First handgun purchase

[Wendysman8888]

I am new to the forum so hello everyone!! I am also new to handguns and would like your help. I'm Dave from Kentucky and look forward to gaining more knowledge about handguns with everyone!

I am looking to purchase my first handgun and I am very new to handguns. I am very interested in the Springfield XDm in 45. I love the two tone look and want a 4.5" barrel at least. My question would be how do you guys like these and what is a fair price and place to buy?

Any other opinions on any other guns would be greatly appreciated except for anything Glock (not because I feel they are a bad gun but just becasue they do not feel right to me when I pick them up and hold them).

Thanks in advance everyone

[Skitter]

Stoeger! My first and right now only handgun (not the only one I have ever shot) is a Stoeger Couger in .40 S&W, shoots smooth, and I can bet their .45 version is just as smooth.

The Stoeger is a Beretta that was sent to be made in Turkey on the same factory tooling as the Beretta Cougar, Beretta just didn't want to make the Couger anymore.

Never jammed yet, feels awesome!

[BusterValentine]

S&W M&P 9mm. All the reliability of a Glock but feels much better in the hand. It was my first gun and I have no regrets. They also make a .45 ACP version that functions the same but I haven't shot it.

You may hear how bad the M&P trigger is from other gun folk, and they're not wrong, but you won't notice it until you've put 500 rounds down range and have shot some other guns. It won't affect your performance until a few thousand rounds in and can easily be rectified by either an Apex drop in kit or an hour with a dremel buffer wheel and some metal polish.

Just my .02

Welcome to the world of handguns!

[Live45]

I recently purchased an XD .45 and have put about 200 rds through it so far. Mine has the 4 in barrel. So far no FTF, jams of any kind with a variety of different ammo. I chose the XD over the Glock because it just feels so much better in my hand than the Glock. I have several friends that also own an XD and none of them have had any problems with theirs either.

[zaxbad]

i think everyone should start out on a 1911 they have been around for a long time and still hold their own the best trigger out the box compared to any other gun point shooting is fantastic recoil is soft and satisfying very thin and great for carry and you have more aftermarket parts for a 1911 to chose from than any other gun check out rock island armory all their 1911s are about 500 and can hold their own against 1911s 4 times their price if you want dead simple go glock they're all good

[odugrad]

Welcome, Wendysman. I'm new to the forum, too. I have an XDM and I love it. So much so that my wife bought one and I bought another for edc. Between the two of us we have never had any issues of any kind. They're fantastic. You certainly won't be disappointed.

[wbw]

It might help if we knew what your intended purpose is for the gun. Fun target shooting? Home defense? Concealed carry?

Also seems like you've gone right near the top of the power scale. Have you thought about .22 or 9mm? Do you have anyone who can take you shooting to let you try a few handguns before you buy?

[Wendysman8888]

I am looking for this as a defense/carry while hunting for charging boars or maybe the occasional black bear (very rare though) that is why I went near the top of the scale. I do not want a revolver though because I want something I can carry around as well.

I love the Xdm grip. It seems to be the only one that has any rigidity to it.

Glock for me is completely out basically because of no extended beaver tail and when the slide comes back it pinches my hand.

Are there any other suggestions?

[Northrider]

I have an XDm in .40 and like it very much. I am pretty sure the .45 version would probably be just as smooth to shoot. I also have a Ruger P90 in .45 that shots nice, but you'd have to find a used one. I got my P 90 for $350 about a year ago.

[.40cal]

Welcome to the forum Dave!

I am a Glock fan myself but to each his own. It's good that even though you stated that you aren't that experienced with handguns you are researching and "handling" pistols to see what feels right and what doesn't. I, on the other hand, did not and bought the first thing that I could afford. I ended up selling it a short time later. Don't buy what someone else thinks is cool or because you saw it in a movie. Buy what works for you.

You will not go wrong with an XD. Make sure that you shoot a variety of calibers and platforms before you purchase. Do you have any family or friends that can let you try out what they have? I have always been partial to 9mm and 40. Also, don't make a decision on ammo availability alone. All of the crazy prices will eventually pass and you'll want to have a gun that is comfortable to shoot and that you shoot good.

By the way, what purpose will this gun serve? Target, bedside gun, carry, etc? This makes all the difference in the world.

[redrick]

The XDM is a good pistol, but for your intended use I would get a Redhawk or Super Blackhawk 44 mag.

[IMightBeWrong]

I recently handled an M&P again and the newer ones seem to have finally been fitted with a trigger that has a seriously nice reset. It's a little bit more crisp and just as positive as the Glock reset but with all the extra benefits that the M&P brought to the table in the first place: Ergonomics, no trigger pin thing, great serrations, lifetime warranty, etc. It also has a smoother and more subdued recoil with less muzzle flip with it's nice low bore axis. The XD and XDm lines have quite a high axis of which I'm not a fan. YMMV.

[57K]

YouMightBeWRONG is correct! The high bore axis is a bunch of BS from Glock fanboys who don't even know that their Glock doesn't have a relieved ejection port. The only difference between an XD/XDm and Glock bore axis is due to the much heavier and stronger slide rails in the XD/XDm frame vs. Glock and the M&P and I have experience with all 3. My shooting partner sold his M&P 45C because of mag. issues. S&W sent replacement springs but it did not make the pistol 100% reliable in his opinion. He bought an XDm 3.8 Compact in 9mm based on his like of my XDm 4.5 in .45 ACP and how well it's made.

