Need feedback on my first gun purchase

[909 in 916]

I am shopping for a gun for HD/target practice and have my eye on a few different models. I have absolutely no experience or expertise with any of these guns or gun makers with exception of S&W. I have borrowed a 909 from my dad and have put about 300 rounds through it so far. I have also rented a M&P9 and put about 150 rounds through it.

What I'd like to hear from you guys on the guns I'll list shortly is your firsthand experience with them and why I should or shouldn't consider purchasing it. Here goes......

1. Smith and Wesson M&P9


2. Sig Sauer P250


3. HK P2000 v3


I'm a lefty and would like left handed controls, I prefer a DA/SA setup, although DAO would not necessarily be a deal breaker. And being able to modify and/or upgrade grips is needed is a plus as well. The caliber preferred is either 9mm or .40cal cause I have arthritis in my shooting hand and am recoil sensitive.

Thanks in advance for your advice/input

[Gshock]

If you're going to be doing a lot of shooting, the .40 definitely has more recoil

[rksimple]

If you're going to be doing a lot of shooting, the .40 definitely has more recoil

And ammo is more expensive. I love my Glock 19. The only centerfire auto-pistols I own anymore are Glocks and 1911's. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[berg]

The SIG you have there is DAO.

[909 in 916]

Guys, please keep comments to your firsthand experiences with the above listed guns and your reasoning why I should or shouldn't purchase either of said guns. So far I've got nothing more than the obvious.

Appreciate it.

[Satex]

All modern pistols are pretty good. You really need to get your paws on each of the models you are interested in and see how well they fit your hand. That is the most important metric in my mind.

[Knight]

Don't you just love that? "Well, I don't have any of the guns you've inquired about, but I have 'X' and it's great . . ." Like they're aren't enough topics to talk about how great "X" gun is.

Now to talk about how great my P2000 V3 is.




Simple takedown with no tools, lefty-friendly controls, love the position of the decocker. I have it in .40, and it definitely is snappier than my 1911. 9mm sounds like the way to go for your situation.

The only thing that takes some getting used to is the trigger. I don't much care for its double-action pull. The single-action pull is two-stage, and took awhile for me to get used to it after shooting only my 1911 for so long. If this were a target pistol I'd probably have the trigger worked on, but as a defensive/concealed carry pistol it gets the job done.

Sights are your standard three-dot type. They are easy to pick up, though night sights do not come standard. Consider investing in some, especially if you indend to use it for home defense.



Magazine release is unique, but I have come to prefer it over the button type. If you've used a USP, it's essentially the same.

Note, however, that I bought my P2000 with the express intention of carrying it concealed. For target practice and/or home defense, I would probably look for something a little more full-sized, such as the M&P9. Though I have no firsthand experience with the M&P, my friend's stepdad bought one for home defense in 9mm and loves it. Having said that, I think the P2000 would do just fine as a home defense gun, and you'll have a blast shooting it at the range.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[rivviepop]

Let me add one for your consideration, as it's basically in the exact same ballcamp as the above pistols. For instance it's slightly heavier than the Sig but not by much, yet the barrel is a few mm shorter.

CZ P-01

http://cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=28

The only problem I see based on your desires is that it's not lefty oriented, the slide stop and mag release are righty based. Grips are changeable as desired, 9mm DA/SA and it's accurate to a fault. FTF, FTE and stovepipes are virtually nonexistent in real world usage.

[lcpl. huynh]

FNP-9 has lefty compatibility, you can reverse the magazine release, and it has an ambidextrous decocker

[odesskiy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Sig250 isn't on the list. You can't go wrong with any other Sigs though (P226, P229, etc). Also give Glocks a long, hard look. Best gun for the money IMHO.

[draconianruler]

Although I haven't shot the SW M&P, the trigger looks very similar to the SW Sigma (which I have and it sucks). That alone makes me steer clear of it. I would recommend either a glock (reliable, decent accuracy, tuff) or a sig 229 (also reliable and accurate). I like the HK P2000 but have yet to fire one.

