Yet Another First Handgun Question

[RustyShackelford]

Basic 9mm(9x19mm) pistols....

If you are set on buying a new 9mm or 9x19mm, Id look at the Smith and Wesson SD9 model. It's the same basic design as a M&P. It comes with a stainless steel upper & includes S&W's lifetime warranty plan.
I like the pistol's striker fired DA only system(engineered for new shooters/first time buyers/home protection).
The sights are okay, you can upgrade to the night sights of Trijicon.com. The HD series are available for the SD9/SD40. I like the orange/green but many gunners say green is the brightest-best for the human eye to see in low light.

The fit & finish are okay. If you want you can add Metalife, www.Mahovskysmetalife.com to the pistol's upper(barrel, slide, parts). Many pistol owners like & suggest Metalife. Gun-writer & tactics trainer: "Chuck Taylor" wrote a few gun press items saying Metalife is one of the best after market surface treatments. Robar's NP3+ and Walter Birdsong's Black-T, www.black-t.com are highly rated too.
Metalife on a pistol upper like a SD9 or a P250 or M&P model would run about $90.00 USD & take about 10 days. I plan to get it for my LE trade in Glock 21 .45acp pistol.
It's not a mandate for a new firearm but NP3+ or Metalife can help protect the firearm and it looks good, .

 

[The Narrator]

Too much to reply to everything (again)!

Zero...thanks! Holsters and belts are an enigmatic mystery. What I have read says run screaming from nylon, and choose leather, kydex, or both.

Ed, I'll look for those.

Rusty, I'll check that out.

Tx, you touch on the biggest thing I don't know with all of this. What is acceptable fit? The G.I. 1911 I fired had the magazine release under my thumb but I couldn't actually make it work with that hand without some shifting. The CZ is the same way. I can press it, but not quite far enough to release the magazine. Is that OK or a sign it doesn't fit? Or that I need more thumb exercise? If I decide to go Glock that shooting sports thing sounds like a great way to get a better deal. Do they also have training or competition? I would like to try that sort of thing. Is there a competition training for learning the game?

Steve, reloading seems like it will be a long way off, but my friend who got me into all this has already started me in the habit of collecting all my reloadable shells. I'll probably be laughed at for this, but the only revolvers I could see owning are the S&W R8 and there was a funky revolver in one store that looked like something out of Firefly. It had the barrel lined up with the bottom bullet.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ljnowell]

I love these threads! The part about getting your carry permit particularly!

 

[zerobarrier]

there was a funky revolver in one store that looked like something out of Firefly. It had the barrel lined up with the bottom bullet.

I loved Firefly, one of my favorite shows and of course the movie Serenity that wrapped it up. Are you by chance talking about the chiappa rhino, here is a pic of it:

Of course there is the Rossi Ranch Hand which Zoe carried

 

[TfflHndn]

As I see it, you have several primary choices to make, that will guide your ultimate choice Caliber is only one. A 9mm will likely do what you need, and ammo is very available and lower cost than most (.38 is pretty reasonable, if you are willing to go with a revolver). Do you want a plastic fantastic, or a metal frame? Do you want hammer fired or striker fired? DA/SA, DA only or SA only? These will cull your choices, but you will still have options. For instance, if you go with a striker fired semi-auto, be sure to check out whether you have a second-strike capability -- the first time you pull the trigger it goes click, not bang, can you pull the trigger again, or do you have to rack the slide? That can be critical in a self-defense situation. If you want to have that capability, it narrows the choices open to you. From there, test fire (borrow or rent) the candidates and see what you feel best shooting. You already know that some will not aim naturally for you. And that's one important key, what will you shoot most naturally? If you have to put 1000 rounds downrange to get used to a gun that naturally shoots high for you, that's a cost you can avoid by getting a more natural shooter, for you, so you can shoot those rounds and enjoy it, while improving your shooting. Not having to overcome a naturally "off" aiming point is a plus and will increase your enjoyment of your gun. You have a friend that seems willing to let you try his guns, take him up on it! He will enjoy bringing you into the shooting brotherhood and you will find a good gun for you. My recommendations: Walther PPX or PPQ, SAR ST10, Stoeger Cougar, and Ruger SR9 are all quality guns that will get you going well. Two are metal frames, two are polymer frames. There are others, of course, and you will get many recommendations. Unless you want to end up getting another gun (and there's nothing wrong with that!) try some out and find out what features you like. That's part of the fun. Good luck and good shooting!

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Go to a dealer with big inventory and put a bunch in your hand. Whatever feels best is likely a good start. As for caliber, try the rentals in that model in 9, 40, and 45 mans choose the one u r most comfortable with. Them, take the extra money and go to GunSite or Thunder Ranch and take a class and learn how to,use it.

 

[The Narrator]

I loved Firefly, one of my favorite shows and of course the movie Serenity that wrapped it up. Are you by chance talking about the chiappa rhino?

Yes! That thing looks awesome! Especially for a revolver.

I love these threads! The part about getting your carry permit particularly!

