multi purpose handgun suggestions?

[Tororider]

A police officer friend of mine suggested the glock 23. He said the 40 caliber would have enough ooomph for closer range hunting, it would be small enough for a carry, and it would definitely work as a home defense gun with 13 round capacity. He also said ammo is cheap. Thoughts?

 

[Dargo]

A police officer friend of mine suggested the glock 23. He said the 40 caliber would have enough ooomph for closer range hunting, it would be small enough for a carry, and it would definitely work as a home defense gun with 13 round capacity. He also said ammo is cheap. Thoughts?

Very good suggestion. A Glock 23 if a fine pistol and the .40 caliber is now what the 9mm used to be with law enforcement as far as what they carry. The .40 has proven to have more knock down than the 9mm. If you want more power, like that of a 10mm round, just get some .40 +P rounds. The .40 is just a 10mm short but it costs far, far less for the ammo. Good luck!

 

[kenmac]

I know when It comes to guns everyone likes their brand & caliber. I puchased this a while back & like it............Taurus Millennium PT145 .45 ACP Pistol

 

[Sigarms]

G23 is a great carry/home defense gun.

For myself, I'd prefer the 9mm in in the G19 (if I had to go with Glock) for self defense because there seems to be a lot less "snap" (recoil) with that model compared to the 23 (9mm cheaper as well).

I would be curious if you actually use that gun (G23) for hunting. For myself, kind of on the small side for deer (both gun and caliber), and I honestly don't know anyone who uses that model (G23) for hunting. What I'd be curious about is the effect of that round out of a 4" barrel on deer (did your police officer friend of yours use the G23 for hunting, or does he know of anyone personally who has, and what was the outcome if the answer is yes?).

 

[Tororider]

He doesn't hunt. His opinion was that it was a large enough caliber with enough power behind it to be used for 25-30 yard range hunting. Curious to hear what everyone here has to say about it.

 

[Dargo]

He doesn't hunt. His opinion was that it was a large enough caliber with enough power behind it to be used for 25-30 yard range hunting. Curious to hear what everyone here has to say about it.

It really depends on what your main use is. I'm sure you're aware that there is no "one size fits all" cartridge. I'm sure your friend suggested the G23 because more law enforcement agencies use the .40 cartridge than any other and more law enforcement agencies use Glocks over any other manufacturer. Does that mean that they are the best at everything? Obviously not. However, like what it sounds like you want, it's about the best compromise there is. There are literally thousands of case studies where there has been shots fired that prove the 9mm to be too weak for law enforcement and, therefore, personal protection. Sure, if you are a perfect shot, all you need is a .22 pistol. They are very lethal with head shots.

Another aspect to consider for personal protection and law enforcement is that a pistol that doesn't go 'bang' when you pull the trigger is completely worthless. Anyone who says that Glocks are not one of the most reliable and durable pistols is either uneducated in firearms or is trying to sell you something. That is what has gained Glock such a large following in law enforcement as well as civilian use. Trust me, Glock didn't win any beauty contests with their pistols! They went with the "function over form" direction when designing their firearm. And, for what it's worth, H&K pistols share most of the same benefits of Glocks and are preferred by many. Our local Sheriff's department just went with Glock model 37 pistols that are chambered in .45 GAP, which gives all the power and ballistics of the .45 ACP but in a smaller package. Their last service pistols was the Sig 220. I ought to know, I bought one of their used pistols.

I don't hunt either, so I can't give you any first hand stories about hunting with a G23. However, most friends I have who do hunt any sizable game generally go with a .44 Magnum. That would severely limit your options for an auto loader pistol if you wanted that round. If you really want to hunt and want a pistol for personal protection, I'd go with a G27 and pickup a good used .44 Magnum.

 

[litework]

He doesn't hunt. His opinion was that it was a large enough caliber with enough power behind it to be used for 25-30 yard range hunting. Curious to hear what everyone here has to say about it.

