Getting a Handgun
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: News And Views
Forum Name: Thoughts and Opinions
Forum Description: Got something you need to say?
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=174305
Printed Date: 24 December 2025 at 8:39pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Getting a Handgun
Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Subject: Getting a Handgun
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:07pm
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Hey, I'm a small guy, 5'6" 150lbs. My hands are kinda small so most handguns (like the Berrettas we get) are too large for me to manipulate. Therefore, I'm looking to go into the sub-compact region. I like the Glock 36s and the Walther PPS'. Any thoughts on them? The .40 I've found has a wicked, snappy crack; the .45 is more powerful but less sudden and a bit slower making it a bit more managable in some ways; and the 9mm, well, 9mm is easy to control but can it really put someone down? It won't stop lizards... |
Replies:
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:08pm
| Head to detroit. They'll hook you up. |
Posted By: merc
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:10pm
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glock makes a new .45 with a slim handle. i havent herd anything bad about the XD pistols. ------------- saving the world, one warship at a time. |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:10pm
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9mm ruger, it what i have. its not to bad, can take down lizards, and maby(if it needs to) take someone out. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: Da Hui
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:11pm
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Aren't you the guy who keeps posting in pink font? Maybe you should get some pepper spray instead of a gun. ------------- 
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Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:12pm
Yeah, but that's chambered for .45 GAP, not .45 ACP. GAP ammo is expensive.  ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
merc wrote:Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:12pm
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i loled, hard. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:15pm
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Well... My weapons handling > Your skill at the internet |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:16pm
By weapons, you mean penis? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:16pm
my weapons skills > your weapons skills pwned ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: xXK1CK1NVV1NGXx
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:22pm
My skill with your mom > than your skill with your mom. ------------- <Sig violation, Section 1> |
Posted By: carl_the_sniper
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:23pm
My penis skills > your penis skills pwned |
Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:23pm
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i dont have the biggest hands ever, im 155and 5'11... holy crap you're short... anyways, i have a S&W M&P .40 that fits my hand pretty well. they make it in sub compact in .45 acp, .40sw, and 9mm.
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Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:27pm
thats just not right. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: Skillet42565
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:29pm
Incest? More like WINcest, amirite? |
Posted By: ShortyBP
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:43pm
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HO... same spot as you... small hands.
Beretta 92 (M9) and Sig P228 (M11) were both a bit too big for my mitts. I'm not a fan of Glocks... not saying they're bad choices... just not my personal choice. Glock 36, being single-stack, would probably fit your hands just fine. Have no experiences with Walthers. We got into the caliber-choice discussion maybe 6 months ago when someone else was looking for a handgun. All depends on what your intended purpose is... and what your overall budget is. I will say this though: Don't base your caliber choice on your perception of recoil. This has less to do with caliber and more to do with your particular weapon. The felt recoil on my 9x19 CZ P01 is more than that of my 45ACP 1911... and the felt recoil of my 9x18 CZ-82 is significantly more than either. A lightweight/short-barrel 9 will have more kick than a heavier .40. I can imagine that sub-compact PPS having a little bite to it. There are a lot of great choices out there. Everyone has their opinion as to what's the best. I won't say what is best, because there are too many variables. I will say, as always, that you should get your mitts around as many choices as possible... and pick one that is naturally comfortable in your hands. I went with a CZ P-01. Based on the CZ-75 series, it's a lightweight compact. Alloy frame, steel slide. 14rd standard capacity, in 9x19mm. Accessory rail. It fit my hands like it was made just for me, and it naturally points very well. It does have some kick to it, but it drops back on target effortlessly. Along with the feel of the weapon... I chose 9x19mm due to availability and cost. Also have a 5" 1911 in 45ACP that I'm shooting more, now that I'm reloading. Might look into a compact 3-1/2" barrel model before too long. Caliber choice economics: Just an example of the *cheapest* brass-cased ammo around my area (currently CCI Blazer Brass at Walmart). 9x19mm, 115gr FMJ: $0.19c/rd 45ACP, 230gr FMJ: $0.31c/rd (prices after sales tax, 5%) Might be able to find cheaper online, but then factor in shipping costs. 40S&W will fall in closer to the 45ACP price-range. My personal opinion is to steer clear of the 45GAP. Cost and availability are not in your favor, and there still isn't any guarantee that this won't be another fad-round and go the way of the 10mm. Takedown ability: comes down to shot placement above all else. I have complete confidence in my 9x19 defensive choice (Speer 124gr +P). As well as the ability of a standard 230gr 45ACP FMJ or JHP doing the job. There are a slew of good JHP choices in 9x19 available today with excellent terminal performance. Don't base your opinion of 9x19 on the performance of ball rounds. |
Posted By: Bunkered
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:49pm
Word. ------------- 
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Posted By: Bunkered
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 10:52pm
You obviously need a Desert Eagle .50 cal. No one will even notice how short you are when you pull that baby out. *Edit: Double post FTW. -------------
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Posted By: notXXscared
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 11:10pm
Damn you Bunkered, beat me to it lol. ------------- 
Previously DYE PLAYA |
Posted By: .357 Magnum
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 11:21pm
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Get a Beretta 92 or a Springfield compact.
