Handgun advice...

[Deathstroke]

Although I've always been a staunch supporter of gun rights, I have never owned a handgun. I have only owned a shotgun and a few rifles given to me. I've decided to go ahead and pick up my first handgun. I am open to purchasing any brand. I've asked around and so far a few different Sig's and glocks have come up which I've been told are exceptional handguns.

Keep in mind, I am willing to spend alot but I feel I don't know enough about handguns to make an informed decision, so I am hoping some of you gun enthusiasts out there could point me in the right direction and give me advice on a good FIRST handgun.

[nognig]

Everybody is different and there are a lot of great guns out there. Your best bet is to find a range that rents handguns. Shoot as many as you can and see what you like and don't like.

A few popular makers are:

SIG - expensive, but very high quality (~$750)
HK - expensive, but again very high quality (~$800)
Glock - very reliable, lots of models to choose from (~$500)
XD - a nice alternative to Glock, different feel from a glock (~$450)
Taurus - pretty affordable and some models have great reputations (~$350)

And may I suggest a 9mm? Or at least, pay attention to how much the ammo is going to cost you. .45ACP costs twice what 9mm does ($12/100 Winchester White Box), .40S&W costs 50% more than 9mm and .357sig is even more than .45ACP.

NN

[Xamine]

Personally...My 3 fav guns are..
Rev- .38
semi auto- 380 Special, or a 9mm

[Deathstroke]

Thanx a bunch. I can't rep now but I will as soon as I can.

[guest89]

What do you plan on using the handgun for?

Home Defence, Range plinking, SHTF, or competing?
I'd suggest if possible you rent or borrow some handguns and experiment around and see what feels best in your hand, what you like, what you can shoot the most accurate with..ect.

If not possible at least at a gunshop hold and experiment with each one before you make a choice.

You also might wanna check out CZ, Smith and Wesson, Colt, and Ruger ( I dont think anyone has mentioned these brands yet).

You may even want to consider a .22, extremely cheap to shoot every handgun owner needs one to perfect his shooting. I run 500 rounds a week through my .22 handgun, in my backyard. Thats only 10$ a week for tons of shooting. Figure a .22 as a first handgun for plinking, its a cheaper weapon and its cheaper ammo. If you like shooting handguns you can step up to a bigger weapon after you are more familure with what type of weapon you like.

All the guns I listed, and the guns nognig listed are all exellent weapons. My favorites are Colt and Sig.

[Deathstroke]

Home defense and a little plinking.

I'll rent and experiment first with all the ones you just named. Thanks.

[dannyman80]

There's really no "best" handgun. There are good handguns and there are bad handguns. But personal preference is a huge factor.

I agree that if you haven't shot a handgun much before, definitely get a .22 like a Ruger MKIII or something similar to practice. Nothing is better for getting your skills down pat. The ammo is so cheap you can shoot all day at the range for an absolute fraction of the cost that even the cheapest standard handgun would run you.

But for good popular choices that are prevalent it's worth looking at Sig 2XX series, USP's, Glocks, Beretta 92's, CZ 75/85's, any of the million different 1911's on the market, Browning HP's. That names a good chunk of the pistols on the market but any of those are proven and you would be unlikely to be very disappointed with.

But don't buy before you try.

[BlueBayou]

Home defense and a little plinking.

I'll rent and experiment first with all the ones you just named. Thanks.

I assume you're only considering semi-auto...

Start out at first with a 9 mm. Easy to shoot well and cheapest target ammo apart from .22, but still packs enough power to drop a bad guy with premium JHP ammo. Shoot it as much as you can. Many who start out on .40, .45, or other-more-powerful-caliber have a hard time at first and they can also induce a hard to get rid of, involuntary flinch. The 9mm, with today's premium JHP's, is almost as effective as the .40 and .45, but with much less recoil. But the 9mm is the minimum I would consider in a semi-auto for self-defense.

If you are not going to carry concealed, I would suggest you look at a Glock G17(full-size) or G19(compact) or Sig 226 in 9mm. If you may be carrying this one concealed, look at a Sig 229 in 9mm or a Glock G19 or G26(sub-compact). The Glock 19 is the most popular selling handgun in America today for non-LEO. That says something. The NYPD and several other Police Departments issue the G19, but the G22(full-size .40) is the most popular handgun for law enforcement in America. The G19 is an awesome gun and fits many people's hands perfectly. But Glocks can be hard to shoot at first for some people, while others can drive nails with them. Also you may dislike the lessened safety level of the Glocks when a round is chambered. You cannot stick a Glock in your pocket with 'one in the chamber' unless you wanna lose your balls or kneecap or your life. A Glock must be kept in a holster -to cover the trigger- if you are going to keep a round in the chamber.

