Your opinions please on a handgun purchase

[semperfi68to70]

My son will be turning 21 in the near future and I want to get him a handgun as a gift. I know he likes the Springfield XM40 and XM45, but I don't know much about them. I have looked at them on-line and they sound and look like a good weapon and I have even been to a firearms dealer or two and examined them up close and personal.

I like to think of myself as open minded. I own both Fords and Chevys, Smith & Wessons and Colts and once in a while I eat a meal that doesn't include meat. So I am really interested in an honest assessment rather than the rabid fan club approach to hearing your opinions.

I won't go so far as to say money is no object, but I am more interested in the quality and reliability aspect of the weapon than I am price point.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Ooorah.

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[drew]

I assume you're speaking of the Springfield XDMs. In my opinion, they are a quality weapon aren't priced too high. I haven't done a true torture test but I've managed to dunk it in a creek and it has never had a problem cycling thousands of rounds.

That said, any idea why he likes that particular make of pistol? If he wants a polymer, also see if he likes the S&W M&P and Glocks. Maybe try to shoot a few before buying.

 

[willseeker]

I was going to say, Glock. Which would be fine as a first pistol.

But then I thought, why not, let's go H&K P30.

So many guns...so little time.

Be well,
Will

 

[BAMCIS]

I have never shot a Springfield XD, but I own several Glocks and several 1911's.

Having said that, you simply can't go wrong with a Colt 1911. I suggest this over any polymer gun because it has a "soul" that no polymer gun has. If money is no object then that opens a whole 'nuther can of worms of which 1911 to get, but from your post it seems you didn't really want to get into that.

A Colt is a good, solid choice as it is considered by some to be the best production 1911 at any price. Your post leads me to believe it will likely become an heirloom because you gave it to him for his 21st birthday. This heirloom he will be proud to pass down to his son, or daughter, or even grandson or grand daughter.

Oh and Semper Fi fellow Marine!

 

[trevoro]

The XDM .40 is a great gun. Though I've never shot it, I've many thousands of rounds through an XDM 9mm 5.25. With a trigger job, they are simply amazing. Isn't "what he likes" the primary consideration?

 

[jonn5335]

I have never shot a Springfield XD, but I own several Glocks and several 1911's.

Having said that, you simply can't go wrong with a Colt 1911. I suggest this over any polymer gun because it has a "soul" that no polymer gun has. If money is no object then that opens a whole 'nuther can of worms of which 1911 to get, but from your post it seems you didn't really want to get into that.

A Colt is a good, solid choice as it is considered by some to be the best production 1911 at any price. Your post leads me to believe it will likely become an heirloom because you gave it to him for his 21st birthday. This heirloom he will be proud to pass down to his son, or daughter, or even grandson or grand daughter.

Oh and Semper Fi fellow Marine!

Took the words right outta my mouth.

 

[biggie24420]

I don't know if you mean XD or XDM. I can share my experience with the XD. I have owned a XD in .40 and one in 9mm. I have owned pistols in .45, .40, and 9mm and I personally converted to the 9mm. I am not trying to start a caliber war but I think the more ammo in your gun, the more time in a fight.... and I will stop there.

You should know that I am a big Glock fan because they are simple and reliable. They are like the HONDAs of guns or AK of pistols in my opinion. Now, again in my opinion, the XD is a very nice "platform", looks sexy (to me anyways), and it's been around for a while. They are built very well, solid, reliable, and a bit on the heavy side. Some don't like the higher bore axes, some don't care for the extra safety features, but I never had any issues and enjoyed the XD pistols I've owned.

A few things that I didn't like..... the weight and the roll pin on the slide holding the firing pin in place. I personally like to tear my guns apart to give them a good cleaning and having to hammer a pin out just gets on my nerves. I like the simplicity of the Glock design and I use that to compare different handguns to. The capacity is pretty good with XD pistols, but I like having the option of running 33 round mags in my Glocks if I choose to.

I have also had S&W M&P pistols in .45, .40, and 9mm. Another great pistol but again, not as simple as a Glock but it fits good, it's reliable, and it has good capacity. If I am not mistaking, you have to remove the rear sight on a M&P to do a full slide disassembly.... not that you have to do that every time you clean it, but I digress.

I believe in keeping things simple, the K-I-S-S method and that is why I am a Glock and AK fan. Some want safety on their pistols, some don't want to deal with safety. Some like striker fire and some like single/double action. I guess what I'm trying to say is that people have different likes and needs. I just happen to be more picky but if you are not, and want something reliable and dependable.... you can't go wrong with a XD, M&P, Glock, Sig, HK, FN, PPQ... on and on.

Also as far as 1911s go... I have owned a few and I will leave it at that because I don't wanna start a war lol... but I would pick a XD, M&P, Glock, PPQ over a 1911... unless it's a night hawk or another high quality custom, but I don't like the capacity and the weight. If I am gonna carry weight, it better have the capacity to back it up. Not to mention the price on a custom 1911.

In conclusion, I say go for it with the XM :winkkiss: and enjoy. As your son's first gun, I think it's a good choice and I think he will enjoy it a lot.

And I will finish by pissing off a few folks on here (hahahaha) by saying.....

"All guns should be GLOCKs, all GLOCKs should be 9mm and all GLOCK 9mm should be 19s"
--James Yeager--

 

[etrain16]

Some good suggestions from folks already. I'll echo what a few have said - let him go to a range that rents guns and try them first. If the grip doesn't fit his hand well, you'll know when you shoot it. I don't personally care for the Springfield grips, which is why I prefer the S&W M&P models. I have friends that own Springfields (XDM's and XDS) and really love them. It's a personal preference.

