Have you shot any of them before or did you see what reviewed the best? I'd just shoot the ones you (think you) like and you can choose the one you like after. Try some at a range. Nobody can tell really tell you online. If you live in california the maximum magazine size is 10 rounds I believe.
I don’t think that the Sar or Canik are on the Calif approved handgun list. You also can’t get magazines greater than 10 rounds in Calif.
You mention that you are planning on using a handgun for self-defense yet might go decades without firing it. To me that’s bad combination in that you have to be extremely comfortable in handling and firing the weapon (any weapon for that matter). That means regular sessions at the range and preferably some self-defense shooting courses.
The S&W doesn’t have a thumb safety so proper gun handling under stress is going to be very important.
Handguns are difficult to use accurately in a high stress situation and unlike the movies or tv hitting something in the dark (a likely scenario for self-defense) is….hard. If you look at some police incident reports you’ll see that there are many misses even when the distances are measured in a few yards.
But to answer your question of the 3 guns you mentioned the S&W is the only option (Calif approved). But you may want to consider getting a revolver instead. A 6 inch barrel 7 round S&W 686 would be a good choice in my opinion. Easier to see if the gun is loaded, not much recoil using .38+ P ammo, and easier to use under stress than a semi-auto.
Most personal encounters are over in less that 5 rounds from most of the stuff I’ve read.
Or get a shotgun instead of a handgun. A Remington Express or Mossberg 500 will run you less than a good handgun and has way more stopping power with something like #4 buck.
Your state has a list of allowable weapons, those not on the list won’t be found for sale. For your safety your state limits you to 10 round capacity. My agency went to 115 Grain FTX - Hornady Critical Defense about 3 years ago. Seems to be a middle of the road round in recoil with good expansion. Guns tend to not need cleaning very often. I’m using these days G96 cleaner it’s a CLP “clean, lube, protect” so light spray on the wipe off with a red coarse shop rag. Mobile one synthetic works well too, a drop on a Q-tip then paint the bearing surfaces. The last two pistols you list are not good pistols. The 1st one is.
Probably the best option. Very flexible with loads available from slugs to birdshot. Ruger PPC 9mm my also be an option, small 9mm carbine that takes Ruger or Glock magazines. Better range and power with less recoil over a handgun.
It’s always a good idea to fire a gun before you buy it. It has to feel comfortable in your hand and also that the grip isn’t too large for your hand (sometimes a problem with double-stack magazines).
By the way I mentioned in a prior post that the S&W doesn’t have a thumb safety. A good thing about that is that there’s nothing to thumb off before you fire it. Under stress that’s an easy thing to forget to do, as I found out shooting a 1911 on a course one-time :person_facepalming:
I think I'll figure out which handgun I like the most, see if I can hold it at a local gun shop, and then if I like it, buy it from whoever has the best deal.
If it’s strictly a self-defense gun, or a range gun, then a Glock 17 would make more sense I think. Might as well be full-size if it’s never going to be carried.
Unfortunately that phrase doesn’t hold too much truth with pistols. You get what you pay for. The Glock 17 or 19 is one of those last forever guns that is worth the price.
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