[TBoliv]

I have an M&P 9 and love it. Recoil is very manageable due in part to the low bore axis, the grip feels great and has 3 sized backstraps for different hands. The trigger is a little gritty and heavy out of the box, but a thousand rounds or so (and possibly a trip to Dan Burwell) will make it much better.

The Sig 250 is brand new, and unless you're a LEO, you won't be getting one in CA any time soon.

I don't have the HK P2000 V3, but one of my shooting buddies does, and I have mixed feelings about it. It feels good in my hand (which is a change for HK, normally they're like 2x4s to me...) and points very well. I could probably shoot really well with it with a little more practice. My complaints with it are these: the mag release is so different and counter-intuitive to just about everything else on the market that I have to consciously think about engaging it. This may or may not be a bad thing, you could argue either way. My other gripe with this model is that the bottom of my trigger finger gets pinched when firing, I believe between the bottom of the trigger and the trigger guard (where the little hump is). This is a personal issue (my friend says it doesn't pinch is finger), but one that may affect you as well.


As with any question like this, my advice is to find and shoot these yourself to make a truly educated opinion. Getting information from others is a good place to start, but don't base your pistol purchase just on what you read here.

[909 in 916]

Don't you just love that? "Well, I don't have any of the guns you've inquired about, but I have 'X' and it's great . . ." Like they're aren't enough topics to talk about how great "X" gun is.

Now to talk about how great my P2000 V3 is.




Simple takedown with no tools, lefty-friendly controls, love the position of the decocker. I have it in .40, and it definitely is snappier than my 1911. 9mm sounds like the way to go for your situation.

The only thing that takes some getting used to is the trigger. I don't much care for its double-action pull. The single-action pull is two-stage, and took awhile for me to get used to it after shooting only my 1911 for so long. If this were a target pistol I'd probably have the trigger worked on, but as a defensive/concealed carry pistol it gets the job done.

Sights are your standard three-dot type. They are easy to pick up, though night sights do not come standard. Consider investing in some, especially if you indend to use it for home defense.



Magazine release is unique, but I have come to prefer it over the button type. If you've used a USP, it's essentially the same.

Note, however, that I bought my P2000 with the express intention of carrying it concealed. For target practice and/or home defense, I would probably look for something a little more full-sized, such as the M&P9. Though I have no firsthand experience with the M&P, my friend's stepdad bought one for home defense in 9mm and loves it. Having said that, I think the P2000 would do just fine as a home defense gun, and you'll have a blast shooting it at the range.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Wow man, thanks for the on topic, in depth response.

When I first began shopping for a gun, the M&P was the frontrunner due to the ergonomics, very comfortable shooting, price and how well it shoots. But after perusing the M&P forum I found that it's got a mag drop problem that seems pretty widespread, not a confidence builder.

After hearing your review on the P2000, I think I need to take a longer look at that one, maybe rent one and see how I like it.

Let me add one for your consideration, as it's basically in the exact same ballcamp as the above pistols. For instance it's slightly heavier than the Sig but not by much, yet the barrel is a few mm shorter.

CZ P-01

The only problem I see based on your desires is that it's not lefty oriented, the slide stop and mag release are righty based. Grips are changeable as desired, 9mm DA/SA and it's accurate to a fault. FTF, FTE and stovepipes are virtually nonexistent in real world usage.

Yeah, with no lefty controls it's a deal breaker for me. Not that I can't adapt and get used to it, but I don't see the need to do so, especially at the price point i'm looking at. But man, sounds like it's an ultra reliable piece.

FNP-9 has lefty compatibility, you can reverse the magazine release, and it has an ambidextrous decocker

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have to check that one out.

You can't go wrong with any other Sigs though (P226, P229, etc). Also give Glocks a long, hard look. Best gun for the money IMHO.

