I am moving to the states in June and have started doing some research on the best utilitarian gun. Currently leaning towards a glock 19, but below are a couple models I'm looking at:
- Sig p365 macro
- Glock 19
- S&W M&P
- PSA Dagger
- Ruger RXM
- Springfield echelon
What do you think of the above/what would be your go-to recommendation?
Welcome. However, I regret to inform you that you will have to cross Montana off your list of potential residences. We are completely full here, unfortunately.
Best utilitarian gun... what does that mean? Gun fun on a range, maybe carry?
I'd suggest (from my perspective) ditching the striker fired lot and start with and a single action hammer fired 1911 bobtail of some version or Browning Hi Power. My Browning is what down here they call my "every day carry". Apparently it is supposed to be difficult to conceal, but I haven't found that to be so if you put some thought into holsters. And it has the sight radius you won't get with the watch pocket size little pistols for more precise shooting at the range.
I have a Dan Wesson CBOB in 10mm that has a very, very similar fit in the hand as the High Power - not suggesting starting with 10mm unless you need a bear wrench while out in the yard around the house as we do here. But for the fit and shooting architecture, today's modern 1911s are very, very nice indeed. And with trigger pulls no Glock or M&P will match; absolutely nothing wrong with either of those pistols, but in a different category.
Some very nice 9mm flavors of 1911s out there these days. I do feel the bobtail versions fit far better into my hands than the original slabsides. But I also started out with K frame revolvers and quickly became a fan for the round butt K frames for competing with in PPC. That might influence my feel on how the bobtail 1911s fit in my hands where others may disagree.
I have .22 conversion kits for both my Browning and 1911s. Some think of them as gimmicks, but they group as good and as better as the pistols do with the factory barrel and slide in place. Aside from the cost savings of shooting .22 rimfire versus centerfire, the amount of time they save me from evenings spent standing in front of a Dillon progressive reloading press is well worth it all by itself.
Micro carry pistols... I am having a hard time convincing myself I don't need a S&W CSX because two of my friends have them and they're easy to shoot despite being so small. They emulate the single action 1911 although they aren't a copy of the action. The only reason I haven't bought one is I'm not into "carry rotation". The BHP works and I am not on board with others making regular changes to the style, feel, parts of whatever they're carrying every day.
For a revolver... S&W L frame; I'd go with a 6" barrel for the sight radius and feel in the hand, but whatever works for you.
For inexpensive and a gun you can pimp out and customize, with everything but adding birth control, a Glock 19. Go crazy to your heart's content with just a little bit more money than the spare change in your jeans - that's where a Glock shines. And there is no question that they are reliable and work.
Wherever you end up, there's likely to be people or a range where you can actually try out and fire a few different handguns to look for the one that fits you the best. These days it's pretty hard to find a poor quality handgun, so I think it's mostly about how it fits in your hands, the controls, etc.
BTW, for handguns... pawn shops! Here in America the better ones can be candy stores when it comes to finding great prices on very high quality and barely used firearms of all kinds.