Which 9mm to buy?

drklude · May 27, 2013, 08:34 AM

So I'm in the market for a new 9mm compact. I've been going back and forth between a Glock 19, and a M&P shield 9mm. I know, there not exactly interchangeable, but they each have features that appeal to me.

I really like the glock for all the glock reasons, reliable, higher capacity, time tested pistol. I like the Shield for the size and the feel in the hand. My main issue with the Shield is the capacity. I'm on a bit of a limited budget, and I'd like to get into some shooting events, and would like to have at least 10 round magazines.

I've heard all the back and forth about reloading in Glocks, and I don't want to have that debate here, what I'm interested in is people's experience with reloading for the two pistols above. Also, is there a pistol that I really should be looking into? I've looked at the XDs, Sigs, and Rugers...

So, is it really that difficult to reload for Glocks? If I want to use pure lead, should I avoid the glocks all together?

Thanks

WESHOOT2 · May 27, 2013, 08:39 AM

Quote:

If I want to use pure lead, should I avoid the glocks?

Yes.

But for clarity, please define your meaning of "compact".
(Because a CZ75 is pretty easy to carry....)

Thank you.

drklude · May 27, 2013, 08:44 AM

Compact in the sense that its not a full size Glock 17, or Beretta 92FS or P226. I'd like to possibly carry it in the future, and use it as my primary home defense weapon.

Clark · May 27, 2013, 08:50 AM

I have had a Glock 19 for 15 years and have never carried it.
Nor have I ever carried my Beretta 92s.

I have carried my Kel-Tec PF9, which is much smaller.

WESHOOT2 · May 27, 2013, 08:54 AM

CZ75

Limited capacity? S&W 3913

drklude · May 27, 2013, 09:55 AM

I unfortunately fall into that category of people that don't know much about the CZ75, and have probably unfairly, overlooked it. I'll try and get my hands on one this week.

Are there any sort of reloading issues I should be aware of with a CZ75? Lead is fine?

Farmland · May 27, 2013, 11:00 AM

I don't know what the concern is about reloading for the handguns you have mentioned I current own, shoot and reload for my Glock, Clot, S&W, Beratta and Sig Semi's and three S&W six shooters.

I have own a Ruger semi and it did fine as well.

None of them ever had a problem and each shoot accurate with every bullet and powder combination I have used.

Sometimes with the Semi I may have to work with a certain bullet design to get it to feed proper but even that has been simple.

For my Glock I use an aftermarket barrel, Lone Wolf. Do you have to? I don't know I'm no expert but after doing my own research with problems with Glock barrels and lead I made my own choice. I have shot more lead than I could ever count through my Glock with the Lone Wolf barrel and it has been great.

NOTE: I am pretty sure that I never ever once shot a pure lead bullet out of any of my guns except for my percussion pistols.

mjes92 · May 27, 2013, 11:06 AM

You have good timing.

Been Shooting a 19 for years and love it. Started reloading for 9mm about a year ago. Eats everthing I put into it but never reloaded lead cast bullets for the 19 because it is not recommened. Some Guys on this forum have and swear by it.

Shot several rounds through my buddy's new M&P Shield yesterday. S&W did a very nice job. Came with a compact and extended Mag. Our daughters prefered the smaller grip on the M&P over the Glock because smaller hand size. It shot flawlessy for all four of us.

Glock advantages = better trigger, higher capacity
Shield advantages = smaller to carry (safety lever on it is kind of useless for carry.) Its too small. Difficult to find and manipulate in a hurry.

Its kind of a toss up. You ned to decide which of you criteria is most important. You will be hapy with either one.

CrustyFN · May 27, 2013, 11:07 AM

I just bought my wife a Beretta PX4 sub-compact in 9mm. I was pleasantly surprised when I shot it. It seems to be a nice little gun.

David Bachelder · May 27, 2013, 11:16 AM

I bought a Taurus PT709 Slim for a carry weapon, in 9mm. The trigger leaves a lot to be desired, but the gun functions well, very well.

The reviews were good, very good and the price was right. Much smaller than my Glock 23 and about 6 oz lighter.

I like it. I did wind up buying an extra clip, holster and clip extension. After the upgrades I liked it even better. The trigger pull still sucks, but bad guys aren't going to notice.

Another note, The PT709 Slim is rated for +P ammo.

Silver00LT · May 27, 2013, 11:30 AM

Glock 26. It's designed for concealed carry. Also Glock 19 magazines fit in it no problem.

