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packingungal

packingungal

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I am considering purchasing another handgun – I have two…a Ruger sp101, and a Taurus pt111. I enjoy them both and do well with both.

I have looked at a couple of Glocks – 23 and 27. Both fit well and feel fine. I have small hands. I have tried a variety of other handguns when people offer to let me shoot theirs and never had a problem adapting. The gun store will rent also.

I am flexible and open minded about opinions anyone may have regarding these considerations….or others. Obviously I will make my own decision.
 
I am considering purchasing another handgun
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The first question that comes to my mind is, what do you want it for? The intended purpose might make a huge difference in the recommendation.
 
+1 on the Sig 239. I have small hands (for a guy) and this gun fits very well. I also had a glock 23 that fit quite well also. The Smith & Wesson M&P compact are very nice and you can adjust the grip size to fit your hand. The same is true for the Walther P99 compact.
My advise is to try them all (if you can) and go with the one that fits you the best and you can shoot comfortable and acurately.
Good luck!
Joe
 
packingungal said:
I am considering purchasing another handgun – I have two…a Ruger sp101, and a Taurus pt111. I enjoy them both and do well with both.

I have looked at a couple of Glocks – 23 and 27. Both fit well and feel fine. I have small hands.
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First, what do you want it for? The 27 may be a bit better for concealed carry, but it is still big for a pocket gun. If you are carrying it in a waist holster, you can probably carry the 23 just as easily. The 23 has a bit longer sight radius and larger grip, so it will be easier to shoot. If you are just going to use for target practice and not for concealed carry, consider the fullsize 22 instead. The grip circumference of all three guns is the same, so if one fits your hand then all of them will.

That said, all Glocks have a thick grip and thus a large grip circumference. As a result, they generally don't work as well for people with small hands. In addition, the trigger takes a fair bit of getting used to (I've never been able to do that well with them myself). So be sure you try one before you buy it.
 
FPrice said:
The first question that comes to my mind is, what do you want it for? The intended purpose might make a huge difference in the recommendation.
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I understand the seriousness of personal protection - but the primary reason I shoot is - it's fun, it relaxing and presents a challenge.
 
packingungal said:
I understand the seriousness of personal protection - but the primary reason I shoot is - it's fun, it relaxing and presents a challenge.
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Are you buying the gun for home protection? For concealed carry? For the range?

For home protection, size is not a constraint. A bigger, heavier gun generally has less felt recoil. A larger gun with a longer sight radius is easier to shoot accurately.

For concealed carry, smaller is better. But the smaller, lighter gun is harder to shoot accurately and less fun due to more recoil.

That's why we're asking what you want the gun for. Are you going to carry it concealed or not? If not, then look at larger guns.
 
Concealed Carry: Smith and Wesson 642CT

Recreation/Home Defense: Smith and Wesson M&P (9mm .40 .45)

These were the first two that popped into my head....The 642CT is light, concealable and reliable. The M&P has adjustable palm swells for a custom fit.
 
packingungal said:
I understand the seriousness of personal protection - but the primary reason I shoot is - it's fun, it relaxing and presents a challenge.
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Well said. I like your style.

Given the choice between the G23 and G27, I'd go with the 27 because I like the feel of the subcompact Glocks (I carry one every day). I have an unnatural aversion to the .40 S&W, so I carry it's big brother - the G29.

Many people prefer the S&W M&P over the Glock primarily because the replaceable palm-swells allow you to change the way the gun feels in your hand.

If this is going to be mostly a "fun" range gun, why don't you look at a .22 of some sort? They're very cheap to shoot. I like having a few .22's around in case I'm taking a new shooter to the range. Often it's best to start someone out with a .22. There are lots of good ones around too. The Ruger MKIII is a great autoloader, the Ruger Single Six is a nice single-action revolver (with an extra cylinder for .22 Mag). There are many others and I'm sure people will chime in if you ask about it.
 
If this is going to be mostly a "fun" range gun, why don't you look at a .22 of some sort?
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I strongly agree with EddieCoyle's suggestion. Everyone should have a good .22lr pistol or revolver for low-cost, fun shooting. I am not as fond of the Ruger MkIII however. The earlier versions seem to me to be better. The Single Six is also very good. I have also had some good luck with the Walther P22s.

You should try some different brands and see what seems to fit you best.
 
EddieCoyle said:
Well said. I like your style.

If this is going to be mostly a "fun" range gun, why don't you look at a .22 of some sort? They're very cheap to shoot. I like having a few .22's around in case I'm taking a new shooter to the range. Often it's best to start someone out with a .22. There are lots of good ones around too. The Ruger MKIII is a great autoloader, the Ruger Single Six is a nice single-action revolver (with an extra cylinder for .22 Mag). There are many others and I'm sure people will chime in if you ask about it.
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Yes, I am looking for "fun" range gun - a .22 is another consideration, and I have tried those as well.
 
packingungal said:
I understand the seriousness of personal protection - but the primary reason I shoot is - it's fun, it relaxing and presents a challenge.
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1911's and .22's are versitle fun guns. Both open you up to a variety of competition if you move that way. 1911 has a billion uses and flavors (carry, bullseye, race guns, etc...). .22's are super cheap to shoot, lots of available bullseye competition, are good trainers for introducing new folks, and a good trainer to develop/maintain basic skills for yourself.

