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

4K views 43 replies 31 participants last post by  P95Carry 
#1 · (Edited)
Made my buying decision, Glock.

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.
 
#2 ·
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.
 
#4 ·
Some options

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.
 
#5 ·
+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.
 
#6 ·
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.
 
#7 ·
+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. :image035:
 
#8 ·
Mike - reading back I musta sounded awful negative with my ?? re MD carry - sorry - it was cynicism gettin the better of me :smilez:

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.
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
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).
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#14 ·
+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.
 
#16 ·
I've got an XD .40 sc and it's too heavy and thick for concealed carry, IMO. I'm 6'2" and 220lbs. but then my primary ccw gun is a kahr PM9, incredibly small and light.

I did just pick up a Taurus PT-111. It's a 9mm that's quite a bit thinner and feels much lighter than the XD. but it holds 12+1. I believe their .40 version holds 10+1.
 
#17 ·
I own a Glock 27. (.40) Its a baby (mini) glock. Not hard to conceal, good accuracy, extremely reliable, very versatile, easy to clean and maintain. I believe I can change out the barrel (and clip) on the .40 G27 for a 9mm, or a .357Sig round.

I purchased my 27 w/ nightsights at a gunshow for about $570.00. -If you look online you can find them for cheaper!

Other pistols to consider that would be best for concealed carry, but will also be just fine at home or any other place for that matter, that I was personally interested in (and probably will still get in due time) are:

Glock 26, 27, 30. (all mini-glocks- 9mm, .40cal, and .45 respectively) The Glock 36 is a single stack .45, but I have heard it punishes your palm considerably more than the doublestack, and the width of the actual pistol grip is almost unnoticable, if you get a baby glock in .45 I would suggest getting the 30, and having the extra 4 rounds handy.
Springfield Armory XD Subcompact -comes in 9mm and .40
Kahr PM series. (although from what i have read i might want to stay away from these pistols, too many different opinions. Lots of reported FTF problems, and on the other side of things, some customers are happy as a Lark. Either the people reporting on Kahr pistols are absolutely happy, or they totally despise it)
Kel-Tec PF-9 (single stack) or
Kel-Tec P-11.
Para-Ordinance also offers a mini-1911 concealed carry, i believe its called the "WartHog"

All of the above mentioned pistols are within your price range. If I had to choose out of them, they would be in this order.
Glock 27
SA XD sub
Kel-Tec
Para-Ord Warthog
Kahr

Ill wrap this up, im getting wayyy long winded.

SS
 
#20 ·
Mike---See if you can find a KAHR K-40 Stainless. I would not trade mine for anything. Superb balance, fits my hand perfectly, and is very, very concealable. A Glock 23-c is also very nice, but, IMHO, nothing beats the Stainless K-40!! Good luck on your search. Welcome back UP-Range for a change.....
 
#21 ·
Mike---See if you can find a KAHR K-40 Stainless. I would not trade mine for anything. Superb balance, fits my hand perfectly, highly reliable, and is very, very concealable. A Glock 23-c is also very nice, but, IMHO, nothing beats the Stainless K-40!! Good luck on your search. Welcome back UP-Range for a change.....
 
#23 ·
I have a Glock 23 as my main carry gun, with a 22 as my house gun. (A 27 is on the list. I'm trying to hold out until Christmas but don't know if I'll make it that long.) So, obviously I like Glocks. However, my main advice is to go to your local gun store and range and try out a few. What works for me may not work for you.
 
#24 ·
JKFrost68 said:
Been carrying my 23 for almost 15 years, and have no intentions of replacing it. The important thing is to find the gun that works best for you.
+1 for the 23; also carry the 30 - both great guns (also carry a Sig p220 on occasion.)
 
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