Reliable Pistol

[Five-O]

If reliability is your primary criteria then it is difficult to beat the Glock. Assuming you are going to shoot it a few times to get comfortable with it then store it..they have a demonstrated track record of reliabilty with all previous actecdotal problems not withstanding. Caliber is a personal choice but if you are not going to shoot the weapon on a regular basis (assumption) 9mm will give you more opportunities to score muliple hits under stress. Additionally for the Glock, accessories essentially fall out of the sky and are easily purchased with little effort or searching.

I don't believe I saw this mentioned previously in this thread, if I missed it then I apologize. For a night stand home defense pistol...Get a LIGHT on the gun as well. My .02

[ccrn]

These were the candidates for the Joint Combat Pistol program:

Smith & Wesson M&P .45
Smith & Wesson SW990L
Smith & Wesson Model 4566 TSW
Smith & Wesson Model 4563 TSW
Springfield Armory XD-45
Ruger P-345
Ruger P90
GLOCK 21
GLOCK 21SF
FN Herstal FNP-45
Heckler & Koch USP 45
Heckler & Koch USP Compact 45
Heckler & Koch HK45
Sig Sauer P220

You will see the M&P and XD on there, as well as the Glock.

I carry HK only ,unless on duty of course-

[koz]

It is possible to convert a G35 to a 9mm with a barrel, but to get it to run reliably (as far as competitions are concerned) he would need to swap out the extractor and ejector. It may also be necessary to change the guide rod/spring too. Reliability is questionable with the conversion - not the right combo for a HD gun...

[99meters]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I do not believe that the slides are the same for all of those rounds, or all you would need to convert is a barrel.

The 9x19 and the .40/.357 SIG have different case head diameters, and consequently, different breech faces, not to mention slide weight is probably different.

TR

TR, I know Lone Wolf and Bar-sto makes the drop in barrels for glock conversions. I don't have first hand experience on how well they work, just hear-say.
I just got done buying some Heinie Straight Eights to replace the factory sights on my G23. My next purchase will be one of the above 9mm drop in barrel ( I have to sneek them in ..... wife...).When I do, I will report back on how well it does of does not work.

99

[Red Flag 1]

I had a Lama .380 that would stovepipe with every mag. Never found a way to stop it. Bought a Glock 19, end of problem; I've used it since 1993 with never an issue.

My brother is a firearms instructor at the FBI Firearms Training Unit, Quantico. His suggestion was the Remington Model 870. They equip theirs with open rifle sights, and fire rifled slugs for up to 100 yds. Looking at a 12ga from the wrong end has been known create epiphanies from time to time. I like the comfort of 00 shot like Brush Okie suggested.

My $.02.

RF 1

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by 99meters

TR, I know Lone Wolf and Bar-sto makes the drop in barrels for glock conversions. I don't have first hand experience on how well they work, just hear-say.
I just got done buying some Heinie Straight Eights to replace the factory sights on my G23. My next purchase will be one of the above 9mm drop in barrel ( I have to sneek them in ..... wife...).When I do, I will report back on how well it does of does not work.

99

You missed my point.

The guns are not identical, less the barrels. You can make a .40 a .357 with a barrel swap, and vice versa. I do not think you can do the same with the 9mms. It might fit, but it probably will not run well.

TR

[ktek01]

One good thing about Glocks, most ranges that rent guns seem to have just about one of each model for rent. I would strongly recommend renting a few if possible. The Glock grip is a little weird and what you think may fit you best might not be true. My wife and I tried the 17, 21, 22, 26, 30 & 36.

We could shoot all well, but the single stack sub-compact 36 was what we both shot the best. The .45s all were easier shooting for us, felt like more of a gentle push instead of the snappier recoil of the 9s and .40s We both carry the 36 now, but also considering the 21 SF or 35 for 3 gun matches. I was not a fan of the plastic gun before I decided to rent a few and give them a try.

[mark46th]

There was a thread on a forum that I can't think of off hand about handgun ammunition and lethality. The guy who was the focus of it was a coroner's investigator for Fulton County(Atlanta, Ga?). He had seen hundreds of shooting victims over the years. He said the one round that consistently produced fatal wounds was the .357 Magnum. He felt the reason for the .357 Mag's lethality was its ability to penetrate. You said you didn't want a loaded weapon in the house but you weren't averse to having a pistol with a mag nearby. I keep a Ruger SS Security Six in .357 Mag with a speed loader nearby. A speed loader is the same as a magazine to me....

I will look for that article. It was very interesting. The most entertaining aspect of the article was the people who thought they knew what they were talking about, arguing with someone who really did know what he was talking about...

This guy did say that if you have your choice, a 12 gauge with slugs is the best option...

