[Ni3Frontier]

Hey everybody,
  I have some great news that I thought I'd share.  I finally got my girlfiriend to agree to come to the range with me a few weeks ago.  So we finally got together and went yesterday (Saturday).
  She shot 200 rounds through my bolt-action .22 and had a great time doing it.  She also shot a few rounds through my RRA M4 clone.  She did pretty good with both, especially the .22 bolt - she had shot one a long time ago.

  But then I showed her how to use the P99 (9mm).  She had never shot a handgun before.  At 7 yards, she landed most of her shots within the 2" circle, and the rest of them were in the 4" ring.  She shot better than I did that day!

  She said that she liked shooting the handgun and that it was completely different from the rifles.  She also told me that it might be good to know how to use a handgun just in case.

  She said the 9mm was not too hard to control.  I was kind of shocked that she enjoyed it as much as she did, but she's been known to suprise me now and then.  

  Because of all this, I'm thinking about getting her/us another handgun to take to the range.  I have been leaning towards the PPK/S, but her hands are a little bigger than mine, so I don't know if that will be a good choice.  And I'd like to have at least a 9mm instead of the .380.

  I was wondering if anybody has experience with the Sig Pro 9mm.  I have not seen one yet, but its something I'd be willing to look into.  I did not like Sigs until I held a P229 a few weeks ago.  It fit my hands better than their full-size P226 did.

  Other things I am considering are the HK USP compact and P2000 in 9mm, but they are a bit more expensive than their competitors.

  If there are any other suggestions for a P99ish sized handgun in 9mm, please throw them in!  I won't be buying a new handgun until this summer at the earliest, but I'd like to start thinking about it now and see if I can get her to start picking out what she likes/doesn't like.

Thanks!
-Yoshi

 

[joegerardi]

The SIG Pro is a nice gun, but for some reason I just can't consider a polymer a SIG. It's a bit big and blocky. If you liked the P229, try a P228. With its stamped slide, it's a little lighter, and the balance is even better than the P229.

S&W 3913 Tactical is a great piece, or, if like me, you eschew rails, look at the 908S. With her hands being a little bigger, you could even look at the 6906. The last 2 are considered S&W's "Value line," and though the 6906 has been discontinued, you can find them easily, and that almost always come with 2 12-round mags.

The Kahr K9 or K9T is a fabulous little gun, with a great grip.

Or, you could get her her own P99, but with a Titanuim slide!

The best thing to do is take her to a gunshop and see what really strikes her fancy, and what she thinks feels best in her hand. Even is you want it to be a surprise, tell her it's for you, and you just want to make sure that it fits her hand for when the two of you go to the range.

..Joe

I agree with you about the HK's. My son really wants me to buy a USP for the next time he visits, but it's just too darn expensive for a polymer gun.

 

[Ni3Frontier]

joegerardi,
Thanks for your reply. I definitely agree that the gun will have to suit her. I'm looking forward to going to gunshows when they pop up and seeing what she likes. She said she liked everything about the P99 and had no complaints about it (good taste

). She said the recoil was manageable but she wouldn't want any more and wouldn't mind having less.

This handgun would serve as a range gun for both of us and also as a carry gun for me. I have not really liked the S&W autoloaders. They just don't feel right in my hand. But I don't know if I've ever handled the 908S or the 3913. I will keep my eyes open at the next gunshow for these two though. I think I would prefer a polymer framed pistol. They feel better to me and they are lighter.

 

[joegerardi]

Cool! One thing to remember for your G/F, though: Polymers, because of their inherent light weight, have a little more felt recoil that steel or aluminum frame/steel slide pistols.

Others to consider in the polymer field is the Glock 17 or 19. The 17 is an institution on the pistol world. The 19 is pretty much the same pistol, but with a smaller barrel and grip, hence a little more concealable.

I was like you with the S&W's. It wan't until a held my 6906 for the first time that I liked the way a Smith felt in my hand. This one, I love.

Oh, yeah, one other to consider: The S&W Sigma. They have a great grip, are polymer, and are very inexpensive.

