I may be in the wrong place at the wrong time to ask about pistols. Looking at pistols for concealed carry but also fun to shoot at the range. I know this is a hunting forum but I just bet a lot of you carry and don't mind giving opinions on various pistols. If this is the wrong place to ask for pistol reviews please tell me where the right place is.

PS. Been registered on this forum but never have posted. Used to be avid hunter, shooter, reloader, lead melting bullet maker, gun range hanger rounder, but lost interest for a few years. Trying to rekindle my interest in range shooting.

love my glock, but it is all what you are comfortable with.

You have a preference on caliber? I love my Kimber .45 acp and have been eyeing their ultra carry model with the 3" barrel for concealed carry.

I gotta second the Kimber, it's as close to a custom gun as you can get straight out of the factory.

yeah kimber is an awesome gun if you can afford one.

kimber all the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

I'd be real nice if you could try out several pistols and see which fits your hand well maybe a range/shop that rents guns is in your area. Thinking how you are going to conceal your gun is important a full size 1911 is great but might be a problem to conceal for some and its not a lightweight gun either. A revolver is not a bad choice something like a S&W 642 is light and easy to carry. http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/s...amp;isFirearm=Y A .38 +p round is not going to bounce off a badguy.

I just now started looking at pistol reviews and these are the ones I would like opinions on: Ruger SR9, P89, and P95, Springfield Armory XD-9mm. My brother and I were gun nuts but he died a few years ago and I kind of lost interest. He had Kimbers and Glocks. I had S&W and a Glock compact 45. I have to admit to be a bit old fashioned. I picked up an old Ruger Flattop Blackhoawk at a pawn shop and fell in love with it. It fit my hand naturally, like I had maybe used on in the past. I tried my damdest to find a semi auto that I liked. I bought and sold the Glock compact 45 3 times before I finally just gave it up. I shot a Glock 17(?) the standards size 9mm. Never had a problem with it; but I just don't like that two part trigger. On the other hand I do not like double action revolvers either. And my arthritis is getting to the point that I don't want much recoil. So, thus far, my thinking is a hi-cap compact (4"barrel) 9mm. Another gripe with the Glock is no trigger or hammer block safety. Cost is another factor. All the pistols above can be had for $500 or less new and even cheaper used. I am the kind of guy that rates form, function, and cost above esthetics. Kimber is a good not inexpensive firearm but if a Ruger will work as well for half the cost I will go with t he Ruger. I will not make any decisions til next summer about what to get. I haven't gone any further than looking at some internet sites so far. Hope I didn't make this post too long.

I would say xd over glock all day long, the kimber is worth the money for sure

Check ouy the CZ-75 line, they are great guns, affordable and accurate. For a polymer I really like the Springfield XD-40.

TX7Mag

Don't have one but alot of people like the S&W M&P line.
I have a Sigma in .40 and like it alot.

I have a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry 45 and a Kimber Stainless Target II, 45. In my opinion Kimber is the best by far!!!

Looks like you have you short list of guns your looking at that's a good start. Hate to harp on the weight issue again but it is something to consider. The XD and the new SR9 are in very close to each other in that aspect. The SR9 also has a thumb safety like a 1911, something most polymer framed guns don't all have.

I might be wrong but i understand the SR9 will fit in Glock holsters so even if its a new gun it will have holsters ready for it.

Since you said "form,function and cost" then I will vote for the Ruger P95. You mentioned recoil as a concern so go with 9mm(also the cheapest round since you mentioned range work).
The Ruger is not a beautiful gun but is reliable and the cost is reasonable(new ones were available this time last year for $299). They are high capacity(15+1) and they are more accurate than most shooters.

The drawbacks are- a less than crisp trigger and they are rather large for concealed carry.

I just wanted a 9mm last year and bought the P95-decock version(they are available with safeties as well) and I have been more than well pleased with my investment.

The best advice has already been given to try several brands and calibers and take your time in making a selection.

Good luck.

Springfield 1911 or XD's, don't much casre for the Ruger semi-autos.

I just shoot a friends baby eagle 40cal. and its a great little pistol. Pretty compact and not much recoil at all.

I traded for a FM 95 Classic, the Argentine built Browning Hi Power. Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, but hope to Saturday. Any one have any experience with Hi Powers?

Only shot one and that was many years ago. The FN versions were always well made and fit your hand well.

For years the Browning Hi-Power was the standard by which 9mm were measured. To many people, that is still true
although there are more folks who favor the double action semi-autos and most manufacturer's now offer hi-capacity versions.

Sounds like you have a winner.
Let us know how it shoots.

I joined or rejoined the East Texas Rifle and Pistol Club out of Longview today so I will be shooting tommorrow. Any one know where I can find an owners manual (preferaqbly online) for a FM F95 classic? I'm not too sure about how to break this pistol down and sure dont want to mess it up bef ore I shoot it.

Love them Hi-Powers, Not a finer pistol built. I have several, been collecting them for years.

I never had much use for semi auto pistols before. My brother and I took the ccw course and he got his permit but I didn't. Heck we were together 24-7 and he carried everywhere he went. I stuck with the single action revolvers and single shot rifles. Had a Ruger Super Black Hawk but traded it off when I pulled or strained every muscle, ligament, and tendon in my elbow from shooting it. I think one of my reloads got a tad bit more powder than it was supposed to have. I had a 45 glock, full size Springfield 45, a S & W, and shot my brother's Kimbers. Never did get a feel for them. My brother died in 2001 and I just kind of lost the desire to shoot. We lived two miles from the range and when we were home (used to be OTR truckers) we would spend every spare minute at the range. We bought and sold and traded guns like crazy. The last deer I shot was with a Marlin 336 shooting 44mags that I reloaded my self including casting the bullet. My favorite rifle to shoot was a Handi rifle. Had 6 different caliber barrels for it and reloaded for every one cept the 223.I sold almost all of them when I lost my hunting and shooting partner.
I am taking early social security retirement in the spring and hope to be able to do a few more things than I can afford to now. Plan on taking a few trips and thought getting my ccw might be a wise thing to do with the way things are going in this old world. Even rejoined the rifle and pistol club. Heck, I might even learn how to shoot a darned old semi auto some day.

Congrats on the new pistol. I'm a big fan of the Hi power it should serve you well.