YMMV,
Matt
 
matt said:
1911's and .22's are versitle fun guns. Both open you up to a variety of competition if you move that way. 1911 has a billion uses and flavors (carry, bullseye, race guns, etc...). .22's are super cheap to shoot, lots of available bullseye competition, are good trainers for introducing new folks, and a good trainer to develop/maintain basic skills for yourself.

YMMV,
Matt
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Thanks for ideas, Matt....my curiosity has me...what does YMMV mean. I think I can safely eliminate "Your mileage may vary" - and it would be a stretch to assume it meant "Yet more manipulative villians" [laugh]
 
I have a bunch of .22's. Here's how I'd rate them in order (and why):
  1. S&W K-22 Masterpiece (Model 17)- It is the perfect .22 revolver.
  2. Ruger MKIII - Mine is very accurate and reliable. I love the grip angle too. Cleaning it is a pain, but that gives me an excuse not to clean it.
  3. Ruger Single Six (in stainless) - The nicest-looking .22 I have and it is very accurate. I like the extra .22 Mag cylinder, but I'm not crazy about the grip size (too small) or angle.
  4. Walther P22 - Hard to shoot accurately, difficult to reassemble, and too small. It is very light though, and my daughter likes it.
  5. Beretta 21A - Very hard to shoot accurately and a bit of a jam-o-matic. It's really small and I like the way it looks.
  6. Sig Mosquito - Nothing but trouble. I can't wait to get rid of it.
 
EddieCoyle said:
I have a bunch of .22's. Here's how I'd rate them in order (and why):
  1. S&W K-22 Masterpiece (Model 17)- It is the perfect .22 revolver.
  2. Ruger MKIII - Mine is very accurate and reliable. I love the grip angle too. Cleaning it is a pain, but that gives me an excuse not to clean it.
  3. Ruger Single Six (in stainless) - The nicest-looking .22 I have and it is very accurate. I like the extra .22 Mag cylinder, but I'm not crazy about the grip size (too small) or angle.
  4. Walther P22 - Hard to shoot accurately, difficult to reassemble, and too small. It is very light though, and my daughter likes it.
  5. Beretta 21A - Very hard to shoot accurately and a bit of a jam-o-matic. It's really small and I like the way it looks.
  6. Sig Mosquito - Nothing but trouble. I can't wait to get rid of it.
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Thanks, Eddie - I appreciate this!!
 
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I also own a sp101 for carry and home defense. My most recent purchase for a plinker is the ruger single six with in .22LR with the additional 22mag cyl. Its a great gun at a good price. As a fan of ruger revolvers I just had to have one....
 
ccm75 said:
I also own a sp101 for carry and home defense. My most recent purchase for a plinker is the ruger single six with in .22LR with the additional 22mag cyl. Its a great gun at a good price. As a fan of ruger revolvers I just had to have one....
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Thanks, I have enjoyed my ruger much - was the first one owned after not shooting for a long time. It has been a challenge for me, as the Taurus is really a "piece of cake". Today I will take my list and become a "maid on a mission" [grin]
 
If I were in your shoes I would narrow my search down to guns that would accept a .22 conversion kit, like a 1911, or a compact or full sized Glock similar to the ones you mentioned.

That way, in the same platform, you can have a good gun for self defense, and put a .22 conversion kit in it for fun at the range.
 
My wife's first handgun was a SP101. She'd tried some of the S&W's, but didn't care for their handling - small frame but none of the gun/grip combinations felt comfortable to her. After using the Ruger for a bit, she decided to choose a plinker for some fun shooting. A Ruger Single-Six Bisley in .22LR. The grip's a bit different from the standard Single-Six, and the hammer's spur is also lower. THAT is a fun gun! Accurate enough to be fun, too. The Ruger Bisley in .22 has been discontinued, but we found it recently at a local shop. I have a Ruger MKIII Target, which my wife also likes to shoot. However, the single-action Bisely is more of an involved & satisfying shooting experience. I'm wanting for one for myself.
 
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I'm curious about this Bisley version. Got a picture? Also, how is the Bearcat different than a Single Six? Thanks.
 
Bearcats predate the Single Six. Bearcats are noticeably smaller and built, IIRC, on alloy frames.

Bisleys have a different grip angle.
 
pupchow said:
My wife's first handgun was a SP101. She'd tried some of the S&W's, but didn't care for their handling - small frame but none of the gun/grip combinations felt comfortable to her. After using the Ruger for a bit, she decided to choose a plinker for some fun shooting. A Ruger Single-Six Bisley in .22LR. The grip's a bit different from the standard Single-Six, and the hammer's spur is also lower. THAT is a fun gun! Accurate, too. The Ruger Bisley in .22 has been discontinued, but we found it recently at a local shop. I have a Ruger MKIII Target, which my wife also likes to shoot. However, the single-action Bisely is more of an involved & satisfying shooting experience. I'm wanting for one for myself.
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The Bisley version may be discontinued but you can buy the Bisley grip frame,trigger and hammer from Ruger and have it fitted. I know as I have a SS 45 Colt Blackhawk and a Super Blackhawk in 44 mag
with the set up and it really is a munch more comfortable grip especially in heavy recoiling cartridges. There is a pic of mine here it was posted by FPrice for me. Or you can go to the Ruger web site and see them there.
 

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