Why not a p220? You could use the same holsters as your 226 and the only thing you would need besides ammo would be mags. A 1911 is an awesome pistol but a 220 is easier to work on and just as mechanically accurate
how about the Sig plus a .22 upper conversion? then you can afford to shoot your Sig!
i agree that you should consider caliber diversity given the times we live in. i found the same with .40 during The Panic - always could get some, and was always cheaper than 9mm & 45acp.
to those who say just buy more 9mm, there’s not much different between 1000 rounds of 45acp and a brand new glock 22. except the glock will last generations instead of a couple months.
however, platform diversity is somewhat of a different matter…
if you have Sig’s already, why don’t you consider a 220 SAO? you get some 1911-ness, but better training commonality with your others.
you can also get a .22 upper for your sigs so you can afford to shoot more than a box a week.
given your parameters, if i just wanted a 1911 (and nothing wrong or uncommon there), i’d go for the ruger plus a couple .22 uppers for the sigs and the 1911.
I can’t grasp the logic of preparing for an ammo shortage buying guns in calibers that might be available.
Once more, with feeling: the best way to prepare for a potential ammo shortage is to have enough ammo on hand to be unaffected by it. I’ve been shooting $10/box 9mm throughout this shortage. Why would I want to spend $500 for the privilege of shooting $18/box .40?
If you can’t afford to build a reasonable stockpile of ammo, then buying another gun might be a viable option; otherwise, it’s a suboptimal solution.
fair points, but here’s the counter: you end up with two (or more) guns instead of one. and nothing prevents stockpiling BOTH calibers.
now you can leave one in your car or nightstand or whatever. it’s a spare - 2 is 1, and 1 is none, right?
and there’s no “might be” in .40. if it didn’t go away this year, it ain’t gonna…
it is the default LEO round now and for the foreseeable future.
come to think of it, stick to 9mm, please. more 40 for me.
I initially took the same approach, but after a while changed course.
Had pistols in 9mm and .40, eventually sold the .40 for another 9mm. Cheaper, not enough of a benefit to justify the cost difference.
Pluses are mag commonality and eventually, I’ll reload, so one less caliber to manage. Not to mention easier to control recoil, especially for family members, new shooters, etc.
This sounds like a good idea. I went this same route a couple of times with different systems, Sigs, glocks, now HKs.
I believe this would be better then getting a new type of gun ie 1911, unless you just want one.
As for buying conversion barrels, I think you would be better off buying a complete gun for a little more money, that way if one goes down you have a spare.
I didn’t go out an do this on purpose. I originally had all .40 guns but sold all but one of them off to buy 9mm around 2002 or so.
I kept my old G23 carry gun and G32 barrel combo along with a small stash of magazines. I did it mostly because I still had a fairly good stash of .40 carry and practice ammo that I hated to just “throw away” selling. I normally use the G23 frame as a host for my AA conversion. But it has come in handy to be able to always get a box or 2 of ammo when I go to the store. They almost always have either .40 or .357 Sig on the shelf and that way I don’t have to dip into my “safety stock” on my 9mm stash. I normally prefer to replace what I shoot the next time I hit Walmart/local gun stores.
If I were starting out “fresh” without already owning a .40, I probably would go with Frailer’s idea and just buy $2,000 worth of 9mm rather than getting a new gun.
If, however, you are just looking for an excuse to buy a new gun ;), getting a .40/.357 Sig combo pistol that has the same operating characteristics as your primary carry guns would be a somewhat logical use of funds. If you are trying to rationalize it.
How much can you run with?
Are you suggesting one pistol and three or four mags of ammo? If so, that sounds like poor advice. Won’t be getting much practice.
I have a ruger sr1911 and has been reliable and no issues. Shot 600+ rounds so far and I also use Wilson combat mags.
I say having a gun in major calibers is a good idea.
Own a Glock19,20sf / PF9 / M&P40c / Ruger LCR / SIG P226
Having guns in 9, 40, 45, 357/38 is not a bad idea. If not sure you can look for used guns at the shops too. Got my SIG for 500 from a friend who only shot 200rds out of it. Glock 20sf got for 468 never shot due to ammo cost. Since I reload makes ammo cheaper for 9, 40/10, 45, 357/38. Reloading ammo can save you many $$
Run where?