Have fun. This is the second funnest thing you can do with your lady!

..Joe

 

[ASCI White]

Sigs in 9mm tend to have poorer accuracy than some competition (P99) in the same caliber. There was a post on this forum not too long ago about this even.

I've seen a Sig Pro and although it looked like a nice gun, to me after handling the P99, it felt like holding onto a soda can.

 

[Ni3Frontier]

I've been looking around, especially at cost of ammo. 9mm is the cheapest there is. I was suprised that .380 was more expensive. Less material should be less cost, but I am guessing that the actual cost has something more to do with the popularity of the round. Anyways, whatever handgun this is, it will probably have to be a 9mm since I shoot quite a bit.

joegerardi,
I agree that pistol weight has a lot to do with the felt recoil. Possibly more to do with it than the round itself. I have shot a full size 1911 that felt milder than my 9mm P99. I may look into other frame materials, but the weight of the P99 that I'm carrying now is comfortable and doesn't bother me after a long day. I don't want something that will be a chore to carry around for long periods of time.
I personally don't like the grip on the Glock. They point and shoot well, but they don't feel right in my hand. And I'm not to keen on their trigger system. I like my first shot to be long and deliberate. But if she likes the way they feel, I would have no problem considering one. If it was the case, I'd look at the 19

She might like the consistent and light trigger pull for a range gun. It would make shot placement easier than an uncocked traditional DA.


ASCI White,
Thanks for your reply. I'm very interested in this discussion about the Sig's accuracy. I did a search for it but could not find it. Could you post a link to it?
Lol, I agree...to this day I have not found a pistol that feels as good as the P99 does. I've found many that feel good and okay, but none that feel perfect.

 

[cordodor]

I say get another P99...

 

[ASCI White]

http://www.gothammarketing.com/ikon/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=1370;hl=p239+9mm+accurate

Target acquired and retrieved.

 

[P88]

It sounds like your girlfriend has impeccable taste! Both Walther's and SIG's are fine guns.

I've always wanted a SIG P210 to go with my Walther P88.

 

[Ni3Frontier]

ASCI White,
Thanks for posting that link. 3" at 10 yards is bad. But hopefully this is an isolated case. Even then, with manufacturer's test firings I don't see how it could have left the factory.
I would like to get her hands and mine on a P239 and see what it feels like.


The obvious choice would be to just get another P99. I love them and she had no complaints about it either. But I would really like to try a different flavor and experience what else is out there.

There is a gunshow in Salem, VA on Sat May 1. We'll both be going so hopefully we can narrow the options down a bit then

 

[NM_P99]

My wife likes her new H&K P2000, but they are expensive.
I am going to sell her slightly used P99QA if you are interested let me know.

 

[J Hoss]

You could always get her a P7. They are very easy to shoot.

Or, a P22 for range and work her back to the P99.

I really don't recommend a PPK -- too small and the felt recoil is stiff.

If you like a .380 look for a Beretta or Browning.

 

[Ni3Frontier]

JHoss,
You bring up an interesting point about the P22. I haven't really thought about it until you mentioned it. It feels great in the hand - and dare I say it; possibly even better than the P99 itself, though I have tiny hands.
She does not want to carry and has no plans to change her mind about it. Which is ok with me. I hope it stays that way and that nothing ever happens to force her to reconsider that.
That said, the P22 could be a perfect piece for her. But I'm looking for something smaller than the P99 that is more concealable in the summer and I do not feel that the .22LR is an acceptable defensive cartridge. Perhaps if I find that the P99 isn't has hard to conceal as I think it will be, then the P22 would be a cheap and fun option. I kick myself every now and then for not picking it up when I saw it for $205 this past year at a gunshow.

I have held and dry fired an HK P7 before. I've never shot it at the range though. I wasn't too comfortable with using the front grip to cock the weapon and they're fairly expensive for a used pistol.

