Recommend me a DA/SA Handgun

[Zingularity]

Would you mind elaborating why?

I found the trigger (especially with SRT) overall balance, and ergonomics to be superior. It has a high "shootability" factor for me. I also enjoy the fact that it's one of the most proven combat handguns ever built. But of course reliability isn't an issue for any of those three platforms.

 

[Juniper9mm]

First we need to work on that grammer a little.

 

[asiparks]

If you're a fan of the BHP, then you'll possibly find a CZ75 variant to be a good fit...If you don't mind a polymer frame, the P07/09/Nocturn are excellent and pop up regularly for under $400. Drop in a Cajun or M Carbo spring kit for ~$50 and it gets really good.
Big fan of the Sig 22X series, got a 220 somewhere too, yes, the bore is higher than on many guns, but it's not horrifically different, most people seem to figure it out.
Got the Langdon 92 Centurion- action and trigger are the best I've felt on a production-is gun, better than the CZ Shadow 2 ( which was no slouch)
I loathe the slide mounty safety- It's a spring loaded G, but why they stuck it on slide... ( same for Walthers and S&W. ) Taurus did it right, with the frame mounted thumb safety/decocker. ( and these older Taurus models, especially those with the finer cocking serrations) are good guns especially considering the price. Grips feel F as F compared to the BHP and CZ though...

 

[Lazyfaire]

If I were you I would get a da/sa gun that has a manual safety. Then you can run it in SAO so every trigger pull will be exactly the same. 100% of my DA/SA guns can be run in SAO (even the 22s!). My recommendations in order with gun ranked 1-10:

1) Grand power x-calibur first gen ($579 new). 9.5 out of 10. 10 out of 10 for durability. 9 out of 10 for shootability (because irons only for first gen, gen 2 is OR). 10 out of 10 for value for the price. Equivalent to a modified cz shadow 2 in performance (think $2500 gun) but much lighter. Rotating barrel action incredibly smooth and low recoil. Trigger is sublime.

2) Arex zero ($409 at cheap gun club only. A few left). 8.5 out of 10. 10 out of 10 for durability. 8 out of 10 for shootability. 10 out of 10 for price. Built like a tank. Sig p226 clone but has a saftey so can be run SAO.

3) CZ 75 and clones. 5-6 out of 10. Including Jericho ($450 all steel) and Sar 2000 ($347 all steel).

4) hk Usp expert. 6 out of 10 due to price. 10 out of 10 for durability. 8.5 out of 10 for shootability. 1 out of 10 for price.

I agree with the Grand Power (#1 above). The rotating bolt makes following shots back on target very smooth

 

[M45A1]

First we need to work on that grammer a little.

I am guessing you intentionally misspelled "grammar." If that is not the case, I will not take anything you say seriously.

 

[monks]

I have three out of the four and have shot the p30 a bit. The beretta doesn't do it for me. The grip is too large and I don't like the slide mounted safety. The cz75 is a great gun for the price but it's heavy, the standard model has small sights and the single action break is mushy. There's no wall to it and you just have to pull through. The sig has a great da/sa trigger (standard model) and is a great gun overall, but I do notice more muzzle rise compared to other guns due to the high bore axis. The Hk p30 has a great trigger, its light weight, has the best ergonomics and has decent capacity. I would pick the Hk first with a second for the sig if you like metal guns better.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I have three out of the four and have shot the p30 a bit. The beretta doesn't do it for me. The grip is too large and I don't like the slide mounted safety. The cz75 is a great gun for the price but it's heavy, the standard model has small sights and the single action break is mushy. There's no wall to it and you just have to pull through. The sig has a great da/sa trigger (standard model) and is a great gun overall, but I do notice more muzzle rise compared to other guns due to the high bore axis. The Hk p30 has a great trigger, its light weight, has the best ergonomics and has decent capacity. I would pick the Hk first with a second for the sig if you like metal guns better.

I think the p30L with a muzzle weight/compensator looks pretty cool.

