help picking first handgun

[Gunn Noob]

I'm about to buy my first handgun (21st birthday is next month) and have been lurking around here for idas but that has just left me with even more ideas, so I thought I'd ask.

I have about 450 dollars to work with and I'm trying to pick a pistol that'd be good for multiple roles. I'd like it to be good for selfdefense primarily while being a shooter secondly.

thus far revolvers have been the ones that have caught my eye the most and as far as semi automatics I don't even know hwere to begin on looking.

I appreciate any help I can get.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

Given that you want it to be primarily for sd and still want to have fun shooting it I'd look into a ruger sp101.

welcome to thehighroad

 

[DiTzMaN]

My advice for a first handgun for most people is something in .22 LR. No recoil, mild report, and cheap to shoot -- all good points for developing handgunning fundamentals. Granted, not a defense weapon, but then again if you can't hit what you are shooting at no caliber is not good for defense. My $.02.

 

[Taurus_9mm]

A .22 revolver is what I'll usually recommend to someone that's new to firearms as well. If you're set on a centerfire though, you can probably get a Rossi R97206, Taurus M66 or Taurus Tracker and still have money left to burn. The first two are .357 Magnums while the Tracker can be had in .22LR, .357 Magnum and some other chamberings.

www.taurusarmed.net

 

[MachIVshooter]

What is your experience level with handguns or firearms in general? If you've done some shooting and have become acquainted with recoil, and like revolvers, it'd be hard to beat a full size .357 for utility. Run .38 special for range use, full loads for defense.

You can pick up a nice used Ruger GP100 for $300-$350, and sometimes even find a S&W 586/686 in that price range. Come to think of it, I own one Ruger and four S&W .357's, and didn't pay over $400 for any of them.

 

[SeanRP]

I had been told (and now i tell others the same) that learning on a .22 is is a good way to start, especially if your just starting to get into pistol shooting in general.

If your looking to do a lot of target shooting (maybe a local pistol league on the side, depending on how much you like it) I would recommend a Ruger as well. My first was a Ruger Mark III, very accurate and very cheap to fire. I've spent the past 2-3 months working with it, and i feel a lot more comfortable (and informed for that matter) now that I'm looking to get my general carry pistol.

 

[skwab]

The only problem with a .22 is that you can't use it for self defense. My recommendation would be for something in a duty size 9mm. And I know some might ridicule me for suggesting a 9mm auto for a first timer, but here is my thinking behind it.

9mm is a nice all around round. Not heavy in the recoil department, semi-inexpensive to shoot, and with the availability of premium self defense rounds makes it a great self-defense tool.

But I am assuming that this is going to be your only pistol for a while so it needs to be something that can keep you happy for a while. A.22 will leave you wanting more after a few trips to the range. It would be better to start off with a more versatile platform, and then spend some money on ammo and practice instead of buying a .22 and then 3 mos later wanting something else, and then plopping down a few hundred more bucks on a second gun. Also, I would highly suggest you take a beginners pistol course at a local range.

But spend the money on a quality gun that will meet your needs and then practice practice practice and really learn how to use it.

My first handgun that I bought myself was a beretta 92fs. And it was perfect as a first buy - 9mm, plenty of available info to learn how to strip it and clean it properly, etc (you have to remember there was a time when there wasn't an internet) plenty of available parts / mags etc and something that was important to me was that it had a manual safety if for anything else a little peace of mind. So for what it's worth - but you can get into just as much trouble with a .22 revolver as you can a 9mm pistol if you don't respect it and do something foolish.

 

[LoneCoon]

I agree with Skwab. Give you're young and probably don't have a ton of disposable income, a full size 9mm is probably your best bet for a handgun to learn on.

I have a S&W 439 and would recommend it to anyone even as a first gun. Nearly any RELIABLE full sized 9mm like Glock, Beretta, or S&W is a good choice.

 

[skoro]

I'm going to recommend a used S&W Model 10 or 64. They're identical, except that the Model 64 is stainless and the 10 is blued. They're readily available in great condition on the used market for less than your $450 figure. They can take 38+P and they're excellent handlers that are easy to shoot accurately, so they're good defensive firearms. As a matter of fact, they were THE sidearm of choice for most of America's law enforcement agencies for decades. The 4" barrel length seems to be the best compromise for most purposes.

The ammo is more expensive than .22 of course, but it's much more capable, too.

http://web.utk.edu/~giles/third.html

 

[searcher451]

First, don't believe anything that you hear from your friends. Next, don't believe anything that you read or see online.

So what to do? Simple.

Go to a range that rents guns and spend some time running some rounds through various makes and models and calibers. Narrow it down to a couple, spend some serious time with them, and then come back the next day or even a week later and spend some more time with them. Eventually you'll make an informed decision that will be right for you.

