re: Better CC gun

Both are fine guns for concealed carry, although they have different attributes. While the snubbie is light, compact, usually reliable, usually easy to carry and you're already comfortable w/ it, it does have a very limited number of rounds available; also, revolver reloads are not as easy for most shooters as are semi-auto reloads. If you're comfortable learning the manual of arms for the M&P, it will be a fine choice. If you settle on the M&P, just be sure you're comfortable carrying a double stack mag gun like the M&P. My first gun for cc was a double stack gun, the Springfield XD. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was personally better off w/ a single stack gun. That's a personal choice only you can determine.

Whichever gun you settle on, be sure you get a good holster, a belt designed to carry a gun/holster and plenty of practice. Get formal training if needed.

As already pointed out, if you learn to handle the gun properly, you won't need to worry about no external safety lever on the M&P.

quote:

---

but I know you are an advocate for the G19.

---

No, I'm not an advocate for Glocks.

I'm an advoacte for carrying a reliable service caliber handgun, that holds a reasonable amount of ammo, and is of sufficent size to enable a trained shooter to place multiple rounds on target, at all self-defense ranges, rapidly and accurately.

An M&P fits this bill, as do most SIGS and HK's. And these firearms are almost as reliable as a G17 or G19. I would not be uncomfortable relying on any of them -- assuming I had the requisite training, and had practiced with that weapon to the extent that I was competent.

Most (98.327 %) of gun owners skip that training and practice part.

And I'm not an advocate of relying on opinions posted on internet forums ...... except for those posted by TOTH. You're allowed to pay attention to them (unless he recommends an XD).

I agree with almost everything you said, especially about receiving good training. However, I wouldn't completely discount information found on the internet. You have to take information found on YouTube, forums and other sites with a grain of salt...but there is good information out there.

I'm glad I did research on the Internet when purchasing my first two handguns (P226 and G19). If I had gone with recommendations from people I knew personally that were much more knowledgeable about guns than me, I would have purchased a revolver. It's the same with my first AR-15. I trusted m4carbine.net, ar15.com and information from the net and purchased a Daniel Defense rifle. I'm quite glad I didn't go with the Bushmaster my cousin (police officer) and several others recommended.

Now that I'm much more experienced, I feel confident in making suggestions to other people. There was a thread about .22 handguns recently and I had 5 recommedations. I own or have owned 3 of the 5 I recommended. My brother owns one of the other 2. The only .22 I didn't have extensive personal experience with was the Ruger SR22. However, I feel confident in what I've seen and read online that most are fine firearms and am comfortable recommending it.

On the subject if training, I'm excited to take a rifle class this year...I'm looking at several.

quote:

---

almost as reliable as a G17 or G19

---

quote:

---

You got a link to this? Have you ever seen an M&P fail?

---

If you're looking for one of those "reliable" internet links -- can't help you.

If you want contact info (phone, cell phone) for a few of the country's top defensive handgun trainers (the guys who train thousands of people each year, with each student shooting between 500 and 1200 rounds), I can help you with that.

quote:

---

I think I'm going to carry the .38 until I'm more comfortable at shooting the M&P9C

---

Best plan.

Only the grip safety.

They have really good triggers, and are reported to hold up well in intense training classes.

quote:

---

Only the grip safety.

---

pretty much all my pistols have grip safeties, i love them

quote:

---

John Moses Browning admirer.

---

i appreciate what he did to come up with the greatest platform ever and the platform that paved the way for the polymer age, but to say that a M&P isn't as reliable as a glock is absurd.

M&P, XD, and glocks are functionally VERY similar and reliability and function will be the same. the M&P just comes with a better factory trigger than the other two