Dan remember , if your buying it for the reasons you stated above( Connors safty/ your/ and family protection) and you said your not real comfortable / familiar with pistols! What's the price for safty? I bought my s&w sigma series( exactly like the glock) for $364 out the door about 97/98? I've shot the he'll out of the thing never had a jam.... Like everything else you get what you pay for don't buy junk period! Your or your families lives aren't worth it, also before you become John Wayne, shoot , shoot alot, various stances and shooting positions , learn retintion teqniques?learn to shoot on the move as well as stationary.....
sorry to butt in, but he's absolutely correct.
I've carried expensive and cheaper weapons as duty weapons, ie: Sigsauer and Sigma (respectively), and both have served me well. Never had a problem with either and after I retired (completely) I was given my duty Sigma (S&W) 9mm.
I still carry it and it still works great. A little on the bulky side I have to admit but not bad. Cheap, easy to handle, as safe as your going to get for a weapon that doesn't have a manual safety, and you could probably drive nails with it
He's also correct on the training. If you can find a range to do it, learn to draw and shoot from the seated position in a vehicle, from various positions, and stances, and the
difference between cover and concealment.
Also, as well as weapon
retention, I would also suggest you learn weapon
disarmament.
I hope it never occurs, but there may come a time when you can't get to your weapon in time or you may have to retake your weapon from someone hell bent on doing you or your family harm.
I teach this here in Florida so I can't help you there. Otherwise, I would do it for you for free, simply to help keep you safe. There are numerous individual in the people republic that are more than qualified to teach these techniques. Find one and learn...please.
Finally, as a career firearms instructor, both military and LE, probably the only thing I may disagree on is the shooting on the move part. Although it's a good thing to know and any quallity training is good training, in reality shooting and moving generally only works well regularly in the movies (leaving out some of the competitive pin shooters and such).
For going from place to place, (depending on the situation):Shoot-Move-Shoot-Move...and do it quickly!
Remember:
Cocealment is your friend...COVER is your lover (always stay close to your lover
)
. This is good time to state your 2nd amendment rights.
