Disagree with "buy what feels good in your hand"

[aynot]

I must say, guns that feel good in my hand , I dont necessarily like the way they shoot..recoil wise, the ones that feel good are lighter smaller, but as far as actually shooting, I love a heavy gun. I am not carrying just a fun hobby for me. I love going to the range and am now addicted, looking for my third purchase as I write this

 

[maybejim]

I always took "feels good in your hand" to me it's comfortable to shoot. Maybe that's just me. But you need a gun that is comfortable for you to carry where you need to carry it, and that you can shoot well.

 

[Purple]

Feels good in your hand is more than just a comfortable grip. It includes that with ease of point of aim, ease and speed of acquiring a sight picture, and handling during recoil and recovery.

 

[Nightmare45]

Don't believe anyone here posted anything that says don't carry, don't practice, don't develop muscle memory, if you have a gun you are confortable with, proper equipment you will most likely have it with you when you need it.

 

[spdracr39]

I have guns that I love to shoot and guns that are practical to carry. I practice with all and carry whatever is most appropriate for the way I am dressed and what I will be doing.

 

[jtg452]

Part of 'feeling good in my hand' means that the ergonomics of a particular gun matches my hand size well enough that when I pick it up or draw it the sights are both visible and roughly aligned when I bring it up to eye level and point it at the target. If I have to adjust my grip constantly, the gun isn't the right one for me. This is extremely important to me when it comes to self defense firearms. If I have to fiddle with my grip every time I pull the thing, I'm wasting precious time that I may not have in the event of an altercation.

Another part is how the gun balances in my hand and the balance I want depends on the action of the gun. With double action revolvers (which I mostly actually shoot double action), I want a slightly muzzle heavy feel to the gun. The added weight at the muzzle helps me remain steady through the heavier double action stroke. With single action revolvers, a neutral to muzzle heavy balance seems to work the best for me. With a single action semi auto, I prefer a more neutral balance- meaning the gun is only slightly muzzle heavy or butt heavy when sitting in my hand. To tell the truth, I really like a little bit of muzzle heaviness in a handgun in general. Butt heavy guns like the Beretta 92 seem too 'whippy' under recoil to me. Longer barreled handguns (6 to 8 inch barrels) seem to 'hang' on target like a longer barreled shotgun has a tendency to.

I like a heavier gun as well. I don't own an 'airweight' anything. I own a (singular) polymer gun and it's a safe queen. The only non-steel framed gun I carry regularly is a double stack .45 and if there's a place in shooting for a lighter then normal frame, a double stack .45 is where it's at.

 

[Danmc]

Part of 'feeling good in my hand' means that the ergonomics of a particular gun matches my hand size well enough that when I pick it up or draw it the sights are both visible and roughly aligned when I bring it up to eye level and point it at the target. If I have to adjust my grip constantly, the gun isn't the right one for me. This is extremely important to me when it comes to self defense firearms. If I have to fiddle with my grip every time I pull the thing, I'm wasting precious time that I may not have in the event of an altercation.

Another part is how the gun balances in my hand and the balance I want depends on the action of the gun. With double action revolvers (which I mostly actually shoot double action), I want a slightly muzzle heavy feel to the gun. The added weight at the muzzle helps me remain steady through the heavier double action stroke. With single action revolvers, a neutral to muzzle heavy balance seems to work the best for me. With a single action semi auto, I prefer a more neutral balance- meaning the gun is only slightly muzzle heavy or butt heavy when sitting in my hand. To tell the truth, I really like a little bit of muzzle heaviness in a handgun in general. Butt heavy guns like the Beretta 92 seem too 'whippy' under recoil to me. Longer barreled handguns (6 to 8 inch barrels) seem to 'hang' on target like a longer barreled shotgun has a tendency to.

I like a heavier gun as well. I don't own an 'airweight' anything. I own a (singular) polymer gun and it's a safe queen. The only non-steel framed gun I carry regularly is a double stack .45 and if there's a place in shooting for a lighter then normal frame, a double stack .45 is where it's at.

That is exactly what happened when I picked up a Glock for the first time a few weeks ago. It was a Glock 27, and I ended up buying it for that reason....it was amazing how quickly I was able to point and acquire a sight picture. I have not had the chance to shoot it yet, I only hope I will like the way it shoots.

 

[Gr8danemom]

I have guns that I love to shoot and guns that are practical to carry. I practice with all and carry whatever is most appropriate for the way I am dressed and what I will be doing.

