RetiredUSNChief
Member
After having read through all the posts to date, I'd like to chime in again. This is because several members evidently picked up on something in your original posting that I didn't, so I re-read it and this stuck out to me:
"Considering purchasing my first handgun and I want input on what to buy. For a long time I was strongly leaning towards a 1911, but I have recently come to the realization that if I am ever able to carry a gun in the future, I would not be comfortable with the "cocked and locked" mode of carry."
It occurred to me that you didn't express WHAT you wanted your handgun FOR.
It's not important that you have some kind of bonafide "reason" to have a handgun. Just wanting a handgun is reason enough, in my opinion.
But what you want to use it for will go a long way towards helping decide what to get, and therefore will help us to provide you with educated opinions on the matter.
Keep in mind, however, that there are no handguns which will be universally suitable for every possible use. There are characteristics that make any particular handgun more or less suitable, relative to all other handguns, for any particular use.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
- If you are on a relatively tight budget, then the operating costs for your gun is extremely important. For the cost of a single 50 or 100 round box of 9mm ammunition, you could buy as much as 550 rounds of .22LR ammunition.
- If you are interested in hunting game, such as wild pig, with a handgun, then a small caliber or low power round is not the best option. You'll be looking at guns hefty enough and with a long enough barrel to be effective in this, which will probably start around .357 Magnum and up. You may even want something that you can mount a scope on, which means that many semi-autos will not be suitable.
- If you are interested in getting something that you may later want to use for concealed carry, then you'll want a caliber that's both proven effective and, because it's your first handgun, something that isn't going to be extremely expensive to learn to shoot and become proficient with. This will effectively limit your choices to a handful of calibers.
- Your gun should be something that you LIKE and something that fits YOU. If you don't like the gun you buy, then you won't want to shoot it. If you won't want to shoot it, then you AREN'T going to shoot it as much as you really need to in order to learn how to shoot and become proficient. Lots of things factor into this, including your own personal tastes. If you don't like the looks of the gun, then this will affect whether or not you want to shoot it. If you don't like the way it feels in your hand, this will affect whether or not you will want to shoot it. If you don't like the way the gun feels when you actually shoot it, then this will affect whether or not you will want to shoot it.
OK, BACK TO WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION:
Two things stand out now:
- This is your FIRST handgun purchase ("Considering purchasing my first handgun...")
- Carrying a handgun is not your PRESENT concern ("...if I am ever able to carry a gun in the future...")
Based on this, I would recommend that your first purchase NOT be centered around a carry weapon, since this is a future concern. You may end up with one that would be suitable, but don't try to make that a factor right now.
- Look at your budget and decide what is reasonable for YOU with respect to ongoing expenses involved in learning how to use your new handgun and becoming proficient with it. This includes two main costs: ammunition and range expenses. Whether you use a private gun range by the hour or by membership, or whether you have to drive out to a public range, this will cost you in terms of money and time. If your budget cannot support sufficient ammunition and range funds for .45 ACP, .45 Colt, or 10 mm, for example, then maybe you need to look at .22LR, 9mm, or .38 (which can be fired in .357 handguns, by the way).
- Consider YOUR personal tastes. Some people may not understand this, but YOUR tastes are important. If you've always loved the look of a particular handgun, whether revolver or pistol, then take that into consideration. Why buy a gun you think is ugly?
- Get out there and handle several handguns. Not every handgun will feel good in your hands. Some will have grips that are too small or too big. Some will have grip shapes that aren't comfortable. Some just won't feel right to you when you aim them. This trumps your personal tastes at this point. If you LOVE the looks of a gun, but the grip sucks...you shouldn't buy the gun. There are some things you can do about the feel of the grip, but others you can't.
- If at all possible, shoot any guns you're considering getting. If you like the looks and the feel in your hand, find out if it feels good to actually shoot it. Trust me...if you like the looks and you like the feel, but the gun hurts to shoot or gives you blisters, you ain't gonna want to shoot it.
For a first handgun like you describe, you want something that you LIKE, that you're EXCITED to own and shoot, and that you'll have FUN shooting.
Don't get caught up in anything else at this point. Why? Because you can ALWAYS buy another gun later.
First impressions make a huge difference for your first handgun. So meet the "like", "excited", and "fun" factors first and foremost.
