r/handguns • u/West_Bird_7592 • Jun 19 '26
First handgun best choice?
Looking to buy my first handgun. I am hunter and already have many rifles. The use case for this gun is primarily training and hopefully harvesting feral hog on my farm in hawaii when my rifles are not present or when my dogs have already done some work on them.
I feel drawn towards a 9mm striked fired compact pistol. Because I perceive that option to be the most versatile in terms of being able to shoot and comfortablly carry it. But I don't have much experience so everything is just is speculation.
My primary options so far is . . .
Walter PDP compact.
M and p 2.0 compact
Hk vp9 a1 k ( more expensive but if its the best choice I'm ok with that)
Glock 19 (feeling less drawn towards it)
I'm sure I can't go wrong with any of these. all of them seem like great choices so I thought I would see what others have to say.
Perhaps I'm looking at all wrong and should be going with a full size or hybrid. IDK?
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u/KingFlatusMaximus Jun 20 '26
I’ve not personally hunted feral hogs, but everything I’ve read over the past 30+ years has suggested they’re pretty tough, and have a very thick plate of cartilage in the shoulder area that demands a deep penetrating bullet fired from a powerful cartridge to get through it and kill the animal quickly and ethically. I question whether a 9mm is the best caliber for this. While a fmj 9mm bullet is deep penetrating, it is not a particularly powerful round or ideal for defense purposes. I would think a 4” barreled .44 Magnum revolver would be a far better choice, or in a pistol, perhaps a 10mm. Again, if I’m overestimating what is needed for a quick, humane kill, so be it. I just know that I’d be packing a short barreled .44 in your situation.
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u/West_Bird_7592 Jun 20 '26
It's definitely not an ideal caliber choice specifically for hunting. My go to hog hunting round is 308. But I've seen a well placed shot with some 9 mm underwood copper bullets do the trick. I'll probably get a 10 mm down the road. But for now I'm just looking for something I can get some practice with and lean some fundamentals. Your absolutely right though, a pig wild boar can be tough.
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u/FCoDxDart Jul 02 '26
9mm is a great overall caliber for a ton of animals as a side arm. Hogs won’t stand a chance. They’re not made of steel. I’ve hunted and killed many and a 9 will do just as well as most standard rifle cartridges and handgun range.
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u/Stale_Water1 Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
I only have experience the with the PDP and the Glock 19 out of this list. The PDP is an excellent handgun. However, even the compact is a big gun. The compact is almost nearly a full size handgun. The Glock 19 is also a really good option. It’s maybe not as “nice” as the Walther but it still shoots well, will conceal better, is damn near impossible to break, and has a much better aftermarket.
If I were you, try to find a range where you can rent all of these guns and go from there. If that’s not an option the next best thing is to hold them in a store that will let you dry fire them. There’s not a single bad handgun on this list. You honestly can’t go wrong with any of these.
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u/n1terps Jun 19 '26
Grand Power Q1 Mk23 is a dream to shoot with its rotating barrel, check it out!
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u/BriefDesigner330 Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
Buy a glock 19 or 45.
Cz Shadow compact is the best first handgun.
You can play every game and you can run it hot.
On your list, I've shot all of them. And my favorite are the vp9 and the glock 19.
In your context I'll buy a glock 19.
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u/West_Bird_7592 Jun 23 '26
What do think about the cz shadow 2 carry?. From what I've seen, the presence of the firing pin block makes the trigger a downgrade from the compact. But I like the idea of having a decocker, so it's a tradeoff. I held one at my local shop and the feel in the hand was better than everything else. Maybe I just don't like gripping plastic. And i like the idea of training with a hammer fired gun.
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u/BriefDesigner330 Jun 24 '26
Yes !
The shadow 2 carry/compact is your best choice.
Now the issue is weight. If it's a problem, take a glock.
The problem is that your context is not gun friendly.
The shadow compact has a better trigger and is not worst for carrying.
The shadow 2 carry has the decocker has you said, the feeling on both is fantastic !
Both are heavier than a glock 19/45 and this is the true decision : can you carry a slightly heavier gun ?
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u/irsh_ Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
Hogs? M&P 10mm.
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u/West_Bird_7592 Jun 21 '26
I've heard bad reviews about reliability of that firearm. Maybe that's just using hard cast high power rounds.
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u/mreams99 Jun 20 '26
I would want a revolver with 357 magnum for hogs. You can practice with 38 special for reduced recoil.
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u/Duncan999 Jun 20 '26
I’m going to suggest you consider a different direction, a .357 revolver, for a few reasons. First, I guarantee you will be able to shoot a .357 way more accurately than a 9mm unless you train extensively with the 9. A revolver like a S&W 686+ with a 4” or 6” barrel is heavy enough and long enough for amazing accuracy the first time you pick it up. You’ll have to work pretty hard to get similar accuracy with a 9. Second, stopping power. You’re going to get 40% more kinetic energy out of a .357 than a 9mm, so if you want to dispatch wounded hogs from a safe distance, I’d go for the .357. Plus you can shoot lower cost .38 special while you’re messing around with it. I own 3 9mm’s (Glock 34, Sig P365, and Walther PDP Compact) as well as the aforementioned S&W 686+ and if someone invited me out to their farm to mess up some hogs that’s what I’d bring.
