[SW]

Hey everybody,
I am new here and new to the world of guns. I have fired a few shotguns before but don't do much hunting or anything else. I obviously know guns demand respect and safety courses are a must. I am going to school here in Montana and I am looking into getting some sort of side arm mostly for protection while hiking against bobcats/mountain lions, but also for general target shooting possibly small game some day. What would you all recommend, something with some stopping power that wont set me back much $$ (I am a student and rather poor), and that wont weigh a ton in my pack/hip. Any other advice on where to purchase guns, internet resources, other things I should know would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Black Knight]

I don't know how tough bobcats and mountain lions are but for a good first handgun for hiking and back packing I would suggest a good quality .357 Magnum with a 4 inch barrel. You should be able to find many good used .357's for between $200 and $500. The good thing about the .357 is that it will also fire the .38 Special round. A 4 inch .357 is hard to beat. There are some who will recommend a semi-auto and they may fit the bill but they are usually more expensive. As far as holsters go there are many good top quality holsters designed for hiking and back packing. I would also recommend HKS or Safariland speedloaders for it.

[Fun2Shoot]

Welcome to THR and the wonderful world of firearms.

What to do? Educate yourself first. Read some books or magazine articles about the subjects you need to learn about. Read a lot on this, THR forum.
Develop a relationship with a good (some stink) local gun shop and shooting range if possible. Learn basic gun safety first and practice it.

Rent guns at a range or go with buddy's (with good skills & safety) and shoot their guns.

Having said this, I found in my early gun ownership days, that the Ruger company offered strong & reliable handguns at a reasonable price. You may want to look at revolvers first, unless you feel good enough with semi-autos to buy one as your first handgun. Some of the large outdoor stores may be a good starting point for a gun purchase, Gander Mtn etc.

You'll get plenty of advice here at THR.

Good luck and be safe and enjoy your firearm. :D

[6_gunner]

+1 for a .357 sixgun!

For that matter, a good .38 will get the job done and will be even less expensive. I would recommend a S&W model 19 (.357) or a model 10 (.38).

A revolver is by far the best choice for a beginning handgunner. Way simpler to than an auto. Of course, the wise handgunner will choose a revolver regardless of his or her level of experience. :evil:

[Starter52]

+2 for a .357 revolver. Best gun ever for the beginner.

[cslinger]

Ruger GP100, 3inch or 4inch.

Chris

[Fun2Shoot]

Speaking of Ruger's. I can whole-heartedly reccommend the SP 101 357/38 as a great shooter, value and all-around great choice. Longer barrel better IMHO. Actual selling price will be $100 to $175 less than MSRP, most places. See this link:

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdResults?function=famid&famid=9&variation=Satin%20Stainless&bct=Yes&type=Revolver

[lee n. field]

bobcats/mountain lions

A .45 ACP or better. Abundant choices below $500. Ruger P90, P97 or P345. Springfield XD45. Glock whatever. Or a a big wheelgun -- a Redhawk or Blackhawk in .44 or .45 Colt.

[modifiedbrowning]

SW, what part of Montana are in? If your in the Bozeman area I would be more than willing to take you out shooting. All my pistols are 9mm but if you are in Bozeman and interested shoot me a PM.

[jt1]

SW - For a first gun, I would go with a relover. Basic manual of arms, less to break, generally less expensive. If conceled carry is not an issue a quality double action .357 is a good chioce. I like S&W, but Colt and Ruger are also quality choices. Four to six inch barrels are good all around sizes with the longer better for longer ranges. Whatever you choose, don't get in a hurry. Take your time and ensure you are getting a good example of the gun you choose and that it will fit your needs. The Sticky on the top of the revolver fourm about selecting a good revolver example is a good place to start.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=17404&postcount=1

[Run&Shoot]

+1 on the .357 magnum as a great first handgun. Either a used Ruger SP101 5-shot in 3" or GP100 in 3" or 4" would be excellent. They are so well built that I would not hesitate to buy one used that functioned well.

You should be able to find these for about $300 - $350. Really can't think of another handgun I would recommend for mountain lion at the same or lower cost.

For that purpose I would practice with 158 gr. lead semiwadcutters (cheapest) in .38 Special and .357, and carry it with 158 gr. lead hollow points in .357.

[ArchAngelCD]

SW, welcome to this forum...

I'll have to add my voice to the .357 Magnum group. It was my first handgun and still my favorite.