OP, I have the exact pistol you're looking at except mine is all black. It is an excellent shooter and I shoot as many 200 gr. SWCs as I do JHPs, all of them are my handloads including some that are +P level. The XDm is a pussycat as far as recoil is concerned. I have a PRP trigger kit in mine so the trigger break is very crisp and around 4 lbs. I also have a Don's solid stainless steel guide rod that helps a little with recoil but it's not really necessary. My pistol is VERY accurate. Besides the pistol, I have another $125 invested in mine for parts.

I recently bought a Ruger SR9 so I'm gonna throw you a curve ball and say before you spend the $643 I spent when the XDm .45 version was introduced, take a hard look at the new Ruger SR 45. It has some things in common with the XDm like the solid steel locking block (incorporating the forward slide rails) that's under the barrel's chamber. In the case of both pistols the chamber is completely surrounded by steel and that is not the case for the Glock or M&P. There are custom parts available for the SR 45 to turn a very good factory trigger into a great one like my XDm's except that XD/XDm triggers are purely single-action whereas the Ruger uses a pre-cock system like Glock and Walther's Quick-Action pistols. The Ruger's trigger is shorter and crisper than the Glock's, IMO.

Prices have come down on the XDm since I bought mine, but with the buying craze we've been in since the Abomination's reelection, you might have to pay as much or more than I did. The SR 45 just recently hit the market and may be easier to find. I also like the sights on the Ruger a great deal. The dot on the front sight is twice as large as the rears and that's a big aid for my older eyes which unfortunately are not bad enough to require prescription lenses. I do have to wear reading glasses for things up close but I get a very good sight picture with the SR9 and the SR 45 has the same sights. They're adjustable for elevation and for windage you loosen a set screw and lightly drift them to whichever side is necessary. They're some of the best sights I've seen and I'm a big fan of the excellent Novak's that my shooting partner has on his 1911s. There is currently a review thread here on the SR 45 you might want to read. It appears that the 4.5" barrel is very accurate. Choose the one you like, but I just wanted to let you know about the SR 45. You will not go wrong with either pistol. I better point out though that the magazine capacity for the SR 45 is 10 rounds whereas the XDm's is 13. The SR 45 also has a manual safety that might provide a measure of comfort for you just starting out and you probably already know that the XDm has the grip safety.

[ClydeFrog]

For a new or entry level gun owner, I'd start with a simple robust new in box; NIB Walther PPX, a PX4 Storm C format, a SIG Sauer P229R or P226R DAK(Double Action Kellerman) or a S&W SD9/SD40.
A double action only(DA only) semi auto is safe, easy to operate & you avoid the false claims you cocked a pistol hammer or were unsafe.
100s of sworn LE officers carry DA only pistols everyday w/o any problems.
I would get a hammer fired model then as your skills improve, a striker fired design(XDm, M&P, Glock, Kahr, etc).
Know & understand your areas gun & use of force laws. Read good training guides or watch a few DVDs. Don't go by the mall ninjas & YouTube Yoyos.

Keep your firearms clean & check them often. Use only factory rounds for protection/concealed carry. Good brands include Corbon, Ranger T/T Series, Hornady Critical Duty/TAP, Speer Gold Dot, Golden Saber.
Use a top rated CLP(clean lube protect) like LPX, Gunzilla, Weaponshield, Slip2000.
CF
www.gunzilla.us www.brownells.com www.midwayusa.com www.grafs.com www.sgammo.com www.mpro7.com www.natchezss.com www.nra.org www.gunvideo.com www.deltapress.com www.galls.com www.uscav.com

[IMightBeWrong]

57K,

Great info. Now go tell Travis Haley, Chris Costa, and all of the other world class shooters and instructors that advocate a "high tang grip" or "low bore axis" pistol that they're wrong and you're right. I ended my comments with YMMV = Your mileage may vary. Maybe you don't notice much difference between high and low bore axis firearms, but these instructors have physically demonstrated the differences between a high and low bore axis in the past. Next time you go to the range, try shooting your pistol without holding as high up as possible. It will GUARANTEED have more muzzle rise than if you gripped it at the top. This is because of the dynamics of a handgun and how recoil follows a path of least resistance. In the same way, if you hold a pistol with only your right hand, it will recoil to the left and vice versa. The closer your grip is to the bore, the more control you have over it. Period.

And by the way, I'm not a Glock Fanboy.

[57K]

Next time you go to the range, try shooting your pistol without holding as high up as possible.

As in an exercise in futility? The whole purpose in using a proper grip is to get the best advantage possible and your experiment can be conducted by varying the grip up and and down with any pistol. Just how much higher do you think the XDm's bore axis is? If you were to actually check, you'd see it's due to the heavier rails used by the XDm that are incorporated into the chamberblock and maybe higher by a couple of millimeters. One of the highest regarded .45 ACPs used by professionals is the SIG/Sauer P-220 and few of them complain about a higher bore axis that is probably among the highest among the most popular combat pistols. If you want to see a really low bore axis, look at the newer SR9/40/45 series of autopistols.

[IMightBeWrong]

I carry a SIG every day, and I do wish it had a lower bore, however the SIG has a much more substantial weight to it than an XD which offsets the higher bore axis so I find it more acceptable. I've not owned an XD, but I'm not inexperienced with it. I've put rounds down range with them in the past and in my hands they do exhibit more muzzle rise. As I stated, your mileage may vary.

[57K]

Yeah, mileage varies alright, my XDm 4.5 in .45 ACP weighs right about 32 ounces, wonder what the P-220 weighs?

[Topher127]

Find a range that rents and take them for a spin. Everyone can tell you what they like, but it comes down to what you like. Personally, Sigs and Glocks are my favorite. Never shot a xd though.

[Buckdown]

Thats a loaded question.Depends what your going to use it for .Target shooing,fun gun , full carry or stay at home gun.First if you decide what its main purpose will be will help you narrow your choices.No 1 gun is best for all purposes