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Posted By: Savage93fvss
Date Posted: 23 March 2008 at 11:29pm
| I have a Sgringfield XD-40. I have smaller than average hands and it fits very well. The recoil is mild and seems to have good power, great shot groupings from about 20 yards. I'd feel comfortable with a head shot at that range. Glocks suck, never once been able to hit anything with one. Are you only looking at auto's or are revolvers in the game also? |
Posted By: The Guy
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 4:32am
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Ok i'll admit, i'm a bit of an HK fanboy. However the USP is a pretty solid gun. I hae larger hands and my brother, not so much (I can told a Tac-8 comfortably). We both find the USP to be all around comfortable. Make sure you get one in pink to match your sandals btw. |
Posted By: CarbineKid
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:05am
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There are are many guns that have changeable back straps. It makes the handle fit just about anyones hands. For that reason alone I think you should check out the walther p99 or a S&W M&P. If you have more money to spend grab a HK P30.
I would suggest staying away for a sub compact if you have trouble with recoil. A larger gun in lets say 9mm will absorb the recoil alot better then a small mouse gun. |
Posted By: PaiNTbALLfReNzY
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 8:02am
| I have pretty small hands as well, and the Sig P226 fits my hands great. It's one of the most accurate off-the-shelf handguns I've fired, not to mention extremely easy to maintain. To each his own, though. |
Posted By: SSOK
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 11:34am
Shooting lizards gives you that much expierence? Perhaps when you serve in Iraq you will have more "skills" than H.O. ------------- 
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Posted By: GI JOES SON
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 11:38am
| ^^^i was just thinking the same thing...as infantry to boot. |
Posted By: Ceesman762
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 12:27pm
| Kimber compact in .45 acp. I liked it, but I wouldn't own one. I have a snub S&W model 36 in .38 for that. very small, light, easy to aim and DOES NOT JAM! drop it in mud, pee on it to clean it off and fire away. It's great up to 25 feet with Plus P. |
Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 2:59pm
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Hmm... I will check out these Sig P226, Kimber, XD-40, and HK P30 as well. Only trouble is finding people that have them to shoot. Really looking into automatics though, not a fan of six-shooters. Lizards run after being hit by 9mm...if a lizard runs, then a human won't drop either. If I could, I'd get a 7.62 x 51mm handgun but that just seems like a bad idea... Pepper spray is cool but it does not always work. Those that have been hit by it (or OC spray) probably don't believe this but when I used to bounce, I saw a guy get hit and it didn't bother him a bit. |
Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 3:31pm
tell that to tupac. I was watching a police training video where a state trooper shot a guy 5 times with a .357 magnum. the guy lived, but the trooper was shot and killed by the one 9mm bullet that hit him in the chest. -------------
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Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 3:33pm
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Bullets do funny things...usually chest wounds aren't the worst thing in the world...
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Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 3:42pm
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It's all about bullet placement. Calibre is just a variable on top of where your shot goes.
------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: Penguin
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 4:19pm
anyways, I'd go with a Colt 1911 .45 it's an alltime classic plus the single stack magazine makes for a slimmer frame and easy concealment and it can stop pretty much anybody let alone a lizard. ------------- 
Back by popular demand |
Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 4:21pm
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It crossed my mind... Screw it, I'll just get a MAC in .45 ------------- Female Jihad: Virgins willing to do it all for Allah |
Posted By: Evil Elvis
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 4:41pm
I just got a S&W .500 Mag on Order and I was going to get their bad ass MP R-8 revolver. That's a .357 8 Shot Large frame tactical revolver. But I saw this first hand and decided to order this as the back up to my .500 Magnum.
