Ruminations on my favorite "go to" handgun. What's yours?

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

While I mostly EDC the Ruger SR9c, I have to say that the full size SR9 or the SP-101 are the ones I really like the best and are always within reach when I am home and I do like the feel of the SR9 better than anything else I currently own. I also EDC it quite a lot.

I did have to go back and check and make sure I had not signed into Glock-Talk after reading this thread.

I have not yet bitten that bullet but only because I never picked one up that "felt" right to me, I am not one of the haters. And that was only true until the Gen-4's came out and I have been fondling a Gen-4 19 at my store and thinking that it would be my next purchase.

Now after reading all these comments about the problems I do believe I will wait until they have worked out the bugs and I am sure that they will. There sure is no doubt that a lot of folks love these weapons and IIRC there have been nearly 30 million Glocks sold, that certainly would not be the case if they did NOT work as required. I just wish it had been an American company that had come up with this design and not them being the ones trying so hard to reproduce it.

I was told shortly after joining this site that it was a requirement that I own a G-19. Dont tell David but I have yet to purchase one and while I was getting close, this thread has at least slowed down that process.

But for my "go to" or favorite right now it is indeed the SR9. It feels just right in my hands to the point of feeling like an extension of my arm. It holds a lot of Boo-Lits of which I have sent somewhere around 3500 downrange without the first function problem.

And somehow between IT and I "we" are very accurate at least out to the 25 yards of my range which I feel is much farther than I would ever be using a weapon to protect myself. At distances of 7-10 yards "we" can pretty much make one big hole. Add to that the price was not very high and that it is an American Made product, it has more than met the expectations that I had when I bought it.

It sits ready for duty just inches from my mouse as I type...I think it just smiled at me;)

[MikePapa1]

Nor am I in the Glock koolaid line. I've owned Glocks, sure, but I don't own any now. My Glocks were first and second generation. I though, fell in love with a more elegant and refined creature, the Sig P226. I was practicing law in a donut county to Indy when our sheriff's department adopted the 226 as their service pistol. I immediately fell in love. I was carrying a S&W 569 at the time, a good quality pistol but nothing like the Sig. So I went to the SD's vendor and bought my own. I've carried it ever since. It shoots far better than I ever could, first time, everytime no matter what you run through it. It remains my first true love and remains by my side almost evey day. If push came to shove and I could only have one pistol, my 226 would be it. It is definitely my "go to" gun.

[Moped]

I have to say I currently own a Glock 17 Gen 1 and it's a fine firearm. Been in my stable longer than any other gun, but it's my wife's house gun now. I owned a Glock 19 3rd Gen, but a buddy was looking for his wife a 19 for carry and being unsuccessful, so I sold it to him. I liked it, but not as much as my Colt Agent. I think they are great pistols, but to each their own, it's just not my favorite.

[Guest CK1]

For me it's the G17 (which at 6'2" 255 is pretty much all the attributes of thea G19 in Big&Tall-size), I've said it before and I'll say it again, some may be as good but none are better. (Gen1 - Gen3's*)

*Gen4's are crap, my personal experiences aside through 5,000+rds (which was horrible), I can't think of a single experienced Glock-shooter I know who's picked one up that hasn't had a few too many problems with the Gen4 guns... There's figuratively an avalanche of complaints out there compared to the few positive reports by shooters who're really running them through higher round counts.

However, as with any product that has higher-than-usual brand-loyalty, there're a relative few making lots of noise that anyone having problems is merely wrist-strength challenged and shooting crap ammo... Seems most of the positive reviews are coming from shooters who are proclaiming their happiness with their new purchase after only a couple hundred rounds.

You could bury a Gen3 in your backyard for 2 years it'd likely be more reliable than a Gen4 when you dug it up IMO.

Edited December 5, 2010 by CK1

[eapking]

My G26 (Gen3) gets carried 95% of the time, so I'd have to say it's my "go to". However, in hindsight I wish it would transform itself into a G19 (Gen3).

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

Well, damn, I'm just an inexperienced Glock shooter with a low round count.......I must be, or I'd think the Gen4 is crap!!!

I'm at 1000 problem-free rounds with various brands of practice ammo. Can you tell me at what point I should expect to have problems???????

