I'm looking to buy my first handgun. Im going to turn 21 in April 2004. And I'm decideng a gun. I like the Glock 19 because I shoot good with it and I like that the recoil is not that bad. Now the thing with the Glock 23 is that it has more recoil but it is a better round. I rather be more accurate. But will the 9mm get the job done? I'm really leaning towards the Glock 19 because of the less recoil. Also what are some good rounds that I can use that have good stopping power and can hit someones heart. I'm doing some research between ammo and they say that the Golden Saber 124gr+P is better then the Gold Dot. I never shot a 40cal but I have shot a 9mm alot of times. Also the ranges that are around where I live don't rent guns. So thats my problem. Also if the recoil is bearly more then the 9mm I will get the 40cal. Is the 40cal bearly more then the 9mm? If so I'm going to get the Glock 23.

The GLOCK 19 is the best concealed carry pistol ever designed. It is tough, light, and small enough to conceal easily, yet large enough to handle well. They are easy to shoot well under stress, minute of brain accurate, and reliable to the point of being rediculous.  What more do you need in a weapon?

I have had my GLOCK 19 for almost ten years, carried it daily for over five, and put 23,000 rounds through it with no malfunctions of any kind.

While not painful, the 23 does have quite a bit more snap, and thus is more difficult to shoot quickly and accurately.

My prefered defensive round is the Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +p. The Winchester Ranger 127 grain +p+ is second.

Not knowing your shooting experience and having been there and done that, my best first choice (second) was a single action .22.  I bought an autoloader first.  I learned trigger control and marksmanship with a handgun that was SLOW to load.  That way, I slowed down and made the shots count.  I have seen countless folks buy big guns and never learn to shoot.  Kinda like getting a .44 Magnum for your first gun.  Some folks mileage may vary, but I think that is the best recommendation, start with a .22 single action revolver.  Get a used one priced right and you won't  lose money.

get a 19C. the recoil is reduced a little more than the regular 19. as far as hitting someones heart, that can be achieved with either. as far as recoil is concerned, the 23 doesn't have all that much more than a regular 19. my vote is for either of the 19s since that is what you are accustomed to. i carry one of the three of these pistols every day and the size is perfect for ccw.

BTW: don't concentrate on specific organ shooting. practice regularly shooting at a targets center. if the SHTF this will serve you much more effectively.

Quoted: get a 19C.

Not if you plan on using it to save your life. Ports are for race guns, not weapons. Besides, the 19 is a pussycat.

Quoted: Quoted: get a 19C. Not if you plan on using it to save your life. Ports are for race guns, not weapons. Besides, the 19 is a pussycat.

so faster stabilization for a follow up shot is unnessecary and would hinder one's life saving capiabilites. why would race guns be ported? perhaps to increase second shot accuracy and target acuisition speed. those are two improvements i realy dont want in an already competant hand gun that i would trust my life with. i aso guess that anything with a muzzle brake or flash supressor would be subgrade to use for self defese or hunting. comparitively the .223 round is a pussycat. why would anyone want a more controlable ar-15.

that i agree with. night time discharge is no fun. the C models are also very messy after they have been shot, but i recomended the C model since accuracy/recoil seemed to be important to GlockGuy24.

do what I did, get a 23C and use the comp barrel for plinking and have a standard barrel for carry, just be sure to practice with the non comp barrel so you know what you're using.

I got the G17 for Glock matches and the G23 for carry.  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: get a 19C. Not if you plan on using it to save your life. Ports are for race guns, not weapons. Besides, the 19 is a pussycat. so faster stabilization for a follow up shot is unnessecary and would hinder one's life saving capiabilites. why would race guns be ported? perhaps to increase second shot accuracy and target acuisition speed. those are two improvements i realy dont want in an already competant hand gun that i would trust my life with. i aso guess that anything with a muzzle brake or flash supressor would be subgrade to use for self defese or hunting. comparitively the .223 round is a pussycat. why would anyone want a more controlable ar-15. After the first shot in the dark from a 19C, you wont be able to see for a follow up shot.

Yep. They are also loud as hell and can burn you if you have to use it at toe to toe range.

19 (or 26)

KAC

Go with the 23... hell I went with it twice... I have two of them.

Yes, the .40 has more recoil, but that is because it has much more power and stopping effect.

Dealing with the recoil is something that practice can over come. The recoil honestly isn't bad at all.... I can let off a string of 3 double taps, with about a second between them, and land all 6 rounds in a 3" group in the center of mass of a target at 15 yards. Practice makes perfect... the more you train with your weapon the more effective you will be with it.

Plus, if you go with the .40, you will be less likely to need follow up shots anyways do to the power it delivers... the 9mm you would (unless it was in the head).

Glock 19: 15 9mm

Glock 23: 13 .40 S&W
(However, you can add a plus 2 mag extension to your mag, and even this out,
or you could just use Glock 22 mags which hold 15 but will stick out the bottom)

For a review of the best .40 round to use, click
here

Well I think I'm getting the Glock 23. If I don't like it I will just sell it and buy a Glock 19. Thanks alot guys.


A special thanks to GlockGuy40.

Good 9mm +p ammo has as much energy as the .40 rounds listed above and the 5/100ths of an inch makes no difference in performance.

Wound channels of good 9mm and good .40 rounds are virtually impossible to distinguish.