The best/most reliable 9mm?

bellafrances

Hi everyone.  I was here months ago with advice to sell my husbands 357 magnum, not very practical for sure especially for home protection.  We are looking for a 9mm caliber gun and have heard a lot of opinions, one guy we know swears by the SIG P226.  My husband and I stopped at a gun club in our town and it was barren, the display cases were completely wiped out, they say COVID and the recent riots were the causes.  At any rate they did not have a P226 but they did have a 320 which he said would be better especially for me as my grip is not as strong as my husbands and eliminates the need to pull the hammer back for the initial shot.  So.  I know there are a lot of really nice people here, very helpful to us last time, I am hoping to hear what you all think would be the best/most reliable, something we can both easily use, and given the fact we will use for home protection.  Thank you all in advance for your time and consideration.

rufe-snow

Until the latest craziness gets better, if it ever does? Stick with the 357, it will do just fine, for home protection.

If you could even find a descent reliable handgun now, with whats going on? Your going to be paying through the nose for something, and jumping though the legal hoops. For something not one bit better, than the .357, IMHO.

Have your husband show you, how the .357, can be fired with just a trigger pull. Not having to cock the hammer. As long as it's, not a single action only revolver. 

bellafrances

Sorry I wasn't clear on that subject, we sold the .357 months ago. I did try shooting it once and it almost broke my wrists.  We were in a local store the other day (Arizona) and they had a 9mm (I think Smith and Wesson) for about $450.00, would have "pulled the trigger" LOL but wanted to hear some unbiased opinions on this subject.  We don't mind paying a little more knowing the current conditions, $450.00 looked like a good price, not a scratch on it, but who knows?  The laws are pretty friendly here in AZ, no 30 day wait that I know of, walk in and walk out.  

nmyers

I recommend that you look for a gun shop that has it's own range & rents guns by the hour.  They will have a bunch of different guns, & will help you pick out one that feels good, & you can make sure that you can rack the slide & pull the trigger.  Once you find one that you like, you can fire it on their range for a nominal fee to be sure that it's right for you.

Smith & Wesson makes excellent quality guns; you can't go wrong as long as it feels right to you.

Do not buy a Glock; they are great guns, but not for the beginner.

Neal

EDIT 1:  The original US Air Marshals carried .38 special revolvers loaded with ".38 special wadcutters", a mild target load with little recoil.

rufe-snow

bellafrances said:

 The laws are pretty friendly here in AZ, no 30 day wait that I know of, walk in and walk out.  

+1, On Neal's advice.

I to am a resident of AZ. You need at least a AZ, CCW card, to obtain a handgun on date of purchase. And a AZ drivers license, that  data wise coincides with the CCW card. The CCW card  is available on-line though.  All required state and federal paperwork, has to filled out prior to purchase of any firearm. There are no shortcuts, as far as these requirements are concerned.

Henry0Reilly

It's most unfortunate that you apparently were not aware the .357 could be loaded with milder .38 Special ammunition.  The "best" 9mm or any caliber is one you're comfortable with and can hit what you aim at. Like nmyers said, if possible try before you buy.

bellafrances

I will try that thank you!

waltermoe

If your not going to carry it and use it for home defense only, buy a pump shotgun and shoot #4 buckshot in it. This will allow you to use both hands to control it, and at close range it is devastating.

It sounds like your wrist sensitive, why not go to a 380 if you have your mind set on a hand gun. As far as a brand to choose, I can only say Colt, or possibly a Colt, if you can’t find one, then I would go with a Colt.

Butchdog2

Walt I agree, if you can't find a Colt, get a Colt instead.

bellafrances

Shotgun is not an option as we have kids, that will be the next hurdle, finding a drawer safe of some kind to help protect them from getting hurt.  Biometric maybe?

truthful

It's unfortunate that you sold the 357 Magnum. It is one of the best all around handguns for any purpose. Far less complex than any 9mm, nearly fool-proof, and not much to go wrong with it. Load it, pull the trigger, it shoots. A huge advantage over any 9mm or other autoloader is that you can start practice shooting with very mild wadcutter .38s, gradually work up to more powerful .38 Special loads as you get more comfortable with recoil. There is really no need to go to full-house .357 Magnum loads for home defense. Some .38 Special 125 grain +P loads will do everything you need done. Since the .357 Magnum revolver is gone, I urge you to consider getting another, or even a .38 Special which would likely be a bit lighter.

Mobuck

Not to seem condescending BUT, you made a mistake in selling the 357.  A MAJOR advantage of the 357 Mag revolver is the ability to use several levels of power ammo wise.  If you were uncomfortable with the 357 (. I did try shooting it once and it almost broke my wrists),  you could easily have chosen a lower power factor, lighter recoiling load. Any semi-auto you choose is going to be restricted to generally "full power" ammo. A smallish 9mm has a "snappy" (and possibly uncomfortable) recoil depending on the model.