First gun - .22 or 9mm?

[kingpin008]

One more voice for picking up a quality .22 pistol. I have a Ruger MK III like the one pictured above, and absolutely LOVE it. I'm currently sitting on more than 10K rounds of .22, which cost me right around $200 bucks. (bulk packs from wal-mart)

Think about that. 10,000 rounds for less than three bills. That's a hell of a deal, and will allow for a TON of shooting. I agree that a 9mm might be more suited for self defense, but the most important part of using a gun in defense of one's life is HITTING one's target! And what will help with that, is PRACTICE. Also - a .22 in the hand is still better than nothing, if you ask me.

The MK III (or MK II) pistols are extremely well made, and will last longer than you will, given proper care & maintenance. There is a bit of a trick to taking them apart, but once you get it down, it's simple as can be.

 

[olav_a]

I have both and think it's a great combo. I bought my .22lr pistol first to practice the basics etc. I practice technique, grip, stance and whatever I want and shoot a lot of rounds with my .22lr,

Then I switch over and practice with my 9mm at a much more conservative pace with my .22lr learnings transferring over. If I develop some bad habits with the 9mm I weed them out using the .22lr.

All in all, the .22lr pistol allows me to practice, practice, practice.

I use the 9mm for gun courses and competition as the .22lr isn't powerful enough.

Here's my .22lr pistol:

 

[gotarheels03]

I'm also a new shooter and had the same dilemma as you. I ended up buying a Firestorm FS22 and a 9mm Sig P6. I got both for under $700 total, and that includes transfer fees.

 

[CoRoMo]

Get the 9mm, you'll be happy you did.

 

[JMD]

I was in the exact same position as you a few months ago. I ended up getting both 9mm and a .22. I bought a Glock 17 and Sig Mosquito.

I bought the .22 for all the reasons mentioned here, but honestly, I have much more fun shooting the glock, and shoot it more often. I'm a new shooter and recoil is not an issue for me. The mosquito is nice, but I only got it because I got a good deal on one. I found it to be a bit fussy with ammo, but once I found a brand that it likes it runs flawlessly.

IMO, I would get the glock. If you have any plans to carry, and the 19 fits your hand well, get the 19. I love my 17, but its big and not that comfortable to carry.

 

[AnthonyC.]

get the .22, a (remmy 597) I have one and LOVE it I would never get bored shooting that thing. I just slapped a 3-9 power scope on it and it will shoot some darn good groups at 25 yards, good groups at 50, and still some pretty good groups at 100yards. I will burn through at least 500 rounds in one 2-3 hour session with that thing. I have only had one jam and that was because my rest stopped the action from sliding back so it wasnt even the guns fault. I just got my second gun about 2 weeks ago, it is a remmington 870 pump shotgun, I love that thing just as much as my .22! I would say get the .22 first unless you are very comfortable with a 9mm.