Is my first pistol choice a good one?

L

laker415

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
143   0   0
Location
Kelowna/Northern Camp
Recently got my pal upgraded to an rpal. I am shopping for my first handgun. I have limited experience with shooting hand guns. I have handled a few and am leaning towards a s&w m&p 40 pro series. I am not concerned about cost of shooting as I am not home often enough to go more than once a month. I will be adding a progressive press to feed them if I get the handgun bug.

So with that said, would this be a good choice for a first handgun? I appreciate any input or feedback.
 
Can't comment on the M&P .40 . But the M&P 9 was the biggest waste of money I've spent on a handgun. Horrible trigger and groups at about 8 inches at 15 yards . Lol . Installing the apex trigger kit helped a lot and the Novak sights were much better. Only thing left was a match barrel for $160. It was very reliable though. I knew it was a tactical gun but didn't expect what it really was like. Buy the best you can or you'll be losing money every time you upgrade.
 
M&P are very easy to maintain like glocks. Just make sure it feels "good" in your hands. Im find myself shifting my grip with my M&P, where my 1911's feel solid in my hands. Going to change over to the Med grips to see how it feels.

other then that, a 22lr might be a better starter pistol to work on form and skills. So just be cautious and pay attention while shooting.

I currently have the m&p40, shoots fine, trigger is nice for a service pistol. I used to have a M&P 9, but hated the feel of it in 9mm. Snappy recoil.
 
Last edited:
If you are not familiar with handguns, don't make your first one a .40 cal. The .40 is a snappier round than the 9mm. Shooting handguns is nothing like shooting a rifle. You can develop bad habits fast without strict attention, like flinching.
I always recommend shooting a lot of .22 handguns first. You don't have to make your first gun a .22 but borrow one and shoot it lots before you buy a centerfire.
 
hatman1793 said:
If you are not concerned about costs as you say, then my suggestion is as follows:

Buy a quality semi-auto in a popular caliber and just shoot it.

My suggestion is to purchase the excellent STI RangeMaster 1911, in 45acp or 9mm and grow into its inherent accuracy!
Click to expand...

Cost is a concern when it comes to the gun itself, but feeding whatever caliber I end up with is less of a concern
 
Brianma65 said:
Can't comment on the M&P .40 . But the M&P 9 was the biggest waste of money I've spent on a handgun. Horrible trigger and groups at about 8 inches at 15 yards . Lol . Installing the apex trigger kit helped a lot and the Novak sights were much better. Only thing left was a match barrel for $160. It was very reliable though. I knew it was a tactical gun but didn't expect what it really was like. Buy the best you can or you'll be losing money every time you upgrade.
Click to expand...

I thought the pro series has an upgraded trigger? I watched the Hickok45 video on the 40 and liked what I saw. He commented on the 9mm pro he had tested and said it was an amazing shooter
 
The question is what are you using it for and what are your expectations? Do you want a service pistol, a target pistol, or..?

CZ Shadow is a good place to be for both.

I skipped 40S&W entirely and have no desire for one. In pistol I shoot 9mm and 45ACP. 40 just doesn't make sense for me personally
 
Mark-II said:
The question is what are you using it for and what are your expectations? Do you want a service pistol, a target pistol, or..?

CZ Shadow is a good place to be for both.

I skipped 40S&W entirely and have no desire for one. In pistol I shoot 9mm and 45ACP. 40 just doesn't make sense for me personally
Click to expand...

+1 I agree did not see the point of a 40 and like my 45ACP 1911 better
 
laker415 said:
I thought the pro series has an upgraded trigger? I watched the Hickok45 video on the 40 and liked what I saw. He commented on the 9mm pro he had tested and said it was an amazing shooter
Click to expand...
maybe the pro has the trigger upgrade, but what about the crappy sights and barrel?
 
I know a lot of people recommend starting with a .22. I started with a .45 LC about 8 months ago then got a 9 mm and a .357 mag. No problems at all and no desire to get a .22. I've sold the M&P 9 and ordered a Springfied RO 1911 , 9mm. Which I should've done in the first place.
 
laker415 said:
Cost is a concern when it comes to the gun itself, but feeding whatever caliber I end up with is less of a concern
Click to expand...

