except for its awful trigger.  

[monkeylizard]

I stand corrected. I got the Shield-9 and G43 out of the safe and they're the same width and length, but the Shield's grip is slightly longer by the thickness of a butt plate. It does get an extra round for that, though.

I do agree the Kahr's trigger isn't for everyone. I haven't tried the CM9. My PM9's trigger is smooth as butter but it's looooooong and there's almost no discernible catch before the break. I just keep pulling until it goes bang. Then it has a long release for the reset which makes follow-up shots harder without practice.

To me, the size and weight is noticeably less with the Kahr vs the G43 or Shield-9. Most of the time I can honestly and truly forget I have it. That doesn't happen with any other gun besides a teeny-tiny .380 like an LCP or P3AT. Not even the G43 or Shield-9.

You've talked me into giving the G43 another chance. I was planning a range day soon and I'll make room for both.

Edited February 22, 2023 by monkeylizard

[deerslayer]

42 minutes ago, monkeylizard said:

I stand corrected. I got the Shield-9 and G43 out of the safe and they're the same width and length, but the Shield's grip is slightly longer by the thickness of a butt plate. It does get an extra round for that, though.

I do agree the Kahr's trigger isn't for everyone. I haven't tried the CM9. My PM9's trigger is smooth as butter but it's looooooong and there's almost no discernible catch before the break. I just keep pulling until it goes bang. Then it has a long release for the reset which makes follow-up shots harder without practice.

To me, the size and weight is noticeably less with the Kahr vs the G43 or Shield-9. Most of the time I can honestly and truly forget I have it. That doesn't happen with any other gun besides a teeny-tiny .380 like an LCP or P3AT. Not even the G43 or Shield-9.

You've talked me into giving the G43 another chance. I was planning a range day soon and I'll make room for both.

Per their websites, the 43 with empty mag is two ounces heavier than the CM9 with empty mag.  That ain't much.  THE MSRP of all three are within $9.  MY CM9 trigger was exactly as you describe - light, smooth, and waaaay too long.  It's been a while, but I remember my Shield being chunkier in the grip.  The 43 is OK until you add the +1 extension.  Then it becomes a whole new gun that is much easier to shoot in a hurry.  

I'm not a 43 fanboy (it's too small), but my current situation has temporarily led me to pocket carry and it's the best option I have found.  I'm glad I already had it.

Edited February 22, 2023 by deerslayer