First Pistol-- .22LR or 9MM?

[TheLastBoyScout]

If you had money from a summer job and wanted to use it to get your first pistol, would you go for a good .22LR or a low to middle of the road 9MM or .45ACP?

I know the .22 gun and ammo would be cheaper, but this is probably going to be my only handgun for the next 4 years, and I really sympathize with what Oleg said on his website about his SKS when he started shooting. He said he needed a weapon, in case he couldn't easily get one in the future, as opposed to a toy (bb gun in his case). Now before someone jumps on me for calling a .22lr a toy, I only mean that in the sense that, yes it could kill someone, but if you needed a gun to defend yourself, a .22 would be wayy down on the list.

Should I keep this line of thought and keep saving for the centerfire, or should I just get the .22 and not worry about it? I just worry that if G-d forbid the Brady Bunch gets some new law passed, I DO NOT want to be stuck with just a .22.

 

[Dorrin79]

I bought a 9mm for my first pistol.

A year later I got a .22LR.

As long as the 9mm is something easy and fun to shoot I don't think there is anything wrong with getting one of them for a first pistol.

That said, I've shot almost as many rounds through my MkII in the three months I've owned it as I have shot through my P89 in the 15 months I have owned it.

 

[12 Volt Man]

I don't know how much money you will have available from your summer job but I recommend both. Especially since you stated it will be your only gun for the next four years. Get a CZ75b in 9mm and get the Kadet kit for it. That way you get the best of both worlds .

 

[Engineer]

If money is going to be that much of an issue, I would say go with a .22 as you will be shooting a good deal more for your buck. My first firearm was a .22LR rifle, followed by a .22LR pistol and then a 9mm handgun. There are also plenty of good budget 9mm's such as Ruger's or an FEG HiPower clone that won't break the bank. Even if you just set aside a dollar a day, you'd have one of those within a year.

 

[treeprof]

I'd buy a 9 mm for which I could get a decent .22 conversion kit, as 12V Man said. CZ's, Glocks and Berettas are possibilities. Buy both together if possible, the 9 first if not. You could also get into a middlin 9 and decent .22 like the Ruger P95 and MkII or 22/45 for under $500 used. The CZ and kit would be mid/upper-500's or so new, figure $720 or so for new Glock and Advantage Arms kit. Not sure what the Beretta .22 kits go for.

 

[longeyes]

If it's going to be your only handgun for a while, go for the 9mm. Get one that offers a .22 conversion kit. For me self-defense capability is primary. My first semi-auto was a Glock 26 (good choice). My most recent--with a few others in-between--was my first .22 (a Neos). A fun .22 is good after you've taken care of business.

 

[AZ Jeff]

Let me ask everyone here a question: when one starts out with his first rifle (a new totally novice shooter) does one start with .30/06, or a .22LR?

I think in most cases, a .22 is the preferred choice. The reasons are usually:
1. cheaper to shoot, thus more practice
2. same basic skills need to be mastered to shoot a big rifle as a small one
3. recoil is lessened, thus allowing new shooter to concentrate on sight alignment/trigger control, and not worry about recoil issues/flinching.

All of these reasons are equally applicable to a new pistol shooter.

Based on this, start with a .22, and learn to be VERY good with it. When $ become available, the larger centerfire can be bought, and the only new skill to learn will be recoil mastery.

My $0.02, based on 30+ years of shooting pistols.

 

[Pilot]

I second the CZ-75 and .22 Kadet Kit combo. Two guns in one. The .22 allows you to practice cheaply, with the same full size handgun that is used for defense. Its also accurate and fun to shoot. It goes to the range everytime with me and never skips a beat.

 

[Handy]

.22

Oftentimes, a shooter gets frustrated with the accuracy of their centerfire auto. But if they are only really used to shooting THAT gun, they aren't going to know if the problem is the pistol, them or both.

With a quality .22 you can build basic skills and test your limits with a gun that will always out shoot you and you'll never regret buying, like a basic Ruger or Buckmark.

A .22 autopistol will hold your attention for long enough to make a good shooter out of you. The next summer, the 9mm (cheaper than .45).

I think alot of us forget how much fun a .22 auto is to someone new. You can make cans dance, shoot bullseyes and hunt squirrel, all with gun that cost $200 and 1 cent bullets.


Also, the time you spend at the range with your .22 will be invaluable in selecting the RIGHT centerfire for you. You'll get to try other guns and hear the voice of experience. You'll also see the bad targets and jammed guns.

