With my list of guns in hand, I went to the gun store. Of course, I need a gun store with serious inventory and while the big box stores may have the inventory, the customer service seems to lack when it comes to one-on-one interactions with the customers. Knowledgeable staff is also a concern at big box stores which all the more reason to shop at your local gun shops!
I had one goal in mind. I would hold each gun and see how it fit in my hand and then take notes.
- How does the grip feel?
- Where are the mechanisms I will have to use?
- Can I get a solid grip on the gun?
- Without looking at the gun, how does it feel in my hand?
- Is it heavy?
- Is it concealable?
- How are the stock sights?
- Can I rack the slide easily?
- Do I visually like the gun? (not important really but I am a visual person)
- Is it reliable? What do other users say are the pros & cons of this gun?
This meant I need a patient salesperson. With luck, I found one! “Joe” not only heard and understood what my mission was but applauded it. He took one look at my list of guns and knew I was serious. He was helpful, patient, and gave me information that I hadn’t known. It was from him I learned about ambidextrous magazine releases and why to consider them. I went to the gun store in three trips, I held every brand of gun they carried, and each time Joe would ask, which one is next on your list?
The list became shorter:
- Ruger LC9
- S&W MP9C
- Taurus 24/7 G2 9SsC-17
- Springfield XD(M) 3.8 compact
- Ruger SR9C
Then my head got turned around because someone who was trying to help on a Facebook gun group mentioned shooting in IDPA, a shooting competition organization. I had seen Julie Golob and knew about the IDPA and USPSA but felt that was years down the road before I could compete…no, he said. You can start training and shooting IDPA now. Wait, what? I can start shooting competition and having fun now? Heck, yeah! Sign me up!
Then my gun buying journey went into a tailspin. Can I get a single stack that I can also compete with and conceal? I went to Joe, my faithful gun salesman. He laughed. Thank goodness I knew him pretty well at that point or I would have been offended. He plainly asked, “what do you want to use this gun for?” I guess everything was not a good answer. Okay, I want a gun to train and compete with in standard stock division. A gun to compete with minus the upgrades and expensive bells & whistles I had no inkling about.
That we can work with, Joe said. He showed me the full size versions of the guns I liked so far. I realized I needed to do more research. I started at the IDPA website, what guns are winning? What ones are the most used? I can still hear the Sig guys bellowing how fabulous Sig Sauers are but I didn’t like the grip, sorry. Nothing against the gun, it’s my hand that is the problem.
The most used guns in competition are no particular order: CZ, Glock, Sig Sauer, and Smith & Wesson. A new gun being offered by H&K was thrust into the mix as well, the VP9. I read up on USPSA as well. I found an approved list of guns for competition:
https://www.uspsa.org/uspsa-NROI-production-gunlist.php
I preferred the Smith & Wesson and Glock the most. Competition is what made me decide to buy a range gun instead of concealed carry. I felt it was best to learn marksmanship and get competition ready before I concealed carry- at the time, I didn’t want to conceal carry. (You can read more at To Carry or Not to Carry post)
The new gun list became:
- H&K VP9
- Glock 17
- S&W M&P Pro Core Series
I had chosen a firearms instructor but didn’t have a gun. I think I spoke with him at least five times about which gun to purchase. I also questioned anyone I could on which they would choose. All the advice was the same, shoot them all and decide for yourself.
The H&K VP9 had the best grip, it is ambidextrous and the barrel is competition ready. Another competitor and firearms trainer uses it and loves it, he hasn’t had to replace the barrel and he has shot at least 5,000 rounds through it. It is pricey though, at $749 base price it was WAY above my intended gun purchase budget. Can I justify it? I wouldn’t have to change anything…and I love this gun already. It was love at first grip. (Of course it’s cheaper now, I just discovered at Gunwatcher.com). The H&K also came with 3 magazines, hello! What a great buy, of course this would be my gun!
The Smith & Wesson Pro Core Series, competition optics ready, the great Julie Golob shoots one. Everything screams at me to love this gun. It is commonly used, a solid performer and $100 less than the H&K VP9 at $650 base price. It just doesn’t WOW me. What the heck is wrong with me? In the case, Smith & Wesson provides 2 magazines.
The Glock 17 was the least expensive of the three at $550 base price but it was also what I considered the most basic of the three. No bells and whistles, no capability to mount optics down the road. A bonus for Glocks, there are always Glock Armorers at competitions I was told, that would help if you have issues and most of the time have replacement parts if you need them. The same couldn’t be said of the Smith & Wesson or the H&K. Also, Glock offers this gun for sale with 2 or 3 magazines.
I won’t lie. I wanted the H&K, badly. I was scoping out H&K gear, I really love their red logo. I was even shopping for range bag at the H&K store. I was certain that the H&K would be my king of the three. I was already reading up on the other models H&K offered, imagining I had found my brand! If I bought based on looks, reviews, grip, the H&K would be it. I just didn’t want to make a bad decision. My instructor said, all three are great firearms, you cannot go wrong with any of them- again, go shoot them and then decide. Hmm, more of the same advice. Okay then, let’s shoot!
I shot 50 rounds with each gun. I wanted to shoot center mass, make my notes and then swing shoot between two targets as I imagine I would in competition. I wanted to know how the gun felt when I shot it, if I felt it was easy to hold, how the recoil felt and how I performed with the gun.
I hated shooting the H&K VP9, it just had too much recoil for my lack of experience. Looking back, my grip probably wasn’t what it needed to be. The gun felt great in my hand but it bit me with recoil when I shot it. I wanted to love it, I wanted it to be the winner so badly. *POOF* went that dream.
The Pro Core shot well, I key-holed with it but I struggled with my grip while shooting. I shot the Pro Core last and it did have a red dot optic mounted on it. I had a feeling of uneasiness with the gun that is not explainable. It just didn’t feel right. Of course, that could have been the novice in me at the time.
When I shot the Glock 17, it was fun. I was disappointed when I ran out of ammo. My groups are tight and overall, my super-supportive-amazing husband and I decided it was the winner of the three after deliberating about it over two days. All in all, it took me two months of non-stop research, YouTube, reading, comparing, holding, and eventually shooting to make a decision of which gun to buy.
I bought the Glock. I loved the VP9, with vigor and I almost bought it without shooting it first. Shooting an intended purchase is the only way to forgo buyers remorse. I even asked others about training around recoil. I had the VP9 bug bad.
I have not regretted it. I love the Glock now and I am grateful to have gotten a very reliable firearm. I have not shot it in competition, my journey took another detour as I discovered what I want to be when I grow up but I am still proud of my decision. I wonder, can I conceal carry a Glock 17? It can be done, I just need something strong, it’s not too heavy of a gun to carry …
Live Love Load 
Try Walther PPQ M2 9mm Very Easy & Fun Gun To Shot:)
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i went through a lot of the same thoughts/decisions as you did and finally chose the Springfield mod.2 9mm 4″.
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