Ideas for first handgun

[gunNoob]

I have no ideas... haha. Looking for some help. I will be 21 soon and would like to get a handgun or 7 I have thought about a sig or glock but I just don't know.

What would/did you all get for your first handgun?

What would you recommend for a first handgun?

Thanks everyone

 

[heron]

First one I ever had was a .22 revolver. Very accurate, lots of fun. I'd recommend one; cheap to feed, and you can shoot quiet ammo through it for practice. I think everybody should have one.
I'm not too fond of .22 autoloaders; they're too picky about the ammo you feed them, and harder to clean IMO.

 

[ClemY]

Consider a .22 handgun. I prefer revolvers. If you do, consider something like a 4" S&W 617. Then you can get a 4" S&W 686 or the 4" Ruger G-100 as a second gun. Do most of your practice with the .22 and then practice just a little with the similar and more expensive .38.

 

[Redhawk1]

My first handgun was also a revolver 22 L/R. If you look at 22 Auto, Ruger makes some great semi-auto 22's.
22 L/R are a fun way to learn to shoot a handgun and it is very inexpensive also.
If you have your mind set on a Sig or Glock, get it in 9 mm.

The biggest thing is, but your time in at the range and learn to shoot it well.

 

[mbr]

How much are you willng to spend? While I agree that a .22 makes a great first handgun, here's another option:
Medium frame revolver in .357/.38special. My first gun was Ruger GP100 with a six inch barrel. I would probably recommend a four-incher, though. Can shoot relatively inexpensive .38 special for practice with low recoil, yet can still chamber hot .357 loads. With the right holster can carry concealed, (Legally), can be home defense gun, heck can even hunt with it in a pinch in some states. One of the advantages of a revolver is how easy they are to dry-fire, (Practice). If you can master a double action revolver trigger, everything else will be much easier

 

[Hungry Seagull]

I fired a .22 revolver. No shame in that. Hell Ive had that gun drawn upon me when I would make entry unannounced. Little kick (Make that little to no kick) and you get much bang bang for a dollar at wally just need a tree and nothing beyond it for a mile. Easy to find where we were.

The .410 Judge revolver can potentially do some damage. Not sure how it will take .410 mags.

But you are dealing with people at very close ranges, call it 20 feet or less.

You can always work up by starting light and moving up in caliber when ready.

Eventually you will reach your favorite gun in terms of largest caliber, power, recoil and feel in your hand. Not necessarily the big bores. I was aware of a few .44 automags and one time was offered a chance to fire it. I declined. Maybe someday at Don's downtown for a rental. But It's probably going to take 3 people to hold me up with it LOLz.

 

[gunNoob]

Thanks for the help everyone!

Price doesn't matter.

 

[searcher451]

Go to a range that rents a large variety of guns. Give them a try: revolvers, semi-automatics, large and small calibers, bigs grips and small, whatever you can get your hands on and whatever you put cartridges in. Then select the gun that feels best in your hands and buy it. You'll thank yourself in the long run, if not the short, and will likely save yourself from buying a gun that you didn't want or need or even like in the first place.

 

[Timradcliffe345]

Start out with something like this.

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=123589841

 

[rmodel65]

look into the S&W M&P line, or the springfield XD line

 

[Peter M. Eick]

This is my first centerfire. I still have it. It is now 34 years old and has been shot a lot. Something over 46,000 times in that period. When you think about it that is not really a lot. Just over 1000 odd rounds per year but it taught me some things on a first gun.

First buy quality. I mean real quality because you will probably have it for decades.

Second, get something that you can afford to shoot and shoot a lot. The odds are if you are 21 (boy you have to be old to buy a handgun now adays), then you probably can't afford to shoot much. Don't get something expensive and exotic. Go for a 38 or 357 revolver or a 9mm pistol. They are cheap to shoot.

Third, learn to reload. I was reloading before I owned a gun. It is the only way to shoot enough to get good.

Fourth, practice. Frankly I don't believe in dry fire. I shoot live rounds and try to get off 1000 rnds a month. Most months I make or exceed that level. Just try and do a couple three sessions a month as 300 well aimed and fired rounds are better then 1000 blasted.

Beyond that, consider used. You can "usually" get more bang for the buck going used if it is a more modern gun.

Now if I were recommending a gun today?
Used Python in good shape.
Used S&W Model 27 or 28
Used Les Baer PII in 9mm
Used Sig 210 in 9mm
Used H&K P7PSP in 9mm.

I own all of these guns and out of my collection they seem to be the best starter guns for folks to learn with.

