Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Handgun noob - home defense/CCW?

goto gun.deals. Enter desired gun. Repeat as necessary until you secure what you're looking for. Like gunner said, get more than 1 and plenty of mags.

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No brainer. Get a Glock 19. Answers every point you mentioned above. Amazing aftermarket support for sights, holsters, etc.. I'd go for a Gen 5, as it's the most refined gen yet.

PS The Glock 19 accepts OEM mags with 15 (flush fitting), 17, 26, and 33 round magazines.

LOL. Good point.

Depending on the wife and kids hand strength, you may want to look at this.

Yeah, Napoleon would have agreed that the 19 was perfectly sized for a woman's hand.

I bought a S&W Shield EZ 9 this year and really like it. It's about the same size as a Glock 19. It's light, I can get all my fingers on the grip, the slide is easy to work, and the magazine is easy to load without a Maglula. The magazine holds 8 rounds.

I've coached 2 different couples into their first handgun this spring/summer. My best advice was to rent at a range before buying. And to try the Shield EZ while they were at it.

S&W owes me a referral fee.

S&W Shield EZ 9, if racking a slide is an issue for any of the family.

For capacity and ease of carry Glock 43X with the aftermarket 15 round magazines. For capacity, ease of carry and accuracy (just because I have not shot the Glock 43X) the Sig P365 or the Springfield Armory Hellcat. I think the Hellcat to be the better of the three for home defense as you can easily slip a weapon light on it.

All three are under your $600 max.

Jerry

I agree with MOGC. The Shield is the cat’s whiskers. Very shootable, reliable, etc.

So all those lady cops out there must have handguns that are way too big for their hands.

Should the "lady cops" be using the 19, than they have a firearm that fits their hand... perfect for a woman's hand.

For carry 9’s I have a Kahr cm9 (same size as the p365), M&P 2.0 compact (same size as glock 19), and a sig 365XL. Since I got the 365XL I rarely carry the Kahr, and never carry the M&P. Vanguard VG2 holster is super comfortable AIWB, and the slightly thinner sig frame carries better than the M&P. The Kahr is for pocket carry which I still do sometimes but I much prefer AIWB carry now that I have the sig. For pocket carry I’d get the regular 365 over the kahr. I’ve got two broken 380 pocket guns, I’m not convinced anyone makes a reliable one.

Girlfriend purse carries a XD9 subcompact (glock26 size). She likes my 365XL way better than her XD, the slide is easier for her to rack, and it fits her better and is a bunch lighter.

We both shoot the 365XL the better than any of our other carry guns.

I’m a fan.

I wouldn’t buy a 40.

I would like a G48 to compare to the 365XL but I haven’t fired one yet.

Yea, If he get's a .40 the 90's will call, wanting their gun back, along with the accompanying drop leg holster.

If he gets a 40,,he should be able to find ammo. That might have been sarcastic.

This!!! The shelves of nearly every LGS around here are FULL of all varieties of 40 ammo. Multiple brands of defensive ammo as well as target rounds, most without the box limit purchase restrictions also.

Around here i can find 9mm Occasionally but haven’t seen 40ammo since this crap started.

Im more of a 40fan personally but for a relatively new handgunner id say go 9mm. Hard to beat a Glock 19,48,43x

Or 26. The 26 is excellent, but requires just a little more familiarity and attention to technique to shoot well (assuming you carry it with a flush mag) than is the case with the 19 or 17. I carry my 26 most of the time, occasionally switching to the 19.

I like the modular system of the Glocks myself. Start with a 40, then purchase 9mm and 357 Sig barrels, shazam. 3 in 1.

I’d look for a hammer fired CZ 75D PCR if you can find one. Don’t much care for striker fired semi-autos myself.

This doesn't make sense, because 40's and drop leg holsters are awesome, and the 90's were crap.

There isn't ONE set of needs for someone carrying a gun. Most of my carry involves that drop leg holster, because most of my carry involves hiking, berry picking in the mountains, etc. I can walk freely, sit where and how I like, and the gun is never in the way. Ridiculous, huh? I can pack 13 200gr WFN 40 caliber bullets at 1100fps and not even bring an extra mag. 40's are just crap, huh?

Maybe the 90's was when someone came up with the idea that there was ONE set of COOL gear, and everything else was silly and deserved only ridicule.