newb needing advice

If you're going to be shooting regularly, the price of ammo can be a prime consideration. Nothing beats learning on a .22 LR pistol. I like the Ruger Mark 3 22/45 myself.

9mm is less expensive than the other larger calibers. Millions of online cowboys will tell you that the 9mm is for girlie men and ineffective in self defense. Not true.

For Home Defense nothing will beat a 12 gauge pump shotgun. I prefer the Mossberg 590 with a bayonet. Get the cheapest birdshot rounds you can find to practice with and some nice buckshot to keep in the gun when it's at the ready for home defense.

You may find that others will have different opinions and preferences than mine. You'll have to get out and make your own opinions. Renting guns at the range is a great way to try them out to see how they suit you.

Have Fun!

Rent or borrow as many as you can find.

Buy a .22 and learn to shoot. Once you're proficient, let your own experience guide you to a centerfire handgun.

The 22LRs have longer barrels, for better accuracy, for one thing. Ammo is a lot

less expensive.

When going to a larger caliber, like 9mm or .45, I would try to find something

with at least a 5" barrel, like the Beretta 92 or 1911A1 for shooting at the

range,also.

Otherwise, you're stuck with a SD/CCW pistol with little range or accuracy.

Not much fun for target practice or sport shooting.

Rent as many different types as you can. It will give you a better hands on

perspective before purchasing.

Gerrtings WolfMan, and welcome to THR. A 9mm is not bad advice. I like the Beretta 92s and all the various Springfield XDs. Other people like other stuff, so asking for opinions here will get you too much info to digest.

If you live near Raleigh, NC you can try out anything I have and it won't cost you anything. Are we neighbors?

Go to your local gunshop and go straight to the black plastic pistol section. There are DOZENS of calibers and combinations, one is surely to fit your requirement and budget.
I prefer the Springfield XD series for it's 1911 style grip angle and Glocklike GoTo functionality. Just ask the friendly salesman to let you look at ALL of them !!!!!
9mm is OK for squirrel hunting............ JK !

CC

The Glock 17 in 9mm is one of the most economical, widely available, and well-made pistols that can easily pull double-duty as a defensive gun as well as one that can be used for competing in USPSA Production Division, IDPA, and Steel Challenge.

Other similar guns to consider would include the Smith and Wesson M&P Pro and Springfield XD series.

Consider getting a 9mm, as it's perfectly adequate as a defensive round when loaded with premium hollow point defensive ammunition, and you can find reasonably priced practice ammo for plinking or competing at any gun store in the country and a large number of retailers such as Walmart.

When putting together your budget for your first gun, consider that you should also include the following purchases:

-Spare magazines (the gun should come with two, and six is a good minimum number to have on hand.)
-Magazine carrier check Blade Tech
-Holster. Check Blade-Tech for that as well.
-Cleaning equipment, including bore brush, patches, and cleaner like Hoppe's #9 or Eezox.
-Hearing protection.
-Eye protection.

You can safely ignore people who seriously try to tell you not to buy a 9mm. The 9mm being the most economical center fire choice, you can practice without having to spend ridiculous amounts of money every time you go to the range. If you decide you want to practice a lot more often, consider picking up a .22 conversion kit for your Glock.

Another benefit of the Glock 17 is that it is convertible to .22lr with the addition of an aftermarket slide assembly. From what I've seen, these typically run about $200, and IMHO, worth every penny.

Buy the Glock and the conversion kit, and run it as a dedicated .22 pistol until you're comfortable with the mechanics of the gun, as well as the fundamentals of pistol marksmanship. Then swap out the .22 kit for the original slide, and you've got a trusted, durable, 9mm pistol.

Justin on / "You can safely ignore people who seriously try to tell you not to buy a 9mm" / Justin off. So true!

The cost of having fun is less. That is why I went with the lowly 9mm.

There are several 9mm self defense loads that are used today by LE and many other well-respected agencies.

The easy thing to do is go to a range/gun shop that rents guns. Try a few out that you like. Just because it looks good in the window it may not be comfortable for you to shoot. I've always thought the browing high power was the greatest pistol made till I decied to get one! It bit holes in the web of my hand I still beleave it is a great pistol,but not for me. Take your time try as many as you can till you find the right one for you.

Wolfman - I'm not a Glock owner (yet), but looking around, it seems like you'd be able to find a new G17 for around $550-$600 at most online retailers. Bud's has them for $480.

If you're looking for used, prices seem to be around the $300-$400 range. I haunt www.summitgunbroker.com, but he's currently out. He's pretty good about getting new (used) stock in on a fairly regular basis, though.

