Renting before buying is great advice. Will take. No offense taken. I own a few guns, just not a center fire semi-auto.
I've a bad habit (lol) of buying a rifle and pistol in the same caliber.
SR-22, 10/22. GP100, Henry X .357.. So I'm pretty sure to buy a 9mm carbine after the pistol.
Sounds like you need to own something in the 5.7 caliber then. :D
Rifles (even build your own AR variants) and pistols by several companies.
Honestly, I have several 9MMs I'd rather daily than my M9. Sadly, it comes out when i want to show it off or shoot it specifically for enjoyment. I'd Rather my Glock G19 as my carry. The fucking G19 is just reliable, inexpensive, expandable, and accurate.
I know... I refused to use a Glock for a long time. It was the whole nigger with a Glock thing that made me refuse... Then I shot my buddies. Then I rented one another day. Then I bought the damn thing.
Considering moving from my S&W 9MM Shield to a G26
I'll get to the 5.7 someday! From what I've seen on jewtube, not a lot of difference between the 9mm and 5.7 besides cost. The Paul Harrell videos (the meat target part), and the ballistic gel tests make the 5.7 seem not that special. But I'll be the first person to say I really don't know jack shit when it comes to firearms besides what I have shot myself.
Paul doesn't lie. Effectively against targets its about as useful as a 9MM.
Its roughly the same size as a any full frame 9MM.
What he fails to emphasize enough, and may be a consideration for someone aging with maybe less grip. Is the ridiculously light recoil of the 5.7 handgun. At least in my FN 5.7 MKII. Hell it's so light, the wife likes to shoot it. It's grip is no larger or smaller than the Beretta really, its just easier to handle.
It costs a ton more to own an operate though. Last time I bought 9MM it was 19c/ea and 5.7 was 60c/ea easy. Haven't looked in a while, but I'd bet its still way more expensive than plain jane 9mm. I paid 590 for my Beretta brand new. I paid 1250 for my FN brand new.
I love a round that leaves my handgun barrel at over 2K F/PS though. The speed is what gives it the punch to hit above its weight. Its a 28-40g round, versus a 115+g round.
Rent one, play with it, see what I am talking about.
After you rent you will end up with a different gun.
You do not want a P226 or Beretta 92 for EDC. You want a very small 9mm or 380 auto like a P365, hellcat etc. Less is more with an EDC. If the gun is big you won't carry it and actually having the gun on you is what matters.
Look at the Ruger LCP too. You can pocket carry it and forget it's there. Not a target gun though. Trigger is heavy and long.
Recos:
- Tiny: Ruger LCP - Most comfortable, hardest to detect - looks like a wallet in the right pocket carry holster (you'll forget it's there), but least accurate/long, heavy trigger pull.
- Micro-compact: Sig P365 (or Sig P365XL etc) Comfortable, hard to detect, more accurate with a surprisingly decent trigger for striker fired micro.
- Full-sized: Sig P365, full size 1911, CZ-75, Beretta 92, HK USP/USP Expert - Uncomfortable, prints like crazy/not suitable for EDC, but accurate and fun to shoot with high magazine capacity
If you are going to get a full-sized 9mm, it's a home defense gun, not an EDC. It's all about the trigger IMO. Those recos all have great triggers and are fun to shoot so you'll practice.
(post is archived)