Considering new carry pistol: discussion of a difficult choice...

[molonlabetn]

Okay. It's been a while since I've upgraded my carry gun. The XD-357 Service, which has been my mainstay alongside a few others in the past 2-3 years, has been my primary for a long time. I don't really need a different gun, but I'm sure you all can understand wanting something new...

Since I now have the P3AT, which goes with me everywhere, I can afford to go to a pistol which is a bit larger for occassional carry. So, I'm thinking about a .45acp handgun along the lines of a Sig P220 Carry, an XD-45, or one of the new FNP-45s... but part of me leans heavily towards a Dan Wesson Bobtail Commander in 10mm or .45acp.

I can debate with myself all day long regarding the pros and cons of these 4 options. I want to hear some of yours, and I especially want to hear from owners of one or more of these specific pistols, since I have never owned a P220, an FNP-45, or a DW 1911. I am most interested in the P220 Carry SAS or SAO, not the DA/SA (I dislike the location of the decocker).

I am open to your opinons and conclusions about these.

[BimmerFreak]

Hi-Point .45?

[poak]

A HUGE +1 on the Sig P220.

[The Rabbi]

1911 in .50 Gastro Intestinal. Bigger really is better.

[nightrunner]

i think the 10mm would be a great choice

[Guest bigbuck_tn]

I had the older German P220 (with the stamped and pinned slide) at one time. It had a really nice trigger and it shot really well but the front to back dimensions of the grip seemed to long for me. It never felt like I had a really good hold on it.

The SA trigger pull was very nice though.

I didn't mind the decocker location, but I didn't like the slide release, it always felt akward to me.

I haven't fired any of the others.

[molonlabetn]

Hi-Point .45?

Ooooo! Ooooo! I'll take the Match Grade model if it's available!

[R1100R]

I have a 220ST and love it.

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

My vote, out of those choices, goes to the Dan Wesson. My fathers Pointman 7 is a fantastic gun. If I can make it out to the next meet I will be sure to bring it along. I almost picked up the commander bobtail myself, but it was a bit heavy when compared side by side with an aluminum framed 1911.

[Guest flyfishtn]

My vote goes for the Dan Wesson. I love carrying my full sized 1911 and that Dan Wesson would make the carry even better.

[Guest sling]

When in doubt go for the Sig. Go Sig and never turn back... :-P

[Guest harbinger]

Sig is awesome. If you go for the 220 Carry, you might want to wait a bit for the external extractor models.

Apparently there have been some issues with certain carry 220s with the internal extractor. Not all, but enough to make some people not trust it as a carry gun. From what I've gathered, the 220 will soon have an external extractor that seems to be more reliable.

The only 220 I ever had was a full sized older W. German one, and it was a fine pistol.

[Moped]

How can you go wrong with a 1911 design in .45acp?

[Magiccarpetrides]

Go sig...you want something dependable and something that will shoot no matter how crappy you treat it....think AK with accuracy ;-D

[Urse]

When you absolutely positively have to kill every mother?*#ker in the room............................................................................Sig P220 SAO

[Guest Mugster]

Well, the 220 or the DW would be my picks. I'd go with the one you can handle the best and/or can live with. The DW is going to be heavier I think. If you are carrying on your belt daily concealed, its pretty hefty to tote around and probably has more sharp edges. I'd give the pointability/trigger pull edge to DW. I dunno if firepower is a consideration...i guess the 220 gets the nod there.

I dunno if its worth going 10mm or not. Maybe for a hunting rig where 1 well placed shot will do it...but even then, .45acp hand loads easily up to 1000fps+ in 230 grains...plenty for anything around here at short range. I think a factory .45 acp +P round in 230 grains about maxes out what a pistol can do for you in terms of the controllability vs stopping power balance. Plus you can feed it cheaper plinking ammo that you can buy at walmart. 10mm factory stuff is pricey from what I know of it and hard to find over the counter.

I'm sure you wouldn't be undergunned or disappointed with any of the handguns you have listed. Enjoy the search!

[Im Neero]

I'd go with the 1911. The slim design makes it perfect for carry, I don't see how you guys pack all those big fat guns all day.

[Moped]

There is only 3 oz. difference in the weight between the Sig and the DW. I really like the looks off the DW, but I am slightly prejudiced.

[DaveTN]

You just can’t go wrong with a 1911. The Dan Wesson (now CZ) is in the price range of a Smith & Wesson or a Kimber. But IMHO it’s fit and finish is not the quality of either of those.

I have only briefly examined the DW; I have not shot it so I can’t comment on how it performs compared to the others.

[deerslayer]

molon,

Weren't you considering going to an IDPA match soon? If so, take note of who is doing tap-rack-bang drills in the middle of a stage. Listen to the 1911 guys talking to each other about the latest trick or mod or new magazine they are trying. 1911s are sweet guns if they are running right, but getting them running right is not as easy as many believe. Some are fine out of the box, many are not, though. A lot of guys who simply poke holes in paper think they are fine, only to be suprised when they run their guns hard in an IDPA or USPSA setting--all the fleas tend to show up (I think Rabbi recently made a similar observation). A lot of 1911 owners are the most loyal of all--they cuss their guns in the middle of a stage, but rant about them when not shooting, so you have to take some of their opinions with a grain of salt. Unlike a Glock, an alloy frame 4" .45 1911 is about as close to "perfection" as one can get for a carry gun (IMO), but good luck finding one that runs, stays together, and doesn't require a paper clip to take it apart or a new recoil spring every 1500 rounds. They just weren't worth the trouble for me.

If I wanted a .45 that did not have to be uber-small, I would first look at the SIG 220. Single action or DA or DAO or whatever, SIGS are awesome.

Edited April 19, 2008 by deerslayer

[mac12]

1911 in .50 Gastro Intestinal. Bigger really is better.

[Medio]

I gotta find the magazine I had not to long ago, but there was an article by I think Massad Ayoob revieiwing the Sigs. He said the difference between a regular P220 and the carry is negligible, but of course, both great guns.

[VERO1]

Get the Dan Wesson in 10mm, so that I can buy it from you when you get tired of it.

[Guest gcrookston]

well, I've not much to say about that... here's my options:

[Guest tadams]

I gotta find the magazine I had not to long ago, but there was an article by I think Massad Ayoob revieiwing the Sigs. He said the difference between a regular P220 and the carry is negligible, but of course, both great guns.

I did find an Ayoob article specifically for the SAO: American Handgunner, Nov/Dec 2007.