Time for my first handgun

[Seanz0rz]

... and no, not a fisher-price model.

after much, much online research, i have decided on the springfield XD-9.

now being the gun nuts i know you guys are (speaking to you fuster!), what do you think of this weapon?

since it is a polymer frame, it gets compared with the glock 19. everyone i have talked to who has fired both has said the XD is far superior, etc etc etc... i am looking for something easy to fire while still being powerful enough for self defense.

my only concern for this weapon is the lack of a thumb activated safety switch. the gun has two safeties, a grip safety and a trigger (new york) safety. how concerned should i be about the lack of a "real" safety?

this is my first hand gun, and indeed the first gun i will own as mine. is this a wise choice? its life will see target practice/recreational shooting, and may travel with me into wilderness areas. it will never be concealed carried, especially not in this state. beyond that, it will likely serve as a home defense weapon, if the need should ever arise.

good decision? any other pointers for a first time gun owner? i have not taken a safety class but between my father who has owned guns for most of his adult life, and my uncle who's livelihood is guns, i have all the basics of safety covered.

[Robinhood4x4]

Neither the glock nor XD are superior to each other in the way they shoot. After extensive research and range time with both, for my wife's first handgun, it comes down to which one feels the best. For me, the glock's grip is fatter than my XD40 subcompact and it just doesn't feel right. Maybe I'm just used to the XD's now, but when I hold the two side by side the XD just feels better.

Regarding the safety, for a defense gun I do not want a safety. That was one criteria I had for my wife who has very little experience with firearms...no safety. She seems to have better taste than me so she's doing to end up with an HK P2000 and not the USPC for just that reason. A safety requires you to put in lots of time practicing at the range and dry firing at home. Clicking off the safety must become second nature so you don't even realize you're doing it. Otherwise in the heat of the moment you're going to forget. I know the new XDs come with a safety, but my year old one, does not.

Having said all that, I do feel more comfortable with the XD's additional grip safety. I also like the single action trigger feel of the XD better than the glocks.

[RunnerUp]

As robinhood says, first feel all the firearms you are interested in, they HAVE to feel right in your hand. For me, GLOCKS just do not do it, they just do not fit my hand the way I feel it should. now don’t get me wrong, GLOCKS are wonderful guns that will last forever, but after exhausting range time with GLOCKS and (at the time) S&W's new MP series, I decided the S&W was for me.

As far as safety's, I do not like them on my handguns, but that is just personal opinion. The only reason I would consider purchasing a handgun with a safety was if I planned to carry, it loaded (1 in the chamber).

Recently I got a new carry weapon, a .38 snub nose S&W revolver that has become my carry firearm. When I wear my ankle holster, no one can see the slightest imprint, and you do not have to worry about an accidental discharge due to the way the holster is designed. I realize you do not plan to carry concealed, but you might like a revolver more than a semi-auto (you can just leave it loaded for months, with semi's you should change between magazines to prevent wearing out the springs)

I would recommend you personally go and get firearm training, just because while you might have spent a lot of time with your elders who know what to do, nothing beats that first hand knowledge you get when you take a class.

Whatever you get, good luck and practice as often as you can so you are proficient with it.

[YotaFun]

Subscribing to thread.
I am on the look out for my first as well.
I am also looking into classes as well.

[xonetruthcrewx]

I have shot a lot of handguns and handled even more. If you made your decision on what to buy based on what you have read, thats simply put, retarded. In order to buy a handgun thats right for you, you need to go check them all out in person and fire them all. Every gun is different. Certain ones will fit your hand much better than others. I hate Glocks. Not a very big fan of the Springfield XD's either. When it comes down to it, I really dont like any polymer framed guns. The H&K USP's arent too bad though. I prefer Sig Sauer, hands down. They are on the expensive side though. The overall quality of them and the way they fit my hand, is simply incredible.

As for your concern with the "lack" of safeties, the only safety that is worth a damn is your finger. All the stupid safeties some of these guns have is retarded. They seem to just get in the way and make things more complicated. I see them as a false sense of security. If you really "need" these safeties, maybe you shouldnt have a gun. No offense, just my opinion.

With all that said I leave you all you need to know, www.sigarms.com.

[YotaFun]

What is everyones thoughts on Beretta?
My mom bought a MOD 70 and has a lot of ammo for it for a home safety thing.
I have held the gun (have yet to fire but will be asking my father to take me to a shooting range either this Thursday) and it feels quite comfortable.
At least I think, I don't know exactly how its suppose to feel, I mean my grip on it feels good, I guess I will find out more when I fire it.

I am also going to find out what kind of fire arms my father posses, I know he has one revolver that was my uncle and I think a semi-auto, again have to check, I was younger when I held that gun and so it was big to me, again have to check now.

Anyway thoughts?

[Robinhood4x4]

By the way Sean, I do like my XD40 a lot, it's a very nice gun. Have you held one, racked the slide and tried the trigger? The springs on the XDs tend to be pretty stiff and it's kinda hard to rack. I could have talked my wife into getting one, but she has a hard time with the slide. The triggers are nice since they are Single Action Only (SAO).

Double Action Only (DAO) are harder to pull, but offer their own safety advantages. Ever wonder why revolvers don't have safeties? Because of the DAO. Then there are SA/DA where if you carried, one would carry with one in the chamber and the hammer down. Pull the trigger like a DA, then the subsequent rounds are SA. Glocks are somewhere in the middle with their own action.

The trigger action may even be more important than how the grip fits your hand. If you don't like the trigger, you won't like the gun.

Glocks are unique in at least 2 other ways. The handle is angled differently than most other guns so that will take a little getting used to. The barrel has a polygonal rifling which can be prone to lead fouling so it's advised not to shoot lead bullets out of them. One should shoot only jacketed bullets to prevent this. The thing that glocks have going for them is the aftermarket is pretty big so you can find just about anything you want for them, including barrels that can shoot lead.

[Seanz0rz]

ive held the glocks enough to know i dont want them.

as for the XD, i rather liked the stiffer slide, and i like the feel of the trigger, i found the angle of the gun was very intuitive and i was able to line up the sights easily the first time.

im looking for ranges where i can test fire before buying.

[Bob98SR5]

like all have said, it comes down to what you feel comfortable with. forget all the hearsay and amateur/expert opinion. i own a glock 19 and found it to be the best feeling/fitting polymer gripped handgun at the time i bought it. im sure there are new guns out there that i might consider buying, but for now, i'm happy with my glock 19. most of all, i like the fact taht it does not have any safeties besides the one in the trigger. i dont get out on the range at all anymore, so my choice back then paid off today

[JnJ85]

I have a S&W .40 M&P- it's a great gun and has the stopping power, if needed.

...John
Somewhere in the Mojave Desert...