Let me be the first to say.....

[vlady]

BTW - I want to get a handgun. I haven't owned one in twenty years - what do you think of the Glock 26?

I know this question was directed at Term but I'm going to respond anyway since I own a Glock.

I've got a Glock 27.  I like the feel of the Glock because they are light weight.  The only thing I've changed on it is the release.  I ordered a replacement that is a little larger and longer than the original one and easier for me to reach and operate.  I would not carry a Glock concealed because of the safety mechanism design, otherwise, I think they are great.  Also, since they are light weight subcompacts be aware that they do have a big kick.

Oh, so I can stay with the thread - Happy New Year!

[In Canada eh]

[size=36]HAPPY NEW YEAR[/size]


To all the dealers on this site, I hope you all set new sales records in 07 and to all the regular folk I wish you all a very good year.

Term, your pic is just wrong on so many levels

[East_TX_Spa]

BTW - I want to get a handgun. I haven't owned one in twenty years - what do you think of the Glock 26?

 8-)

Glocks are excellent handguns, but not for me.  I do not like the way they fit my hand and to be honest, I think they are very ugly.  That is all subjective.  I also agree with vlady regarding the concealed carry aspects of them.  Here is an in-depth review of the Glock 26 by a highly-regarded firearms writer:

http://www.remtek.com/arms/glock/model/9/26/index.htm

I personally carry a Walther P-99.  I absolutely LOVE this gun.  I've never had a misfire, the ergonomics are second to none, and you can carry 17 rounds of 9mm in it (well, I can, I believe you're limited to 11 rounds in CA).  Plus, it's the same gun 007 carries!



Second choice would be the Springfield XD.  I've owned one before and it is a great little gun with several redundant, passive safety features:

http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-xdpstl.shtml

Please, feel free to holler if you have any other questions!

Term

[Chas]

Happy New Year.

I will be carrying concealed, and this is first I have heard of the Glock having a safety issue. I am concerned about that!

So - I'll go shoot a Walther and an XD. As it happens, my BIL has one of them and I will see if I can rent another at the range - and I'll let you know! He carries a Glock, but that's because that is what was issued.

Can you buy online these days? As I said, I haven't owned or packed in 20 years.

[East_TX_Spa]

Oh no, no, no....we're not saying there's a safety issue with the Glock, it's just that they have a trigger safety and not a manual one.  I've read of several Negligent Discharges concerning them.  It all boils down to the competence of the gun owner:  if you don't pull the trigger, the gun won't fire....period.

I buy my guns here:

http://www.gunbroker.com

All you need to do is find a local gun dealer who is willing to do a transfer for you.  They typically charge $10-20 and will send a copy of their FFL (Federal Firearm License) to the online dealer.  Then your gun will be shipped to the local dealer and you go and pick it up.  Very good deals online.

Terminator

[galen]

Here is my little friend.  I'm sure Term knows it. SW 9mm Airweight, hammerless. It has a hammer but shielded This little baby will not get snagged on anything when drawing it out. I can get to her in one second. I sometimes carry behind and its even faster yet. Sweet! I'm getting one for my wife also. She's at the lake house right now by herself and got the crap scared out of her this morning. Someone knocked on the door at 6 am. She was very scared. I called the neighbor, he got there is minutes. She said "get me one".    

[shortspark]

Hey Term, when I was in the showroom I thought we discussed this.  I still say the Sig Sauer P229 is the one to have.  That was the last sidearm they issued me when I was with the Gov't. and it was the best by far of any I had during my career.  Or was it the 221?  Heck, I don't remember now but in any event, Sig is the way to go.

[galen]

Flash that laser light on them and that gets their attention, and settles them down  pretty quick.

[Wisoki]

I own the 5" XD .45 Tacticle. Excelent weapon. I didn't like the 4" version, it didn't fit my hand very well. The 4" has a double spring whitch greatly reduces the recoil. The kick doesnt bother me, I have a good grip. As far as carying concealed, yeah, I do, but it's relativly obvious whats under my jacket, and I like it that way.

Glocks are excellent handguns, but not for me.  I do not like the way they fit my hand and to be honest, I think they are very ugly.  That is all subjective.  I also agree with vlady regarding the concealed carry aspects of them.  Here is an in-depth review of the Glock 26 by a highly-regarded firearms writer:

http://www.remtek.com/arms/glock/model/9/26/index.htm

I personally carry a Walther P-99.  I absolutely LOVE this gun.  I've never had a misfire, the ergonomics are second to none, and you can carry 17 rounds of 9mm in it (well, I can, I believe you're limited to 11 rounds in CA).  Plus, it's the same gun 007 carries!



