Tuco

Bullet selection is critical in any carry gun, a boss I once worker for had a brother get shot during a drug deal 3 times with a .45. Twice in the arm and once in the stomach, drove himself to the hospital. It was ball ammo. With proper ammo the 9mm is a fine carry gun, but the ball ammo in any pistol caliber is not that great for defense use. That being said, I love my .45ACP and my .45 Colt. Just something about that big ole' chunk of lead flying at about 850fps. But I mostly carry a Glock 19 in 9mm due to the high capacity, loaded with corbon ammo.

legion

I have a Glock 17 (full-sized 9mm) and will probably pick up a G26 (subcompact 9mm) soon.

I take it to the range at least once a month and shoot through a box of 100 each time. I bring my Ruger Mark II to fill out the rest of my hour of range time.

I chose the 9mm because it is the cheapest "serious" semi-auto caliber to shoot. I have it handy for self-defense because I am the most practiced with it.

Briman

Get the 1911 in .45, you'll never regret it. When I bought my first pistol in 9mm, I soon wished that I had bought a .45 instead. I had to wait several years to save up enough to get the .45 I really wanted.

.357 sig- skip it, its expensive and difficult to reload.

.40 S&W- only makes sense if you want to get more punch out of a smaller frame pistol: a pistol sized for a 9mm rather than one big enough to shoot a .45.

9mm- cheapest to shoot.

longrifle1000

Alpha, If you want to, I'll meet up with you at Shooting Sports Unlimited in Moline and you can shoot my 9mm and 357 sig XD.

kdvollmer

All good choices for pistols, and it really comes down to what is comfortable for you. Me personally, I know that sig, and golck are both good guns. the glock fits my hand, but isn't comfortable, so, I don't like them, the Sig guns I find to be a bit on the heavy side. Currently I carry an HK USP Compact, which I find to fit well, comfortable to carry, shoot....etc. The springfield pistols, at are nice as well. can't say I like them all, but the XD might be worth looking into as well. As much as I like my HK, I really thing that the XD is the best all round pistol for the money available. But that is just my opinion. My suggestion, go to a gunshop / range that has firearms that you can shoot / rent and find one you really like. It really doesn't matter what all of us in here think is best, it's what you think.
As far as the caliber argument. For anybody that says that the 9mm is a weak round. Go stand in front of me, with modern ammo and see how you do.


Good Luck to you

Alpha Capo

Thanks for the Opinions Guys....

I'm still undecided about the whole thing, i havent even made up my mind to Buy, its just something that i think about once in a while...

i think that when i do i'll end up with a .45.

if i go to a Nine mil, i might as well go to a .380 or a .22...and get into the whole thing for 1/2 the price.

i want one, but i dont know that i can find the time to have fun with it....and thats what keeps me from going out and spending the $500-1000 that i probably would. i dont want to end up with an expensive paperweight....its hard enuff tomake time for the things i have alreadybut, there is always room for one more toy


Longrifle thanks for the Offer, thats a Kick ass suggestion.