Living less than 10 minutes from the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center has it's perks. ------------- 
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Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 4:59pm
nope, he was running cocaine, but wasnt on it at the time. either way, meth or something would only keep the guy up as long as it was in his system. he'd eventualy succumb to the injuries. the bullet that killed the trooper made it around his kevlar (not through) some how and straight through his heart. -------------
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Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 5:13pm
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I just hate revolvers... I'm all about light weight, plastic... ------------- Female Jihad: Virgins willing to do it all for Allah |
Posted By: Evil Elvis
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 6:19pm
wich you get with revolvers now days... I sold my HK USP .40 to get my .500 Mag. In any situation I am sure I wont need high Cap Mags to take someone down with the .500 mag. -------------
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Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 6:25pm
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MRI baby eagle semi compact. I railed a 20 gauge shell from 25 yards away in a single shot once. That is all. ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 6:25pm
no, but you're going to spend about 2$ to do it. -------------
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Posted By: Kayback
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 6:51pm
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Lightweight and plastic does not always make a good gun.
Personally I swear by my Glock 26 though. 9x19mm is plenty powerful enough to drop a person reliably. Add to this it's a JHP of some sort, and it's probably a high velocity one at that, and you've got a pretty eman package. Put it all in a weapon you can shoot well and you are set. I carry my Glock 26 with 13 round of Speer Gold Dot ammo, and a spare 19 roundmag loaded with Ranger SXT ammo. (donwn to my last 20 rounds of that. Don't know what i'll replace it with :( ) You might wanna look into a .40, because they do have some advantages. Heavier bullet weight, high-ish capacity, and pretty fast on the hoof. But I agree with the recoil charateristics of most .40's. Larger bullets tend to do more damage, things like 9mm JHP's when they open up are only the size of a non open .45ACP. And you can't always rely on them opening. If you look at the .40 S&W, in a 165 grain round, You'll bet getting roughly 1150fps from a +P round. Same bullet weight, in .45ACP and you'll be getting 1250fps. Thats standard 9mm velocities, with a big assed round, that'll probably open up anyway. The advantage of the .40 is higher capacity, and generally smaller weapon size than a .45ACP. Personally I have carried a Commander sized 1911, and a Glock as my personal SD weapon. My 1911 and my Glock both have their advantages and their disadvantages. The 1911 It quite a hunk of metal though. It's fairly heavy to carry daily, and it needs a propper belt and holster. My Glock can get carried in a pocket, if I absolutely need to. Stay away from the Walther PPS. If you want a small, low capacity, thin, poodle shooter, get a Khar. Khar make decent weapons, they are thin,light and low capacity. You can get them in 9x19mm, of .40 or even .45ACP. The Walther PPKs are half a step above "quaint". They are decent weapons, and they will work, but why limit yourself to a 9x17mm ? Here are some examples of a Walther with a SW and a Colt. 
KBK |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:00pm
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Well what do you want to do with said gun? Becuase if your looking to shoot paper in my opinion the baby eagle is the way to go. Inexpensive, accurate, easy to maintain, and customer service is excellent through magnum research. If you're looking for streamline you can't go wrong, it's as thin as a 1911 and it's dual stack (13 rounds in semi compact 9mm). ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:10pm
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i duno, the baby DE is pretty sweet. i love my 9mm ruger though. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:14pm
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Ruger's are badass but the guy is looking for someting slimline. I was throughly impressed with how slim it was for a dual stack mag well. ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:17pm
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ya, its pretty slim to me. .45 darenger (sp) maby?? dont say they dont exist, iv seen em at the local gun shops and gun shows. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:19pm
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What kind of ruger do you have? I was assuming it was a p series pistol but now I'm not so sure. ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:34pm
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ummm im not 100% shure. let me look. Edit: ok its a P89. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 7:57pm
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P89's are slim? Really? Sweet I might have to check one out. ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 8:00pm
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its slim to me, but i have kinda big hands. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 8:06pm
 , same here so maybe it'll work. Actually now that I think about it I said I was ok with the feel of the TAC 8 so yeah it probebly would feel slim. That's cool as hell I should take a closer look at those.------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 8:19pm
