New to Pistols, needing advice on first purchase

[BoWevelJoe]

I have been researching pistols for some time now and the two brands I have come down to is HK and Sig Sauer.

I am new to the world of guns but have had a friend helping out, I am just wanting a wider pool of knowledge than just his, and from the posts that I have read this is a great place to go for HK knowledge.

This pistol is not for concealed carry. It is for the range and home protection.

The pistols are the Sig Sauer 226 (9mm, .357 Sig, .40S&W) and 220 (.45)

The pistols from HK is the USP in .40 or .45.

I am not entirely sure on what caliber I am going to go with, I am going to figure this out on Thursday when I go to the range and rent them.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

[tastysp]

Those are all fine pistols but feel very different from each other. The Sig 226 has a large rounded grip shape and the USP fullsize models esp. the 45 are large and blocky. The Sig 220 feels nice as it is rounded but not as large as the 226.
Try out a few and see how you like the feel of each. All your choices will serve you well.
Try to shoot a P228 as well. It's one of the nicest feeling handguns I've ever shot

[Hossam]

Hi, im in your exact situation and need the answer to your exact qeustion ,the only difference is that i m sticked to the 9mm cal. since it's the most available ammo here in my country,Egypt.
So i hope some one give us the bullet of mercy in this search.
Regards,

Hossam

[carboncycles]

All the ones you mentioned have their respective strengths and weaknesses; however, they will all serve your needs. I would say buy the one you can handle confidently and proficiently as your first criteria.

[Hossam]

Those are all fine pistols but feel very different from each other. The Sig 226 has a large rounded grip shape and the USP fullsize models esp. the 45 are large and blocky. The Sig 220 feels nice as it is rounded but not as large as the 226.
Try out a few and see how you like the feel of each. All your choices will serve you well.
Try to shoot a P228 as well. It's one of the nicest feeling handguns I've ever shot

tastysp,
which one would you choose the sig (226/220) or the HK usp ,for all purpose including concealed carry (knowing that they are both too large for cc) ?

[Hossam]

All the ones you mentioned have their respective strengths and weaknesses; however, they will all serve your needs. I would say buy the one you can handle confidently and proficiently as your first criteria.

Both are..(as i said i need the bullet of mercy)
please..

[BoWevelJoe]

If you are going with concealed carry then you are going to want the 229 or a USPc.

This is going to be for home defense and range use, so size is not an issue.

[tastysp]

tastysp,
which one would you choose the sig (226/220) or the HK usp ,for all purpose including concealed carry (knowing that they are both too large for cc) ?

I would go with the USP compact 9mm or the Sig 228. Both are about the same size but have different grip shapes.
With the HK you can have a manual safety and carry cocked & locked
while the 228 is DA/SA with a decocker but no safety

[BoWevelJoe]

Alright, well, I kind of got thread jacked

So the USP .45 is not very kind to someone with smaller hands. I think I have medium size hands. My hand is almost big enough to grip a basketball with one hand.

Anyways, I will look at the USP in 9mm and .40.

[carboncycles]

That's not true...I've got a USP Tact in 45 and I love the thing! I also have a USPc 40 which fits my hand like a glove. You really should hit the range and plan to spend several hours with a couple hundred rounds of ammo to see which you are comfortable with.

[tastysp]

Alright, well, I kind of got thread jacked

So the USP .45 is not very kind to someone with smaller hands. I think I have medium size hands. My hand is almost big enough to grip a basketball with one hand.

Anyways, I will look at the USP in 9mm and .40.

you should try them before dismissing them as choices. It's a very subjective thing that no one but yourself can really answer. There's also the 45 compact which seems to be good for many but you do lose 4 rounds in capacity

[wig]

First things first - you should determine caliber. I've found that there are very different choices when it comes to caliber within a gun range. As someone above said, sig has some great 9 mils - but I played with a 220 (.45) and found it to be overly solid - I know there shouldn't be such a thing, but the slide was heavy to work, lock up was extremely tight and the spring is heavy. H&K 45's on the other hand are easier to handle (not even firing at this point, btw).

Then there is the firing aspect. Different guns have a different feel. When you start talking big calibers, the kick is significant. If you're new to guns, you may want to start at 9 mil. If not, then (and if you're deadset on a .45) try them.

In fact - try them anyhow. I've shot some interesting toys that look great on a shelf but are awkward firing and cause the groupings to be off. The Walther P99 for example was all over the place. Best thing to do - go find a range that rents - ideally at a flat fee, and try different ones until YOU decide what's good for YOU.

[givo08]

Since this is your first handgun, I would strongly suggest 9mm. It is much cheaper to shoot and you won't develop a flinch from the recoil as easily as you would from .40 or .45. Don't underestimate the difference that price of ammo has on your shooting. When you can shoot 9mm for half the cost of .40 or .45, you will shoot much more of it and get much more comfortable with it.

I love the sig 220's and 1911's that I have or have shot, but I get about 2-3x more practice with my G19 due to cost of ammo and use it as my HD gun over the .45 because of my confidence with it.

If i were you i'd go for a sig 228 or 229 as others have mentioned in 9mm. Very accurate, soft shooting guns with great triggers.

