I like your review, personally I would just by another .22 handgun, although I know why you want the conversion kit. If you have a few people then the second one will come in handy and cheaper to fire as well as lighter for the smaller folks.

Now there is a rule of thumb that people forget, the slides/auto loaders are good for combat but not so good for hunting.
The revolvers are much better for hunting, so that is just a thought as well.

A .45 comes in both revolver and autoloader so it might be a good option, although for hunting I would prefer a .357 or .44mag unless hunting rabbits or squirrel then the .22 is the way to go.
Just some thoughts and your reasoning is very sound and well thought out.

Hi bigred613, you're right, having a 9/40 barrel set is good to have. I wouldn't bother with the .22 conversion kit though. We have one in our store and it's more expensive than buying a decent .22 cal. pistol. As for firing underwater, pretty much any gun can fire underwater. The problem isn't the gun, it's the bullets. When that projectile hits a barrier that's 800 times more dense than the air it's meant to pass through, it slows real fast. When that happens (generally before the bullet has left the barrel) there's nowhere for the explosive power to go. The US Navy Seals have a gun that will fire underwater. However, it has several preloaded barrels and after firing it has to go into the shop to have the barrels loaded again. I wouldn't recommend trying it out with your Glock. If you do though, let us know what the emergency room doctors reaction was.

Bigred613, ammo availability seems to be a very important aspect to me, it's a great point to consider.
On the other hand, not less important (IMO) is how comfortable and proficient you are (or are gonna be) with this particular gun.
Me, personally, I don't really like Glocks. Can't help it, they just don't sit well in my hand. Walther P99, though (or its S&W 99 clone) - well, that's a totally different story! Fits like a glove (and it comes with 3 sizes of interchangeable grip backs).
And training, above all - training! Regardless of what make or model you pick 🙂

I have been researching and the 2 I have to decide between are the:

Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm or 40cal.

I'M not sure which caliber I will go with for my first, prob the 9mm, cheaper to run.

And the other is the Berreta PX4 Storm.

Both of them are sexy 😉

The M&P comes as a "Range kit" with extra mags, mag holder, a case, holster and speed loader.

I think the Berreta is about $100 more.

It all boils down to personal preference. Personally I think both Glocks and Berreta's are crap. Too much pop culture from Hollywood. And to use the agguement that the American Military & cops use them doesn't hold water. Most cops can't hit the broad side of a barn door and the "Non standard sidearm for the US military is still the Colt 1911A1 or a clone.

S&W make great revolvers but semi-auto are finky. 9mm Too light not enough connectic energy to stop anything bigger than a groundhog with 1 shot. Unload a clip (10 Shots) you will stop a human being, but that's a waste of ammo.

On the other end you don't need a hand cannon. 45ACP, 44special, 44 mag or 45 colt something that will put an intruder on his ass with one shot. Or 2 shots out of a .357mag. But ammo is not cheap.

One thing to remember semi-atuos have lots of moving parts, the more parts the better chance of breakages. Revolvers have less moving parts. With a miss fire in a revolver you just pull the trigger again, semi-autos you have to physically clear the chamber... those few seconds could be the difference between life and death.

I have 7 handguns in my collection... .45 ACP, 9mm, 2 x.357mag. 32 auto, 25 auto and a .22 semi auto

As I said it boils down to personal opinion

Years ago, I had a S&W model 1006 (10mm), the nicest auto I've ever shot. I also had a S&W model 469 (9mm), great little gun. When I got divorced my wife got custody of the 1006. I put my 469 in storage when I went overseas and when I got back, the return spring and rod were missing. After the military police did their investigation, they said I could get new parts and be reimbursed. After 4 years of searching all over Canada for the parts, I gave up and gave the 469 to the local gun club. Every inquiry I made got the same answer,"You can't get S&W parts in Canada anymore". I don't know if that's still true but it's the only reason I wouldn't buy one now.

Ditto on the personal opinion.

Check this mean dog out, cool and scary, the Taurus Judge. 410/45 long

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgnwO0o2ClQ&feature=related ,

The "Judge" (or also called the 4510) as a buddy of mine would put it "a nice piece of kit". Have held one, has a good feel to it but never fired one. If I remember correctly, you can only get it with a 6" barrel in Canada. S&W has come out with something similar,can't remember the name.

But it does fall into that group of 45's. The proper name for 45 Long Colt is 45 Colt. I guess the yankees had a hard time telling the 45 ACP (Auto) and the 45 Colt apart so they commonly call it 45 Long Colt.

If buying a used "Judge" find out if it's an earlier model, because they will only take a 2.5 inch .410 shell where as the newer ones take a 3 inch shell.