If you want a 1911 and want it to double for home defense with a budget of $2K, keep your eyes out for a used Wilson Combat or Springfield Professional model. If you can’t afford more or want to go cheaper no choice get a Colt. If you’re not going the semi-custom route, Colt still uses the highest quality parts and is the best chance for a reliable out of he box 1911.
Get a 1911. With your budget, I’d be looking at a Dan Wesson.
Or get your reloading setup and as many smAll pistol primers and powder.
Kind of surprised to not see more love here for the Colt 1911. You could get a good basic platform now and soup up as much as you like later.
I had no trouble deciding which caliber to get rid of. No way I can part with the Colt 1911 or J-frame .38’s, and .22 serves pistol + AR so that left 9mm. Traded the Kahr9 for CW45 and Baretta 92 for M&P45. Sold the .357 686 but kept the ammo for an 1892 lever which also takes .38. Around here .45 always seemed easier to find than 9mm.
Recently started loading up on AK74 spam cans too for SHTF insurance.
If you want a 1911, I’d get a Colt - especially if you have intentions of getting work done to it.
If you want an out-of-box great 1911, with a company that will bend their backs to make sure your product is working all the time, get the TRP.
Can’t go wrong with either. For myself, I personally enjoy the Colt. I wouldn’t even think twice about it.
There’s nothing wrong with having different calibers / platforms. Now if you want to just take a purely tactical approach, buy 2 Glocks in 9mm, stockpile on parts, buy crates of ammo and call it a night. But what’s the fun in that? This is a hobby as well.
You can’t go.wrong.with a .45 in any of the packages that everyone has suggested, or an M&P 45. As far as diversifying calibers, only if you just like to shoot different types. Otherwise, there are logistics problems that you may encounter. As far as the ammo shortage goes, at this point in time there wouldn’t be one if the crooks and speculators weren’t buying it up and selling it on the net at grossly inflated prices. When it’s over, calmly stock up without being greedy, have a.training plan, and you’ll nog.be caught short the.next.time.
Without having read all the threads here…heres what I DO:
- All my semis are one style…GLOCK. A G21 & G17. I had a superb M9
but decided to go ONE route for my semi-autos. - A revolver in .357…mines a bobbed 3" SP101, and its a powerhouse, AND its two guns in one…38 Special also.
- A soon to be acquired Ruger Mark 3 .22 auto will finish off the stash.
Since Glock mags are now back in the low $20;s, and ammo is back more or less for all of these calibers…these are my suggestions.
Proper holsters for each weapon…I use/carry/recommend a Galco Double Time IWB/OWB for the Glocks, at least 6 extra mags per pistol, a few speedstrips and speedloaders for the revolver, and all the ammo you can afford. There ya go.
One thing about the Sig is they tend to be picky on mags. Mine didn’t care for the traditional 1911 mags I have a hoop of no matter who makes them. They just don’t activate the slide stop which apparently is a common problem with the Sig 1911s. Replaced the factory release with a Wilson extended release and the problem persisted.
But, I’ve had good luck with the factory mags and the Mec-Gar types like these which function flawlessly and activate the slide stop without problems. I haven’t tried any Wilson ETMs or 47Ds so I can’t speak to whether the Sig likes them or not. I went with what the gun liked and called it a day.
Just FYI in case you do pick up the Sig. Be careful to check what it actually likes before making a major purchase of spare magazines.
Been thinking about a Gen4 G21 for my .45 needs. Just haven’t wanted a .45 yet.
I’ve had a little bit of the same thought through all of this current shortage. Around me the things gone first off the ammo shelves are 22lr and 9mm. I have thought about eventually picking up a 1911 in .45acp to add to my current 9mm guns for two reasons: to have another caliber I can find and just because I want a 1911. I see .45 much more than .40 in my area.
As for the OP if I had the $$ I would not hesitate to buy a TRP and spend the rest on ammo. I am just basing that on every rave review I hear about the TRP and about SA customer “if” ever needed. A TRP is on my list, but not anywhere close to my budget so it might end up being a RIA Tactical, Ruger, or entry level SA.