The other day I shot some guns as I look for one to buy: an FN in 9mm and I did not like the trigger. An Beretta PX$ Storm compact in 40 S&W and I love the trigger and finally, a Springfield XDS in 45 acp which I also liked.

The 9 was easy to shoot, the 40 was ever so slightly snappier with a little more muzzle rise and the 45 was a push perhaps owing to its heavier bullet at lower velocity.

Does this sound about right? Since I am LH I need an ambi safety. My next stop will be another 1911 type pistol. Thinking of looking at the Taurus or even the Beretta in 45.

Any other thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

Sounds about right but size weight and caliber all make a difference.

A client of mine shoots a Glock 22. he fell in love with my SR1911 heavier gun better trigger.

I shoot them all well but a 100,000 rounds of pistol ammo shot down range well do that for you

The size of the gun will make a big difference due to grip size, barrel length and as p dog says, weight. But ergonomics DO make a difference in felt recoil, controllability etc. Also, striker fired guns vs. conventional hammer fired guns are completely different. The intended use of the gun will go a long way to determining the best choice.
Peter.

The main intended use is for carrying on my person. as an aside I noted all my shots with the fn were in the lower right quadrant of the target while the shots with the beretta were in the center of the target.

the xds had the 3.3" barrel.

Your assessment matches my experience with those cartridges, some in different guns. I carry an XDs in .45 and think it's great - easy to control and easy to conceal. I keep the 5-round mag in it, so with one in the pipe I'm packing the equivalent of a six-gun. Then I tuck the larger mag in a pocket for a few more rounds if necessary, God forbid.

how southern nm are you? my in laws live in Ruidoso and I used to hung quail on the blm land near artesia.

further: yesterday I had my hands on a Springfield M&P 9 which sems like a 1911 clone of some sort. I noted the ambi safety lever is moved from top to bottom (safe to fire) rather than the other way round and it felt like a more positive natural motion to me. however, the trigger felt mushy and not smooth like some others have.

I also tried a Kimber and, being a new gun, the safety lever was so stiff as to be unworkable with one thumb and it moved from safe (bottom) to fire (top) which was opposite the Springfield.

Sorry bluefish, but you have me completley lost! The standard 1911 pistol, of which the Kimber is a good example has a manual safety so that the gun can be carried cocked with the manual safety "on". This safety engages a slot in the slide and is set when in the "up" position. The safety is disengaged by pushing it DOWN, which is a perfectly natural and very fast action. The safety can ONLY be set when the hammer is cocked. Perhaps you were looking at the latest Kimber (Solo) which is NOT a 1911 style pistol? However, Kimber is noted for it's 1911 pistols of which I own 2!
The Springfield M&P (unless I am confused) is not a 1911 clone but is a striker fired pistol. It does not have an external hammer like a 1911 pistol but rather has an internal striker. The trigger WILL feel completely different than an external hammer fired pistol.
if I am confused hopefully someone will straighten me out!
Peter

the confusion lies with me as a new handgun shooter. the springfield looks 1911-ish to me I guess. the Kimber just had a very tough lever to work. as I said previously, the beretta px4 storm trigger was the one I liked best so far though I did not have the chance to experiment with different backstrap sizes to check for diferent feel in the hands.

bluefish, as a suggestion, you might want to visit a gun store that has a pistol range. They should let you shoot any gun that you are interested in buying. They have "demos". Alternatively let folks on this forum know where you live, and, if there is somone reasonably close by, they will probabaly let you try out their guns. If you are interested in a gun to carry, then a striker fired gun that is instantly ready would IMHO be your best bet. A 1911 style gun can be carried, or be in the home, in different "conditions" and you must be aware of that condition at all times. The trigger of a striker fired gun WILL feel different, and not as "crisp" as a 1911 trigger, but, as many police are equipped with Glocks, is adequate for the intended purpose! Alternatively, a small revolver will do as well. The gun I carry most is a Ruger LCR in 38Spl. It fits well in a pocket holster, ideal for Florida carry when wearing T shirt and shorts!
Peter

Thank you. I will keep all of your ideas in mind as I progress.

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
how southern nm are you? my in laws live in Ruidoso and I used to hung quail on the blm land near artesia.

West of there, near Las Cruces. Had a few quail last year, but the ongoing drought has been pretty tough on them. We've gotten just a bit of spring rain that will hopefully help the little buggers find enough food to make it to adulthood after hatching.

the spring rain my FIL always said was a big key to the year. so we'd go west out of Ruidoso pas the Inn to get to Cruces eventually after we'd go through the Organ Mts pass across White Sands. Neat country.

Well you live in a place where a handgun can come in pretty handy at times..I was a deputy in El Paso many years ago and then a customs Agent and finally ended up in DEA, all on the South Texas Border, Grew up on a ranch just out of El Paso before we moved to the Big bend country, Cowboyed and rodeoed as a kid, and a young man all over southern NM and Texas, spent a lot of time in Las Cruses and Artisia ..

One thing that I think is over looked in chosing a pistol is fast "recoil recovery", and for that reason I always carried a Browning HP with Plus P plus Border Patrol special ammo that I connived from my BP buddies, around town and in cities..I preferred it to my 45 1911 commander or my S&W 357 Combat, but for laying in on the river I always carried a 375 6" combat magnum revolver, it is just was a better tool in the brush and mountains, where shots may be long or short.