You're taking that to literally. Quick access to a safe at the top of closet actually. Nightstand was more shorthand.

Thanks for the child raising advice though

[This message has been edited by vanzandt92 (edited 7/8/2014 11:11p).]

I didn't give you child raising advice. I gave you gun advice. You just missed it.

We're good. I understand.



Smith and Wesson, Sig, or Springfield?

If Glock is out because of lack of kid-resistant external safety, the Springfield should logically be out as well, as a child is still going to be able to defeat the grip safety on an XD, meaning that grabbing the gun and pulling the trigger would discharge a loaded weapon.

Of the remaining two - S&W and Sig - there is a big price delta between them. If money is not a factor I'd get the Sig, but the S&W is a fine choice in my opinion.

Some Sigs are DA/SA, which can also add an additional safety factor into the gun. I don't think the S&W M&Ps have that sort of action as an option, but I'm not an authority.

I see. As an adult, I've only shot DA/SA, which were friends' guns, as far as I know, but that is helpful to understand since i'm shopping in a fog of little understanding.

The used Sigs i'm looking at are a variety of prices. Thanks again.

Most Sigs don't have safeties either, just a decocker and a double action first pull.

I know some people get jived up about not having an external safety and that's fine, but if it's a problem for you with the Glock I'm not sure why you're comfortable with a decocker Sig. Same basic issue with a few lbs more in the trigger pull.

If you really want a modern high capacity handgun with an external safety, pick up one of the M&Ps that come with one. Be careful though because not all of the M&Ps have external safeties either. Ask for one specifically if that's your thing.

Glock 19 every time.

Bender, I'm not ok with anything. I've learned more about pistols in the last 48 than I wanted to. I'm a novice with pistols in general, but now am learning about DA / SA, DAO or whatever, external safeties, etc. Going after work to again look at 1911s and lots of other things now that I'm better armed. Pun intended.

VanZant, it's all good. Hope that last post didn't come off negatively, I was confused by your requirements but coming from a new shooter they make more sense now. If you want to be even more confused by all of us, don't hesitate to keep asking questions because we all have our own opinions about this gun or that. We can confuse the heck of you if you'd like us to!

My advice:

Guns are a lot like cars. What works for you depends on your planned usage, how it fits you and just what you like. You also have brand loyalists, who typically have just as much of a reason to cry X over Y as the Chevy/Ford/Dodge people do...it's all personal preference and what has worked for them in the past.

Also like cars, you should test drive before you buy. If you're in my area I'll take you out and let you try some different guns to see what you like and give you a few tips on shooting a handgun. Let me know if you're anywhere in or near the Bell County area.

[This message has been edited by BenderRodriguez (edited 7/9/2014 9:59p).]

Thanks Bender. I went back to the same shop today and was able to talk to somebody much more knowledgeable and helpful. Yesterday, I had been comparing all sorts of guns without understanding the right questions I suppose, but the guy there basically said, "whatever feels good in your hand and that you bring up quickly with the sights aligned." He just said they were like Chevys and Fords. Stupid me, I believed him, not fooling with all the firing mechanisms.

Then I got on Texags and got some correction, then got chastised by an Aggie friend for considering double action only. I see why yall choose the Glock, but I don't think that is what I want really.

I also had been looking at .40 and .45, but now will probably to 9mm so that my son can shoot with me soon at our farm.

I will also probably get a .22 pistol to show my son how to shoot that first.

I haven't ruled out revolvers, incidentally.

Yes, the pistol will be for home defense. Yes it will be locked. What the firing and safety mechanisms will be are yet to be determined.

I may go and rent a few pistols at a nearby range.

In the end, I may have a Sig or Beretta. Because it is like a watch. If it costs more, it must be better. Kidding.

That's about all the ignorance I care to display tonight, but I do understand double action and SA/DA now.

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I will also probably get a .22 pistol to show my son how to shoot that first.

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This is a great idea! Before the panic, I could buy 50 rounds of .45 or 550 rounds of .22 for about the same price at the store. For new handgun shooters (heck and even experienced ones), I think 550 repetitions of solid fundamentals with rimfire is much, much more useful than 50 rounds of .45.

.22 pistols are great training tools.

The point earlier about the child risks and springfield grip safeties is right. Guns are built to pick up a certain way. A kid or anyone else will pick up a pistol by the grip naturally the correct way. So that grip does nothing for me.

If you want an external safety, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them as long as you practice, the H&K p30 is the best option IMHO. The S&W M&P is good too. My sister has a Ruger SR9C. It is a little weird for me as a compact but the full size is easy to reach.

Now, back to the OP, the Glock 19 every time.

A revolver is an excellent choice for a first handgun for a variety of reasons. Regardless of what you buy, but especially if you go the semi-auto route right out of the gate, I would encourage you to spend some money on a handgun basics class for you and your wife.

And for whatever it's worth, I live in The Woodlands area of Houston and if you happen to be in this part of the world I'd be glad to meet you at a range and let you shoot as many of my guns as you'd like and share whatever knowledge I have.

The only downside for you is that I've all but standardized on Glocks for my handguns... I only own two handguns that aren't Glocks. So if a Glock is indeed out of the question there might not be much value there, but I'd be glad to give you some pointers as best I can regardless.