Since cost is a big factor you might want to buy something used. A Ruger Service/Speed/Security-Six is a great revolver for not a lot of money. Since you want to use it for hiking you might want to buy a .275" model even though it’s easier to be accurate with a 4" barrel revolver. I just bought a Ruger Police Service-Six and I am amazed how smooth the trigger is and how accurate this revolver is. I highly recommend buying one. They range between $225 and $300.

Good luck, have fun and be safe...

[Sunray]

Go with a 4' or 6" GP100. Don't expect to be able to stop a mountain lion though. They come from above or behind and far faster than you'll ever be with any firearm.
Bobcats are no danger to you. If you even see one, considered yourself blessed.

[DWARREN123]

To meet your requirements I would suggest a Taurus revolver in 357 mag or 44 mag. The 357 mag can also shoot lower pressure 38 spl and the 44 mag can shoot lower pressure 44 spl. 4" or 6" barrel in stainless.
There is so many options, just keep asking questions and handling firearms that catch your fancy.

[miko]

A 4-inch 6 or 7-round L/K-frame like S&W 686 or more compact 3-inch 5-round J-frame like S&W 60 (or their Ruger analogs 100 and 101) would be the most versatile choice.

You could shoot anything from wax bullets at 2c/shot (price of a primer) to 180 grain .357s and much in-between.

miko

[mavracer]

+5 heck +20 357 3 or 4"

[unreal45]

Ruger gp100 with 4" barrel or Ruger blackhawk with 4 5/8" or 5 1/2" barrel.
Both make great trail guns.

[BBsteel]

Please research guns and gun safety as much as possible and go to a range and handle and shoot a pistol before purchasing one. They are a big responsiblity.


Don't go rushing into something you don't know much about. I apologize if I come on strong but I couldn't help but notice your join date in relation to the worlds current events as of yesterday. Please do your research I would expect you will due to your sincere first post here.


Welcome to the forum and stay in touch. Give a shout when you get to practice with a few at the range.

Take care

[Rinspeed]

4" S&W 686.

[Lonestar49]

...

Two thoughts: I agree with the S&W 357 magnum as far as punch and deep penetration for larger animals that roam the woods in a handgun.

My only thought is, does the user feel confident with a revolver and seven rounds, or a semi-automatic in the same caliber, with most States allowing 14 or 17 round magazines, which may well come in need, along with a need to reload less and, to a new handgun holder/user, easier to do with a semi-auto, as compared to a cylinder reload, in a semi-urgent-manner this side short of panic?


Good luck,


LS

[cdrt]

I agree with the posts on your doing some research on handguns and getting some practical experience shooting at your local range, especially if you can borrow some different handguns to try.
I lived in Stevensville, south of Missoula, for five years and did a lot of hunting in the Bitterroot and over in the Big Hole and never saw a mountain lion or bobcat. I did see a bear once, when I was driving down Lost Trail Pass going back home. You might want to check with the local forestry people and see just how dangerous it is to go hiking or if they've had any incidences lately. We had hiking groups in the Bitterroot and I don't remember any of them telling me they were worried about bobcats and mountain lions.
We did have a hunter killed by a bear when I was up there. He was field dressing an elk and the bear decided he wanted them both for dinner. He never had a chance, so a backup gun would have been useless.
Having said that, a good .357 revolver would work; just make sure you get something comfortable to carry it in. It's legal to carry concealed in the county without a permit, so a good shoulder holster would probably be the most comfortable and convenient.

Navy Vet & SWIFT Boat OIC

[MrBorland]

For your stopping power needs, I'd recommend a .357 revolver as well, but since you also said 1) you're "new to the world of guns", 2) that you'd like to use the gun "for general target shooting possibly small game some day" and 3) "I am a student and rather poor", I'd recommend a .22LR as well (revolver, of course). Becoming a good shot with a revolver takes practice (a lot of it), so using a .22 revolver as an "understudy" to your .357 would save a bunch of $$, eventually paying for itself. Bulk .22 ammo from Walmart runs about $10/550 rounds, whereas you'll pay more than that for a box of only 50 .38spl.

Also, if you have access to a range where you can rent and try different guns, that would be a big help. A suggestion, though: When I first started shooting revolvers, it was after shooting semi-autos, so the double action trigger felt terrible (long and hard) compared to the short crisp SA triggers of the semi-autos. On top of that, my accuracy went south. It didn't take too long, though, before I adapted (read: practiced) and eventually preferred a revolver. It goes bang every single time, and with my .357, I can dry fire with snap caps at home to practice (lots) my DA trigger pull. I guess what I'm saying is that if you try a revolver and initially dislike the trigger, give it a chance (read:Practice).

