I am going to buy a new handgun and need some advice. I know this could become a Chevy vs. Ford debate but here goes. The ones I am looking at are Glock, Springfield XD, and Smith and Wesson M&P in 9mm or .40 s&w. Do not have much experience with handguns. These are in my price range. Which gun and caliber? Plan on taking concealed handgun course soon. Thanks for input!

If you are going to carry it concealed, then you really need to pick the smallest one that you like. I know that carrying a full size pistol for long periods can get annoying. My next carry pistol is going to be a kal tec p-32, not a lot of punch but extremely easy to carry. Right now I have a sig 229 and a taurus millenium and I rather carry the taurus. The sig is just to big to comfortably carry. I would rather have a small gun that I carry alot, than a bigger gun that I leave behind because it is to big.

XD compact or Sub Compact, I personally like the 40 cal.

a .40 caliber is a great one, the power of a .45 but the speed of a 9mm.

i like either the XD or the smith

I won�t recommend a specific gun since it�s a matter of preference. It�s real hard to go wrong with most manufactures these days as long as it�s reliable with the type of ammo you will carry.


If this is going to be something you might potential defend you or your family with you must become very familiar with it and know how it functions and how to clear it if it jams on you. 9mm is going to be more affordable usually than the .40 if you reload this might not matter much but if you don�t then the price of factory ammo might be a consideration.

In this http://www.downrange.tv/player.htm link there are a set of video�s with the title of � CCW demystified) its not the finally word on carry guns but something to consider.

Well okay, this might get lengthy... First of all, all the pistols you named are good ones. A good general rule (there are a few exceptions) is: You get what you pay for.
As far as the ford vs. chevy thing,... you're right. I have been reading various handgun magazines for as long as I can remember, and EVERYONE has their own opinion.

Some background on myself.. My dad is a retired Texas State Trooper (retired as a senior trooper in Denton County), former DPS firearms instructor. I was raised with combat shooting.

Having said that... Most people will say that you shouldn't carry anything less than .40 cal for knock-down power. But with the latest ammo developments, i would argue that a 9mm could be just as effective.
Dad always said, if you can hit what you're shooting at accurately and consistently, it doesn't matter what the caliber is.

Advantages to a Glock: There is no external safety other than the one in the trigger and i like this because there's no thinking about it. You know that when you pull the trigger... it goes boom. No thinking about "did i leave it on or off" no confusion. Sort of like a revolver, with more shots. Another advantage of the Glock is that they are nail driving, straight shooters, right out of the box!

Springfield makes a good gun but I don't really like the XD's. I know they're good pistols but I just don't like the bulkiness of them. I do love their 1911's. You can't beat those. Personally, for a carry gun, I would recommend any 1911 made by springfield. I think you would find the XD a little too bulky and fat too lug around. 1911's are slim and come in a WIDE range of sizes. Basically, you'll have to shop around and find something comfortable that you feel confident with.

As far as the velocity, size, etc etc... of the projectile... It matters VERY little if you can hit what you aim at. Good luck and feel free to pick my brain.

Subscribing to this post!

I am a big fan of the Glock!!! But I would recommend going to the range and shoot them all. Get a feel and go with it.

Thanks for the replies. Please keep them coming. I probably will not actually carry the gun that often. Just on a few ocassions when travelling alone. The mention about the safety on the Glock, can someone expand on that?

Cootshooter, Great information! What about weight? With all things close to equal, wouldn't the Glock be better? Thanks

Sure, every model of Glock has the same safety. It's not like any other safety, it's simply a small mechanism in the trigger that must be depressed in order for the gun to fire. It pretty much only protects the gun from firing when dropped or things of this nature. There is no "conventional" safety like on most other pistols. Check it out in a gun shop. Here's a pic to get an idea. Keep in mind that if you don't like this, you can have it converted by a gunsmith to a more traditional style. hope this helps

well, suprisingly, there's not much difference in weight between a glock and a 1911 style. The reason is because inside the magazine of a glock, the bullets sit staggered in a zig zag like pattern. Where as in the 1911's it's a single stack, one right on top of the other. Glocks will hold more in capacity, but you sacrifice the extra weight and the fact that they are thicker to make room for the staggered position of the bullets. This is why you hear people referring to their 1911's as "single stacks".

I think you'd be well served by any of those. I'd go to the nearest indoor pistol range and see if they have any of those you can rent, so you have a little shooting expereience before you buy. If I had to pick 3rd place, it would be the Smith.

look at kimber, I now it has already been stated but it is very important, if you plan to carry or use this gun for protection make sure it is comfortable in your hand

Wow, of the ones mentioned...glock.

Well, I was trying to stay in the price range he had originally mentioned. But sure, if there's no limit on price, Kimber is an excellent pistol. They have several small, carry guns that are really smooth and accurate. They also have full size and target pistols that are top of the line. Even better than Kimber (in my opinion of course) is a Wilson. Then you also have the Colt's and Valtro.
Not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on one pistol though and to be perfectly honest... I am pretty confident that i could compete just as well with a $500 gun as i could with a 4 thousand dollar one. It just wouldn't be as pretty.

Can I add Kahr to the list? I am looking at the CW series. It copares to the Glocks,as they are both polymer, but the Kahr is a single stack so it doesn't hold as many rounds. It comes in 9mm, 40 s&w and 45 acp. I have seen the 9mm and the 40 at Sportsman's Warehouse for $400. If it is strictly a truch gun, then I woudl go for a Glock 19 (9mm) or a Glock 23 (40 s&w).

I got the Smith & Wesson M&P in the .40cal for Xmas. I have owned a Glock 22 before also. Let me tell you the M&P is a sweet gun and I liked it much more than the Glock. It comes with interchangeable grips which is great for making the gun fit in your hand. I also like the recoil better, the gun feels like it kicks straight back instead of the barrel popping straight up, which helps you keep your sights on the target better when rapid firing. Got mine at Academy for $500 and there is a promotion with that gun, $50 rebate and two extra 15 round mags (comes with two also). The M&P is also much easier to disassemble for cleaning purposes than the Glock. Great gun for home defense and a really fun gun for the range. Not great for conceal and carry because of the size unless you just want to have it in the car with you.

I must be honest, I've never cleaned an M&P. I've shot them several times and I did like them, but it's just like everything else... Personal choices, you know. I will say this, if they're easier to clean than a Glock, it must be pretty easy. Because the Glock is one of the easiest pistols to break down!

I think the most important thing for a concealed carry pistol is how comfortable it is to carry. IMO everything else is not as important. I would rather have a gun that is comfortable to carry, because if it is to big, or uncomfortable you will find that you don't carry it as often as you should. I like to carry my wifes kaltec p-32 over my sig 229, or my taurus millenium both in .40 cal. The p-32 is the only gun I have that I can carry with NO discomfort. The others end up bugging me if I am sitting down, or trying to bend over. Please make sure what ever gun you buy that you will carry it all the time, or you are just wasting you money. I bought the sig to carry, and ended up having to buy the taurus because the sig was just to big to be comfortable to carry all day. The taurus is managable, but I almost always grab the p-32.

Thanks for all the replies. I purchased a Glock 19 and plan to work on my shooting and then take the handgun course. Then I plan on looking into getting a smaller one for carry. Thanks again for the opinions.

Congrats on a great pistol purchase. You'll be happy with it! Glad we could help.

Cootshooter what are your thoughts on the Bursa Thunder 380?
I have considered this a carry pistol due to size and 380 is the smallest I want as a defensive round. Read some articles on this pistol and were positive. Just looking for some real world information.

Thanks Dean

I vote XD40! Sweet gun...