Now, maybe you can tell us what you've seen so far that might fit that bill?
"Considering purchasing my first handgun and I want input on what to buy. For a long time I was strongly leaning towards a 1911, but I have recently come to the realization that if I am ever able to carry a gun in the future, I would not be comfortable with the "cocked and locked" mode of carry."
It occurred to me that you didn't express WHAT you wanted your handgun FOR.
It's not important that you have some kind of bonafide "reason" to have a handgun. Just wanting a handgun is reason enough, in my opinion.
But what you want to use it for will go a long way towards helping decide what to get, and therefore will help us to provide you with educated opinions on the matter.
Keep in mind, however, that there are no handguns which will be universally suitable for every possible use. There are characteristics that make any particular handgun more or less suitable, relative to all other handguns, for any particular use.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
- If you are on a relatively tight budget, then the operating costs for your gun is extremely important. For the cost of a single 50 or 100 round box of 9mm ammunition, you could buy as much as 550 rounds of .22LR ammunition.
- If you are interested in hunting game, such as wild pig, with a handgun, then a small caliber or low power round is not the best option. You'll be looking at guns hefty enough and with a long enough barrel to be effective in this, which will probably start around .357 Magnum and up. You may even want something that you can mount a scope on, which means that many semi-autos will not be suitable.
- If you are interested in getting something that you may later want to use for concealed carry, then you'll want a caliber that's both proven effective and, because it's your first handgun, something that isn't going to be extremely expensive to learn to shoot and become proficient with. This will effectively limit your choices to a handful of calibers.
- Your gun should be something that you LIKE and something that fits YOU. If you don't like the gun you buy, then you won't want to shoot it. If you won't want to shoot it, then you AREN'T going to shoot it as much as you really need to in order to learn how to shoot and become proficient. Lots of things factor into this, including your own personal tastes. If you don't like the looks of the gun, then this will affect whether or not you want to shoot it. If you don't like the way it feels in your hand, this will affect whether or not you will want to shoot it. If you don't like the way the gun feels when you actually shoot it, then this will affect whether or not you will want to shoot it.
OK, BACK TO WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION:
Two things stand out now:
- This is your FIRST handgun purchase ("Considering purchasing my first handgun...")
- Carrying a handgun is not your PRESENT concern ("...if I am ever able to carry a gun in the future...")
Based on this, I would recommend that your first purchase NOT be centered around a carry weapon, since this is a future concern. You may end up with one that would be suitable, but don't try to make that a factor right now.
- Look at your budget and decide what is reasonable for YOU with respect to ongoing expenses involved in learning how to use your new handgun and becoming proficient with it. This includes two main costs: ammunition and range expenses. Whether you use a private gun range by the hour or by membership, or whether you have to drive out to a public range, this will cost you in terms of money and time. If your budget cannot support sufficient ammunition and range funds for .45 ACP, .45 Colt, or 10 mm, for example, then maybe you need to look at .22LR, 9mm, or .38 (which can be fired in .357 handguns, by the way).
- Consider YOUR personal tastes. Some people may not understand this, but YOUR tastes are important. If you've always loved the look of a particular handgun, whether revolver or pistol, then take that into consideration. Why buy a gun you think is ugly?
- Get out there and handle several handguns. Not every handgun will feel good in your hands. Some will have grips that are too small or too big. Some will have grip shapes that aren't comfortable. Some just won't feel right to you when you aim them. This trumps your personal tastes at this point. If you LOVE the looks of a gun, but the grip sucks...you shouldn't buy the gun. There are some things you can do about the feel of the grip, but others you can't.
- If at all possible, shoot any guns you're considering getting. If you like the looks and the feel in your hand, find out if it feels good to actually shoot it. Trust me...if you like the looks and you like the feel, but the gun hurts to shoot or gives you blisters, you ain't gonna want to shoot it.
For a first handgun like you describe, you want something that you LIKE, that you're EXCITED to own and shoot, and that you'll have FUN shooting.
Don't get caught up in anything else at this point. Why? Because you can ALWAYS buy another gun later.
First impressions make a huge difference for your first handgun. So meet the "like", "excited", and "fun" factors first and foremost.
Now, maybe you can tell us what you've seen so far that might fit that bill?