Paul B. · May 27, 2013, 02:42 PM

My semi choice for CCW is my Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP but due to weather conditions where I live, carrying it ccw isn't easy. So, most of the time it's an S&W M60 .38 Spl. and two speed loaders.
My smallest 9MM is an S&W 6906 with 11 round magazine. If I could find some magazines that don't have that little finger extension, I could probably hide that one fairly well. The extension makes that gun print badly. One nice thing is I can use the 15 round magazines from the S&W M59 in that gun as well. For a semi-auto, the double action first shot pull is better than the Ruger P85 of the SIG P220. The gun is also reasonably accurate considering the rudimentery sights. It digests cast bullets, hardball ammo and Federal #9BP hollowpoints like a kid gobbling jelly beans. That load got some good cooments from those guys that were doing that study on one shot stops.
I'm not a fan of the Glock. (Don't hate me.) I don't like the fact thatcast bullets are considered to be some kind of problem concerning the barrels. Why should I have to buy another barrel to shoot cast? I probably shoot 100 to 200 cast bullets in my handguns for every factory jacketed round that goes down the barrel and if forced to do so wouldn't worry one bit using them in a self defense situation, if that was what happened to be in the gun at the time. JMHO.
Paul B.

hoodlum · May 27, 2013, 04:47 PM

I have a glock 27 and LOVE it!!!! Of course, it's 40cal, but I have a storm lake barrel that will convert it to 357 sig, and a lone wolf barrel that converts it to a 9mm...You do need some glock 26 mags to shoot the 9mm, but the 40 mags work perfectly with the 357 sig....It's like having 3 guns in one...By the way, I shoot cast in both the aftermarket barrels with no problems..I have not shot any cast through the stock 40 barrel just because I don't have any 40 dies....
Hoodlum

taltyman · May 27, 2013, 06:11 PM

I have the Shield in 9mm and use it for CC. No problems or issues yet. I don't have a Glock to compare it to.

ricklaut · May 27, 2013, 07:00 PM

I have a Shield, and I reload for it. I have pretty big hands, and I love that as small as it is, with the 8 round mag, my pinky isn't hanging out in the air.

I've reloaded & fired hundreds of cast boolits for it (along with a fair amount of FMJs and some plated). It's eaten everything I've fed it.

Some don't care for the safety... for me (after training with it), it's quite easy to click off with a swipe of my thumb - the problem is engaging the safety. I care less about that.

Nothing wrong with Glocks - I've had several. I do love my Shield though and don't want to part with it (considering getting one in .40).

drklude · May 27, 2013, 07:29 PM

The more I really think about it, and the more I hear from everyone it seems the Glock might be out. I reload for the cost savings, and its just not worth it for me to mess with aftermarket barrels to shoot cast.

I will probably end up buying the shield for easy of carry and less reloading concerns. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

nglayton · May 27, 2013, 08:01 PM

This looks like a decent price....maybe?

Yeah, I know it's Cheaper Than Dirt (CTD) and they've been gouging on ammo, what's in a name anyway?

GLOCK 19 Gen 4 9mm Semi Automatic Handgun 4" barrel 15 Rounds Fixed Sights Black Finish PG1950203

judgecrater · May 27, 2013, 11:39 PM

You are considering two outstanding pistols. (The M&P compact is closer to size and capacity to the G19 than the Shield.) For general use the G19 is a top choice. The Shield wins for concealed carry but is pretty small for general purpose shooting. If you clean your barrel after every range visit, lead is not a problem in your Glock. I have fire thousands of lead reloads in my G17 and G21sf. If leading is a problem a good KKM or Lone Wolf replacement barrel is the solution. Go with the G19.

Oldgoat03 · May 28, 2013, 07:27 AM

I own both pistols you mention and feed both reloads. They are both a pleasure to shoot. They are truly different however. As mentioned above a better comparison would be the M&P 9 C (Compact). The C is a double stack like the 19 and will have more comparable capacity. My son has a C and loves it as well. For concealed carry, nice feel in hand and out of the box accuracy the Shield is pretty hard to beat. By the way I got my shield in .40 and then bought a factory 9mm barrel and mags. Again functions flawlessly. Now I have the best of both for a very reasonable price. Oh and my Glock has a storm lake barrel so lead isn't an issue.

Either way you really can't go wrong.

