Ok, this is time for folks to chime in and offer some thoughts...
I popped into the gun store the other day, and I am contemplating a trade/purchase.
Having given it a shot, it just plain FEELS WRONG to shoot offhand long gun (and I can't hit the broad side of the barn). Given that w/o a collarbone present on the strong side, lighting off anything much more vigorous than a .22 has all kinds of potential for unwanted festivity, the .45-70 Marlin and the 12ga pump seem more like dust collectors (pretty ones, in the case of the Marlin lever).
My current uber-discreet carry is the rather anemic Keltec P32. Dandy little pistol, accurate within its designed range, dependable. Won't say a word against it. .32acp, however, is just a bit anemic for my tastes given a choice.
However, for carry in situations where discretion is somewhat less critical or the local dress code somewhat more carry-friendly I'd like to upgrade from my Firestar 9mm. I'll admit right out I'm a partisan of the .45 family...
That said, as I meandered into the shop it was doing a booming business (always a good sign) with a staff of 6, a dedicated buyer, and knowledgeable and personable folks on that staff - all talking to customers ranging from grizzled oldsters to mid-twenties couples of variegated hues and orientations. My kinda place...for perfection all it needed was another couple of hundred square feet, a pot-belly stove with coffee brewing on it, and a chessboard.
I found myself with a series of choices in a compact .45 (and feel free to chime in with more). The compact Glock 30 .45, the Firestorm sub-compact .45, the Taurus PT 145, and finally the Springfield XD .45. All are new, all range between $530 and $589, and offer between 7-10 rounds in a magazine.
I figure I toss my 9mm Firestar into the deal (I've always viewed the 9mm as having the ballistics of a glorified .38 special) with the two long arms, and I come out ahead a fair chunk of closet space and down under $50, cash-wise. Might even make some money back. And I come out with a practical carry gun that doesn't have "better than nothing" as one of its virtues.
So. What do you think? I've always enjoyed firing the Glocks, haven't spent any range time with a Springfield of any flavor, about the same with the Taurus, and aside from the caliber, my only issues with my current Firestar 9mm is the caliber and the weight when compared with a Glock.
I'm still pondering, but hope to decide within a month or so....
I carry an XD40 subcompact. I had a Glock 34 (9mm, long slide, Glock's lightest trigger) as my range gun. I replaced it with another XD, a 4" 9mm. Nothing wrong with either reliability or accuracy for the Glock, it just didn't fit my hand as well as the XD.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem I'd have with the XD45 is size, or more important weight. I'm getting older, and sometimes my back needs a day or two away from carrying even my subcompact.