My First Firearm -- My Wish List

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Searcher, I like the look of the Walther PPK line -- IMO it has character, doesn't look like a copy of another mfr's design. Down the line, who knows -- may pick one up:

The name's Bond... James Bond.
 
I also might not mind having them around for their aesthetic value, collectibility, and (heaven forbid...) self-defense.

So here's what I *think* might be some decent options... and what may one day comprise my "collection":

- Glock 19 (9mm)

Agreed.

The nine millimeter is relatively easy to learn on as a first firearm (I did).

-and-

Somewhat reasonably priced.


Also unlike a twenty two there are plenty of options when it comes to premium self defense ammunition.

Get the nine.

Get a twenty two next.
 
[Qoute by Prezbucky] and comments from me;
okay.. revised list (hehe):

- .22 revolver or semi-auto (will look around) Buckmark, Ruger MKII or S&W 617
- Glock 19 or XD9,SD9,MP9
- Ruger GP100 or Blackhawk .357 w/ 9mm conversion thing GP100
- Another .22OK, Marlin 60 or Ruger 10/22
- Another .22 (hehe)OK
- Mossberg 500/590A1 or Rem 870 shotgun Must have one
- Marlin 336C or Marlin 1894 in .357
- Remington 700 OR (just remembered...) Steyr-Mannlicher w/Mauser bolt action, in 30-06 or .308
- XD9 (will have to look that one up) for sure
- Taurus 66? ( will go back and check the post for the model. M66SS4 for Stainless 4", M66B4 for Blued 4", M66SS6, etc.

I say start with the .22 pistol, add a .22 rifle, then the Mossy or Rem870, then the G19,XD9, or MP9, then the .308/.30-06 scoped rifle. After that everything else is just wants, not needs.

Just my .02:cool:
 
One more .22LR semi-auto to consider is the Beretta 87. They're not too many of them around, and they're not the cheapest, but if you're looking for "plinking with a modicum of style," I think they're the best. I've never found anyone who didn't really like the M87's grip and controls. My shooting buddy liked mine so much that he just recently bought a new one from Bud's online. It's been flawless for him.

beretta87cheetah.jpg
 
Cheap arsenal??

There are just so many options!!
BUT-
If I were on a budget (I am) and needed to pick up a well rounded set (my opinion) it would be:

.22 revolver (mine is a single six)
.22 autoloader (mine is a 22/45)
.22 rifle (mine is old.. next one is a 10/22)

and then move on from there.. This will give you a ton of shooting experience, thousands of rounds fired, friends at the gun range (who will let you hold/shoot all kinds of other guns!!) and most of all, a direction you want to go with your shooting.

DO NOT FORGET to check out a Mosin Nagant in 7.62X54 as a first larger bore rifle.. Fantastic shooters for cheap!
 
You guys are great.

That Beretta 87 is nice. Can a person have three, four, five .22 pistols? The GSG and Mosquito will prolly run about $350 apiece, the Glock $500 (9mm after plenty of .22 practice...) not to mention rifles and the Mossy 500. But that thing is purty. Maybe it can replace the Mosquito. I'll get my Sig (P226) when I'm ready to handle it properly.

A buddy of mine at work ordered a Mosin Nagant for dirt-cheap. It came covered in some sort of petroleum jelly. My natural response upon hearing this was to ask him how the sex was. hehe

At any rate, he had to bake the gun in his oven for days to get the stuff off.

After that I heard no complaints.
 
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Also -- Mauser actions. Is there a perceptible difference between a Mauser action and an Enfield action? And how can someone tell which type of action the newer/modern
bolt-action rifles have? I heard a quote that the Mauser bolt action is as smooth as glass. Is that hyperbole, or is it really that smooth?

Secondly -- is there any real difference between 30-06 and .308? Seems (in my novice's experience...) they're both very popular, about the same size, price, etc.
 
I have been looking around at .22 pistols myself and have gotten the advice to avoid the Mosquito and stick to either the Ruger Mark series or the Browning Buckmarks with a heavy emphasis on the Buckmarks. They tend to be a little more expensive than the Rugers, but I have heard from many people that they are simply the best available .22 pistols. Never had any experience with them myself, but I fully intend to. I grew up on a S&W 422, which was fine, but not that reliable.

Don't forget about .22 rifles too, especially if you want to plink, they are way cheap and lots of fun.
 
Speaking of .22 rifles, I think I've found a good one (good series):

Savage Mark II

People just gush about their Savage Mark II rifles... especially about the:

1) Accutrigger
2) Accuracy
3) Smooth bolt action

They seem pretty reasonably priced, especially the synthetic-stock ones.

What do you guys think about the Savage Mark II .22LR? Worthy option for my .22 rifle?
 
There are a lot of good .22 rifles out there. I have heard good things about the Savages. I've got a couple of Marlin model 60's that are inexpensive & work well.
You could get into a host of threads answering all of your questions. As far as a .30-06 goes I like the Winchester model 70 but there are many good options in it available also. Personally I would say get a couple of .22's & start plinking. As you learn add more guns. You will figure out what you like as you go.
 
My roommate's brother was in the Army in Vietnam and, more recently, Iraq. I don't know details but I can regurgitate my woman's comments about him being qualified as a sniper. He's about 45 mins away in Clarksville, TN (where the 101st Airborne is based).

I just talked to him about a .22 pistol and he agreed... for learning to shoot and for fun. He added that the .22LR round can be quite deadly, when necessary -- more powerful than many give it credit for.

