Looking for my first gun

[TJK]

Hi all.

I'm looking forward to buy my first gun this week, but I have some questions.
First of all, a little backround:
1.- I have almost no shooting experience.
2.- The purpose of the gun will mainly be for home protection, but I intend to visit the shooting range weekly to train and also to participate in targeting competitions.

That said, here are my questions:

1.- I lean more to a semi-auto, because of round capacity, but I've heard that revolvers are better for home protection since they don't jam. Is this true? If I perform regular maintenance to a semi-auto, how likely is it to fail?

2.- In order to the use I intend to give to the gun, what calliber do you guys recommend?

3.- Is Taurus a reliable brand?

4.- Between a Glock 22C (.40), a Glock 17 9x19, a S&W SW9SE, a S&W 910S or a SigSauer P225, what would you choose? Would any of these be a good choice or do you suggest others?

Thanks!

 

[jdc1244]

Revolvers can jam, but is very rare compared to auto loaders. And I’d buy something other than a Taurus.

Can’t help otherwise than to say do a lot of research, handle and fire as many guns as you can, and get something you really like.

 

[Andy-Y]

I just bought my first handgun a G17, and I love it! I say rent a few and shoot them if you can, or just go to the gun store and see which one fits your hand better. For me it was the Glock 17, for you it may be different, good hunting!

 

[j1979]

Out of those the G17. Glocks are good reliable guns, in my experience anyways, and they are very simple. Parts are also everywhere for them. CZ's are also a great gun for the right around the same money. I would also go with 9mm depending on how much you are going to be shooting. Anything larger than 9mm starts getting spendy, thats why I just got rid of my G22.

 

[knicks118]

Buying a gun is like buying a car. You gotta test drive them first to see what fits you right.

For home defense, I'd recommend a shotgun ie Remy 870 or a Mossberg.

But if you are set on a semi-auto then I would first decide what caliber to go with. Then, choose what type of action you want ie decocker or da/dao/sa etc.

Out of the ones you mentioned, I'd go with the Glock 17. The Sig 225 P6 is single stack if you didn't know. Also, 9mm is cheaper than .40sw to practice on, if even slightly.

Try looking at these too: CZ 75B, HK USP, Beretta 92.

 

[j1979]

At the local walmart the .40 $10 more per 100 round value pack over the 9mm. That adds up pretty quick when you are shooting 400- 500 rounds per range visit

 

[GunLvrNLearner]

I am fairly new myself although i own a few guns, go to EVERY gun shop in your area,try to find a range and rent guns,i say definitely a 9mm, box of 50 ammo at Walmart is 8.97....40 you are getting high 12 near 13 and 45 is 14.97....imo Sigs are too high for a newbie if money matters lotta money if turns out you dont like it, i'd say look at CZ75B and Glock 19 and choose between the 2 which feels and/or looks right

 

[MedWheeler]

Like I've said before, ask people you know what you should buy, and seven out of ten will tell you nothing more than "get a Glock!". Two more will actually have differing opinions, but will lean to the 1911 in .45 ACP. The last guy will tell you it's entirely up to you, and you should "feel some up" as you look around. Those that tell you to avoid a certain brand without saying why usually don't actually have a cover-all reason; they either got a bad one, or heard a story or two. I started in 1987 with a Taurus 66 in .357 Magnum, and have loved it since. A .357 can double as a .38 Special, also, if you want a little less kick when fired. Any Taurus, S&W, Colt, Ruger, or Rossi (newer models) will serve you well for your intended purpose.
Like semi-autos? A good double/single-action (hammer not required to be cocked for first shot) or double-action-only (hammer not cocked for any shot) 9mm is a great way to start. Nine millimeter ammo can be had on the cheap, which encourages practice, something that should be important to someone considering betting his life on it. The .40 S&W round is more potent, as is the .45, so, if you can, try one of each. Each will kick a little more, but not badly.
And remember this... once you get one, you'll likely find out that you were really shopping for more than one! After a while, you'll have several, in many "flavors"..!

 

[conan]

Glock 17, because it was your idea, and it was a good one.

 

[jbird714]

Good advice, so far. I would avoid Taurus, though they aren't too bad. Out of the ones you listed, I like Glock and Sig the best. Very reliable and accurate. Get your hands on as many models as you can to see how they fit you and make your decision based on that.

Jay

 

[gun4funtime]

I think MedWheeler has good advice in thread #8

I would not hesitate to buy another taurus. I would lean towards a 9mm just because of the ammo cost.

I am a little old school, I still believe one of the best "first guns" is and should be a nice .22 cal revolver, or auto. To learn proper gun safety, and sight alignment, basic marksmanship with out the possibility of starting a flinch to get rid of later.

