Bought two new handguns today. Attn. A4s

[RevnR6]

Well I should say my GF and I bought a new handgun each today.

We are taking the CWP class soon so we picked up some concealed carry guns.


HERS http://www.springfield-armory.com/images/xd-pistol/XD9801Large.jpg

MINE http://www.springfield-armory.com/images/xd-pistol/XD9821Large.jpg

Both are 9mm. Other guns I own are a Preban Colt AR-15 with all the goodies.
A Springfield Ultra Compact .45, a H&K USP .40, and an SLR-95(Ak-47 Replica), Ruger 10/22, Remington 597 .22 rifle, and a 20 guage shotgun.

I bought them both with a 15rd and 10rd mag for each for a total of $1040 out the door. Not a bad deal if you ask me for two BRAND NEW very nice handguns. I was considering a H&K P2000 compact, but I was able to get the two XDs for the same price as the P2000 would have been. I oly had about $1250 to spend and that would have meant a cheap-o gun for my GF and I wanted to get her something nice.

I am very happy with my purchase, I think I did well. Kudos to Springfield Armory for making a quality handgun for a great price. :icon_smil

 

[A4sForever]

I purchased a "HERS" a few months back --- a very nice carry package

 

[Schnugg]

Sweeet...nice weapons.

Is that a grip safety on the back of the handle like the 1911s? because the trigger looks like a Glock trigger.

 

[gaijin6423]

Another Marine here has one of those, chambered in 9mm. It has BOTH the grip safety and the trigger one. I just shot it last saturday, and while I've heard a lot of good things about them, I just didn't like it much. Granted, I only put about half a box through the thing, but something about that trigger safety thing weirds me out. It was a LOT more comfortable to grip than a Glock, though.

 

[A4sForever]

Is that a grip safety on the back of the handle like the 1911s? because the trigger looks like a Glock trigger.

The "new" SA design team is really good. These particular models -- out of the XD family-- seem to incorporate some of the better features of many pistols in one package. The XD's, to me, are kind of like a GLOCK with lipstick and eyeliner -- prettier and (hopefully) just as functional.

 

[VetteMuscle427]

XDs are awesome weapons. I have put thousands of rounds through my XD-40. Rest assured, you made a very FINE decision. If you have any questions, let me know, I have figured just about everything out.

 

[CUBoulder]

I've put close to 500 rounds through my XD-9 compact and I love it. It was an excellent investment. I love the safety too....not a lot of hassle and shoots like a single action. Watch out for rust though. I heard in damp areas they can attract rust so I keep her slide coated with some silicone.

 

[metro]

Not a huge fan, personally, but I will agree they whip Glocks in pretty much every way with respect to comfort. Glocks feel so...alien I guess is the word. They just don't fit. My next bad boy is going to be a Springfield Armory 1911, either a Loaded Stainless or a TRP Stainless. Not sure which yet, I haven't convinced myself to spend the extra $400...but I probably will.

 

[A4sForever]

.......next bad boy is going to be a Springfield Armory 1911, either a Loaded Stainless or a TRP Stainless.

I started sniffing around for the S/A 3" Defender in .45 GAP --- it's not ready for prime time just yet and not even on S/A's website --- and as it just appeared on the cover of American Rifleman you can probably add another 6 months wait for availability because of the demand. Which means --- if I can't get a .357 SiG barrel for my XD-40 I'll probably sell it when the .45 GAP 1911 subcompact becomes available. Life is hard sometimes .....

Micro-Compact 1911-A1 in .45 ACP (similar in size/weight to the Defender --- no Defender pix available yet)

 

[VetteMuscle427]

Why get a 45 GAP? I know, it is as powerful as the 45 ACP, but it is an exotic round. It costs more than 45 ACP. If you're getting a gun that can already handle 45ACP, I don't see the point.

 

[A4sForever]

Why get a 45 GAP?

Size --- grip size. Easier to handle and in a short 3" barrel, the recoil is "lower" and easier to control follow-up shots. I used to have a Colt Officer's model, carried it, liked it, and sold it. Wish I hadn't ..... but it was a little heavy and the grip was not "right". And I like the idea of .45 ACP power in a 9mm sized package. I think the .45 GAP is going to be a better idea in a smaller package than .45 ACP pistols. Maybe like the .308 is to the 30-'06, for an analogy ???

Sure, if I put two 9mm up the bad guys' nose -- it won't make much difference to him whether it's 9mm or .45 ACP. But I've always preferred the .45 -- it is a superior cartridge -- no nuvo-revisionist 9mm, 10mm, or 40 S&W cartridge will ever change that--- I've always liked the 1911 look and design (really old, but still a classic and always gets the job done) and I don't want a full-size auto for concealed carry. The .40 is not my choice -- really high pressures in an "adequate" thin-walled case has caused some problems, even in modern semi-autos. And many departments are now going back to "Old Reliable" --.45 ACP. They just had to wait for the industry to design "easier to use" platforms than the 1911, largely because they do not/will not emphasize the skills necessary to master the 1911 loaded with .45 ACP -- one man's opinion. The 40 S&W (used to be derisively called .40 'short & weak') is/was a compromise derived out of a too powerful 10mm as an overreaction to the less than satisfactory 9mm in a misguided search for a .45 replacement -- phew !!! But then, you've put a lot of .40 downrange and never had a functioning problem -- so go figure; so much for the "experts".

