My First Handgun™ Final Elimination Round!

[TS537]

Thanks for all of the helpful suggestions last time. I'm down to three and may buy two of them. The problem is that I shot and liked lots of things.

I have reduced the near-term possibilities to these:

CZ 75B stainless (almost a certainty)
SA XD9
HK USPc 9mm

I guess my remaining questions are these:

1) Not to sound like a smartass, but would it be a bad idea to buy more than one handgun at once as a novice shooter?

2) Is there a difference in quality longterm between the USP and the XD? They're both common brands and would be easy to unload if I decided I didn't want them, I'm told. Would the HK hold value better?

3) Is the quality of manufacture/customer service difference between HK and SA worth the extra couple hundred bucks?

4) Is one easier to clean/maintain than the other (btw XD and USP)?

5) Is there some other factor I'm not taking into consideration here? I've only shot a clip apiece out of each and I'm not sure I'm an experienced enough shooter to truly appreciate the qualitative differences between what I was shooting.

I promise the next My First Handgun™ thread will have pictures of what I bought...

 

[WinchesterAA]

With all 3 of those pistols, you probably won't want to get rid of them...

That being said, more money pumped through the lines of firearms sales/construction/etc is a good thing, so buy as many as you can afford!

 

[TS537]

Just as a clarification, on the XD9 I meant the middle-sized one.

 

[NG VI]

Good job on the CZ! I am trying to decide on which CZ it is I am saving up for right now. It will be either the 40B, the PCR, or maybe the P-01, so I can have a bayonet!

Biased due to owning and loving a USP 40, but I would love a USPc 9mm,and have been thinking about one for carry. the CZ is higher on my priority list though. I don't know much about the XD, but I feel pretty certain they will be around for quite some time. SA has done brilliantly with their marketing of the XD, right down to the XD gear mag carrier and belt holster.

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

CZs are bloody wonderful. Some will complain of the weight, hwoever, I really dont notice it. After a couple hundred rounds and a welll lubed trigger assembly, throughly clean the assembly and relube. It shaves off about a pound and a half of weight on the trigger!

Also, for a beginning handgun (to learn fundamentals) I would go with a full size gun that you can work on yourself. The HK is nice, but compact for beginning (from what I've seen) can be a hinderance to a student's ability and learning. The XD is nice (ive had their 9x19 service) but "outgrew" it. I dont know how to explain it, but the lettering on the gun, the bright magazines, I just thought I could do "better"? Not sure, just didnt like it enough to keep it around.

The CZ is a heritage piece in my mind. You can show your son/daughter "this was your father's first handgun". It has elegant lines, almost like a Hi-power. Absolutely beautiful in stainless (especially with some nice hardwood grips). I have a PO1 in OD green. Im really not much into the tacti-cool stuff, but even with the OD, it looks like a gun a grandfather somewhere used to shoot and love.

More than one? Up to you. I would say no, get one you are comfortable with, get the armorer's courses/certification for that weapon. Become an almost master with that one piece of weapon, then move on. But then again, I'm just weird .

Manufacture/Service: I hated Springfield's service. Keep in mind: HK and Springifield either dont trust us or hate us. Springfield wont sell parts (unless you send it to them) and HK, well, HK just doesnt like you because, I dont know, you cut them off in traffic or whatever. I called HK once for my USP, got so mad at their service that I sold the USP to my local store the next day. Lots of folks have had good service with both though, so once again, maybe I'm just weird.

 

[antsi]

I vote for the CZ because you can get a .22 "Kadet" slide/barrel/mag kit for it. Being able to shoot a low recoil, low cost practice round out of the same gun with the same trigger and controls as your centerfire caliber pistol is a great way to improve your shooting skill.

 

[WinchesterAA]

Battlechimp, what are these armorers courses you speak of?

I want one for my 1911.

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

Hehe , naw I meant the manuals for disassembly (and the phone number of a support service!). My 1911 skills are not terrible (I strip it completely with every cleaning, thank god I dont shoot it as much as I would like).

I am a firm believer (rather recently) of being able to repair and even smith your own firearms. It scares me to have a gun (that I may have to depend on) that I do not know how to detail strip and repair (maybe even make better, yay! Stoning stuff!).

Incidentally, the CZ is not practical for complete detail stripping. But, then again, Ive never had to do it unless I was doing it to learn it. Once again, Yay! CZ!

 

[RPCVYemen]

CZ 75B

You might be interested in the Armalite version of this one - I bought it and liked it. The second time I had it at the range another shooter had the Czech version. I liked the extra heft of the Armalite version, and the checkering (got the tactical model).

Not to sound like a smartass, but would it be a bad idea to buy more than one handgun at once as a novice shooter?

My theory is to buy one, get proficient with it, and then buy the next.

Mike

 

[axeman_g]

The CZ is a great gun... + accuracy, durability and panache.

The HK is a vg carry weapon amd Overpriced at that.

The XD is a good shooter, very reliable, avg accuracy and not very attractive.

Your choice.. my opnions.

 

[NWdude83]

Shot the USP, didn't like it. Shot and kinda liked the XD even though its almost as ugly as a Hi-point (yes it is!). Never shot a CZ though.

 

[Rustynuts]

The XD grows one you. At first I didn't think much of the looks either. Now I would vote for it over both the CZ or HK (or Glock). Guess I like the no nonsense blocky combat styling!

 

[raytracer]

I would recommend purchasing a single pistol - any of your options are good - and spending the balance on training and ammo for practice.

Joe

 

[mbr]

I'd vote for the CZ. For about the same price as the HK you can buy a CZ75 and the Kadet .22 kit and have two guns for the price of one, but with the same trigger, etc.

 

[NGIB]

Personally, I say pick one, buy it, shoot it, and buy another. This is how it works for most of us as we're always searching for the perfect gun - and never find it...