Buying Your First Handgun

Thanks.

Not able to carry here in Maryland.. It will be a practice range gun/home protection.

 

cell phones and driving is illegal too isn't it?

 

Yes that's true but I have bluetooth in my vehicle that I use.

 

What do you fellas with bigger frames carry every day? I'm 6'4" 230 lbs so I think a subcompact would feel like a toy in my hands. I'm 21 and have my concealed carry permit already (incredibly easy to get in FL if you've already completed your hunter safety course). I grew up around rifles and shotguns for hunting but never got much experience with handguns. Anyone care to make a suggestion for someone in my position?

 

I would suggest going to a range that rents. Try on a few medium and large frame autos. Handguns are like underwear; you could go a lifetime looking for the perfect pair. I'm 6'2" 235 and can easily hide a glock 19, sig P320C, M&P 2.0 with a loose shirt. If it is down to summer Ts, I typically carry a J-frame. You will experience the same as all who have come before you. There is no one size fits all, for either holsters or weapons. The general rule is carry the biggest thing you can successfully conceal. I have trained many, and the one mistake the novice always makes is buying something too small for their first hand gun. It is difficult to learn and master fundamentals when you are spending your time trying to manipulate a toy. Master the fundamentals with a range gun and then apply them to a carry gun. The range gun then becomes your home defense weapon.

Most medium and large frame handguns default to a medium grip size. Trigger position is generally the same. One exception to the rule is the XD series weapons, where I have found the finger indexing point a little longer than say glocks or sigs. Most poly frame weapons change grip size by using a variable sized back strap (two or three variations come with the weapon). Sig has full on frame replacement in the 320 series, and you can buy a small/med/lg grip that will accept the trigger unit (serialized), barrel and slide (25-35 bucks for the poly frame, no ffl required).

Finally, don't cheap out. This is a weapon you are talking about. This is something meant to save your life or the life of an innocent. You choose to carry because you want that option in your kit. You don't have to go Wilson or Nighthawk custom, but you defiantly do not want a highpoint YEET CANNON. The budget begins with Ruger and moves up from there, anything less is asking for reliability issues, and this is a tool that has to be 100 percent reliable.

I started with Ruger and graduated up the ladder. I own several M&Ps, a half dozen glocks, four sigs, and a few others like springfield, kimber, and colt. I stay away from Taurus and anything less, as I have had reliability issues with them. Any weapon that remains in my inventory has had a minimum of 500 rounds through it, without a single failure. Otherwise, I have sold it, marked it off my list and moved on.

In my mind a combat gun is one of these four: glock, sig, FN, or M&P Why? They just work.

 

Id start off with a SW snubbie in .38 and/or glock26 if I were new to handguns. They are simple, reliable. Regardless, get a .22 pistol also to get comfy with pistols on the cheap. The best for the money is an sr22 by ruger.

 

Holy necro batman. Check those post dates boys!

 

I have an SR22 and it’s been a great gun.

 

First off, I see that nobody has posted here in a while......so this is just my 2cents

I grew up with bows, shotguns and rifles my whole life. I'm an avid hunter and prefer to bow hunt only because of the challenging aspects of it and it's more rewarding. But to get to the main subject.....my first pistol was a 22lr browning. It's great for someone starting out and getting the feel of shooting a pistol and ammo is cheap for this caliber. My "go to" home defense weapon is my FN 5.7x28 with bluetip ammo. I also conceal carry this. It's one of the fastest flattest shooting pistols out there in my personal opinion. Have multiple 20rd mags and even a 30rd for it, all loaded and ready for business. To me, this is absolutely my weapon of choice to have on me if a situation arises.