I'm the same way.

But to the OP, I've always taken the buy what feels good in your hand to imply I could actually shoot it. I have very petite hands and many guns are just not practical for me to use and feel confident in my abilities.

 

[megthered]

I picked up the Glock 19 and it felt good to me. It fit my hands nicely and shot like a dream. I really love this gun. That being said, I also like the way the Smith and Wesson 642 felt in my hands. It just does not shoot well for me. It really hurts my hands to shoot. I end up shooting the minimum amount of rounds to stay proficient and the next day my hand is swollen and sore. I also have a Beretta Nano that hubby bought for me after my last go round with the 642. I love this gun too. Its small, and it feels good in my hands and it shoots wonderfully well for me. So even though the gun might feel good in your hands, like the op said, there are many more considerations.

 

[mlg10g]

I bought my first gun because I liked how it felt in my hand (Walther P22). Others that I've purchased have had more to do with not feeling BAD in my hand. For example, my boyfriend has a Springfield XD40 and a Glock 19. Neither one of them feel comfortable, nor do I enjoy shooting them. I held someone's XDS, and I realized that I liked the feel of it. I was initially told it was an XDM. I was at the gun show and looked at several, and when I said I didn't like the way it felt, my boyfriend pointed out that the ones I was looking at were double stacked, and that the one I'd seen before was single. As soon as I picked up the XDS, I felt comfortable with it. I ended up ordering the XDS off a deal on slickguns and really liked it and liked shooting it. The only double stack that I have liked so far is my SIG Sauer SP2022, but the 9mm bullet is a baby next to the 45 ACP for the XDS!

 

[caburian]

I was just going to leave this thread alone, BUT

I have a pretty good collection of firearm, not as much as some people on here but I would consider it decent that I can say I have it when friends starts naming guns. when I think about it, I don't really have a "comfortable" preference.
I guess I would find a 357 magnum unbalanced and uncomfortable to conceal on an ankle strap :|

to respond to OP's post, Im more distracted on the word recoil from your post. If you really want no recoil then any .22 should do it, otherwise with the proper grip and arm extension, recoil is easily controllable.
Basing it on the popular concealed carry choices from this forum, i find the glock 23 with 165grain ammo with the most recoil of any gun i own but i seem to be more consistent on my spread compared to my match grade kimber 1911, i cant explain why. However glock 23 if paired with a 180grain becomes a much more manageable firearm.

This might help in terms of recoil

 

[Ms. Wit]

I found this to be an interesting discussion. I was surprised at the initial comment disagreeing with how a gun feels in your hand. I do not yet own and am interested in such opinions. I had my mind made up about the type of gun that I would purchase. UNTIL I was introduced to something that was completely the opposite! I LIKED the way it felt in my hand. This seems like the most logical starting point to me. I will continue to shop, but know that I must be comfortable with my ability to handle the gun before I purchase.

 

[tcox4freedom]

I was just going to leave this thread alone, BUT

I have a pretty good collection of firearm, not as much as some people on here but I would consider it decent that I can say I have it when friends starts naming guns. when I think about it, I don't really have a "comfortable" preference.
I guess I would find a 357 magnum unbalanced and uncomfortable to conceal on an ankle strap :|

to respond to OP's post, Im more distracted on the word recoil from your post. If you really want no recoil then any .22 should do it, otherwise with the proper grip and arm extension, recoil is easily controllable.
Basing it on the popular concealed carry choices from this forum, i find the glock 23 with 165grain ammo with the most recoil of any gun i own but i seem to be more consistent on my spread compared to my match grade kimber 1911, i cant explain why. However glock 23 if paired with a 180grain becomes a much more manageable firearm.

This might help in terms of recoil

The only problem with depending solely on techniques such as this (a good "range" technique btw), is "range" techniques don't alway correlate well with what a SD situation may demand. This makes size feel, caliber and comfort (in use) all important factors when choosing a HG for CC or defense.

Learning good technique can make "leisure" range time a lot more fun & enjoyable for a nervous or beginning shooter. Good techniques like in the above video can also help build a newbie's confidence. But, having to depend on having to hold a firearm with two hands or having to move into a particular shooting stance to be effective in a SD situation could mean bad news for you in a real world SD situation.

Technique is also important in the real world as well. But, there are so MANY variables to consider; you could spend a lifetime of learning, training & practice and not expose yourself to everything you may encounter in a SD situation. Just remember "training" (NOT just shooting), is important when you decide to put ANY firearm on to CC.


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