Thinking about getting a Pistol, need some advice.

[eagl]

I'm having a hard time visualizing "excessive recoil" from a 40 Short & Weak in even the most compact version I've seen. 

It is so hard to imagine that some people have joint injuries, smaller hands, or thinner cartilage at various joints such as the wrist?

Imagine how irritating it would be if I went around talking about how I have a hard time visualizing anyone needing eyeglasses, since my vision is 20/10 uncorrected.  Or how I have a hard time visualizing people getting airsick since I do not.  Or how I have a hard time visualizing people being unable to swim a mile in 20 minutes or swim up the SoCal coastline from LaJolla Cove to LaJolla Shores and back in under 2 hours.  Or have a hard time visualizing people who cannot avoid getting speeding tickets.  Or how I have a hard time visualizing people who can't fit into pants with greater than 32" waist.  Or... 

The CHP did a study and determined that it would be cheaper to pay off CHP officers for wrist injuries than to switch to a different gun.  The S&W .40s they issue are known to cause wrist injuries.  I fired my Dad's service pistol and it twists badly in my hand, and it isn't even considered a "compact" pistol.  I am quite certain that if I had to fire that gun routinely as part of my job, I'd end up with a permanent injury from it.  That's why when I bought my own .40 pistol, I went with the full size beretta.  Not only does training with it directly benefit my mandatory USAF weapons training, but also because it recoils straight and the extra weight of the gun makes it a lot less damaging to my wrist.

Then again, the most painful gun I ever fired was a teeny tiny .30 subcompact auto...  That thing felt like someone whacking my hand and wrist with a tip of a screwdriver, since the gun's size and shape meant that the recoil was transmitted directly to one of the nerve junctions in the wrist.  It wasn't a very strong recoil, but it was sharp and directly impacted that nerve junction.  Hurt like hell.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I have arthritis, and other damage to my wrists, from sports and work related injuries. My wife has fairly small hands (she's not even 5' tall). I can understand people with serious permanent injuries having a problem with recoil from mid power rounds like the 40 S&W, but those are people who are permanently disabled, for the most part. My brother has had wrist surgery about 5 times due to work related injuries as a career line mechanic (I was a line mechanic for years, it's where some of my wrist problems came from as well), he's a champion Single Action Shooting Society competitor.

Talk about whatever you want, it doesn't irritate me. 

[Jayhawk]

You mean people have different personal preferences when it comes to firearms!? 

My sub-compact .40 is a Kahr PM40


(not my picture)

I doesn't hurt my wrist as much as tire my hand out, especially after 100+ rounds.

Reminds me of the video I watched last night of Todd Jarrett putting 1000 rounds through a Para .45.  Yikes!

[Shuffler]

Bottom line there are lots of good quality dependable guns out there. You just need to find the one that fits you.

Weight
Grip/feel
Caliber
Rounds

See if you have a gunshop close to you that has its' own range. Many will let you test fire a sample pistol you may be interested in.

[katanaso]

Or we just visit Shuffler's! 

[Patches1]

John Browning developed the 45ACP for one reason, and one reason only: to kill people by the U.S. Government Standards of his time.

Debate all you wish about calibers, and weapons manufacturers, and target shooting and all of the refinements you find within each separate subject regarding handguns...simply remember that the 45ACP was developed specifically to kill people.

For those who worry about recoil...limp wrists and elbows will discourage you from firing any handgun because the recoil should be taken in your shoulders; if you are not taking it there...you need some professional instruction.

Any caliber from .17 to .50 will kill you if the round is placed properly; not many arise from an improperly placed 45ACP and wish to debate the issue further.

But! No handgun is any good if the wielder is unable to make it function under stress! Think about it...do you really want to kill someone; or do you just make empty threats by showing off a handgun? This is a huge responsibility and you accept it when you wield a handgun, or any firearm, come good, or bad and if you make the wrong decision...you may end up dead, or worse, behind bars for the rest of your life.

My vote is: .45 ACP 

[Dadsguns]

Well, was thinking about getting a Pistol, I have a shotgun which I have tons of experience with but not so much with pistols.  I was thinking about getting the Beretta 92fs that way I have two Italian made guns (my shotguns a Benelli)  Does anyone have any experience with the Beretta 92fs?  If so how is the gun?

(Image removed from quote.)

There is a picture of it.

Italian power


-BigBOBCH

Beretta is crap.  Get lots of training on pistols, lots.

[Simba]

One word of advice - don't bring your pistol(s) to the UK.

This ol' cat used to thoroughly enjoy making his own ammunition on a Thursday evening (store-bought ammo's good for sourcing cartridge cases but too variable for accurate shooting) and sending a few dozen down the range on weekends - but it's a sad fact that civilian handguns have been banned in Blighty since just after a legally-licensed shooter went ape in the Scottish town of Dunblane and shot a classroom of children and their teacher. Shades of Columbine, but earlier and the loonie was an adult.

So the splendid past-time of responsible pistol shooting was banjaxed by knee-jerk legislation, enacted because a bone-idle senior police officer ignored several warnings, at least one in writing, from a junior officer who knew the nut-case and rightly believed him to be unstable and a threat to himself and others. Now the only people here to use handguns are police and punks.

My S&W .357 with the 6" barrel was a beautiful weapon. Sigh.

 

 

[SmokinLoon]

Beretta is crap.  Get lots of training on pistols, lots.

Everyone has an opinion.  Obviously.  The Beretta 92F is hardly "crap".   

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Everyone has an opinion.  Obviously.  The Beretta 92F is hardly "crap".   

Maybe. But it also is not the great wonder weapon that the "Lethal Weapon" movies and the adoption by the U.S. military make it out to be. It is heavy for a 9MM, not particularly all that accurate, not really great ergonomically, and not outstandingly durable or reliable. It is fairly decent, but by no means is it innovative, exceptional, or outstanding.

[Dadsguns]

Maybe. But it also is not the great wonder weapon that the "Lethal Weapon" movies and the adoption by the U.S. military make it out to be. It is heavy for a 9MM, not particularly all that accurate, not really great ergonomically, and not outstandingly durable or reliable. It is fairly decent, but by no means is it innovative, exceptional, or outstanding.

And that's why our Military has it, its the Lowest Bidder for the mass produced weapon to outfit our services. 
That's why SPECWAR wont use it either, its crap. 

Once you get confident with a handgun, and you get good training with one, you wont go wrong with a SIG.

[jay]

IMO go with somthing of a .45 or higher 9mm no stoping power at all

[sky25]

Here is mine..

[Jayhawk]

Well it's been two weeks since your OP, did you buy one yet?

[redman555]

Well it's been two weeks since your OP, did you buy one yet?

No, I went to Sportsman warehouse and took a look.  I was looking at the Taurus Magnum but again, still thinking.


-BigBOBCH