First Gun, What Do You Think?

[crebralfix]

Oh, one more thing: How much should I expect to pay for an SP101? MK III? Being a beginner, I'd like to have an idea of how much I should pay, so that I don't end up paying too much due to my ignorance. As always, my thanks.

For prices: check some online resources (but be skeptical), such as:

gunbroker.com
gunsamerica.com
Bud's Gun Shop
Impact Guns

For your first gun: get what you want! I have both the SP101 and the GP100...both are very good.

The SP101 is a good gun. I particularly like Winchester 357 Magnum 110 grain JHPs.

***

My first gun was a SIG P220 in 45 ACP...it was fine for learning. A 22 would have been a bit easier on the pocket book though.

 

[bdjansen]

SP101 is a great gun. Buy it. It wont be hard to learn on and will provide you good self defense both at home and if you want to carry a bit.

 

[noskilz]

+++ to what Papajohn said. Great advice.

 

[MrBorland]

Do you think it'd be most advantageous to get, say, a Ruger MK III to better acquaint me with firing a gun, then get a SP101 in a year or two?

The MkIII might be less expensive than a .22 revolver, but if you're a new shooter and your SD weapon will be a .357 DA revolver, your best bet for a .22 would also be a DA revolver, preferably the same make, frame size and grip as the .357. Learning to shoot a DA revolver well will take a lot of DA practice, and for a new shooter, I personally don't see the point of getting a .22 semi-auto as a training aid to a .357 revolver. In the long run a .22 revolver would pay for itself, and would be well worth it. Just my $0.02.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I didn't read all the posts so I'm sorry if I'm repeating.

Since this is your first handgun and you don't have a carry permit yet I would suggest you buy either a 4" S&W Model 686 or a Ruger GP100 in .357 Magnum. The 4" barrel with it's longer sight picture will aid in accuracy and the heavier revolver will absorb the recoil better so you will have less a chance of developing a flinch. When and if you decide to carry you can then buy a SP101 or J frame for that purpose. The 4" .357 Magnum won't be a waste even when you buy the second revolver because it will always be a great range gun and a good handgun for home defense.

Of course there is nothing wrong with buying a .22 first. I have several pistols and a revolver in .22 caliber and they are loads of fun to shoot and good for getting rid of varmints around the backyard.

 

[don95sml]

There's a lot of good advice in this thread, and I agree with most of it. My recommendation would be to start with a good .22 LR, either a semi-auto or a revolver. (With all due respect to MrBorland, I don't think the transition from a semi-auto .22 to a center-fire revolver is all that hard.) Assuming that you truly intend to practice a lot (as you should) to master the fundamentals of handgun shooting, it's reasonable to start with a .22 if only for cost considerations. The Mark III is fine, but I would also look at the Browning Buckmark. For self-defense these are not ideal, of course, but loaded with hollow points they are a force to be reckoned with when more than one shot is taken.

For your second gun, when you are able to get one, you might consider a 9mm semi-auto, since this is probably the next most economical round to shoot. For instance a SIG P239 would make a nice carry gun as well as a range gun. 9mm 115-gr full metal jacket such as "Winchester White Box" sold by Wal-Mart is usually reasonably priced. Blazer ammo is also good, although not reloadable. Check your local ammo sources to see how the price of 9mm compares with .38 special - maybe there's not much difference.

As for gun prices, a good site to check out is www.budsgunshop.com .

 

[snubfan]

Haven't shot one yet,but maybe one of the new .327 federal mags would be the way to go. The magnum load for defense and the little load for practice. (.32 shouldn't have too much recoil from a heavier gun like the 101) http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-SP101-327.htm

 

[Jeff F]

For those that I have introduced to hand gun shooting I always start them off with a .22. After they gain confidence I'll let them shoot a few out of something bigger. A .22 is by far the best way to learn marksmanship with out learning bad habits which can the a long time to break.

 

[Doug S]

The SP101 is a great handgun. I went with the 357, 2 1/4in barrel because I will use it for concealed carry. Price in the low $400 NIB, and rising, so get one soon. Used $325-$350, and I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference between a nice used one, and a new one. I like it more every time I take it to the range.

 

[Huddog]

I have a 3 inch SP in .357. If you truly want one gun it is a good choice. You can use fairly low cost wadcutters (not as low cost as .22's but ok) and then load with the .357 load your revolver prefers. Of course you will need to fire enough .357's to determine which one it prefers.

 

[shooter429]

Def, I don't think a .22 is any "safer" than a .357

Although the .22s serve up less recoil and report, they are not "safer" in any way. Safety is best kept a state of mind, not of equipment. Do what you think is best, but a quality .357 is not out of line just because you are fairly new to the sport. Again, versatility is the .357s ace. I have target wadcutters that are not a whole lot more energetic out of a GP100 or 686 than are .22 stingers out of a Mk3. Unless you have a physical disability, you can easily learn to handle a medium frame .357 with light loads. I just picked up a "one-gun" Check her out

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e339/shooter429/686Sideview2web.gif


Augment it with one of these later

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e339/shooter429/Buckmarkfornet.jpg

Heck, you might find you like magnums so much you get one of these