My First Firearm -- My Wish List

[prezbucky]

I do not own a firearm but have been doing some reading, looking at pics and prices, etc. I would use the gun primarily for plinking... I would imagine it's more fun than Duck Hunt. hehe

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)
- Colt Series 70 Government (.45 ACP)
- Ruger Blackhawk (.357 Magnum)
- Sig P226 (.357 Sig)
- Browning Hi Power (.40 S&W)
- Marlin 336C (.30/.30 Win)

I like the Glock because it seems to present good quality for a relatively low ($500ish) price. Apparently it's a "quick" shooter, with no external safeties. And apparently it is very rugged/reliable.

I like the Ruger for much the same reasons as the Glock: good value, rugged, reliable. Getting .357 Mag power for about $500 sounds like a good deal.

Sig: I've read that this is among the best production handguns made -- good looks, great performance and reliability. Up a bit in price, but supposedly just like butter.

Colt S70: It's either this one or the 1991A1 Gov't model. It seems most think the 80's firing pin safety is a drawback, and I don't plan on slam-dunking the pistol... so if I can find one, I'll go with the 70. If not, the 80 will suffice. It MUST be a Colt if it's .45 ACP...

I love the look of the (FN) Hi Power, and would love to own one.

And the Marlin lever-action, just to own a rifle.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Tom

 

[Strahley]

I'd go for the Glock 19 first. It's a hell of a first handgun. Any task you need a handgun for, short of hunting bigger game (in which you should have a rifle for anyway), a Glock 19 can do

 

[gbw]

Not on your list, but I'd start with a good .22, revolver or auto. You'll never be sorry you have it.

Learn to shoot safely, which takes practice and ammunition.

 

[prezbucky]

Strahley -- Thanks for confirming the Glock.

gbw -- Thanks... Maybe a Buckmark? My girlfriend actually has a little Deringer-style .22... maybe we could hit the range together. Loser buys the ammo, unless I win. hehe

 

[Logan80]

I'd also recommend a decent .22 revolver or semi. It will help you learn trigger control and aim and won't break the bank doing so...

 

[JoeSlomo]

That's a good looking list. All are excellent examples.

I would avoid any 1911 with "lawyer" parts like the plague (series 80 colts), and... Kimbers.. That's just me though (and I own a Kimber hehe).

While the .30-30 is an excellent American rifle, which should be owned by EVERY household imo, you can't leave it all by its lonesome. The .30-30 should be a part of the "Triumvirate" consisting of 1) .30-30 2) 12 gauge shotgun and 3) .30-06.

The .30-30 for the woods.
The .30-06 for the long open field shots.
The 12 gauge for everything else.

 

[prezbucky]

What would be a good 30-06? Remington 840 (haven't checked... hope that makes sense)?

If I get a shotgun, I remember a model called the Remington Marine Magnum... hopefully that'd do the trick.

And is it true that 30-06 and .308 are virtually identical in price, performance and availability?

 

[gofastman]

oh man I'm gonna catch flak for this...
maybe you should look at a Taurus 66 rather than the Ruger

primarily because its cheep...
you can load it with 38 special to lower the recoil.
and you will have more money leftover when you decide revolvers are stupid (joking of course!)

I love Glocks, that would be my first choice (as well as the 9mm cartridge) if you are set on an autoloader. you could also look at the Springfield XD line.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors / I like your list and hope you fill it one day.

From your list the two best IMHO plinkers are the Blackhawk and the Marlin 336.

.38/.357 ammo is slightly higher priced than 9mm but both the .357 and .30-30 can also be used for hunting/SD/HD as well giving you more options overall.

If it where me buying my first it would be a sub $100.00(with rebate) Marlin 795 .22 lr with a box of 550 Frederal rounds for under $20.00 and have a blast.

Enjoy the search for the firearm that works for you.

 

[donster]

I would suggest you look at the Blackhawk convertible. It will .38/.357 in one cylinder and 9mm in the other cylinder. Some say the 9mm is slightly less accurate, but you can use it for plinking. For HD, use .357 or .38+p.

For the price of a Colt, you could have a Blackhawk and a Single Six, which is Ruger's single action 22 revolver. You could even get a Heritage Arms Rough Rider and save another couple hundred bucks to put towards ammo.

All of that aside, my first was an XD9. It fit my hand better than the Glock, and the grip safety gave me a little extra confidence (not really needed, but I was a beginner and it didn't hurt). If you do go with the Glock, you could get one of those conversion kits and shoot cheap 22 with the same trigger you use for 9mm and still save money over the Colt.

I'm not saying Colts are overpriced... well, okay, I am saying it. Seriously, if you get the chance to shoot any of them, pick the one that feels best. Since you do have HD potential in mind, go 9mm or .357 and get a .22lr as your second gun.