 

[themic]

of course, he didn't technically say that he was an inexperienced shooter, but merely that this would be his first handgun. with summer jobs and whotnot, he probably hasn't been old enough to own his own handgun until now.

in which case, if he has shooting experience already, then he should get the 9. maybe with a conversion kit, too, but frankly a good solid 9 doesn't really have much recoil to fight. would also recommend looking into a nice 4" 357 revolver. either way, ammo's still fairly cheap (not quite .22 cheap, but cheaper than most) and the gun is kinda useful too.

 

[10-Ring]

If it is really your first exposure to handguns/firearms, I'd recommend the 22 since it is so use friendly and you'll have so much more trigger time w/ the gun to develop good shooting habits/skills.

 

[CWatson]

You did not say how much money you would make during this summer job.Late last year I bought a new Ruger P95DC,less than $300 after tax and DROS fees.As reliable and accurate as my Glocks or Colts.9mm CCI Blazers and Winchester white box are good cheap practice ammo.Ruger is offering a $40 rebate on all their centerfire pistols,

If you like revolvers any quality 357 mag made buy S&W,Colt,or my preferance Ruger are good defensive guns you can practice with cheap 38 special ammo too.CW

 

[treeprof]

A lot of good points, but at 16, I doubt he will be directly purchasing anything. He has posted previously abt rifle shooting, so he's not new to shooting.

 

[jmbrowning]

Get the Rimfire!

My first firearm for about five years was a 1911A1 (how appropriate). I picked up a lot of flinch and it took me a couple of years to really get to master the recoil.

My now-wife too learned on that old horse and she didn't have too many problems with it.

My personal recommendation is go with the .22LR firearm. There's lots to choose from in semi (Ruger, Browning, Walther) or wheelguns. Had money been no object and had I had a little more foresight, I would have picked up a .22LR topper for the 1911 and learned with that instead of 230grainers.

Course, money was an issue back then, so I skipped on the .22LR adapter which cost as much as the pistol itself.

Now, if yer asking 9mm vs. .45 for self-defense, well that's a question that everyone's got an opinion on.

I picked up the .45 as I was moving to a city that had recently had massive race rioting and figured I wanted something for peace of mind. FWIW, I never did use that gun for anything other than learning how to shoot and a .22LR would have served me even better.

 

[Rich357]

I suggest you get a Ruger MkII with a 5 1/2" Bull Barrel now and later get a Glock 17. Both are rugged, reliable, accurate and fun to shoot.

I certainly appreciate your concern about the future availability of handguns. Starting with a .9mm, like the Glock 17, would only be a problem when it comes to the cost of ammo. Just be very careful with any gun you get. Don't ever trust that it is empty. It never hurts to check it again.

A S&W 686 Plus revolver (seven shooter) with a 4" barrel would also be a fine way to get started.

Or, you could save / invest your money and build up a larger pot for the future.

Good luck,
Rich

 

[Handy]

When I got my first gun (a .22 Ruger pistol), I had shot plenty before, but I was a new owner - the one paying for gun, ammo, gear and range time.

I would not know as much about shooting well if I had spent all that newly available range time plinking at 7 yards with a 9mm.

 

[goon]

Given the concerns that you have, I would go ahead and get a 9mm. I own two, and have shot others. The recoil is neglegible. I don't think that you will be hampered too much as far as learning goes. My first handgun was a Kimber .45ACP. I learned to shoot it well just the same, and would still have it if it hadn't jammed.
I would suggest a CZ-75 for your first. Hi-cap mags can still be found at reasonable prices, and there are several varients. You should be able to find one you like out of that line up. If not a CZ, then maybe a Browning High Power.
Price is generally around $319-$350 for the CZ new, and around $425 for a pretty good HP used.
My preference after owning both goes with the CZ, but that is a judgement call.

 

[AZ Jeff]

To all who contributed to this thread thus far:

Maybe I read more into the original poster's message than is actually there, but when I saw the words "summer job", I immediately thought "limited budget" and "poor student".

When I was a poor student, I was given a S&W M27 as a GIFT (lucky me). Even then, it was hard to scrounge money to shoot .38Spl reloads thru it. My first pistol I purchased myself a couple of years later was a Ruger MK 1, in .22LR, of course. I put a LOT more rounds thru that pistol than the M27 in those early years.