So, find a range that rents and try some different guns out. This will make all the difference in the world. "Guns are like gloves, some fit just right and some dont." Tell the range owner if youve never shot a handgun before and get yourself some free pointers/tips on how to shoot well. And also, the range owner may be able to help you choose which guns to look at. Try to go in when he isnt busy with other customers, like in the morning. Dont hide it if you are a novice, tell him so and ask for help.

If you can also pick up a semi-auto .22 LR, this will be invaluable for training experience and just plain fun and costs pennies to shoot. There are many to choose from, but the Rugers are among the best.

Good luck and have fun!

[dannyman80]

I assume you're only considering semi-auto...

Lollll as opposed to buying a Glock 18 or Beretta 93? What do you mean by that? self loading vs. revolver?

[BlueBayou]

Lollll as opposed to buying a Glock 18 or Beretta 93? What do you mean by that? self loading vs. revolver?

Semi-auto vs revolver

This is the common terminology in the USA and most of the world.....?

Whar you from?

[dannyman80]

Semi-auto vs revolver

This is the common terminology in the USA and most of the world.....?

Whar you from?

Canada.. here if differentiating between a revolver and a standard pistol I always hear "self-loading". That makes more sense than revolver vs. semi-automatic. A double action revolver is a semi-automatic firearm just like any pistol with a slide and magazine is.

[Johan.Liebert]

Everybody is different and there are a lot of great guns out there. Your best bet is to find a range that rents handguns. Shoot as many as you can and see what you like and don't like.

A few popular makers are:

SIG - expensive, but very high quality (~$750)
HK - expensive, but again very high quality (~$800)
Glock - very reliable, lots of models to choose from (~$500)
XD - a nice alternative to Glock, different feel from a glock (~$450)
Taurus - pretty affordable and some models have great reputations (~$350)

And may I suggest a 9mm? Or at least, pay attention to how much the ammo is going to cost you. .45ACP costs twice what 9mm does ($12/100 Winchester White Box), .40S&W costs 50% more than 9mm and .357sig is even more than .45ACP.

NN

what about Kimber?

[GREENFEATHER]

I'm a HUGE fan of Sig Sauer, I own 5 of them so I do have a Sig fetish. I've owned Glocks, couldn't hit a bull in the ass if I was standing right next to him without it jamming. Series 70 Colts are the only Colts that I would own. I don't feel that the quality of the steel that goes into a Taurus is something that I would spen my money on. I guarantee you that you won't be disappointed with your SIG!!

[KIDRR]

From what I have

Glock 19 9mm: Nice, light, compact. Good for conceal carry and super reliable. Don't like the trigger that much though

Sig 226 .40:Great gun, nice trigger pull. Heavy and I don't like the "snappyness" of the .40S&W round

HK USP 45: My over all favorite, love the .45acp round, love the big handle for my big hand. Down side is the manual saftey it has.

Beretta 96 .40: Worst gun I have ever had. Inaccurate, horrible manual saftey odd ergo's

Ruger KP95 9mm: Good gun for only ~$350 decent ergo's but can tell it is lower quality

From what I shot

Kimber Raptor .45-Super $$$ but a really nice quality gun. Only holds 7-8 rounds though.

HK P2000 9mm: Nice small little gun, light, not as accurate or comfy as the Glock though

[Snoopis]

for the guns!!!

Love the avatar.


Speaking of handguns... How a Robbery Went Fatally Right

[Snoopis]

If you want a very basic but reliable and affordable .45, check out a Rock Island Armory 1911. A friend and I each bought one last weekend at the gun show... they are $320 each. Might sound cheap, but they are well made and more accurate than I am. The stock trigger set-up isn't too bad, but my friend already did a little tweaking on his and he says it's pretty damn nice with a little work.

[AccountantGuy]

Although I've always been a staunch supporter of gun rights, I have never owned a handgun. I have only owned a shotgun and a few rifles given to me. I've decided to go ahead and pick up my first handgun. I am open to purchasing any brand. I've asked around and so far a few different Sig's and glocks have come up which I've been told are exceptional handguns.

Keep in mind, I am willing to spend alot but I feel I don't know enough about handguns to make an informed decision, so I am hoping some of you gun enthusiasts out there could point me in the right direction and give me advice on a good FIRST handgun.

