M&P9 vs Glock 19 vs XDm 9

[gearhead101]

Hey everyone, first post obviously, fairly new to the gun game and waiting for my ccw to show up in the mail. I've never shot a handgun before and I'm determined to take a class or 5 well before/if I actually carry and hopefully before I purchase.

I've done a ton of research over the past month and its pretty much boiled down to the 3 listed in the title. I'm leaning towards a 9mm before I try stepping up to a .40 or .45 and a full size is my only option at this point so i can get used to a handgun. But I want peoples opinions on these 3 pistols and their pros and cons since their all virtually the same price. I'll obviously handle all 3 before making a decision to figure out what my hand likes (insert inappropriate joke here).

So I'd really like everyones down and dirty nitty grity opinions for a first time shooter or if I'm steering in the wrong direction entirely. I've been suggested a revolver for a first timer but I'd much rather have a semi-auto.

THANKS!!!

 

[Rookie]

It all boils down to your personal preference. Shoot all three and decide which you like best.

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

I agree with Rookie. It's all going to come down to how it feels/ works for you.

 

[gearhead101]

I'm going to try and shoot all 3 if possible, I really wanted peoples first hand insight on reliability, accuracy etc... between all of them since renting at a range is hardly a good way to get an idea on those aspects.

 

[Rookie]

As much as I dislike Glocks (my personal preference), they are all going to be as reliable as the other. If you were asking about one of your three vs a Jennings, it would be easy to say which is better. With your three choices, it really boils down to what you like. I'm sure someone near you could let you shoot theirs without having to rent.

 

[Jdalton765]

I owned a glock 22 and a M&P9 i know different calibers but over all liked the M&P better no real reason why, it just fits my hand better, i loved the finger grooves on the glock and thought it would be odd useing a gun without them after having them but honestly made no difference, so my personal opinion between glock and M&P go with the M&P, no experience with the XDM, but if your close to the muncie area i'd be glad to let you shoot mine.

 

[mwg]

I have 2 glock 9mm and never had any problems. I also had an xd 45 with no problems. I haven,t shot the m&p yet , but i hear they are good guns also. you can,t go wrong with any of them.

 

[Hoosier45]

XDm may be a little big for a carry gun, unless you go XDm compact.

G19 is a great gun. I've owned a few. The ergonomics just weren't comfortable in my hand, but that's not the gun's fault.

Love my M&P's. My preference.

All will be reliable. All are accurate. It really does come down to personal preference.

 

[VERT]

I often get asked my opinion on what would be a good first handgun. 9mm is a solid choice because they are relatively easy to shoot and cost a little less. As far as guns: Glock 19, Smith M&P, Springfield XD, Ruger SR9, FN FNP9 are all solid guns and offer a good value. All of these are accurate and reliable.

I would personally lean towards the Glock and Smith & Wesson M&P simply because of the availability of the guns and holsters.

For the record I like shooting the XDs. They are comfortable guns IMO but have found no reason to own one personally.

Oh and Welcome to INGO

 

[PastorBlaster]

I've got an XDM9 I carry every day and I recently bought my wife an M&P22 which S&W's full sized pinker/trainer. Side-by-side, the grip angle is nearly identical and both feel great. I like the very grippy texture of my XDM, but I really like the feel of the M&P. I almost bought a Glock, but for my first carry gun I wanted the double safety of the XDM over just the trigger safety of the Glock.

If you end up going the XDM route, I highly suggest the 3.8" instead of the 4.5" which I have because you will print far less with the shorter grip.

 

[adam]

9mm 1911.

Just saying.

 

[9mmfan]

It all boils down to your personal preference. Shoot all three and decide which you like best.

^^^^This^^^^, but if you'd like to try out my G19.......

 

[marshallartist]

Gearhead101, what did you decide on? Or have you decided yet?

