I'm less than a month away from 21 and I'm going to get a CHL. The catch is, like most 20 year olds, I don't have a whole lot of money. After about $250 for the different fees for the license, a few hundred to break in what ever sidearm I buy and to become proficient with whatever model I end up with. I'd like to spend less than $300, but I'll spend more if I have to. I've fired the Glock 26 and would really like to carry it if I can only afford one gun for now, but I don't count on finding any G26s in my price range. I know that the S&W semi autos that came out before the polymer pistol craze are reliable and often great values. The only thing is that when I search the web looking for a Smith that would compare to a G26, 95% of what comes up is info about Sigmas and M&Ps.

Basically, does anyone know of a S&W pistol from the steel and alloy days that is comparable size-wise to a G26?

I looked at the 6906, and I liked it, but if they make anything smaller, that would be better, because for the foreseeable future, I'll only be able to own one gun for carry all year round and it's a little large for summer carry.

The 3913/14 are comparable size wise but are single stack.

I'm a revolver guy who hasn't owned an autoloader for years, but somebody will jump in who can advise you, Meanwhile, welcome from Louisville. Don't rule out revolvers as carry guns.

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Oh well, what the hell.

The 3913 or 3914 are favorites for CC and are just like the 6906/04 with the exception being single stack 8 round mags on the 3913/14 vs. double stack 12 round mags on the 6906/04. The single stack mag will fit your need for a slimmer carry gun. The 3rd gens are durable, accurate and bet your life reliable...plus they look good, too! But, they have a following and can cost about $450 and up most of the time. You may be able to find an LE trade in for less...they are fine as well but will show varying degrees of exterior wear as they were working guns...most were not shot as much as you might think and are far from worn out. New springs and ready to go! But the LE trades will be mostly full size.

Something else to consider is what Smith called the "Value Series". The 908 would be comparable to the 3913. The major difference as I understand it is the materials used. Carbon steel vs. stainless steel, regular 3 dot sights instead of Novak and I'm not sure but I think a plastic guide rod instead of stainless steel. Don't let the plastic guide rod throw you...Glock uses them as well an many other manufacturers and they work fine. Those here that have these guns love them. Someone else with more knowledge will chime in.

Welcome to the forum and let us know what you decide!

Thanks for the welcomes, y'all. I didn't know about the value series and the 908. I'll have to see if I can find one to try out. I'll keep everybody posted.

I've thought about a J frame because they are easy to find in my price range and more importantly, because I know that if carried right, it disappears under even the lightest of cover garments. I also know that 5 rounds are enough for most situations, but I'd want to carry a reload anyway. That's where the problem lies. I'm awkward with speed strips and I imagine the lump of a speedloader to be an extra burden when concealing. I've also sort of made up my mind that I want a 9mm because I need the cheap practice (compared to everything else in center fire).

You like and want to buy and carry a G-26. Do not buy something else. Save your money and buy what you want to buy and carry. Otherwise, you'll end up fooling around trying to convince yourself that your really satisfied with whatever substitute you buy. Save your money. Buy the G-26.

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I'm not a Glock aficionado but I would pick a G26 over the S&W Stigma, er, I mean Sigma pistols every time.

The Glock 26, S&W 3913 and S&W CS-9 'Chiefs Special' are all good choices. I owned a 3913 and it was always 100% reliable and very, very accurate. Had the 45 ACP version of the Chiefs Special and it was also one fine carry piece.

Buy once cry once. If you like the G26 get the G26. You DONT NEED a gun the VERY SECOND you turn 21. I know you want one but you made it to 20 without any, you can save up a little more and buy what you want. In the long run you will spend more money trying to "save" and comprimise because you will be trading in constantly. And even the s&w 69xx and 39xx will cost more then $300, unless you happen to stumble upon a great deal. I was in your shoes not that long ago (2001) and went through the same thing only worse, I didnt know exactly what I wanted, no one I knew had guns or was into guns so I spent and spent and read and practiced till I finally settled on an every day carry gun.

The best thing to do is save up money. Dont go to the movies the one time. Don't eat out for a few weekends. Stay home one weekend. Get a part time job or check Craigslist for someone looking for weekend or evening help. It doesnt take long to save a few hundred bucks when you arnt constantly spending it.

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I really like the cs-9 chiefs special great fit in hand and good accuracy.

