New to forums, need some advice on a pistol

[spilledgut]

Hello all,
Just wanted to say what a great forum have read alot of responses to try and find the answer to my question, but no avail . Well I'm looking into purchasing a pistol for duty carry with an armored truck company, I'm looking for a decent weapon with great stopping power and reliablilty. Unfortunatelly i'm limited between 9mm .40 cal S&W and .45 cal acp so the .357 sig isnt an option for me either is the .45 gap. The pistol has to be DAO but they do accept XD's / Glocks which i know XD's have been debated wheter or not DAO or SA. I was originally considering a glock 21 .45 cal but was concerned with the trigger safety, and I believe a it was a lack of protection around the shell with the build? Untill I noticed the Springfield XD line, I'm debating on picking up either the 4" or 5" XD 40 for carry. And possibly some CCW. But have also considered the 9mm. I was just curious as to what most people would recommend for stopping power, as in any case I could be confronted by BG's in a situation where I need to put them down fast. I'm somewhat new to the whole pistol concept , i've fired a variety of guns in my younger years mostly higher caliber rifles ranging from a .22 to a grand M1, even fire a .50AE desert eagle and loved it. I would like my gun to have a little kick to it so i'm primarily leaning towards the .40 because once I obtain the pistol I plan on frequenting the local range. So what would most people recommend for a fun reliable gun to shoot, but when needed can stop a BG in his tracks, higher caliber and alot of recoil is not a concern for me, I've shot several higher caiber rounds and had no problem handling them. Cost could be a factor for me, I don't want to shell out to much money for a pistol, but I'm assuming it's just like anything else, you get what you pay for and that's espically the adive my instuctor gave me when I did my ccw class. I'm looking to spend between $300 - $ 700 I know both the XD and the Glock are in that range. Also since i'm somewhat new to the pistol scene an easy gun to strip clean / maintain would be nice to own. I know there's tons of glock vs XD forums but they're mostly for CCW since this isnt a CCW for me, what would you recommend if you were carrying for an armored truck run.
Thanks again
-Tom

[BigBob68]

XD Service in 40S&W should do the trick. If it were me I would chose a Sig 226RDAK in 40S&W. There are some tough choices but it come down to what do you shoot the best and have complete confidence in. Take caliber out of the equation and rent as many as you can at your local range to find which one suits your needs best. BTW, welcome to the XD board.

[Vyolater]

This is not a knock on any other guns out there, but if I was carrying for work, hands down it would be an HK, a USP to be exact in any of the calibers. But, that's just my opinion, you need to find the gun you're most comfortable with, grip and shooting.



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[1of2]

If I could buy a gun in that price range it would be a Sig P220 .45 acp. If I didn't want to blow my whole wad I would get the XD 4" .40.
Either will be a good choice.

[RonS]

Never done an armored car, but I did funds escorts for 4 years, pretty similar. Frankly if it fits your hand and you shoot it well, I'd go with the Glock model 21. (I hope you take the advice and rent several guns to try).

Here's my reasoning, for what it's worth.
1. You are going to be out in all kinds of weather, in and out of air conditioning and heat, cold and hot weather, high humidity, rain etc. Hard to beat a Glock for inclement weather.
2. Unlike a police officer, you are going to carry your gun every day, but not need to draw it, unless you are very unlucky. (I can't imagine an armored car driver or shotgun needing to hold a suspect at gun point.) You need something fast and intuitive to use, and Glocks are famous for point and shoot simplicity.
3. With the expiration of the AWB, hi caps are back, and a bunch of .45s beats a bunch of most other things.
4. If you train with the Glock the safety should not be an issue, and if it is, the XD has a trigger face safety also. (As an XD owner, I have to discount the presence of the grip safety. For some reason, when I grip the pistol, the safety gets depressed, so that kind of negates its utility as a safety. (I'm joking, sort of. The grip safety is very well designed, I find it hard to hold the gun without disengaging it, no need for a speed bump on this one.)

[Dragoon44]

As an armored car seciruty officer I would consider that there is the rea; possibility that in an armed encounter I might be facing multiple assailants. (well armed multiple assailants.) in choosing a handgun I would want one that I could fire with the best speed and accuracy. caliber should not be your primary consideration. choose the handgun\ammo combination which you have the best control and accuracy with under stress.

[FatMatt1981]

Welcome.
You will find very heartfelt advice in here bro. Most of us will not bash one weapon over the other.....however this is the XD funhouse
If I was in your situation, and had the choice of either a Glock or an XD....you should do as alot of us here have. Go check both of em out at the same time. Grasp em and hold as you would while firing....unless you have the option of shooting at the gun shop...ask yourself which one feels the best in your particular hand shape. Then ease of cleaning etc. The XD breaks down in only a few seconds. OK price.....XD's are usually cheaper.
Now which caliber to chose.
In my opinion...there is no magic round in any caliber. The bigger the bullet the bigger the hole as usual.....but...a good hollow point would do as you wish if you are able to put em on target in a hurry. The price of ammo is also a factor....the cheaper the round....usually you can practice more with it. Meaning much better placed shots.
It would do you no good to get a huge round....only to find out it's expensive to practice alot with.
The neat thing I've found with my XD-40, and my XD-9 service.....they both shoot damn near identical. The more I practice with my 9mm(cheaper ammo)....I've been able to get better shots with my .40cal. The recoil difference is nill.
Hope this helps ya!

[Greg in OKLAa]

Originally Posted by BigBob68

XD Service in 40S&W should do the trick. If it were me I would chose a Sig 226RDAK in 40S&W. .

I agree with BigBob,a 226 ,or the slightly smaller 229.My 226 9mm,is the most accurate pistol I have ever owned.I would look into the CPO guns ,rather than new, though

Greg

[Verm]

I wouldn't hesitate to carry my XD40 Service, a SIG, a Glock, A Beretta, etc. But I would carry whichever pistol fits my hand the best and feels the best shooting. Also when it comes to caliber, pick the weapon first, then the caliber available.

Personally I would consider what my possible threat would be. As an armored transport you are more likely to face someone wearing armor than a cop would. In that case I would be looking at a 9mm P+ or hot .40 that can penetrate LII armor over a .45.