Gun Newbie Here

Get a revolver. They are simple and reliable. Smith & Wesson M327 TRR8. This is a 357 magnum. Built for sporting and tactical. Also, get one for your significant other also. Nothing better then shooting with a friend.

When the muse is upon me. I strap on my Colt 1873 clone and open-up a can of "Cowboy". Loads of fun when you can find the ammo cheap.

Hello Jonathan and Welcome to THR,

When buying off Gunbroker or about any other place online , you must add the cost to have the firearm sent to your FFL {federal firearm license dealer } and that is between $25-$50 , then you must add a fee for your FFL dealer to "log in/out" the firearm to you , again this is between $25-$50.

You may also want to look online at;
AuctionArms
GunsAmerica
gunstdtr



EDIT --- the above all have .com afterwards

The Sig is a good gun for the money. Without you having much prior knowledge of guns, I too would advise against buying used unless someone else was with you that knew guns and what to look for. As for what other costs are involved that's hard to answer without more info.

What will the gun be used for?

How much ammo will you shoot every month?

Do you have someplace safe and handy to shoot/practice, or do you have to drive 40 miles or pay $30 an hour to shoot your new weapon?

Wow, since you're all of 23 and you've got no idea what you're looking at and you're asking for help, you should pay attention and drop your preconceived notions of buying guns, owning guns, and shooting guns.

The best thing you could do is get yourself a good quality revolver in a light recoiling, inexpensive caliber, like .22 or .38spl, and go out and spend time learning how to handle a gun and how to shoot. When you've learned how to cope with a simple, user friendly piece like that then start looking at moving up to something in a heavier caliber or an auto, like a P250.

Start wrong now and you'll spend a ton of time and money undoing it later on.

Newbie, your best bet would be to go to a gun-range. Rent a shooter and feel the action. Have an instructor there too. Buying guns is what fits your eye. As for a newbie, you need instruction. Also, at the same time get your Carry Concealed Deadly Weapon permit. This will help when you do purchase a firearm of any sort. Especially with the way the laws of the land are currently shaped. And the horror-stories of delays and flat-out unapproved applicants from FFL dealers. I'll never forget that day when this man was informed that his application was denied. It got sort of scary, but we all was ready for action. The gun had to be returned to sender, and from there I don't know what happens with the money and all. But, it aint something I wanna find out. So, go to a gun-range, rent a shooter, get instruction and CCDW. Once you got that road. You will certainly be more informed.

I don't understand why he should "get a revolver" first. Many of us learned how to drive a manual-transmission-equipped vehicle before getting one with a juice tranny, yet we drive both with equal skill.
I don't think being "only 23" means one is too stupid to learn to use an autoloader. They're not that complicated, less so, in fact, than the computer he typed his post with..

I don't understand why he should "get a revolver" first.

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Simplicity, focusing on basic skills, less tendency to burn through ammo, fewer things to go wrong. The same principle as learning to hunt with a single shot rifle.

Not the same as learning to drive on a standard vs auto trans, more like learning to drive in the family sedan vs a race car.

I don't think being "only 23" means one is too stupid to learn to use an autoloader. They're not that complicated, less so, in fact, than the computer he typed his post with..

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Hardly a matter of stupidity. The OP brought up his age, as though being 23 makes a difference in learning to shoot:

really wanna get a pistol im 23 and never really interested in revolvers thanks for the advice though

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That tells me that he's interested in autos because of what he's familiar with through everything EXCEPT personal experience. Because you like the looks of something or it's what you know through games or movies doesn't make it the best platform to start learning on.

I think he should get exactly the make,model,and caliber he wants...then,go to a range with a qualified instructor.

The best thing you could do is get yourself a good quality revolver in a light recoiling, inexpensive caliber, like .22 or .38spl,...

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.38 Special isn't that cheap. UPS just deliver 10 boxes of .357 Mag to me, costing $18 a box after shipping. The same brand in .38 Special is selling for $20 after tax at Cabela's. (Both are FMJ, so this is a comparison where the only difference is power and the .357 bullet is about 10% heavier at 142gr vs 130gr for the .38). The Magnum is actually costing me less in this case.

Id second the suggestion to go rent one before you buy. I wouldnt worry much about parts breaking on the gun. Any decent new weapon, bar getting a lemon, shouldnt need new parts until you have shot several thousand rounds through it. Ive heard its good to change magazines every 5000 rounds or so.

Also dont be closed minded on the revolvers. Im only a couple years older than you and have come to really like revolvers. I started on a Glock 22 .40 when I was 19 and like you didnt care for revolvers. Then I actually started shooting my friends and have come to almost preferring them to the autos.

Also do some research on the Sig 250. Ive heard from several people I respect that its not up to the Sig standard if you will. I dont know if its just their personal preference or not, but you should do some research.

Welcome to THR and the fun world of shooting!

The Sig P250 is a fine gun.

Here's one you can get brand new in 9mm for around $485. (You'd have to pay for shipping to your FFL and then pay the FFL for the paperwork, etc.)

Here's the link:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/52438

ETA: Sig ships two magazines with their guns again. The link says only one magazine. I think that has been changed.

