[markhoy1]

I stumbled upon your site while doing research on the Glock 37. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Browning Hi-Power Practical 9mm (40?) or the 37. I have small hands and can't handle a 1911. I also like the higher mag capacities of the Browning and Glock.

Any quick advice? I‚m going to an AZ training course soon and need to make a purchase. If you had to pick just one of these as your main handgun which would it be?

 

[Fernando Coelho]

If it were me, I'd go with the Browning. It fits my hand better than any Glock.

 

[Sarge]

Try a Springfield XD...

My wife just loves her XD-40, and they do handle and point well. They are also quite reliable once you shorten the inward extension of the slide stop just a tad. The XD sort of took the Glock concept and resolved the Glock's problems (unsupported chamber, lead intolerance, weird grip angle) during the design phase, and added the grip safety of the 1911. The finished product is a pretty good pistol.

 

[Jamie C.]

Hey Sarge.... Am I the only one that finds the "trigger block safety" on the Glock, XD, Sigma, and various other "Glock-Offs" to be more than a little bit pointless?


Jamie

 

[Snake45]

Hey Sarge.... Am I the only one that finds the "trigger block safety" on the Glock, XD, Sigma, and various other "Glock-Offs" to be more than a little bit pointless?

Jamie

You are not alone, my friend. I've thought that since Day One.

Yeah, it prevents ADs if you drop the thing (theoretically) but it does absolutely NOTHING to keep it from firing if ANYBODY's finger gets on that trigger. Criminals, children, you inadvertently--anybody.

I remember in the stories of the early Glocks how it was such a big deal that Gaston Glock had never designed (maybe even never SHOT) a handgun before designing the 17. AH, I thought, that answers the question of what kind of moron thought that putting the safety RIGHT ON THE TRIGGER was a good idea....

 

[Jamie C.]

Yeah, it prevents ADs if you drop the thing (theoretically)

Well, here's my theory on that... Any force, whether it's applied by a finger, a holster strap, stick or twig... or INERTIA ... is gonna disable that silly little flapper in the trigger long before it overcomes the springs applying resistance to the trigger it's self.

Besides, I'm guessing that any drop that provided enough force to make the trigger effectivly weigh enough to set the pistol off would be more than enough to destroy the pistol.

Again, that's just my opinion, and I haven't done the required math to prove it. *shrug*

Still, I see glock's and everyone else's "trigger safety" as being the equivalent to the human appendix.

Oh yeah... markhoy1... I think I'd probably take the Hi Power in .40 s&w.

J.C.

 

[Snake45]

I'd also prefer the Browning HP to the Glock. But be advised that the Browning might not be "ready to go" right out of the box. They're nearly legendary for horrendous trigger pulls.

To get any and all Hi Power questions answered, check out the forums at

http://www.fnhipower.com

What those guys don't know about P35s ain't worth knowing.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look at Smith & Wesson .40s, but you might not like those either for one reason or another.

 

[Sarge]

Jamie-

You are not alone. The trigger safety is roughly equivalent to having a hunnerd-dollar deadbolt on your front door, but leaving the key in the keyhole- on the outside. File that one under "pointless accessories to facilitate import, and/or sell gun to people who don't know any better".

Actually, I am probably one of about three people on earth who actually kind of liked the Sigma. If you "grew up" shooting PPC, you'll understand. The few I shot were reliable, and shot pretty darn well if you pretended they were a DA revolver. I really thought they'd catch on better than they did.

 

[Jamie C.]

One other thing, markhoy1...

You say you have small hands and can't handle a 1911.

Have you tried one with a flat mainspring housing and a short trigger? ( a single-stack gun, not a high-cap model )

I have fairly small hands too ( the grip on a Glock 21 feels like a piece of 2 x 4 to me ), but the above mentioned set-up works just fine for me.

Just a thought.

Jamie

 

[Nemo]

Another excellent grip frame...

You may want to check the CZ75 line of pistols. IMO they have the best grip frame girth and angle of any other modern handgun.

