Posted: 12/16/2010 8:23:37 AM EDT
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Hey guys I'm looking to buy a handgun and I need your help/advice. I have several AR-15's and have decided to snag a few handguns but I don't know which to choose, so I'll give you the layout.
It's going to be for home defense/target shooting and I def want it as my primary for a SHTF scenario. Looking to spend at a maximum around 8-900 maybe and I mean maybe 1,000 but that's pushing it. I need this gun to be 100% reliable in terms of still shooting with sand in it, no malfunctions, light but is balanced and feels great in your hands, high mag capacity etc, etc. After a bunch of research and lurking I'm leaning toward a USP Compact in 9mm. Can I get some input from the people who have owned this gun to how it functions and if they like it as well as any other guns I should consider and why, thanks. -Dep |
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Is it going to stay at home for defense or is this something you may carry on you with a permit? If it is going to just be home defense/range/shtf/zombies then why get a compact? Full frame allows for more comfortable shooting and can net better accuracy, but that's up to the shooter too.
As much of a 1911 fan as I am, with what you have said I would suggest also looking at Sig, Glock, and M&P. A Sig 226 would fit your price range but is kind of high, but a damn fine pistol too. A Glock 17 or 19 would be a good choice, holster/accessory choices are endless and because of so many the prices of mags, holsters, etc... is reasonable, as is the Glock itself...and 33 round mags are sweet! Another I could suggest is the M&P 9, holds plenty of rounds(17 I think?) and they have proven themselves pretty tough and they are very comfortable to hold and shoot. These are all 9mm suggestions just because of the fact that you said you were thinking about the HK USP 9mm Compact. In the end, if you got the HK, it would no doubt serve you well. Only bad thing I can think of about that gun would be the size is pretty big even for a "compact" and mags seem to be expensive, but they are great guns. Coming from a Glock and 1911 owner, I kind of like the idea of an M&P 9 with night sights and a TLR-1 mounted to it, loaded up with some GoldDots. |
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I'd vote for a Smith and Wesson M&P. Whatever caliber you want (9, 40, 357, 45) and whichever barrel length you want (I believe they have 3.8-5" barrels).
My handgun that I will be ordering soon will be a M&P9 Pro Series 4.25" barrel w/night sights and the factory trigger job. 
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GLOCK- Sucks and has the most KFB's in history (In my oppenion)
SD- Fair XDM- Getting better Any Full 5in .45 Is Classic (if its Over 500.00$) Never buy any thing in .40cal SIG is Awsome FN is Awsome H&K is god (little g for a reason) 9mm is prob the most practical over all. |
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I strongly suggest you take a long look at a P30, especially if you like the USP. I think it's probably a better piece of steel and plastic all around. I'd also suggest you look at the M&P line, unless you don't like striker-fire pistols. I don't, I prefer DA/SA's but I really like my M&P9. There, my advice. Worth what you paid for it. :) |
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The USPc is nice, but give a look at the P30. Any reason why you have left out the S&W M&P, or Glock? I wanted a gun that has a safety selector on it just for practical applications in case of god knows what and both of those handguns don't have one. I also heard a few bad stories about glocks and hence why I'm leaning more toward the USP. |
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Quoted:
Hey guys I'm looking to buy a handgun and I need your help/advice. I have several AR-15's and have decided to snag a few handguns but I don't know which to choose, so I'll give you the layout. It's going to be for home defense/target shooting and I def want it as my primary for a SHTF scenario. Looking to spend at a maximum around 8-900 maybe and I mean maybe 1,000 but that's pushing it. I need this gun to be 100% reliable in terms of still shooting with sand in it, no malfunctions, light but is balanced and feels great in your hands, high mag capacity etc, etc. After a bunch of research and lurking I'm leaning toward a USP Compact in 9mm. Can I get some input from the people who have owned this gun to how it functions and if they like it as well as any other guns I should consider and why, thanks. -Dep A USP Compact is an excellent choice given your budget and requirements. As someone else mentioned, the P30 is another great HK product and worth looking at. I own both and am very, very pleased with their accuracy and reliability. Good luck. 
