First Handgun

[TWeatherford]

I'm considering getting a first handgun in the next few months. Money is tight, I'm not old enough to CCW but want to when its legal. I plan on getting a good pump shotgun first, but the next one I'm thinking of is a Walther P99. I'm too poor to buy a .22 and a centerfire, so I figure that it would be worthwhile to get something big enough to do the job if necessary. I'm checking into the laws, and will make sure to get it from a qualified lawyer, but it looks like it will be legal to carry it in the vehicle. I'm also at college and don't get to shoot much, so I don't think I would be able to put enough rounds through either a .22 to justify buying both and saving on ammo, either. I can legally buy one FTF in my state under 21 so thats part of the reason I'm thinking pretty far ahead, if one comes up for a decent price in my state I'll kinda have to jump on it.

I've searched for a while and haven't found a good explanation of all the anachronims used to describe this handgun. I think I've seen DAO, SAO, QA, and some others. I know the difference between single action and double action, but could you fill me in on what these things mean?

 

[universal]

DAO means Double Action Only and is when the hammer cannot be cocked back for a single action shot. Some consider Glocks and other striker fired weapons DAO as well.

DA/SA or Traditional DA means that the weapon can be fired double action i.e. pull the tigger and the weapon will cock and fire. With semi-autos the hammer can also be cocked and the weapon fired single action. Also, when firing more than one shot, the second shot and on will be single action due to the slide coming back and cocking the hammer. On revolvers you can either cock the hammer and fire, or simply pull the trigger and fire the weapon double action.

Single Action Only is when the hammer has to be cocked for each shot, either by hand (revolver) or automatically (semi-auto i.e. 1911, High Power).

Stuff like Quick Action and such are terms used by specific companies to describe their action types. I am not sure what they all mean.

For a first hand gun I recommend a DA/SA revolver in .357 Magnum. I like the 4 inch barrel version. This way you can shoot .38 Special ammo or .357 Magnum as well. The .38 ammo is fairly cheap. If you are set on a semi-auto, I would suggest a 9mm due to the effectiveness of that round and the fact that it is about the cheapest caliber to shoot a lot. With regard to which kind to pick, you should try some different types out. I personally prefer Glocks but they are not for everyone. If cost is indeed an issue, maybe look at the Ruger P series. I had a P95 and liked it. It is pretty good for the money. The Smith & Wesson model 910 pistol can also be found fairly cheap and it is a great gun.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sniper X]

Also, check your local laws as in most states now because of the Coloumbine deal there is one of those idiotic "zero tollerence" laws that apply at all schools. So, you'd be screwed if you took the gun to school even in your car. I hear that here in New Mexico if you drive in the parking lot to pick up your kid, and even if you have a CCW you are commiting a felony by being on school grounds with a firearm. Stupid!

 

[Tbu61]

Humble beginnings...

Greetings and welcome to the world of Handgun shooting.
Advice is free here, generally it's pretty valid.

For a first gun I would recommend a revolver, as posted above. It doesn't have to be fancy, or high $$$$. There are plenty out there to choose from.

If I were starting all over again, I would probably pick a 4" S&W 66. They can be found for $250-$400. Might sound like a lot, but it's worth every penny.

Why a revolver??? They are simple to operate, durable and reliable. They also take longer to load, don't hold as many rounds as Autos so you aren't prone to burn Ammo as quickly.

The Concept of a .357 is simple (again as above)... Variety of Ammo choice.
You can shoot mild target loads cheaply.... Or let the ponies out with some hot Magnum rounds.

Always save your Brass and Boxes, one day you might reload, which is a key to more economy. You will wind up with a post in the reloading section soon too....

Not positive of all the legalities, but I believe 21 is the minimum age for purchasing a handgun anywhere you go....... Check that out by calling a local gun shop. Screw up that technicality and you could loose your gun and wind up with a police record in it's place....

