Turning 21 soon. Looking to buy a handgun? What ya think

Alright fellas, so in a couple weeks I'll be of age to purchase a handgun. Plan on getting my CCW as well, not sure how much I will actually carry it, but still would like to have it in the event I decide to. Currently studying law enforcement in school, and trying to get into an academy, so I feel that it would benefit me to educate myself and become familiar with them.

As for now, would plan on using it for home defense and occasional shooting in my backyard. I considered buying one I could use for hunting, but Ohio hunting regulations state the actual barrel must be in 5 inches in length, and after looking at some handguns, I don't want an extremely large one so I'll have to worry about that later.

Looking to purchase a .40 or .45 cal.

I have shot some handguns, including my dad's 357 revolver and my buddies .40 cal Kimber, so I am not a total stranger to handguns.

I have kind of narrowed the brand down to: S & W, Kimber, Sig Sauer, or Glock. High end of my budget would be $1,000 and low end eh $600 or so.

Thus, just curious as to what you guys would recommend or have had good experiences with. Obviously, different guns have different features and you have to find the "right fit" for each shooter, but just would like some feedback from ya guys.

Thanks!

 

you can buy a handgun at 18 from a private sale unless your state prohibits it...

im a fan of the Smith and Wesson M&P line....if youre gonna carry it everyday id go with the compact and if you want more capacity get some full size mags and X-Grip adapters

here it is with 12+1 9mm mag



heres the full size mag along with the compact mag and an xgrip



full size mag 17+1 installed




ive got a 40 cal M&P full size too it holds 15+1 here it is inside of my Ryan Grizzle leather

 

Go to a range and rent the various guns to try them out. Personal preference is the Glock 23 with XS Big Dot sights.

BTW, look at ammo costs before discounting 9mm from your shopping list. If you practice often, ammo costs will eclipse gun cost within the first year.

 

Very good point, something that I have thought of. Just the research I have down around law enforcement agencies, most shoot 45 or 40. But if I take a liking to a 9mm, I'll definitely consider it. I know I want something more compact, but idk if I wanna go to small. Wanna find that happy medium. I'm currently trying to get into OSHP and they shoot a Sig Sauer P226, have ya ever had any experience with that?

 

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My choice would be a Sig. .40 if ammo cost is not a concern ... if a concern, then a Sig. 9mm.

I love a .45, but most tend to be a little too big for me to carry.
.

 

i do a lot of shooting. after reading your post I say a glock 36 gets my vote 100%. subcompact .45 can't beat it. if ammo cost is an option a glock 27 would be better subcompact .40

in my opinion the smaller and lighter the more you will carry it, the safer you will be if you get a permit to carry. also if you follow through w/cj you can use it as a backup weapon

in my opinion glock's are very easy to clean and are very reliable..

 

if i was to get any glock it would be a glock in 10mm only either the 20 or the 29

 

Yea, I'll obviously have to go to a range or store and check the guns out and see how they feel in my hand. I have a smaller stature, so I'm not looking for an extremely large gun. I think I may go with the compact size, that way I get something that is not extremely large or small...any more info on this is welcomed

 

subd... good info.

do you know if you can buy from a private seller in arizona if your under 21?

really liking that gun.

 

I own a Glock 22 Gen 4, it shoots well and is at the very low end of your budged. If you're looking for a happy medium for round size I would go with .40 Cal. If you really want something easy to CC you might consider a Kimber, something with a thin frame that won't stand out very much. I plan to get a Kimber compact 1911. It's a .45 cal but it will maintain very high accuracy and has a lot of stopping power.

 

You sacrifice quite a bit of ammo capacity with the compact pistols, unless you get a grip extension, which makes the pistol not so compact...

The Glock 19/23 pistols are somewhere in the middle - slightly smaller than the Glock 17/21 full-size pistols, but bigger than the normal compact pistols. Have a look.

 

have you looked at a taurus pt1911? they are within your budget and about the best 1911 in the lower to mid end price range. taurus stands behind their products with a lifetime warranty. since its a 1911 there are tons of add ons for it. the barrel is 5 inches so that would satisfy the hunting requirement. it is available in .45 acp like you are looking for. the only thing is its not as compact as you may like but overall it sounds like something you may wanna look at

 

i bought the Glock 23 about 2 weeks after i turned 21, i love it

 

I bought a G17 when I was 18. Now I'm 21 and looking to pick up another pistol for CCW. Lots of guys apparently carry double stack sub compacts and compacts but I'm really looking hard at slim single stacks like the Kahrs and Walther PPS. I also looked at the Sig 239 which is a very nice piece but it's a bit larger than the others.

As far as full size service pistols are concerned.

I really like my Glock, you may want to read a bit about the unsupported chambers in non 9mm models. I also like the xd line and the XDM is a fantastic gun. 1911s are great but so little capacity. The M&Ps are very comfortable as well IMO.

I've only shot one 226 and I felt like the grips were too large for me to handle comfortably. It was stock but perhaps changing the grips would have helped. Find a Sig that fits your hands and roll with it, they're all great guns.

Don't discount CZ, HK, FN, or ruger. All make nice pistols. I'm fond of the CZ75 and of the FNP.

IMO I would spend money on a reasonable full size and then buy a slim carry piece. Search around for some used handguns. I see nice guns for sale here all the time in NV.

 

Yeah, 21 is a federal law.

So you should be able to purchase FTF at 18 in AZ.

 

i have them both and 10mm is freaking awesome ONLY if you reload, otherwise it'll cost you a ton in ammo, i ccw'd my G29 for awhile but it's still pretty heavy, i now carry a G26 daily 10+1 with 17rd G17 mags as backup's, dont let anyone tell you 9mm isn't enough with the right bullets it is plenty i for one am not a fan of .40cal

edit, the unsupported chamber in glocks is a non issue, i shoot super hot 1500fps 10mm nuclear handloads out of my 10mm pistols and have never had a case failure, it doesn't get any more powerful than that in a semi auto (except for mabye a desert eagle)

 

definitely check out the M&P it has changeable backstraps... when you hold or shoot one pick the one that fits your hand best they have small(which i normally use because its prints less when i carry my M&Pc then there is a medium and a large. the large fits my hand the best so thats the one i use on my full size which i rarely carry openly

 

id find a local gun board and pose your question or check out www.thehighroad.org or www.opencarry.org

i would think being as gun friendly as AZ is that you could buy at a private sale at 18.... also youre not gonna be able to buy handgun ammo for a pistol till youre 21 from a gun dealer but you can buy pistol caliber ammo for a rifle at 18

 

With that budget you can get almost any pistol you like. It has already been suggested, but you should go to a range and shoot a bunch of different guns and see what you like. The S&W MP series are nice, as are Glocks and several others. For your very first gun I'd probably go with a G19 -9mm so you can shoot more for cheap and it's a good size for a CCW.

If you have your heart set on a .40 or .45 then a G30SF would be my next choice or a Sig 229. Can't go wrong with either of them. Just go shoot as many different guns as you can and then choose whichever one you like the best.

 

this is what i'm going to get. xdm 3.8 .40 compact