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ya they're nice guns. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: Klaus
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 8:48pm
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I've got a pistol with plenty of knockdown power and no worries about shot-placement...but I think you looking for something in the less than 12ga category. I heard that little kal-tech is great. Don't know what it's called though. And downside is it's a .32 I think. |
Posted By: rednekk98
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 8:58pm
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Baretta has a version of the 92 with a reshaped frame to fit smaller hands, since you're already familiar with the pistol that might be a way to go. I'm not sure if they've done it to the 96 (.40) yet. Are you planning on carrying this in Iraq? I didn't think you could bring personal firearms back from there due to import restrictions. Elvis, that .45 is badass, I just hate how you'd have to use those full-moon clips. I'd prefer the 8 shot .357. |
Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 10:14pm
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No... In Iraq, I'd rather have a rifle. Mainly because a lot of people barrowed my rifle if they hadn't been issued one (since convoys weren't normal for them) and therefore, they did not have an accurate zero on their weapon. ------------- Female Jihad: Virgins willing to do it all for Allah |
Posted By: ShortyBP
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 10:17pm
Model with the redesigned grip: Vertec. HO... if you are trained with the M9 and otherwise like the M9 platform... this is something you might want to consider. Beretta 92 Vertec (they might have a 96 model) This model actually DID fit in my hands. The grip frame is different than the rest of the 92 series... but it is otherwise the same gun, same magazines, same slide assy, most parts interchangable. Comes standard with accessory rail, too. |
Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 10:17pm
Why not both? I'd carry a pistol as well if possible. Better in this particular case to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Besides, it can be very difficult to manoeuvre a rifle around from inside a vehicle, whereas a pistol can be quite handy. ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: Rottergotterdam
Date Posted: 24 March 2008 at 10:21pm
I'd get my rifle out instead of the pistol. Pure and simple. If I need to, I can short stock my rifle. Besides, its extra gear to keep track of and more maintenance on something I promise you I will never use. Edit - I'm just adverse to pistols for some reason. I like them for concealability home, but in Iraq, I just see it as dead weight. Kinda like pistols in paintball. Edit - That and the M9 is huge for me. I have trouble with it. Which is why double- or staggered-stacked magazines are almost not an option for me as well.
------------- Female Jihad: Virgins willing to do it all for Allah |
Posted By: CarbineKid
Date Posted: 25 March 2008 at 12:06am
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Jut a quick thought about the caliber wars. There are endless debates over which caliber is better. There are pages written on the 9mm vs 45 acp debate. Here my take on it. You should shoot what you are not only, most comfortable with, but what you can shoot better.
Handguns by their very nature are weak. If you really need something to defend yourself with...you will want a rifle. With that said the object with shooting a hand gun is to hit vital areas. You want a pistol that you can handle and fire accurately, quickly, and under stress. You also want to make sure the pistol fits you. Can you reach all the controls, if so make sure you train with it until it becomes second nature. With any hand gun you want to keep shooting until the threat stops. That means either hitting vital areas, or having the bad guy bleed out. I went with a 9mm over a 45. I can get multiple hit in vital areas alot quicker. Thats just me, and it might be different for you. I would also suggest reading armed response by David Kenik. Its full of useful of information. Here is an article he wrote(I am in the pictures, but they are less than flatering. ) http://armedresponsebook.com/articles/Street_Sense-Keep_it_real.pdf - Article 
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Posted By: warman
Date Posted: 25 March 2008 at 1:43am
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I went with the 10mm, then i shot a deer with it...awesomeness ensued ------------- N is for nowledge |
Posted By: Kayback
Date Posted: 25 March 2008 at 2:55am
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/me just engaged brain and realised the OP was talking about a PPS, not a PPK/S. /me appologises.
Night shifts can dot hat to a person. KBK |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 25 March 2008 at 6:41pm
Which is why I suggested the baby eagle. Hell even a cz is nice and slim but the baby eagles are single stack magazine slim. ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 25 March 2008 at 6:46pm
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like i said, my 9mm p89 ruger is a nice gun, id go try to hold one of those. its realativly good sized with good power. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: X-51
Date Posted: 25 March 2008 at 6:53pm
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You're best bet is to go to a gun store and try a lot of different types out, you may be suprised. Reading your original post it's apparent you don't even have a round down. Nail that down first and then seek out the rest of the details. ------------- Once we clued in on the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, all that matters is how you wanna go out, on your feet or your knees? |