-Thanks for the reply! Perhaps the P22 will be what I end up with - I'll definitely ask her what she would think about a .22LR handgun
-Yoshi

 

[bybon]

Makarov. 150.00, cheap ammo, comfortable to shoot, better than a 380, and will not break the bank if she does not care for it. However, if she no like, you get to keep it and have a dandy little pistol.

 

[green5]

I hear nothing but good about Springfield XDs

 

[sigmundsauer]

ASCI White posted:

[/QUOTE]Sigs in 9mm tend to have poorer accuracy than some competition (P99) in the same caliber.

Just one or even two examples shouldn't support your claim that 9mm SIGs "tend" to have poorer accuracy.

I own two Walther P99 9mms that shoot excellently. I've owned nine 9mm SIGs. One's accuracy was ho-hum but the eight others are phenomenally accurate. Every bit if not better than my P99s. In fact, my P239 was equally as accurate as my P210. If anything, SIGs "tend" to be the most accurate 9mms.

Both SIGs and P99s are accurate. Don't fool yourself into believing that SIGs are anything less than match-grade. My SIG PRO shoots incredible, too.

Tim

 

[Ni3Frontier]

bybon, green5, sigmundsauer,
Thanks for your replies!
I have heard good things about the Mak but I personally would not want it as a carry piece. While I'm sure its a fine weapon and a good one would function as it should, I feel that it is similar to the SKS' position in the rifle world. I know that this is nothing but cost and appearance bias but it does matter to me. But it won't stop me from checking one out when I see one - perhaps I'll be pleasantly suprised!
The Springfield XD is an interesting pistol. I have handled one and while they are ok as far as comfort goes, they feel too much like a Glock which I do not like. I haven't been able to get my hands on a compact XD though. I am hoping that it would feel different and not so blocky. The XDs sell for a great price, so it's definitely worth checking out.

sigmundsauer,
I am particularly interested in the Sig Pro series that you mentioned owning. What have your experiences with it been? I'd really like to know what you like best about it and what you do not like or have had problems with.

-Thanks!
-Yoshi

 

[DirtyVicar]

Quote[/b] ]I hear nothing but good about Springfield XDs

I have a Springfield XD9 Subcompact in addition to my P99. I like the XD9 a lot. It's very accurate, and I enjoy shooting it.
I like the 1911-type grip safety. There's no decocker, though.

I think the P99 is more elegant - it fits my hand better and feels more balanced.

I trust either pistol for self-defense purposes.

The XD subcompact has a 3" barrel, they also make XD's with 4" and 5" barrels. You can get an XD with 4" barrel in .357 Sig, 9mm or .40 cal, so there's lots of options.

 

[sigmundsauer]

Ni3Frontier,

I have had great success with my SIG PRO 2009. I bought it used off of a local police officer. It has never once malfunctioned.

My chief complaint is that it is a little more bulky than pistols of similar design and bbl length. On the up side, it handles beautifully. Trigger return is slightly stronger than the P-series and it possesses probably the best traditional DA trigger pulls of any weapon I've wrapped my hands around. Light and corrosion resistant, the SIG PRO should survive all but nuclear catastrophe.

Accuracy. It does not get any better. I've yet to fire a pistol that is more accurate than my SIG PRO, including my P210.

Do I like it better than my P99? I'm not sure. My three favority pistols are my 2009, P99, and P228. They are all equally excellent with high merits. My SIG PRO is about as easy to conceal as my P99, shoots a little faster and handles great. I won't let it go.

Tim

 

[Ni3Frontier]

sigmundsauer,
Thanks for the reply. I got a chance to hold a Sig Pro 9mm this past weekend at my local gunshop. I did not like the bulkiness of the grip at all. The trigger pulls seemed very good when I dry fired it though.
I don't think I'll get a Sig Pro just because the grip was so uncomfortable.
I did get a chance to handle a Sig P225 9mm. That weapon felt fantastic. However the price turned me off. It was $675. I have seen them on Gunbroker for around $500 though. I'm going to a gunshow tomorrow. Perhaps I'll see one there for a good price. I probably won't buy for another few weeks at least but it is something to keep in mind.

-Thanks!
-Yoshi