 

[FourTeeFive]

I have three out of the four and have shot the p30 a bit. The beretta doesn't do it for me. The grip is too large and I don't like the slide mounted safety. The cz75 is a great gun for the price but it's heavy, the standard model has small sights and the single action break is mushy. There's no wall to it and you just have to pull through. The sig has a great da/sa trigger (standard model) and is a great gun overall, but I do notice more muzzle rise compared to other guns due to the high bore axis. The Hk p30 has a great trigger, its light weight, has the best ergonomics and has decent capacity. I would pick the Hk first with a second for the sig if you like metal guns better.

The P30 is great, with my personal preference for the LEM trigger. Although it needs a Gray Guns kit to really make that trigger great.

The CZ75 variants with alloy frames like the PCR and P-01 are much lighter than their steel frame counterparts. And CZ Custom can do a great trigger job on both the decocker and safety versions that takes it to a whole other level.

I agree out of the box a classic Sig is a great handgun. P225 is one of my favorites; I always wish they made a sub-compact version.

 

[monks]

I agree out of the box a classic Sig is a great handgun. P225 is one of my favorites; I always wish they made a sub-compact version.

Oh but they did! The p224

An Official Journal Of The NRA | New P224 Subcompact a Classic SIG SAUER, with One Small Change

SIG SAUER introduces the P224, the first true subcompact in its classic all-metal firearms line. Ideal for concealed or off-duty carry, the P224 offers all of the features consumers expect, with one small change.

www.shootingillustrated.com

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Oh but they did! The p224

An Official Journal Of The NRA | New P224 Subcompact a Classic SIG SAUER, with One Small Change

SIG SAUER introduces the P224, the first true subcompact in its classic all-metal firearms line. Ideal for concealed or off-duty carry, the P224 offers all of the features consumers expect, with one small change.

www.shootingillustrated.com

Holy crap that thing looks uncomfortable. Kinda looks like a gun with Down's syndrome or something. Looks really awkward. Like 3/4 of the gun is on top of your hand and you are trying to grab on with 2 fingers at the very bottom. They should have called it "the beluga"

 

[FourTeeFive]

Oh but they did! The p224

The P224 is double-stack while the P225 is single-stack, like a P220 (which was also available in 9mm but is slightly larger).

I've always wanted to try out a P224. Was not a very common gun.

 

[monks]

The P224 is double-stack while the P225 is single-stack, like a P220 (which was also available in 9mm but is slightly larger).

I've always wanted to try out a P224. Was not a very common gun.

Yeah I didn't know it existed until my son in law brought one over to shoot. It's very glock 26ish which doesn't really appeal to me personally but to each his own.

 

[giarc1234]

I would check out the Langdon Tactical 92's. They do some good work on the 92. Plus IMO it is one of the best platforms for a can.

 

[packmule]

I enjoy my CZ P-01 quite a bit and it's noticeably lighter than the steel frame 75B / 75BD.

 

[FourTeeFive]

I enjoy my CZ P-01 quite a bit and it's noticeably lighter than the steel frame 75B / 75BD.

There is something about the P-01 that is "just right". The PCR is a bit slimmer but most holsters for it fit the P-01 too, so you don't save much carry width. Also have a CZ75B Compact (steel frame) and for its size it is amazing how much heavier it is than the PCR, even though they look almost identical in size.

 

[orygun]

SA/DA?
S&W revolver. Take your pick.
As far as autos, I prefer SA.

 

[M45A1]

SA/DA?
S&W revolver. Take your pick.
As far as autos, I prefer SA.

Thank you for your assistance.

 

[ScottInPDX]

I have variations of all four of your top contenders. Some jumbled thoughts:

I'd only recommend the HK P30 if you A) know you'll like the paddle mag release, B) are willing to train with it, or C) are okay with swapping it out for something different later on if it doesn't work out for you. They're very polarizing and I haven't trained with it enough yet to know if I like it or not. The decocker button takes some getting used to as well, but decocking will never need to be done under pressure. I like the P30 ergonomics overall, and the molded factory grip is nice, though I wish the texturing was a bit more aggressive. I may still switch it out. There are no optics-ready versions available right now, but optics cut services are around. Trigger is meh, neither great nor terrible.

