What brands? Different Calibers

[Deezul]

Im "browsing" the market right now - looking to increase my ownership for a few handguns - just for target and fun plinking.

But with so many brands of handguns - not sure which to go with.

Here are my thoughts and the brands and my questions:

Kel-tek - they seem small and "cheap" - but are they? P-3 in .380 & P-11 in 9mm

Rock Armory - looking at the 1911 .45 ACP. I havent heard of Rock Armory. Are they any good?

Taurus - their 1911 model in .45 ACP. I have a Taurus Raging Bull in .44 Mag and love the pistol - but that is my only experience with Taurus. So how does Taurus stack up in the 1911 models?

Sig Saurer - Mosquito .22 LR - just because .22 is fun to shoot. No other reason really. But I see a reasonable amount of Mosquito's on the market and am curious. I used to have a Ruger Mark 2 with a 14" SS bull-barrel in .22 - fun to shoot but that barrel was too much - ended up selling it. But I miss the fun of the .22 in pistol.

Sig Saurer - P226 or P229 in 9mm. Getting back to my real questions of which 9mm to go with.

Taurus - PT 1911 in .45 ACP

Taurus - PT 99 AF in 9mm

and the list goes on but I will stop here. I have questions about S&W 22lr & their version of the 1911.
Beretta Storm in 9mm
Also the Beretta FS in 9mm
The XDM-9?
and others.

 

[fivepointstar]

WELCOME!!!

I"d go for the SIG P226 and the Beretta FS and Storm. Then maybe the RIA but I wouldn't get the others IMO

 

[05dodgedaytona]

I would get either a SIG 226 or 229 in 9mm and then buy a .22LR upper for it. I have a 229 with a .22lr upper and it shoots great and is very accurate. Another .22 I would consider would be a Browning Buckmark.

 

[Deezul]

WELCOME!!!

I"d go for the SIG P226 and the Beretta FS and Storm. Then maybe the RIA but I wouldn't get the others IMO

What is RIA?

 

[Ethan83]

Keltec - they are about as small as they get, and they are inexpensive, but they're very popular because they're supposed to be a great deal. AFAIK, they are all double-action only (DAO), as many pocket pistols are. I handled a P3AT and a Ruger LCP (also a pocket .380 competing with Keltec et al), and thought the Ruger's double-action trigger was much nicer. The Ruger also has a slide lock that the Keltec lacks, although I'm not sure if the mag follower will engage it on the last round. Keltec also makes pocket pistols in 9mm, which are pretty much the smallest around, at least certainly at their price point.

Rock Island Armory (RIA) - I believe they're based in the Philippines, but my impression of their reputation is that their 1911's are one of the best values out there. Bargain prices, but still quality guns.

Taurus - you'll always hear mixed reviews of Taurus. Most people seem very happy with their Taurus guns, but there also seem to be a disproportionate amount of people that end up with lemons. I'm guessing that like most guns, the critics are just particularly outspoken; it seems however that their quality control has improved in recent years. Their 1911 and 92 copies seem mostly very popular from what I've read. FWIW, their version of the Beretta 92 is actually built in Beretta's old factory using Beretta's old tooling.

Sig Mosquito - seems to be a popular .22, though I've heard it can be finnicky about the ammo it likes. IIRC, the Mosquito comes with two recoil springs, which must be swapped out depending on ammo to maintain full reliability. That said, I've never heard of a .22lr semiauto that never had a problem with any kind of ammo anyway.

Sig P226/229 - I've heard it's impossible to go wrong with a 226. Never shot one, but i've handled one and liked it. They sure are purty if nothing else.

Never shot an XDm9, but I lubbles my XD45. The XDm series are supposed to be fantastic, and you won't find a higher capacity 9mm out there.

 

[05dodgedaytona]

The XDm is a good gun. I have shot one before. Don't forget about the Smith & Wesson M&P9. I like the M&P more then the XDm. The M&P to me is just more comfortable.

 

[fivepointstar]

What is RIA?

The full name for is Rock Island Armory....made in the Philippines

 

[GNLaFrance]

What is RIA?

Rock Island Arsenal, good, relatively inexpensive 1911 clones.

 

[Deezul]

I'm going to the Silerado Gun show in Upper Marlboro today - I am excited to "feel" a bunch of guns - see how the fit in my hand, how they feel to raise to shoot position, etc. I've heard alot of people talk about the Sig 226 and Beretta's - both Storm and 92FS (what does the FS stand for and what is the difference between 92 F & 92FS?)

All the others - the .22 & .45 are just because I always wanted a 1911 and the .22's are just fun. But the 9mm is what I plan on doing the most target with.

I'm really impressed with all the good information on here - and quick too! Thanks.

 

[Deezul]

I have seen a couple SA 1911A1's on Guns America in the $500 range. Is that good? My girlfriends son in the navy just bought one new but paid some $900 for his.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Handle as many as possible, and shoot as many as possible, until it becomes clear what suits you.
FWIW the kelTec P11 is decent at what it is meant for, but but not not most suitable for recreational shooting and plinking. For BUG or minimal primary carry gun, excellent.

 

[Deezul]

Yeah - I just have not heard much about Kel Tek but saw lots on Guns America so I thought I'd ask. Seems the small frame and short barrel would not contribute much to a target gun.

 

[leroygibbs]

The beretta 92 letter designators are kinda screwy, but F means it has a Safety and decocker, then it was upgraded to an FS, where the S was used to denote a bigger hammer pin, that fits in a groove to address the slide flying off in a failure. All the modern stuff is 92 FS, unless it's a D or G.

IMHO, it's one you need to shoot. I love them. Overall, you should get out and shoot as many as you can.

 

[fivepointstar]

Yeah - I just have not heard much about Kel Tek but saw lots on Guns America so I thought I'd ask. Seems the small frame and short barrel would not contribute much to a target gun.

A nice small, reliable and accurate pistol is the Polish P64. I'm amazed how accurate this little pistol is. they are going for @ $169

 

[Deezul]

I was thinking on after the gun show head to Maryland Small Arms range and shot a few there - while everything was fresh in my head.

Are there any sites / stores that you recommend for sales verses others you dont recommend?

 

[fivepointstar]

sometimes you find good deals on Gunbroker or a good site is Buds Gun Shop. prices are good

 

[bpSchoch]

I would also look at Ruger. They make very good guns and reasonable prices. I have a P95 9mm and am very happy with it (got it for low $300's). In the end its like choosing a car and features, size, comfort etc. I went with Ruger P95 because it was right for my wife and I for home defense.

Bernie