Hopefully that is meant in a nice way.

On that note....

Guys: Despite all the excellent advice you have given, I pulled the quintessential newb trick over the weekend and did my own thing. Something I am sure most will agree is the wrong thing for one reason or another.

This isn't my actual gun, but, yes, I know....



Someone gave me a 5% off firearms coupon so I paid $513.16 tax included for my brand new Auto Ordinance 1911. And yes, I like the orange. I field stripped and reassembled it about a dozen times yesterday, and today I burned up 50 of FMJ over lunch. I stalled out 3 times. Blasted the center out of my target too. I have read that new steel guns need to wear in so I'll shoot up the rest of the 250 I bought before I start to regret.

Why didn't I follow the great advice you guys gave? I like the weight and feel of this thing, I like the boom it makes. I was also thinking about .22 pistols. The only .22s I have really liked so far had the same controls and trigger style as this so good habits should form. Plus, I was in analysis overload and if I didn't do SOMETHING I was going to spend the next six months obsessing over 0.0001% differences in "better" guns.

Thanks/sorry to disappoint you all.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Why didn't I follow the great advice you guys gave? I like the weight and feel of this thing, I like the boom it makes. I was also thinking about .22 pistols. The only .22s I have really liked so far had the same controls and trigger style as this so good habits should form. Plus, I was in analysis overload and if I didn't do SOMETHING I was going to spend the next six months obsessing over 0.0001% differences in "better" guns.

Thanks/sorry to disappoint you all.

Do you like it? Does it shoot well?

If so, then what WE think is nothing more than a personal opinion and THAT, plus a buck, will get you something off the dollar menu at McDonalds.

Enjoy it and don't worry about the rest of us! In the end, we're happy that YOU'RE happy!

 

[The Narrator]

Do you like it? Does it shoot well?

I do, and I think it does.

I was shooting at 15 yards (because I've read that's the longest distance for the CHL qualification) and put 50 holes into about an 8" circle. I know that's lousy, but I also know that was mostly me. I think it is accurate enough that I can get better.

If so, then what WE think is nothing more than a personal opinion and THAT, plus a buck, will get you something off the dollar menu at McDonalds.

Enjoy it and don't worry about the rest of us! In the end, we're happy that YOU'RE happy!

Thanks. I just want everyone who gave advice to know I appreciated the advice and know it was better than my own approach ("ooh bright color!" OK, it wasn't quite that...but it was the brightest colored object in the case, just sayin. ). In the long run I will probably go back and follow some more practical advice for the second pistol, but this is fun.

 

[Sam1911]

Hey, nothing wrong with it! Have fun and get the best training you can find, as early and as often as you can. You'll save a lot of ammo and time on your path to competence, proficiency, and eventual mastery.

 

[zerobarrier]

As long as you like it and it functions, that what really matters. I kind of like the orange too. Now that you got a 1911 you should really check out that link from my earlier post about mernickle holsters. The conceal carry systems are real nice, but I don't like the high ride holsters, to high for me. They will sub the medium ride holster in the system if you call and ask. I also added blonde python to it for and extra $50 and love it.

 

[The Narrator]

Thanks Zero, those holsters look really good. I am gearing up on accessories like a crazy.

Sam, on the subject of training: Everyone and their cousin offers a CHL course, but not much else. I'm sure it is out there but I am hitting a lot of web pages that obviously haven't updated in years. Sorta looks like a bunch of folks who got laid off during the recession made a go at gun training and are back to day jobs again.

Does anyone have word of mouth recommendations for training in the north-of-Dallas area?

 

[zerobarrier]

I may have to get one of the Chippa revolvers, just bc of Firefly. I think I will add it to my wish list, looks to be number 1,286 on the list.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

In the long run I will probably go back and follow some more practical advice for the second pistol, but this is fun.

See, that's the thing about guns that a lot of people starting out don't understand...the "fun" part.

If it's "fun", then people enjoy what they're doing and they do it more often. Very few people have a well used gun that's NOT fun. Why? Because if they don't like it, they won't shoot it.

And you brought up another good point that many people lose sight of as well: there's no reason a first purchase has to be the ONLY purchase.

 

[The Narrator]

My friend/coworker has done a great "job" of making sure I was having fun from the start. When you start out that way it is easier to continue.

I went back out to the range one more time for another 50rds. That's about my limit now. My friend went too so I also had a chance to shoot some .22 (he must have a decent stash of .22 ammo) and he offered some pointers about how I was holding the gun. Of course he was ribbing me about my choice of bright orange but then he showed me a picture of a bright green rifle he owned.

I also followed the Brownells ad that shows on this forum to get a 7.5% discount on more magazines, a mag loader, non-tinted safety glasses for use at an indoor range, and other odds and ends I needed. That should arrive next week then I'll be back at the range.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement guys!

 

[Steve CT]

I think you made a great choice. Others can advise, you need to decide.

And a 1911 can "grow with you", there is a lot you can do with upgrading this gun if you want to.

Just for fun, order the Brownells 1911 catalog, and start dreaming