Good first gun/pistol?

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GotToyota?

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Hello guys, new member here. I was actually recommended here by a friend who browses the forum.

Anyways, I do not own a firearm, but I want to get one. I want to start out with a small(er) pistol. I've been told that a .22 would be good based on what I would like. I'm just wanting something that I can use to shoot at the range whenever I go, and for whatever else, even protection if need be. I've seen that ammo is much cheaper compared to other pistols such as the 9mm, etc.
But I've been looking at pistols, and I think I've decided on this one:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_28/products_id/50931

Any thoughts on this gun? I've heard good things about it.

-Matt
 
First of all, welcome to the forum, GT! I've never shot a Sig Mosquito before. I agree with your choice of .22LR as your introductory caliber. I'm sure someone will say it's useless for defense, but defense isn't your primary purpose for buying it. Still has better range than a knife, and you can shoot all day for very little money.
 
Welcome!

Report back on how you like that Sig. I recall seeing very mixed reviews on it.

I have a S&W 22a. Love it. Also have a Browning Buckmark. Love it. They're all in about the same price range, give or take.

ETA: You can also do a search of this site (Try TFL also) using the name of the gun you wish to research. I'm sure there have been several threads about it on both forums. THR is, however, much cooler.
 
Hi Got...

I don't know about the SIG or S&W but, if you'd like another suggestion to look it, mine would be the Browning Buckmark. It comes in a couple flavors and the one I have has been great for years.

Good Luck !!

:cool:
 
I've looked at the Buckmark, but I personally don't like the way it looks.

I like the style of the two I forementioned.

-Matt
 
Honestly I would probably get a nice used 9mm Glock or a 1911 .45. A bit on the MUCH bigger side but you'll at least have a piece of history that you can keep for a LONG time.

The Glock 9mm will be a pistol that you can modify and use for a long, long, long, long time with very little issues. Pretty much a lifetime pistol. The recoil isn't that great and you can modify it to almost anything you really want.
Good luck
-bix
 
If you are just getting started in shooting taking a training class would be a good idea.

I recommend the NRA Basic Pistol class. The curriculum is standardized and the class is available pretty much everywhere. It covers everything a beginner needs to know.

The instructor will almost always provide the guns and you'll get a chance to try different guns and ask questions.

For info go to www.nra.org and look for "Training Opportunities."

There will be a pull down list that shows all the classes in your state. You may still need to ask around at the local gun shops though as not all instructors remember to list their classes on the NRA website. (I usually don't, for instance).

Trust me, a little training now will really serve you well in the long run.
 
None other other than Col. Jeff Cooper said no home should be without a .22 pistol. You SHOULD have one.

That said, the .22 is not an effective Self Defense round, unless you are good enough to put your bullets in your attackers eye sockets, under stress.......... If he also has a gun, and you put 2 to his Center of Mass, you are going to get shot in return.

My recomendation for a first handgun- general purpose, plinking, personal defense: Ruger GP (General Purpose?!?!) 100, 4" Barrel, in .357 Magnum. Use .38s for practice/plinking, .357 for hunting (Legal for deer in many states) or personal defense. Easy to operate and maintain. Handloading is simple and straightforward. Inexpensive.
 
You may also want to look at .22lr revolvers - like maybe a Ruger Single-Six or S&W 22. You really can't go wrong with a .22lr handgun. Cheap to shoot, enjoyable to shoot, good for introducing other new shooters to the sport, etc.

I think a full-sized 4" .357 revolver (Ruger GP100 or S&W 686 or S&W 620) can make a good first gun. Easy to shoot with .38 specials, reasonable ammo prices (although, not as cheap as .22lr) and perhaps more versatile for self defense.

Good luck! Let us know what you get.
 
Hello guys, new member here. I was actually recommended here by a friend who browses the forum.

Anyways, I do not own a firearm, but I want to get one. I want to start out with a small(er) pistol. I've been told that a .22 would be good based on what I would like. I'm just wanting something that I can use to shoot at the range whenever I go, and for whatever else, even protection if need be. I've seen that ammo is much cheaper compared to other pistols such as the 9mm, etc.
But I've been looking at pistols, and I think I've decided on this one:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/50931

Any thoughts on this gun? I've heard good things about it.

-Matt
Click to expand...

