Posted: 12/29/2008 6:37:27 PM EDT
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I am oh so close to finally getting my CCW 9mm. It comes down to the following choices:
-Sig P228 (this would be a NIB P228 manufactured in 1998...an incredible find) -Glock 19 -Kahr KP9094N -H&K USP Compact Which would you go with? Which would you absolutely NOT go with? |
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I'd choose the Glock 19 (big surprise, I know)
If the g19 was not an option, I'd get the HK, followed by the SIG. I would never carry a Kahr. Glocks, HKs and Sigs have good reputations for running out of the box. The G19 is less expensive, more easily maintained and has more holsters, etc. dedicated to it than any of the others. The only thing that needs to be changed on a G19 are the shitty plastic sights for steel sights like trijicons, meprolights or my favorites, XS Big dots. Here's my standard G19 diatribe (pat. pending) 
If it's going to be used for defense, do the following: 1) Replace shitty stock glock sights with proper steel sights (preferably night sights, preferably XS Big Dot sights )* 2) Don't f**k with the standard parts beyond the sights. Extended slide stops, mag releases, trigger weights and all the other thousands of aftermarket accessories are crap will make the gun less reliable. 3) Personally, I'm a fan of the 9mm glocks - specifically the Glock 19. The .40 round has a severe pressure curve that breaks guns (glocks as well as others) and I don't shoot it as well as 9 or 45. 4) Use FACTORY Glock parts - no aftermarket stuff (except the sights) 5) Get a good holster. I picked up a Raven Concealment Systems holster and mag carrier - very slick, comfortable design and I like it a lot. It has replaced my Comp-Tac CTAC. Additionally, Blade Tech IWB is a good option as well with a lot of users that swear by them). 6) Get good self defense ammo and run at least a box through your gun to check for reliability (some guns are notoriously finicky with ammo - I have heard of VERY few glocks with ammo sensitivity issues FWIW) Look HERE for "Best Choices for Self-Defense Ammunition" 7) Get some formal training with a decent firearms school. IM me if you'd like some recommendations. 8) Glocks are the "AK" of handguns - they tend to work very reliably and go down a lot less than other types of handguns. They ARE man-made mechanical devices and they can break, have jams and get screwed up. This is why #7 is SO important - so you know what to do IF and WHEN something shitty happens. 9) What breaks on Glocks? anything can - I keep a complete spare parts kit in my range bag - springs, extractor, recoil assembly - basically any small parts I can think of 10) Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
*Why Big Dot Sights? I've done a lot of Force on Force exercises and scenarios as a student and as a roleplayer. We've used converted Glock 17s - 2 of them with Big Dots and one of them with Meprolight night sights. By the end of day 1, 95% of the students want to use the Big Dots exclusively. Under stress (even the mock stress of FOF) the eye has a LOT of trouble focusing on your front sight. With the Big Dot, it provides a MUCH better reference point for where your gun is oriented and where you're going to make hits. How to use XS Big Dots - Video Distance Shooting with XS Big Dots XS Sight Install |
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I have both a G19 and a USPc
The G19 does carry like a smaller gun...however I don't shoot it very well. Perhaps it's a training issue, perhaps the design just doesn't work for me. I choose to carry the USPc even though it is a bit bigger because I shoot it better and I like being able to carry CnL. Bottom line, you have to try the guns out and I don't mean hold them in the store. I mean actually go out and shoot them. Me personally I'd not go with the Khar or Sig. I'm not to enamored with Khars, though I know they're not terrible guns (there are much worse choices). As for the Sig, great gun and I shoot them well but I don't like the layout of their slide release and decocker. I would like to try their DAK and SRT trigger, that may make me like them more. <edit> pick the one that you shoot best since you've already handled and shot them. don't think of this as a collectible gun that will look pretty. it will be a tool and will serve as one, thus getting lots of wear and tear compared to the rest of your guns. What I'm trying to say is don't pick it because you like it asthetically, pick it because it does it's job well. |
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The 9mm Kahr is the lightest and most comfortable carry pistol. I would save myself $100.00 and get the stainless model with the night sights, but the black one looks cool if you don't mind spending the money.