An informed decision is what you want here ... not some spur-of-the-moment thing because you liked the look of the gun or saw it in a movie or someone posted a nifty comment about it.

 

[armslist]

Revolvers are great, a 38 is probably ideal for ammo availability etc. You can get a Taurus 38 that is lightweight and easy to carry in your price range. You can just as easily throw a 38 in your glove box too.


But if you don't get a revolver of some kind, since nobody has said it yet...I say go with a 1911. That was my first purchase, and I've never looked back.

My personal advice aside, the above post about renting some guns is a good idea. Although depending on how much you spend renting...you could just buy a used pistol, and sell it later. You can easily break-even doing that, and only have to pay for ammo. It's amazing how many of us don't really sell guns very often though, haha.

 

[JHK94]

I bought my first handgun a year or so ago, and it was a Smith & Wesson Model 10. Great first handgun for me: I got it for ~200 bucks, it was easy to operate, fun to shoot, ammo is easy to get, etc etc.

Of course, after shooting it a while, and realizing how much I liked it, I had to buy a Ruger MKI .22 as well!

 

[Guillermo]

as to what you should buy, I know not. Your experience, budget and objectives will hopefully lead you to the right gun.

I can tell you that in my never-so-humble-opinion these are 2 "must haves" for any gun owner.

A good quality .22. If the budget does not allow for a nice revolver a good auto loader is a versatile plinking, training, small game gun. Many manufacturers have made good ones, including, but not limited to Ruger, Browning, Sig, Smith. (my Smith model 41 from the 50's is incredible)

A good 4 inch .357. Stick with a Colt, Smith (prelock) or Ruger and you will be fine. A versatile weapon, you can shoot 38's out of it, great as a sidearm, backpacker, self defense.

How much do I really believe this? I gave my daughter a Browning Buckmark for her 11th b-day and a 4 inch Smith model 19 for her 15th.

For me, a good snubby for concealed carry is also required. (of course in a perfect world, we would all have a couple or more each in the calibers .380, 9mm, 10mm, 40cal, 45acp, 41 Magnum, 45 Long Colt, 45acp, 44 magnum too)

 

[Duke of Doubt]

I moonlight as a firearms instructor, and I always recommend the Smith & Wesson Model 10 as a first gun. Plentiful, cheap, tried and true, and well-built.

For those who insist on a 9mm autoloader, I always recommed the Beretta 92FS.

Forget those other second-rate brands; this is your first gun. For awhile it will be your only gun. Excellent used Model 10s are $250 - $350; excellent used 92FSs are $350 to $450. Spend the extra money on cheap practice ammunition and range membership.

 

[CalvinandHobbes]

Sig-Police Trade in?

Hi there and welcome to the High Road. I found myself in your same situation only a few months ago. (I had just got my CCW over the summer while home from college before Obama got in office and wanted to purchase a handgun pretty quickly after). I didn't have much money (maybe $350) and didn't quite know where to start.

Well, let me tell you now, a great place to start was the concealed carry course we had to take (10hrs in OH). I got to meet a few "gun people" (and I am one now, ha!) and just asked all sorts of questions and handled alot of firearms - shooting, taking down, helping clean - maybe 7 different guns altogether. In the course of a day I pretty much determined I'd like something like SKWAB is saying.

Money was an issue. I'm a college student; I could only purchase one firearm. I knew I wanted something with more rounds than a wheel gun and large enough to work as a Self Defense gun. I ran across some cool poeple at the gun shop where the course was at who showed me their latest purchases (Sig p-6) and I knew from my military training that Sig is a great manufacturer. I picked one up from AIMs Surplus and couldn't be happier about my decision.

It's a 9mm, small enough to carry when I want to, and large enough to be a solid, accurate pistol. A big thing was I knew it was made by sig-arms so I knew I wouldn't need to deal with things going wrong as a result of poor workmanship or cheap materials etc. I've fired a good 2000 rounds through it without one hitch and incredible accuracy. Cost? $260
Bottom line, IMHO:
-consider a surplus firearm? Very reliable and well built usually if you do your research. In any event. Get a good brand. It's worth making your first purchase something that's not a piece of junk
-I'd get something larger than .22 if I were you, just be sure to practice quite a bit (which shouldn't be a problem b/c it's FUN) and if you get 9mm ammo, it's still quite reasonable.
-get something you like! I don't think I'll ever sell my first firearm. I like it too much.

