Need advice on what to buy

inquiringmind

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2023
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5
Location
Nevada
Hey y'all, I'm lookin to buy another shotgun and another handgun and I need advice. My current shotgun is a Beretta A400 and I love it, I shoot left handed so I'm looking into a Benelli or a Browning, I know browning doesn't make a left-handed gun but I can make it work and I've heard questionable things about Benelli.
As for pistols, I have a S&W 9 Shield plus and I'm ok with it, I'm looking into a HK V9 but any suggestions are helpful.
If it matters I'm a pretty small girl who would mainly use it as a range toy but would like to carry it :) thanks in advance yall
 
I'm partial to over under doubles, they handle so easily. I'm a big fan of Beretta and Yildiz, depending on budget.

For pistols, I tend to get some for carry and some for shooting. With the Shield covering carrying, maybe get something more fun for range time. For new shooters I always recommend something like a Glock 17: it is hard to get more simple or reliable. Also, a .22 pistol lets you get lots of range time without breaking the bank. I have a Glock 44 that I love; lots of other good choices like a Ruger Mark that are great.
 
Tough being left handed for sure. I have a very lightly used original Super Black Eagle (Camo) in left handed that I don't use anymore (I shoot a left handed M2 now). I'm the only owner. Hadn't really thought about getting rid of it, but if interested, shoot me a PM. I've got all five original chokes, a turkey choke, and I think two waterfowl chokes, all three are the longer Patternmasters, if my memory serves me correctly. Some, I don't even think are made by Patternmaster anymore. I've been out of that for a bit. It has never jammed, whether firing 2.75" target shells or 3.5" Heavy Shot Turkey loads.
 
a decent over and under in 20 gauge for shotgun. Many good ones out there, just find what fits! I love the Rugers and the CZs are really nice for budget Over and unders.
hand gun is whatever fits you best. HK is good but can be a bit bulky. For conceal carry I highly recommend the sig p365 XL or Macro. Accurate, comfortable, and very reliable! A lot of the ladies in my life enjoy that one over all others. For a larger option a sig 226 or CZ of any flavor would be nice as well.
 
Tough being left handed for sure. I have a very lightly used original Super Black Eagle (Camo) in left handed that I don't use anymore (I shoot a left handed M2 now). I'm the only owner. Hadn't really thought about getting rid of it, but if interested, shoot me a PM. I've got all five original chokes, a turkey choke, and I think two waterfowl chokes, all three are the longer Patternmasters, if my memory serves me correctly. Some, I don't even think are made by Patternmaster anymore. I've been out of that for a bit. It has never jammed, whether firing 2.75" target shells or 3.5" Heavy Shot Turkey loads.
Yes I'd be interested! I'm new to this forum so i don't know how to private message 😅
 
Ha! Just realized that. I believe you will need to meet minimum criteria. Then you will be able to PM. Each forum is a little different. Not sure what it is here, as I don't recall. When you do, you can reach out then. The shotgun is definitely not going anywhere, lol. I really didn't plan on selling it, but honestly, since I don't ever pull it out anymore, it makes sense.
 
For a smaller handed pistol (I assume you have smaller hands, being a lady), I really like my Shadow Systems CR920, which is a modified in between a Glock 43 & 43X frame. Very compact, easy to CC, and is still plenty accurate for a CC pistol. Also, the 13+1 9mm is very nice in a sub-compact. They have a lot of bells and whistles and look great while shooting great. I went with the Elite MOS. Added a Holosun 507K and it is great.
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Here a G19X (G17 frame w. G19 slide) (left), G19 (middle), and CR920 (right) Yeah, they are dirty because they get carried. The G19 or CR920 are on my side every day.
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You could go with a Glock 43 (6+1 9mm) or 43X )10+1 9mm) also. The 43 is just a hair shorter grip than the CR920 but a single stack. The 43X has a longer single stack grip than the CR920, but still only carries 10+1. But either of these could be had for less money than the CR920.

The Kimber Micro 9s are nice too. My older daughter has a Micro .380. Here is a Micro next to a Kimber Tactical Ultra Commander sized 1911. It was my daily CC for about 18 years.
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My younger daughter has a Glock 48. Still a slim-line single stack, same frame as the 43X, but a 4" vs 3.25" slide/barrel of the 43. Same size as a G19, but in a slim-line single stack configuration.
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As for shotguns, I like O/Us too. The CZ Redhead Deluxe is a nice 20ga fairly inexpensive choice. It is what my daughter shoots for dove/quail/clays. I use it from time to time for high-paced dove shooting at the local dairy. There are several lady models O/Us out there too. Once you shoot an O/U, you will probably never go back. They do have a bit more felt recoil than a gas operated semi-auto but are so much nicer to swing.
 
