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What's Your Pistol Preference? Benelli Doesn't Make One!


OhioM4

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Being very happy with my first firearm purchase (the M4) I find myself blinded by brand loyalty. I was seriously looking at the MR1 as an AR Rifle but, some of you guys with more experience waved enough flags I'm putting off that decision until I get more info. I find myself purchasing a pistol as my second acquisition. Benelli does not have any pistol offerings as far as I know and a short barrel, pistol grip shotgun won't do.

 

I just picked up a SIG P226SCT this holiday weekend after many months of research and range rentals. I took it out for the first time yesterday and am very happy with it. The fit, finish, and function easily exceeded my expectations. It's a bit big for concealed carry but I'm shooting it well.

 

I've seen a lot of postings here of members' assault rifle preferences but I can't recall much being written about pistols.

 

What pistols do you guys own and what function are they for; taget, home defence, concealed carry, etc??

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It's hard to beat a 1911 .45 especially for concealed carry. They are thinner than most auto's and have placing bad guys underground for many years. Kimbers are great. Look at the Ultra sized models are especially good for concealed carry. 1911's only hold 9 rounds at most but the .45 is like hitting someone with an 18 wheeler. If capacity is something you crave the Springfield XD's are 14+1 of .45. If you can't tell I'm a little partial to .45's. It all boils down to two things. Price and what fits you best. A lot like deciding on which Benelli to purchase.

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At the moment I have a Glock 21sf .45 which I consider my go to defense handgun, a Springfield Armory XD .40 w/ the 5" tactical barrel, a Glock 17 9mm, and an old Ruger security six .357

 

I used be more of a 1911 guy but I've really become a fan of the newer polymer/striker fired designs

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A great Kimber 1911 right out of the case for concealed carry is the model called the Kimber CDP. It comes from their Custom Shop which have a little tighter tilerances than their standard production models. It is 100% designed for conceal carry. It has an aluminum frame which makes the weapon lighter, tritium night sights, and all of the edges have been smooth and rounded to reduce snag when drawing the weapon. They also have the Kimber Covert which have all the same features as the CDP but also incorporate Crimson Trace laser grips. All 3 can be had in 5", 4" Pro, and 3" Ultra lengths. The CDP averages $1000 to $1100 and the Covert is $1300 to $1500 mostly priced higher due to the laser grips. I have a Pro CDP and love it but would easily get the Covert now. You can purchase the CDP and put the laser grips on later if you find a deal on them but will have to alter the ambi safety due to interferrance with hitting the laser diode.

 

Plus factory Kibmer trigger pulls are hard to beat. 4.5 to 6 lb trigger pulls.

 

I'm 100% with 1014. 1911's FOREVER!

 

If price isn't an option check out Nighthawk Customs.

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If you've got the "signess," don't fight it. I'm a fan of Sig Sauers. I've heard some not-so-kind words about Kimbers of late, and Sig fans have been saying that Sigs have been going down hill the last couple of years. That said, my Sig P226 is less than a year old and a fantastic pistol; and I wouldn't hesitate getting a P228. For a tactical pistol, I think it's hard to beat a Sig. Personally (and, just so you know, I don't carry because my stupid state won't let me) I like a double-action pistol without a manual safety to miss (or accidentally engage) when you need to use it in a high-stress situation.

 

For carry, there are several other factors. With the exception of the Sig Pros, Sigs are relatively heavy (though they do make some good carry pistols if the weight of a metal pistol doesn't bother you) as are 1911's. A lot of folks swear by Glock and Springfield XD's as carry pistols. They're light, simple to operate (no worrying about a manual safety when you need to use it) and high capacity. I believe S&W has some M&P's that are similiarly equipped.

 

Also, you've got to consider concealability. In some states, the simple outline of the point on a pistol stock is enough to get you arrested even if you've got a carry permit. Some are more lenient on CCW's; and, of course, some allow (or only permit) open carry.

 

In those super-strict states, it might be best to stick with a subcompact or "pocket" pistol. Generally these are single stack with shorter stocks/grips. Folks are really digging the .380 pocket pistols out there either for primary carry or as backup pistols. They don't hold a lot of rounds, but they are easily concealable. Me? I'd prefer 9mm over .380; so I'd look for a 9mm along the same lines as a Ruger LCP. There are a few out there, like the Rohrbaugh P9.

 

I haven't tried any of these pocket pistols yet. They're just way down on my priorities list since I'm not permitted to carry in my state.

 

BTW: I talk like an expert, but I can't say that I am one. Take anything I say as my own personal preference and experience. As they say, "your mileage may vary."