Yeah, Sigs are high on my list. The range I go to in Vacaville carries them so I'll have to give them a go on my next visit so I can see how they work out for me.

It seems like Glock is the gun all others are trying to beat, that says alot. However, i'm having a hard time getting past the fugly aesthetics. But at the end of the day, I guess I'd rather have an ugly gun that works than a cool looking gun that drops the mags after a shot or two.

Although I haven't shot the SW M&P, the trigger looks very similar to the SW Sigma (which I have and it sucks). That alone makes me steer clear of it. I would recommend either a glock (reliable, decent accuracy, tuff) or a sig 229 (also reliable and accurate). I like the HK P2000 but have yet to fire one.

I've shot the M&P and it's a pretty accurate gun, but the trigger took some getting used to since I was acclimated to a DA/SA setup. But a quick trip to Dan Burwell could take care of the trigger issue, I just wish that were the main issue I had with that gun cause we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I'd love to shoot a 229 and a P2000, I'll be hunting them down so I can.

I have an M&P 9 and love it. Recoil is very manageable due in part to the low bore axis, the grip feels great and has 3 sized backstraps for different hands. The trigger is a little gritty and heavy out of the box, but a thousand rounds or so (and possibly a trip to Dan Burwell) will make it much better.

Ever experienced the mag drop issue? That's the only thing scaring me away from this gun.

The Sig 250 is brand new, and unless you're a LEO, you won't be getting one in CA any time soon.

Unless I had a father who lived in a state where he could buy it and then PPT it to me if here ended up not liking it...........this is strictly hypothetical though

I don't have the HK P2000 V3, but one of my shooting buddies does, and I have mixed feelings about it. It feels good in my hand (which is a change for HK, normally they're like 2x4s to me...) and points very well. I could probably shoot really well with it with a little more practice. My complaints with it are these: the mag release is so different and counter-intuitive to just about everything else on the market that I have to consciously think about engaging it. This may or may not be a bad thing, you could argue either way. My other gripe with this model is that the bottom of my trigger finger gets pinched when firing, I believe between the bottom of the trigger and the trigger guard (where the little hump is). This is a personal issue (my friend says it doesn't pinch is finger), but one that may affect you as well.

Hopefully I can located one at a local range and shoot it for myself to see if that's an issue for me. What's the deal with the mag release? Can you explain how it's so different and headache inducing?

As with any question like this, my advice is to find and shoot these yourself to make a truly educated opinion. Getting information from others is a good place to start, but don't base your pistol purchase just on what you read here.

Most definitely. I'm just looking for some real world info/advice from end users instead of getting or trying to get it from sales people.

[M. Sage]

Guys, please keep comments to your firsthand experiences with the above listed guns and your reasoning why I should or shouldn't purchase either of said guns. So far I've got nothing more than the obvious.

Appreciate it.

Is the P250 out yet? I thought it was brand new...

That said, I've never held, shot or carried a Sig that I didn't love.

[909 in 916]

Is the P250 out yet? I thought it was brand new...

That said, I've never held, shot or carried a Sig that I didn't love.

Yeah, it came out 11.6.07 but it's not on the CA roster, which by itself isn't an issue for me. However, it's only available in compact at the moment, TTBOMK. But they will be releasing a full size grip for it pretty soon and are actually gearing up for the testing needed to become CA approved, the issues at the moment are the loaded chamber indicator and the mag capacity.

I'm gonna give the Sigs a try and see how I like them. There's a range in Vacaville that I love, they have a lunch special where you can rent a 9mm, get a box of ammo, a target, lane fee, eye protection and ear protection for $22. Not a bad deal if you ask me when you consider lane fee is usually $10 or better and ammo is approx. $12 per box at most ranges. So basically i'm getting the gun/target/eyes and ears for free. And they have a few Sigs in the lineup, so I know what I'll be shooting next week