Looking for a handgun

[Master of Arms]

I had a CZ 75 B in satin nickle finish that I thought would be an awsome addition to my collection until a friend of mine and I were at a pistol match and he decided that he wanted to shoot after we got there so I allowed him to use the CZ and I used my GLOCK. The first part of the matc h was simple plates. He stepped up, started firing, ding,ding,ding Clickk the first of three jams. I took it to a gun show a week later and traded it to some poor soul for a nice Ruger M77 .300 mag. Get a Glock or Springfield or Sig. o buddy, o pal.

 

[Beskytte]

Hey guys, sorry I've been away for a couple days. Some serious crap is going on in my life right now... It would be hard to explain, especially to some strangers (sorry if that word offends, I'm sure you won't be for long ).

Thanks for all the advice, I'll get out to the gun shop and see what I can get my hands on. And my friend that got the CZ75b-SA, I went and fired it. It was a great experience. I love the gun, all he had done was polished the feed ramp and oiled a couple places and it shot accurately and beautifully. Which makes me think I'll be leaning toward the SP-01 even more...

I think I misspoke earlier... When I said sport shooting, I think I meant hobby shooting, I don't plan on getting in to competitions unless I get everything in order sooner.

One more thing, I'll be getting an SKS first. Even then, I don't think I'll be able to purchase it for another month... I'll post pictures somewhere when I get it.

To tell the truth, I'll want to get the .22 first. Its a light shooting gun, and I need the pistol experience. If anyone has a good idea of a .22 I might like, feel free to suggest something. So far what I like is the Walther P22 (about $335?) and the Luger Stoeger ($200-$400?). Oh, and give prices if you can. I'll be on a budget for a little while.

 

[burningsquirrels]

if you get a CZ, you can get the $280 .22lr kadet kit that fits on most CZ fullsize pistols. this way you can practice with what you shoot on a normal basis.

i love my p22, but the gun itself it's a mixed bag. it requires a little work and a thousand rounds to work 100% on the cheap ammo.

 

[Beskytte]

Ah yeah, I thought about getting the Kadet conversion kit for something, but its $2-300 for the .22 kit and another $500 or so for the gun. BTW, my friend loves his CZ, he doesn't like the plastic grips too much and he says he will end up making g-10 grips for it.

And I'd like to add an FN Herstal to the list, once I find a name or two. Can't get enough of those FNs.
Edit: Okay, I was looking through the site, and what they have is the HP MK III. Basically it looks like a CZ pre-b clone or vice versa... Its also single action only, which is what I'm going for right now. The others I like from the same are, the FNP9 SAO or the FNP9 SA/DA with or without the manual safety (SA/DA would be fine, but I'd probably never carry it). BTW, don't know any prices yet, and here's the FNH site for pistols. http://www.fnherstal.com/index.php?id=263

Fried found this at the local gun shop, always wanted a Luger. http://www.recguns.com/Pictures/Images/mark_ii.jpg

 

[Beskytte]

Well, I think I'm close to a decision. It's still a toss up, and there's a revolver in the mix now... In .22 there's the Kel-Tec PLR22, the Nagant 1895 in 7.62 or .32 long, or a EAA Witness in .45 with a .22 conversion. I think I'm leaning towards the Witness, it's cheaper than everything else and it gets good reviews. I wanted to know everyone's thoughts about it first. BTW, a handgun became my first priority when I started getting threats a couple weeks ago, I'd rather not go into details either. Thanks for the help.

 

[crebralfix]

SKS = good first rifle. Ammo prices are reasonable and the gun is reliable and accurate enough for "social" use.

A friend of mine was selling a CZ and Kadet kit. The gun was a jamomatic with common 9mm ball ammo. The Kadet kit was fine, though.

If you go for a 22 handgun, the Ruger 22/45, Ruger MK 2 or 3, and the Browning Buckmark are excellent. I have (or had) all three and they are very reliable and accurate.

Check CDNN and Summit Gun Broker. They usually have pretty good deals on used guns.

 

[Beskytte]

Thanks crebralfix, I'm still considering a few things, and it might be a couple more weeks before I can fit a gun into the budget. I'll probably be getting an old Nagant Revolver first, Then I'm considering getting a Witness in .45 and.22 http://www.gunsatcost.com/item/2906_EAA_Hand_Guns_Pistols_European_American_Armory_.aspx
or a CZ SP-01 and a Kadet conversion kit. The Witness is $450 and the CZ and kit is ~$850. This is what I've narrowed it down to. I really want the CZ, but I need a pistol soon...

 

[AnaxImperator]

The 1895 Nagant revolver is definitely a fun little piece, but it's fairly expensive to shoot, although .32 conversion cylinders are available, and it's possible to fire .32S&W Longs, although the cases will bulge slightly. I have one of my own, and it's been a hoot at the range.
Here's the Gunboards Nagant Forum. Lots of great information there.

You might also want to pick up a Mosin Nagant (or three) rifle; they're cheap, strong, packs a punch, and there's a plethora of them to collect. A Mosin Nagant M91/30 was what started my intense collecting habits, and Mosinitis is a pleasantly uncurable affliction. For hunting the 7.62x54R is an excellent cartridge, and is used regularly by many to take everything from boar to elk. There are at least a few Gunboards members who have taken black bear with their Mosin Nagants, and FWIU the rifles are popular in Europe for bear & large-game hunting as well. Mosins are capable of great accuracy (especially Finnish MNs), and they make great camp rifles (especially the carbines).

