Who makes the best semi-automatic handguns?

Question

HK, Glock, Beretta, Ruger??? Please input and also give reasons

40 CALIBER

I only listed a few but i would like to know your personal preference.

I heard glocks were good i just dont like the internal safety i would prefer one with a hammer anymore suggestions?

Should I trade my Sig-Suar P220 .45 for a Glock 23 OR Just hold onto the sig?

Maybe a .40 Cal isnt the way to go what other ammuntion in your opinion is the all around best and why?

Answer 1

All are good choices... its a matter of what fits your hand and how well you can shoot the thing.

Everyone has preferences. I was raised with the 1911 pistol...and never had problems going around "c***d and locked".

We went to SW 39's.. a DA-SA ... not a bad transition but the trigger took a lot of learning to get a first shot on target.

When we went to Berrettas... i found those to be a good fit... easy to learn and a good trigger.

Rugers are anvil tough, ugly as a homemade fence and heavy for belt carry. I like em..but they dont fit my hands for squat.

Ammo... .45ACP, 10mm or .44 Special are all good stoppers... but require a lot of practice ... a good second shot is hard to master in heavier calibres.

40 SW is a near 45ACP for energy ... police agencies have a good history with this round... right up there with the .357 as far as "on the street" performance goes. 40 will pack more rounds into a smaller grip frame. I carried a .40 for a while and never felt undergunned.

If you shoot that Sig well and like the format stay with it. Glock is just another 'black gun"... idiot and semi-lawyer proof. The triggers are awful.

CZ builds a nice pistol ...overlooked and underated. Springleid XDs are on my short list these days too

Answer 2

It completely depend on what the person defining a best hand gun think is best for a handgun as it is normally when one do define best but since it defers drastically within people its not practical to say what it is straight and since you have given some suggestions of what you have in mind for a best handgun and that you ask for a personal preference I'd say it depends on what I do with it for the latter and for the former its that Sig-Suar is complete filth except for the best ergonomics of it along other handguns and Glock is used heavily by law enforcement naming it cheap and a acceptable gun although it too is quite a bad gun and to tell you the truth about the 40 caliber guns is that the silver bullet will not really come for its bullet diameter here called as caliber but it would come in as for its kinetic energy instead with that happening having at a higher probability than its mere caliber alone and therefore 40 cal is not a best beyond a personal choice. All that said right and that the italians do made my sweet fast Gallardo that gets me sufficient badge at all time and that they invented the mafia against when the world was for communism back in the WW1 era and also case that they are somewhat cool apparently due to their magnificent culture as seen in venice among many more others let alone that Berretta have had stayed a profitable corporation for more than half a millennia and is also one of the most respected and classed firearms manufacturers in the whole world taken without for just considering a single country or a more larger constituent of that type as considered here together with that it is even the worlds fifth or forth oldest firearms company with a knack for giving the best gun as long as of today in year 2008 I'd say its Berretta you have to go to due the goodness of its people that I personally would go for more than the actual firearm as long as it's trusty enough at it and that I clearly understand it. The bottom line in buying a handgun is that its is right to get a "Berretta PX4 Storm F class" on 9mm*19 Luger and shoot the best bullet and best cartridge in it as long as something better come to the firearms market since its the best you are after over there as it seems so.  

Answer 3

It is all a matter of opinion. H&K and Beretta make good pistols but they are pricey.

Glock offers great value.  Plus they offer more size configurations and more diverse caliber selection of any modern semi-auto.

Ruger makes extremely utilitarian pistols that offer a good value.

If you want a hammer just keep your Sig.  Sigs are good although I've heard bad things about their customer relations department.

H

Answer 4

i always ask...what do you want in a gun.?   economy?  Ruger makes very good guns as does Taurus,,,.dollar 4 dollar....SW big choice of great guns..look at their website.... Glock? i find to be clunky.crappy trigger,ugly overpriced......you say u want ext hammer...DA or SA......for what cal. i like 9mm...more rounds and easier to shoot/lower cost ammo...iv shot bigger but find after the first shot i have to take time to get ready for shot 2...9 mm i can just fire away [and hit the target,lol]  its good to ask others but holding a gun at the store will tell u a lot..some guns just jump into your hand and say   "pick me!!"