Here's my $0.02:

Glock's are great pistols and I have owned about a dozen of them over the years. There are really only two negative thing I can say about them: 1) they are not very comfortable in my hand and 2) the factory sights can be fragile. The grip is blocky and on the 3rd and 4th gen guns the finger groves fall in the wrong place for my fingers. The 4th gen's have improved on the blockyness but you mentioned wanting to stay with the 9mm and I have heard a lot of "gunstore-lore" lately that the 9mm Gen4's are having some problems that the .40's aren't. Also the plastic sights have a reputation for getting broken off (the front sight anyway). I've seen this happen myself so I always upgrade to a set of nightsights which adds another $100 nor so to the price of the gun. On the positive side however they have an excellent reputation for reliability and the market for accessories like holsters and night sights is better than just about any gun on the market maybe with the exception of the 1911. They also have a very positive trigger reset which aids in rapid shooting but that is something you probably wont get to until you've had some training.

For concealed carry you would probably want the compact or sub-compact models, in 9mm that's the model 19 and 26 respectively. I have owned and carried both. The 19 is my first choice in any Glock pistol regardless of caliber. It has a full size grip and a longer sight radius plus a longer barrel which gives your rounds more velocity and with a caliber like the 9mm I hate to sacrifice too much velocity since that's what this round relies on for it's power. The 26 is smaller and more concealable but you give up some grip length which leaves you pinky-finger hanging out there. The sub-compact, or "baby-Glocks", are often referred to as being both too big and too small. They are too small to offer the benefits of a larger gun like longer grip and a longer sight radius but they are too thick to be an effective deep concealment gun.

I've also owned several M&P's and I really like these pistols. The grip shape and angle is far superior to the Glock and the factory sights are more rugged. It also has, in my opinion, a better feeling trigger although it does not have the pronounced reset of the Glock. My favorite is the M&P9c. It's a 9mm compact model that is a little smaller than the Glock 19. It too cant be seen as a deep concealment piece but I prefer the feel and shootability of it over the Glock 26 although I think I would still prefer the Glock 19 over the M&P. However you're preferences may differ from mine and neither of us is right or wrong.

I don't have much experience yet with the XDm. I have handled it in the gun shops but haven't put any rounds down range with one (something I soon hope to correct). I like the overall feel and balance of them. The triggers are nice but I can't decide if I like them better than the M&P trigger. They are a tad thick making them less comfortable to carry in an inside the waistband. What I don't like about them is the price tag. I'm not convinced that they are worth the extra $$$ over the "classic" XD pistols.

I have owned a few XD pistols and I liked them very much. I prefer them for a house gun or something fun to shoot at the range over a concealed carry piece because of the relative width. They are however great to shoot and rock solid reliable. I've never shot one of the sub-compact models but they are bigger than the "Baby-Glocks" and have 1/2 an inch less barrel length further sacrificing velocity. No thanks.

Personally, I'd probably go with the Glock 19 despite it's drawbacks but that is just me. My second choice would be the M&P9c followed by the Glock 26. The XDm shows greast promise but I don't have enough experience with it to make an educated opinion of it .You certainly wouldn't go wrong choosing any of these three pistols.

 

[Drakkule]

I love my Glock 26, I carry it all the time, and no matter what you get, get training, and a lot of practice. Also get something that you WILL carry, a good gun that stays at home will do you no good unless you never leave the house. I have had around 15 or so 9mm pistols, i carry a PF-9 as my BUG, some people say 9mm is to small, but well placed shots will make the bad guy just as dead. Good luck finding the gun that works best for you, and welcome to INGO.

 

[sbcman]

OP- with your mindset I don't think you're going to go wrong with any of the three.

However, anytime there is a doubt in one's mind about gun purchases, always, always, always go Smith and Wesson

 

[DustyDawg48]

Like VERT said, the Glock and Smith will edge out the Springfield XDm in the holster and accessory department...and the Glock will get the lion's share from the Smith between those 2. It does sound like a bit of a cop out but buy what YOU like. One of the three isn't significantly better on paper and most will choose one over the other out of brand loyalty, looks or price; I've owned and shot all 3 and I'll have a different opinion of what I think is best will be different than what another shooter will say.