[Hossam]

Since this is your first handgun, I would strongly suggest 9mm. It is much cheaper to shoot and you won't develop a flinch from the recoil as easily as you would from .40 or .45. Don't underestimate the difference that price of ammo has on your shooting. When you can shoot 9mm for half the cost of .40 or .45, you will shoot much more of it and get much more comfortable with it.

I love the sig 220's and 1911's that I have or have shot, but I get about 2-3x more practice with my G19 due to cost of ammo and use it as my HD gun over the .45 because of my confidence with it.

If i were you i'd go for a sig 228 or 229 as others have mentioned in 9mm. Very accurate, soft shooting guns with great triggers.

I have a large hands,i played with the usp9c a little..it was awsome i liked it very much over the usp ,but the grip felt a little short for my hand,if the p229 has the same grip size i think i'll have the same problem and that w'd take me back to the usp or the 226,right?

[GZire]

I concur that the first thing you need to do is determine the caliber you are going to go with. Myself I prefer 45 ACP, while it doesn't give you the capacity that a 9 mm or other smaller rounds will, I believe more in the energy that the 45 ACP will deliver instead of volume that others believe in.

I would strongly suggest you go and get some training before purchasing a firearm as you can pull knowlege from trained professionals and get their input in matters.


I have a Sig P220, Sig P220 Elite (just bought it - yay!!!), and an HK Match (45 ACP). I think both lines are quality guns, but my thoughts on home protection are the Sigs. I believe in an auto gun with no safety, a double action trigger first shot that transitions to a single action. Long first pull to make sure you really want to fire that shot, no safety to worry about, a transition to a single action once you have already shot and want a shorter crisper second shot. The new Sigs like the HK's allow for mounting of lights/lasers so no having to remember to grab a flashlight when you need to use the gun in the middle of the night.

I doubt you can go wrong choosing any offerings from Sig or HK. Again I feel that you are best served by getting training to help you develop skills, muscle memory, pursue home defense along the correct path, etc. If you can afford it, get guns from both manufacturers and you can have more choices.:D

Best of luck.

[Hossam]

Thanks a lot Gzire,
As for training,i used to be in the military pistol shooting team for several years , i shot a lot of 5round-groups in the 10th circle one handed with very old guns called Helwan (an old copy of the beretta 92 ),so i know the whole issue like my name,problem is this is the first pistol i own for myself,and it's not that easy to have the chance to change it for another one here where i live,so it's gonna be a one time purchase ..so i want to get a state of the art pistol thus i don't regret it...that's why your openions are faital for me.
Thanks,

[mosesv2]

I'd buy the one you get the best deal on.
Can't go wrong with either brand.

I shoot 9mm and .45 in auto pistols, but if a GREAT deal came along I could be persuaded to try a .40 or a .357 sig...

[Hossam]

I'd buy the one you get the best deal on.
Can't go wrong with either brand.

I shoot 9mm and .45 in auto pistols, but if a GREAT deal came along I could be persuaded to try a .40 or a .357 sig...

HK's a little cheeper than Sigs..($2100 HK / $2700 Sig) locally..
Should i go HK then..

[AGG]

Personally, SIG is good, but HK is better!

Since you are purchasing only one sidearm, I would go the .40 route (suitable home protection round/pretty good range round).

However, I like .45 best of all! :D

[ronin_asano]

you should try them before dismissing them as choices. It's a very subjective thing that no one but yourself can really answer. There's also the 45 compact which seems to be good for many but you do lose 4 rounds in capacity

true, but buy the .45 compact, and you'll have the same capacity as the sig p220, in a smaller, lighter package.

[mosesv2]

HK's a little cheeper than Sigs..($2100 HK / $2700 Sig) locally..
Should i go HK then..

100%...go with the HK and buy ammo with the difference.

Being left handed I prefer the lefty friendly HK, but at those prices (OMG!!) there is no doubt that I would get the HK & lots of ammo over the Sig....

[Hossam]

Personally, SIG is good, but HK is better!

Since you are purchasing only one sidearm, I would go the .40 route (suitable home protection round/pretty good range round).

However, I like .45 best of all! :D

The .4 and .45 is very mush expensive here (about $2 per round) thats why im going the 9mm route ..much cheaper ( $ .5 per round - $ 50/ box of 50).

[Hossam]

100%...go with the HK and buy ammo with the difference.

Being left handed I prefer the lefty friendly HK, but at those prices (OMG!!) there is no doubt that I would get the HK & lots of ammo over the Sig....

I m left handed too ,yes prices are unbelievable here due to import restrictions.
I think you are right i'll go Hk &buy more ammo,but which Hk, for cc knowing that my hand is kind of big?

[mosesv2]

The .4 and .45 is very mush expensive here (about $2 per round) thats why im going the 9mm route ..much cheaper ( $ .5 per round - $ 50/ box of 50).


I wish it was legal to ship you a crate of ammo. I really feel sorry for you at those prices.. I could reload 1000 9mm rounds for little more than what you pay per box.