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@inquiringmind ,

As per your request for a rifle, a shotgun & pistol are highly personal preference things.

Many fine pistols & shotguns out there. But finding what you like & what fits you are what matters.

If looking for another semi-auto shotgun, i really like CZ!
I picked up a CZ 720 the other year, new for $469.
Fit & finish is excellent. Balance is nice. Shoulders well. Is accurate. And i've had zero issues with it!
Comes in a nice plastic hard case. Barrel & stock are further protected in the case by faux blue velvet sleeves. Comes with 5 chokes & choke wrench.
Really hard to beat, especially at the price point!

I have a H&K VP9.
These are not compact pistols by any means!
But lately, it's my most grabbed carry pistol. (I'm not a small guy).
It's been pretty accurate with all bullet weights & designs.
Best thus far is the 125gr Sig V-Crown bullet.
Easy take down for cleaning. And the slide release is ambidextrous. It is easy to rack the slide on, and has "wings" on the back of the slide to aid in that. They also help to grab your belt if you should need to rack it one handed.

I also have a Walther PPS gen1.
Small "micro" pistol. It's a single stack 9mm that holds 7 rounds.
About the size of a Shield or Glock 43.
Very accurate! Shoots everything you feed it also.
Comes with different backstraps that you can change out in seconds with no tools to fit a variety of hand sizes.
Drawback ( as with a lot of short barreled semi-autos) is the slide is stiffer to rack than the VP9.

Special note on the VP9 & first gen PPS.
Both of these pistols have the "European" mag release.
The mag release is built into the trigger guard. Not the "American" button on the grip.
They are easy to operate, just takes some getting used to.
I found i can change out magazines faster with them that the button type by using my middle finger on my trigger hand.

Another option for you may be the FN 509c.
I just picked one up used for under half the price of new.
Smaller than the VP9. But the slide racks just as easily. Fully ambidextrous.
Shot it for the first time yesterday.
My friend & i had a blast with it. Put 300 rounds through it. Shot everything we fed it well!

And now the important part of owning/carrying a pistol!
The holster...
This is so highly personal preference i'm not going to mention a brand!
You can only figure this one out with experimentation.

Best of luck & post up on what you got!!
 
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For shotguns, I really like the Benelli brand in 20 gauge. They are very well made, durable and light weight, however will cost a few bucks.

For handguns, you really need to look at the Sig P365. They are one of the most reliable handguns out there in my opinion and about the right size for conceal ability and accuracy.

Now if you want the best handgun in my opinion, but expensive go with a Wilson Combat SFX9. This model is built similar to a 1911 and has the best trigger of any hand gun. The slide and frame is made from aluminum so it is light weight and perfectly fitted. It comes in various sizes including sizes that are easily concealed. Very very accurate too.

Red Dot sights in my opinion are fun to shoot with, but are much more difficult to be proficient with. If you purchase, you will see what I mean because acquiring the dot when aiming in my opinion does not instantly come into view as a fixed sight. There is a bit of searching to find it and this may be too much time in a life threatening event. However, with a lot of practice you might find it useful. As mentioned, Holosun is a good entry to mid level sight. I run one on my P365 for target shooting.

Those are my recommendations, but remember with respect to handguns too small is much more difficult to be accurate. Choose wisely and enjoy.
 
Hey y'all, I'm lookin to buy another shotgun and another handgun and I need advice. My current shotgun is a Beretta A400 and I love it, I shoot left handed so I'm looking into a Benelli or a Browning, I know browning doesn't make a left-handed gun but I can make it work and I've heard questionable things about Benelli.
As for pistols, I have a S&W 9 Shield plus and I'm ok with it, I'm looking into a HK V9 but any suggestions are helpful.
If it matters I'm a pretty small girl who would mainly use it as a range toy but would like to carry it :) thanks in advance yall
Welcome to LRH, and enjoy! It is always nice to see ladies here. If you are near a gun store with an excellent selection, try them and see how it feels. My wife ended up with a Kimber Micro in .380 for her concealed carry after trying ~10 handguns. Good luck!

Ed
 
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