OG03

May 27, 2013, 08:34 AM	#1
drklude Member Join Date: January 30, 2013 Posts: 40	Which 9mm to buy? So I'm in the market for a new 9mm compact. I've been going back and forth between a Glock 19, and a M&P shield 9mm. I know, there not exactly interchangeable, but they each have features that appeal to me. I really like the glock for all the glock reasons, reliable, higher capacity, time tested pistol. I like the Shield for the size and the feel in the hand. My main issue with the Shield is the capacity. I'm on a bit of a limited budget, and I'd like to get into some shooting events, and would like to have at least 10 round magazines. I've heard all the back and forth about reloading in Glocks, and I don't want to have that debate here, what I'm interested in is people's experience with reloading for the two pistols above. Also, is there a pistol that I really should be looking into? I've looked at the XDs, Sigs, and Rugers... So, is it really that difficult to reload for Glocks? If I want to use pure lead, should I avoid the glocks all together? Thanks

May 27, 2013, 08:50 AM	#4
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	I have had a Glock 19 for 15 years and have never carried it. Nor have I ever carried my Beretta 92s. I have carried my Kel-Tec PF9, which is much smaller. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

May 27, 2013, 08:54 AM	#5
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	CZ75 Limited capacity? S&W 3913 __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

May 27, 2013, 11:06 AM	#8
mjes92 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Location: Land of 10,000 taxes Posts: 211	Shot them both yesterday. You have good timing. Been Shooting a 19 for years and love it. Started reloading for 9mm about a year ago. Eats everthing I put into it but never reloaded lead cast bullets for the 19 because it is not recommened. Some Guys on this forum have and swear by it. Shot several rounds through my buddy's new M&P Shield yesterday. S&W did a very nice job. Came with a compact and extended Mag. Our daughters prefered the smaller grip on the M&P over the Glock because smaller hand size. It shot flawlessy for all four of us. Glock advantages = better trigger, higher capacity Shield advantages = smaller to carry (safety lever on it is kind of useless for carry.) Its too small. Difficult to find and manipulate in a hurry. Its kind of a toss up. You ned to decide which of you criteria is most important. You will be hapy with either one. __________________ Dad !!! "It's only going to be perfect if you do it yourself." - my teenage daughter Dad !!! "I'm not scared" My Cancer fighting daughter." Cancer Sucks NRA - Life Member

May 27, 2013, 11:16 AM	#10
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 636	I bought a Taurus PT709 Slim for a carry weapon, in 9mm. The trigger leaves a lot to be desired, but the gun functions well, very well. The reviews were good, very good and the price was right. Much smaller than my Glock 23 and about 6 oz lighter. I like it. I did wind up buying an extra clip, holster and clip extension. After the upgrades I liked it even better. The trigger pull still sucks, but bad guys aren't going to notice. Another note, The PT709 Slim is rated for +P ammo. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, 38 and 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357Magnum, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 223, 300 AAC, 243 and 30-06

May 27, 2013, 08:44 AM	#3
drklude Member Join Date: January 30, 2013 Posts: 40	Compact in the sense that its not a full size Glock 17, or Beretta 92FS or P226. I'd like to possibly carry it in the future, and use it as my primary home defense weapon.

May 27, 2013, 09:55 AM	#6
drklude Member Join Date: January 30, 2013 Posts: 40	I unfortunately fall into that category of people that don't know much about the CZ75, and have probably unfairly, overlooked it. I'll try and get my hands on one this week. Are there any sort of reloading issues I should be aware of with a CZ75? Lead is fine?

May 27, 2013, 11:00 AM	#7
Farmland Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 869	I don't know what the concern is about reloading for the handguns you have mentioned I current own, shoot and reload for my Glock, Clot, S&W, Beratta and Sig Semi's and three S&W six shooters. I have own a Ruger semi and it did fine as well. None of them ever had a problem and each shoot accurate with every bullet and powder combination I have used. Sometimes with the Semi I may have to work with a certain bullet design to get it to feed proper but even that has been simple. For my Glock I use an aftermarket barrel, Lone Wolf. Do you have to? I don't know I'm no expert but after doing my own research with problems with Glock barrels and lead I made my own choice. I have shot more lead than I could ever count through my Glock with the Lone Wolf barrel and it has been great. NOTE: I am pretty sure that I never ever once shot a pure lead bullet out of any of my guns except for my percussion pistols.

May 27, 2013, 11:07 AM	#9
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	I just bought my wife a Beretta PX4 sub-compact in 9mm. I was pleasantly surprised when I shot it. It seems to be a nice little gun. __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

May 27, 2013, 11:30 AM	#11
Silver00LT Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 286	Glock 26. It's designed for concealed carry. Also Glock 19 magazines fit in it no problem. __________________ My YouTube MOLON LABE Training pays off...so keep active with your firearm. It could save your life one day.