 

[gidaeon]

Whatever you get.. just realize you will soon want or get a .22 to go along with it My first ever gun was a 9mm. I was uh, not a natural shot. Then I shot a friends old .22 ruger and realized I really frankly needed a .22.

I strongly recommend avoiding some small concealable piece as your first hand gun. Save that for later should you be interested. Stick to something a good size and weight with a decent barrel length. Get something that feels good in your hand, that has sights.

I get frustrated when people want .40+ for a starter and can't shoot well, or find ammo too expensive for necessary practice. IMHO if you see yourself collecting more firearms down the road then start off small, prove your skill attain a new level and then move on up the caliber ladder.

Do you want to go double action only, DA\SA or what? Or don't care?

 

[goon]

What are you going to use it for?
If your answer is something along the lines of "Everything", I'd go with a .357 revolver. It has versatility like no other, able to act like a .22 or to rattle your teeth out just by changing ammo.
I like the Ruger SP-101 or a Speed Six or Security Six. They're small enough to carry most of the time, heavy enough to make shooting fun and pleasant, and durable enough to last a good long while. A K-frame S&W isn't a bad choice either.
I've had a lot of semi-automatics but honestly, none of them have ever matched a revolver for straight up just going bang when the trigger is pulled, regardless of what ammo you stuff in it.

 

[gunNoob]

Yeah, I don't really have any preference and the gun will be for "everything" most likely.

 

[ChemicalArts]

Get something you can afford to shoot.

9 mm isn't a bad first choice.

A good 357 Mag (either S&W or Ruger) is a great HD weapon and will serve you well for many years if you take care of it.

Good luck

 

[Dorkfish]

What we usually tell folks when they come out to the MDC range is:


Set a budget and stick to it. Allow for $100 in flexibility over your budget.
Decide if value for dollar, features, or brand name/reputation is most important.
Find what's within your budget. You might find firearms with things below that are within that $100 overage, thus it's important to have a cushion.
Figure out what features you want.
Figure out if you want steel or polymer.
Find what has the features you want within your budget.
Find what of those fits your hand or shooting grip.
Narrow your options to what you think you truly want.
If possible, find folks locally that have what you might want and see if they will let you shoot it/them. Value their feedback, but don't take it as gospel as they might be a lousy shot compared to you.
Decide if it's what works for you and make your purchase.

Note: if you will need range gear (eye/ear protection, bags, ammo, cleaning kit, etc.) factor those into your budget. If you need carry gear, factor that in as well.

Some I've personally owned and/or shot:
Glock 17, Glock 23, Glock 30, Sig 226, CZ-52, Baby Eagle .45, Beretta 92fs, XD9 standard, XD9SC, XD40 standard, Springfield Champion .45, Rock Island 1911, Colt Commander 1911, FN 5.7, DE .41mag, DE 44mag, DE 50AE, SW .357 revolver, Walther P22 in 3 and 5 inch, SW .38sp police edition, Nagant revolver, Ruger Vaquero .45, .454 Casul, Taurus Raging Bull .44mag, older Ruger .45lc, Taurus Mil Pro .45 2nd gen, Wilson Combat competition 1911, and a few others.

 

[RX-178]

First, some questions to ask yourself:

Are you familiar with field-stripping and maintaining moving parts in a firearm?

Are you already familiar with the basics of firing a handgun?

If the answer to both is 'no', you might want to try a revolver first, before moving onto an auto. Revolvers can be cleaned completely without taking them apart at all, and you'll be able to get the basics of shooting a handgun with it just fine.

If you KNOW the basics already, getting a semi-auto would be fine. Just remember your first priority there is going to be learning how to clean and maintain it.

 

[Frank4711]

S&W Model 65,66,686...4inch bbl

 

[timberwolf204]

First, get what feels good in your hand, second i would go used then if you dont like it your not going to take a beating on trading it off on something else. I would recommend a revolver to start, ruger , smith and wesson, ect. When your ready get your self a nice 9mm as they are fun to shoot and cheap to feed, I have a smith and wesson 915 and love it. When you get into the semis just get what feels right for you. I like the ones with the de-cocker built in. Hope this helps some

 

[jester_s1]

I'll offer the same advice I give to everyone who asks this question. Go to a place that rents and spend $50-$100 on figuring out what works for you. That is far less money than you'll lose if you buy the wrong thing and trade it in later or try to make it work in practice. Ditto for cheap guns. Leave the $300 autos in the case for a stooge to buy. Stick with quality, well established brands and, if there is a professional trainer, pay for some instruction and you'll come out way ahead in the long run.