[PeteyPete]

This is the criteria my Father gave me in order to recommend him a "first pistol" . I've been a gun-enthusiest for a while, but it's taken some time to get him into the sport. He's never owned a firearm thinking it was too much trouble w/ all the permits, fingerprinting, and hoops NJ makes us jump through.

Now that he's turned, he's looking for an autoloader that has an external safety...

The gun that immediately came to mind...Beretta 92f.

What do you think? What would you get? What would you recommend?

[HSMITH]

I would buy a Ruger or a cop turn-in S &W for him. The Beretta is more money, has a large grip and a safety that is nearly impossible to actuate from a firing grip unless you have BIG hands. Odds are probably high that your father will not shoot a lot nor appreciate the finer points of different handguns, sounds to me like he just wants a piece to fend off bad guys. Get him a GOOD gun, but don't spend more than you need to.

[Sean Smith]

CZ-75B comes to mind. Manual safety in a usable position, 9x19mm ammo is cheap, the price is right and the gun works well.

[Skunkabilly]

Just curious, why does he want the external safety?

My dad likes to shoot my USP with safety on, hammer down for the feel-good factor. He doesn't like the idea of C&L or hammer down safety off. IMO it's a false sense of security...

Does he have a budget?

I think the 92F is a great gun. If you want a cheap 'trigger job' get a 92D spring ($2.24 shipped). I hope he's willing to train swiping that safety off. :)

[Voodoo]

A Browning High Power or a 1911!!!! :cool:

[sm]

1911 style
BHP

though you stated and we are in the autoloader forum...never rule out an older K frame .

[CWL]

1911 style! Grip and thumb safety.

[DMK]

I'd recommend either CZ-75 or 1911 depending on how much he has to spend and what caliber he wants. Those are the two favorites of my collection.

The 45ACP 1911 is classic and has the extra grip safety, but the CZ-75 is very affordable compared to other guns in it's class. It's available in 9mm for cheap ammo and a very controllable beginners gun or 40S&W for a little more power. Both guns are built like tanks.

CZ full capacity mags are expensive now, but I guess that's not a concern for you in NJ. The nuetered ten round mags are very affordable.

Of course, 7 or 8 round 1911 mags can be had for very economical prices.

If he wants something really different, there's always the CZ-75s bigger brother, the CZ-97 with a ten round capacity of 45ACP. Now that's a sweet handgun!

[10-Ring]

I like the 92fs ALOT! If that's what came to mind, go w/ it ;) If you're looking for somehting w/ a frame mounted safety, go w/ a HK USP 9 :D I just had to recommend the USP, I couldn't resist :D

[doctorhumbert]

BHP if you want hi-cap 9mm.
1911 if you want .45 with more punch.
Beretta 92FS if you want double action auto.

[Black Snowman]

As a 1st gun I'd recommend something cheap to shoot so he can get a lot of practice and enjoyment in. I'd say any decent .22 or 9mm that fits his criteria. The important thing is for him to go the the store and try the stuff out. Especially if you can get him some times on rentals to see what he's comfortable with.

My friend started out with a .44 Mag Redhawk and it was great for him but I started out with a competition model .40 S&W Glock because I had shot lots of differant handguns and knew what I wanted and what fit me.

The most important thing is for him to get a gun that makes him want to shoot and only he can decided that.

[rbert0005]

High Power, in 9mm, Enough said!

Bob

[PeteyPete]

Thanx for all the great advise guys!

I spoke to him and he said he's leaning towards either a 1911 or some 9mm gun like the beretta. He's a history buff, so he has a interest in 1911's and other firearms used by our military (you should see him go googly-eyed whenever he gets to shoot my Bushmaster).

I figured the Beretta would be a good choice b/c it's priced competatively compared to HK's or Sig's, which i consider to be of similarly good quality. It's also a 9mm which would make trips to the range less expensive, and has less recoil for a novice.

I think i'll have him check out the Colt 1991A1 as well, I know he'll love it. The CZ is also a great choice which i hadn't considered: inexpensive, reliable, and great quality..they are just hard to find around here in NJ, and i want him to be able to handle it before he purchases it.

Ultimately, it's up to him....I just want to point him in the right direction. I don't want to see him head to the local armory, and get talked into purchasing a piece of garbage (i find that most local gun dealers always try to push garbage for some reason or another, especially to people who know little about firearms).

[doctorhumbert]

1911, Beretta, CZ. Those are all good choices.

I'd go with 1911 though, and I am sure lot of experienced shooter would agree on 1911 also.

1911s are easy to shoot, easy to customize, and of course it's John Moeses Browning's.

The new small rollmark Colt 1991A1s are excellent choice superior to Older ones in my opinion, but some do not like its internal firing pin safety. Still, it's Colt and cheaper than Series 70.

My first choice would be:

New Colt Series 70 repro in blue (expensive$850+)

second:

Springfield Loaded or Mil spec.

Third:

Kimber Classic or Target.

These are all single stack, proven models. I am still dubious about new S&W 1911, Para Ordinace LDAs, and any double stack 1911s.