If one's shooting sports budget is limited, a rimfire is a FAR better choice than ANY centerfire pistol.

The least expensive centerfire pistols being proposed in this thread are AT LEAST $100 more than a decent rimfire autoloader. That $100 will buy an awful lot of bricks of .22LR ammo......

 

[Nightcrawler]

Back on TFL, I once had a guy get mad at me and call me names when I didn't want a .22 for my first handgun.

I cut my teeth in handguns on a full sized .45. Did fine. My female friend whom I taught to shoot started off on a .357 lever rifle, then supplemented by a .357 revolver firing .38s. REcoil in .38 or 9mm is soft enough that they're NOT hard to shoot.

I've been exactly where you are. If it's going to be your only handgun, and you want to use it for defense/carry/whatever, then get the 9mm first. A full sized 9mm pistol, shooting soft loads like typical standard pressure 115gr ammo, does NOT recoil heavily, and is quite easy to shoot. 9mm ammo, while not as cheap as rimfire ammo, can be had for rougly $100-120 per thousand. The only centerfire cartridge that's equally inexpensive is .38 special.

So get the 9mm. The 9mm pistol with the .22LR conversion kit is a GREAT idea. That way, when you practice with the .22, you're still using the controls of your primary sidearm.

However, I don't think shooting .22 exclusively first is that essential. I mean, to hear some tell, I should started with a .22, then moved up to a 9mm, then maybe a .45 from there. *shrug* Just wasn't necessary, at least not for me. I learned to shoot rifle on an M16; if you've got two arms and one good eye, you can handle the M16, it's such a soft shooter. Besides, shooting a .22 exclusively, while making you quite a good shot with a .22, isn't going to help you handle recoil and such. That only comes with practice with your handgun of choice.

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

I'm not new to shooting, and although I shoot rifles much more than pistols, I am pretty good with my dad's CCW piece, a Glock 36 in .45ACP. Also, although .22LR is cheaper, I get up to the range rarely enough that I can usually afford using bargain centerfire ammo when I'm there.

I'm looking to spend less than $400 out the door.

And for you observant people who recognized I'm under 21, I meant my dad will give me the gun as a gift and I will give him a gift of money which -surprise- equals the cost of the gun.

This will probably be the only handgun for the next 4 years because this whole gift system is awkward and every time my dad adds to the collection for myself or my brother my mom throws a minor fit along the lines of "You bought WHAT? WHY? For our SON?? what if he...."

 

[444]

If it was me, I would get a Ruger Single Six Bisley in .22LR. If I could only own one handgun, it would get shot a lot. A whole lot. Self defense is way down the list as to why I would own a gun, but knowing a .22 pistol like the back of your hand would certainly be an advantage in the micro slim chance you would ever have to use it to defend your life.

 

[.45Ruger]

$400 out the door. How about a Makarov 9mm and a Ruger Mark II both could be had for around your budget and you get two reliable, cheap guns.

 

[556A2]

I have to agree with Nightcrawler. I started on a S&W 10 .38 Special, not a .22 and it worked for me. That being said when it came time to get my first handgun, I went for a 9mm instead of a .22. Now I will admit I did have a bit of a flinch to begin with, but if you get some snap-caps and practice dry-firing it will disapper very fast. Also, a flinch isn't going to make you miss a man-sized target, and under 7 yards its not going to really matter in a defensive situation. Thats why I don't say you NEED a .22 to "train" with, because you can "train" with a 9mm, .38, .45 etc just costs more money. Also, I find that practicing with the power level you would normally be shooting with is better training with a lower-lever caliber, but thats just my opinion. As far as hardware goes, take a look at the CZ 75/85 line for a 9mm, very nice line of guns for a nice price. Thats what I went with and I can't be anymore happy with mine (well until my Hakan's come in). As far as the .45, people say the Springfield Mil-Specs are pretty good, but I can't comment on them personally.

 

[gudel]

my first gun is a USP 45 recoil is manageable, i was able to be accurate with it after 100 rounds. i think you should go with a 9mm, very cheap to shoot.

 

[Cal4D4]

Get the 9, but pay attention to action/trigger type. Basically you have the single action (like the 1911), DA/SA (like CZ, Beretta and a host of others) or "safe action" like Glock. Try them all. Search these forums for opinions. Recoil for 9 is minimal and centerfire is more reliable and versatile (more interesting for most).