Help me Decide

[Glocker001]

You truly have to put a Glock on your list!

 

[wabacokid]

I carry the Sig P239 in .40 Cal. Very accurate out of the box and super compact to carry. A little heavy for some people's liking but it works great for me. The weight makes the recoil little to non existent. Can't go wrong with a Sig, no matter which model you choose. Also the DA/SA takes a bit getting used to.

 

[TheDoaner]

Those are 3 excellent handguns but I usually holster the Kimber Super Carry Pro. It's simply more comfortable to carry and easier to conceal. The match grade bull barrel makes it more accurate than any of my longer 1911's or tupperware pistols without a match grade barrel. It's sounds as though you're already salivating over a Kimber and will eventually end up with one anyway. Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy it now without spending the money on a Sig or M&P only to end up getting a Kimber in the end?

 

[Fyrewerx]

I find it ironic that the XDs (single stack XD .45 mentioned earlier) link was shown right on this page as an advertisement. I plan to give this a very close look, even though I once said I would never carry anything larger than a 9mm.

XD-S Compact 45ACP Pistol | Springfield Armory USA

Oddly, its made in Croatia. I don't know if that's good or bad, or if it's a dealbreaker for you.

 

[shootin.targets]

I'm looking for my carry weapon and I've narrowed it down to a precious few. LOL Now I want your opinion on just the gun and NOT the price as I want to know what you think of the guns.
1) Sig Sauer P226 .40
2) Sig Sauer P229 .40
3) S&W M&P Compact .40
If you have a better suggestion, here's what I prefer: Large Caliber, somewhat concealable (I'm 6'4" 280 Lbs. so I can hide a large weapon) and a somewhat large mag. capacity. It will be used for CC and home defense. Thanks for your help and suggestions.
PS: I'm in Love with 1911's and Kimber's in particular.

As someone who owns a P226, here are a few things to think about OP:
1) it's really not that hard to conceal and the difference in height from the P229 is only 0.1 inches according to Sig's website.
2) do you like the feel of the hinged trigger on the M&P series? The way the Sig felt in my hand was why I bought it over a Glock, M&P, and XD pistol.
3) I'm guessing that weight probably isn't too big of an issue since you said that you're 6'4" and 280# but the alloy frame will weigh probably 4-5 oz more than the plastic one.
4) I think that you can still get the new Sig with the standard size grips instead of the reduced size ones that were originally introduced on their E^2 version. I'm guessing that as a large guy you probably would appreciate the larger grips so that you can fit all your fingers. Out of fairness I must state that I don't know much about the grip size of the M&P.

Personally, if I was you, I would get the P226 and a quality holster and be done with it. The only significant dimension change to the P229 is the length which is negligible in regards to concealment. However, if you decided down the road to get something more compact, the P239 has the same ergonomics and trigger making for a very easy transfer of muscle memory.

 

[Razz24]

My opinion only

I'm looking for my carry weapon and I've narrowed it down to a precious few. LOL Now I want your opinion on just the gun and NOT the price as I want to know what you think of the guns.
1) Sig Sauer P226 .40
2) Sig Sauer P229 .40
3) S&W M&P Compact .40
If you have a better suggestion, here's what I prefer: Large Caliber, somewhat concealable (I'm 6'4" 280 Lbs. so I can hide a large weapon) and a somewhat large mag. capacity. It will be used for CC and home defense. Thanks for your help and suggestions.
PS: I'm in Love with 1911's and Kimber's in particular.

I'm partial to the glock model 27 .40 cal with extended finger grip.

 

[Razz24]

I'm partial to the block model 30. .40 Cal subcompact with extended finger grip.

 

[rdc2co]

Get something for which you can get parts. I like Glocks and 1911s, because I can get parts by the 1,000s. Also, Springfield XD/XDM .45 fits my hand better that another .45 I tried. Someone said 'try before you buy'...absolutely...try as many as you can get your hands on BEFORE you lay out that much money. I have a bunch of junk that just doesn't work well. Also, check reliability reports.
Link Removed
Top Ten Handguns for Self-Defense | A Reasonable Life
Most reliable semiauto pistols - THR
I look for parts availability, reliability reports, and I ask people at the range. Surprisingly many people love a chance to let you try their gun, so if you can't rent a "try-before-you-buy" gun at the range, ask someone how they like their (whatever they are shooting). You will be surprised at how many shooters want to share.
With, I also look for large ejection port- some 1911s still have the smaller ejection port, rather than new lowered-and-flared ones. I had some guns in the past that jammed constantly. With 1911s, "you get what you pay for" actually applies. Better ones have a higher price tag, but the 1911 design has been here for 101 years.....
The S&W M&P series have good write-ups, but I haven't bought one yet, but I know people that love theirs enough to sleep with it. Sig Sauer- self explanatory. Glock- there's a reason that most LE agencies use them. 1911s- 101 years....The math is easy.
Cheaper, lesser known guns...avoid a "good deal".........
That's all the advice I can offer.

 

[DLeeHarley]

I've made my decision.

Drum roll please. It's going to be the S&W M&P .40 full size. I'd really like to get either the Kimber or Sig Sauer but I think I'll wait on those and buy both a full size M&P.40 & a .45 for less than the Kimber. Thanks for all your help. And it really did help too.