Need to Replace/Augment Hellcat,.. thinking full sized. 9mm or .40

[Chomps]

...but which one? (...really needs to be under $600)

Warning: if it bothers you, This is definitely a TL;DR post! 😎😂

If you saw my thread about my brand new Springfield and my misfeeding & misfiring problem,.. you know my Hellcat 9mm is going to need to go back to Springfield for warranty. As much of a bummer as THAT is,.. it's DOUBLY inconvenient as it puts the weapon out of service for anywhere from 30-60+ days I figure. Minimum.

This was my first firearm purchase and my intent was to get some practice shooting & my CPL here in MI. Before Armageddon!! 😉

So now I'm thinking of getting a second, FULL SIZED pistol as an additional Self defense weapon or possibility even as a replacement for the Hellcat when it's returned.
Probably another 9mm, but I might consider a.40.

I realize this thread could turn into a COMPLETE shit show by asking a question like this,... but since I really am a total newb to pistols & shooting,.. and since at work with my gun owning co-workers, I'm getting the ENTIRE spectrum of weapon recommendations and attempts to sell me their random used weapons,.. 🤦*♂️

Might as well go FULL retard and see about getting EVERBODY's opinions!! Lol

(...Im a loooong time member of a snowboarding forum and if this is goes ANYTHING like asking a similar sort of question about gear there? It's likely Im gonna start a BIG 'Ol FanBoi argument!!) so I apologize in advance. Lol

I would like something with a known history of reliability, and accuracy obviously,... Preferably at a price point at or UNDER $600. I'm not in any position anymore to spend $1000+ on a handgun.

I'm always hearing/reading that Glocks are very popular. And yet I also keep hearing ppl say "they're overrated!" The Same with Sigs. I'm confused about all the different variants of full & compact models tho. Soooo many models to consider. Again,.. it appears the same with the Sigs!

I don't really know anything about either manufacturer or any of them for that matter beyond a few interwebz reviews & YT clips.

Then again,.. I read and watched a number of very positive reviews on the Hellcat before I purchased it,.. but after posting about my misfeed issues, I've learned many folks here seem to feel SA's offerings are at best, somewhat less than stellar? 🤷*♂️

So I feel Im definitely at a disadvantage in making yet another purchase decision.

I guess Im hoping that if I can't get a general a consensus regarding this decision here?

Maybe I can get some kind of a majority of opinions on Which is the "You Can't Go Wrong With THIS Pistol" opinion!

Thanks for reading!

[Guerrero]

Even though I don't (currently) own one, the Glock 19 is as close to a universal "easy button" as you're going to get.

They're "overrated" in that they are not, in fact, "perfection." However, while Glocks are not the best in any category (except, maybe, weight), they're pretty good in any category you could think of. A G19 is a good size to conceal, yet has enough capacity. You also can find parts, accessories, holsters, and magazines everywhere.

It's a good, solid choice, until you can refine your tastes/needs enough to progress on to something else; and even then, it's good to have one around.

ETA: during "normal" times, they're also usually reasonably priced.

[psalms144.1]

If you can find one in today's panic buying madhouse, a G19 is the easy button. Since your concealed carry pistol has shat the bed and will be unavailable for an extended period, I wouldn't want to recommend going larger than the G19, as most folks find it's at the upper end of what they're willing to schlep around on a daily basis for concealed carry.

If you hate Glocks, look at the CZ P10C, or the S&W M&P 2.0 Compact. Any of those will give you an accurate, reliable pistol that's in the right "size range" for concealed carry, especially now that colder weather is coming on. They'll all deliver similar payload as well.

If you're interested in learning a DA/SA pistol, the CZ P07 would be my first choice, closely followed by the HK P2000.

The bad news is Glocks are going to be hard to find right now, and WILDLY overpriced. Grab-a-Gun is selling M&Ps for about $100-125 more than they were selling pre-Covid/Biden-Harris, but they're still well under $600. CZs are an "off brand" so you'll likely find them in your price range; the HK's probably "way out" of that $600 limit.

Save yourself some pain, learn from your first pistol mistake, and steer clear of Springfield and any other "budget alternative."

Best of luck!

[ranger]

I would consider a S&W M&P Gen 2 9mm - either Compact or Full size - along with the easy answer of Glock 19.

[BehindBlueI's]

Glock, Beretta, CZ, H&K, and S&W are all good quality semi-auto pistols that are almost certain to work well out of the box. Glock is popular for many reasons, good performance to dollar ratio, the new Gen 5s are the most accurate guns they've produced, tons of aftermarket support for holsters, cheap magazines, etc. S&W as well.

Sig has fallen out of favor mostly due to business practices, reduced QC, and covering up of a recent safety issue.

If you want striker fired, I'd probably just stick with Glock or S&W. They all shoot well enough, but those two are going to be the easiest to find support gear for, help if something does go wrong, and are good values.