My $0.02

 

[SpecialEd]

I finally got out to the range this morning (first day of school so the kids are gone) and I rented an SW1911 then a SIG GSR. They feel great in my hands and I shot them well enough (even better than my HighPower... at least the GSR) but the reach to the mag release and slide release is really long for me and I ended up doing it with my left hand or changing my grip big time.

As far as Glock vs. Browning goes, I am very partial to High Powers and Glocks don't appeal to me but I know of at least one gun training facility in AZ that really, really prefers guns with exposed hammers!

Ed

 

[Mad Ogre]

I'll second the recomendations on the CZ-75's and the Springfield XD's. Both excellent for small hands.

 

[Jamie C.]

Well I certainly feel like an idiot...

Forgot all about the CZ's.

Which is kind'a silly, considering I just sold mine about this time last year.

So I guess I'll "third" the motion.

They're well-made and accurate, if my old CZ-75B was any indication. And the "cocked and locked" option was a major selling point for me.


J.C.

 

[Daniel Watters]

I finally got out to the range this morning (first day of school so the kids are gone) and I rented an SW1911 then a SIG GSR. They feel great in my hands and I shot them well enough (even better than my HighPower... at least the GSR) but the reach to the mag release and slide release is really long for me and I ended up doing it with my left hand or changing my grip big time.

Mike Plaxco once said that the reason why the Good Lord gave us a left thumb was to operate the slide stop on a M1911. It is easy enough to hit with your left thumb as your left hand rejoins the right in gripping the pistol.

As for the mag release, there are work-arounds. One option is thinner stock panels. Do you remember the pictures of the .38 Super Caspian that I posted? It has the CMC slim stocks installed. It also has a slightly extended mag release from Ed Brown (not too long, nor wide). The pistol was spec'ed with a 11yr old (now ~15) female shooter in mind. While Samantha could reach the controls with ease even then, most grown men have not found the reduced girth to be objectionable. I remember an instructor for the SCHP who could not keep his hands off of the pistol when he first saw it at the range. He'd handle it, put it back in the case...wait a few minutes...pull it back out, handle it some more, and so on. It was quite amusing to watch.

 

[SpecialEd]

Thanks Daniel, I'll keep that in mind!

Ed

 

[igli]

As for the Glock "Safe Action" trigger dingus, Jeff Cooper once described the Glock as basically a "Single action semiauto, with no safety and a lousy trigger pull".

I don't always agree with Cooper... but I respect his writing ability and always enjoy his works.

For me, the best feeling pistol I've ever experienced was a Browning BDA. The thing felt like someone had melted a pistol and then poured it into my grip. And I believe it was basically a rebadged CZ of some sort, possibly the CZ-75 that others have mentioned. Anyone know for sure?

 

[SpecialEd]

The BDA (380) was made in Italy for FN. The BDM was developed for Browning by a company in Utah then taken on by FN in the US.

HTH,

Ed

 

[Richard Jefferies]

Dan'l W. wrote:

Mike Plaxco once said that the reason why the Good Lord gave us a left thumb was to operate the slide stop on a M1911.

Back when I was IPSCing a lot, I used to shoot with a fellow from NC whose name I cannot recollect. He was a Master class shooter, though, and he did all his mag changes on his hi-cap 1911 .38 Super using his left thumb so he didn't have to change his firing grip. His reloads were as fast as any other MC shooter. He would just "swivel" his left hand and punch the mag release button with a stiff thumb, then grab the spare and insert it.

 

[harvey]

Igli:

Ther Browning BDA in the '70s was a SIG-Sauer P-220 with a Euro magazine release. It was available in 9mm, .45acp and .38 Super. After that pistol was retired from their product line, they introduced a "new" BDA, which was a hi-cap .380 built by, IIRC, Beretta.

Harvey

 

[Dean Speir]

 

Well, yes, Harvey… but be advised that there's been a number of models designated "BDA" in the Browning line over the years.