When I turned 21 many years before concealed handgun licenses were common I bought a surplus WWI Colt 1911 for $60. I was a college student and that was a LOT of money but I had to have a 1911. I still have that gun although it no longer has nightstand or glove box duty (did both for 30+ years). You'll never forget your first... so do it right.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

I agree with the sentiment, but I've saved up a few hundred dollars by working, selling some of my stuff, and tightening the belt for the last few months. I really want it now, because the first 18 1/2 years, I wasn't living in New Orleans. In the 2 years since, I've been robbed already. I consider myself lucky to have walked away unharmed. I'm not some mall ninja itching to use a weapon, but I don't want to have my safety rely on luck and kind words any longer. I honestly agree and would give that advise to most people, but I've out months of saving, research, and firing different sidearms to inform my decision.

I was going to stay out of this but you have kind of pulled me in. You don't buy a 3rd gen Smith because it's cheap, this are pistols that you have to have a passion for. If you buy the cheapest 3rd gen you can find you can expect to change ever spring in it to make it reliable, if you buy a alloy gun it will most likely look like it was tossed out the window at 30mph. If you want a .40 or .45 the price just went past the G26. I have a passion for Smith 3rd gens but I am not a Luddite I do own a couple of Glocks and understand why PDs have moved to them and M&Ps. My advice would be to get your tactical Tupperware now and find out where your passion for pistols lies .

With your budget, you might want to consider a SCCY. There's a new article about the 9mm on USCCA. I see them listed on Armslist in your price range.

Just make sure you get what you WANT. The gun is a one-time purchase and you'll forget about how much it cost in a few months time. After you get the gun, get some instruction if needed and just shoot it some. Then set some short term goals for the future. Getting carry permits and the like. I know how it is when you are cocked and ready to buy.

I'm on a limited income and I have to spread my purchases out over time. With a little luck I can get something I want each month.

I have a goal that may take several years, but I'm trying to become independent of the supply chain.

PS I bought my first gun with home defense in mind, but soon realized that I LIKED shooting a lot. The same may happen to you.

Here are some pics for comparison, member Fastbolt has some better ones if search for it in the other threads

I disagree. Cheap doesnt mean used up. These guns are too old for a lot of newer shooters. I run into cheap or cheaper 3rd gen Smiths because people think they are too old and/or too heavy. They got them because it was available at the time or someone recommended it. I bought a un issued NYPD 5946 with 2 mags for $250 cause the guy " didn't know why he bought it and doesn't really need it". Same with the 40 tactical I once had. $300 -too heavy. Right now I have on layaway 3 guns, one being an unused 4566 DAO for $375 out the door. Lots of folks think they are old or outdated or don't know what they have

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Welcome to the Forum IMO for a EDC try the G19 or the S&W 3913 if you can not wait till you can afford either I would look at used Kahr CW9.

Happens to be a nice 908 posted on GA just today for $369. Worth a look anyway.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Ah to be 21 and startin out again. Me, I was somewhere in the Pacific on a battleship, standing watch with an M-14!
JustifiedFan, get what you want now, and don't look back! If a G26 is what your wanting and can afford by all means get one.
The 3913/14 family is longer and taller than the G26 but they're a lot thinner, the above mentioned CS9 is roughly the same size as the 26 but also thinner.
Personally I never developed a fondness for the "baby Glock" but its bigger brother the G19 is the one Glock I'll always have!
I don't think I need to go into the pros and cons of either.
Oh yeah, I'm a fan of the show Justified too, and welcome to the forum.
I will predict though once you get a 3rd Gen you might just not look at your 26 the same again. Dale

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"Long live the S&W 3rd. Gen.!"

I too am a fan of the G19 but get what you want and get some training. Become proficient and dry fire a lot in between range sessions. do it correctly and you will master your piece.

also develop your mind and knowledge since you will be carrying.

good luck

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if you're gonna be a bear...

Save your money and get a Glock 29 or 23. Small enough to carry, big enough to comfortably shoot.

Your correct , cheap doesn't necessarily mean used up. Even the blind sow finds an acorn every now and then. Two years ago I found a unused 6904 for $250, then a very lightly used 6906 for 100 more. I would be hard pressed to do that now and you finding a unused 4566 for $375 your just living right. There's allot of chaff out there that folks are asking way to much for and I think that drives the prices up even higher on the nice ones. I've noticed that you folks in Ohio and Pa seem to have a plethora of 3rd gens at your LGS , not so where I'm at. In the last 2 years I've seen only one overprice beat up 5906 at the LGSs around me, lots and lots of M&Ps though.