Edit: And I'd probably stick with 9mm, especially since you already have one. Keep logistics simple when you can. Ordinarily I'd say look at police trade-in .40s if budget is a primary concern, but the current market shoots that advice in the ass for the time being.

[fixer]

You also should be weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each trigger system.

DA/SA
LEM or DAK
DAO
Single Action
Striker

This is a subject for your consideration a bit later as a new pistol shooter. Feel free to go down the rabbit hole on this topic. This forum has beaten the subject into a bloody pulp.

So based on your other thread, and your requirements here for a sub $600 pistol...these are recommendations for full size pistols that have substantial duty credentials.

Striker fired

Glock 17
Glock 19 (yeah its technically a compact)
M&P full size, 2.0
HK VP9
Springfield Xdm (these hardly have any duty credentials but they will have a good trigger similarity with the Hellcat)

DA/SA
Beretta 92
Sig 226
Sig 229 (yeah, again a technical compact)
Beretta PX4 full size (PX4 has a tremendous following here and has extensive testing but not a huge set of duty credentials.)
Beretta PX4 compact
CZ 75

Sig 226 and 229 won't be had for under $600.

Single Action
pretty much limited to 1911s in this space. A sub $600 1911 is gonna be a bit difficult to recommend.

DAK or LEM
HK p30...might be able to find one of these for $600 range.

Another thing to consider is it is considered best practice to keep to the same manual of arms. So if you have a smaller concealed carry pistol, get the full size or compact equivalent. Classic example is a Glock 17 and either a Glock 19 or Glock 26.

Even better is to have identical pistols. Like 2 Glock 19s or 2 Beretta 92s.

Either way...good luck finding any of these pistols on the shelf right now.

Next step is to get a high quality kydex holster made specifically for your pistol (s).

Then get spare mags. Then get spare parts.

[gruntjim]

I completely concur with the above.

I have yet to have a stoppage with any 2.0, or a Gen5 Glock.

Use the easy button.

[claymore504]

If you want to stay striker fired I would go M&P M2.0 in either 9 or 40. The M&P is great in 40 I think. For striker guns, the M&P M2.0 is outstanding and what I always suggest. If you are into DA/SA I would highly suggest CZ or Beretta. It is really going to be hard to find any pistol right now. So with your stated budget of under $600 I would look for any M&P M2.0 model, CZ P07 or P09, Beretta PX4 Storm compact or full size.

Also, a used or CPO Sig P226 or P229 in 40SW used to be a great option for a sub $600 handgun. I have one of each and they are excellent. Not sure they can be found right now though. Maybe locally used in your area?

Keeping the same manual of arms is a good point as mentioned above. You could go with a full size M&P M2.0 for home and a sub compact M2.0 for carry in the same caliber. Same trigger system and the full size mags can be used in the smaller gun if needed. Just a thought. My system is the CZ P09 for home and the P07 for carry. When needed I carry a P09 mag as a spare when carrying the P07.

While I was going through handguns finding what worked best for me, for many years I had a Glock G22 for home and G23 and G27 for carry options. Then went to the FNS full size and FNS compact for carry. After that went to the P320 full size for home and P320 sub-compact for carry. Then found CZ P09/P07 and have been very pleased since.

[T Smith]

I believe it was on this forum that I read "popular guns are popular for a reason." (Did this quote come from Mr Green?) When I began to carry on a regular basis, I tried 5 different guns in 3 years looking for the right one. For me it was a Glock 26. I later went to a Glock 19 and have alternated between these two for the last 20 years, letting the weather and seasonal dress dictate which. If a Glock doesn't suit your needs, you shouldn't have any trouble selling it and finding something else more suitable for your purposes.

[psalms144.1]

Replying again in the interest of full disclosure and not being glib. G19 is "the easy button," and this goes both ways - but especially to advice givers. The G19 isn't always an accurate, reliable, flawless functioning pistol - I have plenty of experience with Glocks that didn't work the way they should. Having said that, the new Gen5 pistols are so much better - ejection wonkiness mostly worked out, accuracy greatly improved, etc. If you can find a Gen5 G19, it's worth the scratch. But there's no way I'd buy a Gen4 G19 over a M&P 2.0 compact or a P10C.

In your title, you mention two calibers. For your own sake, stick with 9mm. Yes, it's impossible to find right now, but, everywhere I've been recently, there's no .40 S&W on the shelf either. The 9mm version of these pistols will be so much more pleasant to learn on, you owe it to yourself and your future training to just get a 9mm and stick with it.

Let us know how it goes!

Just a little help: https://grabagun.com/firearms/handgu...15-1-4-fs.html
https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_...mm+4%22+15%2b1

Couldn't find either CZ at any of my usual shopping places...