What to look for in a handgun
By MARJ LAW
“What should I look for when buying a new handgun?” asks Newbie. “There’s got to be some things that everyone should look for.”
It depends. There’s no one gun for everyone. The things you look for may depend on whether you are large-boned or small-boned. Big guys usually prefer different features than small women. Young people usually have different wants than mature people. People who have been shooting for quite a while have honed down their likes to specific details. It all depends on the person himself.
Recently, I asked two men and three women what they look for in handguns. All five have been shooting for 10 years or more.
Sally, who has sturdy bones, looks for a wide grip to fit her large hands. She likes high stippling for added control when her palms are sweaty. And aren’t we in Florida? Sweaty hands happen here.
She has heard of a gun that can be converted from a .22 to a 9mm handgun. These are rare, and you have to search hard to find them. Modular guns have become popular, though, and she may find a way to have a versatile gun.
Sally likes the curved trigger, saying it gives her better control and helps to prevent her from sticking her index finger too far into the trigger. And sights? She wants the red dot holographic sight. Of course, red dot sights do not come with most guns. They can be a pricey addition.
A pretty gun is important to her. She has to carry it and practice with it, right? I ask Joe what he likes. He is big boned and fairly tall.
“I like a palm swell in the grip,” he replies. “It fits my hand better and it gives me more physical contact with the grip. This gives me good control to stay on target for subsequent shots. When it comes to the trigger, I like one with a 3.5 or 4.5-pound pull.
“For sights, I prefer the big white dots. Two in the back, and one in the front. I’m more used to the white dots than the red or green fiber optic sights.
“Oh, and I look for a hammer gun.” He thinks he means it, but one Christmas Santa brought him a Sig Sauer P320. It’s a striker-fire gun. Joe loves it. Oops! No hammer! He’s going to the dark side. I like the striker-fired guns.
The next person I ask is Rick.
“What do you like in a gun?”
“I like finger grooves in the grip,” he replies. “Also I like it to have a palm swell. And for the trigger, I like a trigger that curls; not a flat trigger.
“I look for 9mm handguns because of their ammunition. Traditionally, the 9mm ammunition has been easier to find and it is less expensive. Some ammunition is hard to obtain and it’s a lot more expensive. People should be aware of the availability of ammunition for their guns before they buy.
“I prefer a hammer gun to a striker-fired gun, and I want a picatinny rail for accessories like a flashlight or laser under the barrel or a red dot sight over the barrel. “And, speaking of sights, I want my guns to have night sights.”
Me, I’ve got my own preferences, and Joe and I have lively discussions over our different likes. Nobody yet brought up take-down ability. Some guns are just darn difficult to break down. And the day will come when you have to field-strip your gun either to clean it or to fix something that has gone wrong. So, I look for a gun that is easy to take down.
I prefer, like Joe does, a trigger pull of 3 to 4.5 pounds. If you’re going to be practicing at the range for an hour or so, you want to be able to pull that trigger. Again and again. If you can only pull it once comfortably, then you won’t be practicing very long! The trigger shouldn’t have much travel time, either. And it should have a short reset in case you need to pull it more than once. Mr. Bad may have friends.
If it’s for carry, I like my tiny Sig Sauer P238 .380. Wearing it appendix style with a “sticky” holster, a short person doesn’t have much room when he/she sits down. Although I’d rather have a 9mm for greater power against Mr. Bad, I still have not found one small enough that fits my other criteria. Maybe a Sig Sauer P938 or an H&K VP 9 SK will fit the bill.
Trying them out first will help make that decision.
I like a gun with big fat white dots: 2 rear and 1 front. Big dots are easier to see than others. But if I had my druthers, well, I’m waiting for a Sig Sauer Romeo 7 with a green chevron. The green seems crisper than a red dot, and I like the point where you aim.
Glenda is petite. She wants a gun that has a slide that is easy to pull back. Some slides are quite stiff.
Her gun has to have very little recoil. She wants good control of her gun. Less recoil allows better control, as does palm swell on the grip. This is why she wants palm swell, too. She has a small hand, so she prefers a gun with a small grip.
She prefers a pretty gun. So do Sally and I.
“That’s kind of superficial, wouldn’t you say?” asks Joe.
“Not at all,” replies Glenda. “What better way to keep Mr. Bad from bothering anyone again?
First, he has to admit he was shot by a female.
Even worse, he was shot by a female toting a pink gun!
Oh, the shame and humiliation!”
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.