Nothing wrong with a Glock 26. It is a fine choice if you can have one gun.

Easy,(and cheap) parts availability. The Model T of guns.

With a LS engine 6sp trans and 4 wheel disc brakes.

I had a Glock 26 for awhile as a carry weapon. There was nothing wrong with it except I didn't like it. It shot well and always hit what it was aimed at. I found a Smith 908 (blued) that I much preferred, got rid of the Glock, and never looked back. For the sacrifice of a few rounds I got a slimmer pistol that concealed better (for me), shot better (for me) and was a better "value." By that, I mean that when I acquired my S&W CS9 and the 908 became superfluous, I made money selling the 908. Nice money.
Recently some police trade-in S&W 6906s came out. Alloy frame, stainless slide, 12 round magazines. I just bought one for $365 plus $18 shipping. It came with 2 mags and looks practically brand new. Again, for me, a better choice than a G26.
You're fortunate that you know what you want. I was the same way at your age. (I mean that in the kindliest fashion.) A G26 will serve you well and long. You can also probably find a nice one quicker than a carry model (as opposed to a range or nightstand) metal S&W 9 mm.
Good luck, stay safe, and welcome to the forum.

I carry a Glock as my off-duty piece on occasion.

They're ugly, they're soulless but I'll be darned if they don't go bang every time that you ask them to do so.

Like others have said, if you like the G26 then buy it. That was my first pistol when I turned 21 and it's still a fine gun today.

I went several years with just the G26 before I got a "grown-up" job and was able to afford more of the cool guns that I liked/like/own.

Good luck in your hunt.

While I agree with buy once, cry once (I learned the hard and expensive way) I am not sold on the G26. I had a G27 that I shot very well and carried some, but it never "came-to-hand" to suit me on the draw. I don't know if it was the Glock grip shape or what but it just felt like I did not have a sure grip on it from the draw and I had to kind of squirm it around to get ahold of it after drawing. One day I felt a Springfield XDsc and have been a XD/XDm fan ever since. Whatever fits YOU and you shoot well is my suggestion, but you are still a young man, play the field a little before you settle down.

I bougt a 908 for my wife for $300 and just recently found a 3913 for myself for $350. Both are in great shape and we carry them just about every day. A little heavier than plastic pistols but still not bad to carry with a good holster. You can't go wrong with either one. I also have a KelTec PF-9. Most people don't have anything good to say about these guns but mine goes bang everytime no matter what I have fed it. For summer carry it is perfect IMO.

The best gun I can think of that can be had for about $300 is a Smith and Wesson Model 915. These are great guns and with a little looking can be had in good condition in your price range. They are full size 4” barrel double stack 9mm semi-autos and use either 14 or 15 round magazines.

The Model 915 is not as easy to conceal carry as the smaller compact guns, but with a good IWB holster they can be carried as I have carried one in the past.

If you are really on a tight budget (as many of us are) get what you can afford and you can trade up later. People have given some great suggestions here.

I have a KelTec P11 that was my first gun and a friend has a PF9. No, they aren't glocks but they are easier to conceal and more importantly, in your price range.

As much as I love my S&Ws... It's gotta fit your hand. Handle a few before you choose. I am fold of my alloy framed 39-2s (bought one as my forst pistol & still own it, no regrets!) but I'm currently shopping for a more recent S&W single stack with steel frame. I gun that speaks to me when I hold it in my hand.
I agree with a 9mm as they are easy to shoot well if you learn decent technique. Fun to shoot. Familiarity can save your life if (and I hope it does not) it ever comes to that.
I would not overlook Police trade ins, both semiautos & revolvers. I bought a Police trade in 66 for a shared house gun. .357 cal will shoot inexpensive 38s as well (though I recommend wiping the gun down inside & out with BreakFree prior to shooting as it makes cleaning the cylinder much easier.) Speed loader pouches can be had that straddle the belt making them much lower profile.

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NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs

Well, I turned 21 just over a week ago and there is an Ernie Bean gun show in New Orleans today and tomorrow. I was planning on going today, but I'm going with one of my fraternity brothers. I'm not Jewish, so I had no idea today is Yom Kippur until a few minutes ago, but seeing as he is Jewish and today is one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, it looks like we'll be going tomorrow. Hopefully I can still find a good deal. Will be glad to let y'all know what happens tomorrow.