Second choice would be the Springfield XD.  I've owned one before and it is a great little gun with several redundant, passive safety features:

http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-xdpstl.shtml

Please, feel free to holler if you have any other questions!

Term

[East_TX_Spa]

Hey Term, when I was in the showroom I thought we discussed this.  I still say the Sig Sauer P229 is the one to have.  That was the last sidearm they issued me when I was with the Gov't. and it was the best by far of any I had during my career.  Or was it the 221?  Heck, I don't remember now but in any event, Sig is the way to go.

We surely did and I absolutely love my Sig 220, but Sigs are big guns.  The Glock that Chas was considering is a smaller gun, so I assumed he wanted something a little smaller.  I can conceal a big gun pretty easily because I have multiple rolls of fat which overlap the grip...Chas has lost a lot of weight and a large gun would probably stick out on him like a big ol' hoochadinkie.

The last gun you were issued by .gov was the Sig 229.

Terminator

[Brewman]

I carry the XD-.45 acp.  I started out carrying the XD-.40 S&W- because there was no .45acp available in the XD until this spring- then I sold the .40 and bought the .45.
 Mine is the standard 4".  I reload my own ammo and wanted to stay with one caliber.
The .45 gap XD didn't interest me in the least.  I think that caliber is going to gradually fade away.  And ammo will get rarer and more expensive.  IMHO.

The XD pistol is somewhat similar to Glock in that they both have the triggle toggle saftey.  Neither have an active "off/on" saftey.  The XD also has a grip saftey, much like the 1911's- the trigger won't pull unless you depress the grip saftey- but that's something that happens by the act of gripping the pistol.

What I like about the XD is the loaded chamber and cocked striker indicators.  They let you know that the gun is cocked and a round in the chamber by sight or by feel.
 There is no de-cocking lever on the gun, in order to de-c0ck the pistol you must pull the trigger.  

I also like the grip angle- it's the same grip to frame angle that is on my 1911.  Pretty much 90 degree grip to frame, so I don't have to adjust when I switch between pistols.

Springfield pistols come with a lifetime warranty- and they pay shipping both to the factory and back.  

Don't be overly concerned about carrying a Glock.  They are built solidly, and will last and stand up to abuse.  I'm not fond of them mostly because they have a raked back grip angle that requires me to adjust when aiming.  But they are as safe as any pistol out there- the glock is carried by a lot of cops- and if there were any real saftey problems with the guns, the PD"s would quickly get rid of them.

 Best idea is to shoot several different pistols at a range.  Many ranges rent pistols for a nominal fee.  That way you can get what fits your hand best.  Kinda like wet testing.


Wisoki-  Do you carry concealed because you have to or does your state also allow open carry?  Minnesota allows either- which surprises me since we have such a nanny state mentality in most other ways.

[galen]

This a great conceal weapon. Kahr Arms PM 9. Comes in 40 cal. also. I like the sites on it. Night comes standard. Check it out. Highly rated.  

[Wisoki]

I could open carry, but even if I did, the nature of the holster still keeps the weapon "concealed." Shoot, er dang, out here cary it on yer hip, it aint no big deal!

Wisoki-  Do you carry concealed because you have to or does your state also allow open carry?  Minnesota allows either- which surprises me since we have such a nanny state mentality in most other ways.

 

[Tatooed_Lady]

Chas, not that it matters much at this point, but we've got a SIG P229 and a P226 in the house...They're very solid feeling, but I BELIEVE mine's the 229....a tad smaller than the hubby's due to my smaller hands...rubberized grips for about an extra $15.....and I don't know if any other maker offers a changeable barrel to swap calibre sizes?   Mine goes from .40 to .357 SIG within a minute...I love love LOVE it.
If it's too large, framewise though, for your purposes, just ignore this post.
 Just had to throw in my $.02, yanno.

[Chas]

OK - happy new year - had to get that outa the way -

Now what about finish?

I want durable, and I don't want oil or sweat - not that I sweat much anymore, I'm usually shivering - to change the way the gun looks over time.

So what is the best finish to select?