Need some help from you guys with knowledge of hand guns.

[T_O_Bull]

I have been thinking of buying a hand gun. Last December I got mugged when on vacation in Florida. Unfortunately for the mugger he picked on a crotchery old fart with a lot of pent up rage. I walked away from the scene, he didn't. This whole thing scarred my wife to death and me to a lesser extent. I've been considering a hand gun with a carry permit. The weapon I've been thinking about is a SigSauer P226. Any input from you, my brother HuskerBoard Brothers who know a lot more than I do?

T_O_B

[JJ Husker]

I don't know squat about handguns but I sure wish I coulda seen you school that mugger. I'm glad for your and your wife's sake the situation turned out the way it apparently did.

[OH HSKR FAN]

TO_Bull:

 

 

I have a buddy who is a big gun enthusiast. Would gladly give you his email address if you wanted to talk to him.

[EbylHusker]

The first thing I would say is try before you buy (or at the very least hold them in your hand). In my mind, owning and carrying a handgun is a very personal thing. You should be happy and comfortable with the gun you're carrying, and that basically means you need try out some different ones until you find something you like.

 

The P226 is a full size frame, I believe, so you'll have to decide right off if you're looking for a full size or a compact.

 

Edit - And the P226 is a good weapon (but so are a lot of other handguns). You can't go wrong if you like it and it meets your wants and needs.

[NUance]

Gee T_O_Bull, I always figured you for a crochety ole, gun totin' SOB. Kinda like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. Except with tattoos.

 

 

/ I mean that in the most endearing way possible. lol

[rawhide]

What Eby said. Very personal thing. EDC is so varied between individuals. Revolver v. Pistol. 380mm v. 9mm v 45 etc. I'm partial to .357 revolvers and small 45's but may hedge toward a 9mm as I am getting older .

 

 

It's what you can carry comfortably and operate efficiently and effectively.

 

GBR

[The Dude]

Smith and Wesson 44. Magnum. The "Big Rig".

 

Don't buy ammo, it scares everyone who sees it.

[Saunders]

The first thing I would say is try before you buy (or at the very least hold them in your hand). In my mind, owning and carrying a handgun is a very personal thing. You should be happy and comfortable with the gun you're carrying, and that basically means you need try out some different ones until you find something you like.

 

The P226 is a full size frame, I believe, so you'll have to decide right off if you're looking for a full size or a compact.

 

Edit - And the P226 is a good weapon (but so are a lot of other handguns). You can't go wrong if you like it and it meets your wants and needs.

Good stuff here. Personally, I really like the Springfield XDm and the Smith and Wesson M&P compact. Both shoot great, and have adjustable back straps. Whatever you get, shoot it a bunch, and learn it inside and out.

[GSG]

[Hingle McCringleberry]

Find a good range, many of them have handguns you can rent. Its a good idea to take a few out and get a feel, remember you need to like it, you need to practice and if you dont like how it feels, you will be less willing to hit the range..

 

The Sig P226 is really nice, and I like the .40 S&W round, although you might not. 9mm is way cheaper to fire. I've only had firearms for a few years, and there is a lot I didn't know about proper cleaning, storage etc. A good shop will help you on all of this.

 

One last thing, if you're serious about shooting properly, see if you can find an instructor. If you ever need to use it, you want to make sure you're ability to fire accurately is top notch.

[SCode]

I am a fan of the SigSauer so I am a little biased, but there is a reason for that. Anyway, I cannot think of a finer handgun than the 226. There may be a couple of drawbacks with that choice though. First is price, any of the Sig classics (226, 228, 229, 220, 239, and to a lessor extent 225) will be very expensive. Secondly with the 226 specifically, it is full size. 229 or 228 is only slightly smaller. 239 is the subcompact and would be a good choice for concealed carry. If price is not a concern, get the Sig (any one) and you will be happy. If not, I will take it off your hands.

 

 

Edit to add: We just bought a Sig 2022 a couple of months ago. Nice gun, looks and handles like a Sig at half the price. It has a polymer frame instead of alloy like the classics, that and the trigger is not nearly as nice is the reason for half the price. If you have never spent any time with a 226 or other classic, the trigger thing will not matter to you. I gave the 2022 to the wife, I will keep my 229.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Sigs are nice guns, but can be a little expensive. The one you are looking at is a full frame weapon which will make it harder to conceal. I've carried many different weapons, Glock, Springfield XDM and XDS, etc. The full frames are so damn hard to conceal in the summer, but not in the winter. I currently carry the XDS which is a sweet gun to carry. Don't be scared about calibers, 9mm all the way up the chain, the technology behind the rounds has changed so much that 9mm's out perform .45's in a lot of today's tests.

[rawhide]

 

full size 1911 is hard to carry concealed especially in a tshirt and shorts

[BIGREDIOWAN]

 

 

full size 1911 is hard to carry concealed especially in a tshirt and shorts

That's not the point though with a 1911...................the point is to look awesome with a awesome weapon! That weapon says, "I'm a gun nut, I'm surgical with this, just try and do something while I'm around and your head will fit in Ziploc bag when I'm done!"