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The USPc is nice, but give a look at the P30. Any reason why you have left out the S&W M&P, or Glock? I wanted a gun that has a safety selector on it just for practical applications in case of god knows what and both of those handguns don't have one. I also heard a few bad stories about glocks and hence why I'm leaning more toward the USP. I can understand wanting a safety, but to be fair, you will find "a few bad stories" about every firearm ever made. If you can get over the safety issue though, glock for sure. You can get the 33rd. high cap mags for it, and just watch the torture test on youtube to see durability firsthand. BTW, the glock 19 is the first/only handgun I have. It kinda creeped me out not having a safety, but the only scenario I see a manual thumb safety being useful is if some person not knowledgeable in firearms grabs your gun and tries to shoot you. If you have the safety on, they'll most likely keep clicking the trigger with no result, while you have time to act. If someone grabs your glock on the other hand, you'd better think fast! |
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Quoted:
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The USPc is nice, but give a look at the P30. Any reason why you have left out the S&W M&P, or Glock? I wanted a gun that has a safety selector on it just for practical applications in case of god knows what and both of those handguns don't have one. I also heard a few bad stories about glocks and hence why I'm leaning more toward the USP. The USPc is a nice choice, but do not paint yourself into a corner by going in with blinders on. Actually try some at your local gun store. I like the feel of a P30L w/ the LEM, but have far too much on my plate right now to NEED another 9x19 pistol, regardless of my want. You can get the M&P with a thumb safety. What bad stories about Glock 9x19's have you heard? |
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The USPc is nice, but give a look at the P30. Any reason why you have left out the S&W M&P, or Glock? I wanted a gun that has a safety selector on it just for practical applications in case of god knows what and both of those handguns don't have one. I also heard a few bad stories about glocks and hence why I'm leaning more toward the USP. The USPc is a nice choice, but do not paint yourself into a corner by going in with blinders on. Actually try some at your local gun store. I like the feel of a P30L w/ the LEM, but have far too much on my plate right now to NEED another 9x19 pistol, regardless of my want. You can get the M&P with a thumb safety. What bad stories about Glock 9x19's have you heard? The stories I've heard about glocks are of course Kabooms, malfunctions, and the fact that it's a polymer composite, some people complain, but I have yet to hear a story about a H&K, like I said I'm leaning more toward it because of the non-stop remarks I've heard about it and how well it holds up and performs. Don't get me wrong the glock and M&P are great guns as well and I have friends that swear by them but I'm just confused and trying to get a little clarity from all perspectives to help me make my choice. @ RCBIF: As for the safety selector option I would definitely want one because I don't want to limit my options and I want the ability to A.) Chamber a round with the option to flip a switch and have it go boom without worrying about accidental discharges when I remove it from the holster or if the trigger gets caught on an article of clothing, B.) As you pointed out in the event my gun is somehow taken away and attempted to be used against me and I need those few seconds to react and C.) the X Factor in life (Fill in the blank and apply) |
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Im a huge fan of Sig Sauer. Although i only own 1 sig (p229 in 40) it has never failed in any way. I did buy it used from a member here on arfcom a few weeks after my 21st birthday! I checked the SN with sig and they told me it was purchased by a Federal LE agency, traded after 2 years and sig turned it into a CPO. As with many other companies, the pistol was not refinished as part of the CPO program and the pistol looks brand new and no abnormal wear anywhere on the pistol. It must have been carried by an admin person and only fired to qual.
Before you buy anything based on this forum, go out and handle some pistols. You cant go wrong with any major company pistol, so get what feels most comfortable. Since you mention HD I would go with a .40 or .45 IMHO. |
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GLOCK- Sucks and has the most KFB's in history (In my oppenion) SD- Fair XDM- Getting better Any Full 5in .45 Is Classic (if its Over 500.00$) Never buy any thing in .40cal SIG is Awsome FN is Awsome H&K is god (little g for a reason) 9mm is prob the most practical over all. Glocks made polymer popular. They are fantastic guns. 1911 9mm with Wilson mags. XDs and XDms are great. M&Ps are great. SIG 226 is nice, but I don't like the trigger. H&K USP is too bulky to me. I sold one. CZ is a great recommendation if you want all steel. Probably the most accurate of the bunch. Beretta M9 is a nice gun as well. I agree that 9mm is king. 45 is good too. I don't really care for the .40. |
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The stories I've heard about glocks are of course Kabooms, malfunctions, and the fact that it's a polymer composite, some people complain, but I have yet to hear a story about a H&K, like I said I'm leaning more toward it because of the non-stop remarks I've heard about it and how well it holds up and performs. Don't get me wrong the glock and M&P are great guns as well and I have friends that swear by them but I'm just confused and trying to get a little clarity from all perspectives to help me make my choice. @ RCBIF: As for the safety selector option I would definitely want one because I don't want to limit my options and I want the ability to A.) Chamber a round with the option to flip a switch and have it go boom without worrying about accidental discharges when I remove it from the holster or if the trigger gets caught on an article of clothing, B.) As you pointed out in the event my gun is somehow taken away and attempted to be used against me and I need those few seconds to react and C.) the X Factor in life (Fill in the blank and apply) Most of the Kaboom stories are told and retold. There have been are some KB issues (especially with the .40 S&W versions), but even these have been blown out of proportion. Think about it, if Glock's were that unsafe, then how have over 3 Million been made since 1982? As for your other what if's, you are thinking too hard on this. |
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GLOCK- Sucks and has the most KFB's in history (In my oppenion) SD- Fair XDM- Getting better Any Full 5in .45 Is Classic (if its Over 500.00$) Never buy any thing in .40cal SIG is Awsome FN is Awsome H&K is god (little g for a reason) 9mm is prob the most practical over all. thank you for your "oppenion." Is that like an "opinion" but formed with less with less insight? |
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I owned an HK USP Compact 9mm years ago. It was very reliable, but it didn't balance well for me or feel good in my hand. I ended up selling it to a friend.