A Taurus mod 94 22 revolver
Browning buckmark camper 22 auto
Taurus pt 92 or 99 9mm if you want a little bigger, with very manageable recoil.
ruger or smith or taurus 357 revolver large frame, 4"+ barrel would do fine. with 38 specials for less recoil for more practice.

Handle all you can, find 1 or 2 or 6 you like the feel of, buy them and go shooting.
new or a nice used gun should not break the bank, First gun,, used is good, if you don't like it you won't be out as many $$. trade it for another?

Have Fun, Be Safe, Go Shooting!

 

[TJK]

Ok

First of all, THANKS for all the replies. I've always liked guns, but I'm just now entering this new world, so I have a LOT to learn. It seems I landed in the right place.

I gotta tell you guys, I'd love to be living in the US... things are not so easy here in my country. Having a gun, while not illegal, is certainly frowned upon. Here you can only dream about rent guns and take them to a test drive. Also, legally, you can have max. 2 firearms registered to your name (of course criminals don't care about this). And, if you are a registered gun owner, you can only buy 300 rounds a year. If you are in some sort of shooting association and attend to competitions and such, the limit goes up to 3000 rounds a year. It also is very difficult to find some of the brands you guys have named. Taurus and Glocks are everywhere, and sometimes you can find S&W or Walters. Also sometimes you find used Sigs or Norincos. Other brands I've hardly ever seen.

For what I've read so far, I think I'll go with a 9mm. I had thought about shotguns, and for years I wanted to buy one, for many reasons, but now that I work and have the money, I changed my mind and I think I'll go with a pistol.

I've read the Sticky about SA, DA, etc, but it seems I have to read it again, since I don't quite understand the DSA and how the differences affect the real world shooting.

Regarding 22's: I once read that 22's weren't the best choice for home defence because of 2 things:
1.- High bullet speed, which makes that you can't really tell what happens once you shoot (ie: you could accidentally shoot a neighbour, etc)
2.- Poor stopping power, so not a good choice against home invasions.

 

[wtfd661]

For your situation I would go with the Glock 17 (since they appear to be more accessible for you and you want the 9mm), my personal preference would be the Sig (not that the glock isn't a superb weapon, i just prefer the sig) good luck

 

[Thernlund]

See my response in this thread. It applies here too.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=394645

You have some good choices lined up, but I'd say, for a first gun, don't go with the Glock. You'll get used to the grip angle and that could hose your shooting on that vast majority other pistols you may acquire later.

Of your choices, the P226 is absolutely the way I'd go. Highly recommended.

Or you could get a surplus P6. You could get two of those within your price point.

And 9mm is without a doubt the way to go for your purposes.

Except that you mentioned the P225. But no matter. You can't go wrong with a Sig in general.

Good luck!


-T.


EDIT: As to .22s, they don't make good defense rounds due to the lack of stopping ability.

 

[Rager]

I recommend a 9mm as well. It's an economical round to shoot, and being new you'll want to practice.

22s have their place though. I have an early Buckmark. It's cheap to shoot and troublefree.

There's lots and lots of guns and shooting info on the web. There are forums for just about anything. Most of them are well run.

But you might want to look through some of the gun magazines that are around. Some are glitzy but some have good articles on refining one's shooting technique.

I misread where you live. 300 rounds per year is (blink) ......

I would recommend a pistol that you can use snap caps in. They're great for developing good trigger skill.
You can use them in any gun, depending on the trigger system. Some you need to rack the slide for every pull.

I have a Beretta 9000s, type F. Compact style. It's DA/SA with an exposed hammer. The trigger will cycle every time you pull, without having to rack the slide. Hammer down, or half-cocked, it's double action- a significant pull. Hammer cocked, it's single action, an easier pull.
I like mine, but I can't do the DA consistently with my off hand.

The D model is DA only. But the trigger cycles every pull. No racking.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Hi all.

I'm looking forward to buy my first gun this week, but I have some questions.
First of all, a little backround:
1.- I have almost no shooting experience.
2.- The purpose of the gun will mainly be for home protection, but I intend to visit the shooting range weekly to train and also to participate in targeting competitions.
......

4.- Between a Glock 22C (.40), a Glock 17 9x19, a S&W SW9SE, a S&W 910S or a SigSauer P225, what would you choose? Would any of these be a good choice or do you suggest others?

Thanks!

9mm will do just fine. For a combination of simplicity (for the first time shooter) and reliability (goes BANG! every time you pull the trigger), I'd steer you towards the Glocks. 17, 19 or 26 (fill size, mid, compact, in 9mm). They are butt ugly, but you can beat 'em like a chimp and they just keep going.