You may have picked up on some silly snippiness in this thread - gun owners, and particularly owners of Glocks, XDs and Sigs, are very brand loyal and we frequently kick each other in the nuts around here. Please don't take it personally.

I'm not an Ag but I hang around a lot on this forum because the Ags (and others) that loiter here are high quality folk. You'll get good advice here... even if you do something as foolish as buying a handgun that isn't a Glock.

[This message has been edited by Skubalon (edited 7/9/2014 11:12p).]

If you think safeties will protect kids, you're wrong. Limiting access and education are the only things that truly work to protect them. If you have young children and want a pistol for home defense, keep it out of reach, out of sight, and engrain safety in their heads. You put yourself at a huge tactical disadvantage locking guns up, and yes I mean even those biometric and cipher lock boxes. You won't have 10 seconds to unlock it if you are in a home defense situation where you truly need it.

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If you want an external safety, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them as long as you practice, the H&K p30 is the best option IMHO. The S&W M&P is good too. My sister has a Ruger SR9C. It is a little weird for me as a compact but the full size is easy to reach.

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Having owned a p30s and a p30, the safety is terrible. It will dig into the base of your thumb and make the gun extremely uncomfortable to shoot in longer range sessions.

For home defense a glock 17, s&w M&P9, or sig 226 (if you're going to put in the extra work it takes to master the DA to SA transition) will be some of your best options.

I disagree that the best gun is one that feels good in the hand. Ergos are important, but if you actually practice you'll be able to shoot a gun well as long as it's not physically uncomfortable to operate. You do need to make sure you can reach all the controls.

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part of our gun safety talks is using the safety

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I know what you mean by this. In addition to the basic rules of gun safety, I was taught the importance of safety awareness. Being diligent with a safety is very important, especially with long guns and hunting situations (duck blinds, quail fields) when you are carrying a loaded gun around others.

My first handgun to learn on was a double action revolver which of course had no safety. In that respect, it is just like a Glock or XD.

Handguns should stay in a holster until they are ready to be shot. I don't even like the padded pistol cases. I like keeping the trigger covered until the gun is drawn.

When you teach someone to shoot handguns, you have to watch them carefully and really drive home the basic rules of gun safety. I wouldn't necessarily shy away from handguns that lack a safety though. You just need to train around it.



[This message has been edited by PineTreeAg (edited 7/10/2014 7:56a).]

To answer your original question, I have an XD and a Glock.
The XD is no doubt more ergonomic and comfortable than the Glock, but I dont shoot any better with the XD than I do with the Glock. Its just more comfortable in the hand and that is about where it ends.

Both have been around for a while. Both have withstood ridiculous torture tests.

If I could only keep one of them, I'd keep my Glock 19. At the end of the day, Glock has become an icon. It is one of the most recognized and respected handguns around the world. In terms of reliability, it remains the standard to which other guns are judged. As good as the XD is, it is basically a copy of the Glock, an attempt to improve by imitating. There is some pride of ownership with the Glock that I dont have with the XD. I also like the clean and simple looks of the Glock. XD styling is a little trendy for me.

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The XD is no doubt more ergonomic and comfortable than the Glock

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Perhaps this is true for you and for some people, but it is certainly not true for everyone. I can't stand the way the XD feels. It's not that I think it's a bad gun or poorly designed, but it does not fit my hand well at all and the height of the gun above the trigger well (the slide + the thickness of the frame) completely screws up my point of aim. I've never held a gun that was more ergonomically wrong - for me personally - than the XD. Now, I have lots of friends, including some LEOs, who are carrying XDs and absolutely love them. To me they feel like a top-heavy dictionary being balanced on a popsicle stick. To each his own.

This is why it is so important to try and shoot as many varieties as you can before buying.

I EDC an XD9. Still not a big fan of the grip safety, but I love the gun and shoot it well.
I like the G19 too, just not a fit for my hands.

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If you think safeties will protect kids, you're wrong. Limiting access and education are the only things that truly work to protect them. If you have young children and want a pistol for home defense, keep it out of reach, out of sight, and engrain safety in their heads. You put yourself at a huge tactical disadvantage locking guns up, and yes I mean even those biometric and cipher lock boxes. You won't have 10 seconds to unlock it if you are in a home defense situation where you truly need it.

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that isn't what I said. And you're assumption about not having 10 seconds is anecdotal and alarmist. Tactical advantage? Come on man.

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keep it out of reach, out of sight, and engrain safety in their heads. You put yourself at a huge tactical disadvantage locking guns up, and yes I mean even those biometric and cipher lock boxes. You won't have 10 seconds to unlock it if you are in a home defense situation where you truly need it.

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The benefit to the biometric safe is that you can keep it right by your night stand. Keeping a gun out of reach (at least for me) would involve putting it on the top shelf of the closet which will take longer to retrieve than in a biometric safe.

You can teach your kids not to play with guns, but at the end of the day, you have to honestly ask yourself if your kids obey every thing you tell them. Are you willing to bet their lives or their friends or siblings lives on your perception of their obedience?

As a father of two kids, Im more concerned of an accident involving a handgun happening in my house than of some one kicking the door down in the middle of the night so I choose to lock my guns up.

I agree with pinetree Ag.

I would add my own recommendation to not get a handgun safe that uses electricity or batteries. I recommend the v-line top draw safe.

I agree wit h Pinetree ags last post as well.