Need help finding a first pistol

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M-Cameron

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ok, heres the deal, this is going to sound a bit like those "i want a rifle for CQB, home defense, 1000yd shooting, ect." threads.....so bare with me.

im looking for a pistol that i would be able to reasonably carry concealed, but that is also enjoyable to shoot for extended periods of time, and also be able to shoot informal matches with (pin shoots mostly our range allows anything 9mm and up, practical shooting, possibly bullseye).

a few requirments:

*Not much more that $600, less is always better
*Must be able to carry concealed
*Must be New/new-er production
*Must shoot easily available ammo
*Nothing super small
*No or little plastic
*Not a huge fan of .40 or .45, but wont rule them out.

im open to Pistol or Revolver.


right now im sort of leaning towards the Beretta 92 or Beretta 85....not the easiest guns to carry, i know. but if anyone has some insight ide love to hear it.
 
Last edited:
mc, 10/19/11

Sounds like you are looking for a 9mm metal framed, medium sized pistol of recent manufacture. This limits the choices considerably making it easier to choose. Look at the CZ pistols, especially the PCR which is an aluminum framed 9mm pistol which shoots and carries well. Take a look at the CZ forum (czforumsite.info).A used Sig may also fill the bill, especially the 228 or 229 9mm variants. Take a look at Gunbroker.com. I got my 228 for $405 a couple of years ago but be prepared to be patient as the prices seem to go up and down depending on the political season. The Beretta 92 is an excellent 9mm but was a bit too big for me to CCW (IWB, I'm 6-0 and 170 lbs.). Beretta does make a 92 compact which may be a good choice for you. That's all I can think of at the moment unless you want to look at the SW 3rd generation pistols which are now mostly out of production. The 6906 might be the perfect fit. I have a number of 9mm and .45 SW 3rd generations and they shoot and function great. They have a cult following and if you check out the SW forum (smith-wessonforum.com) you may learn more. I'm sure others will chime in with further suggestions. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow
 
As I think you know, you've got some contradictory preferences: what to shoot pins, but don't like .4x calibers. What concealment, and able to shoot bull's eye. Want inexpensive, but no plastic.

I'd go with the classic: .357 4-inch revolver (used, to keep the price down). Other than a .22, I can't think of a better first handgun.
 
As I think you know, you've got some contradictory preferences: what to shoot pins, but don't like .4x calibers. What concealment, and able to shoot bull's eye. Want inexpensive, but no plastic.
Click to expand...
yeah i know its tough, and im more than willing to be flexible on some aspects(especially the match shooting)......just looking to see if anyone has some hidden jem tucked away that i was unable to find in my searchings.

the only things im really going to be super stubborn on is the Price and the Size

ive got massive gorilla paws, so im not going to enjoy shooting a P3AT.......but it doesnt need to be Desert Eagle size either.

the 92FS is a bit of a stretch......i am more curious to see if anyone is able to carry a full size pistol with any sort of comfort.
 
Take a look at the Kahr K9. This fits a lot of what you are looking for. You can get them as cheap as $550, certainly for $600. It is "medium-sized", so much easier to conceal than the Beretta 92, but also not a pocket-type gun. They're still being made, the ammo is cheap, and they are not plastic.

Call around at your Local Gun Stores and see if you can track one down to hold and feel. Kahrs have good triggers, are well-built (especially one that isn't plastic), have good sights for accuracy, etc. Basically, anything smaller than this gun won't really fit your criteria. That makes this a great place to start. See what you think and move up in size if you need to. :)
 
Cameron, you're going to make us earn our paycheck aren't you.;)

I'd look at the following :

1. S&W model 10 or 19, 4 inch barrel in each
2. Ruger SR9 or the SR9C
3. Glock 19 or 26 ( I know you said no plastic, but look anyway).

BTW, that Beretta 92 is a boat anchor!

LD
 
No Plastic Eh? Man after my own heart.

I'm really surprised by the .380 Bersas, enough to be sorely tempted by the larger .45 one (or 9mm as you'd prefer) for $400 at my LGS. I'll obviously let people know when and If bite on that one. Grope it if you see one.

CZ already mentioned. Model 10 too ..

Not new, but my brother in law swears by his Star 9mm, as did my great-uncle when he wasn't using a revolver.
 
Dnaltrop mentions a great possibility: the Bersa line. If you like the Beretta 85, you'll like the Bersa Thunder in .380, and the 9MM models might be even more suitable if you prefer the more powerful load. I carried the Thunder 380 as an EDC for almost two years until I found a good deal on a Kel-Tec PF9. I found the Thunder to be a superbly reliable shooter that handles well and feels solid. It's a gun you could use to arm any responsible member of your household. I still enjoy mine; it's just not as easy for me to carry concealed as is the PF9 (which you would not like, being both small and polymer-framed.)
The Thunder 380 goes for well under $300 new, and right around two bills in good used condition. Add about $40-50 for the 9MM version.
And here's a repeat mention of the CZ line..
 
+1 Cz pistols

The Cz-75 family specifically
Relatively small for service-sized guns. Ergos are generally considered some of the best out there (shooting comfort). Out of the box, they're accurate enough for competition. Some people get some trigger work done, but otherwise leave them alone.

*Around $400-$500
*Relatively small for a service size gun and there are compact models available
*They still make them in droves
*9x19mm
*Service size (not too small)
*Only the grips are plastic

Seems like it's right in your wheelhouse.
 
