Any Springfield fans around?

[stetto]

I'm looking at XDM and XDS in .40 and 9mm. There seems to be bang for the buck here ( ) and I wouldn't mind a little opinionated input from guys I respect who might know. Sigs and Glocks are out of my budget cap.

Thoughts? I plan on making the purchase by the end of February.

[Onepoint]

XDMs are pretty nice, I went with S&W M&Ps, but I hear nothing but good about the new XDs.  You looking for a compact carry or full size?

[stetto]

Carry. Grip is integral, I have nerve damage in my spine making my right hand slightly "palsied".

A friend offered to sell me a stainless S&W model 627 in .357 mag for a couple hunnert less than retail, but besides it still being a couple hunnert over my cap the grip just felt like something I'd have to spend all my focus on...



The XDM is used and in the more stopping .40 cal, the XDS is new but in 9mm, and ALL the local shooters I know here are aginit for the "tiny" bore, though 9mm might be the heaviest stocked ammo in this area...aside from .223.

I've got another friend with a sweet, petite .380 that fits in a billfold holster, REALLY nice, but it's a SIG and he wants me to mortgage the house for it...duh...

[stetto]

So you like the M&P? I just priced a couple, they look like candidates, though I'll have to hold one to know.

[Onepoint]

If you are having grip issues, stay with the 9mm,  40s can be punishing to shoot depending on the pistol. And with the bonded HP ammo, most of the main semi auto calibers  are equally effective.

For M&Ps, the shield is probably the one.  I have a Kahr CW9 I carry most days which is economical as well, about the same size as a Shield.    Having said that, I have a M&P9c, which is the compact double stack mag version of the full size,  and also takes full size mags.  But for carry the slim single stack pistols are just much more easier to deal with.

Revelovers are OK, but the smaller grip will make it even harder to handle especially if you go with a 357mag.

[stetto]

This is the kid of info I thought I'd find in these hallowed threads, though you got me thinking I need to do some more shopping. I haven't shot either of the Springfields yet, but from the surprise I got from the .357 I can just imagine the .40 popping right out of my hand!

My last handgun was an H&R revolver in .22mag. Real accurate, fun to shoot, but the 6 inch barrel took the concealed out of concealed carry.

There's a shop about a hundred miles east of here with a basement range, and they let customers test fire some of their guns, mostly the used ones. Their prices suck but it might be worth the trip to test my grip against caliber.

Thanks for the input on HP ammo. NO ONE I've chatted with mentioned this. I'll look into a Shield too...

[Onepoint]

Heh, its not that bad, but the difference between a 40 and 9mm is pretty considerable on some pistols.  I shot a Glock 23 which is in 40, thought it felt pretty snappy, although I had Sig P229 in 40 that was not that bad, but its a heavy gun compared to any of the carry pistols.  The worst was a subcompact XD, before the XDM refinements and trigger improvement.  Hard to hold being small, long gritty trigger and pretty harsh recoil, it was one you shot a mag through and called it good.   Anything light and small will bring more felt recoil.

My top 3 for value, i.e. bang for buck in carry pistols is the XDS, Sheild and CW9.  The next bargain in budget pistols is probably the  Taurus PT111 G2 which is only 200 bucks online right now, though I have never shot one, a lot people seem to praise them.  As always its best to try anything before you buy if possible, unless you are from the school of hard knocks like me and be the guinea pig because you don't know anyone or have a place that rents close enough by.

[stetto]

Hey, don't be knocking that guinea pig title, you do fair well by it, and by the less-than-novice like myself. I owned a snubby .38 and a nice S&W 1911 .45 in 1982, and I don't even remember what either were like to shoot. I was 23. I haven't done much of anything with handguns besides the .22mag since.

The winds are changing here. The gubmint and LSS are shoving Syrians down our throats just 40 miles west, the vato gangs are takin over too (my sister had to move out of the fargo area recently because of the constant siren noise), crime rates and home invasions are exploding now, and it's time that we have constant access. If the price is right I plan to arm Terrin too.

[jetmex]

Stetto, I'm not an expert by any means, but take a look at one of these:

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/bersa-thunder-380-semiautomatic-pistol

https://bersa.eagleimportsinc.com/bersa/firearms/

My daughters both have the .380 and they love them.  I have their military / police 9mm and I share the girl's opinion.  Prices are not bad, they've been extremely reliable for us and it's a well made weapon. 

[Onepoint]

I have always heard Bersas are a great pistol too. They must be because you don't see a lot of used ones for sale.   The problem is there is so much choice in pistols now, and the striker fired double action pistols are easier to train on and get used to.

[stetto]

Thanks for the links Jaime, I'll take a look.

My head's spinning from choices. Thought I had a unit nailed and now I'm hitting websites and growing myself a list. For Terrins birthday I'm taking her over to Scheels and Reedsport and spend some time shopping. I'd like to pick a pair of identical pistols, that way it'll be easier for her to be familiar with mine as well.

Reeds has a Kahr CW9 in .380 for $319. I've read that the Kahr trigger is the envy of the industry, you concur Buckaroo?

[Onepoint]

Its OK, its really smooth in takeup with a clean break, but the reset is pretty long. Which I know you know exactly what the hell I am talking about.   

A short reset is favored by people doing rapid shots as it allows the trigger finger to move much less and helps keep the gun on target, but its a pretty good trigger even so, and easy to get used to.  I still would go with 9mm, if for nothing else its cheaper to shoot, and you will want to shoot as much as possible to get confident and comfortable. 

That's what I did, I took Vicki out to shoot, and she got along with my Kahr so I picked one up for her so we could share mags as well as be familiar with what I am carrying most of the time.   Some women may have trouble with working the slide on semi autos, but mostly its just a practice issue.

[stetto]

Yeah, 9mm is pretty much what I've set "sights" on, something I wouldn't be afraid to shoot when I'm old and feeble. And you're right about the ammo, stores around here that not only haven't seen any .22lr in years have eliminated the shelf space and expanded 9mm and .223 to where the choices with those two cals are almost as bad/wonderful as the selection of compact carry semis out there.

10-4 on reset. I watched a couple reviews on yootoob and a guy was comparing a Shield against a CM9, both in 9mm, in a rapid fire test. He was slightly faster on the S&W, but he liked the break better on the Kahr and his opinion was that the trigger pull on the CM9 was worth getting use to. The difference between the CM9 and CW9, according to him, was 3/4" of overall length, which he said made the CM harder to holster. Price wise, no difference.

Reed's has the basement shooting range, Scheels is closer and I've done bidnezz with them before. They both boast expansive selection, but I've never experienced such fantastic customer service as I have at Scheels. Cabela's will never see my happy face again. I had a sales guy hang with me for three hours the day I bought the Benelli.

...I just don't want to wind up like a few of my friends who went through 5 or more guns before they found the "right" one....

[Onepoint]

I don't know what they feel like for you, but the CM and similar subcompact frames are just not big enough for me to grip right, I had at one time thought they were great, because you can pocket carry, but if I can't hit anything with it, its kind of pointless.  So I stepped one size into the CW9 / shield size and get along much better. But you may like the sub compacts more, CM9, Ruger LC9S etc.  But ideally since you are not gong to have several, maybe get one that's nice to shoot, whcih the subcompact tend not to be,  so you don't run a mag or 2 through and call it good because its starting to get uncomfortable.

[stetto]

Jaime, I did check those websites, I'll be looking into the bersas too. Looks like a full day or more of fun and frolic at the local armor-er.....