Answer 5

Heckler and Koch win hands down in my book. They without any question make the highest quality handguns of all the companies you mentioned with SIG coming in second. The materials and manufacturing are top notch. The ergonomics on the USP are perfect for me. Accurate, reliable, strong. Not to mention it is available in 9 different trigger mode options (single action, double, single/double, and varying saftey and trigger options). The trigger function is flawless and uniform. The decocker is nice too. If you do get a USP though, i would recommend the .45. .40 is great, but with the .45, the USP really shines.

Best handguns ever made.

Answer 6

Good Lord!  Don't trade a SIG P-220 for a smaller caliber combat Tupperware!!

It might be different if you didn't have the SIG and wanted a compact .45, but in my opinion, you already have the best DA semi-auto around.

If you want a single-action pistol, IMO, Colt is the way to go.  Why get a copy when the original is available?

Don't get me wrong, I think Glocks are good pistols, and as ugly as they are, they shoot themselves pretty with their reliability and respectable accuracy.  But I really don't care for handguns without hammers.

As for the .40  vs. .45  Debate, it will be just as interminable as the 9 mmP versus .45 Debate that has raged for years, or the Revolver versus Semi-Auto debate that has been going on at varying degrees of intensity for decades.  Both calibers are good, and both calibers are effective, but I personally prefer the bigger hole a .45 makes.  You will have to make your own decision.

I won't try to tell you that .40 caliber bullets bounce of badguys, and that hitting a badguy in the pinkie with a .45 will blow his arm off.  I will simply say that some of the .45 ACP loadings are the most effective pistol cartridges for producing one-shot stops.  I've used Federal 230 grain Hydro-Shok and CCI 200 gr. JHP "Flying Ash Trays" for years, these have, or at least had, the best one-shot stop percentages of any semi-automatic cartridge load.

Whichever way you decide to jump, hold on to that SIG.  You might want to flirt with smaller bores, but having a .45 on hand when you want it or need it can be mighty comforting.

Doc

Answer 7

Im not sure why....but it seems like everyone is forgetting the Walther P99 .40 Cal.  Its an incredible gun with great design.  It has the best of all worlds pretty much...and with great customization for grip size.  I would take a serious look into it.  And yes...it is combat accurate.

Answer 8

Colt.*

Answer 9

From your list I like Beretta and Ruger. All four are well built and reliable but I do not like how Glock feels in my hands and I do not like the weight of HK. There is one gun you did not mention and that is the Springfield Armory XDs. Similar to the Glock but with better fit (at least for me) to my hand and have better safety features.

As for keeping or trading in your Sig...I would stick with the Sig.

As for ammo and caliber...My favorite round is 9mm. It is cheap to shoot at the range; well cheaper any how compared to .40 and .45. And 9mm is still an ok round for defensive purposes. Many of my local police departments still require 9mm to be used. But I do not like the snap recoil that the .40 caliber has.

Hope that helps

http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php...

Answer 10

LOL what a can of worms you have opened. I can personally tell you that Ruger, Springfield, CZ all make very good pistols having owned or still own all of them. Take tht back, I have never owned a CZ but I liked shooting the one my cousin had. I have a SA custom loaded 1911 in 45 but you can get em in 40. Para ordinace also makes very good 1911 pistols in a variety of calibers. The SA XD is fast becoming a force with the guys who used to be diehard glock fellas. I have never liked Glocks, but thats my own preference, many people do. I have nothing against them other than I just dont like em. I wouldnt go any smaller than a 40 cal but then it depends on what you want the gun for. Each to their own. All of the guns I have listed have a reputation for quality, all the guns you listed have as well. Ruger makes many models that can be fired single or double action, then there are the single action only styles. You said you wanted hammer.

Answer 11

Preference, Preference, Preference! An answer from most people will be different. Most modern pistols are excellent weapons from the well known manufacturers. I am in love with my Taurus 92FS, I believe the Beretta 92FS series of pistols are my favorite, but I also believe Walther P99's, Glock 17's, Sig P226's, Para Ordinance 5.7mm's, Kimber 1911's, HK USP series and many other pistols are JUST as good, but it's what the owner likes best that determines their decision on which to own/use.

As far as ammunition goes, I believe the .45 is the best round for stopping power and control while maintaining excellent accuracy... However, if you like going to the range, having some fun, or just want to put as much ammo on the target as possible 9mm is the best choice. My personal choice is, (no surprise) 9mm since I'm sure its more then enough for personal defense on most threats, plus 18 rounds per clip @ 20 dollars for a box of 100 rounds makes for a lot of firepower at a great price!

Again, your budget, and your preference for the most part! Hope you enjoy whatever you choose!