Considerations for my first handgun

Bad idea... He will regret it.

It's going to be challenging to tame and control the muzzle flip of the 40. It'll take him longer to get proficient with the handgun.

Start off with a 9mm. With today's technology in hollow points 9mm is very effective for self defense. Shot placement is key. Not caliber size.
Plus 9mm is cheap.

 

^x2.

I have a .45 and 9mm and can get more rounds on target, faster, and more accurately with the 9. Not to mention I carry a 15 round mag in the chamber and a couple 17 round mags for backup if I feel like it. The .45 holds 7 rounds.

YMMV, but generally speaking any new shooter will be able to get more rounds on target faster and more accurately with proper training. An carry more rounds total, etc.

Try them all and get what you like, but the case for 9 is getting stronger and stronger as the gap in stopping power between 9 and .45 closes more and more.


If you're really thinking about concealed carry for defending yourself and others you may want to consider the diss&ass factor. I your gun goes down for some reason, how quickly can you get each model you shoot apart and back together to fix the problem, which 9/10 of the time will just be a stove pipe. That's just something most people never do when looking for their first gun is take each model apart and see which one will be easiest to clean and work on. Just something to consider.

 

After watching my buddy's Springfield rust-rot away into uselessness, I can't recommend them.

My personal favorite is my Ruger 22/45. Zero recoil (you will not develop a flinch), sized and balanced just like a .45, so when you transition you won't have to change anything, and it's a freakin' tack driver. I'm not a great pistol shot but with this gun, at 15 yards I can get every round into a circle the size of my hand.

This would be my first handgun - come to think of it, it was - because you'll build good habits. And a gun that shoots where you want it to renders caliber irrelevant.

Ruger also makes a fine 9mm. I did a side by side with a friend of mine who wanted a 9, and the Glock stovepiped a LOT shooting reloads. The Ruger would take anything, not one misfire.

Cost and scarcity of the ammo would make the .45 a non-starter for me. You can find 9mm anywhere.

 

If a weapon rusted away the owner is the fool. And if a weapon is stovepiping it may be the weapon or it may be the limp wrist.

 

For fun, check out hickok45 on youtube, he's about the only thing worth watching on YouTube. He's a talanted shooter and knows his stuff.

 

That man can shoot^

 

Buy an all-steel 38special or 357magnum revolver.

Smith and Wesson 686 with a 4 inch barrel.
6 or 7 shots for defense, lots of ammo choices and much safer to learn for a novice.
Avoid the Glock fanboys, as you learn more about handguns, Glocks quickly move down the desireability list.
Do not get 40SW(that's what the cops use!), it has the sharpest recoil of any of the NATO cartridges.
Steel CZ 75 is a great pistol and the prices are still reasonable.

 

Also avoid writing off established manufacturers based on the opinions of others..

 

I usually write off the advice of people that do not explain their opinion.

Answers like:

"Glock 19"

".40 S&W"

Do no good unless you explain WHY you recommend that choice.

 

Not to be negative, but does it matter anyway what anyone recommends? Recommendations on something this personal are pretty useless before they even begin.

 

I'm not a glock fanboy. I own one among others but I do find the glock haters equally annoying as the fanboys. I suppose LEO, SF and FBI/CIA are just plain stupid for carrying them a lot of the time. What would they know?


OP, choosing a pistol should be an intimate thing so to speak. Just take what you can from all this and go get behind em until you figure you've got a winner. Chances are as you grow in experience your "choice" gun will change anyway and you may even end up with more than one. Nothing more need be said here until you get behind a few.

 

^^^^^This, blows the Glock 26 i had out of the water. Perfect to carry if you want and comfortable to shoot all day.

 

I'm dying to know what aspects the M&P 'blows the Glock out of the water' in.

 

Well, for me lets start with the the trigger(no comparison out of box), accuracy(glock shot all over the place), grip( M&Pc just a tad bigger but full grip), magazine capacity out of the box(10rds vs 12rds), metal guide rod(glock is plastic), barrel(stainless on M&P), slide(stainless on M&P). Over all it points like a lazer, is more accurate, the trigger is much better, no extra money spent on replacing plastic parts or buying pinky extensions. Just call smith and wesson and they send you one for free. Now thats the 9c compared to 4th gen 26. JMO.

 

Oh boy. You keep talking about the trigger and even with the new updated trigger the Glock one is still better out of the box. The trigger reset is second to none. Crisp, positive and solid 'CLICK' between shots to let you know when it's reset. I have M&P's too and I still choose to holster a G19 to trust my life to. The rest of your 'points' are chalk full of opinion and misinformation. I urge the OP to do some research and then shoot several and choose what's best for you. Also don't put a ton of weight in how it 'feels' for a carry gun. Truthfully that will be the last thing you care about should you ever need it. Practice hammer firing groups into human-size targets from 7-15yds under pressure and see what handgun 'points' the best for you and groups the best. You want something compact and lightweight so that you actually carry it because the best gun in the world does you no good if it's sitting at home in the safe because it was too big or too bulky.

With that, I'm done with this thread because firearm threads on non-firearm forums get out of control quickly from various fanbois out there.

Just an FYI... there isn't a handgun made that 'blows Glock out of the water' and this is coming from someone who owns various sizes in most makes and has fired just about everything under the sun. You can say want about looks or other opinion based things like that but you can't question it's reliability and track record. You can question plastic parts here and material choices there but I'll tell you that my Glocks eat EVERYTHING I feed them where others don't and function flawlessly through shit others don't. If I had to go to war anywhere in the world and had only one firearm to trust my life too you bet your sweet ass it would have Glock on the slide. There isn't a handgun made that can even compete with Glocks track record let alone 'blow it out of the water' so we should refrain from hyperbole.

 

Well I don't care to knock or praise Glock. But I will say that I own a G21 and G30 (full size and sub compact .45 ACP) and both shoot identical groups at 25 yards and closer to both my Baer and 2 highest end Springfield 1191s - Thunder Ranch Special and TRP Professional.

In my case, that is extreme accuracy capability, particularly at the fraction of their cost in comparison. The Glocks are unmodded amd as they came from the manufacturer.

Saying a manufacturer is inherently accurate is BS. Your body structure or shooting style that isn't capable of good results with a particular platform is not an issue with said platform. Which is why I hope OP isn't taking recommendations seriously. Every shooter has a unique experience with each platform, same manufacturer or not.

 

Because Glock.

 

I have several Glocks, also have Caracal C, Walther PPQ, Ruger SR9c, FNS-9.
Any of these would make a fine first handgun in 9mm.

 

...i'm sure the OP is a bit surprised how particular folks are about their handguns of choice

...if i were one to give advice, i'd probably start w/ this:
1) learn all the safety, 4 rules, etc...

2) learn the "proper" grip - ...most of the reputable schools (that i'm aware of...) teach what is often referred to as a "thumbs forward grip", ....it's a based on the mechanics of creating a stable firing platform that reduces muzzle flip, ...more accurate followup shots... don't emulate the crap you see on tv/movies, most of it's ridiculous crap

3) ergo and controls... can you reach the mag release?... thumb safety or no?, ...interchangeable grips important, ...cocking serrations good?, ...sights large enough to see (most mouseguns tend to have horrible sights)... some advocate a rear sight w/ good bearing surface to catch on a belt or other object for one-handed charging/manipulation, etc...

4) use (1), (2), and (3) in handling various handguns at the stores, if you can narrow it down renting or going w/ a friend to the range is good...

...just make sure you make the "fit" decision based on good mechanics...

 

meh