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Ok I am looking to buy a hand gun. It has to be semi auto I don't care the finish that much and I would like to stick to 9mmso I wont have to buy 2 types of ammo ( Beretta PX4 is the gun I have ). I am relatively new to the whole hand gun thing and I want some advice on good brands and what to look for when buying a used gun. I am looking to spend about ~600$

I have found a bunch of Rugers in my price range and some S&W too but the S&W have all been .40 so far

Thanks.

Sig Sauer P226 9-mm.. i've fired/owned one... AWESOME.. I have since upgraded to a p229 .40 cal

Sig is definitely one of the best hand gun companies, I agree with xe0 go with the p226, if you can afford it go with the mastershop series (very expensive) otherwise I would recommend the pistol I have, the sig p226 9mm Blackwater edition, good price, short pull trigger and 20 round mag, awesome weapon. The best thing about the sig is that they are mainly full steel frames, not the light weight composites you might find on a glock for example, the weight adds to the accuracy and recoil reduction great for target shooting...or the occasional fool that happens to cross you , your best bet is to hit a range that rents weapons and take a crack with a few different models, blast away...

Second this completely. The p226 is a great hand gun. Good weight and balance. This thing will last you forever and is extremely reliable. Not only that...But you can't beat the looks.. It's just plain sexy.

I am gonna vote for STI GP5, the MSRP is 662.00 so it is in your range. http://www.stiguns.com/guns/GP5/GP5.php. Your best bet like Xrax said find a range and fire a several different guns!

im currently carrying for security a springfield armory subcompact 9mm XD, i like it alot, but the lower receiver is composite ,but that dont bother me, but that thing is tiny, but still feels like a mans gun in your hand, comes with 10round clips for concealed carry, or extended grip clibs that hold 16 i think. i havent paid that much attention into it. before that i was carrying a Beretta 92FS, i hated it, it was bulky, and i am a big guy, it was too big to conceal, or even fucking hold. that sig looks nice, but ive never held or shot a sig before. im more of a rifle guy i guess. let us know what you decided.
http://www.xdpistols.com/item/58062_Spr ... SP06_.aspx

in the end, it comes down to how it feels in your hand. thats it. it doesnt matter about rounds, or weight, or size, or accuracy. thats right, i said accuracy. if its a name brand pistol, IT WILL shoot straight...period. a pistol is for shooting center mass on target no greater than 25 yards away. PERIOD. dont go for hype, go for what feels really good in your hands. my springfield xd field fucking phenominal in my hands. therefor, its the weapon of choice (for distances of 25 yards or less) for me. go for feel.

Have you looked at any Walther handguns? They are designed on Smith and Wesson frames, not bad guns really. Other than that, I have shot a few Springfield handguns, and I must say they are some pretty good shooting pistols. You can't go wrong with Ruger either, I don't care for some of there designs, but I do know that they hold there value good, if you got tired of one and wanted to switch you could probably get your money back.

Thanks for all the replies!

I am going to take a look at the SIG and see how much they want for one

I went to a range and tried a couple guns Glock, S&W, Beretta 94fs and PX4. The best one for me by far was the PX4.

@Kid I do like the look of the walther. I'm glad you say rugers are a good quality gun I like the look of the SR9.

Speaking of rugers has anyone ever shot one and what was the trigger like? From the picture it looks to be similar to the glock.

http://www.sigsauer.com/Products/ShowCa ... ductid=234

What is the plan for this gun? concealed carry, just to shoot, just to have another gun in these weird times?

As far as what to look for in a used gun: outside appearance appears to be in good shape, check the mechanical operation of the gun to make sure every thing cycles fine, check the operation with every mag that comes with it, check the mags for good spring tension, look in the chamber and check for smooth feed ramp, look down the barrel for pitting, check everything like the slide for tightness but smooth also, check the trigger operation,and finally and maybe most importantly check the person out do they seem trustworthy? do they know what they have, what its worth? get there drivers license number and name at the very least.

It really depends alot on if you want to conceal it. I carry a Kahr PM9 (subcompact) everyday and I love it. Craftsmanship is excellent. I have about 1000rds through it so far and I havent had a hicup yet. It's my first Kahr and I would defenitely buy another. If I'm not mistaken its the smallest and lightest 9mm made. It was when I bought it anyway. It's more glockish than something like the sigs. It's defenitely not a glock clone though. Kahr can most defenitely hold it's own.