First gun purchase (9mm) - Need assistance - Thank you for your help.

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See if there is a range nearby where you can actually shoot your preference before you buy. If not, see if the dealer will let you dry fire or maybe buy some snap caps to check the trigger pull.
 
You described a few factors that everyone has ignored.

$1500 budget. You already decided this as your price range. Telling you to get a $500 gun is no different than advising someone to get a Toyota over a BMW.

Full size gun. You have done the research and decided a full size gun I what you want.

Range gun. You want something to go have fun at the range. Preferably pretty accurate.

You described a Sig P226s X5. Go shoot one. Amazing! Oh, you are welcome.


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$1500 budget. You already decided this as your price range. Telling you to get a $500 gun is no different than advising someone to get a Toyota over a BMW.
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Just because you have the ability to pay a certain maximum amount on one item doesn't mean you should pay that price no matter what. The OP could use some of the extra to work down his list of other guns to buy, or buy some extra mags, ammo, and night sights, or *gasp* actually get some training :what:

What I think the OP is effectively saying is that price really doesn't matter as long as we're staying reasonable and not recommending he buy an incredibly expensive weapon just for the hell of it. Once you break the average price of a quality gun (around that $500 price), all you're really paying for are options and preferences.
 
Samari Jack said:
See if there is a range nearby where you can actually shoot your preference before you buy. If not, see if the dealer will let you dry fire or maybe buy some snap caps to check the trigger pull.
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Best advice in the thread. Have you shot any of top choices yet OP?
 
Not sure if it's been mentioned- a lightweight pistol will recoil more than a heavy one. In 9mm it's not that noticeable, but my Beretta (heavy, pretty much a full size) kicks way less than the couple of Glocks, etc. that I have shot.

For a budget of $1500 I would likely be looking at more than one gun. Maybe that's just me, though. Find something you like the feel of in your hand, shoot it if you can. You'll learn what you like, love, hate, and don't care about with your first one, and you'll use that knowledge when you buy another. Repeat ad infinitum.
 
@ sikiguya, just because he has a $1500 budget doesn't mean he needs to spend $1500. He can get a great pistol brand new for ~$500 and get ALOT of ammo, a nice range bag, cleaning kit/basic tools, shooting protection, a training course and still have a few hundred left over! Heck, he could get 2 nice pistols with ammo and all the essentials. I see absolutely no reason someone should spend $1500 on a first pistol unless they're very wealthy and like to blow money like it means nothing. Idk i guess thats just me and you may be different ..

How many people do you know that bought a BMW for their first car?? :)
 
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If someone is going to budget $1,500 for a pistol, then I think it's safe to assume he's got a few hundred laying around to buy a bag, ammo, cleaning supplies, etc.

For that matter, he can buy a top quality P229 or P226 and still have plenty of money left over for all those things. Or, he can buy a racegun Glock. With that budget, he can get whatever he wants.

Personally, I don't understand the low ball suggestions. They are a waste of time.
 
Sooner or later you'll want to carry. That means your expensive full size handgun will become a safe queen or range toy while you spend your ammo money on mastering your every day carry. My advice: Find a gun you like to shoot, then think about whether you can conceal and carry it comfortably. My p226 is purely a nightstand gun now. My glock 26, 19, and Kahr cm9 get all the range time as they're my go to carry pieces. Something to think about. A sig p229 and p238 are in the ballpark.
 
Personally, I don't understand the low ball suggestions. They are a waste of time.
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Why, exactly, is a Walther P99 or PPQ a "waste of time?"

And do NOT say, "Because it's not a Glock or Sig." Spare me your Kewl-aid, I never touch the stuff.
 
Man some people just blow my mind... :banghead:
I'm honestly lost for words. Its his FIRST pistol there is absolutely no reason that just because he has the ability to spend $1500 that he should on a FIRST pistol. If thats the route he goes fine, I'm sure he'll be plenty happy with whatever he gets but i just think thats horrible advice to give someone who's looking for opinions on getting his first pistol.
I better go sell all my $600 guns and get two or three $1500 ones because god knows them cheap ones aren't going to work right.
 
I would not overlook the FNX-9. Guns are like a spouse, individual choice and the pretty ones are not always worth having. Good luck!
 
Showmebob, I 100% agree with you. The new FN pistol's are top notch. I've got many pistols and my fnp-45 is hands down my favorite. I like it even more than some of my guns that cost twice as much.
OP, I'd definitely try to get your hands on a fnx 9, along with others, and I'm sure you'll really like it. If you don't like the fnx 9 and prefer a striker fired pistol they also make the FNS 9.
 
Get a P95. It will last forever and you'll have plenty of money leftover to buy lots of ammo and have fun with it. :D
 
I've been through quite a few 9mms and I think you are on track with the Sigs. I just bought a sig p225 and it feels amazing to grip and shoot. It is also a single stack making it a little more comfortable to carry than the other sigs you have listed. I think I've found the gun I'll hang on to forever in my p225. Good luck, too many choices.
 