Shop around online there's all kinds of stuff out there if you're open to a surplus/trade-in firearm. (Sig-p6s still, CZ-82s, and of course a .38/.357 as suggested here would be great too)

Good luck. Keep us posted with what you decide and if you have any more questions. This board was (and continues to be) a great place for me to learn!
Best,

Chris Hernandez

 

[BCRider]

I'd second searcher's suggestion to spend some of your money at a Rent-a-Gun range and try out a bunch of different pistols. Nothing speaks to you like shooting them for yourself.

Points to pay attention to are first off bring the gun up in a natural grip and see if it's pointed more or less to where you're looking. Then shoot them and see if you find that one or the other seems to group better and work well for YOU. Take a pad along and take notes on how it feels, how well it naturally points when presented to your target view, how easily it comes back to sight on the target after firing a shot and the group size for about 15 rounds.

I'd also have to say that I like the suggestion of DoD above for a Model 10 for a revolver. I was given the chance to put a box of ammo through one a while back and it was one very sweet shooting gun. It seemed to almost aim itself and I got some really tight groups, possibly my best ever.

Another "surprise" for me was when I shot a Glock 17 in 9mm. I had to run back and satisfy myself that I could match it with my own CZ. I breathed a serious sigh of relief when I realized that no, I didn't need to buy one of those plastic contraptions.... This is not to say that the Glock isn't a worthy firearm. I was quite impressed with it and there's no doubt that for putting bullets where you want them that they are superb. However I just don't personally care for plastic guns. Mind you, if I had to pack it in my waistband or under my arm all day I would change my tune pretty quickly.

I don't have anything to offer about concealed carry since up here the only concealled carry we are allowed is to put our handguns into a locked box for transport to the range.

 

[Brian Dale]

You're right: revolvers are cooler.

I strongly suggest considering used handguns. If you have $450 to work with and you're willing to look around a bit, you have the wherewithal to pick up a fine quality, used Smith or Ruger and a some ammo for it, as well. You might also find an "underpriced" Colt...maybe all good revolvers are underpriced, but collectors are pushing Colt prices up fast.

If it's possible that you'll have the budget for both in the next year or so, you might look for a good .22 revolver first, shoot it a lot, then buy a medium framed, good quality .38 Special or .357 Magnum after that. If you're sure that you want a defensive revolver right now, then go for a .38 or .357 first. You might very well pick up a .22 later on, when you get involved in shooting and want to improve faster and for less money.

Fair warning: the .22 revolver might cost you more than a .38 would. That's normal; you'll make it up in less expensive ammunition. If you plan to keep a gun for defense, you need to learn how to shoot it well. I'm not writing all of this to beat you up; other, newer people are probably lurking and learning just as you have done.

Keep in mind that newer is not necessarily better. New is just fine, but some of the old revolvers that are still on the market, as long as they're still mechanically sound, are very good indeed. Common, medium framed Smiths that you might encounter include the Model 10 (blued, .38Spl), 13 (blued, .357), 64 (stainless, .38) and 65 (stainless, .357). You probably already know that you can shoot .38 Special ammunition in a .357 Magnum revolver but that .357 Magnum ammunition won't fit in a revolver chambered in .38 Spl. This makes the .357 more versatile (more loads it can handle), but you'll often find .38s with lower prices because of that. There are other good ones, too. Ruger SP101s are out there, for example, and from what I can tell, they're built like tanks.

If you've been lurking, you already know a lot of the terms that are used to describe handguns. Here's a thread on checking out a used revolver for mechanical soundness (this is a link).

For more general information: have you read this thread? (another link)

There's a huge amount of information in that thread; don't worry about knowing it all right away. There might be things there that you'll find useful.

There's also Kathy Jackson's web site, the Cornered Cat. Some folks have remarked that the color scheme there seems a bit "girly." Ha... I'm a 49-year old man who still learns something every time he goes there. Kathy's the managing editor of Concealed Carry magazine. Lots of people write well, but Kathy combines that with serious knowledge of defensive handguns.

From what you've written in your original post, if you held a (borrowed) gun to my head and said, "tell me what to buy right now for $450!" I'd say, "get a good quality, used Smith & Wesson or Ruger revolver in .38 Spl or .357 Mag, and some ammo." Then I'd try to convince you to get a good .22, as well.

 

[jason97496]

My story might help:

A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted a handgun. I did a little bit (not nearly enough) of half-hearted research. I quickly noticed that there was not much difference in price between new and used.

At a gun show I found what I thought was a good deal. I bought a Jiminez 9mm. It looked like the other semi autos and was only $180. I bought it quickly. It malfunctioned after 20 rounds and now I need to get it mailed off to the shop for repairs.