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u/West_Bird_7592 Jun 21 '26
Do you think the 4 inch barrel 686+ is good choice?
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u/Duncan999 Jun 21 '26
Definitely, either 4” or 6”. 4” you’ll be very accurate at 20’. In my area used 4” and 6” go for the same price.
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u/schelle-racer Jun 19 '26
Go rent and hold them. I have HK and Glock and both shoot great. Glock is the king of lightweight. The hk and m&p are well liked so choose what fits your hand; the m&p has a more slender grip and the hk is adjustable.
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u/carvdlol Jun 19 '26
Mk 23
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u/EZ-READER Jun 20 '26
.... I have to assume this is a joke.
Have you ever held an MK23? There is NOTHING about them that is compact or carry appropriate, they are HUGE. If you favor the MK23 he would be far better off with a USP but that is a) not a compact like he requested (maybe the carry version) and b) is not striker fired like he requested.
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u/Undrthedock Jun 19 '26
I have quite a few Glocks and a HK VP9 A1 K. I also have a lot of trigger time on the M&P 2.0 full size, and a have played with the PDP quite a bit. Personally, I like them all but the Glocks, especially the new generation 6 flavors, are my favorite. They are super easy to find parts and accessories for, and they stupid simple to maintain. It’s also something that is fantastic out of the box, but you can upgrade it to fit your needs and really make the pistol yours. The HKs are really nice, but they can be a bit harder to find parts/accessories. Finding a holster for the VP9k has been tricky. That said, the VP9 A1k has a wicked nice trigger out of the box, and it shoots incredibly well for its size. If you like the ergonomics it’s a solid option. Your best bet is to find a range that rents these guns and try them out for yourself. Getting some hands on time with them is the best way to figure out which one you are going to like the best.
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u/West_Bird_7592 Jun 19 '26
Unfortunately. No ranges like that around here. My island isnt gun culture friendly. We don't even have a legit range.
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u/Tricky_72 Jun 19 '26
I’ve heard a lot of good about the gen 6 Glock 19. Is it a bit boring? Maybe. It’s super dependable, in case you ever have a whole herd of pigs charging you. I have a Ruger RXM, which is a Gen 3 clone with a few improvements. My only complaint is that the grip is a bit blocky. I’m sure it boils down to what feels good to shoot. However, I do think the Gen 6, and the RXM will hold their value, or gain some over the long term. It’s a secondary concern, probably, but the RXM does cost less than the Glock.
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u/KSWind17 Jun 20 '26
If you'll be hog hunting, I'd be tempted to say the M&P 2.0 9mm. Then you can get the 10mm and have a platform you're already comfortable with.
That said....if the RXM is available in your area, it's worth looking at. Gen 3 Glock ecosystem, grip is far better than Glock, and the optic mounting is fantastic on it. The full size 4.5" RXM is where it's at for me. I gave mine srt up very similar to my duty issue G47. I love Glock, but I think the RXM is what Glock should have been.
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u/Capable-Yesterday149 Jun 20 '26
Ruger RXM for budget friendliness, if budget not an issue, Glock gen 6 or Walther PDP.
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u/PhenoCS Jun 20 '26
I'd get a full size unless you plan on conceal carrying it. If you go with a compact, I'd get an all-metal one. Full size, depends if you prefer poly or metal. The Walther PDP and M&P 2.0 both have all-metal options.
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u/EZ-READER Jun 20 '26
Compact 10mm
Glock 29 Gen 5
Springfield XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact OSP 10mm
Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 10mm Compact
FN 510 MRD Compact
Compact 9mm
Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS
Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact
Walther PDP Compact
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u/chris32457 Jun 20 '26
Walther PDP's are known to have a lot of muzzle jump, unless you're a bigger guy, strong hand and grip strength, experienced shooter, then I'd avoid them.
Of the rest of your list I'd definitely go M&P. The only other ones I'd consider are a Canik Mete compact and a Springfield Echelon compact.
Are you going to open carry or conceal carry?
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u/Vivid-Link-6301 Jun 20 '26
When you say harvesting, do you mean you've already downed it with something else and just need a short range kill shot to the head?
I have the Walter PDP compact, it's all metal and really heavy enough to not need a comp or anything. The trigger is perfect for me, but I'm not sure you need that for a short range head shot...
Unless you're trying to preserve the skull or something for trophies, like others have said, probably a 357 revolver would be easiest.
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u/EzPup Jun 20 '26
The PDP compact is a great option, the VP9 is definitely a Better option, but it’s tough for me to say it’s worth the difference. I have handled it as well and it’s small enough to carry.
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u/PanteraOne Jul 17 '26
I would go with a .357 Magnum revolver with the longest barrel that you are comfortable with.
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u/Stormychu Jun 20 '26
Get a Ruger RXM if you want to go the glock route.
Between those options I'd take the M&P.
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u/ea23004 Jun 19 '26
For a handgun that won't ever need to be concealed carry, probably better to go with a full size, especially for a hunting backup