I am trying to decide which weapon to buy for carrying in a duty rig.  I'm torn between a Glock 17, 21, 22 or Sig 220, 226, 229.

If your hands are big enough I would choose the Glock 21

Effective round
easy to shoot
13 +1 capacity
chicks dig it

I like the Glock 17 and the Sig P226 myself.  They are both very reliable and great duty guns.  They are both common as well so you would not feel guilty about dinging one.

Are you by chance Las Vegas Metro?

Sig 220-great trigger, good handling, more reliable than most allegedly high-end 1911's.  Texas DPS used them for a long time before switching to I think the 226 in .357 Sig.

Which one do you shoot the best? 3 different weapon platforms(Glock vs. 1911 vs. Sig). I'm surprised you have such a wide choice, 3 diff. platforms and 3 diff. calibers, just mho but I would think it to be better if officers were armed w/ same/similar pistols and caliber?

either 9mm or .45 for caliber....  your choice and 9mm is just fine.

For duty, I like simplicity.... this leads me to glock.  I think personally, a Glock 17 can't be beat.  Holds 17 +1 rounds and just will not die.

Whichever one you shoot better. Glock/Sig/1911or 9mm/.45, doesn't matter––your ability to shoot it matters most.

I bought a G34 and G21 with the intention of carrying one of them on duty. After shooting them both side by side, I found that I shot the G21 better because the grip fit my hand much better. I then carried the G21, bought a G30 as a backup, and sold the G34. Caliber, magazine capacity, etc. pale in comparison to your ability to shoot it.

Anyway, also take a look at the M&P. After my G30 blew up, I started looking at other .45 caliber duty pistols. I found that I shot the M&P 45 better than my G21, so I replaced my G21 and G30 with full size and compact M&P 45s.

I would go with either a G17, or a 1911 in .45ACP, of your choices, because those are the two I am most proficient with, and have the most experience with, of your choices.

YOU should decide based on which type YOU handle and shoot best.  That is all that matters, other than factors such as total reliability, which should be a given when choosing a duty pistol.

I have my G22 in a safariland holster for my duty weapon.
I own many of the choices you have listed but decided this was the best carry option for me. I wanted the stoping power and high round count along with reliability.
Good Luck, and whatever you get train with it till you can draw and fire it without thinking.

AP

You don't have a bad or unreliable weapon on that list.  I have carried all three of those platforms as a duty weapon at one point or another in my 20 years as a LEO as well as being a range-master/instructor and armorer for them.  I love each and every one of them for different reasons.  Each one has certain issues to deal with that influence how you train with it.  Also a consideration is the type of "duty" you are going to be doing.  I am proficient with all of them, so, first I would narrow it down to a caliber, and for me it is .45 acp.  

Some people have a real problem with understanding proper usage of the 1911 safety, some people have a lot of heartburn with remembering to use the de-cock on the 220, though the DAK is a very good solution and option if you don't want to worry about the de-cocker.  Most people I trained with a 220 with the de-cock would through that first double action round and pump the other 8 right where they needed to be.  About half of them had trouble remembering to de-cock at the appropriate time, so we'd spend much more time training with it.

Of the bunch, the one that is the least expensive, has the most inexpensive and most available parts, and is the easiest to work on, is the Glock.  Next is the 1911 followed by Sig.  I hated armoring the Sig, and parts were expensive.  All are more accurate than most people can shoot them, and all are proven and reliable weapons.

So, if I had to buy my own duty gun for basic police patrol work and didn't have a lot of money, I'd chose the Glock 21 SF.  If I had a little more money and my department was progressive enough and led by people intelligent enough to understand the true safety of a 1911, were not "cocked and locked"-phobics, and understood the benefit of single action fire, I'd go with a good 1911.  If I had a little more money but my agency frowned on the 1911, I'd probably choose a P220 with de-cock.

Every one of those should give you the reliability and dependability you need for a carry weapon.    If you have the choice, you need to shoot them and see what fits you the best and what you can afford.      Used is 100% ok in my opinion so long as it has been checked by a dept armorer (NOT just the gun store, my 1st Gen G17 had a broken trigger pin in it when I brought it home).

I don't care for the manual safety and low capacity of a 1911 personally, or the DA/SA or DAO of the Sigs (I've heard good things about the DAK but I've never got to use one).     I carry a Glock 22 and 27 for a BUG.

