what is the best handgun in the range of $500-700? I prefer something concealable.?

Question

what is the best handgun in the range of $500-700? I prefer something concealable but accurate. Also, what type of ammunition is the best in term of stopping-power? Thanks.

Answer 1

For your budget I would go with an Springfield XD 9mm subcompact. It's easilty concealable, and it's very dependable. And it won't break you're budget. I think you can pick it up for around $570. Guns are always a personal choice though. Go to a gun shop and find out what you like.

The ammo is however a different story. You will notice that I said 9mm. Most will say it that a 9mm lacks the stopping power, and that you should go with a .45. I agree, but there is an ammunition that makes a 9mm very effective. It's called RBCD ammo. RBCD's bullets are designed and manufactured with the latest state of the art materials and equipment. The jackets of the bullets are manufactured from specially engineered copper alloy reducing barrel friction and wear, while controlling penetration and expansion, the core of the bullet is manufactured from a blended metal that ensures complete fragmentation, upon impact with soft tissue. RBCD ammunition will penetrate automotive safety glass, metal body panels and interior house walls, maintaining designed penetration, without over penetration.

Here is a ballistics chart comparing regular ball and the RBCD. notice the RBCD 9mm compared the the .45 ball round.

Cartridge bullet wt Velocity Energy
9mm ball 115 1155 341
9mm rbcd 60 2010 539
45acpball 230 845 363
45 rbcd 90 2036 828
45 rbcd 115 1650 700
223 ball 55 3240 1282
223rbcd 43 3800 -1379
(Ballistics taken from the NRA Fact Book)

I have seen this in a live demonstration at a local gun range, and I am forever sold on it. This stuff is nuts. Here is a website with the video of one of the demonstrations. I don't know if it's legal in all states, but it's legal in California so I would guess it is. If you can't find anyone who sells it, just give this guy a call and he'll ship it to you.

Anyhow, go to www.donnellsshootingsupply.com and click on the link of the left of the page that says RBCD ammo. The video will start playing.

Hope this helps. But you don't need a lot of gun with this ammo, so happy hunting.

Answer 2

I'll give you one of the other favorite answers. A Glock 36 is a narrow and short 45 which is utterly reliable. I'm a big guy at 6'3" and 270 pounds, so I go for the full size Glock 20 when I need to carry. I have a Kimber CDP Pro II and a few other things, but when I need something that will always work it's always the Glock. I am caretaker on a 640 acre ranch with bears, mountain lions and Mexican pot growers next door, so firepower is usually more important to me than concealment, though I intend to avoid conflict if remotely possible. If I did want to carry elsewhere I'd maybe take the Kimber, which is out of your price range, but it jams once in a while, something the Glock never does.

I have only ever seen one person who can reload a revolver as fast as an average person can reload a semi-auto.

You could always try the Glock 29, it shoots as powerful a round as the 357 Magnum and it has a standard 10-round magazine, it can also use the 15 round mags from the 20, so you can have 30 spare rounds to go with the 11 in the gun. Winchester Silvertip come out at around 650 ft.lbs energy. Or try the 30 in 45 ACP.

If not the Glock then the Sig 220 will actually be next on my list, at least to evaluate, but their MSRP is up near $1000 too.

If you want something small and neat you could try the Sig P232, but personally I prefer to stick to the higher power rounds, if you ever actually need to get the job done the last thing you are going to be thinking about is the few extra ounces you have been carting around. But in the end it does have to be something that you find convenient or you'll leave it at home.

I'll leave it at that, others can speak for what they have personal experience of.

Answer 3

glock is good for that price range. get standard model with 9 mm. not the short barrel at least a 5 inch barrel. get warranty. had a 45 that jammed and took it back. had every model. my favorite hand gun is either a snubnose 38 for real close self protection and foolproof reliability or a 1911 colt gold cup or a springfield armory competition model with the tricked out trigger etc. that runs more like $1200 plus. get a used one for 700 to 800 in great shape at a big pawn shop. or some gun stores. it matters a lot your arm strength and gender and other personal things. if you are a hysterical kind of person you should not even have a d. gun.

Answer 4

For that kind of money you can pretty much get anything you want.

I carry a Taurus Millennium 745, .45 ACP. I load it with CCI Blazer 200 grain hollow points. This is a sub compact semi auto, 6 in the mag, 1 in the chamber. They also make the 145, same gun except it is about 1/8 inch wider and holds 10 rounds. This gun cost me $319.00.

It is reliable, accurate (for a 3" barrel), and quite concealable. I carry it in an "Inside the Waistband Holster", just behind my right hip, with a sweater, jacket, or shirt over the slightly exposed butt. On days I wear the baggy cargo pants, I simply drop it in my pocket.

The Taurus Millennium series is available in .380, 9mm, .40 and .45 ACP.

Answer 5

I am going to have go agree with Matt. I prefer the safety of the SA xd over the glock as well as feel and accuracy. The new compact .45 model has a shorter frame with a boot that comes with one of the magazines. Great for Concealment and service use.

Answer 6

In my opinion, a good concealable handgun in that price range is the Kimber Ultra Carry II. It is one of the smallest 1911's made today. My dad has one, he only carries it sometimes, and bought it off of his friend for $700. It is in .45 ACP and he uses American Eagle 230 grain FMJ. It is very lightweight and perfect for concealed carry.

Answer 7

From your question I gather you have not alot of experiance with handguns.

Stay away from the autos until you have more practice.

A nice .38 special revolver would be perfect. All you have to do is pull the trigger and it works. No fancy clips or safety's to worry about.
Taurus, and Rossi both make decent ones for under $300.00 and easily concealable. Take the extra money left over and buy ammo to practice with. Because regardless of the gun if you don't hit it it will not die.

Answer 8

Sig Sauer has a line of pistols. They have compact and full sized models in 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and ,45 ACP.

The best in terms of stopping power is the .45 ACP, but you must compensate between recoil, magazine capacity, and stopping power before your decide.

I got a Sig Sauer P226 9mm on Saturday and I am definitely not disappointed with it. It almost makes me want to sell my Glock 17.

Answer 9

Look at the EAA Witness line; it comes in a number of calibers. I like the 9mm as you can shoot it fairly reasonably if you like to plink and practice, and it just works good. The 40 is quite expensive; and the list and arguments go on and on and on. The Witness is just under 5 bills and due to its reversed rail structure is slim and quite concealable.

Answer 10

Hmmm.. concealable.
Glock 27 .40 caliber
Springfield XD Subcompact .45 caliber
HK P2000SK .40 caliber
Kahr (never owned one, read good and bad on them but they seem very concealable 6 -7 shot mags)