Opinions on first carry gun- SIG v. Glock

Hey guys and gals, I've spent the last couple weeks searching through the forums and reading old threads. I've also read a lot of threads on other sites and I think I have narrowed down my choices for my first carry gun to:

Glock 27
Glock 36
Sig P250 sub compact .45


I really want to carry a .45 because I think they are more fun to shoot, but I don't want to get something too big that will violate the first rule. Ninety percent of the time I will be carrying this gun in a IWB holster, which is why I like the slim frame of the 36, even though it's a bit longer and taller than the 27. I've been to several gun shops and I like the way the 27 feels and I also like that I can change barrels and convert it to .357 SIG. However, the 27 isn't a .45...
Does anyone have any experience with a sig p250 sun compact .45? I haven't been able to put one in my hands yet but I located a store that has one I should be able to get to on Friday. I know a lot of people don't like the trigger, but I don't have a lot of experience with handguns so I don't think it will bother me much since I don't have a lot to compare it to.
My favorite things about the sig are the size and looks.
Is the glock 36 too big to carry IWB for long periods of time?

Out of the three guns I listed, which would you rather carry?

I did look at the Springfield's but I don't really like the safety on the grip and I don't like the S&W M&P because I can't get it in .45, and if I were to decide on a .40 it would be the glock 27 because of the internal safety mechanism and their reputation for durability in the conditions I will be carrying.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!


, David

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DDQ

I did look at the Springfield's but I don't really like the safety on the grip and I don't like the S&W M&P because I can't get it in .45, and if I were to decide on a .40 it would be the glock 27 because of the internal safety mechanism and their reputation for durability in the conditions I will be carrying.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!


, David

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Hi David,

First of all, the M&P does in fact come in .45acp. Both compact and full size. It is an awesome gun and would serve you well if you like .45 acp.

That said, for daily carry I switched from an M&P9c to a Glock 27 which I carry all day with no issues at all. The glock is shortest from top of the slide to bottom of the grip and that is a very important factor in concealability IMO. The 36 is lower capacity albeit slimmer than the 27. For my money though, i'll take the G27's 10 rounds (9+1 with flush fit mag) of .40 over the G36's 7 rounds (6+1 on 36) any day. And if I buy an extender plate for the mag, I can also add 2 more rounds for a total of 12. You can also use any other .40 cal Glock mag in the 27, you can't in the 36.

Of the list the P250 would be my least favorite option. I don't like the trigger one bit and it is a large gun for a "compact" (sig has a rep of calling big guns compacts).

Consider where you are going to carry. I am not comfortable carrying anything appendix that doesn't have an external hammer. Just search “glock leg”.

The long but light DAO on the P250 is very tough to shoot fast, but slow down and it's very accurate. Get good with a DAO gun and you'll be able to shoot just about anything very well. Those I know that learned on striker fired guns have real difficulty shooting my DAO or DA/SA guns well.

For that reason I started my wife on a P250SC (.380 and 9mm slides), and she's really getting her fundamentals down nicely. In the future if she chooses to go with a striker fired design (admittedly easier to shoot quickly and accurately), I think she'll end up with more skill and versatility than if she had started on the striker fired.

I currently have the entire set of 9mms in the P250 line up and love them. Very easy to shoot once you get used to the DAO trigger. I got rid of my Glock 27 over the summer and went with the 9mm sub compact in the P250. As for the .45 ACP in a P250SC, I think you lose a bit with only a 6 round mag and not have the ability to use the magazines of its big brothers. I would go with either a 9mm, .40, or a 357 Sig over the .45 due to that short falling. Out of all those guns I did choose the 9mm P250SC over the others because I liked the feel of it the best and can shoot the P250 line hands down better than I can any Glock I have ever owned.

As for the sigma on the internet about the reliability of the P250. It did have some early problems with FTF and FTEs, which were most noted in the trails by the Air Marshalls and another federal LE agency which slips my mind right now. From every indication I have read and personally observed in using mine, is that Sig was able to fix the problem and these guns are running great now. I had a minor problem with some light primer strikes. The round would fire but it didn't look good to me. I sent it back and Sig replaced all the moving parts and sent it back to me without a problem. Mind you this was a earlier release of the gun. I think all the ones currently on the market are fixed. Just my two cents.

There are a few people around here that EDC a G36. Resupt does if I'm not mistaken. Whether or not a gun is to big for you to carry all day long is going to depend on a couple of things. Mostly for me a primary consideration is wardrobe. I refuse to adjust my wardrobe to accommodate my gun. If I WAS willing to make that sacrifice I could carry a bigger gun than the LCR that I currently carry. Secondly is how important is comfort to you? After trying quite a few different carry gun in all shapes and sizes I have come to this conclusion - For me personally 20oz is the tipping point. Anything under 20oz is perfectly comfortable to carry and for the most part I don't even notice it. Any thing over 20 ounces starts to get annoying. Now, that number is different for everyone as well as everyone definition of comfort.. I have heard people say that they carry a 46 ounce full size government model 1911 for 18 hours a day and that it is perfectly comfortable.