Thanks to all for the replies. The 22 conversion for the glock sounds like a good start. Does anybody know a range on what a new glock 17 or a nice used one would cost? Just don't want to get ripped off when I begin looking.

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New ones will run $500-$600. Used ones can probably be found as low as $400 if you're willing to look. When they have them in, Summit Gun Broker sells them at $395, though you'll have to pay shipping ($50ish) as well as the background check fee that a gun dealer will charge for a mail-order gun.

Since you live in Indianapolis, go to the next Indy 1500 gun show. It's one of the best in the country.

Whatever you do, stay away from Don's Guns. He's got two or three shops in Indy, and their prices are a complete ripoff.

Nothing wrong with the 9mm.
If it all possible, I would suggest you get some real instruction first though.

Training is really important.

Other than that, find a gun that fits you.

He said a glock or browning hipower.

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well, he was half right. get a glock

The Glock 17 in 9mm is one of the most economical, widely available, and well-made pistols that can easily pull double-duty as a defensive gun as well as one that can be used for competing in USPSA Production Division, IDPA, and Steel Challenge.

Other similar guns to consider would include the Smith and Wesson M&P Pro and Springfield XD series.

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IMO, you can't go wrong with any one of those 3.

All are economical, have undergone and passed testing by armed agencies, and have been proven in competition.

A .22lr pistol is best to learn off of, but is far from ideal for home defense.

9mm is the most affordable defensively ideal round you can get a handgun in.

That said, since you seem competitively minded, a Hi-Power could do you wonders. The metal frame helps greatly in reducing muzzle flip compared to ultralight polymer pistols such as the Glock. Provided the Glock is an excellent pistol in it's own right as well.

If you said you were considering concealed carry, I'd say get the Glock instead...but since you're just interested in home defense go for the Hi-Power.

As to the OP, First off, WELCOME TO THR! For your questions, 9mm is affordable, functional, and PROVEN so don't let anyone tell you any different. A 9mm will kill a bad guy just as dead as any other calibre as long as you put it where it goes. As far as your choice of platforms, you really need to get to the shops and ranges and actually lay hands on them. A pistol is like a pair of shoes, if it doesn't fit you it is going to hurt!

Another thought...

If you aren't already familiar with semi-autos is to get a 357 revolver for home defense or a night-stand gun. Revolvers are very tolerant to wear and tear and much less complex to operate and clear than a semi-auto. Not to mention less likely to jam when you need it the most. And you can practice with .38 special rounds relatively inexpensively and then load it with nice .357 magnum defense rounds when you put it in the nightstand. I know you said you've shot before, so you may already prefer a semi-auto... but just puttin' some more ideas on the table. That's what I did when I started shooting not too long ago--from one newbie to another. I got used to shooting on a revolver, and then picked up a Springfield XDM. If anything it's a good excuse to get more than one gun!

Mike

I would find a local Rent-A-Gun range and try out a bunch of guns for yourself.

A couple of the folks above have suggested Glock, M&P and XD's. All find guns for sure... but all striker fired guns. When I tried out a bunch of rental guns I didn't know squat so I didn't have any preconcieved notions about what I wanted. But as I picked out the guns I liked shooting just based on feel and results I found that I was steering towards hammer fired guns. And of those I tended to prefer all metal guns on top of that. In the end my first gun ended up being a CZ SP-01 Shadow. And now, a few years and something like 30 handguns later, I still have yet to own a striker fired gun despite getting to try various Glocks and M&P's on a fairly regular basis.

I'm not saying that the other folks are all wrong and you should buy what I like. Instead I'm saying go somewhere that you can try a bunch for yourself and decide which clicks with YOU.

But at the same time take your buddy with you that can show you how to properly hold the guns and aid you with some advice on how to avoid flinching or at least to recognize if you are so you don't blame it on the guns.

When going to a larger caliber, like 9mm or .45, I would try to find something

with at least a 5" barrel, like the Beretta 92 or 1911A1 for shooting at the

range,also.

Otherwise, you're stuck with a SD/CCW pistol with little range or accuracy.

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That's just plain not true. Very few 9mm pistols come in 5" or larger. Yes, it's common in 45 caliber 1911s, but to claim that anything less than 5" has "little range or accuracy" is just plain wrong.

Even in .45 caliber, few guns other than 1911's have 5" barrels.

Ken

Just get yourself 2 guns, 22lr target pistol either a ruger or a buckmark and then get either a 9mm glock or 1911 in 9mm. You can get a new glock 17 G3
9mm for around $450 or a STI spartan 9mm for $600. The 22's will run around $200-$300 used or new.

I work at bass pro and they have the buckmark on sale for 259 with a gun rug