I bought a glock right off the bat. Never regretted it once. More complex guns = mo problems.

[NuggzTheNinja]

I would have recommended that you get an XD, as they're like a Glock but with a few extras, but...

Mine totally took a **** on me during disassembly. Due to a design flaw, the guide rod can unseat from its home in the barrel, and causes the gun to turn into a $500 paperweight instantly, lodging it in front of the block...holy ****.

I had to hammer the barrel forward with a wooden dowel just to unjam the thing. The bottom line is...do you want to be doing that when the **** hits the fan? It's not easy buddy.

[Cdem]

for your first hand gun get a .22. I go to the range and shoot off 200 rounds and it cost me next to nothing. I fire off so many bullets my pistol starts shooting wild cause i get the barrel so hot.

My first hand gun was a Smith and Wesson .22. and i still love shooting that thing off to this day. It was cheap, easy to maintain, has never given me problems and the ammo is cheap.

For those wondering, i got it when i was 16...my dad is huge into weapons. Our house is like an armoury.

[NuggzTheNinja]

If you want a very basic but reliable and affordable .45, check out a Rock Island Armory 1911. A friend and I each bought one last weekend at the gun show... they are $320 each. Might sound cheap, but they are well made and more accurate than I am. The stock trigger set-up isn't too bad, but my friend already did a little tweaking on his and he says it's pretty damn nice with a little work.

RIA is good, but they can be hit or miss. They were when I was researching them anyway in late '05.

I think they make a compact version too that's looking very appealing.

[resurrected]

I personally have a .45 made by a company in Ohio, it comes with a life time gurantee. The company is calle Highpoint. Love it fells greT AND SHOOTS FANTASTIC AT HALF THE PRICE. I also have a nice little .38 by taurus.

[Cobra5.0Jeep]

Definitely get a 9mm. My friend has a Ruger and its pretty badass.

[markedman]

I own a 9mm and that is like my 2nd baby

[OKgymNUT]

First of all make sure you take a safety course.

Second, I use to be a cop and from what I have learned from experiance, never carry anything smaller than a .40CAL. You want something that is going to stop or knock back somebody. A lot of people like 9mm, I personally don't due to the small round and fast muzzel velocity (the bullet travels through them and they keep coming.)

I carry a compact .45 and my wife carries a compact.40.

Good luck with your search.

[greyhair]

IMHO, a revolver is the way to go for home protection and some plinking.
Reload is slower and it has fewer shots, but it is much more reliable than any automatic.
Home defense/plinking does not require 10 shots between reloads.
Most likely sceneraio for home defense is zero to 1 shots being fired.
The purp will run after seeing the weapon or hearing one shot.

Try this

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firear...=5718&return=Y

[fastdraw]

This is quite a pistol.Be sure to watch the video.





Here's the link to the page, it's a pretty neat packin' gun that packs quite a punch.http://www.gunblast.com/Freedom_500WE-2.htm

[fastdraw]

Issue with revolvers is that kids can shoot them much easier then a semi automatic..and by that I mean its more dangerous in the home to have if you have children

An unloaded gun; is a useless gun. I agree with you about the kids. Guns should obviously be put in a place where kids can't get them, if you have kids that is.

[greyhair]

Issue with revolvers is that kids can shoot them much easier then a semi automatic..and by that I mean its more dangerous in the home to have if you have children

I believe your impling a loaded magazine separate from the pistol as a safety mechanism.
Its a good point, However, I quick loader for a revolver can be pretty quick.
On the other hand, I'd much rather keep the hand gun one of those electronic key pad safes. Yes it takes longer, but is is a balance between that and accidental shootings.
I favor the safe.

[Firepower]

a .22 cal is good for plinking and won't be any use when trying to defend yourself. it's fun to shoot and the ammo is dirt cheap. 9mm are good to shoot also. recoil is fairly low. i carry a .45 cal with hydroshock low-recoil bullets.

[guest89]

I think kids should be taught about guns, me and most of my friends have had access to loaded guns since we where born. Never had any accidents/problems.

Instead of hiding guns from your kids why not teach them about guns? I recieved my first BB gun when I turned 2, my first shotgun when I was 6. For as long as I can remember I've fired some sort of weapon almost daily for my entire life. (When I lived in the city I built an indoor target for air-rifles/handguns).

I say teach a kid how to handle a weapon properly, let him/her fire it often, and teach him/her how to respect weapons.

Just my opinion on the matter.