So why not stick with the one that "brung ya"?? The .45?? The perceived problem with the .45 was ALWAYS a byproduct of poor training -- my opinion, and I've done some LEO training in years past. There never was a cartridge/pistol problem, just a training/operator proficiency problem which persists in many departments today.

So the .45 GAP 1911 might be cartridge/pistol Nirvanna for what I'm looking for in a concealed carry pistol -- time will tell.

 

[Schnugg]

What about a Sig P220 .45?
Probably the tightest weapon I've ever fired out of the box, bone stock.
Damn...I wish I'd never sold it

 

[T-man]

I've fired a Sig P226 Navy and an XD .40 back to back. Both were very nice guns, but for me personally I enjoyed the Sig much better. It felt more comfortable in my hand, and there is something about those trigger safeties that gets to me. It feels like the safety is pinching my skin when I squeeze the trigger, which has kind of turned me off to trigger safety equipped guns. If I were to go buy right now, I'd probably get the Sig.

 

[metro]

I love my SIG P226 9mm, but I have fallen for the 1911 design, as well as how comfortable it feels in my hand. I have HUGE hands, and even though the grip/frame on my SIG is fatter/larger, the smaller profile 1911 feels better to me.

 

[A4sForever]

What about a Sig P220 .45?
Probably the tightest weapon I've ever fired out of the box, bone stock.
Damn...I wish I'd never sold it

I think the SiGs are as fine a handgun as any modern pistol variant, especially the .45 ACP P220. The P226 has almost become a new standard in 9mm. They truly function nearly perfectly right out of the box. They cost a little more, but are probably worth it for the 3 "F's": Finish, Fit, Function. The XD's from Springfield Armory (originally a Croatian pistol, for Pete's Sake !!!) are also excellent, as, in reality, are most Glocks. You will find people who swear by each and every one of them.

I guess it just all depends on your needs which encompasses many different criteria, and of course, the bottom line --- your WANTS --- which is always totally (objective ...?? subjective ... ?? ) SUBJECTIVE !!! RIGHT !!! I don't see what all the fuss about the XD trigger is .... it is basically the Glock system and it works fine, lasts a long time. And I don't know WHAT you're doing with that trigger, T-Man, but it's disgusting ... (kidding ) And in the end, it's still all about personal preference, right?

The 1911 is still my sentimental favorite. For a firearm -- I think it is a work of art (?) although I never was too swift in Art class. I don't think too many of the modern examples (most based on a 1911 design, BTW) can come up to that level of "cosmetology". It was my first "shooter" and it's what -- firearm wise -- I "grew up with". It is what I carried. It is what I collect. So this is not "objective", but hopefully, honest. Maybe a little background on the designer, John Browning, will illuminate why "old guys" like "old guns".

John Moses Browning was probably the most famous and ingenious gun designer the world has ever known. He was the son of a gunsmith named Jonathan Browning and was born on January 23, 1855, in the then-little town of Ogden, Utah. John Moses Browning (I don't know what he liked to be called, but he's usually refered to in print by his full name) was much more interested in designing and building new, innovative firearms, instead of repairing broken ones. The first gun he made by himself, was a single shot rifle built for his brother at the age of 14.

Many of Winchester's classic designs were Browning's.

• The Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Repeating Rifle
• The Model 1887 Lever Action Repeating Shotgun
• The Model 1897 Pump Action Shotgun
• The Model 1894 Lever Action Repeating Rifle
• The Model 1895 Lever Action Repeating Rifle

These were all designs by John M. Browning and manufactured / sold by Winchester in an agreement they had established early on when Winchester saw the genius they had in Browning as a designer.

One of his ideas turned out to be revolutionary, or is it evolutionary? It was to use the gas vented by a fired shell, to re-cock the gun and make it ready for the next shot. His machine-guns, the first true fully automatic guns, were later sold to Colt and the U.S. Government and served the U.S. Armed Forces through three major wars and many small wars. One was the famous BAR, the Browning Automatic Rifle. Browning's machine guns are still used by many armies around the world. Ever hear of "MA Deuce"?? A.K.A. Browning M2 .50 cal BMG (the "B" stands for "Browning" ) John Browning's most famous pistol designs are the Colt M-1911 Government Model, in .45 ACP and the Browning High-Power P-35 Model, in 9mm. John Moses Browning passed away in 1926, in Belgium, still working on firearms designs.

So ... Who's YOUR Daddy ???