I'm having flashbacks to the mid 90's and the release of the 26!!!!

[JC57]

I have a Glock 22 Gen 4 which has been problem-free for me. It's my "go to" gun for home defense if I can't get to my Remington 870 first. I don't ever carry it on me, though. My carry gun is a Bersa Thunder Pro 45 Ultra Compact. It has been reliable and accurate and conceals well enough in a good IWB holster.

[dunndw]

I've got several Glocks, Sigs, HK, etc but I almost always pull a 1911 for carry duty. Every now and then I'll carry my Sig 220, or my .357 Sig 229 but I'm at my most comfortable carrying a 1911. They fit the hand, point naturally for me, the mags are easy to carry, external safety in case some idiot tries a gun grab, they can be customized to pretty much anyones liking. With todays makers and finishes I don't think there is a better carry pistol IF the person is willing to train with it.

[TGO David]

Well, damn, I'm just an inexperienced Glock shooter with a low round count.......I must be, or I'd think the Gen4 is crap!!!

I'm at 1000 problem-free rounds with various brands of practice ammo. Can you tell me at what point I should expect to have problems???????

I'm having flashbacks to the mid 90's and the release of the 26!!!!

Maybe you should settle down and be thankful you got one that runs. Sometimes the sun even shines on a dog's ass.

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

Maybe you should settle down and be thankful you got one that runs. Sometimes the sun even shines on a dog's ass.

I was just kidding. I even used the winking smilie.

Is the sun out at your house today?

Edited December 5, 2010 by Guy N. Cognito

[TGO David]

I was just kidding. I even used the winking smilie.

Is the sun out at your house today?

You seem uptight. Go find a Redbox, rent SWAT and drift away into some pleasant daydreams.

Of course, I'd be uptight too if I learned that my Gen 4 Glock was a ticking time bomb of death.

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

You seem uptight. Go find a Redbox, rent SWAT and drift away into some pleasant daydreams.

No, I'm fine, thanks. The more time I spend on the interweb, the more I realize that my sense of humor doesn't translate well in type......on gun forums.

[TGO David]

No, I'm fine, thanks. The more time I spend on the interweb, the more I realize that my sense of humor doesn't translate well in type......on gun forums.

It's cool. I'd rather be able to trade jabs with my fellow a-holes than feel like I needed to stop and give someone a hug every so often.

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

It's cool. I'd rather be able to trade jabs with my fellow a-holes than feel like I needed to stop and give someone a hug every so often.

I'm hugging my Gen4 right now. I just told it that it doesn't have long to live...........he's in a bad place right now.

[Jasongar8]

I really think the only reason why Glock even made the Gen4 was to say they had something new. Think about it, they came out with the RTF guns a few years ago, then the SF .45's and 10mm's and now the Gen4. They want to have something "new" to debut at the SHOT Show, so they come up with these gimmicks that gets people talking about Glock. When in reality they had the perfect pistol (for me anyway) with the Gen3 guns. I think they tried to re-invent the wheel with the Gen4 and it hasn't worked as well as they thought it would.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Jasongar8

[TGO David]

Jason, I don't know... I think Glock has failed to innovate the way that they should to stay on top of the market and the Gen 4 was their poorly executed attempt at playing catch-up to the folks who have. The cold hard fact is that the Gen 3 grip doesn't fit a lot of folks. Some find it too thick, some find it too long in length of pull, some others just don't like the angle. Smith & Wesson undoubtedly has stolen some agency sales as a result of the fact that their M&P series is more adaptable ergonomically to the needs of individual shooters. Glock is still king in agency sales, but it obviously got their attention when they started losing some of their market share.

I love my M&P's and honestly don't have any reason not to carry any of them instead of my Glock 19. For some reason I just don't. My M&P 40 has been treated just as badly as my 19 and has never screwed up on me. Ever. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that the mags rattle. Silly, right? It's not like anyone but me notices... but it still bugs me.

I just ordered another M&P even. And who knows... with the Apex DCAEK installed, I may enjoy it so much that the 19 will finally get a vacation.