I love my P228, but it will rust unless you have the slide coated with Nitron, Black T, or some other corrosion resistant finish. I wouldn't do that to one in NIB condition. You can get good used ones for $400 on Gunbroker.com. The HK is too bulky, and I have never cared for the ergonomics of the Glock. That said, if you like the G-19, it is the least expensive and lightest of the high capacity pistols. Several trusted friends carry them. But I voted for the Kahr. |
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Quoted:
I'd choose the Glock 19 (big surprise, I know) If the g19 was not an option, I'd get the HK, followed by the SIG. I would never carry a Kahr. Glocks, HKs and Sigs have good reputations for running out of the box. The G19 is less expensive, more easily maintained and has more holsters, etc. dedicated to it than any of the others. The only thing that needs to be changed on a G19 are the shitty plastic sights for steel sights like trijicons, meprolights or my favorites, XS Big dots. Here's my standard G19 diatribe (pat. pending)
If it's going to be used for defense, do the following: 1) Replace shitty stock glock sights with proper steel sights (preferably night sights, preferably XS Big Dot sights )* 2) Don't f**k with the standard parts beyond the sights. Extended slide stops, mag releases, trigger weights and all the other thousands of aftermarket accessories are crap will make the gun less reliable. 3) Personally, I'm a fan of the 9mm glocks - specifically the Glock 19. The .40 round has a severe pressure curve that breaks guns (glocks as well as others) and I don't shoot it as well as 9 or 45. 4) Use FACTORY Glock parts - no aftermarket stuff (except the sights) 5) Get a good holster. I picked up a Raven Concealment Systems holster and mag carrier - very slick, comfortable design and I like it a lot. It has replaced my Comp-Tac CTAC. Additionally, Blade Tech IWB is a good option as well with a lot of users that swear by them). 6) Get good self defense ammo and run at least a box through your gun to check for reliability (some guns are notoriously finicky with ammo - I have heard of VERY few glocks with ammo sensitivity issues FWIW) Look HERE for "Best Choices for Self-Defense Ammunition 7) Get some formal training with a decent firearms school. IM me if you'd like some recommendations. 8) Glocks are the "AK" of handguns - they tend to work very reliably and go down a lot less than other types of handguns. They ARE man-made mechanical devices and they can break, have jams and get screwed up. This is why #7 is SO important - so you know what to do IF and WHEN something shitty happens. 9) What breaks on Glocks? anything can - I keep a complete spare parts kit in my range bag - springs, extractor, recoil assembly - basically any small parts I can think of 10) Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
*Why Big Dot Sights? I've done a lot of Force on Force exercises and scenarios as a student and as a roleplayer. We've used converted Glock 17s - 2 of them with Big Dots and one of them with Meprolight night sights. By the end of day 1, 95% of the students want to use the Big Dots exclusively. Under stress (even the mock stress of FOF) the eye has a LOT of trouble focusing on your front sight. With the Big Dot, it provides a MUCH better reference point for where your gun is oriented and where you're going to make hits. How to use XS Big Dots - Video Distance Shooting with XS Big Dots XS Sight Install this...except i would consider a khar as a BUG 
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G19...
Kahrs are easier to conceal, but are awful shooters, and because of that, you will be less likely to train with it. I had a polymer frame that i traded for the MK9 which has a metal frame... that made it more fun to shoot, but then it was heavier than a G19 with half the capacity. pointless IMHO the HK is too expensive for what you get, which is basically a glock with a heavy trigger and a hammer. the sig is a great gun, i just don't have any love for the sig 228... my attitude is get the 229 and a mounted light. I own 6 glocks and a beretta m9... each one is perfect. I always go with factory night sights. if you cannot find one with them, buy a regular one, and send it back to glock with about $55 and in a week, they'll have it back to you with a factory warranty on the whole thing. My wife has the 19 and it is a good shooter, 15+1 rounds is nice too. try that with a kahr... i like my 17, and my new carry gun is the G23 for the record, if i could have any gun in the world, it would be a Beretta 96G centurion... which was never made. |
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G19. My experience with Kahr pistols is that they are often not reliable out of the box and have to go through a break in period and sometimes take a trip back to the factory before they're up to my standards of reliability. Not conclusive I know, but it's enough to make me distrustful of them. They're on the same page in my book as Kel-Tec and most 1911's. The Glock, Sig and HK are far more likely to work without problems, now or down the road. And of those three, I'd take the Glock as I'm the most familiar and comfortable with them. |
| Thanks for the input. I decided to go with the Sig. I just couldn't pass it up. I was tempted to go with the Glock simply because of its functionality and reliability, but of the four it fits my hand the poorest. Not to mention I find Glocks to be ugly as sin. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the input. I decided to go with the Sig. I just couldn't pass it up. I was tempted to go with the Glock simply because of its functionality and reliability, but of the four it fits my hand the poorest. Not to mention I find Glocks to be ugly as sin. still a great choice, enjoy it
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Quoted:
Quoted:
You can't go wrong with a G19. Of course, I'd love a NIB P228. This +1. I prefer the G19, however a NIB 228 would make this decision a bit more difficult. Is there anyway that you can get both? 
Edit. I got anxious in my response and see that you already purchased the 228. Good choice. Range report and pictures are necessary. |