I had a Glock 23 and I believe this gun/caliber combo would be a poor choice for 25-30 yard range hunting. Not enough downrange energy and a poor trajectory. The Glock 23 has a 4 in. barrel (approx), but that includes the chamber. If you're not going to conceal it and you absolutely want a Glock 40, then go with a G35 or G22 at the very least. They have a longer barrel and greater sight radius. The .40 still lacks the versatility of a 10 mm or .357 mag. These two calibers offer the most versatility in a non-cosmetic round. I'm sure there are some .45 super guys who'd disagree.

When it comes to handgun calibers, they are probably all equally ineffective. To say that a 165 gr .40 Ranger is more effective than a 147 gr 9mm Ranger would be the equivalent of saying that a blue whale prefers Mentos to Tic-tacs. Knockdown power is a myth.

 

[Sigarms]

They have a used glock 20 for $399

Here's a wrinkle to throw in

Buy the G20.

Buy a drop in .40 conversion barrel for the G20 (for about $150).

http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=3619

For $550, you now have one gun that can shoot two different calibers.

You can now use the G20 in 10mm for hunting (although personally, I'd prefer the 6" barrel for hunting, but that would mean having to buy two barrels).

You can now throw in the .40 caliber conversion barrel and load your standard G20 mags with .40 ammo.

You run the .40 for home defense and carry, you run the 10mm for hunting.

Just an option.

Or you can bite the bullet (no pun intended) and get two guns. As mentioned previously, going that route, look at a .44 revolver.

 

[Dargo]

Or you can bite the bullet (no pun intended) and get two guns. As mentioned previously, going that route, look at a .44 revolver.

And that may actually be a good investment. My dealer called me to ask to buy from me my Sig 556 rifle! It seems anything that may be on a "banned" list is going up. Most Glocks will take a high cap mag (but not all) and seem to be starting up. You may want to buy sooner rather than later.

 

[dmccarty]

Cheap reloading.....

The best advice I have seen about reloading is that reloading does not save you money. You just get to shoot more with your money. Or words to that effect.

A single stage press like the RCBS rock chucker is a good start. My two cents is that you can get in trouble reloading so start simple and learn the basics. Reloading rifle ammo is doable on a single stage press. The matches I shot only needed 56 rounds. Shooting a pistol is a different story. I can go through 300 rounds in an hour if I take my time. If I run fast drills I can go through 300 rounds very quickly.

A progressive press will help produce the rounds. They are expensive though. If I was to buy a progressive it would be a Dillon. Never hear anyone complain about the products or service only the price.

I like the 10mm. Its a very versitle round. Obviously the 10mm has a large case than the .40 but it can also handle higher pressures than the .40. 10mm rounds at the higher loads are a real handful. I have shot commercial and my own loads at higher levels. It kicks.

I don't mind carrying a larger pistol. I'm big enough that it does not print easy and the weight just does not bother me at all. But it depends on the person.

Glock and only a few smaller manufactuers make a 10mm auto loader now a days. Pretty sure I saw one on a 1911 style pistol. S&W had the 1006 and 1076 series but those are not made anymore. You might find one for sale. I fired thousands of rounds in the the third generation S&W 9mm and 45 pistols. Seen lots of people do the same. They work good and I have never seen a pistol caused problem. People caused yes.

S&W might make a 1006 or 1076 if there is a large enough order.

The following may or may not matter to you...

If you go with a Glock make sure the empty mags fallout when you press the magazine release. A 9mm Glock I played with decades ago had this problem. I would not buy a defense pistol that does not drop magazines when it should. This is not supposed to be a problem anymore but I would check.

The Glocks I have read about require the trigger to be pressed to field strip the pistol. I think this is bad design. The trigger should make the thing go bang. That is all. I have some rifles that require the trigger to be pressed to remove the bolt. Don't like it. Don't like it at all. The rifles were given to me. I would not buy them.

I do like the Glocks trigger pull much better than S&W Double Action's. Also some pistols have a magazine safety. Some pistols will fire with the magazine out of the pistol. Some won't. Personal preference if you buy the pistol vs it being issued. Just be aware what YOUR pistol does.

I wish the 10mm was more popular. American Handloader had an article on reload the 10mm sometime this year. Missed the article but I read they had done the story.

Later,
Dan