If you are looking for a first pistol to learn on, a .22 is a great idea. As for a gun, I am not sure. A Ruger might be a good bet, but anything cheap and reliable to learn on should be good enough. You can move up to Glocks and GP100s later, after you have learned on the .22.

As for the gun you cited, I have no personal experience with it, but I have heard it is junk. Plus, $300 for a .22 is a lot of money in my opinion. At any rate, whatever you do, don't just buy any gun that looked cheap like I did for a first gun. Although I ended up buying a great gun (a Bersa .380), the ammo costs were painful since .380 is an expensive caliber. The costs of the ammo limited my range time, and although I don't regret the purchase at all, I do regret not researching and thinking about what would be a good first gun for me.
 
GotToyota,

Welcome to THR.

I would definitely buy a .22LR to start with. Of the 2 you have listed, go with thw S&W 22-A. I have read too many stories about reliability issues with the Sig Mosquito and the Walther P22. They both look very nice, but they jam quite a bit. Acquaintances of mine with both consider them to be headaches.

A new shooter should, IMHO, have something reliable that doesn't turn shooting into a hassle.

.22LR's that are known for reliability:
S&W
Browning
Ruger
SigSauer Trailside

The Beretta Neos seem to be drawing a big following, but I don't have any experience with them.

You may also want to look around on:http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php

Good Luck,
HM2PAC
 
GotToyota

Welcome to THR. Something else you might want to consider would be a full size 9mm. semi-auto, like a Glock, Hi-Power, or 1911 type. Fills the self defense role, uses cheaper ammo than other centerfire cartridges, and all have a .22LR conversion unit available for them. Best of both worlds; you save on ammo, and train on the same platform for both calibers.
 
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You should try a 9mm, good starter weapon and around 8 to 10 dollars a box of ammo. The 22 is cheap alright but in a pistol itis not a good defence round.
Click to expand...

The defense pistol can come later, learning how to shoot comes first.
 
Another option would be to buy a full-size pistol that also can accept a .22LR conversion kit.

Welcome to the world of great ways to go broke......buying guns.
 
I say have you ever thought about the Beretta Neos? How about Whitney Wolverine. Both have the 50's Ray Gun styling, but both work pretty well. Take it easy
-bix
 
Welcome to the high road. Find a good 22 pistol YOU like and shoot the heck out of it. The Sig I shot was nice. I got the Walther P-22 with the 3.25" barrel. Both the Sig and the Walther like CCI high speed and hyper speed ammo a lot. With bulk Wal Mart 22 jams were common with both. Good Luck
 
I won't tell anyone who wants to learn to shoot not to get a .22 just because there are bigger guns. Let him learn and enjoy.

My dad has a VERY old Ruger Mk I pistol that I have enjoyed shooting my whole life. Now there are newer models, such as the 22.45.

You can look at this if you WANT to, I have owned both Glocks and 1911s with .22 conversion kits. You buy the full-size pistol, and then there are aftermarket kits with a different slide, barrel, and magazine. You disassemble the pistol like you would to clean it, and put it back together with the kit parts. .22 in about a minute. Now you have the best of both worlds. Switch back and forth, use all the cheap ammo you want with the same grip and trigger as your real defensive gun. AND, the Ciener Arms 1911 .22 kit is the only .22 pistol I know of with a 15 round magazine. They make .22 kits for 1911s, Glocks, Browning Hi-Powers, Beretta 92/96 series, CZ-75, (like the poster above me mentioned,).

A few years ago, I got my dad a Ruger Single-Six, which is a Colt Peacemaker sixgun style .22 six-shooter. He loads it with birdshot to zap rattlesnakes when he's fly-fishing mountain streams. It has another cylinder he can switch out to shoot .22 magnums too.
 
I shot a Mosquito at the range and was completely unimpressed by it. The trigger was awful, it was hard to believe it was a Sig. I didn't want to say anything disparanging about it to the owner, but he didn't have any problem bad-mouthing it.
 
S&W 22A. It's cheap to buy, easy to disassemble and clean,extremely accurate,comes with a built in Weaver mount rail, good target sights and a lifetime warranty from S&W. They come in various finishes and barrel lengths.
My 22A with a Bushnell red dot.
IM002258.jpg
 
Welcome to THR.

.22LR is a great round for an introduction to firearms. I cannot really recommend the Mosquito, I owned one for a couple of weeks before giving it up in disgust over feeding issues, and I'm a member of the Sig Kool-Aid club. I'd suggest the Smith pictured above.
 
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