 

[TX1911fan]

THe Walther is a pretty good choice for a first gun. If you get the AS trigger, it means it can be fired both DA and SA. This means that once you work the slide and chamber a round, the striker is cocked and your trigger pull is Single Action, meaning all it has to do is release the striker to fire the weapon. The natural semi auto action of the pistol will of course recock the sriker, so your next pull will be SA as well.

Or, you can decock the striker, using the decock button. It's sort of like a safe way of lowering the hammer on a pistol or revolver. This means the striker is not cocked, so your trigger pull is now Double Action, meaning by pulling the trigger you are doing two things, you are cocking the striker, AND you are firing the pistol. After the shot, the striker is automatically cocked and you have a subsequent Single Action pull.

On the Walther, you can also precock and previuosly decocked striker by pulling the slide back about 1/2 an inch.

There is an indicator on the back of the gun that tells you whether the striker is cocked or not.

Another excellent weapon to consider is the CZ. I sold my Walther (I didn't shoot it well, although my wife did) and bought the CZ P-01. It costs about $100 less and is a very fine weapon. It also has a decocker, so can be fired SA or DA.

 

[nwilliams]

In New Mexico there is no law against carrying a gun in your car, it considered an extension of your property or something like that.

There are laws that pertain to having a gun in your vehicle and how it should be performed so go to packing.org and read as much as you can about what the actual law states.

I wouldn't suggest having the gun on school property (that includes the parking lot) most colleges prohibit firearms on campus grounds. Although I've taken gun smithing classes at my community college and brought guns back and forth so I don't know exactly. it may just depend on the school's policy.

Walther P99 is a fine gun, it will perform well and its very comfortable in the hand. Hey James Bond uses it, how bad can it be

 

[TWeatherford]

Thanks for the replies. I've strongly considered revolvers, which I would go with a Ruger or Smith .357, and may go that route. What I like about a semi, in 9mm, is ammo cost and lotsa bullets. I understand the spray and pray problem, but personally feel that maybe I'd like more than 5-7 rounds before reloading.

As far as vehicle carry at school, no, no guns anywhere on campus. I've made plans to park off campus, and get a dolly to haul my stuff to my dorm. It'll never set a wheel on University property, so I can have all the guns I want.

 

[461]

So you're going to leave a loaded gun in an unattended car? Bad idea. My advice is to get a membership at a local range and get some firearms training and lots of rental gun use under your belt, many ranges have gun lockers available to store a firearm in for members as well.

Make doubly sure of any law that you believe allows you to have a loaded gun in your car, in most places this is patently illegal. I know there are places it's legal too, but rare.

 

[Ditchtiger]

I had 4 or 5 different cap and ball revolvers before I could afford a centerfire gun. Cheaper, plenty of power, very safe when empty.

 

[22-rimfire]

I don't know your shooting background, so I will assume you have never done any shooting at all. First learn rules of safety and then learn to operate whatever firearm(s) you buy.

I generally recommend a 22 as a first handgun. You can learn to shoot that way for cheap and still have somewhat of a good feeling about personal protection.

Remember, concealed carry firearms are usually small. Small guns are harder to shoot accurately and may frustrate you in your learning curve.

My preference is a good 357 revolver. The Ruger SP101 may be a good compromise between size and shootability. I don't recommend buying the no-name revolvers, but they work and can be had for less that the SP101. The SP101 is a double action revolver and you can shoot either 38spl or 357 mag ammunition in it.

In an auto, the CZ previously mentiioned maybe a good choice. Other possibilities are Glocks if you find a used one. But the Glock will cost more. I am not a fan of the 9mm, but the caliber does offer moderate power and fairly inexpensive ammunition choices for a centerfire caliber. I prefer the 40 S&W caliber.

Car carry.... in my state, you can not legally carry a loaded handgun unless you have a CCW permit (even unconcealed). You might want to check on that one. It would be quite unpleasent to get pulled over for a traffic violation and have the policeman see your firearm..... then the hassles begin if it is loaded and so forth... check into this in your state.

What is a FTF? It may help if you mention what state you are in.

 

[mrcpu]

presumably in this case, FTF means face to face, as opposed to failure to feed...