Relative Needs Advice on Buying First Pistol

You did good in discouraging the P250. It has an atrociously bad trigger.

And it just sounds like he needs some direction on firearm sizes. I'll bite:

So with handguns (in this case 9mm) I see about 5 different sizes. I'll list them in descending order:

1. Extended slide/competition length (barrel over 4.5"; full sized frame)
2. Full sized (barrel 4.25"-4.5"; full sized frame)
3. Mid sized (Barrel 4"; full sized frame)
4. Compact (Barrel 3.5"; shortened grip)
5. Subcompact single stack (Barrel 3"-3.5"; shortened grip; single stack magazine)

Where this differs slightly is with 1911s. You have:

1. Government (5" barrel; full sized frame)
2. Commander (4.25" barrel; full sized frame)
3. Hybrid (4.25" barrel; shortened frame)
4. Officer (3.5" barrel; shortened frame)

There will obviously be some variation in your polymer pistol sizes, but for the most part I would say those 5 categories are the main ones. Some companies will blur the lines of sizes (like the Beretta PX4 "compact" and the Springfield XD "subcompact") that will generally fit in a different category. The PX4 compact is more of a midsized than a compact and the Springfield XD subcompact is really more of a compact. You have to look at the specs or hold them to notice this so it's good to feel the guns before purchasing.

Now if you think you MAY carry the gun that would mean you should stick with something mid sized or smaller. Remember, if you don't plan on carrying the gun, it's always smarter to get a full sized because of its numerous advantages over a compact or subcompact gun:

1. Longer grip (which also gives...)
2. Higher magazine capacity
3. Longer sight radius
4. Less felt recoil (because of the weight)
5. Higher muzzle velocity (from the longer barrel)
6. Full length rail (covers a wider range of accessories)

The only place that a full sized gun loses out on in terms of carry is weight and size. That's pretty much it. A full sized gun will almost always be more shootable than its compact counterpart.

Full sized guns can be concealed and there are some people that do it with relative ease. But generally, a full sized gun will start to be left at home. While it gives you the highest capacity and the highest potential to put accurate shots on target, it isn't as easy to tote around as a compact. Some popular full sized polymer striker-fired guns are:

S&W M&P
Springfield XD
Glock 17
Ruger SR9
FN FNS9

The very popular Glock 19 fits in the mid sized category. It has a slightly shortened frame compared to a full sized but still is long enough to get all your fingers on the grip. Some other mid sized guns are:

Walther PPQ
HK VP9

Compact pistols have a shortened grip for your ring and middle finger with the pinky finger dangling because it is less likely to print when carried concealed. But with the shortened frame comes less control-ability. There is always a tradeoff. Most full sized guns have a compact counterpart so I won't list any here.

The upside of compact pistols are that they can accept a full sized magazine of their full sized counterparts. So if you think you might carry the gun but it may spend most of the time stored away, I usually suggest this size as a compromise since you can load the full sized mag or the shortened mag. Some guns like the Ruger SR9c come with both a full sized magazine and a shortened magazine. It is great for this role.

Subcompact single stack guns I usually only suggest if you are guaranteed to carry it. They have a very thin profile but a lower magazine capacity since the magazine is thinner. The upside of these guns is that they virtually disappear when carried and carry very comfortably.

So to sum up, if you don't plan on carrying it, I would suggest a full sized gun regardless if it's for your house or your car. If you think you may carry it sometimes or already have a dedicated single stack carry gun, I'd suggest the compact. You can always have more than one gun in a carry rotation. And finally if you know you'll carry it, I would get a single stack subcompact.


Sorry for the length. Bookmarking for future use.

well you can never go wrong with the old reliable 1911 .45 if he doesn't mind spending the money or (concealed) carrying the extra weight. I am a life long fan of the 1911 so I'm biased.
That said, I purchased a Shield M&P 9MM bout a year ago and am absolutely in love with the damn thing. I have since stowed the 1911- its an antique and worth way too much to have been carrying it daily anyway. My M&P is a delight to shoot and although I've never been a fan of a 9MM, I can't say enough good about the pistol. Never thought I'd get off of the Colt, but S&W really hit a homerun with the M&P.

I just picked up the Springfield XD Mod 2 full size on Saturday. Of all the pistols I've owned and shot, I immediately had better groups with this gun. I love the way it shoots and wished the weather hadn't been so bad because I wanted to put more rounds through it. I managed to get 100 rounds and it was getting better and better with every magazine.

I've shot the Glock 19 quite a bit and was going to buy one until I got to shoot an XD. It felt better in my hands and has a better trigger. I've also read that the XD groups better than the Glock and it certainly seemed to group better for me. I still wouldn't hesitate to buy a Glock either.

@ Bapple


glad to have a guru here.

Forgot to mention to the OP that I would suggest staying with 9mm. The smaller the gun, the lower the magazine capacity. And with 9mm you get the most ammo in your mag compared to 40 and 45.

And FWIW, 9mm, 40, and 45 all pretty much do the same thing. It's personal preference from there.

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I see you have a couple of guitars in your sig pic. That's two things we have in common....guns and guitars.

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My P-bass and J-bass are my other two babies. Rock on bro!

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P-bass and J-bass

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Strange coincidence...the relative I'm talking about plays a Ken Smith 5 string in our band. I play guitar...own two Taylors. An '03 710ce and a '15 816ce Wildwood Adirondack (Taylor only made 21 of these).


Ok, back to the topic at hand...

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If he likes the Sig, look at the SP2022 model. Similar to
p series but polymer frame at half the cost. Best value for the money out there IMHO

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Thanks bro. I'll pass this info on. Appreciate everybody's help.

Music, firearms, and cars seem to be the trifecta for most gun owners.

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If he likes the Sig, look at the SP2022 model. Similar to
p series but polymer frame at half the cost. Best value for the money out there IMHO. Disclaimer - I own two of those, 9mm and .40 cal.

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This is what I was going to recommend. It was my first pistol (9mm) and it shoots great. Very long DA trigger, but is SA after the first shot. It also has a decocker which is a nice feature, and it is very light.