May 27, 2013, 02:42 PM	#12
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	My semi choice for CCW is my Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP but due to weather conditions where I live, carrying it ccw isn't easy. So, most of the time it's an S&W M60 .38 Spl. and two speed loaders. My smallest 9MM is an S&W 6906 with 11 round magazine. If I could find some magazines that don't have that little finger extension, I could probably hide that one fairly well. The extension makes that gun print badly. One nice thing is I can use the 15 round magazines from the S&W M59 in that gun as well. For a semi-auto, the double action first shot pull is better than the Ruger P85 of the SIG P220. The gun is also reasonably accurate considering the rudimentery sights. It digests cast bullets, hardball ammo and Federal #9BP hollowpoints like a kid gobbling jelly beans. That load got some good cooments from those guys that were doing that study on one shot stops. I'm not a fan of the Glock. (Don't hate me.) I don't like the fact thatcast bullets are considered to be some kind of problem concerning the barrels. Why should I have to buy another barrel to shoot cast? I probably shoot 100 to 200 cast bullets in my handguns for every factory jacketed round that goes down the barrel and if forced to do so wouldn't worry one bit using them in a self defense situation, if that was what happened to be in the gun at the time. JMHO. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

May 27, 2013, 04:47 PM	#13
hoodlum Junior Member Join Date: April 5, 2013 Posts: 7	9mm I have a glock 27 and LOVE it!!!! Of course, it's 40cal, but I have a storm lake barrel that will convert it to 357 sig, and a lone wolf barrel that converts it to a 9mm...You do need some glock 26 mags to shoot the 9mm, but the 40 mags work perfectly with the 357 sig....It's like having 3 guns in one...By the way, I shoot cast in both the aftermarket barrels with no problems..I have not shot any cast through the stock 40 barrel just because I don't have any 40 dies.... Hoodlum

May 27, 2013, 06:11 PM	#14
taltyman Junior Member Join Date: April 5, 2013 Posts: 5	I have the Shield in 9mm and use it for CC. No problems or issues yet. I don't have a Glock to compare it to.

May 27, 2013, 07:00 PM	#15
ricklaut Member Join Date: February 17, 2012 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 64	I have a Shield, and I reload for it. I have pretty big hands, and I love that as small as it is, with the 8 round mag, my pinky isn't hanging out in the air. I've reloaded & fired hundreds of cast boolits for it (along with a fair amount of FMJs and some plated). It's eaten everything I've fed it. Some don't care for the safety... for me (after training with it), it's quite easy to click off with a swipe of my thumb - the problem is engaging the safety. I care less about that. Nothing wrong with Glocks - I've had several. I do love my Shield though and don't want to part with it (considering getting one in .40).

May 27, 2013, 07:29 PM	#16
drklude Member Join Date: January 30, 2013 Posts: 40	The more I really think about it, and the more I hear from everyone it seems the Glock might be out. I reload for the cost savings, and its just not worth it for me to mess with aftermarket barrels to shoot cast. I will probably end up buying the shield for easy of carry and less reloading concerns. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

May 27, 2013, 08:01 PM	#17
nglayton Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2013 Posts: 10	Glock 19 Gen 4, 3 15-round mags, $559, free shipping This looks like a decent price....maybe? Yeah, I know it's Cheaper Than Dirt (CTD) and they've been gouging on ammo, what's in a name anyway? GLOCK 19 Gen 4 9mm Semi Automatic Handgun 4" barrel 15 Rounds Fixed Sights Black Finish PG1950203

May 27, 2013, 11:39 PM	#18
judgecrater Member Join Date: March 6, 2012 Posts: 63	You are considering two outstanding pistols. (The M&P compact is closer to size and capacity to the G19 than the Shield.) For general use the G19 is a top choice. The Shield wins for concealed carry but is pretty small for general purpose shooting. If you clean your barrel after every range visit, lead is not a problem in your Glock. I have fire thousands of lead reloads in my G17 and G21sf. If leading is a problem a good KKM or Lone Wolf replacement barrel is the solution. Go with the G19.

May 28, 2013, 07:27 AM	#19
Oldgoat03 Member Join Date: March 8, 2012 Location: Western Wa. Posts: 20	I own both Shield and 19 and they are great choices I own both pistols you mention and feed both reloads. They are both a pleasure to shoot. They are truly different however. As mentioned above a better comparison would be the M&P 9 C (Compact). The C is a double stack like the 19 and will have more comparable capacity. My son has a C and loves it as well. For concealed carry, nice feel in hand and out of the box accuracy the Shield is pretty hard to beat. By the way I got my shield in .40 and then bought a factory 9mm barrel and mags. Again functions flawlessly. Now I have the best of both for a very reasonable price. Oh and my Glock has a storm lake barrel so lead isn't an issue. Either way you really can't go wrong. OG03