Another for the CZ. Specifically the SP-01. There are articles floating around about the military (not American military) torture testing they went through. The only gun that passed these tests. Unfortunately I don't have a link handy and don't have time to search for it. Try google when you get a chance.
 
.357 mag......... S&W 686 with a 4" bbl. A bit more than $600, but worth every penny. If you want something more easily concealable...... Ruger S101 with a 3" bbl......... Those would be my choices.
 
Another vote for the CZ 75b. A lot will suggest the 85b for the benefit of the ambi safety. But if you're carrying in the Condition level with the hammer decocked for a DA first pull then you're not using the safety anyway. And with the interior slide rails of the CZ design it's more compact than any other similar size pistol.

I love my Beretta 92fs as well but as mentioned already it's a BIG gun. I don't find it overly heavy but it is just plain bigger than my CZ75 in all ways by that little extra. Hell, even a plain jane 1911 is a smaller gun! So for carry it wouldn't be my first choice by a long shot.

Pins? As in bowling pins? May be a stretch for anything without a .4 as the first number but a 9mm is good for a lot of other match events. But on the upside 9mm is as cheap as it comes for centerfire. I've never shot a bowling pin match but as I understand it big, heavy bullets moving at medium speeds is the recipe for a quick table clearing.
 
May be a stretch for anything without a .4 as the first number...
Click to expand...

Hot hand loads, +P, or +P+ would probably suffice. The Cz can handle it. Apparently they're often used with sub-gun ammo.
 
When I think first hand gun, I think Ruger MK series. You can't go wrong owning a 22 handgun; you will be able to practice 10x more than 9mm for the same cost, and practice is what's most important. Plus it would make a good 22 bullseye gun. Obviously not a self-defense weapon, but I think its a good choice for starting out.

Pair it with a Glock 17/19 and you've got a nice combo that gives you what you want, aside from your strange aversion to the plastic guns.
 
For your first, I'd seriously look into a .38 SPL S&W K-frame or a Makarov. They're both accurate, cheap to feed and dead-nuts reliable. You could get either of them in the $300-$400 range. I'll sell you a sweet, tapered-barrel Model 10 for $330 shipped. I think that the K-frames are much nicer to shoot but the Makarov, however, is the way better carry choice.

If you wanna knock down bowling pins, though, you're probably going to want something with a little more oomph. It'll be tough to compete and carry with the same gun. A great range gun is not often the ideal carry piece.
 
CZ-75, CPO SIG P228 / P229, Used Browning HiPower, or one of the flood of $300-$400 lightly used LE trade in aluminum frame 3rd Gen S&Ws (5903, 4003, etc.). If there's a rental range in your area shoot as many as you can. If not, at least get your hands on them at gun stores & see which one fits you best.
 
I went with a Taurus 92 for my first - tons of fun to shoot, but definitely not great for CCW. Check out the Springfield XD series, they should have something that fits your needs - right price, right size, good trigger, and I think right now they're even throwing in extra hi-cap mags.
 
thanks for the replys everyone......


after a bit more searching, and from the replys here... im kind of leaning towards the Ruger SP101 .357/.38

i figure .357mag will have more than enough "oompf" for pins...

and then ill have the benefit of shooting .38SPL for general plinking/ practice.
 
Under $600 metal frame...Bare with me. I know you said new, but what about surplus? A bunch of CZ 75's just came into the country and they are surplus. Also, if you hand is as big as you say, it should fit. You can get a surplus FN Browning Hi Power for around $400. Mine had been carried a lot and shot very little. The market for add ons on the Hi Powers is almost as diverse as the market for 1911's. If not surplus, you could get a new CZ 75B. I bought mine for around $475 new with two mags. That was two years ago, and it is a great pistol. Those are pistols I have experience with. I do have a Rock Island 1911 in .45. I know you said no .45, but they have a 9mm too. If the 9mm is as great as my pistol has been for me, you will be very happy.
 
CC of any of the below depends greatly on your body type and habits. eliminating plastic framed pistols is going to limit your options considerably.
I can think of:
Ruger GP100 .357/38
S&W 586 used .357/38
Glock 19 9mm (I know it's plastic. Just shoot one, it's a great first gun)
RIA 1911 or used Springfield or Kimber 1911 (.45 is exprensive but these conceal well and fit ham hands well.)
CZ as mentioned
And if you can stretch your budget to $700 you can get a browning hi-power 9mm from CDNN. Compare the cost of ammo to feed a $600 1911 and you come out ahead fast.
 
The SP101 is a bit light for a range gun. You're going to find that shooting magnums from it is going to make your hands complain. I've shot a J frame S&W with just regular .38spl ammo and found that is OK but it's not as nice as shooting the same ammo through a K frame gun. But at the same time I would not be all that keen on shooting lots of .357 out of that light a gun.

By the same token an SP101 IS a nice carry piece as it's smaller. But as a range toy? Definetly not so nice. Also the short sight baseline will make it that much harder to be truly accurate with it at moderate to longer handgun ranges.

Truly I think you need to look at two guns. One for carry and one for HD and range giggles. The HD/Range gun being one of the full size frames.

Either that or split the difference and go for a 4 inch barrel K frame S&W in .357. There's so many suitable model numbers with fixed or adjustable sights that it's hard to name them all. But if you'll be mixing and matching between Special and Magnums you'll likely want one with the adjustable rear sight. A 4 inch barrel Model 66 should do nicely.
 
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