Looking for suggestions for a handgun at $475 and under

muppetman · Jun 7, 2013

Alfonse said:
CZ P-07 Duty 9mm Pistol Black 3.7 Barrel 16 Round

How about this?

Thinner grip than the Glock 19, better trigger imo and overall just a better 'fit' for me personally, or else i would've gone with the Glock 19 in principle.

Scout67 · Jun 8, 2013

Nick Burkhardt said:
I picked up my full size Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm for $499 here in no-tax Oregon. It shoots so smooth that it is my 11 year old's favourite to use for target practice. Even +p+ barely has any felt recoil.

+1

I have the same gun, it is a great gun for the money. I like that it has a safety/decocker, hammer and 2 17 rnd mags. It also looks damn sexy!

muppetman · Jun 8, 2013

Scout67 said:
+1

I have the same gun, it is a great gun for the money. I like that it has a safety/decocker, hammer and 2 17 rnd mags. It also looks damn sexy!

My last carry was the PX4 Storm Compact, rotating barrel like the full size... I thought it was a very nice and accomplished firearm, i was just a bit 'thick' to carry concealed with any degree of comfort... Not sure if the OP needs it for carry

Dapapadon · Jun 9, 2013

bigmacattack said:
my second pistol was a glock 19 3rd gen. I've gone through a lot of pistols since then but I still have and carry the glock 19. It is the best multipurpose handgun out there imo, and I shoot it better than any other pistol I own(including some 1k$ plus ones) You won't be sorry, and even if you are, selling a glock 19 is the easiest thing in the world to do!

I agree, buy a used Glock 19. Any money left over buy more magazines for it. Glock 26 if you want something smaller.

Don

hondakilla98 · Jun 9, 2013

Head to a gun show and or gun store and handle as many guns as you can. See what fits your hand and what points naturally(pick something to aim at, point the pistol at it without using the sights, then see if the sights are lined up with what you were pointing at). Guns have different grip angles. You need to see what works for you. Once you've narrowed down your choices you can start looking for which of them is in your budget.

hillbilli · Jun 10, 2013

if you're military, police, or some other first responders, you would qualify for Glock's LE discount, then a new glock 19/23, etc, would be 395$, with 3 mags.. may not apply to you, but heck of a deal if it does..

SomeDude · Jun 15, 2013

I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment to go to a gun show (or at least a shop) and handle as many as possible.

The first gun that popped into my mind, and hasn't been mentioned yet, is the Ruger SR9C. You can get a new one for $420-450. Comes with a 10 round magazine and full size 17 round so works great for home defense, range, and carry by using the different mags. The M&P compact is a great too (I've owned one) but it's a little above that price and comes with only the compact 12 round mags. You can buy the full size 17 round mags but you have to buy an aftermarket grip extension for them to fill the gap. I haven't shot the SR9C but my brother has the full size SR9 and I have found it every bit as easy to shoot well as Glock or M&P.

Personally I think the SR9 (or 40) series is the best value and most underrated for proven quality full size/compact pistols on the market. If price wasn't an issue I'd say get any of the 3 I've mentioned. I've found the M&P for $500-520 and Glocks about $500-550 for Gen 3. Of course those are new prices, and used will open your options that much more. Good luck, and don't be afraid to kick a lot of tires, and take ALL advice with a grain of salt. Ultimately make your own decision and expect that no matter what there will be plenty of people who tell you you're wrong.

silverpauly · Jun 17, 2013

I picked up a brand new Ruger P95 with two 15 round magazines for $339. Great 9mm gun for home defense. Has external safety, feels great ergonomicaly and very reliable.

bill97024 · Jun 18, 2013

+1 on the P95. It's a well built gun that will serve all those purposes without breaking the bank. I'm not sure how much they go for new now, but a couple years ago I got mine brand new for $369 I think. It's also one of my favorites to shoot.

Allfat · Jun 18, 2013

SomeDude said:
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment to go to a gun show (or at least a shop) and handle as many as possible.

The first gun that popped into my mind, and hasn't been mentioned yet, is the Ruger SR9C. You can get a new one for $420-450. Comes with a 10 round magazine and full size 17 round so works great for home defense, range, and carry by using the different mags. The M&P compact is a great too (I've owned one) but it's a little above that price and comes with only the compact 12 round mags. You can buy the full size 17 round mags but you have to buy an aftermarket grip extension for them to fill the gap. I haven't shot the SR9C but my brother has the full size SR9 and I have found it every bit as easy to shoot well as Glock or M&P.

Personally I think the SR9 (or 40) series is the best value and most underrated for proven quality full size/compact pistols on the market. If price wasn't an issue I'd say get any of the 3 I've mentioned. I've found the M&P for $500-520 and Glocks about $500-550 for Gen 3. Of course those are new prices, and used will open your options that much more. Good luck, and don't be afraid to kick a lot of tires, and take ALL advice with a grain of salt. Ultimately make your own decision and expect that no matter what there will be plenty of people who tell you you're wrong.

+1. I carry a Ruger SR9c everyday and shoot USPSA with a SR9, both are great reliable pistols, especially considering their price. They just feel right in my hand as well, which is very important.

I would suggest taking some of the advice here and go to a gun store or gun show and hold as many guns as you can. Majority of guns on the market are good, reliable guns, but not all of them will be comfortable for you. Go find one that you like, then go and do your due diligence, do the research, and find out if it is a good fit for you. If it is, then buy it. If it is not, then start the process over again. Good luck!

Mobius · Jun 18, 2013

My EDC is a Taurus 24/7 G2 9mm, I picked it up locally for 409.00 and it came with 2 17rd mags. Now lots of people will tell you that taurus is garbage and they did have some pretty shorty quality until as recently as about 10/15 years ago but they have worked hard to turn that around. My g2 had one very minor issue when I got it where there was a small burr in the chamber lip that would cause about one round out of every mag to FTL. Taurus offers a lifetime warranty and will fix anything that goes wrong for no cost (you pay shipping usually) and they would have fixed that for me but I went ahead and used some emery cloth and smoothed it out polished it up and have put hundreds of rounds through it without an issues whatsoever.

The 24/7 G2 is a damn fine gun and for the price you can't go wrong.

Taurus International Manufacturing Inc