Check this mean dog out, cool and scary, the Taurus Judge. 410/45 long

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgnwO0o2ClQ&feature=related ,

Yeah, it is a versatile gun but I'm not that much into shootin' watermelons, so I think I'll pass. 😀

Personally I like Glocks but don't like the feel of the M&P'S and I'm very proficient and accurate with my glock. In a SHTF situation it would be a defensive weapon mainly used for protection. The 9mm convertion barrel would only be needed when I run out of .40 ammo and in that situation I would have the option to shoot 9mm if I come across it. For hunting I would strict with my .22 rifle or .22 handgun or other larger caliber rifles. It was cheaper to buy a .22 pistol then to get the convertion kit. I got a browning nomad and it is very accurate. I would have no issue killing squirrels or rabbits with that. I prefer automatics over revolvers because of more shots available. I also would go head to head in an accuracy challenge with any revolver I don't believe it is the gun more the ability of the shooter. I have a lot of .40/9mm JHP so for stoping power it's not an issue with the technology of today's JHPs a .40 or 9mm should be more then enough. My Glock has a lot of custom parts because I shoot IDPA. Not everyone likes Glocks, SW,SIG, ect it all personal opinion. The Glock just seems to fit me well.

I have a Glock 19 which is 9mm. On most 9mm glock you can purchase underwater spring cups which allow water to drain faster and also allow you to fire underwater with less pressure on the cups. I have a few people I know who have put them on other Glock models. That my be something you would want to look at. I have seen them from $2 to $20 depends on where you get them. And as far as the ammo goes you can buy a sealant which you run around the primer and where the round meets the casing. I belive it's the same stuff the military uses, All that said and done you should be shooting underwater without problems.

These are the OEM cups that I have on my Glock
http://glockparts.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=6820&TERM=Cups

Ok Folks,
I implore you to learn this info from a Master. Read Tappan on Survival, Mel Tappan. He was shooting, learning about, testing, competing before we were born!This guy is a Master and had written hundreds of articles on Shooting, types of shooting, what guns or pistoles to use when and where during his lifetime.

Wheel Guns great for hunting
Autos/Slides great for combat shooting,
some cross over, yes of course, but if you have the money and the means you need to have both for a true SHFT scenario. We will not always be killing Zombies/Walker, there will be armed groups although less so than in the US. Survival and SHFT you will need both types, so hunting and protection.

Most Ranchers carry Wheel guns for a reason, the reason is the accuracy and range. Hunting while out on the job, a lot of them carry an extra slide auto in a carrier for other things, especially in the US. Most Trappers and Geologists in the North carry Wheel guns for the same reason.

ps. personally I am not going to shoot underwater, even if they tell me that I can! My old FN could be dropped in the mud or water, shaken out and fired, and that was about as close as I want to get to do that! We also did testing and training on the AK 74s and AKMs as well, could not beet them for reliability, but a close quarters combat rifle it was, the FN was a bit more finicky than the AKs but could reach out to 1000 yrds and touch someone. The M16 varient the C7, was a far cry from either of those, it was ok, but get it dirty or cold and watch out.

Clocks were just becoming mainstream at the time, the German Military and Police carried them so we got to play with them on the range as well, never underwater though.

So like knives, I say you need two for survival a large and a smaller one, as with handguns, I again say you need two for SHFT scenarios a combat model and An Everyday carry Critter Gitter one. Your gonna need food more often than you will need to shoot Walkers, so best to have both. I also believe we need silent hunters as well for Combat and Critter Gitters, so simple crossbows like the Excallibre which is a Re-Curve or Re-Curve Bows, are the way to go, along with a sling shot and perhaps an airgun.

Now class, Can anyone tell us what happens when you block the barrel of a gun and then attempt to fire it? Now, can anyone tell us what fills the barrel of the gun when you put it underwater? Again, water is 800 times more dense than air, what do you think is going to happen when the bullet you just fired, meets the water that's filled the gun barrel? Once again, what happens when you block the barrel of a gun and then attempt to fire it? I know what all the research and the real experts say about trying to fire a gun underwater. I find it to be the height of stupidity to even discuss firing a gun underwater when there's the possibility of someone reading about it and deciding to try it out.

Now for part two: Tests have been conducted where various calibers, up to and including .50 cal. sniper rounds, have been fired into water (not fired in water but fired into water). The tests have shown that if you have skin like a peach, you could suffer a bruise from the .50 cal. sniper round if you are deeper than three feet. Smaller rounds are not much more than an annoyance after three feet. So, even if you could fire a gun underwater without blowing your hand apart, at an effective range of less than three feet, what would be the point.

The only gun to be fired successfully under the water, had a spear on it.