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A great Kimber 1911 right out of the case for concealed carry is the model called the Kimber CDP. It comes from their Custom Shop which have a little tighter tilerances than their standard production models. It is 100% designed for conceal carry. It has an aluminum frame which makes the weapon lighter, tritium night sights, and all of the edges have been smooth and rounded to reduce snag when drawing the weapon. They also have the Kimber Covert which have all the same features as the CDP but also incorporate Crimson Trace laser grips. All 3 can be had in 5", 4" Pro, and 3" Ultra lengths. The CDP averages $1000 to $1100 and the Covert is $1300 to $1500 mostly priced higher due to the laser grips. I have a Pro CDP and love it but would easily get the Covert now. You can purchase the CDP and put the laser grips on later if you find a deal on them but will have to alter the ambi safety due to interferrance with hitting the laser diode.

 

Plus factory Kibmer trigger pulls are hard to beat. 4.5 to 6 lb trigger pulls.

 

I'm 100% with 1014. 1911's FOREVER!

 

If price isn't an option check out Nighthawk Customs.

 

"Tighter tolerances" are often the cause of many 1911 problems, just FYI.

 

The advantage of a custom gun is hand fitting, not super tight fitting parts.

 

Many a 1911 has been made unreliable by manufacturers trying to make the weapon 10x more accurate than the shooter is capable of.

 

If I was forced to a buy a 1911, I'd want a loose one.

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dang,,sure was nice while you where on vacation,,you don't like 1911s,,whats wrong with you boy,,are you gay tooo????

 

I never said I didn't like them. The simple fact of the matter is that they offer a terribly poor bang for the buck, and they have a higher percentage of failures and issues than many cheaper alternatives.

 

They look cool, they are thin, they have nice triggers and they have the WW-II mystique to them, which I beleive is the main reason why 99% of 1911 owners have them. They feel it's a "mans gun" and it looks cool and grandpa carried one and killed nazis with it, so it must be the greatest gun ever.

 

Downside is that good ones cost $3000+, and even then you are taking a gamble as far as reliability goes.

 

To each their own ... personally, I'll stick with the higher capacity, lighter, more reliable, more durable Glock, XD, M&P or FNP that costs 1/6 the price of a good 1911.

 

And no, Kimber's are not good 1911s, despite what their marketing team would have you beleive.

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I've not tried a true 45 caliber 1911 style yet. I don't care for the grip safeties though. I'm not sure if it shares any other features with a true 1911 but I rented an XD-M in 9mm a few weeks ago and the grip safety drove me nuts. I felt like I had to consciously grip the pistol in an unnatural fashion. They do have interchangeable grips that were not available on the rental. I'm not sure how much difference it would have made. I just could not imagine trying to use the gun in a stressful situation. I'd be standing there trying to figure out why it wouldn't shoot. The best way I can discribe it was it felt like I was constantly shooting uphill.

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For ergonomics and just plain "damn that feels good" & shootability in a trim package, I love the Browning Hi-Power. I picked one up when I was about 9 years old and it kind of set the standard. Properly tuned they can't be beat if you want a good double stack 9mm and prefer the simplicity & superior trigger on a single action auto.

 

I have a Tangfoglio Elite Match in .38 Super that I also love for the crazy firpower (20rds fully loaded), great trigger and sheer smoothness when cycling fast. I have a Smith mod 41 .22 auto and both guns regularly hit golf balls for plinking out to 25 yards no problem.

 

I have never shot anything like that .38 Super for sheer firepower & accuracy. That includes quite a few .45's of various manufacture.

 

Not quite a comfy in the hand as the Browning, but near perfect out of the box for trigger & accuracy. Crazy value too. You can also swap out differnt barrels to go from 9mm up to .45 colt + a .22 conversion is available.

 

The Tangfoglio's are a favorite in competion & like the venerable 1911 (also a Browning design) have a ton of aftermarket support.

 

If I sound like a fan of these two, it's because I am. For defense, camping etc. (bears, mountain lions etc up here) they are great. Maybe overkill for someone can not take advantage of what the guns are capable of.

 

A nice .357 is a good fall back if there may be others using the gun & my wife prefers that loaded with .38 ammo.

 

For target / plinking I have owned a lot of .22's & shot everything from an old classic High Standard (grandpa's gun) to the Walther P22. I have not shot anything like a Smith 41 and they feel addictive in the hand. Heavy, enveloping grips, competition trigger, simple, reliable, super fast cycling & more accuracy than a human can use.

Nothing I have ever held feels better.

 

Trail / fishing gun? S&W Kit Gun. I like having a .22 revolver for snakes or relieving boredom. The shotshells work great & you can mix loads up with hollow points or whatever you like. Great utility guns.

 

Hope this helps. Pistols are very personal and not all people shoot the same guns well. From a lot of sampling, maybe 50+, these are my all time favorites.

 

I personally don't care for the Glock style triggers on many guns now so take that into consideration when reading.

 

I have shot a lot of Sig's, including the 226, & they have all been quality guns. Very reliable (my brother's current duty gun is a Sig .45) but just did not make me get all gooey inside when I shot them. They make a really sweet .380 that I have thought about trading in the Walther for though....

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