As others have asked, which do you shoot best?

my vote is for the glock 34 or glock 35.  these have a longer barrel and sight radius, which helps in accuracy, plus the nearly 5.5 inch effective barrel length really gets into the upper end of the velocities for .40 and 9mm.  the frame is the same size as the glock 17, so holsters with an open bottom should work fine.  i dunno, if i had a choice for a duty gun, ie one i dont have to conceal, i would get the gun with the longest barrel and highest capacity.  btw my vote goes for the glock 34 over the two, i like the 9mm better.

I was leaning toward a Glock 21 or 22.

Try out both and choose the one you shoot best.

I'm able to a shoot a G21 much better than a G22 because the grip fit my hands much better, and I find the .40 caliber round more difficult to shoot well than the .45 because of it's snappy recoil. Therefore, I chose the G21 (G21SF actually), and later the M&P 45 when I found that I could shoot the M&P better than the Glock.

Whatever you shoot best.  Personally, I'd carry a G21 or a M&P.

Your agency has a very liberal duty weapon policy. Or are you working Armed Security or a courier job like Loomis?

As mentioned, I'd stick with either 9mm or 45acp. My preference is 9mm. I'm more comfortable with my handling of this caliber round. Whichever you shoot better is the one you should go with. Don't put much faith in the caliber debates.

You should focus on carrying a weapon with a permanently attached weapon light. Get either a Surefire X300 or a X400 with a remote activation switch. They are the best without a doubt when properly used. The momentary settings beat everything else on the market. They're fairly easy to get a holster for too. Raven Concealment will make you a holster for 2 1/4" belt loops if you need with a thumb break. That would be my path.

The Glock or an XD series would be my choice. It depends which grip angle you like the best. The XDm series will offer you a wider selection of grip choices. You'll be limited to 9mm or 40s&w though. I find the XD series to be more similar to the 1911 grip. The Glock is more aggressively canted. I prefer to carry with open top magazine pouches on a duty belt. They're a hell of a lot faster than closed pouches. If you roll around on the ground a lot though, they will get damaged a bit. Worth the speed bump though.

M&P9

SIG P229 in .40S&W or a 1911.

Of all those in your list I'd pick the Glock 21.  It's got a large capacity, is very durable and reliable, and chambers the most potent cartridge you can put in a standard size service pistol without going to the 10mm or a wildcat.












 

Get a Bren Ten and a white suit!  





Seriously though, I'd take a G21SF.

given any thought to one of the new thumb safety xd45's?  

While I have owned and like most of the guns listed I feel the Glock is possibly the perfect duty sidearm. While all of them are generally accurate and reliable; the durability, light weight and corrosion resistance of the Glock give it an edge as a duty weapon. I carry a Sig but if I had a choice I would carry a G21SF or G35.

Find out what the majority of folks you work with carry...
Then carry that same gun, or one that takes the same magazines & caliber....





'Duty rig' implies a job where you may have to actually get in a gunfight (LEO)....





'Hey, I'm out - toss me a mag' trumps 'I think this gun is cooler'...



For example, being the only guy with a 1911, and everyone around you has Beretta 92s... If you're 'out', you're 'out'....
 

I disagree. I think choosing the gun you shoot best trumps "Hey, I'm out - toss me a mag." Has an officer ever had to get tossed ammo by another because he ran completely dry in any US law enforcement engagement? I can't think of a single incident where magazine commonality has had any impact on a law enforcement gun fight.

Besides, if your buddy just missed 52 times, should you really be giving him your ammo?

To the OP, I used to carry a G21SF, but switched to the M&P. I loved the G21 and shot very well with it until I tried the M&P. I much prefer the M&P.

I would not base your decision off polls like this. They are always going to favor Glock because that is what most on here a fans of. Glocks are great guns and very popular but that does not neccessarily mean that its the right gun for your needs. You really need to hold the gun and see if it has the features you want. I for one like a hammer on my gun and DA/SA triggers. I have tried to like striker guns and DAO triggers but they just aren't for me. That's why personally I'm a fan of Sig, HK, Beretta, CZ, etc...

He is right as far as finding the gun that fits you. It goes beyond just shooting well, but one that fits your hand properly.

As for sharing mags, it happened in the Hollywood bank robbery.

I carry 4 spare mags. They are for me. If someone next to me needs more ammo, I'll just give them my back-up gun.

That sure is a wide range of options!

Personally I'm an XD & M&P fan but out of your choices, I'd go with the G22 because you can't really go wrong with the Glock, I've shot a G22 a decent amount and like it, and I feel that the .40 is a great compromise between power and capacity. That said I carry (not LEO) a 9mm because I like that I can practice much more for much less $$.

Did it? I've seen a lot of reports about that incident, but don't remember hearing about officers giving mags to each other.



Either way, it did not appear to have an impact on the gun fight.