The Balloon Goes Up posted an interesting chart. Taking a numerically quantitative look at a qualitative question. What’s the best Polymer Handgun.
The Balloon Goes Up posted an interesting chart. Taking a numerically quantitative look at a qualitative question. What’s the best Polymer Handgun.
Why give extra points because its build in The US? I can understand someone will make a choice to buy something build in their own country, but realy isnt saying anything on quality.
STIG:)
I had the same thought, Stig. But the results seem to work out. Much more emphasis on capacity than necessary, especially when it trumps caliber.
Made in USA doesn’t guarantee higher quality but it does imply it. If choosing between unmarked boxes with a piece of equipment inside I had to trust my life to, picking the USA box would be the best choice. Pretty much every piece of shit product I have ever dealt with has been of foreign manufacture. Obviously that doesn’t mean Glock or others can’t make guns well. And I plan to buy a Glock soon. But It is true that for every Glock there is a Taurus or Norinco.
I was noticing that he was only including the M&P 9mm options as well, which struck me as a bit odd. I mean, I get leaving out the .40, and even a .357 SIG since IIRC they’re all basically barrel swaps, but there IS a .45 as well.
Also, is it possible the weighting for country of origin has more to do with import restrictions on foreign handguns and all the hoops importers have to jump through than it does with “Buy American”?
Now I’m sorry I sold my G26 🙁 saw it got high marks I guess I’ll hold onto my 1911’s : ) Saw the Walther PPQ got some good grades saw a few reviews of it recently and seems pretty good (for a polymer)
Ok, ranking 9mms so I don’t have a horse in this race… but power-ranking on ammo capacity seems like a waste of time, and marking down a DA/SA because of ‘inconsistent trigger pull’ sounds like a Glock fan-boy jerking off in public (again). I call bull$#it.
That. Set up a rating system that kills DA/SA and anything with a manual safety. And guess who wins! I second the call of BS. They picked the winner, then set up the criteria to match.
Yeah, if that’s what they meant by inconsistent trigger pull, then it’s pretty obvious the guys was tailoring the chart as he made it.
Nothing like setting the parameters of the test to suit a forgone conclusion. Adding +1 for being <7" but only .5 for <6.49", while calling it a wash at 7.01-7.99" and detracting points above that. That would be fine if determining the pistol that suits your wants, but giving a CC and HD score based on that is not fair. For HD a +7" barrel is fine and possibly preferred for recoil management(generally have larger grips as well) and longer site radius. For CC a -6.5" barrel is usually easier to conceal(as they tend to have shorter grips).
There is also the idea that a manual safety is a bad thing. That is simply preference as some might not like the little second trigger of the Glock or the hinged trigger of the S&W. Set up to run "cocked and locked" the P07 Duty and other DA/SA pistols like it have a consistent trigger pull(in SA) but also offer second strike capability. Not to mention lighter trigger weight.
Why do the SR9c and RAMI lose points for 10+1 while the Kahr's gain points for 6+1 and 7+1? The G34 gets a point for its 17+1, but what do you expect from a huge gun. A gun that oddly scored better on the CC chart than some of the subcompacts. Are we being told that if it has monster capacity it doesn't need to fit IWB on someone smaller than Shaquil O'neal?
I will trust my old school metal/alloy pistols over any polymer. When one adds age to the polymers,and years of exposure to proper and improper solvents,it is enough to convince me to stay with metal. Even if I was to purchase a Ruger 380, would never look at a used polymer unless I personaly knew the owner. My head may be in my fourth point of contact on this, but it is my rear on the line when packing!
I agree mostly with the charts results but, ranking gun length seems silly, that is more of an option or preference than anything. Same goes for manual safety and grip safety. I don’t care much about manual safeties, though I do prefer to have them as I feel better about lightening the trigger pull on a gun to competition levels if it has a manual safety for Carry, and I’m not terribly a fan of grip safeties but, once again, they are user preference. Not really an over all rating point.
But of course, if they removed the length rating(or even adjusted it a very small amount), which is arbitrary, the M&P would have beaten the Glock. It seems the author of the chart built it to taylor to a specific gun.
Wow…I don’t understand how my H&K P30L ranks so low. From what I recall ToddG over at pistol-training.com ranks it as one of his, if not THE top pistol and he put it through a brutal 50,000+ round torture test. Whatever, charts and whatnot mean very little when they are ranked by overall length/manual safety/capacity and not actual use & performance.
I’ll add that the ranking is bogus – what happened to ability to shoot well? Also comparing like to like? Full sized guns against baby guns, each comes w a different inherent choice that by forcing them into the same test forces unfair & uneven requirements of measure upon them. Also many of these are subjective bs.
I see the Steyr M9/M40 is missing from this selection
What about the Beretta PX4 Storm? I know Beretta doesn’t have near the number of acolytes that Glock and Springfield Armory does, but they make outstanding firearms (the 9000 series aside).