Years later I had an HK UPS full size, also in 9mm. I found it at a price I couldn't turn down. I once again though decided it didn't fit my hand. Neither pointed very naturally for me. And actually, the full size that I had wasn't as reliable either. I'm a CZ guy. In both cases I replaced the USPs with another CZ 75 variant. |
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the HK usp is a fine choice...pricy, but great
that said, best bet is for YOU to go out and try to shoot a few and base your decision from there and not from a bunch of folks on the interwebs that said, i'd take a glock, SW MP, Sig classic (german), or HK any day of th week over many of the brands out there |
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The standard Beretta M9 in 9MM is an excellent starting point in my opinion.
Full size, extremely reliable, manual safety and decocker, and smooth shooting. Spare mags are plentiful and affordable as well. Capacity is very reasonable with 15 rounds being standard, and eighteen and twenty round mags by MecGar available. Also, for a first pistol, there's a lot of knowledge and support about them out there and spare parts are plentiful in the secondhand and aftermarket sectors. Lots of holsters and accessories available as well, in many different styles, and usually in stock. Logistically they're a very simple platform to get started with and maintain. ~Augee |
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It's like the Titanic. No one complains when a small no-name ship hits and iceberg and sinks, but the Titanic, it's news, they make a movie, etc. Same with a Glock. It's such legendary reliability, that when someone triple loads their rounds and have a KB, it's some big ordeal because they thought the Glock was invincible. Quoted: Quoted: The stories I've heard about glocks are of course Kabooms, malfunctions, and the fact that it's a polymer composite, some people complain, but I have yet to hear a story about a H&K, like I said I'm leaning more toward it because of the non-stop remarks I've heard about it and how well it holds up and performs. Don't get me wrong the glock and M&P are great guns as well and I have friends that swear by them but I'm just confused and trying to get a little clarity from all perspectives to help me make my choice. @ RCBIF: As for the safety selector option I would definitely want one because I don't want to limit my options and I want the ability to A.) Chamber a round with the option to flip a switch and have it go boom without worrying about accidental discharges when I remove it from the holster or if the trigger gets caught on an article of clothing, B.) As you pointed out in the event my gun is somehow taken away and attempted to be used against me and I need those few seconds to react and C.) the X Factor in life (Fill in the blank and apply) Most of the Kaboom stories are told and retold. There have been are some KB issues (especially with the .40 S&W versions), but even these have been blown out of proportion. Think about it, if Glock's were that unsafe, then how have over 3 Million been made since 1982? As for your other what if's, you are thinking too hard on this. |
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I say go with the standard USP instead of the compact. The standard USP, in 9mm or 40, will take HK's 31 round magazine(9mm), 27 rounds of 40. Pro Mag has 20 round mags for the USP 45.
Ah fuck, I just saw you live in CT. 
Are you allowed high capacity mags and or suppressors??? If not then get the compact, but make sure you get night sights for it, preferably Trijicon.
If you are allowed high capacity mags and suppressors get the fullsize as HK makes threaded barrels for the USP 9/40/45 but only threaded barrels for the USPC 45. Also, even though they are pricey, the full size USP 9 and 40 have a jet funnel available with higher capacity mags. 16 rounds for the 40 and 18 rounds for the 9mm. Jet funnel is about $90 with each mag being about $55+ depending on where you get them from. |
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I'd go with the HK P30 with the LEM over the USP compact. Or if you want to save some money go with the M&P 9mm and throw in the Apex kit. I'd also reccomend looking at Glocks, but they are not gonna have the thumb safety.