 

[brabham78]

prezbucky, if you're actually looking to start a collection of great firearms, you've listed some good choices. I'll throw my opinion in on a few points though: Ruger is an excellent revolver choice, but I'd suggest that you might want to look at a SA/DA (Single-action/Double-action) Ruger GP100 rather than the single action only Blackhawk. Unless you have a specific reason for wanting a single action only revolver, then go with the increased versatility of a SA/DA gun. If you want to cock it and fire single action, you can. But it's nice to be able to rapid fire a .38 special/.357 Magnum, and the double action trigger will allow that.

And since plinking might be your primary activity, do as members Logan80 and gbw suggested, and make sure a .22 caliber pistol is in the line up. Revolver or semi auto is fine. They are cheap to shoot, and lots of fun. Smith & Wesson's Model 317 is a nice .22 revolver, although certainly not the only good choice. The Walther P22 and Sig Mosquito are nice .22 semi autos, and both are reasonably priced. And although a bit more expensive than those two, and physically larger, the Ruger MKIII & 22/45 line of .22 pistols are classics. If you like shooting, then ammo cost is important, and a .22 will allow you to do a lot of shoot for very little money.

 

[KodiakBeer]

Every good shooter I know started with a .22.

 

[GLOOB]

Your list should definitely include at least 1 rimfire pistol and rifle, IMHO. But I doubt you'll stop there. .22's are the most addictive of all guns. They come in so many different barrel lengths and other factory options, it's hard to choose just one.

 

[JoeSlomo]

What would be a good 30-06?

You can't go wrong with a Remington 700, though a Savage 110 will be less expensive.

For shotguns, I am a Remington 870 fan myself, but there are die hard Mossberg 500 fans out there, and the Mossie is less expensive. Both will last a lifetime...or two.

 

[prezbucky]

okay.. revised list (hehe):

- .22 revolver or semi-auto (will look around)
- Glock 19
- Ruger GP100 or Blackhawk .357 w/ 9mm conversion thing
- Another .22
- Another .22 (hehe)
- Mossberg or Rem 870 shotgun
- Marlin 336C
- Remington 700 OR (just remembered...) Steyr-Mannlicher w/Mauser bolt action, in 30-06
- XD9 (will have to look that one up)
- Taurus 66? ( will go back and check the post for the model.

Just reminded myself of something I'd been wondering:

Is the Mauser action really all that? If so, how will I know(if I look at bolt-action rifles) which bolts are Mauser and which aren't?

Thanks again folks -- this is a trip!

 

[prezbucky]

I think I'm in love, fellas, and her name is Signorina Mosquito.

I had no idea that Sig made a .22 that looks exactly like the P226 (or 229). And it's in my "first gun" price range. I love that Sig design, but I figured I'd have to pay $900 or so to get
one. But no...

What a revelation!

I'm getting the one with pink accents. hehe

 

[RX-178]

Just my opinion, YMMV.

First guns, when it comes to first handguns, I primarily go with two trains of thought.

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.

 

[DukeNukem]

The Mosquito is fun. They can be picky about ammo, but most people seem to be able to find some kind that will function reliably. Mine works pretty much 100% with CCI Mini-Mags, Federal AutoMatch, and Federal Game Shok. Less well with other ammo, sometimes much less well.

Since you're thinking about a 1911 .45ACP someday possibly, you might want to consider getting a GSG 1911 .22lr. I've had mine for two weeks, and it's been really great. Shot 400 rounds(Federal bulk, Remington Golden Bullet, and Fed. AutoMatch) with it yesterday with no malfunctions whatsoever. I am approaching 1500 rounds overall, and I'm liking it more and more each time out with it. And I'm a lot more accurate with it than I am with my Mosquito, too. It's about the same cost as a Mosquito and is just a better gun.

 

[Pilot]

Ruger MK II. If you want to plink that will work great and depending on which variation can even get you into target shooting. When its time to get a centerfire, go 9MM for ammo cost and get a CZ PCR or P-01 over a G19.

 

[prezbucky]

DukeNukem,

Do you use the 36-grain (1280 FPS) version of the CCI mini-mags with your Mosquito? Does that also work with the GSG?

And the GSG 1911 .22 is pretty. I like the one with the wood grips. It's comparable in price to the Mosquito. I guess for me it comes down to the 1911 vs. the P229. Both are pretty. In your hands the 1911 is more accurate. I'll assume it would be in mine also. Question is, is the added accuracy worth jumping through hoops to get the GSG, while I could run over to Ricky Bobby's Gunz (hehe) here in Nashville find 5-10 Mosquitos from which to choose. Maybe I'll buy the Mosquito, establish that crucial FFL link, and then get the GSG.
Buying guns online looks tricky, full of possible pains-in-the-@ss... but what about buying ammo online? Does ammo also have to go through an FFL?

 

[GLOOB]

Depends on your location. I think there are a few cities/states where there are some laws about that. But 95% of Americans can buy ammo online without any hassle other than:

1. box must be labeled as containing small arms ordnance (i.e. has a small sticker slapped on it somewhere)
2. I think it can't go by air

The seller will know more about the laws than you will, chances are. They're the ones that will get into more trouble if they screw up. Ask them if/how they can ship to you.