After visiting all the gun ranges with in an hour drive (of which none had any of the guns i'm interested in to rent) and all the gun stores with in an hour and picking up/dry firing as many guns as possible I have narrowed it down to the following and will be purchasing one this week!!!


(No particular order)

-Browning MK II Hi Power
-Browning Hi Power

-HK USP Tactical

-SW M&P

-Sig P220 (they have a 9mm for sale at my local gun store)

-Sig p210

-Sig p226 (Fits like a glove!)
-Sig p226 x5
-Sig p226 Scorpion TB
-Sig p226 Elite Dark
-Sig p226 Combat TB
-Sig p226 Mk25

-Sig p229 Scorpian TB (didn't realize the 229's were all under 4" barrel & even though this is only 4.3 it still feels good in hand)



Thank you all so very much for all of your input!
 
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your input, answers to questions, and advice.

Update:

Finally squeezed the trigger (pardon the pun ;))

Picked up a "P226 Scorpion TB" under MSRP

Now comes the 48 hour wait :banghead: =P

Here's a picture from SigSaur's website, looks exactly like the picture does.
P226-ScorpionTB-detail-L.jpg


Picked up 1000 rounds of Winchester 9mm Luger 115 grain, unfortunately though they didn't have any extra clips available, but luckily there is an upcoming Gun show in a few weeks and i'll try my luck there.

Am a glasses wearer so going to take my time to find the right pair of eye protectors but until then my local range provides free pairs of the standard ones for people at the range.


I'll throw a picture up of the actual gun once she's in my hands.
 
Congrats, you know they breed like bunnies, get another and next thing you know you have a membership in a Collector club or gun club or range, and a safe full of them dang things....

Welcome to the sickness, Consider finding local IDPA or similar matches, you will get LOTS of coaching for less than a class cost.
 
Raoul_Duke said:
I'm 23, live in the suburbs of Milwaukee and just last week had my first experience with a hand gun (have only fired .22 rifles before for pest control)

Anyway I went to the local shooting range (Fletchers in Waukeshau) and rented a Walther PPS 9mm (their selection of 9mms was fairly limited *the only 2 I had any interest in were the Walther PPS & Berretta 92FS*) Shot 100 rounds with some better then average ammo and had 3 shells that had difficulties ejecting.

So the only things I really know that I want from my first gun are (in order of biggest importance to least)

-9mm mandatory (so I can get better at shooting with out spending that much on ammo)

-4" barrel minimum (because I'd like this pistol to be as accurate as can be)

-Reliable, something that's military tested or otherwise, that'll go thru 1000 rounds like clock work.

-No compacts and nothing too overly bulky on the grip (because I want all my fingers to be able to fit on the grip, but at the same time I do have medium-small palms)

-Under $1500 new or used. (I realize there are plenty of just as good brands in the under $500 range, but don't mind paying a few extra hundred to get a gun i'll be happier with in the long run)


That's about all I can think of right now, i'm not to worried about disassemble/reassembly as I work with my hands all day doing some fairly tedious stuff but would prefer that I don't need some big bulky tool if at all possible.

As far as cleaning it, I will clean it as often as is recommended or needed so no need to automatically sign the new gun owner up for a glock or something because I'll do whats needed to keep her in good shape.


Just from my week long searching on the internet & Picking each of them up in store I really like the way the following guns feel.

-HK USP Tactical

-Beretta 92FS

-SigSaur P220
-SigSaur P226
-SigSaur P229

-Even a modified 1911 that was setup for 9mm felt great.


Thanks again for your help I really appreciate it, ever since I shot that first round i've been ittttching to buy something but don't' really have the gun-know how to make an educated purchase.
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There are Lots of guns that would fit the bill you have outlined above. Of the pistols you listed, I would say that either the Beretta or the P226 would be excellent.

I am sure someone else probably already recommended the Glock G17. I would definitely have that on my list too...you wont go wrong with a glock.

Others to consider.
- Ruger P Series guns P89, P95 etc.
- Ruger SR9
- Smith and Wesson M&P9
- Taurus (beretta clones)
- CZ75

And there are many others. Go try a few. Generally speaking, they all work well.
 
Raoul_Duke said:
Picked up 1000 rounds of Winchester 9mm Luger 115 grain, unfortunately though they didn't have any extra clips available, but luckily there is an upcoming Gun show in a few weeks and i'll try my luck there.
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That looks like a great pistol, and one that ought to serve you well for years - maybe more years than you have left on the planet!

One friendly hint: pistol magazines are not called "clips," except in movies and TV shows. Clips are actually a different thing, and are rarely involved in pistols. I'm not trying to criticize, just trying to help you avoid the noob/mall-ninja tag.

Remember the four rules of gun safety and have fun!
 
^^^ Thank you for the correction on my vocabulary, I think the guy at the store was about to tell me the same thing when I asked if he had any spare clips available for purchase but didn't want to offend me or something.
 
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