[mosesv2]

I m left handed too ,yes prices are unbelievable here due to import restrictions.
I think you are right i'll go Hk &buy more ammo,but which Hk, for cc knowing that my hand is kind of big?


I have a p2000 in 9mm with the LEM and the large backstrap & I think it is superb. I'm 6 feet tall and 220 pounds with a size large glove...

[Hossam]

Can you advice of any HK good for cc and has a large grip at the same time?
I thought of the p30 but it's slide looks ugly..Do you have any idea?

[Hossam]

You know what,i fell in love with it from the beginning,though i heard some bad openions about it from dealers around here ,is that true ?does it has any disadvantages?..they all prefer the usp or uspc over the p2000.

[Hossam]

Any way, i think i'll go with the p2000, as you adviced..and as i first wished too.
Thanks a lot moses,and thanks to all of you nice fellos.
Best regards,

Hossam.

[mosesv2]

Many of the people on this board see the p2000 as a refined USP.
HK does not make anything that is not tops in quality, so I would not hesitate for one second if the p2000 is comfortable in your hand....

Also, there is a thread that you can look up called 'watch me break my p2000' the poster- Greg Bell, really abused his p2000 and it never missed a beat throgh thousands of rounds and very little cleaning.

Take care man.

[mosesv2]

http://hkpro.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51749&highlight=break+p2000

This is the thread I was refering to. Great reading.
Moses

[orfeo]

Alright, well, I kind of got thread jacked

So the USP .45 is not very kind to someone with smaller hands. I think I have medium size hands. My hand is almost big enough to grip a basketball with one hand.

Anyways, I will look at the USP in 9mm and .40.

I also have medium hands. I am 5' 10" and 175 lbs. I find the fullsize USP 45 to be the nicest shooting, most comfortable HK pistol I've ever shot. I only ever rented the fullsize USP 45. . . when I bought, I decided to go with the USP Compact 45 for easier concealability, but i've always liked the fullsize better.

[orfeo]

Can you advice of any HK good for cc and has a large grip at the same time?
I thought of the p30 but it's slide looks ugly..Do you have any idea?

USP Compact 45 :)

[Cobra64]

Those are all fine pistols but feel very different from each other. The Sig 226 has a large rounded grip shape and the USP fullsize models esp. the 45 are large and blocky. The Sig 220 feels nice as it is rounded but not as large as the 226.
Try out a few and see how you like the feel of each. All your choices will serve you well.
Try to shoot a P228 as well. It's one of the nicest feeling handguns I've ever shotThe grip on my P220 feels larger than on my P226.

[Cobra64]

I have been researching pistols for some time now and the two brands I have come down to is HK and Sig Sauer.

I am new to the world of guns but have had a friend helping out, I am just wanting a wider pool of knowledge than just his, and from the posts that I have read this is a great place to go for HK knowledge.

This pistol is not for concealed carry. It is for the range and home protection.

The pistols are the Sig Sauer 226 (9mm, .357 Sig, .40S&W) and 220 (.45)

The pistols from HK is the USP in .40 or .45.

I am not entirely sure on what caliber I am going to go with, I am going to figure this out on Thursday when I go to the range and rent them.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

I have a P226ST in 9mm, and a P220ST. The two are almost identical in size. The grip on the P220 is a tad larger.

Both are extremely reliable and shoot very well.

[CrippledPidgeon]

I have been researching pistols for some time now and the two brands I have come down to is HK and Sig Sauer.

I am new to the world of guns but have had a friend helping out, I am just wanting a wider pool of knowledge than just his, and from the posts that I have read this is a great place to go for HK knowledge.

This pistol is not for concealed carry. It is for the range and home protection.

The pistols are the Sig Sauer 226 (9mm, .357 Sig, .40S&W) and 220 (.45)

The pistols from HK is the USP in .40 or .45.

I am not entirely sure on what caliber I am going to go with, I am going to figure this out on Thursday when I go to the range and rent them.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Well if you're new to handguns I suggest also purchasing a .22 pistol of some sort as well as whatever defense handgun you want to purchase. The .22 helps you get a lot of pistol fundamentals down without having to spend a lot of money on ammo less than $10 for 500 rounds as opposed to like $200 for .40 and closer to $300 for .45. If possible, buy one with a grip angle that's fairly close to that of your main gun so that switching back and forth are pretty easy. I think the Browning Buckmark and the Ruger 22/45 have fairly similar angles to most pistols.

When I started shooting over the summer, I started with the .22, but then jumped to a Springfield 1911 because there was a good deal, and developed a flinch that even after 3 months is still not completely gone (shooting low). I bought the USP 9mm and almost never flinch with it (unless I'm tired, or just having a bad day :/). Even the .40 would probably have been a better choice for a second gun than that 1911 (which I love, but ammo's so damn expensive....)

And just yea.... test drive before you buy, because no matter how good the gun may be, if you don't feel comfortable shooting it, then you're just wasting your money.

In terms of defense capabilities of 9mm vs .40 vs .45, from what I understand, unless the intruder is wearing body armor, they all do the job. It just comes down to how much you want to pay for ammo (practice is everything!), and of course, which gun feels the most comfortable to shoot.