Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Glock 26 Gen4 vs. Springfield XD Mod.2

I remember an older gentleman behind the counter at our SW telling me how popular the Shield was with men and women (at least in the 9mm). IIRC, he claimed it accounted for about 20% of all 9mm handgun sales...nationwide, I believe.

Got a buddy who is a Sgt. on the local PD. He won a J-frame .38 and gave it to his wife to be her gun. She's a tiny thing and didn't like the recoil or the grip (too long of reach). She tried out a Shield and absolutley loved it...till my buddy stole it for his BUG on duty! Although the other day he tried a G26 and really liked it so His wife may get her Shield back, anyway!

Good luck on whatever you choose...

Anything that left my pinky hanging was ruled out. Granted you can get extended mags but F that.

That Shield was a really sweet gun...

Everyones hands are differnt so handgun choice is 100% personal assuming one is discussing well vetted designs which most here are. Grip angles from model to model is largely a mute point due to removeable backstraps or the ease with which polymer frames can be sanded and stippled per user preference. Same goes for triggers as there are options for most models which will clean up the trigger pull and keep it at a safe and politically correct pull weight for carry.

One must also consider the places they go. If mostly rural or smaller quieter settings where the possibilty of large groups of assailants is less, then I'm happy with the 7-8rds in my Shield or Commander. In urban settings or places with large groups of people i prefer to have 10-15 rds in the gun.

My biggest questions to you would be how are you built and how do you typically dress? Easier to give some advice with these questions answered.

For my own uses a subcompact single stack is a great pocket gun when in shorts or clothes not conducive to traditional belt carry. I am a little leery of the capacity of these pistols for everday ccw but they have there uses. I have S&W Shields in both 9mm and .40 for this.

The double stack subcompacts to me are too bulky for effective pocket carry and only serve this role when i #1 want more rounds and #2 am wearing pants or shorts with cargo pockets. I am not a fan of the 3" barrels types for holster carry as i typically carry IWB and the short barrel tends to try to roll out of my belt line. The short fat grips takes some getting used to as i have large hands. I have M&P compacts in 9 and .40 and a g26 i use in this role.

To me the most comfortable belt carry for me is a compact 4.25" barreled gun. I carry a 1911 Commander a lot and recently bought a g19 for this as well. The slightly longer barrel rides in an IWB holster much better as the extra length helps hold the gun in place. The slightly longer grip also allows me to get a stable firing grip quicker then subcompacts. The Commanders truly are my favorite but capacity can be an issue to me if one spends the majority of time in an urban setting.

I also occasionally carry my Govt. 191q and even my M&P CORES also IWB but prefer a good OWB holster for these as they are more comfortable when sitting.

Due to current events in our world i personally want a minimum of 10 rds in the gun and the 15 rds of the G19 gives me more confidence. I always carry atleast one spare mag with my larger guns and typically 2 for my single stacks. Magazines are truly the weak link for most quality guns.

At the end of the day assuming a quality weapon in a GOOD holster and belt combo can be pretty comfortable all day long. If you use a crappy holster and belt almost any gun will be a burden and get left behind. For my uses holsters start at the mid to upper end Galco, Bianchi etc and intend to prefer custom leather and kydex. For a cheaper belt the double thick Filson at $50 is a good buy, my ccw belts are an older Milt Sparks and one from the beltman.

My overall recommendation for a new guy lookimg to ccw is a G19 with a quality belt and holster. Yes Glocks have some potential small quirks put of the box but they are simple, durable, accurate, easy to maintain and easy to learn and use.

Just my .02 and what works for me.

Thanks M. Addict. That was a well thought out and informative response.

And another vote for the G19.

I hate to be a PIA but what do you think about that M&P Shield performance edition?

Rooster, My 9mm Shield is the performance edition and it is a great little pistol.

My wife is pretty small and has claimed it as her ccw. The only ding is i am not a huge fan of the ported barrels due to increased muzzle flash. Short barrels have a ton of muzzle flash even with the Speer ammo tailored for them, the ports help recoil a fair amount but make it downright blinding in dark enviroments.

My .40 Shield has the Apex DCAEK kit and XS big dot sights. For a carry gun its superb and i plan to get another 9mm and set it up the same.

M. Addict, could yo go into the details of these mods? Remember I'm a newb. I know its a trigger and sight mod but details would be cool.

PM me if you want

Rooster,

The big dots are sights as you said
Front sight is a big white dot with small tritium insert for night use, the rear is a V-type with a vertical bar. Proper sight picture is the letter "i". They are super fast for defensive uses, but their design gives up some fine accuracy for that speed. This is strictly a carry gun so i will take the speed

As for the Apex Duty Carry Action Enhancement Kit (DCAEK) it is a drop in trigger kit that greatly smoothens up the trigger pull and reduces take up and over travel without lowering overall weight. I also install the Apex replacement trigger. I personally do not like the feel of the factory trigger pivoting at the lower half to release the safety. The Apex replacement is a bit straighter making it feel lighter then it truly is and easier for me easier to pull straight back but most importantly to me uses a center pivot trigger lever like a glock.

Any man that can understand a simple video, run a hammer with punch and understand that the M&P pins go left to right can do this easily in a half hour max and have an immeasurably better trigger.

I do not worry about modifying triggers as long as they dont defeat factory safety features and they leave the pull weight essentially stock. The loss of safety features can be an issue with several aftermarket Glock triggers but not as much with M&P's.


From my research a good shoot is a good shoot reguardless of weapon used. I do not make my carry triggers much lower then stock weight but fake every advantage to polish or tweak for pull quality as i feel its easily explainable in court as preference, same as sights and grip mods.

Get a Glock 19...unless you want an ankle holster ( you don't), there is no place you can hide a G26 that you can't hide a G19. The G19 has 50 % more capacity, a longer barrel ( more velocity ), and will be easier to shoot accurately.

Agreed. And by the same reasoning, might as well get a 17. LOL. Seriously, though. The 17 is just a fraction of an inch longer in slide and grip, but that little improvement significantly increases shootability. Does for me, anyway. And carries just as well as the 19, IMO.