 

[booey50]

I have a M&P 9 fullsize and the M&pc. To tell you the truth, love the compact better, it hides really well and still carries 12-9mm for you, look at the compact for easy carry. I have owned a glock 23 also, nothing wrong with it just did not keep it.

 

[x10]

I had the same problem but I was sold on 40 so I ended up with a M&P, and XD and borrowed a Glock,

I shot them all for 2 months and all were reliable and reasonably accurate, similar sights and similar operation easy takedown and dleaning

The Xd just had a grip that was a little slick for my hands and I really don't like the grip safety.

the Glock just feels like a piece of 2x4 in my hands and I'm one of the few people who push my trigger finger to the low end of the trigger and pinch my finger under the trigger.

that leaves the M&P and the grip on the M&P beats ANY gun I've ever shot, I have 1911's and Eaa witness, the Witness is about the closest to the M&P but a little too wide, Still doesn't mean it not a great competition gun.

The M&P just feels right, I've been able to shoot it better in action matches than any other gun I've used.

so irreagardless of your choice of caliber look hard at the M&P

If you Lived near columbus I'm sure we could get you an opportunity to shoot some if not all of the guns your looking at,

 

[coolatula]

Good advice and good posts here so I don't have much to add except you are on the right track by leaning toward a 9mm.

Probably my favorite caliber and pistol to shoot is the .45acp and a Colt/Colt style 1911 even though I have not owned one for many years. I'm getting the itch to purchase another one next year though and have my eye on the new Rock Island 2011 model with the full dust cover and rail.

I really do not care for the .40 S&W caliber as it's recoil is too sharp and a good 9mm with Speer Gold Dots will do nearly everything equally as well. In the past .40s may have had a distinct advantage,but 9mm combat/hollow point bullets and cartridges have come a long way in a relatively short time.

Besides if I were wanting something in the .40 size I would go straight passed it and go the 10mm route with full powered defensive loads(not the reduced power commercial loads of the past). A buddy of mine has a Colt Delta Elite and with full tilt reloads it shoots very flat and hits relatively hard for a pistol round.

I see no need for a .40 S&W with options like the 9mm Speer Gold Dots or similar,Full power 10mm and the .45acp. For the money it is just hard to beat the 9mm defensive cartridge and practice ball ammo in terms of performance per dollar.

As far as the pistols in 9mm I have no experience with the XD other than the grip angle is better than the European style grip angle of the Glock even though the newer Glock have gotten a tad better they are still not up to the near perfect 1911 type grip angle.

This is one of the biggest complaints about the Glocks from U.S. shooter yet Glock has yet even after all theses years has not fixed it. I say fixed because if a large part of your customer base complains about a particular aspect on a product it just became a problem and should be FIXED. Maybe when the "new" world beater pistol from another manufacturer comes along and eats into enough of Glocks American sales they may actually listen to their customers. I won't even go into their crappy,spongy,plastic toy feeling,inconsistant,slightly heavy stock triggers.

So of your choices that leaves the S&W M&P 9mm which I have shot and would pick over either one of the other two hands down.

Now as one of the other members mentioned 1911 in 9mm would be a personal favorite right behind the 1911 .45acp. I do not have a 1911 in 9mm,but I do have a all steel,circa 1975 Star Model BS(S= factory Magazine safety). That's about as close to a 1911 9mm as you can get without actually having one!

I traded a SS Ruger P95 with approx. 1,200 rnds. through it straight up for it and it was like new in the box when I recieved it. I can not explain how much I have enjoyed owning and shooting this pistol. It has been factory throated so it eats hollow points with ease. Some early models were designed to shoot ball ammo as they are combat/police pistols so they may have a hard time with hollow point ammo.

 

[RBrianHarless]

I would suggest finding a firearm that fits your hand and is comfortable for you. Check the ability to be able to get a good grip and able to reach the trigger and depress/squeeze. Once you have found a firearm that has a good fit, then you can start looking at caliber and what you can handle. You do not want to select a caliber with sharp recoil and turns you off on practicing with it. Read the owners manual after purchasing.
Glad to hear that you are open minded for training. Hope you find a good instructor cause that can make all the difference. Good luck and stay safe.