If You Could Own Only One 40 Caliber Out of These Brands..........

I've owned an early model Glock 22, SIG P229 (.40), and HK USP 40C. The USP is hands down the best shooting and most relaible of these three in my experience. It has had NO failures and is more accurate than I am. The Glock would misfire occasionally, but I attributed it to limp wristing. The SIG was the biggest POS hangun I've ever owned. I was lucky to get 2 mags downrange without a gun induced failure.

Chris
 
USP all the way. Put it this was - the USP was built around the .40 cartridge while everything else has been "adapted".

Most of the good points about this pistol have been covered. I too have heard about the crappy triggers, but mine is just fine - whatever problems there might have been with it I've worked out of it with 5-6 years of dry fire practice. Everyone I hand it too comments on how smooth the trigger is... Maybe it's a problem with later versions.

Anyhow, I'm biased to any firearm that takes us lefties into consideration.
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I only wish it had been made a few years earlier so that I could get HiCap's for it.

Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
Someone said HK-P7.

What a great gun! I have shot the 9mm model and it is absolutely the best 9mm that I have ever shot. It is strange looking, ugly to most people, but you need to shoot one to really appreciate it. Expensive, though...
 
I know this piece is not on your list; but,
check out the KAHR Arms K-40. It is a great firearm. I own a Sig P220 and a SA 1911, but when I decided that I wanted a small, well designed, light carry gun I chose the Kahr. Worth a look at least. my .02
 
For accuracy and reliability, SIG Sauer. You must get used to the long DA first round trigger pull, and subsequent slightly sloppy takeup SA pulls. Most accurate of what you mention, and extremely reliable.

If you can stand the looks and trigger (I can), Glock is 2nd. Pretty accurate usually, but beaten by SIG on average, and perhaps a bit more reliable than SIG, which is to say excellent and durable. At least the trigger pull is consistent and repeatable. Simple gun to strip and maintain. No external safety, which doesn't bother me, but deserves serious attention given your circumstances (family).

Kahr's are very similar to Glocks but look better. Trigger pull feels good at first....long and smooth, but is strangley non-stacking, which some like, but for me it doesn't work...break is surprise, where I prefer to take up, align sights finely, and release. YMMV. I sold my Kahr...reluctantly.

I also don't care for H&K's trigger, but accuracy and reliability reports are generally excellent.

I don't like Walther's trigger at all, but you might. Beretta, same deal. Not to mention expensive and bulky.

I've grown fond of the 1911, if I haven't already tipped my hand, but own two Glocks that fit certain niches. It took me a few years to get over "pre-ban, hicap" fever, but now I appreciate two 8-round Wilson mags full of fat .45acp hollowpoints, and an excellent SA trigger. Kimber offers high value / high performance ratio. Colt sucks without gunsmith mods ($$). Springfield is waking up but trailing Kimber. YMMV.


[This message has been edited by rdangerer (edited 02-08-2001).]
 
Feverdoc, I didnt realize that the P99's from CDNN were DA only, oops
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I can understand now why they are having trouble moving them.

I recently traded a Para Ordnance P14 Limited for a .40 caliber SIG Sauer P226. I am very happy with my decision. It is my second .40 pistol, the first was a Smith and Wesson SW40V, and that was JUNK.
The only other .40 pistols that I have seen recently and was impressed with are the Beretta Border Marshal and the Elite 2. The Elite 2 is a very slick pistol, IMO.
 
What a topic!! Just goes to show that opinoins are like belly buttons......Also goes to show, you REALLY need to get your hands on ANY gun you are thinking about buying!! Ya just can't take other people's word for it!

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Tis better to be the hunter......than the hunted
 
For a 40, definitely Glock. These things are unbelieveable, and very sturdy.

My question would be, why a 40? It's a mediocre round at best, jack of all trades....

Not big enough for 4 legged critters, and marginal for 2 legged.

Not a flame, just my opinion.
 
.40 is a great round. Unless you are one of those "If it isn't .45, it's not a real caliber" jokers, in which case there's no hope for ya
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Anyhow, the ballistics have been done, and There Ain't Nuthin Wrong with .40 in 165gr and 180 weights. Big enough, fast enough, shoots flat enough, crisp recoil, more rounds, less package, etc. Yadda yadda yadda.

Just watch out for Glocks in .40
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Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
No, I'm not one of those 45 jokers, although I do like them as I find them very nice and easy to fire.

I guess my thoughts were that in the woods, I am not much for semis, I really prefer (single action) revolvers. I'm one of those
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I'll take my Casull any day...

As for the 2 legged, it seems that the 45 is at least as good, and less abusive to shoot. The 40's have always seemed, well, sharp when you shoot them. If I'm going for that, I'll take a 357.

But hey, to each their own. I don't care for them, so I don't have one. You all can buy 10 each, that's fine with me! Gives us something to talk about around the campfire.
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I recently picked up a Glock in 9mm. I think it is an awesome piece. I started out with the 27 sub compact. I added Meprolite sights, an extended mad drop, an extended slide release, an upgraded recoil spring and just this weekend I added the rubber decal grips. Hard to imagine an easier carrying 9mm. I liked it so much that I bought a Glock 17. The 17 came with night sights and I just added the rubber decal grip. With a hi-cap mag (w/ a plus 2 floor plate) and a 125 lumen light attached to the rails I feel like it is the perfect home defense weapon.

I keep it loaded with Magsafe for home defense and Hydra-Shock the rest of the time. It always goes bang and I absolutely hit what I aim at up to 35 - 40 yards.

If I were to look at another hand gun right now it would be a full sized Glock in 10mm. The last glock annual had an article on them and it was pretty convincing.