Another plus is that you can buy a .22lr conversion kit (slide and magazines) for the Glocks and REALLY cut the cost of your range time.

If you think you -might- want to do concealed carry down the road, I'd steer you towards the 19 or the 26. 17 is just too big. If there is no desire for CC then either the 17 or the 19. Go someplace that has both and "try them out" for size. Function will be exactly the same, but one might fit your hand better than the other.

Good luck!

 

[robctwo]

One of the first pistols I bought was a CZ75BD and I bought the .22 Kadet Kit conversion slide for it a the same time. Getting a gun with the .22 conversion gives you the ability to shoot a LOT of rounds with your trigger/grip/control for a little $. 200 rounds of 9mm and 500 rounds or .22 will give you more shooting than you probably want at any one time. Getting used to the .22 recoil and sight picture, then duplicating the sight picture with the 9mm will make you a better shot, and help to avoid the dreaded recoil anticipation flinch.

Lots of manufacturers are providing .22 kits for pistols. I have no experience with Glock or Sig kits, but I'm sure others do. I have a Glock 17 & 34, and owned and sold a Sig 226. Needed to finance a Les Baer PII 9mm. That's a whole other situation for you to explore in a couple three years.

9mm, .22 conversion and a reloading press will get you shooting a lot.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I gotta tell you guys, I'd love to be living in the US... things are not so easy here in my country. Having a gun, while not illegal, is certainly frowned upon. Here you can only dream about rent guns and take them to a test drive.

See this is why it's important to give us some general idea where you live. I can give you a TON of good information...that will be totally useless to you outside the U.S.

 

[helz_mcfugly]

I live in TX and have lots of guns, simi auto and revolvers and I choose to carry a Glock 22 .40 over any thing else and love it. Its easy to use. always ready to go. if you're a thin guy it rides nice on your hip easily concealed. and its very accurate and reliable. Ive shot hundreds of rounds through it and have never had it jam. not once. the .40 cal. is very fast bullet and has great stopping power. I outshoot the 1911 45 ACP guys at the range but that might just be the shooter and not the gun. Good luck

 

[NG VI]

Glock 17, because it was your idea, and it was a good one.

And available for you. Plus 9mm is usually the easiest caliber to find globally.

 

[Tacbandit]

Glocks R-O-C-K....!!! I'd recommend a G 19....Nice first gun......some people down the 9mms, but if you practice a lot, learn to shoot it well, it's a very
worthy round...Buy cheap stuff for the range, and good quality stuff for defense loads...But...be sure and shoot some of your defense loads if they're
considerably hotter than your plinking ammo...The most important thing is to shoot....shoot....shoot!!! get used to the gun, whatever you buy, and be very
proficient with it. Good luck, and happy shooting!!!

 

[CountGlockula]

Answers in BOLD.

1.- I have almost no shooting experience. Take a NRA basic handgun class.

1.- I lean more to a semi-auto, because of round capacity, but I've heard that revolvers are better for home protection since they don't jam. Is this true? If I perform regular maintenance to a semi-auto, how likely is it to fail? Take a NRA basic handgun class.

2.- In order to the use I intend to give to the gun, what calliber do you guys recommend? Depending on how you shoot it.

4.- Between a...what would you choose? Would any of these be a good choice or do you suggest others? Glocks all the way, but try as many guns as you can and decide for yourself what feels good/how accurate you are.

Thanks! You're welcome

 

[gwnorth]

Definitely try as many as possible before you buy. My personal vote would be for a SIG (good used P225/P6, or a new P226 or P229). I have a SIG P226 and like it better then the Glocks and HK's I tried out. Basically for me, the polymer framed guns I've shot all feel too light (but all my other guns are all steel .357 revolvers and a 1911). And the Beretta 92fs had a too thick grip. Also check out which sights you prefer.

That's why you need to shoot several to see what fits, feels and shoots well for you.

Reliability of the major makers (SIG, Glock, Beretta, Ruger, S&W, ... the list goes on) should not be a problem (you will, of course, always find someone or some thread that bashes each one of them, but they all sell a lot of pistols so a lot of folks must like each one). Assuming you do your part and maintain, clean and lube the weapon properly.

 

[Rmac58]

Sig's are pricey, but I understand quite capable.
I lean toward CZ's, and my first handgun was a S&W .357 magnum, it shoots .38's also. Get used to the .38, then fire the .357's. Big difference, but they WILL stop an intruder.
Revolvers rarely jam.

 

[TJK]

Please see this thread..
Thanks to all!