But as for handguns, I'll suggest the Makarov, FEG PA-63, or CZ-82 in 9x18mm, and a Tokarev (Russian, Polish or Norinco preferrably) & CZ-52 in 7.62x25mm.
Makarovs & the PA-63 in particular are very easy to carry & find ammunition for, have a decent amount of punch, and along with the Tokarev, are extremely reliable & affordable (ranging between $150-$250).

I carry my Norinco M213 (Tokarev-clone) 9mm every day, and it too is very easy to conceal, even though it's a full-size autoloader. I particularly like Tokarevs because they exhibit AK-like reliability, are extremely simple, and are acceptably accurate. Of the many handguns I've fired, the Tokarev makes accurate Mozambique-drills almost effortless. Still, I'd prefer something a little smaller for concealed-carry, and the Makarov or PA-63 would fit the bill nicely; but I'll still utilize the Norinco 213 for open-carry, which I do frequently.
Have you considered the Zastava M88? It's based on the Tokarev design, and comes in either 9mm or .40S&W.

 

[crebralfix]

Though I think someone mentioned it, there are currently many SIG P225 (P6's) available for under $300. This is a fine 9mm pistol that's concealable and is just fine for hobby shooting.

This is probably the best deal going right now.

 

[Beskytte]

Well, thank you both very much. I'm going to be looking at handguns tomorrow, and I'm starting to like the Sig Sauer P225/P6 the more I read about it. I'll try to update you tomorrow on what I find.

I'll also look into the Tokarevs and Makarovs. I've been interested in those before. And it already looks like I'll become a collector despite everything. So, I'll end up getting the CZ SP-01 and probably a couple others...

I'll check back in awhile, when I end up buying that first pistol. Or when I get a Nagant and want some info on getting a cylinder swap.

Btw, my friend is getting his Type 3 C&R. So, we'll probably be getting a few Nagant revolvers and Mosins. Also, I won't be able to carry until November 2009. Missouri law says 23 is the carry age.

 

[Loomis]

I keep buying handguns and I keep shooting handguns. and I keep trying new handguns. And I keep coming back to the same old basic ones.

1911 colt
K frame smith

For concealed carry, I havn't yet started to gravitate consistently around any particular type or brand just yet.

 

[BlindJustice]

Personally, I'd never sell/trade a gun I knew to have problems
without making full disclosure, as well as an effort to figure out a
cure to a problem. Makes me leery of gun shows and gunbroker
for that matter.

CZ 75B experience, I have the blued model - 800 rds so far 100%
reliability of a wide variety of 115/124/147 gr bullet weights
in FMJ & JHPs. Simple field strip and re-assembly. Very accurate.
The mag. capacity is 16 rds, although the last rd is such a PITA
I just fill em with 15 rds. The 19 rd capacity mags for the SP-01
magazines will fit in the 75B. On the Kadet .22 LR conversion kit,
I've heard from the SP-01, and the Compact CZ owners that it
has some issues in models other than the standard 75B.

Winchester White Box referred to comonly on bun boards is going
for $18.50/100 rds approx. right now. I got the 75B in 9x19 for a more
economical range gun as well as a backup for my SW1911 in .45 ACP.
It's lighter in recoil, and I like the DA first shot option, as well as the
shape of the grip/trigger ergos.

.22 LR - I'll reserve opinion, I have a 617 S&W & would love to
find a S&W Model 18 in decent shape - I had one years ago, as my
first gun, at least I sold it to a close friend and it served him well also.

Randall

 

[burningsquirrels]

our sp-01 experience... 2200 rounds, haven't noticed anything yet.

our CZ experience as a whole... haven't found any problems yet.

 

[Beskytte]

Okay, went into Denny's Gunshop in Kansas City. There was a lot to look at there. Held a few things and considered a lot. I've decided I want a Baby Eagle/ Jericho IMI, there was a Jericho IMI there for $400. If it isn't there when I go back (my friend said he'd buy it out from under me), I'll get the EAA Zastava M88 they had. I like the feel of both, and they were under the range I was willing to spend. The EAA was $260. Also messed with a FNP40, they had no 9s, and a FN hi-power, didn't like those as much as I thought I would. Think I might like Glocks too. So, I might end up buying a Glock 34 at some point.
I'll be going back in a couple weeks, I'll update this thread then.

 

[Beskytte]

Walther P-22

Finally decided and bought a Walther P-22 (or put a down payment on it). Thoughts on the gun? Things I need to know about it? Who hates it and who loves it? Any other questions, like, why I went with this instead of my other choices?

 

[varoadking]

I wanted the tactical block with the bayonet...

Why on earth?

 

[chriske]

Beskytte, welcome to THR.
You'll come to love it here in no time . I know I did.

In my experience, neither my FN HP nor my CZ (albeit a 75-B) ever let me down (except for a broken slide stop on the CZ after what... something between 5 and 10K rounds or so)

My advice is to try ( handle & shoot) as many different guns as you can.
Then, of those you felt most comfortable with, choose the one that looks best to you.