I'm buying a 9mm shortly. I've narrowed my choices down to a Glock 19, a S&W MP9, or a Springfield XD-9 (can't get XDM in NY). I know this is a glock forum, but I'm looking for positives and negatives of those guns to help make up my mind.
Glock - always ready to fire when SHTF. Requires zero fine motor skills to operate, which are the first type you loose in a high adreneline state. Highest dependability and reliability of any handgun. Maintains value. Easy to work on and modify. Others - none of those things. Well maybe the reliability, but you still cant count on firearms you cannot guarantee are ready to fire or require human skills that are lost in high adreneline situations. If you want a gun to save your life every time its kind of a no brainer.
I am a die hard for glock, the 19 is my choice hands Down! I also have xd9, I shoot it well and like this gun very much too, but to carry.... its always a glock. No doubts with it in hand, I'm very confident the glock will always fire when the trigger is pulled. Xd... I have had a cpl issues with but at the range it shoots right on. If its ccw I recommend the glock.
Well right now I can't carry. I have to wait a year before NY will remove my restrictions, right now I'm limited to Hunting, Target, hiking, camping. For now, it will be a range gun but will eventually eventually be carried.
You cant go wrong with a glock, but it is all a personal preferance. As far as "at the range" shooting the xd and glock groups are very equal for me anyways. I have a gen 3 & 4 g19 and i would recommend them to anyone!!
The obvious answer is to find ranges that rent those guns (or friends who own them and will go to a range with you) and just shoot them. Some guns I just can't shoot straight, the ergonomics mess me up, and I learned that by renting several brands at the same caliber. Then when I settled on Glock, I tried the 9, .40 and .45 of several models. Yeah, it was pricey to rent all those guns and pay for the range-priced ammo, but in the end I was able to buy exactly what I wanted. And now I'm hooked on Glock, and found a decent price on a used G30, and I'm happy. Of course, .45 ammo prices hurt, but I'm saving up for a 17 or 34 and will join GSSF on a two year ($60) to get their discount coupon (save like $100 or more depending on the store).
Buy now what you intend to carry. It would be a great mistake to buy a range gun and practice with it for a year only to end up carrying something you have not been practicing with for a year.
