Compact carry opinions

02 Silver Z

02 Silver Z

Club Member
I know there are a lot of gun guys on here so I thought I'd get some of your opinions.

I like my Taurus PT101 .40cal just fine but I'm looking to pick up a new semi-auto compact for carrying. (I find my current weapon to be a little too heavy and large to carry comfortably) I haven't fired a lot of the new ploy framed stuff that's out now save for a Glock 23 (which I did like) but I know there are some new players in the game. I don't want too small of a frame so a lot of the sub-compacts are pretty much out. I'm pretty fond of the .40cal but would consider a 9mm to save on weight and expense of shooting.

So in an effort to save the "you get what you pay for" let me just say I am NOT looking to send a grand on a gun at this time. I'd love a nice Kimber or the like but they are a bit out of the dollar range at this time.

So feel free to share some opinions, likes/dislikes, etc. Thanks in advance for any input.
 
Smith and Wesson M&P. I have been daily carrying the 9mm compact for almost 3 years and I love it.

12+1 capacity, great ergos, well priced...


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Glock 23/19, M&P Compact

1911 is nice but are big and only holds 7-8 rounds. Not huge fan of Ruger or Taurus (except the 24/7 and Millenium Pro and Beretta clones). XD is 'okay' but why bother when you can get a Glock?
 
Try the new 3.8 XDM... See how you like that... I'm going to go shoot that and see how I like it...


Also try the XD compacts... Love mine...
 
I don't even know my Glock 23 .40cal is there. Sometimes I gotta remember if it's there or not when I go certain places.
 
ReiKo said:
Try the new 3.8 XDM... See how you like that... I'm going to go shoot that and see how I like it...


Also try the XD compacts... Love mine...
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The grip is weird and what's the point of the short barrel but a long grip?
 
robvas said:
Glock 23/19, M&P Compact

1911 is nice but are big and only holds 7-8 rounds. Not huge fan of Ruger or Taurus (except the 24/7 and Millenium Pro and Beretta clones). XD is 'okay' but why bother when you can get a Glock?
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X2.

/thread.
 
Glock 19 or a Springfield XD Compact. But go to the range and shoot a couple of different ones to see which one fits your hand the best. What ever has the best POA for you, is what you should go with. All Glock's, XD's, and M&P's are decent guns.

That being said, my opinion:

Glock 19 advantage: You can use Glock 18 mags ( 33 round ) for home defense or for fun. Lots of part manufactures. Tons of holsters for them. It would be my first choice.


Smith & Wesson M&P's are garbage IMO. Triggers are awful, and I've heard of a lot of reliability issues. They tried to copy glock for a reason, but no one has done it as well. :coolio: ( I know this pisses you off Mike, truth hurts! )


BTW, I know a guy selling new Glock's for $495. Give me a shout if that's what you want to go with.
 
ReiKo said:
Because some people have huge hands and have a hard time gripping short grips... Or some people love the feel of a longer grip...
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Why make a shorter barrel and leave the grip the same length? It doesn't hide any better, and you just make a snappy gun snappier.
 
jsxtreme said:
Smith & Wesson M&P's are garbage IMO. Triggers are awful, and I've heard of a lot of reliability issues. They tried to copy glock for a reason, but no one has done it as well..
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The S&W Sigma was a 'bad Glock copy', the S&W is a much different gun. If you don't get the 'cop trigger', it's fine.
 
robvas said:
Why make a shorter barrel and leave the grip the same length? It doesn't hide any better, and you just make a snappy gun snappier.
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It makes a huge difference in concealing and comfort when concealing... For when your in multiple sitting and standing positions...
 
I like my Glock 26(9mm--the G27 is the same size in .40)

my friend has a M&P .40c , that seems like a nice gun, I haven't shot it yet though
 
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jsxtreme said:
Smith & Wesson M&P's are garbage IMO. Triggers are awful, and I've heard of a lot of reliability issues. They tried to copy glock for a reason, but no one has done it as well. :coolio: ( I know this pisses you off Mike, truth hurts! )
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Justin, can you quantify this "lot of reliability issues" you've heard about? My experience w/ the M&Ps is that they are utterly reliable, and aside from a few isolated incidents detailed on the M&P board I haven't heard much at all about any reliability issues much less "a lot" of them. Considering the massive volume of M&Ps that have been sold since they launched, I think it has an exceptional record for reliability.
The trigger thing I will concede. The trigger as delivered is not great. It is gritty and certainly not the best. However, after a few hundred rounds, it smooths out considerably, and if that isn't enough, it is very easy to tidy up the trigger further yourself, and if you aren't comfortable w/ that, or want it even better, there are excellent choices out there for drop-in sears that are both local and very inexpensive.

LITTLEMAGS said:
my dad carry's the M&Pc and I didnt like how it shot...just wasnt comfortable to me.
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To me, this is really the only valid complaint for an M&P as a carry gun, ergonomics are extremely important, and should never be overlooked when choosing a carry gun especially.

Obviously, I'm a bit biased toward the M&P guns, but any of the major "plastic" guns can be a good choice. The primary reason I chose an M&P over a glock is for ergonomics, and I'm a lefty, so the ambi controls on the M&P were a big deal for me too. Glocks don't point well for me (grip angle), and the block-like grip is very uncomfortable for me, otherwise I think they are excellent guns. The Springfield Xds, I am not a fan of, because I don't like grip safeties, and I don't like the high bore axis (makes the gun "snappier" for the same wieght as another gun w/ a lower bore axis) but if those items aren't an issue for you, they can be a good choice as well. Basically, you need to shoot your different options and determine what shoots the best for you. I would start w/ an M&P9c and a Glock 19, and branch out from there if neither of them work for you.

For the OP, or anyone else close by, I'd be more than happy to let anyone try out either one of my M&P pistols, and I'm sure one of the glock boys would be happy to do the same.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. All good stuff. As far as hand "size" I would say im average but the small frame guns I've shot have never felt comfortable to me. Especially in larger calibers. The .40 is what I would consider ideal and is what I'm leaning towards. It's a whole different issue (argument) but I feel that a 9mm is not enough as far as "stopping power" is concerned.

I'm not biased towards any one brand but there are a few manufacturers I would not consider. (Mostly Russian stuff) The disheartening thing is the QC issues I've been reading about with names always associated with making great guns like Walther and S&W to name a few.

I agree that to really decide one needs to fire a few different types to see what works and I plan to do so. But with so many new guns on the market and lack of time, I thought I'd try to narrow it down a bit by general opinion. To most, guns are much like cars when it comes to brand loyalty, this much is certain! :-)

Keep 'em comming fellas!
 
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