Advise, .40 S&W carry weapon, $500/700.00

[MIKEV]

Greeting's all

Ok, after all your input I have decided to get the glock!!

I am former Military, Desert Storm Vet. I am looking for a carry weapon as described above. My resident state is MD. I will start off by using this as a home/range gun but will ultimately envision this as a carry weapon. My usual dress is business casual from Memorial-Labor day, shirt/tie from Labor-Memorial day. I am 6' 1" approx
195lbs with a "long" build. Any advise would be much appreciated.

thanks in advance.

Mike.

p.s. carry rigs advise would be welcome also.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[P95Carry]

Hi Mike - thank you for your service.



Carry? In MD??? - really?

Being a SIG carrier and fan - I am thinking of perhaps a 226 - we are both tall - myself 6.00'' and 200. The size is no problem if weight acceptable and I imagine cover garments will hang off you like me and make a nice ''space'' down by belt. I like and manage well with OWB.

A 228 might suit better for size but hard to get but for smaller a 229 worthy a look too. If you were able to find a good used gun then you can stay within budget.

One thing with the .40 SIG is you can get a .357 SIG barrel later and contemplate using that too.

Then of course - as will probably be suggested by others - there are Glock options.

[GlockinItUp]

I carried a glock 23 for a while. Great gun, easy to carry, and a pleasure to shoot. Also the Glock 27 is really nice. The recoil is actually a little bit better than the 23 and easier to conceal.

Just my $.02

[pogo2]

I own three .40 caliber guns suitable for carry, and have used all three quite a bit. These are a Glock 23, a Sig P229 and a H&K USP 40c.

They are all excellent guns, reliable and accurate. And they are all "compacts" by their manufacturers' descriptions. They are roughly the same size, although the 2 polymer guns (Glock and H&K) weigh about 8 ounces less than the aluminum frame Sig.

Although I can honestly recommend any of the three, the one I favor for carry is the H&K USP 40c. It has better ergonomics for me than the Glock, and I like the much lighter weight of the USP compared to the Sig.

As for holsters, the best I have found is a Kramer horsehide belt scabbard.

[Seabee]

+1 for the SIG P229. I carry one just about every day in a Desantis Carry Loc OWB holster. If you need to tuck your shirt in at work, you can get any number of great IWB holsters. I started carrying years ago with a Glock 23, and while I like it, I just shoot better with the SIG. I also have a Springfield XD-40 Service, and while it's a great gun, the grip is a little long and tends to print. Maybe the XD-40 Sub Compact would work for you. You really cant go wrong with a SIG if the weight doesnt bother you.

[MIKEV]

Yes, MD is a "May Issue" state. I have a couple friends that are aiding me in the process to maximize my chance of being approved. That being said, I want to get one handgun. Not one for home and one to carry, but one that will be suitable for both.

thanks for your input up to this point, and i will appreciate as much as comes around.

[p8riot]

+2 for the SIG P229, but save some $$$ and get a CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) model if you don't mind DA/SA. That way you can get a .357SIG barrel with the cash you saved.

[P95Carry]

Mike - reading back I musta sounded awful negative with my ?? re MD carry - sorry - it was cynicism gettin the better of me

I know it is ''may issue'' but was going by the paltry success so many folks have managed. I will whoop for joy if you can manage to achieve your permit, as will many others.

A group of folks are working very hard to try (emphasis ''try'') and improve things - IIRC http://www.marylandshallissue.com and it is an uphill battle.

[18DAI]

Try a S&W Model 410. It's their value line pistol. It's inexpensive, light weight good capacity, reliable and combat accurate. Did I mention it's inexpensive? Regards 18DAI.

[Falsemap]

I am really happy with my Glock 27. It's easy to conceal in either casual or dress clothing. For the range, you can shoot using hi-cap mags. Mine is accurate and reliable both with practice and hollow point ammo and it's tough. Like the bigger Glocks, it's built to be shot a lot.

[Kat]

I've been carrying the XD40 sub compact every day for nearly a year and really like it. I added the Pearce grip extension to get my pinky on the grip with little sacrafice in concealability. Most often carried in a Fist IWB, but when I want to tuck my shirt in, I’ll use a CTAC. The “special”, twelve round extended mag., that was part of my package, is what I keep in the gun when it’s on the nightstand, when carrying, it’s the 9 round mag (+1 in the chamber).

[MattInFla]

H&K USP .40 full size all the way.

Accurate and reliable.

Matt

[Tubby45]

Depends on how you treat your guns. My famous quote is "If you treat your gun like a lawnmower, get a Glock." With that out of the way, I haven't shot a SIG or HK, so I can't comment on them, other than they might be a good choice as they are quality products.

The XD40 (Croatian Sensation) has gotten rave reviews by users. Might be worth a shot, NPI.

My first and one of my current carry guns (on hip as I type this) is a Glock 30. 3.78" barrel, fits my hand like a glove, 10+1 rounds of 45ACP. I am 5-10 145 and it disappears under a tshirt. The G23 is a little bigger than this. First thing I'd do if you get a Glock, get a 3.5# connector. The trigger sucks, but is a little better with the 3.5# connector. Some like it, some don't. It is only $15 and I will have one on all my Glocks.

[majordad]

+1 on the XD. I have the 9mm and it points very well and feels good in the hand (the 9, 357 & 40 share the same frame etc.). Save you some money over the Sig and HK although both are fine weapons. As someone said in another post, try and shoot them all and buy what best fits you.

[JT]

Glock 23. I've owned one for over ten years. It has always been my main carry gun.