2 of my favorite places to buy ammo online are CTD and Ammunitiontogo.com.

But most of your common calibers needs can be filled cheaper by the local Walmart.

 

[DukeNukem]

Yeah, except for a few places(and I highly doubt Nashville would be one of them), you can buy ammo mail-order without FFL. I buy most of my ammo(especially the .22) at WalMart. They carry Federal AutoMatch(these are 40gr round nose) which work just as well as Mini-Mags in my Mosquito and are cheaper. When I buy Mini-Mags, I get the 40gr round nose type. I've probably shot the 36gr hollowpoint Mini-Mags through the Mosquito, but I can't recall for sure--if I have, they must not have made much of an impression on me good or bad. If I buy Federal Game Shok, I also get the 40gr round nose. I do know I've shot bulk 36gr Federal hollowpoints with the Mosquito, and they work okay, but not as well as my favored Mosquito ammos. Remington Golden Bullet 36gr hollowpoints are another cheap ammo that work just okay, not great. Winchester .22 ammo seems to give my Mosquito the most problems. Mine doesn't like the cheap 333 bulk Winchester hollowpoints or the more expensive Super-X hollowpoints or the Super-X round nose. I think I'm going to shoot my Mosquito this afternoon--I might pick up a box of Mini-Mag hollowpoints and see how they do for sure. I know I haven't tried them through the GSG. {The 40gr Mini-Mags have worked 100% with the GSG--I shot 100 rounds of it yesterday and I think only 50 rounds prior to that, so 150 total with zero malfunctions. Yesterday, I also shot about 50 rounds of AutoMatch(zero malfunctions), 100 rounds of Remington Golden Bullet(zero malfunctions), and 50 rounds Federal Lightning(3 or 4 malfunctions)-this and Remington Thunderbolt have probably given it the most trouble. I think T-Bolt functioned about like Lightning. Surprisingly, the GSG cycled 50 rounds of Remington Subsonic flawlessly last week. Haven't tried Subsonic in my Mosquito. Can't remember if I've tried Lightning or T-Bolt in my Mosquito or not--I doubt it. Those are bottom of the barrel ammo that I normally just don't buy.}

Honestly, I think it would be worth the extra effort to get the GSG 1911 over the Mosquito. It's not just the accuracy. It's a visibly better made firearm and has a better trigger. It also runs the value pack Federal and Remington ammo better(flawlessly) than the Mosquito does. Don't know about the Winchester bulk yet, but it works better with the Winchester Super-X hollowpoints than the Mosquito does although it doesn't run them flawlessly. I think you'd like the Mosquito. I still like mine and have no plans to get rid of it. Let me put it this way though, if I'd had the GSG first I probably wouldn't have bought the Mosquito.

 

[searcher451]

+1 on the addition of a good .22 caliber semi-auto pistol: the Ruger Mark series or the Browning Buck Mark series come to mind, although one of the early Colts (Woodsman, Challenger) would be wonderful representatives as well. I'd also look long and hard at the Walther line, and especially the PP/PPK series and the P99. IMO, no good handgun collection is complete without at least one Walther.

 

[DukeNukem]

I shot the Mosquito and the GSG 1911 this afternoon. 200 rounds through each.

It went something like this:

Mosquito--
50 rounds CCI Mini-Mag hollowpoints (a couple of failure to feed)
50 rounds Federal bulk hollowpoints (a couple of failure to feed)
50 rounds Remington Golden Bullet hollowpoints (3 or 4 failure to extract)
50 rounds CCI Mini-Mag round nose (100% function)

GSG 1911--
50 rounds CCI Mini-Mag hollowpoints (100%)
50 rounds Fed bulk hollowpoints (100%)
50 rounds Rem. Golden Bullet hollowpoints (100%)
50 rounds CCI Mini-Mag round nose (100%)

Just have to stick with the right ammo in the Mosquito then it's no worries. The GSG 1911 just keeps on keepin' on.

 

[prezbucky]

Thanks for that info. I should probably buy you a brick of ammo. hehe

So... when there's a feed or extraction issue, can it damage the gun?

Based on that, the mosquito needs that 40-grain round-nose mini-mag.

I've been looking at the GSG online quite a bit and yeah -- it is nice. Same dimensions as .45ACP 1911s, 80% interchangeable parts (according to GSG's site).

I'm on probation currently for DUI 1st offense (nobody was hurt, no property was damaged -- fortunately. I was pulled over for speeding.) It dawned on me today that I might not be able to purchase a gun for a few more months. I'll ask my PO about it. But I can at least plan for the glorious day when I make one of those .22s my own.

The silver lining to it is that maybe the GSG will be more readily available by then.

Oh and BTW -- I took a minute to look at guns on Guns America's site and was appalled. They were offering standard NIB Sig P226 for around $1000... about $150-$200 over retail. And when you figure in the shipping & FFL charges, it's looking more like $200-$250 over retail.

If I ever purchase one online, I think it'll be from the Able Ammo site -- their prices seem to be at retail or lower.