[Jonnin]

I have 2. Beretta px4 subcompact .40 cal. When that is too big (rarely), a sig p238 can be hidden anywhere. Before these I had tried a lot of different things, mostly carrying a makarov east german but never really happy with it (its a little wimpy, but reliable and accurate and small enough) but branching out to try a kel tec p-40 (trigger is too much really), and a variety of plastic 9mm (never found one I liked).

[Jasongar8]

Jason, I don't know... I think Glock has failed to innovate the way that they should to stay on top of the market and the Gen 4 was their poorly executed attempt at playing catch-up to the folks who have. The cold hard fact is that the Gen 3 grip doesn't fit a lot of folks. Some find it too thick, some find it too long in length of pull, some others just don't like the angle. Smith & Wesson undoubtedly has stolen some agency sales as a result of the fact that their M&P series is more adaptable ergonomically to the needs of individual shooters. Glock is still king in agency sales, but it obviously got their attention when they started losing some of their market share.

The M&P definitely fits the market for a gun that can accommodate most hand sizes, and that is what PD's need. But while the M&P fits my hand it just doesn't feel good in it. I think Glock would have been better by just adding the interchangable back straps to the Gen3 and not messing with the guide rod and springs. They tried to fix a problem (for some people) by changing the frame. But IMO, they tired to fix a problem that wasn't there with they changed the guide rod and spring system.

[Lumber_Jack]

I love my Gen 3 G19 but I would much rather shoot my kimber eclipse pro. As long as I have enough spare mags I'd go to war with it. It's not as snappy on recoil and runs flawlessly

I'll keep you posted on my new Springfield TRP It has potential to be my new favorite

[Guest Seraph]

I love my Gen 3 G19 but I would much rather shoot my kimber eclipse pro. As long as I have enough spare mags I'd go to war with it. It's not as snappy on recoil and runs flawlessly

I'll keep you posted on my new Springfield TRP It has potential to be my new favorite

You'll love the TRP.

I like my Glock 19's. I like my M&P 9 FS even more, and have been carrying it, almost exclusively, over recent months. At the end of the day, a 5" 1911 is my all time favorite. This Springfield Mil Spec here is my favorite sidearm, and is a relentless tackdriver:

[Guest CK1]

Didn't mean to hurt any feelings with my less than warm feelings regarding the Gen4 Glocks earlier, I'm sure there are some of them out there that are just fine.

So in a less confrontational manner I'd just like to put it out there that to say that they're up to the same standards of reliability as the previous generation guns would be untrue.

I'll add that I agree with TGO David that the Gen4 seems to be Glock's hastily developed counter to the success of the M&P winning agency sales. IMHO, they'd have been better off just bringing attention to the fact that S&W must've mistakenly checked the wrong box on their BATF forms, and that no matter how ergonomic or how well they could be tailored to different individuals, their agency may not want to be issuing their officers or agents a single-action gun without a manual safety...

Edited December 6, 2010 by CK1

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

Damn, again. My Gen4 Glock is a piece of crap and my M&Ps are safety-less single actions! That's it....I'm letting CK1 pick my next pistol.

David, my M&P with the DCAEK are on serious contention for my new carry pieces. I want to put a few thousand more rounds before I trust them, but so far so good.

[lowery100]

My go-to gun has always been one of a few of my 1911's. However the other night I heard a ruckus out back, I went to grab one of my 3 closest loaded handguns, and I grabbed my Glock 35. Afterwards, I thought about this thread and thought about my choice of gun. Hmmmm.

[willis68]

My commander Nighthawk 1911 is my go to gun, I have bought and sold many a 1911 but this one will never leave my side. Having said that I have a Glock 20SF and a Les Baer TRS that I trust and love as well, I also have a Sig P220 that I really like hell I like them all I guess any of them would work for my Go to gun

[Mike]

David, my M&P with the DCAEK are on serious contention for my new carry pieces. I want to put a few thousand more rounds before I trust them, but so far so good.

I have about 7k through mine with the DCAEK. It's been great. I recently went through a 1k round class in some sorry weather. Mud, rocks, and debris presented no problems. Only one issue throughout the whole class. I had a double feed from a magazine I bent up when I stepped on it hard.

I really enjoy my M&P, but I wouldn't pass up my G19 to go get it if I needed a pistol.

Both are awesome.

Mike

Edited December 6, 2010 by Mike