Thank you for the good feedback. I will be using it for self defense. Everyday use. I have big hands so nothing too small. And thanks again for taking the time to respond.
If for Every Day Carry (EDC), there are a couple of considerations.
Size, weight and practicality.
The law states that the firearm should be covered when on your person. That means in a good holster underneath your shirt. Depending on your size and build, some firearms can be too big. I would recommend going for the "Compact" or "Sub-Compact" versions. The Full Size (or Duty) firearms are basically for police, military and sport shooters. They are excellent to shoot, but generally too big to carry.
The next consideration is weight. I carry a Glock 19 every day, and even though it is a polymer frame and weighs less than 1kg fully loaded, it can be a bit much after a long day. If the gun is too heavy, you won't carry it regularly and it becomes a safe queen. To this end it is important to decide whether you want a steel-framed pistol, or a polymer pistol. The steel ones usually feel good in your hand and shoot well (the extra weight helps), but they will probably weigh in the region of 1.5kg fully loaded. That is heavy to carry around. Polymer framed pistols don't feel as "solid", but they weigh less.
Practicality is important, and I'll explain what I mean by it. Two of the most popular pistols in South Africa in the Compact segment is the CZ-P07 and the Glock 19. Similar in size and magazine capacity, the biggest difference is that one has a hammer and the other is striker-fired. Everyone loves hammer guns. They are sexy to look at (and intimidating when cocking the hammer), but there is one big reason I chose the Glcok over the CZ. Pointy bits. You see, when I'm in a situation where fractions of seconds count, I don't want any pointy bits getting snagged on my shirt as I'm drawing.
Update:
Just to be clear, I have nothing against hammer guns, it was just a personal choice.
So here are some of the recommendations from the popular brands available in South Africa.
Beretta:
PX4 Storm or APX. Both are full size, so keep that in mind. The Storm is a hammer gun, while the APX is striker fired. There is a
PX4 Storm Compact available.
CZ:
CZ has a major following in South Africa. This is mainly due to the CZ 75. CZ 75's are still available, but they are full size steel framed. They are excellent shooters, but they are heavy. And big.
They have better, more modern options. Particularly the
P-07 and P-09. The first being the compact, while the latter is the full size. Both are excellent with a lot of accessories and spares available. If going this route, rather go for the P-07, as the smaller size is easier to carry. CZ has also released the P10C, a polymer framed striker fired gun. They just arrived in South Africa in limited numbers, but I don't know how many are available yet. It might still be a couple of months before they are available in large numbers.
Glock:
The
Glock 19 is considered as the Goldilocks of the Glocks. Not too big, not too small, just right. This is what I carry every day. It is a good balance between size, capacity and capability. The Glock 26 is also a good option. It is smaller than a 19, so it is easier to carry around. It does have a smaller magazine (thus less capacity), but the nice this is that the Glock 19 and 17 magazines fit the 26, thus giving more capacity. Glock has massive support in SA with lots of spares and accessories available.
Sig Sauer:
Sig Sauer hasn't always had the best support in SA, but one of the official Glock importers are now an official Sig Sauer importer, so we have excellent support with lots of accessories and spares available. I have never shot with a Sig, but I have handled them extensively in various shops. Coming from a Glock, I don't like the high bore axis of the Sig handguns. This does not mean it is bad, just that I'm not used to it. And it is probably not a good idea to regularly switch between a low bore axis gun (like a Glock) and a high bore axis gun (like a Sig). Pick one and stick with it. The Sig P320 is what you should look at. There is a
P320 Compact available as well. What is nice about the Sigs are that you can switch frames between the various sizes. This means that you can buy a full size gun and a compact frame, and place the full size slide on the smaller frame. This gives the accuracy advantages of the full size, with the smaller grip and frame for better concealment. I don't know how what holsters are available when doing this.
Smith & Wesson:
With S&W you should look at the
Shield and the SD9VE. Both are capable firearms, with the Shield meant for concealed carry. The SD9VE is a direct competitor with the Glock 19. Not much to say. Both are supported with a choice of accessories and spares available.
My choice for each brand is in
bold. All of these are reliable if maintained properly and you will have many years of excellent use from them.