Just curious, what got you leaning towards a .40?

If you don't care about the cost of ammo, and you want something bigger then a 9mm you might want to consider a .45ACP as others have suggested. Makes big holes and has a smoother felt recoil impulse then the .40

Have you shot .40 before?

Maybe you should try some 9mm,.40 and .45acp preferably from the same gun and see which level and type of recoil you enjoy.
 
I got a GSG 1911-22 for my first handgun. Its cheap and has an excellent parts replacement service, if anything goes wrong free replacement part. Most importantly it fires .22 which are cheap (to help you control your aim and get your form down) and low recoil.
I recommend starting with a .22 handgun like:
GSG 1911-22
Ruger 22/45
Ruger Mark III Target
Smith & Wesson 22A
Browning Buck Mark

These will help with your form without eating your wallet as they are all under $600 and you might find one used for cheaper but always try it in your hand before you buy it. This is the most important part, if you don't like the feel of it in your hand, you won't feel comfortable when firing it. Don't be afraid of spending an extra hundred dollars if that one gun is the best fit in your hand.
 
Last edited:
laker415 said:
I have kicked around the idea of a 22 but I don't know if I would be happy with it. I may just end up with 1 handgun so I thought a center fire would be more fun
Click to expand...

I agree. Read my post again. Borrow or rent the .22 and get a lot of trigger time on it before you get on the centerfire. I have never owned a .22 handgun. My first centerfire was a 6" M586. I never shot it until I got the fundamentals down with the club .22s then started with light 148gr wadcutters before the full .357 loads.
I knew I was ready when I could consistently tear the bullseye out of a standard target at 10yds with 50 rds of .22 with no flyers. This was 30 yrs ago!
The .40 as a first gun has lead to many bad habits and experiences. It's fine if you shoot a lot.
If you insist on the one centerfire and you NEED a .40 then make sure you get instruction right away before bad habits develop. The flinch is very hard to get rid of once you have it!
 
Still alive said:
If you are not familiar with handguns, don't make your first one a .40 cal. The .40 is a snappier round than the 9mm. Shooting handguns is nothing like shooting a rifle. You can develop bad habits fast without strict attention, like flinching.
I always recommend shooting a lot of .22 handguns first. You don't have to make your first gun a .22 but borrow one and shoot it lots before you buy a centerfire.
Click to expand...

I have to agree on the 40 S&W I dont even like it and ive been shooting since I was 14 and my first pistol was a 45 ACP that we may have loaded the 200grn SWC to maybe close to max... Its way more snappy then 9mm esp in light guns and its not a thud like a 45.

I went to the club and I borrowed range 22's for the longest time till I think we first got a 9mm. Then I got into IPSC where I ran 9mm and then started to use my 45ACP.

40cal is only decent if you can load it where you can tune out the snappy-nist.
 
You could do worse then a Glock .40 and and an aftermarket .40-9mm conversion barrel.
Throw in an Advantage Arms .22 kit and your done...... for a while...... maybe.
 
RobertMcC said:
I have to agree on the 40 S&W I dont even like it and ive been shooting since I was 14 and my first pistol was a 45 ACP that we may have loaded the 200grn SWC to maybe close to max... Its way more snappy then 9mm esp in light guns and its not a thud like a 45.

I went to the club and I borrowed range 22's for the longest time till I think we first got a 9mm. Then I got into IPSC where I ran 9mm and then started to use my 45ACP.

40cal is only decent if you can load it where you can tune out the snappy-nist.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
The .40 is a pointless caliber in Canada except to cause bad shooting habits! The argument that it's the best compromise between the ammo cap of the 9 and hitting power of the .45 is useless here in the land of 10 rd mags and no self defense!
It's only purpose here is to make Power Factor in competition use.
Like I said, unless the OP is really experienced with handguns, the 9mm is a good start. I have no issue with the .45 either. I have 3 .45 handguns and I love them all!
Shooting 9mm is like popping bubble wrap. Shooting .45 is like squeezin' the Charmin!

PS I own a G22 and I do like it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom