njplinker

$500ish online and $540ish in store for a gen3. $549ish online and $575 ish in store for a gen 4. All give or take $5-10. Obviously all online prices are plus shipping and ffl and in store are plus tax. For the gen 4 I'm not sure it's worth the hassle going online. For the ppq and sigs, different story, online prices are much cheaper. Michael

Again, all more good advice In my mind I've decided to go the G19, but damn it's tough finding one in stock at a reasonable price or getting some of the local ffls to coordinate an online order. I might just go to njfg and pick up the overpriced one they have in stock. And I believe AA does make a .22 conversion for the G19, just tough to find in stock anywhere. Michael.

Thanks giantsfan....had kind of forgotten about the barrel conversion options. Probably going to stick with stock 9mm for now and think about conversions later down the line (particularly for a .22 conversion). Have a couple requests out for pricing on the G19, PPQ and P226 and going to make my decision asap. Thanks again, Michael

LOL. Probably sound advice. Thanks everyone for their advice. I'll make my decision in the next few days, then move on to the .22 I had planned to buy all along. Will probably be back to relay my impressions and get input on pistol #3. Michael

I did mention I didn't like the heft of an all metal pistol, but should have qualified that as the all 'steel' pistols I tried. The SIG weighs about the same as the others, but somehow felt different. Don't know if the the aluminum frame changed the balance or what. I thought I would have a problem with the SA/DA trigger, but actually overcame that pretty quickly and could probably be fine with either. Still cant seem to decide. My gut says G19, but my heart/eyes say P226 or PPQ. Michael

Thanks for the input guys. While I know the G19 would be a safe choice, part of me really wants to go for the Sig 226 or the Walther PPQ right off the bat, maybe just need my arm twisted. Really none of them stood leaps and bounds above the rest and I'm sure my inexperience is the root of any poor performance (not the pistols' fault). To NJDiverTony.....Regarding the Apex trigger kit for the M&P, I had read a little about it before and some say it meets or surpasses the version on the Pro model. Is it the DCAEK one that I should be looking at? If so, that's $90 plus $75 for three 15 round mags, puts the M&P in the $700 range. Food for thought. Too bad the NJ permit process is such a pain and I can't just get anything I want, whenever I want and trade it in or sell it if not all that I had hoped. Michael

I recently got my FID and 3 pistol permits and am in the process of picking up my first pistol. I've gone to several shops and recently made trips to two separate ranges to rent several pistols and see what was most comfortable in my hand and what I felt the most comfortable shooting. Here was my initial list of criteria. 1. Simple, reliable operation 2. Semi-auto with a decent mag capacity 3. Fit my largish size hands (size 9.5 or XL gloves) 4. Not 'too' big or heavy so my wife with mid sized hands could use on occasion or if the need arised 5. Affordable ammo as I plan to practice a lot 6. Somewhere south of $800, but with wiggle room 7. Looks not really important 8. Ambidextrous controls not required, but a plus With the above in mind and based on all the (dis) information on the web, reading forums for lots of specific manufacturers and other more general firearm forums, I decided (correctly or not) to focus my initial search on a full or mid size frame, polymer, striker fired 9mm. I started first at the NJ Firearm Guild in Rahway as they are just a short drive away and based on all the feedback here, have a wide selection of pistols. The salesman (embarrassed that I'm blanking on his name) was super helpful and spent over an hour showing me pistols from all the major manufacturers that weren't just limited to what I thought I wanted. He showed me pistols from Glock (19/17), SIG (226/229), S&W (M&P 9 and M&P 9 Pro), Beretta (92FS/PX4), Springfield (XD/XDM), Ruger (SP9), CZ (75b), H&K (P30/P2000), FN (FNP/FNX), Walther (P99/PPQ), and I'm sure there were others. The salesman really didn't try to sway me in any direction, rather suggested it most importantly feel good in my hand and the trigger feel comfortable. Additionally he showed me how each pistol field stripped and re-assembled. I have to say, I really enjoyed the visit and even though prices were a good bit higher than can be bought online, I might go there for the final purchase just for the service. I didn't much care for the Beretta 92FS, due to the grip size, weight and difficulty I was having activating the mag release and the same went for the weight and feel of the CZ 75B. I didn't like the SA XD/XDM feel or the grip safety and the Ruger SP9 just felt cheap with that rubber back strap. Honestly don't really remember anything for or against the FN's. All in all, there wasn't anything really wrong with any of them, these just just didn't seem to be for me. From just fondling the guns and seeing how they fit my hand, here was the short list of guns that I liked: - Glock 19 and 17 - S&W M&P - Beretta PX4 - SIG 226 - HK P30 - Walther PPQ Based on the salesman's recommendation, I visited their range in Easton to rent several of their pistols and here are my impressions. Again, the people at Heritage Guild were super nice and very helpful. I took some additional time to look at the pistols on my short list and then headed to the rental counter. Ten minutes later, I had four boxes of 9mm American Eagle and tags for the Glock 19/17, SIG 226, S&W M&P 9 Pro and the HK P30. Sadly they didn't have a PPQ or PX4 to rent. Here's my opinions and results (sorry no photos): - S&W M&P 9 Pro - This pistol felt good in my hands and was the easiest for me to actuate the mag release without excessive movement, I think in part because it is a narrower grip. The trigger on this pistol is the upgraded version (forget the designation) and comes with fiber optic front sight. The trigger really doesn't have much feel, has a somewhat soft break and no real reset to be felt, but it was very smooth. Took me a few rounds to figure out where the POA should be as the sights are a bit small, but once I did, I shot this pistol the best. Downsides are size with its really long barrel and long grip, limited 10 round magazines in NJ (reported 15 rounders out there, but none seem to be available). I later shot the standard version of the gun and it's trigger is worlds apart....not for me. - Glock 17/19 both Gen 4 - These two for some reason felt natural in my hand. Not sure why, perhaps because I've shot them both before with friends and at my NRA First Steps class, but they felt good. The larger mag release was in a good position and I had no issues activating it. The slide release is small, but I honestly liked the austerity of the slide...nice and clean. I liked the sights as they were clear and easy to see and line up. The trigger was a nice consistent DAO pull each time with a medium weight, longer take up but nice break and a crisp reset. FYI, both G17 and G19 were Gen 4 with 12/XX/11 fire dates and had upgraded RSA and Ejectors, and were 100% reliable with no brass to the face. I shot these two with equal results and not far behind the M&P. The 17 would be almost perfect, but limited to 10 round magazines in NJ. The 19 was a close second, comes in 15 rd magazines, but was just a smidge short in the grip. - SIG 226 - I hadn't wanted a SA/DA, nor a full metal gun to start, but the 226 also felt really good in my hand, but in a different way than the above pistols. It had what I think are the E2 polymer grips and they are a bit wider and rounder than the thinner M&P and the blockier Glock grips. I was initially intimidated by the SA/DA, but it really isn't complicated and the smooth decocker kind of quelled my concerns. Mag release was natural, but the slide release along with the decocker makes for a somewhat cluttered side. The SA is long and heavy at around 10 lbs, but the DA has a very short reset and a light crisp pull. All in all, a really nice pistol that I shot well, though not as well as the above three (no doubt my own limitations). Cost was a bit higher than initially wanted to spend, but within my wiggle room - H&K P30 - Initially didn't even consider this based on the cost, but this thing fit like a glove and had great ergos. Loved the mag release location and it came with 15 rd magazines. The decocker location was odd and the action abrupt. The trigger was super crisp with a short/crisp reset and very different than all the above. The sights however were not for me, with a very narrow front sight and dim night sights. From an ergo and trigger perspective, this one was the winner for me, but oddly enough I shot it the worst. It's obviously my inexperience and probably because it was last in line after 150 shots before it, but I was all over the map. Cost again was a bit higher, but could stretch the budget. The two that I really wish I was able to rent was the PX4 and the PPQ. Starting with the PPQ, it was so similar to the P30 in ergos and trigger feel (at least from dry firing), but at half the price. The PX4 felt really nice in my hand and I really liked the trigger feel through a couple of dry fires, though fit and finish didn't seem up to the levels of the others and the safety/decocker had really sharp edges and the hard drop of the hammer with the decock was alarming. I still wish I was able to shoot it though as it did feel nice in my hand I'm pass on the M&P Pro for it's size and mag capacity limits and didn't like the trigger on the standard version at all. I think I'm going to rule out the H&K for the cost for now (poor shooting results probably weighing in there some as well). The SIG 226 was a really great pistol, but might not be the best first choice. So right now, I'm kind of leaning towards the Glock 19 Gen 4 for my first pistol. It felt good in my hand, will likely fit my wife's hand as well, was simple to operate, I shot it well and comes with Glock's reputation for reliability. Seems a bit boring, but also a good reliable choice that will allow me to focus on fundamentals and have some cash left over to buy ammo. I'll also have 2 other permits to possibly pick up a 226 or a PPQ in the future along with a .22 Ruger 22/45 that I planned to get all along. Wow, this really turned into a novel. Thanks for reading this far and let me know if you have any of my impressions were off base of if you have any suggestions or words of wisdom. Thanks again, Michael

Took me a few days to get to the PD to pick up my forms, but now I'm all legal with FID and 3 P@P. I'll post in the other ongoing thread, but my PD was very courteous throughout the whole process and didn't run in to any hiccups (other than the process taking a few extra weeks). Thanks again for all the warm welcomes.

Well, got the call from my local PD yesterday that my FID and permits are ready to be picked up. 2 months to the day from the time I dropped off the forms or 6 weeks since I got fingerprinted. Not too bad. Unfortunately I'll need to take a day off from work to go in and pick them up. Then begins the fun part, handling a bunch of pistols, hopefully renting a few and making a decision on my first purchase.

Thanks for kind welcome everyone. Added some more details in the profile.

I've been reading this forum for a few months now and it's been a great resource so far. Thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce myself. I applied for my FID and 3 P2P back in October, got prints done first of November and my references (my town required 3) just told me they were called by the detective running the checks. Probably going to jinx myself with this thread, but hoping to have my approved paper work soon. I'm not a complete newbie to shooting as I've gone skeet shooting a bunch of times and fired pistols several times with friends and at the NRA first steps class at Gun For Hire where I learned quite a bit. I've never owned my own firearm (outside of a few BB and pellet guns as a kid) so I'm sure I'll be asking a lot of stupid questions. Definitely plan to continue taking training courses as I get more into the sport. So if you see me around asking newbie questions, feel free to steer me in the right direction. I'll soon be posting the obligatory 'which first pistol' post in the handgun forum as I've been thinking of a Glock 19 and a Ruger 22/45 for my first two P2P to work on technique (have used them in training classes and with friends), unsure what the third P2P will be used for. Then I'm sure I'll be following with the 'where to shoot' questions as I've been reading up on all the local public and private ranges (none of which are very close to me, unfortunately). Thanks for reading.