Buying Your First Handgun

As noted in posts above, no one on the internet can determine the best gun for you. That said I'll weigh in-

#1 Commander size 1911. Decent compromise between range and carry, and I'm a die-hard .45acp fan. I've owned several including Colt, Kimber, STI, and Sig. Best bang for the buck is the base Sig Carry, IMO

I've owned an M&P 45, and got rid of it because of the ridiculous trigger. Apex doesn't make the upgrade trigger for the .45 model.
I carry in summer an M&P Shield in 9mm just because it's light and small, but I have had no issues with the Kel-Tec PF11, which is substantially cheaper.

Bottom line is, get out and try some. For your first you don't want to be stuck with something you can't shoot.

 

My .02 is go to a store and hold a bunch of guns
In my experience what I like online I hate to hold and vise versa
Renting at a range is good to to see if you like shooting them

 

I'm going to take a Concealed Carry class soon, and I've been looking at handguns and trying to decide which I would like. I've looked at videos on youtube a bunch from hick045 or soemthing like that. I'm debating between just on research the Ruger LC9, Beretta Nano, or the S&W M&P Shield. All in a 9mm. I know the Nano doesn't have a slide lock which I don't know how important that is, the LC9 has a long trigger pull. Right now I'm thinking about carrying it in a IWB holster behind my back I think. Is that where most of you carry? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Apex makes a duty/carry action enhancement kit for the M&P 45

 

I bought a Sig SP2022 in 9mm. Very nicely built. A bit lighter than the metal frame Sig models. The slide release is fairly light to drop. It has a built in de-cocker, and holds 15+1 rounds. Best of all was the price. At Christmas I found it marked down to $399!

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/sig...-9mm-pistol/pid-391293?N=385933177+4294961843

 

Lol de-cockers scare me. I know they are safe but they feel so wrong

 

I highly recommend you get a small .22 pistol for plinking and cheap quiet shooting for confidence in your gun handling. Next, decide it you like wheel guns or autos. A house gun can be any caliber but 9 mm is hard to beat for the civilian and a Glock 17 harder still. If you are a hunter too, a Smith .357/.38 was my long time friend along with a Ruger 101 which I still have.

A carry gun can be had by a bunch of good manufacturers but the Glock 26 in 9 mm I carried for years and was happy with. Now, I settled on a .38 SW 642 DOA air weight. It is far and away, the safest, lightest and most reasonably powered gun I have shot. It is also one of the most widely sold revolvers for the last dozen years for that reason.

Don't laugh, but next on my list would and still might be soon, a 9mm revolver, the LCR DOA by Ruger. Good power and compactness.

Wheel guns from Smith and Ruger and Glock autos I found were the safest and most reliable guns made. I feel guns with safeties are false security and recommend in general the double action only revolver and safe action by Glock. As a former policeman who has advised many civilians in choosing firearms for self defense, the DOA revolver and the service weapons carried by police but in 9mm, are all good safe, reliable choices. You have dedicated training choosing weapons for you. Any used by major law enforcement agencies would be worthwhile considering first.

In summary, I feel it's important if you buy an auto you consider the 9mm first for resonable power, easy shooting and cheaper ammo to encourage practice. A wheel gun should be a 357/.38 Revolver. Above all, get a small .22 auto to practice with. Lastly, sign up for an accredited training course and get your concealed weapons permit. Practice safely, shoot safely and often so you feel confident and safe when carrying.

 

What is this cheap .22 that you speak of?

 

You can go to most gun ranges and most of the people there will let you shot their guns. Some would ask if you supply ammo. But that's the best way to feel a gun out. Way better than holding it at a gun store

 

Ha, ha .....right .
I hope I said small .22 auto that was cheap to shoot.
I still have an early .22 practice gun, a 3" SS Charter Arms pathfinder
Great little gun.

 

^^^This. Good advice for a first time buyer. Get what feels good in your hand and is comfortable to shoot regardless of round size. After you get nice and used to your first gun, then you can start getting particular about caliber.

 

Yup, go handle several. I have many different styles and sizes and I like how they
all feel and shoot. But the next probably wouldn't like a certain grips
style or size depending on hand size and number of fingers on the hand.

 

I've got a different take than most. A person's first had gun should absolutely be a double action only 38/357 revolver. They are as safe and as simple as a handgun can possibly be. Just stick out your fist, squeeze, and it goes bang. Every time no matter what. 38s are very cheap to shoot and somebody new should shoot a lot. Then shoot some more and then shot a lot more. There is just no substitute for building skills and muscle memory so that the weapon can be handled safely and effectively under any conditions and any kind of stress. After a few thousand rounds down range, maybe take a look at something sexier and more fun to shoot. Nobody should ever buy a striker fire hand gun for their first one no matter how popular, sexy, fun, and easy to shoot they are. I'm not even convinced that anyone should be using one for daily carry. Just way too easy to fuk up with one. And I say that as a hypocrite that carries one. But I have put thousands and thousands of rounds downrange over the decades.

 

Agree. I have a Chiappa Rhino 2" which is very easy to carry.
Is also a fun one to shoot. .38 feels like shooting a .22
.357 a little more kick.

 

There's only one gun that's right for you to buy and that's the one you are most comfortable handling/shooting. Go to the range. Rent the ones you think you like. Shoot them a few times meaning after a couple of trips to the range. Make an informed purchase. This is the soundest advice for a first time purchase I can offer.

 

...anyone who is "new" and unfamiliar w/ safe handling and etiquette ought to take the initiative for introductory training, get hands on both revolvers and pistols under the supervison of an RSO... as for "daily carry", ...again, go the next step, more training, and i don't mean just the "CCW class", ..but more advanced training so you get a sense of how to react, not react, and effectively employ the handgun in the worst case scenario. this includes knowing how to solve the most unsuspecting "problems", under duress, quickly, ..such as malfunctions, be it pistol or revolver...

...striker-fired handguns, or semi-autos in general, are great for "carry", ...first, generally a higher, sometimes much higher, loaded capacity than a revolver, second, ...the ease of reloading w/ a spare mag compared to moon clips/etc for a revolver..., ...thin frame and mag profiles for good concealment and body-hugging wearability (especially w/ single-stack mag designs), and, perhaps (arguable) ergonomics that have been leveraged by trainers (i.e. the thumbs-forward grip, ...low bore axis for controlling recoil muzzle flip, etc.), and heck, even the ability to mount miniature optics/red dot sights...

 

Just realize not all "experts" are actual experts: http://bearingarms.com/bob-o/2016/0...indicted-student-shoots-kills-gun-shop-owner/
I'm sure some of the students were new to firearms and should not have been doing any kind of drill of this sort in a classroom environment. Pick your experts carefully.

 

I posted in the "What was your first handgun" thread but probably shouldn't have.

I am a gun n00b. I'm not afraid to admit it.

In Maryland you are required to take a mandatory 4 hour HQL (Handgun Qualification License) course and then wait roughly 4 weeks for the MSP (Maryland State Police) to "approve" you. Once they approve you you get your HQL in the mail and are able to purchase a handgun.

I've shot a few handguns but want to shoot a few 9mm handguns at the range. Fortunately it's about 5 minutes from my house.

It will be a home defense and range gun.

I like this one. XD(M)® 4.5″ FULL SIZE 9MM

Someone I know has the compact version of this but I would get the Full Size.



Of course if they have it to rent I will do that.

Anyone have this? Opinions? Better recommendations?

Thanks

 

@AWF ROWD - I saw your gun range picture in the TW Live thread.

Any advice for a gun n00b? Thanks

 

M&P Shield 9mm is my daily carry weapon...reliable, solid weapon...!