Looking for a new handgun

[SV Goodguy]

I am going to be applying for the Ventura County Sheriffs Department soon and am also looking for a new handgun to buy for home defense. If you have an opinion on this topic or some sagely advice for me to ponder I'd greatly appreciate it. Here's my conundrum. The VCSD issues the Sig Sauer P226R in 40S&W as their duty weapon from what I understand. So my question is would you?:

A.) Buy a Sig Sauer P226R 40S&W. My reasoning for this decision would be I can get a jump on familiarizing myself with it prior to starting their Academy, if I am lucky enough to get hired by the VCSD.

B.) Buy a Sig Sauer P220R. My reason for this decision would be again, if I am lucky enough to get hired by the VCSD, this weapon is approved for carry (from what I have been told) and I would have the choice of two weapons for carry. Any additional info on approved weapon for carry would be appreciated.

C.) Buy a smaller weapon for back up. Any suggestions here would be appreciated as well. My only reasoning against this is that I do not own a pistol and was looking for something a little bigger in caliber than a typical BU gun and an accessory rail.

[novmike]

Weapons

Springfield XD's are very popular now.

I own the XD40 subcompact. I love the thing.
I am also buying the XD45 4" soon.

Check out there website, Springfield-armory.

[cpratt1999]

Springfield XD's are very popular now.

I own the XD40 subcompact. I love the thing.
I am also buying the XD45 4" soon.

Check out there website, Springfield-armory.

I agree. The XD .45 Compact may be my next weapon. I currently have a Glock 17 and I wish I'd bought something else.

I recently bought my wife a Compact 9mm S&W Military and Police. I took her shooting Friday and I must say, I was VERY impressed with it. With just minor coaching she was comfortable with her gun and shooting great within 30 minutes.

I may consider the .45 M&P over the .45 XD. It's comfortable and it looks cool!

[cirrus]

you'll get a lot of opinions with this subject. here's mine...

i had a springfield xd 9. it was a very nice shooting gun but i hated the grip safety device and really disliked the trigger. i juat can't see any good reason for a grip safety. others like it but it just wasn't my flavor. consequently, i sold it and bought a Steyr M40-A1 and a Beretta PX4 9 both are great guns, handle well, very easy to take down (especially the Steyr) and accurate. i would recommend either of these and others.

the S&W M&P is nice. a buddy of mine has a 40 and it handles very nicely. you can't go wrong with a Sig. i have never owned one but have shot a few. very nice, their reputation precedes them.

IMO, if you are new to the world of firearms, any quality semi auto will prepare you well, although different calibers will handle differently. there are many nice pistols around. can't offer any advice with BUG's, i'm not an LEO.

since you are from simi, check out Shooter's Paradise in Oxnard. they have a wide selection of rentals available for their indoor range, including some Sig's.

[novmike]

So many weapons

Though I love my XD40, there are numerous pistols out there.

Taurus has a new .45 out.
Kimber KPD .40

I would agree, find a good gun store, feel the weapons, make sure you have a good fit in your hand.

Some pistols are too big for some hands, so pick what feels right. Known brands are a place to start.

[DOAcop38]

"SVgoodguy"- you ALREADY asked this question on "another" cop site- my question is this- why spend $$ if you think you will be hired by VCSD and they'll GIVE you a side arm and TEACH you how to use it- no "familiarization is needed". don't know a CA. police agency that doesn't allow off duty carry,much less carrying of your duty weapon?now if crime is a real concern to you,buy something simple and effective-a 2" to 4" revolver,in .38 cal. or a .357 from a reputable gunshop($250-$400), or a 12 ga.shotgun- Big 5 or any area gunshop will have them and they rarely cost more than $300 bucks .If you make it on the job,you'll have plenty of time to buy a "back up" gun or alternate for duty.In 17 yrs on the job ,I've rotated btwn only (3) duty weapons- a 9mm beretta,a .45 cal beretta, and now a .40 cal GLOCK-but I've always kept the same Back up gun- a 2" S&W .38.....

[RadioBrett]

SVGoodGuy, little off topic in response, but, when are you testing at VCSD?

[gonzo1510]

Wouldn't a 12 gauge shotgun with a light attachment be a better system for home defense ?

[SGeringer]

With any firearm purchase you definitely want to consider need, and how the pistol feels. In your case, it doesn't seem like buying an exceedingly expensive pistol like one of the two SIGs (with DROS it could be $700+) would be good. Being brand new to shooting and without formal training, any practice benefit would be negligible and even detrimental if you develop bad habits the SO has to break. Your state is unlikely to grant you a CCW permit given that you don't seem to be a celebrity and haven't indicated sexual affairs with those in charge, so that's a non-issue. And you haven't suggested self-defense at home for a need either. So unless you want a pistol at home for self-defense, I'd just wait for the SO to issue your pistol and go from there.

If you can get some formal training to help you with the fundamentals, may'be procure a good quality .22. With it, you can shoot cheaply, buy the gun cheaply, and work on those critical fundamentals like sight alignment and trigger control with much less pain to the wallet.

[pulicords]

1) Wait until you get hired. Then learn to shoot what's been issued to you.
2) If you aren't happy with the above (when your done training), then buy the P220.

There's no offer of a job yet, so why jump the gun? (No pun intended! )

[SV Goodguy]

Thanks for all of the input guys. I've been around the local gun shops and recently and went to the Raahagees/Turners Shooting Sports Fair and shot or handled the 40 and 45 cal Glock's, H&K's, Springfield XD's, S&W M&P's, and the Sig P226R or P220R. I haven't had the opportunity to shoot either the Kimber KPD .40, Steyr M40-A1 or Beretta PX4 9 yet. I am not even sure where locally they rent them. I'm not exactly new to the world of firearms. I already own more than enough shotguns and rifles. I am looking for a quality firearm that I will not have me looking to sell 6 months after owning it. I've already made this mistake with a couple of pistols from lack of research. As long as it's under 1K, I'm not really too concerned about price.Thanks for the advice for Shooter's Paradise in Oxnard, it's a little far but after talking to them on the phone today it sounds like the trip will be worth it. Yes I am guilty as charged, I have brought this topic up on "another" cop site. I guess that makes me a computer dork for spending way too much time in front of this keyboard.

RadioBrett "SVGoodGuy, little off topic in response, but, when are you testing at VCSD?" I will be testing September 8th.

[pulicords]

Info re: Sig Sauers

By the way, if you get hired........ Once you're LEO in CA, you can purchase any handgun (via a legal FFL holder) found anywhere in the U.S. even if the weapon isn't on the CA (DOJ) approved list. You don't need a chief's letter for the non-listed weapon and (as of 01/01/07) you don't have the waiting period to deal with. There are a large number of Sig Sauer P220 models which are on their website that might interest you. When the time comes, there might be a variant you'd like over the basic P220.

[MSoCal]

Best home defense weapon: The Intratec DC9 w/ 40 round mag
or Cobray Mac 10 w/ 30 round .45cal mag.
Its equivalent of using an AK-47 w/ 75 round drum to go rabbit/squirral hunting...

[SGeringer]

Id rather be armed with foul language than a Tec9 :P

[pulicords]

Id rather be armed with foul language than a Tec9 :P

If it were up to me, every bad guy with a gun should trade his in for one provided by the department. Inaccurate, poor functioning and gives dummies a big dose of false confidence.