Newbie Here...First Handgun

[Astorm]

Hello,

First post here. I am in the process of getting my Class A large capacity (I live in MA). I am going to be in the market for my first handgun. I want something larger, because I have big hands, and I want a more powerful handgun that not. I've shot before, so I don't want a gun for "beginners"

Something in a 9-10mm or .45

Any suggestions?

 

[Deer Hunter]

Ever looked into a CZ?

That's the 75. It's a full-sized 9mm with a 16 shot capacity. There's also a CZ 97 that you may want to look into, it's chambered in .45 ACP.

 

[Astorm]

I like the looks of that, it looks as if the grip is good sized.

 

[LoneCoon]

Having shot my sisters Walther P-1 recently I have to reccommend that. No problems and a good gun, and can be found for 300 or less. Plus the Ammo is cheap.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Take a look at the CZ guns. I think they'd fit your bill quite nicely.

 

[gripper]

Astorm,congrats on getting the Class A. I live in Ma also.I don't know if they can ship NEW CZ's to the Commonwealth(AG Riley and his "approved" list),but you may do OK on the used/Want Ad's type of purchases.
I had my class A,got it yanked by a Chief of police. Go the fLRB to overturn him. now I'm banged up back in court Monday. Hopefully I'll get cleared and reinstated.(no, the case does not involve firearms).Then relocate (NH?) quickly.

 

[Soybomb]

Walther P99 has adjustable grip, might be good to look at one. 15+1 in 9mm.

 

[Navy87Guy]

Any double-stack .45 will provide a big grip for you. I have both the CZ 97B and the Glock 21 and they are a handfull. If you want "big", give them a try.

The Beretta PX4 and the Walther P99 both come with interchangeable backstraps that allow you to adjust the grip size. I use medium on my P99 and small on my PX4 -- the large are pretty big. Both come in 9mm or .40 S&W.

Jim

 

[KingAirDriver]

Ahhh Deer Hunter! Why'd you go and post that nice pic of the CZ?! I've been wanting one of those for a long time now, but haven't had the $$. Now I'll be drooling around the house again.

 

[Quintin Likely]

Go to a range that'll let you rent different handguns. Rent all you can, shoot 'em, buy whatever works best for you. Different people have different philosophies (including caliber, manufacturer, actions/triggers, etc) on handguns, different sized hands, different length fingers, different shaped bodies (if this is something you plan on carrying) and different sized wallets.

 

[RNB65]

+1 on the CZ recommendation.

I think one of the CZ 75's is a great first handgun. Reasonably priced, very reliable, grips that seem to fit most people's hands quite well, and plenty of weight to keep recoil under control as you learn how to shoot a handgun. What more could you want?

http://www.czusa.com/products_handguns.php?m=1

 

[Retro]

If you want a high-cap gun with large size... I would recommend:

1. Beretta 92FS for 9 mm (17 + 1 rds), very large grips.

2. USP .45 for .45 (12 + 1 rds), large square-ish grips.

Neither are beginner guns... and I would recommend the USP.

If cash is an issue, then Walther P1 is a good choice. However, Walther P1 only holds 8 + 1 rds, and 92FS has a more updated design that is based on P1.

 

[mwpslp]

The CZ 97B is my choice if you want a handful. 10+1 of .45 acp. Smooth shooting. Definately a large grip.

 

[Dienekes]

Wasn't Massachusetts the state that felt it necessary to neuter a historical Revolutionary War flinter with a trigger lock a few years back?

Some serious hoplophobia back there.

 

[MachIVshooter]

CZ-75, CZ-97, TZ-75 (witness) and Baby Eagle are all great guns for reasonable ($400-$500) prices. Witness and Baby Eagle are CZ clones.

The CZ-75 is 9x19mm or .40, the CZ-97 is .45 ACP.

The Baby Eagle is 9x19mm, .40, .45 ACP and offers a slide mounted decocker-safety, full length dust cover and polygonally rifled barrel.

The Witness can be had in .22 LR, 9x19, 9x21, .38 Super, .40, 10mm and .45 ACP.
EAA also sells witness caliber conversion kits for $229/ea.

9mm and .40 mags of CZ-75 design usually work in all three makes. The longer cartridge mags are gun specific.

 

[Shipwreck]

I second the P99 recommendations - The new S&W M&P has different back straps too. I think the HK USP compact is pretty nice - it is not as thick as the fullsize HK USP - that's why I got rid of my USp but kept my USP compact.

 

[flashman70]

Don't fall prey to the 1911 allure. Hard to beat an HK.

 

[bg226]

Glock model 21. A full-size Glock chambered in .45 ACP. It uses high capacity mags (13).

The grip is huge.

 

[Chipperman]

Welcome!

Shoot as many different guns as you can before buying.

What I would do is go to a few gun shops in your area to see what is available. Some of the guns suggested above are great guns, but are not available new in MA b/c they are not "MA Compliant".

After you see what is available and have an idea of a few you like, go to a range where you can rent them and try some out. What part of the state do you live in?