[BBsteel]

Why not just get a revolver with the DA/SA option??

[MrBorland]

yeah - I shoulda clarified: I was thinking DA/SA revolver rather than DA only. It's just that I generally shoot DA. It's definitely nice to be able to cock the hammer sometimes, though. Still, I think it's valuable to have proficiency shooting DA.

[ozwyn]

Well.....

spend 50 bucks on a NRA basic pistol class
Then spend another 50 for the personal protection class

yes, there is a lot of overlap in the classes. You will still appreciate it. It is a low budget way to handle a great number of handguns and test fire a couple of them. It also gives you some basis to figure out which guns fit you, both in terms of ergonomics and in terms of budget and accuracy.

Best 100 bucks you can spend because it means the next money you spend is less likely to be wasted on something that might not fit you.

[bestseller92]

Ruger Sp101 .357, 3 1/16" barrel.

[kellyj00]

the first gun I ever shot was a .40 caliber Taurus pt-100 (maybe the model numbers wrong, don't remember) it was a good friends and we shot at a local creek bed.

You can go to a shooting range and rent any gun you want and buy any ammo you want here in KS at any age just as long as you shoot it there. If you're over 21, this isn't a problem.

it's about $5 to rent any pistol here. Just buy a couple boxes of 9mm ammo and test out these models: a Beretta (or Taurus) 92, this was police issue for a long time, still a good gun. Rent a Glock 17, this is the currently most common police issued sidearm. If you can, rent anything that says Hechlar and Koch on it, these are regarding by many to be the finest pistols on the market.

Then, try out a .45 acp... ask for a "1911" that's the year it was invented by Samuel Colt himself. it is one of the oldest autoloading pistols and still regarded by many to be the very best design. Shooting a design that is nearly a century old is just worth it. the gun in the console of my truck is a 1911, that's how much I trust it. When someone says "A 45" they're talking about this gun.

Then, try out some revolvers. I find revolvers harder to shoot and not very well balanced (that's going to invite controversy from any gun enthusiast) There's a lot of guys who don't shoot revolvers, but they defiinitely have their place.

When you're done shooting anything and everything you can find, you'll probably end up buying a Springfield XD 9mm. It's like a glock in durability, but it feels like a 1911. It has some really great features, and in 9mm it won't have too much recoil, is cheaper to shoot and is still an excellent defense round.

[ugaarguy]

Then, try out a .45 acp... ask for a "1911" that's the year it was invented by Samuel Colt himself.
Samuel Colt died in 1862. The 1911 was a collaborative project designed by John Moses Browning with testing and further specifications provided by the US Army Ordnance Dept. Colt's primary contribution was manufacturing the weapon. Further, the weapon's development began in 1906 and it is named 1911 for the year it was officially adopted for service.

[DogBonz]

As many others have said, go with the Ruger GP100. I would get the 4” barrel for ease of carry. You are not giving up that much velocity or sight radius, but it will be much easier to carry and use quickly. I would also get the stainless steel version if it is not out of your price range. I can remember being in college and having to eat Romen (sp?) noodles for a week or two in order to afford my first hand gun, so I feel your pain.

The GP 100 can be found for probably about $450 new, maybe even less in your parts. I have seen them used, but in very good condition, for $295, so if you don’t mind buying used, you can get some great deals.

I think the GP100 would work well because it is rugged and strong. Also, you can practice with 38 special loads, which will let you shoot cheap, and you can carry full house 357 loads for defense.

At the end of the day, you have to like your gun, so by all means, please choose what suits you best and what you are comfortable with, but I think that the GP100 would be a good place to start.

-Fred

[Trifler]

spend 50 bucks on a NRA basic pistol class
Then spend another 50 for the personal protection class


Just thought I'd mention that classes are $150 each at the places I've looked at in the Seattle area.

[coelacanth]

a better walkin' around gun than a good .38 / .357 revolver but if you aren't going to buy new take an experienced revolver shooter with you to help check out the selection. Doesn't make much sense to save $!50.00 on the purchase price if you spend that much or more getting it to work properly. Also, don't overlook some of the smaller calibers as they can occasionally be found very reasonably priced. On feral cats like you mentioned .32 H&R magnum is plenty of gun and also .22 WMR in a longer barrel like a Ruger Single Six. Most mountain lions fold up like a paper bag after being hit with a .22 WMR and it is favored by hunters because it does so little pelt damage. Ammo will be reasonably priced for any of these so go forth and practice!