As to my thoughts on the USP. I've owned a couple full sized ones, but never a compact. They were well made, reliable and accurate. I love the mag realse on the H&Ks, I wish others would copy the design. However I thought they were pretty bulky when compared to capacity and I found you could accidentaly decock the weapon when trying to take the gun off of safe. The best H&K trgger by most reports I have read is the light LEM. However with that option I think you loose the safety so I doubt you would want to go that route. Another negative for H&Ks for me is the cost and availability of mags. It's not really a huge issue once you get all the mags you want, but it is an annoyance.There is also almost no aftermarket stuff available for H&Ks. So if you don't like how it left the factory you are pretty well SOL. Other platforms offer a lot more options for aftermarket parts, from caliber conversions and dedicated .22 top halfs to drop in trigger jobs and replacement parts. |
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Hey guys I'm looking to buy a handgun and I need your help/advice. I have several AR-15's and have decided to snag a few handguns but I don't know which to choose, so I'll give you the layout. It's going to be for home defense/target shooting and I def want it as my primary for a SHTF scenario. Looking to spend at a maximum around 8-900 maybe and I mean maybe 1,000 but that's pushing it. I need this gun to be 100% reliable in terms of still shooting with sand in it, no malfunctions, light but is balanced and feels great in your hands, high mag capacity etc, etc. After a bunch of research and lurking I'm leaning toward a USP Compact in 9mm. Can I get some input from the people who have owned this gun to how it functions and if they like it as well as any other guns I should consider and why, thanks. -Dep 1. The weapon should be dictated strictly by your application (and the more applications you ask of it, the more it costs, or the less likely it does any job very well) 2. Once you have your application choices, the next thing you need to do is see how well it fits your hand, how it carries (if CCW application) and how it feels shooting. This will require rental or making friends, or you can listen to people on a board and hope that the popular choice was the right one for you. 3. A handgun is a shitty primary in general and a stupid primary in SHTF (especially when you have all these ARs of yours laying around). If a handgun is a primary for SHTF, you have either planned poorly or the weapon's role is for concealed carry in a populated environment, which is an application that runs completely contrary to all your other applications. Your best bet would be to take some suggestions here, research the reviews of these pistols for quality and compatibility with your application(s), then go to the gun store and hold them. If any feel particularly unwieldy you can discount those. When you have a few choices narrowed down, find an establishment or local shooter who will let you rent/try the pistol(s) you are interested in and see if your opinion of each platform has improved or declined after actually using it. |
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Hey guys I'm looking to buy a handgun and I need your help/advice. I have several AR-15's and have decided to snag a few handguns but I don't know which to choose, so I'll give you the layout. It's going to be for home defense/target shooting and I def want it as my primary for a SHTF scenario. Looking to spend at a maximum around 8-900 maybe and I mean maybe 1,000 but that's pushing it. I need this gun to be 100% reliable in terms of still shooting with sand in it, no malfunctions, light but is balanced and feels great in your hands, high mag capacity etc, etc. After a bunch of research and lurking I'm leaning toward a USP Compact in 9mm. Can I get some input from the people who have owned this gun to how it functions and if they like it as well as any other guns I should consider and why, thanks. -Dep 1. The weapon should be dictated strictly by your application (and the more applications you ask of it, the more it costs, or the less likely it does any job very well) 2. Once you have your application choices, the next thing you need to do is see how well it fits your hand, how it carries (if CCW application) and how it feels shooting. This will require rental or making friends, or you can listen to people on a board and hope that the popular choice was the right one for you. 3. A handgun is a shitty primary in general and a stupid primary in SHTF (especially when you have all these ARs of yours laying around). If a handgun is a primary for SHTF, you have either planned poorly or the weapon's role is for concealed carry in a populated environment, which is an application that runs completely contrary to all your other applications. Your best bet would be to take some suggestions here, research the reviews of these pistols for quality and compatibility with your application(s), then go to the gun store and hold them. If any feel particularly unwieldy you can discount those. When you have a few choices narrowed down, find an establishment or local shooter who will let you rent/try the pistol(s) you are interested in and see if your opinion of each platform has improved or declined after actually using it. Well I may have described the handguns primary role poorly. My AR's will serve as my primary weapons in a SHTF unless like you said I'm out and about and the only CCW I'm allowed is my pistol. I want a reliable handgun that will serve well for home defense, which I can also take target shooting and for everything else. Are you allowed high capacity mags and or suppressors???
I know we are allowed suppressors after all the proper paperwork and I do own high capacity mags for the AR's so I'm assuming they are allowed for handguns also. -Dep |