[rdret1]

Originally Posted by mark46th

There was a thread on a forum that I can't think of off hand about handgun ammunition and lethality. The guy who was the focus of it was a coroner's investigator for Fulton County(Atlanta, Ga?). He had seen hundreds of shooting victims over the years. He said the one round that consistently produced fatal wounds was the .357 Magnum. He felt the reason for the .357 Mag's lethality was its ability to penetrate. You said you didn't want a loaded weapon in the house but you weren't averse to having a pistol with a mag nearby. I keep a Ruger SS Security Six in .357 Mag with a speed loader nearby. A speed loader is the same as a magazine to me....

I will look for that article. It was very interesting. The most entertaining aspect of the article was the people who thought they knew what they were talking about, arguing with someone who really did know what he was talking about...

This guy did say that if you have your choice, a 12 gauge with slugs is the best option...

The .357 mag, like any other round, depends on proper shot placement. On Nov. 20th, 1992, South Carolina Trooper Mark Coates shot an assailant with his issue .357 Mag. The guy lived. Trooper Coates was hit with one round, under his arm pit above his vest, by a .22. He died in just a few seconds. The in car video of this incident is used as training in Basic Law Enforcement classes nation wide. It is a gruesome video, but drives home a basic officer survival point.

[mark46th]

Yup, placement is everything.

[99meters]

Originally Posted by rdret1

The .357 mag, like any other round, depends on proper shot placement. On Nov. 20th, 1992, South Carolina Trooper Mark Coates shot an assailant with his issue .357 Mag. The guy lived. Trooper Coates was hit with one round, under his arm pit above his vest, by a .22. He died in just a few seconds. The in car video of this incident is used as training in Basic Law Enforcement classes nation wide. It is a gruesome video, but drives home a basic officer survival point.

This was the video that got me switched-on as I was completing my academy training.

Re TR: Maybe I did miss your point. However, the drop ins barrels are being marketed as drop ins with no other mods needed.
There are a few online post and reviews from end users that are positive. All or most users recommend needing 9mm mags for best results. The one complaint that came up a few times, is the gun seems to shoot high.
Can't beat first hand knowledge ...... as promised, when I try it I will report back.

99

[ccrn]

Originally Posted by Red Flag 1

My brother is a firearms instructor at the FBI Firearms Training Unit, Quantico. His suggestion was the Remington Model 870. They equip theirs with open rifle sights, and fire rifled slugs for up to 100 yds. Looking at a 12ga from the wrong end has been known create epiphanies from time to time.

My $.02.

RF 1

Well said. Best home defense as far as firepower goes.

Hard to discreetly carry one around your house and property though. I can imagine having the neighbors over for dinner, and having a 870 slung while you eat.

Cant beat the lethality of it though-

[Smokin Joe]

V

Originally Posted by ccrn

Well said. Best home defense as far as firepower goes.

Hard to discreetly carry one around your house and property though. I can imagine having the neighbors over for dinner, and having a 870 slung while you eat.

Cant beat the lethality of it though-

Its your house, you should have 'things' strategically located throughout your home to be able to repel at least little 'contact'. You would be amazed what you can stash around your home without your neighbors noticing. Most of my neighbors are sheep who keep their heads down and keep to themselves.

[Buffalobob]

About 4:00 last night a truck two houses down the street from us had a window smashed and the alarm went off and scared the burglar off. The truck belongs to a college kid who rents a basement apartment from one of our neighbors. The kid did not lose anything but now has to pay to have the window replaced.

My daughter came in from class about 8:30 last night and said two police cars were parked three blocks away from our house so the police are trying hard to catch the guy. I think it is just some local guy who has a drug problem because the stuff that is happening is really stupid.

So this morning I went back to the gun shop. It is really interesting how much different a pistol feels in your hand when you are in a really bad mood. It just seems to point better and hold steadier! This time the Glock 34 felt much better and pointed better, although it seems to be sensitive to how you first wrap your hand around it. But if I grip it hard, then it lines up fine. So I bought the Glock. In order to register it in DC, they swapped out the high capacity magazines for 10 round magazines (what a bummer).

[frostfire]

Originally Posted by Buffalobob

The Glock 34 has about one inch more of barrel than the Glock 17 which will be helpful for an amateur like me if I put Trijcon sights on it. Also if I ever decide to shoot three gun competition then I have something to play with.

I will go and handle the Glock and XD and see how they feel being as the gun has to point correctly for me or else it is worthless.

IMHOO, in the absence of range test, this is one of the best method to test if the pistol matches the person.

I don't like glocks. Weird grip angle, bulge at the back of handle, double-feed/FTE with limp wrist etc. The pistol that points naturally for me and the one I started with is the USP compact series. However, when I acquired a G17 gen 4 recently no matter how I pick it up, two hands, strong hand, weak hand, it just points with perfect sight alignment. I presume that years of competition using G34 has conditioned my eye-hand-body to match Glocks design. I still don't like glocks, but it works. Hence, *shrugs*

FWIW, the smaller grip size, great grip texture, and double spring in G17 Gen 4 has allowed me faster and more accurate follow-up shots due to reduced muzzle lift and lower perceived recoil. As you plan to deliver more than just one round, I strongly recommend this one to test. If you look around, LE & vet/AD should be able to get it for $400 with three mags