I currently have DD, Geissele, and Colt and can say all are incredible. That being said, I don’t think you can go wrong with BCM, Centurion, SoL,etc. A friend has had great results with the PSA Saber uppers as they use FN barrels, I believe.

If you are on a budget, Palmetto State and Bear Creek Arsenal. I have really been impressed with the side chargers from Bear Creek. Both have been very accurate and I have had no problems with either.

I'll put in a vote for Aero Precision. If you look around and keep an eye out for sales, you can find some great deals.

What smaller-sized handgun would you recommend for beginners?

Some detail would help with a question like that. For what eventual purpose? Carry? SD at home? Range fun?

Something like the P365, M&P Compact, P228/9, etc. There are TONS of choices, so lots comes down to personal preference, how it feels in your hand, what "smaller" means to you, etc. I'd stick to 9mm because it will maximize your choices.

For what it's worth, I received my BCM "Blem" upper, I couldnt find a scratch or any such issue.

quote:

Originally posted by mac_220:
What smaller-sized handgun would you recommend for beginners?

A good .22 revolver, Ruger or S&W. You can develop good trigger control with DA or make it easier with SA. The revolver is more tolerant (in my experience) in the variation in .22 ammo (some semis perfer high velocity ammo). Additionally, the low cost and low report/recoil of the .22 makes it easy to do a lot of target practice. The low report and no recoil help prevent flinching.

You will probably get more responses to your inquiry if you post over in the pistol area.

quote:

Originally posted by mac_220:
What smaller-sized handgun would you recommend for beginners?

Mac - while we luv to be helpful - you may get a greater response in the Sig pistols section!

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/430601935

I'm a fan of Aero, SOLGW, and Geissele but would definitely shop the sales on each of them. I've made out well with some of the blems from each and Primary Arms had some steep discounts for a bit.

Build you own, it's easy.

I mostly use Aero no-forward-assist uppers and Criterion barrels. I see no need to buy a complete upper when all it takes is to install a barrel and torque the barrel nut and fix the gas block and gas tube. This is simple stuff. Handguard of choice is trivial with included barrel nut.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
For what it's worth, I received my BCM "Blem" upper, I couldnt find a scratch or any such issue.

I bought a 14.5 BCM blem upper because I had intentions to paint it. Couldn’t find the blem either.