Have any of you bought a gun without shooting it first?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have not ever test fired a gun but I did test fire my bow befor i bought it in januiary. Usually I just read reviews and find out what everyone else thinks about whatever gun i am looking at then after multiple trips to the local toy store I make up my mind weather I am going to buy it or not.
 
1. Walther PPS 9MM
2. Springfield XD subcompact 9MM
3. S&W MP 9MM
4. Glock 26
Click to expand...

THR is about personal opinions, right? IMO, I would add a few other options for you to consider. Unless you are planning to pocket carry, the mid sized Glocks (19,23) are as easy to conceal as your choices above, and are inline with the M&P size wise. I carry a G27 as my primary CCW in a front pocket, but when clothing permits belt carry, I really wish I had a G23 or G19in the stable; If belt carry is what you are planning, these mid sized CCW's are much easier to shoot. If I can indulge one more opinion, many do not have any more difficulty controling a .40 over a 9mm. At the risk of starting a thread war, whatever gets shot will not easily tell the difference between a 165 gr Gold Dot .40 and your choice of .45 ACP. The 9? Different story.
 
Im glad to hear that the glock 19 is easy to conceal, I like it better than the 26 but worry about it being bigger though. I have heard, and I dont know if there is truth to it that bigger guys can conceal a bigger gun better than smaller guys. Im 6'3" 275lbs so maybe the glock 19 is not a bad idea. The reason for wanting a nine is because I am new to guns and plan on eating up allot of $ learning to shoot. Next year I will "graduate up" to a bigger caliber
 
Private purchases yes . It is just easy to do in this part of Pa. I have not yet found or heard of a shop that alows you to shoot a gun before buying it. I have bought my last 5 guns without shooting them first. I always read about them & then handle them & then if I like it, I buy it. That is if the price is right.
 
I've bought a few guns before firing them.
3 of the ones on your list, actually:
2. Springfield XD subcompact 9MM
3. S&W MP 9MM
4. Glock 26

I love all 3 of those. My personal favorite is the glock (right now), but they are all great shooters and fit my hand well.
I sold my fullsize m&p to get the g26, the smaller size is totally worth it. still shoots great, and conceals MUCH MUCH easier. and i'm a big guy. the G19 is only slightly smaller than the fullsize (4.25") m&p, that's why i went with the 26.

However, I've also bought a few others without shooting them first that didn't turn out too well (CZ82...cool gun, but I just couldnt shoot it well from the get go. didn't invest too much practice in it, either).

IMO, as long as you know what you like, and you have an idea of how you shoot and what is comfortable, it is possible to buy without shooting.

However, nothing beats the assurance of shooting before you buy to make SURE you'll like it the best.
 
I've borrowed someone's 1911 at the range before. Love at first trigger squeeze :D But that's about the only time I've fired a weapon before buying one of my own.
 
If I had to pick from your list I would pick the Walther PPS, it is a fine gun, however, I like the Walther P99compact in 9mm better.

My buddy has a PPS and a P99 Compact in 9mm, (I just have the P99 compact).

The beauty of the P99c is the option of a 15 round mag. A heck of a lot of fire power in a small 18.7 oz. CCW.

Sigbear
 
Nearly every gun I've ever bought I never shot. Some I didn't even hold. I just saw them, knew the reputations, closed my eyes and jumped! :what:
 
Like others here, I've never test-driven any of the firearms I own.
I almost always buy new, and it's not possible with a new gun,
at least not here in my neck of the woods. Most FFLs don't want
to have to clean the thing after the customer decides he/she doesn't
like or want it. I don't blame 'em a bit.
 
I own a Glock 19, Glock 26 and recently added a Glock 29. I am 5'8" and weigh 190 lbs. So, I am about as wide as I am tall. The 19 is my pistol of choice, and I have shot lots and lots of pistols. With that said, I carried the Glock 19 for a couple of years before I bought the Glock 26. It is now my daily carry gun.

I was able to shoot all of the Glocks before purchasing, because I have friends that owned them. I own 30+ other guns and never shot any of them before I bought them.