Also, what does he want the gun for? Personal home defense? Target shooting? Concealed carry? I made a mistake when I bought my first handgun that I intended to conceal carry and bought a gun that was way too big. I was never able to successfully conceal it, which kept me from carrying. I finally sold that pistol (which I really like for comfort and shooting, BTW) and bought a much smaller, reliable pistol that became very easy to carry every day. Reliability is really #1 if he plans to use it for home defense or concealed carry. There are plenty of great guns from S&W, Springfield, Glock, Sig, Ruger and others. There are some manufacturers that are more prone to malfunctions - some would probably drive you away from Kel-Tec, for example for just that reason. If all he plans to do is target shooting, then whatever is comfortable and accurate would work well. I would also keep in mind if he plans to shoot often, it will be less expensive to shoot a 9mm than a .45acp - just something to consider. The type of ammo may also affect how he feels when he shoots the gun. He may not like the snappiness of a .40, but might like the feel of the 9mm or .45acp.

Just be sure to give him a chance to shoot the gun before you buy. That could save you some hassle and some $$. I don't know the ranges in the Salem area, but I'm sure there must be at least one with guns to rent.

 

[semperfi68to70]

Good info. I meant XD rather than XM and this is exactly what I was looking for. Keep it coming.

 

[Netspirit]

The usual answers are Glocks, S&W M&P and Springfields - they are equally reliable these days. Let him handle them, feel the grip, weight and balance of each, shoot each, and make that very personal choice.

 

[glockman99]

Do your son a BIG favor and get him a Glock 23...I have one, and I totally LOVE that pistol!

 

[Morpheus]

If you really love him, get him the XDM version of the pistol you want to get for him. Just a little more, and whole lot more nicer.

 

[mrblond]

I suppose it really depends on what he will be using it for. for just range days, id go with something like a 1911. if its for EDC,/ home defense, you can't go wrong with a Glock 19. If its just something to have, take him to a gun shop and let him look at and hold every one there. Then go home and let him research the guns he liked and then make his choice.

 

[cookie]

Took the words right outta my mouth.

I would pick a Dan Wesson 1911 over any 1911s on the market due to the high quality parts and assembly . They are far superior to any Springfield, Kimber, Sig, S@W. or any other 1911 except the high end Wilson Combats ,Ed Browns ect then still the Dan Wessons are probably close to being equal to the best. I have experience with Colts, Wilson combats Ed Browns and some high end race guns through my ownership over the years or my shooting buddies to have proven the quality of the Dan Wesson 1911 line.

 

[mrblond]

I would pick a Dan Wesson 1911 over any 1911s on the market due to the high quality parts and assembly . They are far superior to any Springfield, Kimber, Sig, S@W. or any other 1911 except the high end Wilson Combats ,Ed Browns ect then still the Dan Wessons are probably close to being equal to the best. I have experience with Colts, Wilson combats Ed Browns and some high end race guns through my ownership over the years or my shooting buddies to have proven the quality of the Dan Wesson 1911 line.

+1 on the Dan Wesson. My Valor is my favorite pistol to simply shoot.

 

[cookie]

I have 3 XDs 2 S@W 40 and a 9mm they work well. http://www.xdtalk.com/

 

[semperfi68to70]

If you really love him, get him the XDM version of the pistol you want to get for him. Just a little more, and whole lot more nicer.

Thank you. Yes, this is all about proving I love him. I don't feel the room, board, classic first car, quality education, constant adoration and good advice were enough so I am going to the handgun! I know you are kidding; me too.

Thanks to all of you for the great advice from everyone and I doubt I could go wrong with any of the weapons mentioned in the thread.

 

[rick benjamin]

SemperFi
My1911 will eat whatever it's fed.
My glock needs jacketed factory food.
SemperFi75to81

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

Sig Sauer? CZ? They're mostly all metal frames (except for a few guns here or there), they are heavy but (to me) they feel much better than the polymer ones.

 

[PX4WA]

first of all, you will need to filter out the fanboys... (including me)... and decide for yourself...

1. what is the purpose - target, carry, competition, plinking?
2. will this be an only gun for a while? guns are purpose built... they are like cars, you don't take a hummer to nascar or a nascar to the dunes...
3. ammo cost -- 9mm is good for a first gun, so is .45 (but more expensive), .40 is not a beginner gun unless he is already experienced. .40 is very snappy...

if this is a beginner gun the XD/XDM is a good gun. lifetime warranty, reliable and accurate... the xdm is the premium version with a few more extras...

glocks are the utility vehicle of guns... they go bang, don't have a grip safety and have a higher accidental discharge rate in the hands of an inexperienced person (yes they do... and if you haven't had one it's because you are experienced with good trigger finger control... just google glock accidental discharge vs xdm accidental discharge and see how many you get for each) but they are ultra reliable... I don't own glocks and own several XDM's... so go figure my bias...

1911's are the sexy guns of the gun world... all metal, precision machines, with the best possible trigger and superb accuracy (for the premium versions)... a good starting 1911 is in the 700-800 range and go up to a few grand..

springfield range officer is a good target 1911, so is the ruger sr1911... they have value for money and lifetime warranty... the cheaper 1911's are not as well made

then you can go go the hk's, sig's, and other all metal guns...

so in the end, is this a starter pistol that he will eventually sell, or is this a potential heirloom he will hand down to your grandkids... for the latter, I recommend a colt 1911 or springfield TRP