I am purchasing my first hand gun. Cost is a factor and considering the S&W SD9VE.
Any factors to be concerned with as a first gun purchase?
Eventually would like to purchase a Glock 19 but not until the budget will allow.
Appreiate the feed back in advance.
I had a S&W SD9VE and thought the trigger pull was long and gritty. There are a ton of videos on youtube on how to make the trigger much better. Depending Are you wanting it to carry everyday or just to plink with?
My first gun was a Sigma, which birthed the SDVE series. Great gun, awesome grip. Except for the trigger, it's basically a Glock with steel bodied magazines. S&W got sued by Glock because they were so much alike. My Sigma broke down the same way as a Glock, per my memory.
The SD and Glock might as well be ying & yang. Glock owners love the trigger, but hate the grip. Nobody ever seems to same anything bad about the SD grip, but everyone dislikes the trigger (usually after they've shot a Glock...).
Whinging on about grips some more, the SD has the Glock owner grip wishlist: no finger grooves, high cut beaver tail, and under cut trigger guard. If you think I'm joking about how much Glock owners dislike the grip, all you need to do is look at all the Glock grip reduction threads, grip stipling threads, all the grip extensions to be bought, beaver tail grip angle add-ons for sale, and even Glock's Gen4 with different back straps to adjust the grip.
My advice is shoot everything you can to keep yourself from buying the same pistol over and over again from different manufacturers trying to find "the one" (you never will). Then buy a used gun and take the difference and spend it in ammo for practice. A "not a Glock trigger" can be overcome with practice. If it couldn't, why are S&W and Springfield selling M&Ps and XDs???
Full disclosure: I own a Glock 19 3 & 4 gen. I've also owned a RTF2 frame. I love the 4 frame the best, as a balance between the hand grippy/flesh shearing RTF2 and ol' slick sides gen 3.
But you can get some grip tape for gen 3...
And then get the trigger guard undercut...