My US-manufactured Beretta M9A4 has the best single-action trigger I've ever felt, and it came from the factory that way. Zero creep, breaks like glass, short reset. The trigger is the only reason I didn't sell it when I got nostalgic for the M9 I was issued years ago and considered trading for one. I really like the feel of the slim vertec grips. My current major gripe is how high the RDO plates sit - technically "optics ready", but not very nicely. I've ordered a D'Lah Designs plate to replace it, which comes with a shorter firing pin block to let the optic sit lower.

I have the P229 rather than a P226, but my thoughts about it should still apply - the bore axis height hasn't been a problem for me, but the grip feels chunkier than all the rest to me, even with the much-lauded Hogue G10 grips. I also prefer the short thumb-throw of slide-mounted decockers over the longer lever of Sig's P-series pistols. Best optics mounting options of the bunch, but I don't know much about CZ's new optics-ready offerings. The stock trigger is pretty good, a bit better with the SRT kit, but hasn't blown me away.

My CZ-75 D PCR has the most obnoxiously long trigger pull out of the box and I haven't been able to Cajunize it yet. I've heard similar thoughts about the stock 75. It's fairly smooth and not particularly heavy but definitely needs some work. The factory grips are awesome though, they fit my hand perfectly. The low-sitting slide is a bit more challenging to get a grip on for racking, will need some more practice. Optics-cut services are available, but I think I'll leave it alone to keep the classic look.

If I had to pick one for full size carry, I'd lean towards my Beretta as the best compromise. It also has the largest capacity flush-fit mags (18 9mm rounds).

 

[joken]

I would choose the CZ. I own a few and they are trouble free and accurate

 

[M45A1]

I have variations of all four of your top contenders. Some jumbled thoughts:

I'd only recommend the HK P30 if you A) know you'll like the paddle mag release, B) are willing to train with it, or C) are okay with swapping it out for something different later on if it doesn't work out for you. They're very polarizing and I haven't trained with it enough yet to know if I like it or not. The decocker button takes some getting used to as well, but decocking will never need to be done under pressure. I like the P30 ergonomics overall, and the molded factory grip is nice, though I wish the texturing was a bit more aggressive. I may still switch it out. There are no optics-ready versions available right now, but optics cut services are around. Trigger is meh, neither great nor terrible.

My US-manufactured Beretta M9A4 has the best single-action trigger I've ever felt, and it came from the factory that way. Zero creep, breaks like glass, short reset. The trigger is the only reason I didn't sell it when I got nostalgic for the M9 I was issued years ago and considered trading for one. I really like the feel of the slim vertec grips. My current major gripe is how high the RDO plates sit - technically "optics ready", but not very nicely. I've ordered a D'Lah Designs plate to replace it, which comes with a shorter firing pin block to let the optic sit lower.

I have the P229 rather than a P226, but my thoughts about it should still apply - the bore axis height hasn't been a problem for me, but the grip feels chunkier than all the rest to me, even with the much-lauded Hogue G10 grips. I also prefer the short thumb-throw of slide-mounted decockers over the longer lever of Sig's P-series pistols. Best optics mounting options of the bunch, but I don't know much about CZ's new optics-ready offerings. The stock trigger is pretty good, a bit better with the SRT kit, but hasn't blown me away.

My CZ-75 D PCR has the most obnoxiously long trigger pull out of the box and I haven't been able to Cajunize it yet. I've heard similar thoughts about the stock 75. It's fairly smooth and not particularly heavy but definitely needs some work. The factory grips are awesome though, they fit my hand perfectly. The low-sitting slide is a bit more challenging to get a grip on for racking, will need some more practice. Optics-cut services are available, but I think I'll leave it alone to keep the classic look.

If I had to pick one for full size carry, I'd lean towards my Beretta as the best compromise. It also has the largest capacity flush-fit mags (18 9mm rounds).

This is a quality write-up, many thanks. I am leaning towards the Beretta and the Sig 226/229.