My second purchase my wife went with me. She pointed out that she really likes the look of revolvers. She thinks that they look tough. I decided that I would buy a Taurus 605. I had wanted a .357 because I could shoot .38 spl rounds through it as well. I reasoned that it was like getting two guns in one. I still was not comfortable. The 605 is only a 5 shot. With work I sometimes have thousands of dollars in my pocket in some very questionable neighborhoods. Five rounds does not feel like enough to get me out of a bad situation.

Finally I decided to suck it up, spend the extra money and a quality gun that has a high round capacity, will go bang every time I need it to, and is still small enough to conceal. I now have a Glock 19 and I am very comfortable.

I am looking for an ankle or pocket holster for my 605 so I can carry it as a back up gun when I am feeling a little extra nervous.

I guess my point is, do not try to skimp on the price and do not buy what someone else likes. Think about why you need / want the gun. Then buy the one that works for you.

I paid $180 for the Jiminez, $369 for the Taurus, and $495 for the Glock 19. Plus $10 each for background checks for each purchase.

Good luck.

 

[mljdeckard]

I always tell people to start with a Glock 17 or 19. Find a used one and get some ammo and a holster. You may grow and evolve from it and decide you want something different later, but this gun can do everything anyone needs it to.

 

[Ruodo]

Kinda skimmed over the thread so sorry if I repeat anyone.


I would say a new ruger gp100 or a used S&W Model 10. Both are great well made revolvers and are amazing for the price.

 

[memphisjim]

the 22 starter sounds great in theory but.....
i started on a glock 21 (45acp) might kick a little bit but i just excepted that as what shooting a gun is like

id recommend glock 19 first
or a nice357 mag revolver
357 mag is very very versatile

 

[rockheadd]

Find a range and shoot as many as you can afford, in all calibers and configurations. You'll notice that some just "feel" better in your hand. If you're not comfortable with it, you will waste your money.
I've had several handguns in the past the everyone told me were fantastic firearms- and they probably were, except they just didn't feel right.
For $450 and your first weapon and for home defense? You have tons of choices. A .22 is great to learn with and train with, but not that great for stopping power (unless you can put 8 rounds in a 4" target in under 3 seconds in the dark in your PJ's) The Sig P-6 is a good military surplus choice in 9mm. The Czech 82 is a high capacity 9x18 Makarov that's reliable, compact and fun to shoot.
Bottom line is "test drive" as many as you can and then decide.
Have fun with it most importantly!

 

[Gunn Noob]

sorry it took me so long to get back on here, to answer some of your questions I have plenty of expierience shooting guns in calibers all the way up to 357 and have plenty of expierience with a 22 ( my father collects firearms)

being I have access to the 22 whenever i like I don't think I'd want one for my first gun, I have however looked at some of the guns you have suggested and seen some very promising prospects.

I was wondering a couple of things, firstly I have come across a 65-3 3" and was wondering what you guys thought of the gun (they are asking 450 and seems to be in good order)

also do you have any suggestions for semi autos with single stack magazines in that price range (preferably all metal)

thanks everyone, you've been more then helpful

 

[BlindJustice]

Don't listen to those other mall ninja experts, I'm the
THR expert you neeed to heed!!!

Now that the humour portion is out of the way...

Welcome out of lurk mode, and to THR

WHen I was considering my first handgun purchase, a far different time and
place, about '64. The family would go to a bigger city in Central Wash. state
for a day of shopping. I'd get away from the family at age 13 and went to a
sporting goods/pawn shop. I had been reading American Rifleman, Dad was an NRA member, and maybe Guns and ammo. The shop had a surplus P-38 for $35 I kept checking to see if it was there on other trips and had saved up the money from mowing lawns I got my Dad to go with me and I wanted to buy the P-38. The store owner took my Dad aside as I was handling the p-38. They came back and the gun store owner brought out a NIB in the blue S&W box, a Model 18 K-38 Combat Masterpiece 4" Bbl. adj. rear sight, and plain ramp front .22 LR. I was a bit let down I wasn't getting a war surplus gun what with childhood fantasies blah blah , anyway Dad matched my total and I got the M 18 - it was $78 and a belt holster with a strap that
had a snap to secure it. Years later I always had a thanks to that gun store owner who steered me in the right direction. I got a lot more shooting with the inexspensive .22 and it was a great shooter. It served me well on the farm in my teens. It was also a much higher quality .22 LR revolver than
my buddies import single action or H&R top break, etc handguns. I wish I had it today to pass along to a grandchild - well, I have other S&Ws for that.

You could probably find an M18 used for your budget and move up to a centerfire .38 or .357 later on - your choice.

I find myself today, when I go to the range I warm up with a 617 6" Bbl 10 shot cyl. prior to shooting my 625 5" Bbl. in .45 ACP The 617 is just so fun to shoot it's addictive

Randall

 

[yenchisks]

my vote is for a (gp100)