Hey Johnathon -welcome to THR - First off, let me start by saying you need to get what you want. You're 23, you're probably on a budget and not planning on building up a collection any time soon like so many of us here have accrued over the years, so you need to get something that you yourself want and are comfortable with, and frankly will be excited to learn about and shoot. You can learn on an auto just as well as a revolver - yes there are some nuances but the fundamentals are the same. I do agree with those that mentioned, if you are able, to go to a range that rents and try a few out for yourself. Buying a handgun is a very subjective endeavor. Some will tell you, stay away from anything that's not a Glock, others that 1911 is the only way to go - you have to figure that out for yourself.

As for suggestions - in the 500 dollar spectrum there are a lot to choose from. The Sig p250 is a relatively new platform. I have no experience with it whatsoever and I'm not going to comment on what I've read about it - do your research and figure it out for yourself - but Sig is a great company, but lately any manufacturers new line is prone to having growing pains.

Some other offerings that are a little bit more established but similar are the Smith M&P, Springfield XD, CZ P01, and Glock 19. All are great, all have established records for quality, accuracy and dependability, and all float around the 500 dollar mark give or take. But good luck, be safe and have fun.

Depending on your price range, look at sigmas between 200-300 dollars. Above 300, i would buy a taurus 24/7 pro in 9mm, 40, or 45. Ruger p95's can be had for around 300 as well. Past $400, look into the springfield XD's, and various glocks. After you get an idea for which pistols are in your price category, see if you can find some to shoot prior to purchasing. Gun ranges may have them, a friend might. You can go to a gun store and see if they fit your hand well, this is critical. Get a pistol in 9mm, .40 caliber, or 45 ACP. 10mm if you have the money to throw at it.

If i could go back to my first pistol purchase i'd have spent the money on a barretta 9mm. If you can find one for 600 or less, i highly reccomend it.

I bought my first handgun many years ago, so I didn't have to use "worn out junk" in informal competition. It was a 1911 Combat Commander.

I'd had basic instruction in 1911's in the Navy, but that was far from complete. About all I can say was I knew enough to shoot safely. Competence was a long way off.

It took years of effort on my part to get from that point to being "comfortable" with 1911 shooting and maintenance, and I wouldn't consider myself an expert.

It's hard to come up with a comment on the P250, other than you can choose a different caliber later, as the "grip" is the serialized piece. So, theoretically, you could have just swap out slide assemblies and magazines and change between, say, 9mm and .45ACP. Assuming this model is supported in the future, you could do this later, as funds permit.

Sig's are usually more expensive than some other mfgrs, but they have a good rep for quality.

Tough question to answer. There is no such thing as "best gun", and as to whether the cost is too high for you to bear, centerfire pistol ammo isn't cheap in any caliber, AFAIK.

If it was me, I would do considerable research at manufacturer's Internet sites, gun shops, rent to try (if possible) and then, finally, make a decision and get what you decided on. You really shouldn't look to others to make this decision for you.

Welcome Jonathon,

Since you are a newbie to firearms I would suggest taking a good introductory to handgun course. It will give you a good start with learning to shoot it, safety rules and handling/storage, and the most important is you will get to try a variety of handguns to see what you like. If you have not found what you like go to a range a rent a few others.


I do not have experience with the P250 but Sigs in general are very nice and would make a fine gun just try and shoot it first. I personally bought almost all my guns used but either inspected them in person or used Gunbroker and only bought from guys with high ratings and an inspection return policy.

You can really learn a lot from sights such as this one. I spent days reading searched posts on rifles and handguns when I expanded my horizons from shotguns. Read all you can about safety, operation and basic principle on how the guns work. This really helps when you then read up on how to check out a gun (basic information) and then you read up on the specific model when you decide which one it will be. This worked for me and also allowed me to pretty much service my guns myself for basic maintenance.


I was also concerned about price when I first started increasing my collection and I wanted a few nice ones and as few hard used guns. I went with a Glock 26 used which different mags allows sub-compact carry size and then a full grip with a G19 mag for range and nightstand duty. I also bought a used Ruger 22lr for a ton of cheap shooting.
Glock 26 slightly used $400 two ten and two fifteen round magazines with spacers
Ruger Mark III used $275 came with four magazines
Six used Glock magazines from cdnn, I think a magazine total $66

Total: 740ish

Started with a 380 bersa when I was 12, never shot a revolver till I was 25. I say get what you want become familiar with it and practice. It's that simple. When you are comfortable with your gun and skills then you are ready to consider it for home/self defense.

Simplicity, focusing on basic skills, less tendency to burn through ammo, fewer things to go wrong. The same principle as learning to hunt with a single shot rifle.

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Apparently nobody informed my revolvers that they're supposed to eat ammo at a slower rate. My .357 & .38 both have a costly appetite.

It's not clear to me that semi-autos are really any faster at consuming ammo than a revolver. Sure, they fire real fast if you have a collection of magazines that you previously loaded and can rapidly swap a full mag for the empty.

But if you start with an empty revolver do you really run through a box of ammo any slower than if you start with an empty semi-auto magazine? I don't have the experience to know for sure, but I tend to think the difference isn't as great as some make it out to be.