For what its worth...

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Hoah! (Its an Army thing!)
 
One previous poster commented that his SIG P-229 .40 was a POS. I found that comment unusual, as I have owned one in the same caliber for years, and have never had a problem. Beyond that, you will find that the general consensus among experienced handgunners is that SIG is a very well respected brand name, and the 229 is a very good, proven design, known for its accuracy and reliability. The ONLY jam I have ever had was when I was limp-wristing for greater accuracy. For target practice I only use reloads to save money, and I'm never picky about the grain. When buying defensive ammo, I'm picky as hell, but when range shooting I am trying to save money on ammo and also test its reliability on various types of loads.

With me, the SIG frame fits more comfortably in my hand than a Glock does. The Glock can withstand more abuse than probably any other autoloader, but not as accurate as the SIG. SIG hi-caps (if you can find them and afford them) hold 12 rounds. Glock 23 hi-caps hold 13, and Glock 22 hi-caps hold 15, if memory serves (and Glock hi-caps are more common and less expensive than SIG 229 .40 hi-caps). If you're not going to buy hi-caps then neither brand has any advantage here because you'll be limited to 10+1 either way.

I have no experience with Berettas. My recommendation is, if you demand the best accuracy possible, SIG is probably the better platform. If you work in harsh / abusive environments (parachuting, rapelling, SCUBA diving, climbing; desert, arctic, jungle environment, etc.) and need extreme durability, go with Gaston Glock's tools. Oh, did I mention some Glocks can be set up to shoot and cycle underwater?

[This message has been edited by X-Head (edited 03-06-2001).]
 
X-Head,

I was the one that made the comment about my Sig P229 being a POS. I didn't say they ALL were, but mine most definitely was. It was an early model and Sig apparently didn't have all the bugs worked out. I wouldn't hesitate to try a P228, P225 or P220, but I'm now wary of Sigs in .40 cal.

My USP (and EVERY other USP I've shot) has NEVER malfunctioned with any brand of ammo or even with deliberate limp wristing, shooting upside down, etc. I'm gald your Sig works 99% of the time, but my experience with the Sig P229 in .40 left much to be desired.

Take care,
Chris
 
You really can't go wrong with any of the ones you mentioned. Like other people have said, you need to try them out. If nothing else, at least get each one into your hands so you can see which one points the best for you. Your hand will fit each one differently and it should be easy to find the right one. Reliability is so high now, (more a function of improved ammo designs than improved guns) that you can pick any of the top manufacturers and be sure that they will cycle well. That being said, you still need to fire a bunch of the ammo you plan to carry so you are SURE that it cycles. Don't get caught up on having to shoot Hydra-Shok's (my personal favorite) or Starfires or any other style. The main thing is bullet placement and feeding reliability. Under the adrenalin pump, be sure to aim just a little bit above the belly button as people under stress have a tendency to shoot high. This will put you right at center mass.
I don't own one, but if you want the most idiot proof and durable gun of the ones you mentioned, get a Glock. It is almost as easy to shoot as a revolver. From what I read about the tests the military did when they were replacing the .45, It was the most durable one of the bunch. They just couldn't get it to jam or fall apart. The only reason they didn't decide to use it is that it doesn't have an external safety. We wouldn't want a gun that our troops could actually fire now would we? I worked in an old style gun shop for a while. When most people came in to get a pistol for self defense, I usually talked them into a revolver.
Personal defense gun fights don't last much over 2 rounds so you really don't need all that fire power. (I will be the first to admit that it is comforting though. The old "better to have it and not need it...") The revolver is a lot more "idiot proof" than any pistol. They used to be way more reliable too. (That gap has narrowed so much that it is hardly worth mentioning.) I'm not sure what your experience level is, but if it is relatively low, I highly recommend you get a revolver in .357 magnum. It is the most lethal round out there, and you can train with .38 special ammo for less money and recoil. Miami Vice and the rest of Hollyweird did more to popularize the semi-auto's than probably anything else. Most people are better served by a plain jane Ruger sp or a similar Taurus.
Speaking of Taurus, the gun that has me drooling is their Titanium PT145T. A .45 that is 10+1, weighs 17.3 ounces, and fits in the palm of your hand. The best thing about it is that it has second strike capability. We have a lot of different levels of knowledge here so I will explain that. With most compact autos, if you have a dud or misfire, you have to rack the slide to reset the trigger. You can't just pull the trigger again. The Taurus Millennium is striker fired, so you can pull the trigger again and hopefully the second strike will make the round go off. That feature doesn't matter at all on the range, but when your bacon is in the pan, it could save your life. I really like the innovative stuff that Taurus is putting out lately.

Take care,

Jim McCullough

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Next time you feel your life is sooo tough, read this- Some American Heroes
 
X-Head - Don't worry. If anyone can find a way to break something, it'll be Chris. Kershaw Boas, Benchmade Axis-Locks, even a Darrel Ralph integral lock folder. If it's got any moving parts, Chris'll break it.
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Kelly
My Custom Knife Collection

Member NCCKG, SCAK, and AKTI

Deo Vindice
 
X-Head,

Kelly recently purchased a sweet (current production) stainless P229 in .40, and I'm sure it works perfectly. Like I said, my P229 was one of the first couple a hundred out on the market. Kelly, have you shot that thing yet, or are you still resigned to ogling it under flourescent lighting?
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Take care,
Chris
 
Glock!

An extra you get with a glock .40 is you can later buy a .357 SIG barrel for it and now you got a gun that shoots 2 calibers!!

And you ain't ROCKED until you've shot a .357 sig!!!
 
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