Out of the gun you have listed I would personally choose the Glock 27. Your getting a substantial about of firepower in a package that is pretty small. Your also get rock solid Glock reliability and a better trigger then your getting on the Sig250. You can also make modification to the gGock trigger to adjust it more to your liking if you don't like it out of the box. I think the G36 is a good gun but it's almost as large as a Glock 19. If I'm going to carry something that large I would prefer the 15+1 of 9mm in the G19 as opposed to 6+1 of .45

Thanks for the info guys! The lower round capacity is not an issue at all for me. In fact, if I do go with a glock 27 I will probably only carry it with 7 rounds to make it lighter. It would certainly be nice to have the option to carry more though.

One other consideration I forgot to mention....
Mon-Fri I live in a very rural area and I work long days. I go for a 5 mile run every day and this time of year it's dark when I run, so I wear a head lamp and reflective vest when running on the road. The county where I work does have a healthy black bear population, but I'm not too concerned about bears, but more about dogs. I see lots of dogs running around at night (large dogs), and it would make me feel more comfortable if I were able to wear a holster and take my gun with me.
Are there any holsters I can wear on my chest, side, etc that would make it comfortable to carry any of the above mentioned guns for a 5 mile run, even if I only load it with 5-6 rounds?
I know this is a long stretch, and a HIGHLY unlikely situation, but would a .40 round stop a charging black bear if the sound of a warning shot didnt?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DDQ

Thanks for the info guys! The lower round capacity is not an issue at all for me. In fact, if I do go with a glock 27 I will probably only carry it with 7 rounds to make it lighter. It would certainly be nice to have the option to carry more though.

One other consideration I forgot to mention....
Mon-Fri I live in a very rural area and I work long days. I go for a 5 mile run every day and this time of year it's dark when I run, so I wear a head lamp and reflective vest when running on the road. The county where I work does have a healthy black bear population, but I'm not too concerned about bears, but more about dogs. I see lots of dogs running around at night (large dogs), and it would make me feel more comfortable if I were able to wear a holster and take my gun with me.
Are there any holsters I can wear on my chest, side, etc that would make it comfortable to carry any of the above mentioned guns for a 5 mile run, even if I only load it with 5-6 rounds?
I know this is a long stretch, and a HIGHLY unlikely situation, but would a .40 round stop a charging black bear if the sound of a warning shot didnt?

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If weight is your primary concern then out of the guns your listed the still is def your best option. That being said, there are quite a few other options out there that are quite a bit lighter then the guns you have listed. As far as effectiveness of a given rough, I can't speak to that as I have never hunted. I'm sure one the other members will weigh in on that.

I have all three guns you are interested in and I carry all three as part of my rotation. My newest acquisition is the 250 which I just converted to Subcompact, from compact 45 ACP. It shoots great!

The trigger on the 250 is very different from the Glock triggers. The 250 is hammer fired DA only. The Glocks are striker fired. You really need to familiarize yourself with these two types trigger before making a choice. Many do not like the 250's trigger system.

If I was pushed in to a corner to make a choice it would be based on a few things:
which is lightest and easiest to conceal? Which gives you good power along with adequate capacity?
Which has a trigger pull that is consistent, short, and resets quickly?
Which has the best reputation for reliability?
Which gun have I been most accurate with?

The answer to all these questions can only be in my case Glock 27.

A Glock 27 would be a solid choice. I wouldn't worry about a bear much, dogs & 2 legged predators more so. I like pepper or bear spray for any dogs that don't know their manners.

I am not comfortable carrying a glock with one in the chamber. I am comfortable carrying my p250c with one in the chamber. I am comfortable carrying any of my dao revolvers or da/sa pistols in da mode with one in the chamber. I am comfortable carrying my Sao pistols cocked and locked. I repeat I am not comfortable carrying a glock with one on the chamber, therefor I do not carry a glock.

If you like the p250 check out the p226. Same size da/sa very nice gun. I like my 250 the best for carry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wiguy

A Glock 27 would be a solid choice. I wouldn't worry about a bear much, dogs & 2 legged predators more so. I like pepper or bear spray for any dogs that don't know their manners.

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I wouldn't base my carry gun on what would drop a bear. This might give you a fighting chance against a bear Attachment 66059 but it's as big as a laptop and weighs just as much, lol. Bear spray for 4-legged predators, IMO.

You've mentioned you're newer to handguns. I highly suggest you rent some of your choices, in various calibers and actions, to find out what you like. I'm not going to tell you a .40S&W or .45ACP are bad "first gun" calibers (heck, I'm a little lady who allowed myself to get talked into .380 for my first, and 6 months later, I'm carrying a .45ACP pocket rocket). Just that if you're basing your caliber choice to defend against 4-legged critters, I caution you to be open-minded to other calibers as well. If you simply like the larger calibers, well, I'm a huge fan of .45ACP myself, and don't feel the need to qualify my love of it; I just LIKE it.

You've mentioned "downloading" you magazines to reduce weight. That's not necessarily going to translate to a reduction in "felt" weight while carrying. But since you're completely comfortable with 5-7 rounds of, say .45ACP, certainly the slimness of the Glock 36 will fit your desires. My full size XD9 is heavy when fully loaded, but it just seems "incomplete" to not top off the magazine to take advantage of what the pistol was designed to do.

My vote would be a Glock 27. I think the size makes it a perfect CCW.

Just my arrogant opinion, but if you're gonna get a SIG, get a p series.

The 27 is fine. Like smolck said, an M&P is tough to beat.

If I had to choose would be a Glock 27 but I do like the M&P also and that will be my next purchase.

According to Smith and Wesson's website, they don't sell a sub compact M&P in .45, only a compact, which looks a lot bigger than a glock 27.