Texas is hot. We have 4 seasons, pre summer, summer, post summer and deer season. I spent the day at the range today, 81 degrees. I usually pocket carry the Glock 26 in a DeSantis Nemesis holster. I work in a "business casual" environment. That means I wear a starched and pressed button down and Docker type pants. It's just too darned hot to wear any type of concealment garment other than the occasional Hawaiian shirt, so it's pocket carry most of the time. The 26 is better for this. I shoot the 26 as well as the 19, but it took some range time to get used to the "dangling pinkie". I don't even think about it now.

Both are top notch combat pistols. For someone your size, the 19 should be perfect.

I carry the 29 in deer season.
 
All the time.

But I do extensive online research first. Magazine articles, questions on forums, etc. My research usually pans out.
 
I have, but it's better to shoot one first if possible.

The ones I bought without shooting first:

Springfield M1A Loaded rifle- I had only handled one, never shot it. Love it. Shoots great. My favorite rifle.

H&K USP45 "Custom Combat"- I had never shot one of these, but had handled one in a store and liked the feel of it. The gun runs like a top and is dang near indestructable. Mechanical accuracy is excellent, but I don't shoot it as accurately as some of my other guns.

Dan Wesson Classic Bobtail "CBOB"- Bought it sight unseen (no one around here had one to even look at). By far my favorite pistol I own. 100% reliable out of the box, shoots like a dream, and conceals very well.

I've gotten pretty lucky with my "blind" purchases, but it could have easily gone the other way.

I think Kevin summed it up pretty well: do your research. It will at least leave you with a gun that you could easily sell based on its rep if it disagrees with you.

Jason
 
If i'm not sure about grip size or if it will be good for me I drive to Impact Guns and try out the same model then buy the new one if it feels good to me if you are not completely sure then I recommend this route.
 
Yes, often.

It did not always work out, but hey, you don't know if you don't try. :)
 
I"ve bought most of my guns w/o shooting them first -- but after a while, you know what you like & what to look for when purchasing an addition. Since this is your first, it may be tougher...Of your choices, I'd go w/ the G26 -- for a sub compact, it's the easiest to shoot well & there are alot fo accessories for it
 
Every single one of my handguns I bought before shooting, but then again I also knew I wanted them beforehand while it seems like you have your eye on several
 
Im 6'3" 275lbs so maybe the glock 19 is not a bad idea.
Click to expand...

Dude--You could conceal a tank. I'm 6'1" & 250lbs, and I have no trouble concealing full-sized 1911's in a high-ride pancake holster under an un-tucked shirt. Weighs nearly twice as much as the mid sized Glocks; The G19 would be a snap.
 
Im glad to hear that, I am really leaning towards the glock 19. The subcompact sized guns just feel to small in my hand. I have gathered that glock has a good rep for being reliable, and they are cheaper than all the other guns I am looking at
 
I've bought almost all my handguns without firing them. If it feels good, and is the caliber I want, I buy it. By now I know pretty much what the recoil factor will be.
 
.....

bought and traded multiple times with just a feel of the grip and a quick look,had 1 junker jacked on me,but i remedied that situation,im a smith wesson steel man but the m/p is a growing on me.
 
I impulse-buy guns all the time.

Can't think of one that I actually shot before I owned it.:eek:

I've never shot any of the guns you listed.

But I would choose the M&P if I had to.

I'm not a fan of the back-strap safetys, and the glock's grip angle is too aggressive for my taste. (I have a Steyr M9-A1 with a slightly less agressive grip angle and even that is too much for me.)
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Guns are addicting!
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
Cpt. America
C
D
  • Locked
Getting a first gun is very stressfull!
2
Replies
28
Views
897
bigfatdave
B
C
  • Locked
  • Poll
9 or 40..? You tell me
Replies
20
Views
745
skidooman
S
M
  • Locked
  • Poll
which of the following (in 9mm) do you recommend and why?
2 3
Replies
63
Views
3K
everallm
E
D
  • Locked
Finally got my first gun!!
Replies
17
Views
607
desert gator
D
Back
Top