Any handgun owners? Help, I gotta pick one... (2 Viewers)

[Chris Souders]

Hey,
Well, my uncle died and left my brother and I his guns. Considering myself as someone who never thought I'd want or need or own a handgun, I feel like I should take one since that's what he wanted. So I'm trying to decide between two of the guns...
A Sig Sauer P220 SL (.45, black) or a
Ruger KMK-678 GC (.22, stainless steel competition)
I've not had much experience with guns other than shooting some with him when I was a kid.
My primary use would be at a shooting range.
I hope I wouldn't have to use it for self defense.
Any comments on the the sigsauer and ruger in general? What are the advantages to each?
Thanks,
Chris
[email protected]

 

[Kevin T]

can't give much insight into those specific models per se but my father was a gun enthusiast and i consider myself "familiar" with guns. the best advice i can give is if you want the gun for self-defense only...get the sig. if you intend to do a lot of shooting with it, get the ruger. that is not to say that the ruger can't be used as self-defense but if you compare a .22 round to a .45 round...you'll understand my point. hopefully someone will chime in about each specific model.

kevin t

 

[Greg Morse]

Well, I'm not much of a pistol person. I only have long rifles, but my vote would be for the Ruger. If you're looking for a pistol to take to the range, that's the one. Much cheaper to feed and the lower recoil makes it inherently more accurate. On the other hand, it won't be very good for home defense and it's not as good relieving stress at the range (less boom factor). Just my .02.

 

[Philip_G]

not even a question, take the sig P220

 

[Bruce Chang]

Not a gun person, but the desert eagle you in movies are pretty sick. The mp5 rifle is pretty cool too. I've heard it's the mercedes of rifles.

 

[Ben Menix]

Not to say ditto, but, uh, ditto.
Take the Sig for self-defense, take the Ruger for weekend target-range shooting. Personally, I'd take the Sig either way...but maybe that's the testosterone speaking.
Ben Menix
[email protected]

 

[Julie K]

Take both.

Take the .22 to the range when you begin learning how to shoot (and be sure to take a safety class - the range should be able to hook you up with a certified instructor.)

Eventually you'll start shooting the .45 more, but you'll soon see that the .22 is a lot cheaper to feed. But then, that way lies the madness of reloading....

 

[Edwin-S]

If you think you would gain enough interest in target shooting to try some competitions the Ruger would probably be your best choice. If your intention would be to go to the range for the occasional stress relief then take the Sig.

 

[Kevin Potts]

Take the Sig. They aren't cheap.

 

[Edwin-S]

....Or, as a couple of people have pointed out, take them both if you can. The safe handling course that Julie K. mentioned is a good idea. I was in a large city recently and found out about an indoor range at one the malls. I decided on a whim to go to the range and try shooting one. The instructor at the range gave basic instructions on how to hold the gun, how to load it, aim it, fire it, and stressed that it was to be AIMED down range AT ALL TIMES.

I kept nodding and telling him I understood. So what happens the first time I fired the thing?......I turn toward him and say, "This thing has quite the kick to it doesn't it?"; of course, as I turn to say this I ended up swinging the firearm around as well, which resulted in him having to push my hand back so it was pointed back down range, followed by "be careful, remember it's loaded".

DOH!.... I felt like quite the ass, considering that just a few minutes before I had been telling him that I had understood his instructions. At least I didn't fire it. He went on to describe how some people had actually discharged the firearm into the safety shields that separate the booths. After being told that, I didn't feel as bad but I still kicked myself in the ass mentally for awhile.

 

[Daniel Swartz]

Another vote for the Sig...

 

[Craig Robertson]

another vote for the Sig. the fit and finish on them is excellent, very good build quality.
personally i prefer the .45, but if it was reversed and the Sig was the .22, i'd still take the Sig.

 

[Bryan S]

DUDE! Take the Sig!

 

[Eric Kahn]

take the Sig, I could not afford one so I bought a Used Glock 17 (9mm I know)

 

[Ron-P]

Sig220, Sig220, Sig220...ect. Very nice hand gun. That is next up on my purchase list.
If you don't want it, I know someone who might
Peace Out~

 

[Earl J]

Take the Sig! Sig's and Glocks are my favorites. I have the Sig220, Glock 26, 36, 19, and a 17. Make sure to knock before coming in

 

[Darren Crouse]

I'm a qualified club instructor at my local club and have holster qualification in Police Pistol Combat and IPSC. I would also have to qualify my vote for the Sig-Sauer P220 in .45 ACP. I owned a Sig P228 a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I also own a Smith and Wesson M4506 .45 and find it not as pleasurable to fire at the 9mm Sig. Even though many would argue that .45 is more harder to handle (which I would tend to agree with) I am suggesting that Sig's have better ergonomic designs than, say Smiths. Except of course, S&W revolvers, which are the best in the world. In terms of price the Sig is the better deal. You can always purchase any .22 pistol for less than a couple of hundred dollars, but a Sig is often close to 500-800 bucks depending on its condition. So the most pragmatic and economic choice would be the Sig. Plus I might add, whenever the addition of a firearm is introduced into a household it would be advisable to take some shooting lessons and practice. If you want a defensive firearm (God forbid) the Sig is well suited for the task, it is rugged and reliable. If in the future you think you might want a .22 and not a Sig, well with the price of the Sig you could buy a couple of .22's with your sale. I would also suggest brushing up on your local firearm laws and make sure you're not compromising any of them (they are pretty stringent up here in Canada). Get out there, have fun and practice. Shooting sports aren't about putting holes in paper, they're about having fun. If you have any more questions just email me.

Take care,
Darren.

 

[Nathan*W]

I have used the Sig P220 as a Sheriff's Deputy in Virginia, and I can say it is a good weapon but is not without it's faults.

Low magazine capacity compared to other semi-autos.

Jamming IS an issue with these weapons, so much so, that during the week of intensive firearms training we had (known as "Sig Week") we learned three separate ways to clear Sig stoppages. Admittedly, the main reason for jams in this weapon is a weak wrist/grip.

Cleaning the Sig can be a chore. There are many nooks and crannies in the Sig that are seemingly impossible to get to. Break Free and pipe cleaners are your friend.

Hard initial trigger pull compared to other semi-autos. This is because the P220 has a hammer to move. Secondary pulls are similar to other weapons. The net result is: for a shooter inexperienced with this gun, the first shot is often pulled off target. This is reduced with PRACTICE.

That said, I would go with the Sig. All its weaknesses can be overcome, and if nothing else the resale value is higher.

 

[Danny R]

Since the original question has pretty much been answered, I'd like to move this topic slightly askew:

If one were purchasing a new gun, what would be the best models to obtain (I am familiar with various rifles, but have no experience with handguns). From comments above, I take it that models will differ if one's goal is recreational shooting vs self defense. Perhaps we can get a best in class for each?

 

[Philip_G]

That said, I would go with the Sig. All its weaknesses can be overcome, and if nothing else the resale value is higher.

every "weakness" you mention is a user problem. Also, I really doubt he'll be shooting double action, probably not one time.