First gun purchase

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Cannuck

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I'm presently looking to buy my first hand gun. I've shot well over 14 in the past year and while I feel comfortable shooting many of them, I am uncertain what else besides comfort and safety I should be looking for. Also suggestions would be great. I'm looking for on for home safety and target shooting and probably either a 9mm or a 40sw.

Thanks for your help
 
There's lots of great choices out there. As mentioned, if you are military or law enforcement, you can get a good deal on a Glock. If not, look at S&W, Sig, XD's, Ruger, the list goes on and on. It's kinda like picking your first car. Lots to pick from and everybody you ask has a favorite.
You mentioned that you've shot over 14. Since most guns on the market today are well made, and dependable, go with the one you've handled and felt most comfortable with. There may be others out there that have all kinds of bells and whistles, but if it doesn't fit you right, so what. And if one fits you, you'll be more confident with it and be a better shooter.
When you decide, let us know. And whatever you choose, enjoy it.
 
I went with the CZ 75BD and the Kadet kit a few years ago. Shooting 500 .22 and 200 9mm from the same frame in an afternoon made for a relatively inexpensive way to get a massive amount of trigger time.

Any good center fire with a .22 conversion would work.
 
Get what feels comfortable in your hand. Most name-brand pistols are decent, but read the reviews and other commentary.

I personally like 9mm (although some tough guys consider it a "girl's round.") Less recoil, which helps with accuracy and makes it more pleasurable to shoot a lot of rounds. And, cheaper ammo.

I'd lean toward a barrel in the 4-inch-plus range. Shooting most subcompacts (with a barrel length of 3 inches of less) for an extended period of time to me isn't much fun.
 
9mm

The type of firearm you get is wholly up to you. I prefer a steel framed pistol (at least right now, I reserve the right to have a different preference later). My choice would be a CZ 75. You get quite a bit of pistol for the price and other than the cost of the magazines I have no real complaints. Trigger could be better but I'm spoiled with revolvers so my opinion there is jaded.

As to caliber. I would suggest the 9mm. Unless you are planning on reloading. The fact that 9mm is cheaper than 40 S&W by around 50-75 per 1,000 rounds, will have you shoot more if you get a 9mm. The 9mm also has enough stopping power as long as you do your job, pertaining to shot placement.

Find a pistol you like and shoot it as often as you can. Save you brass as you might decide to reload later on and/or they can be traded to a reloader.
 
Thanks for all the help guys, I've got it narrowed down to the SW MP9mm or 40sw and the spring field armory xd9 and xd40. Anyone have any thoughts or comments? I've fired them all and all are pretty comfortable.
 
I have a S&W M&P 9c a very good little pistola. As this is your first pistol I would stick with 9mm and avoid the snappy recoil of the .40S&W. You'll learn to shoot better with the 9mm at this point.

If you've fired them all then you have to like the trigger on one better than the other or one must fit your hand better.....Which do you shoot better?
 
I'd go for .40 S&W over the 9mm. I've recently gotten into handguns myself, after years of dealing with hard-kicking rifles and shotguns, and I was surprised by its accuracy and lack of recoil. A good quality box of JHPs for home defense, and a few boxes of FMJs for fun at the range, and you won't need much else.
 
9mm is a good place to start. 40 SW is a good place to finish. :) You'll have to try and see, though. Some shooters are recoil sensitive, and they invent excuses such as the old ".40 recoil is snappy compared to the "slow push" of a .45." This leaves out the fact their .45 ACP pistols are much heavier, while shooting ammo of slightly lower power.
 
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Depending on the budget, I'd look at Hi-Point too. Cheap and effective, reasonably accurate, and reliable with a fantastic warrantee.

I've got a JHP 45 in the house and an XD-40 Tactical on the way for the GF. I'd rather carry the HP because I trust her more with the extra safeties on the XD, but I really do like it.
 
A CZ-75B in 9mm definitely fits your bill. Rock solid, reliable, affordable, accurate.

Of course, this being your first handgun, I'd also recommend a nice 4" revolver. S&W M19 or M66 would be great.

Other than comfort and safety, reliability, durability/quality, and availability of parts/accessories/ammo are also important. 9mm, .40S&W, and .38/.357 Mag are all plentiful, with .45 Auto being a little less so. To me, looks are also important (but definitely behind the aforementioned). Nothing goes home with me from the gun shop unless it looks decent, YMMV.
 
Really can't go wrong.

Between the M&P and the XD, you really can't go wrong IMO.

I got an .45XD and I would not trade it for the world. As far as style for the gun, it doesn't get to look any sweeter than the new XD(m) 9mm. Prettier than a glock and just as reliable.

The M&Ps are very nice guns as well, and I hear nothing but good things about them.

Between the two, my primary concern would be grip. The XD is a little boxy and the M&P is a little smoother design that might be more comfortable.

Have you shot any .45ACP?? Just asking, not trying to throw you that way but I got a .45 knowning that one day I will talk myself into a nice 1911 and I don't want to have 2 different types of ammo that do roughly the same thing (.40 and .45) Just a thought, one more chance to go to the range and shoot some more before you buy if nothing else.

Between the .40 and the 9mm, you are going to hear a lot of comments floating around the internet that the .40s&W trumps the 9mm, but the truth is that they are both perfectly acceptable handgun rounds by anyone's standards, and both trusted by law enforcement around the world. Find the gun you like the best and buy it, all your choices to this point have been great, like finding a couple cars that fit your budget and needs, now you just need to pick the color, so to speak.
 
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