I recently picked up four guns from the Certified Used Gun Vault at Guns.com. One of them will be my first handgun as a new American resident. I'm pumped.
WHY I CHOSE THESE GUNS
The guns I selected were a Glock G45, Smith & Wesson M&P, FN 509 Tactical, and a Nighthawk Custom Bob Marvel. All of them are chambered in 9mm. I chose them because I either handled or shot them before and liked them, or I simply heard great things.
In my previous post, I explained that I'm a new resident living in Arizona. So this is all very exciting for me. I should also mention that I'm very fortunate in the sense that as a video producer at Guns.com, the four handguns are on loan to me for a few weeks. I will get a feel for them, shoot them, and then choose the one I like best. I wanted to share my process and experience with you.
Below are my thoughts after simply handling these beautiful guns. I haven't shot any of them yet – that's coming soon. Keep in mind, I have medium-sized hands, and I'm right handed.
GLOCK G45
The Glock G45 was first on my list because, not only do I like the feel of Glocks, but I was also impressed by Ben Brown's review of his G45 that he carries every day.
The G45 fit nicely in my hand, and it's also the lightest of the four guns at 24.48 ounces with an empty 17-round magazine. All of the controls were easily accessible with minimal movement of my hands. I will say that the slide release is fairly recessed into the frame, making it a bit hard to activate with my thumb. If my hand were wet, I don't think I'd be able to activate it at all.
The sights are awesome, but they're not stock. Being a used gun, the former owner installed Trijicon Bright & Tough sights with a green insert up front. The trigger is decent – typical Glock. I also feel as though the grip could use a lot more texture. Lastly, the recoil spring is the stiffest of all the guns, making press checks difficult. You do get the front serrations that the G19 does not have.
SMITH & WESSON M&P
The S&W M&P came highly recommended by my friend Rod Ryan in West Virginia. As a former LEO, and trainer of LEO and military, he swears by his M&P.
It's just slightly heavier than the Glock at 26.7 ounces with an empty 17-round magazine. It feels good in the hand and nicely balanced. The grip texture is excellent. You can get a really good grip on it. The trigger is about the same as the Glock. The sights are decent. All the controls are easily accessed with minimal movement of my hand.
The slide release is even more recessed and harder to manipulate than the Glocks. I had a hard time activating it with my thumb. The recoil spring is softer than the Glock, making press checks easy. It also has a loaded chamber indicator, which is a nice touch.
FN 509 TACTICAL
We visited the FN factory in South Carolina a few years ago, and I was blown away by the quality of their guns and attention to detail.
As a result, I ordered an FN 509 Tactical. It's slightly bigger than the other guns, with its elevated sights and a slightly extended threaded barrel that makes it suppressor ready. It's also a touch heavier than the Glock and M&P at 27.9 ounces with an empty 17-round magazine.
Holding it in my hand, it felt superb. The grip texture is excellent, and the controls were all exactly where I would want them. The slide and mag release are less recessed into the frame than the other two guns, making it very easy to manipulate.
Although the FN is a bit pricier, it oozes quality. Everything feels top notch. The trigger is a bit better than the other two. The elevated sights are as good as the M&P, but not as good as the Glock. The grip has the perfect texture, and the recoil spring isn't too stiff and makes press checks easy. The FN also comes with two extended 24-round magazines and the slide is ready to accept an optic.
NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM BOB MARVEL
Last but not least, I ordered a Nighthawk Custom Bob Marvel chambered in 9mm. I am a romantic when it comes to guns, and I had to include one 1911. When I visited the Guns.com warehouse in Minnesota in 2019, a Bob Marvel caught my eye. Not only is it a good-looking gun, but it felt great in my hand.
It is the heaviest of all the guns at 37.6 ounces with an unloaded 10-round magazine. Yes, mag capacity is 10 rounds. The gun feels superb in my hand, mainly because of the VZ10 grips. The trigger is phenomenal – the best out of all of them by far. The slide is the easiest to manipulate, and the sights are decent and also adjustable.
The slide release is out of reach of my thumb and hard to manipulate. It takes two hands. There's also the safety, which is something to get used to, but it's smooth and perfectly placed.
Since I'm considering carrying my first handgun, I'm not sure the Bob Marvel will cut it. The 10-round mags and hard-to-manipulate slide release make me a bit wary. But if it shoots as good as it looks, it could very well be my firsts handgun.
WHICH GUN SHOOTS THE BEST
And that's what it will really come down to, right? All the guns feel pretty good in my hand, but which one will I shoot the best? That will be a major deciding factor in which gun I choose.
That will be the next installment of my experience selecting my first handgun coming to Guns.com soon. In the meantime, if you have any input or suggestions regarding my process, I'd love to hear it. Thank you.
