CarbineWilliams
Member
I recently got into a conversation with a coworker (who had been playing computer games for a long time but had never had experience with real weapons) as to what should be his very first pistol. He had had a lot of people suggesting things, such as .22 pistols etc. but I thought I had something to contribute being a former M1A1 tank gunner and long time shooter. I'm also looking to see how this experiment in pistol training works in order to introduce my GF to weapons other than my .45 revolver.
My recommendations (money not being so much an object for him) were:
1) Any Beretta M9 series. I'm assuming the Berreta .40 SW use the same action as the M9. I can't say enough about how easy to understand and maintain these Beretta's are. I can field strip one of these M9's in less than 30 seconds on a bad day, down to magazine spring out. I've trained dozens of otherwise non-gun-user soldiers in the operation and use of this pistol and they can all get it and hit it. Really accurate as well. I have to say that I must have fired 2K rounds out of M9's and cannot remember a single misfire or malfunction. Damned shame they don't make them in more powerful calibers, but I think it's a great first pistol and very appropriate for a first semi-auto pistol.
2) Browning Hi-power 9mm. Wonderful, wonderful weapon and uses 9mm so nice and cheap to practice with. To my mind, a lot harder to learn as a first semi-auto pistol than the Beretta. But, it looks like a 1911 which gives it some cool points and it gets a lot of respect points at the range.
Now, I've had a Ruger fluted-barrel 10/22 target pistol but I have to say that while it was a brilliant shooter it is way down on the list of pistols I'd recommend for a first time shooter. Disassembly of the pistol always felt like a battle, and that's got to be one of the defining factors in getting someone comfortable with shooting and maintaining a weapon (being able to easily maintain it).
Anyone else got some good suggestions?
My recommendations (money not being so much an object for him) were:
1) Any Beretta M9 series. I'm assuming the Berreta .40 SW use the same action as the M9. I can't say enough about how easy to understand and maintain these Beretta's are. I can field strip one of these M9's in less than 30 seconds on a bad day, down to magazine spring out. I've trained dozens of otherwise non-gun-user soldiers in the operation and use of this pistol and they can all get it and hit it. Really accurate as well. I have to say that I must have fired 2K rounds out of M9's and cannot remember a single misfire or malfunction. Damned shame they don't make them in more powerful calibers, but I think it's a great first pistol and very appropriate for a first semi-auto pistol.
2) Browning Hi-power 9mm. Wonderful, wonderful weapon and uses 9mm so nice and cheap to practice with. To my mind, a lot harder to learn as a first semi-auto pistol than the Beretta. But, it looks like a 1911 which gives it some cool points and it gets a lot of respect points at the range.
Now, I've had a Ruger fluted-barrel 10/22 target pistol but I have to say that while it was a brilliant shooter it is way down on the list of pistols I'd recommend for a first time shooter. Disassembly of the pistol always felt like a battle, and that's got to be one of the defining factors in getting someone comfortable with shooting and maintaining a weapon (being able to easily maintain it).
Anyone else got some good suggestions?
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