From a First-time Buyer: Need Ideas for an Affordable Handgun

You have been given good advise above. I have only one thing to add. Buy a .22LR handgun first. You'll get a lot of meaningful practice with cheap ammo with a .22, position, grip, sight picture, etc. Quality rimfire handguns are not expensive and you'll find yourself using it a bunch in the future (I've acquired six over the years and I shoot them a lot). If you take a friend to the range you'll have a gun to lend if need be. When you do buy a CF pistol you will be way ahead of the learning curve.

One recommendation that kills two birds ... CZ75b with the Kadet conversion (.22LR).


I have one of these set ups and it is for sure slick. Accurate and reliable with either the 9mm or the ,22 upper. All steel makes it fun to shoot, quality build. Takes 15 seconds to make the swap.

The Ruger P95 is a fine choice in the sub-$400 range leaving money for spare magazines.

Out of idle curiosity, if this is primarily going to be a range gun, why the desire for something compact like a Shield?

Click to expand...

From the OP:

The ideal gun for me would be one that is pleasant to shoot at the range, simple enough for a new owner to operate, and small enough to be considered for concealed carry

Click to expand...

Emphasis added by me.

OP, $600 pretty much gives you the option of most of the popular compact carrying pistols, like XD's, Glocks, M&P's, and the like.

So, now that you have a spending limit, go to the range. Look at what's available for your price range, and feel them all. Pick the ones that feel the best, then go shoot them. After all that, pick the one you shoot best.

And just my opinion, but there is no need for the .380 anymore. We've got guns just as small in 9mm, with 9mm performing better. And have you seen the price of .380 lately? But, I'd stay away from the mouse guns, anyway. They're not fun to shoot, and hard to learn proper shooting techniques with.

Maryland allows FFL-to-FFL transfers, and I don't know of any restrictions that would impede my ability to receive an online order for most conventional handguns as long as the capacity is below 20 rounds per magazine.

Click to expand...

If it's being sent to a local FFL, you're right. The local FFL will do the steps needed on your end to make sure the transfer complies with both federal and state regulations.

Do you need a purchase permit to by a handgun in Maryland? In some states, handguns are treated differently than long guns.
In-state, state law controls the transfer, and it may be simpler. In my state (NC) the transfer or sale of a handgun between individual residents of the state requires that the buyer have either a pistol purchase permit or a concealed handgun permit -- otherwise the transfer must be through a local FFL.

There is a gun store about 45 minutes away from my house that will receive an FFL transfer for a $40 charge, which seems to be a consistent rate for my locality. So, online orders are a possibility. Of course, I'll scout the local market first.

Click to expand...

Talk to the shipper (seller) and the FFL you want to receive the gun, so that you've got all of your ducks in a row. It can go pretty smoothly.

From the OP:
The ideal gun for me would be one that is pleasant to shoot at the range, simple enough for a new owner to operate, and small enough to be considered for concealed carry

Click to expand...

smalls wrote,
Emphasis added by me.

Click to expand...

I would reference all the guys on the forum concealed carrying a full-size 1911 or specifically guys like Shipwreck and his Beretta 92/M9 frequently pictured in a Comp-Tac IWB holster or Armoredman wearing his CZ SP-01 Phantom in a High Noon "Down Under".

If it is to be used primarily as the OP stated...

The ideal gun for me would be one that is pleasant to shoot at the range, simple enough for a new owner to operate, and small enough to be considered for concealed carry.

Click to expand...

In this case the emphasis is added by me, I'd go with what you'd most likely be doing more of, which sounds to me like "pleasant to shoot at the range", rather than primarily a concealed carry weapon.

If we lowered my spending limit to $500, would I still have some good options?

Click to expand...

A very large percentage of standard handguns fall into the $500-$600 range, so yes, saying under $500 will limit your options significantly.

Since you mentioned smaller guns, I'm assuming carry is a factor. I'd give a hard look at the M&P Compact or M&P Shield.

I carry a P30. Todd Green carried an HK45 for something like eight months. If it's for occasional carry, and it was my money, I wouldn't worry overly much about getting a compact.

A compact handgun is NOT a good idea if you are learning to shoot a handgun. Buy something that fills your hand. You must be able to place your finger on the trigger in the correct location and have air between your finger and frame at all times. The barrel should be at least four inches long so there is some distance between the sights. The slide or hammer (if it has one) should never touch your hand.

You may find that 9x19mm is a good caliber. It is very controllable with moderate recoil and suitable for self-defense, action shooting, range use and so on. You can buy lower quality steel cased ammunition from Tula for significant savings (you should still buy high quality jacketed hollow point ammunition for defense).

If you have no idea what to buy, I recommend finding a local shooting instructor. Find one that teaches self-defense oriented shooting. All the skills you will learn are applicable to general shooting. Tell the instructor you are looking for a gun and have no idea what you want or need. Any worthwhile instructor will have a variety of quality handguns available for you to try.

new 9 mm, under $600? the Glock 19. this is a no brainer

Do you need a purchase permit to by a handgun in Maryland? In some states, handguns are treated differently than long guns.

Click to expand...

Maryland requires you to watch an online handgun safety course for which you get a certification. It's not a big deal. It's free, and you print the certificate yourself. The content was surprisingly correct and pertinent. Maryland government is a joke, so that made it even that much more surprising.

http://www.mdgunsafety.com/

Ryan, one more idea to add to the confusion...

I found that standing in one spot and perforating paper gets old pretty quickly once the "new gun smell" wears off. So another thought to keep in mind when you're shopping is to check the IPSC and IDPA lists of acceptable guns and if at all practical for your needs pick one which suits one or more of these competitive options. And one which you can easily find suitable holsters and extra mags to make up a package. That way you'll be ready for when the time comes.

A saying I generally spout off to new handgun buyers is "If your first handgun is not a .22 then your second one darn well should be". A .22 is cheap to feed and with the low recoil you can use it for a lot of corrective drills to aid in beating any sort of flinching issues you get from the center fire gun as well as being able to practice a lot of shooting skills where recoil isn't a contributing factor. Drills such as draw, extend, sight and fire the first shot with both speed and accuracy. For such drills it simply doesn't mattre that it's a .22. And if, like many of us, you find you develop a healty flinch some time alternating between a .22 and the center fire gun will do much to get you past the flinching issues. And best of all they are CHEAP to feed them.

another vote for the Shield

its become my goto gun and most liked by NRA class students.
though not the lightest in its class it has the least perceived recoil
and a range session of 100 rounds does not stress your hand.