which polymer pistol would you pick and why....

[ForumSurfer]

It was a bad example.

Not in my eyes. I'm just pointing out that the case you point out is more negligent on the owner's part than accidental.

I see your point 0to60 but training and weapons retention are the solution, not the design of the pistol. The overwhelming majority of agencies carry glocks or m&p's that don't have any external safeties.

I'm simply trying to say that the proability of an accident is higher when there are no external safeties. In a high risk situation, an external safety can offer an added measure of protection against the unexpected. There can be no arguing this point.

That can be argued has been argued to death here and all over the internet. I see both sides, but I don't see either side of the argument as being a clear winner.

We're getting off-topic, though.

The best option for the op is to find fellow thr'ers willing to let him fire off a few rounds at the range. You can only gain so much perspective by feel. As fas as that goes, you can only gain so much perspective by rentals when the range won't allow double taps or rapid fire.

 

[0to60]

Not in my eyes. I'm just pointing out that the case you point out is more negligent on the owner's part than accidental.

I see your point 0to60 but training and weapons retention are the solution, not the design of the pistol. The overwhelming majority of agencies carry glocks or m&p's that don't have any external safeties.



That can be argued has been argued to death here and all over the internet. I see both sides, but I don't see either side of the argument as being a clear winner.

We're getting off-topic, though.

The best option for the op is to find fellow thr'ers willing to let him fire off a few rounds at the range. You can only gain so much perspective by feel. As fas as that goes, you can only gain so much perspective by rentals when the range won't allow double taps or rapid fire.

I see, I'm late to the party. This is my first foray into gun forums.

True, LE is currently on a Glock kick. But let us not forget, 20 years ago everyone was on a "DA only" kick. Like anything else, things come in and out of vogue. I think it is telling, though, that Glocks are in a tiny minority of guns that have no external safeties. I love Glocks, but it'll be interesting to see how many police departments carry them in 20 years.

 

[DAdams]

I would probably do in this order,

The M&P, I have the 9PRO in 5 inch and just ordered a .40C.
Walther P99AS I have it in a .40.
HK Don't own one but have shot a .45C with LEM trigger, I'm so so on the LEM.
Glock wouldn't make my list at all.

 

[ForumSurfer]

The GEN 4 problems are well documented in the 9mm versions.

I'm always reluctant to beleive everything I read.

I have a gen 4 19. It has the latest recoil spring in it (stamped with a "0" and "4").

I just ran 500 rounds through it this afternoon. Double taps, rapid fire, weak hand only drills, strong hand only drills and all the while dropping the mags in a freshly plowed field then reloading them without doing more than shaking the dirt out. I ran 200 steel cased tula rounds, 200 winchester white box and 100 rounds of rws. I also ran 20 rounds of 115 gr hornady critical defense and 20 rounds of hornady 124 gr tap fpd through it. Not a single malfunction. Trust me, the mags and my shoes had their fair share of dirt in them.

That brings the round count up to somewhere over 1000 without a single problem. Documented issues or not, my gen 4 is off to a good start.

As much as I like my gen 4, I will say this. I hope you like it with no backstraps attached (the slimmest configuration). When I tried adding the medium or large backstraps, it felt cheesy and awkward.

 

[cemjr]

I must admit I didn't read all three pages. I own the H&K p30 and have put quite a few rounds through it. I love it. Before I bought it, I shot the M&P 9 , it was pretty nice also.

 

[jhb]

made the purchase today. to make a long story short...i eliminated the fnx9 based on it's size. everything else i liked allot...besides shooting it of course...cause i couldn't.

the m&p...shop didn't have the pro version in 4.25...i didn't want to order, but i played with the standard version and it's a really nice gun....it would have been my second pick for sure if they had the one i wanted in stock...might have taken the lead? but i ended up eliminating it though...only because i wanted the pro in 4.25 or the thumb safety version which they didn't have either in 9mm.

the hk30s...while they had it...... i eliminated it due to price. i didn't find the trigger pull all that bad though...not great, but not the worst i've ever felt by any means.

the xdm...3.8 i re-added from a suggestion to do that from a forum member here, thanks btw, anyways re-added it to the mix and i came very close on this one...but decided the price was higher than i wanted to pay at this time and i decided if i like polymer i can always add it later and down the road. i'm not sure why some dislike this gun? i thought it looked decently well built and the grip safety i like, maybe that's the problem...too many safeties for some?

so i got down to the glock 19 and 17 (added it since someone suggested it and it was right next to the 19 in the display case).....i came this close to getting the 17, but they only had gen 4 17's in stock but both 3's & 4's in the 19's....so i decided the 19 gen 3. it was the cheapest of the bunch. in a way it started my hunt for a polymer in the beginning, and it's a glock which made polymer popular. so that is what i got.

if i made a bad decision, so be it...it can sit in the safe until i trade it or sell it if i decide i just do not like it.

it's a small little pistol...which surprised me i never bothered to look at them closely in the plastic in all these years until today. i think it will work well for concealed carrying duty, once i train with the striker system and no external safeties and get very comfortable and competent with this setup vs. my old da/sa and sa only training.

thank you to everyone for making me think it through properly with your feedback. if i like polymer, the next choice will be much harder. thanks again ya'll.

jhb

 

[RancidSumo]

You made what I would say is the best possible choice for your first polymer gun. You won't regret that purchase.

 

[HKGuns]

Anyone recommending GLoCk from that list needs their head examined! The order you have them lined up in your post is exactly the order I would recommend. Start with the HK and if it fits buy.

 

[RancidSumo]

Anyone recommending GLoCk from that list needs their head examined! The order you have them lined up in your post is exactly the order I would recommend. Start with the HK and if it fits buy

Anyone who writes Glock off needs their head examined because they've got to be pretty damn close to brain dead. All of the guns he listed are great pistols. The HK is a really nice gun but as far as reliability, it offers basically nothing over the Glock so it comes down to personal preference and the fact that the HK is twice as expensive.

 

[CJS06]

Try as many as you can and find the one that works/fits best for you. I prefer 1911s, but also like polymer types as well. For me the best fit was the M&P. Nothing wrong with any Glock as I have owned a few. The M&P just feels better to me. A good friend swears by his XD but personally I don't like it, doesn't mean its not a good choice for you.

By the way you made a great choice.

 

[memphisjim]

only one tough enough for the 10mm
glock

 

[NMGonzo]

/glock 17L

Shoot far away with it.

 

[ForumSurfer]

You can never go wrong with a 19. Honestly, for me...price was a factor. HK, glock, m&p, xdm, xd...all the triggers felt equally horrible to me. But that's just my subjective preference from years and years of 1911's.

Good luck with the glock. I found them very easy to learn to shoot fast.