Again, hoping it never comes to that, and certainly not picking a fight. Boys... they want to have fun. Oh, boys just want to have funnn.
 
My roommate's brother was in the Army in Vietnam and, more recently, Iraq.
I'm not saying this is impossible, but, have you done the math on that? Everyone I know that was in Viet Nam is in their very late 50s/early-mid 60s.

All right, that said, if I were starting out, I would try to minimise different calibers and be ready to reload for all of them (except the .22 LR, obviously).

.22LR
9mm
.357 Mag
.45 acp

That is a good variety of cartridges to start with, and reloading for them will provide will provide sufficient challenge.

Once you have that under control, expand as appropriate. Due to the cost of ammo these days, don't be surprised if you find yourself trimming cartridges from the list. I have ditched the .38 Spl, .40 and the .44, and although I own .380 and 9mm, rarely shoot either.

My .45acp gets reloaded and shot the most by far. 45LC and .41 Mag are tied for a distant second....357 on occasion. Unless you have multiple presses or a lot of time/money, reloading large quantities of many different calibers is a PITA.
 
He was just 18 in the early 70s... and was in Iraq in some sort of MP or advisory capacity, in maybe 03-04 or 04-05. So he was in Iraq at the age of, oh, right at about 50.
 
1. Just learning how to shoot pistols, primarily for plinking and fun at the range.

.22 long rifle handgun (either autoloader or revolver, doesn't matter) fits that one perfectly. There's no getting around the logic of the cheap ammunition, nearly nonexistent recoil. Perfect, easy way to practice and master trigger control and the fundamentals of shooting.


2. First gun, needs to cover ALL bases, including hunting and defense until the funds are available to get more specialized weapons.

.357 Magnum revolver with 4" barrel. Long-since proven man-stopper, and also a long-since proven whitetail round. 4" barrel models are usually still small enough to be carried concealed. And they can chamber and fire .38 special rounds for lower recoil during practice.

Great advice. The 38 will be cheap to shoot, the 4 inch is easy to conceal carry, 357's for almost anything that walks in the lower 48.

If you want a reliable semi auto, look at Rugers. No one will ever tell you they are not solid reliable guns. I own 45's and 9mm's. The 9 is cheap to shoot.

Look at the P95 in 9mm, a 3.9 inch barrel it is a good shooter and concealable
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or SR9
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I would also look at the P345 in 45
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I carry afull size Springfield 1911 the majority of the time., but would def would carry a Ruger instead
 
Great price, with shipping your still under 300

The SR9 is also a good price.

Dont let gun snobs direct you. Lots of great guns out there.
 
Thanks for the Ruger info fellas. I'll certainly consider them, especially the P95 as competition for the Glock.
 
I own a Glock and a SR9. I like the SR9 because of the natural grip angle. Its similar to the 1911.

Its also not as wide as the Glock.

Also keep in mind you are not married to a gun. There are times I carry the SR9 instead of the 1911. And there are times I carry a small 2 inch 357. Depends on what I am wearing and where I am going.

Glocks are great guns, but not the end all. The one comment that always comes out about Rugers is they are built like tanks, very tough and reliable. You show up at a range and no one will look down on a Ruger, everyone will comment that its a well built gun.

In the big name guns you are not going to be dissapointed. If you bought a Sig you would come on here a month later excited, same for Glock, Beretta, Kimber...

Now the true "evil" of guns is that they all fit a specific need. First you buy your first gun because you need something to shoot with and self defense. Then you want a nice revolver for the house. After shooting for a while you need a compact in whatever gun you bought, especially if they both take the same magazine (Sr9 full size and compact for example).
Then you really like a Kimber/Les Bear/Springfield... 1911, so you buy a full size for IDPA
And since you are training tactically now, you need a nice shotgun, an 870. Then you NEED an AR15 to compete in three gun.

One day at the gun shop you are checking out the handguns and the new Vaquero looks pretty cool, what the heck throw it on the visa.

Speaking of rifles, you might want to deer hunt, so a nice bolt action 308.......

It never ends, one day you wake up and find you have 30 - 40 guns.

I ride a train to DC every day, I have met guys that own over three hundred.
 
LAR, I'm a bit of a night owl. I work at home most days, 9:30-6 (roughly), so I can sleep in a bit.

I read up on the Ruger P95 and more than one reviewer said it's a solid pistol but it has a "mushy" trigger. One reviewer said he had a $100 trigger job done on it and it was suddenly a great (italicized) gun.

I notice there's a lever on the slide, near the hammer. Does that get in the way of racking the slide? I wouldn't want to break the gun the first time I tried to rack the slide. hehe

BTW, the more I look at that P95, and consider its American-ness... and price (even with a trigger job...)... the more I like it.

I tend to show loyalty to certain brands in some industries. I wear Nike shoes (well, tennies...), brush with Crest, shop at Kroger, etc.

I just looked at both again, and feel these might end up being my first non-22 pistols:

Ruger P95 9mm
Ruger GP100 .357Mag

Those two, plus the .22, might be enough pistols for me. Dang, I've changed my mind ten times in here. hehe

I'll hold both G19 and P95 and see if the Glock is worth $200 more ($100 if I get a trigger job).

I don't know if I could find a revolver to compete with the GP100 in terms of price/ruggedness/reliability.

Who knows, maybe the bolt-action will be a Ruger too.
 
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