Is my first pistol choice a good one?

Thanks for the input. I am not set on anything. I am not a handgun guy and have not researched like I normally do. I will look at a 22 to develop some good habits. 45 acp would be close behind. I love the look of the 1911
 
laker415 said:
OK, I will look into the smith then. I have a healthy stash of mini mags but I would prefer a gun that eats the cheap stuff that is readily available.
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Cheap .22??? Where? Bwaaahaaaaahaaaa!!

PS About the 1911. You will find disassembly and re assembly to be a royal PAIN. You can strip and put together any polymer gun 5 times in the time it takes to put a 1911 back together. Also, watch out for the idiot scratch!
Yes, I have 1911s.
 
The GSG likes HV .22 ammo is picky with the ammo, still a fun gun to shoot, tons of after-market stuff, you want grips(done!), you want to replace safeties(done!), you want a holster (done!). The buck mark is also a good gun less picky with ammo but hard to find after-market stuff. I hear once you break-in the GSG it becomes a more reliable gun, like many guns it gets better after many rounds are put into it. Again I bought the GSG over the buck mark because it fit my hand better, you may find the buck mark to fit better in yours, it is all about the right fit.
 
Still alive said:
M&P 22 is great! You heard right about the GSG. Stock up on high velocity .22, like CCI Minimags if you get the GSG.
Of course, you will find Minimags to be Unobtanium!
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M_User said:
The GSG likes HV .22 ammo is picky with the ammo, still a fun gun to shoot, tons of after-market stuff, you want grips(done!), you want to replace safeties(done!), you want a holster (done!). The buck mark is also a good gun less picky with ammo but hard to find after-market stuff. I hear once you break-in the GSG it becomes a more reliable gun, like many guns it gets better after many rounds are put into it. Again I bought the GSG over the buck mark because it fit my hand better, you may find the buck mark to fit better in yours, it is all about the right fit.
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I had a GSG conversion kit. First time I had it out with old ammo I wanted to throw it down range. I took it out later and ran Rem Golden Bullets out flawless.
 
A .22 is a good caliber to start since you have limited handgun experience. Stable platforms should be a GSG 1911, Browning Buckmark, Ruger MK III or Ruger 2245. GSG 1911 seems to be the cheapest among them. Best customer support and easiest to maintain. You can also get a branded 1911 in 9mm and just grab a .22 conversion kit. This will give you a registration with multi-caliber set-up. There is also a .22 cal SIG pistol that allows an up-caliber conversion to either a 9mm or a .40 cal. A CZ Kadet is a .22 cal pistol which will eventually lead you to a 9mm, .40 or a .45 cal CZ pistol upgrade. Before you buy, try as much pistol you can get. basic parameters to consider: GRIP, SIGHT, WEIGHT/BALANCE and your ability to handle the recoil. Do not by impulse buy a pistol recommended by reviews you read. Try it, or at least check the GRIP, SIGHT, WEIGHT/BALANCE and see if that particular pistol suits your requirement.

laker415 said:
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.
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M_User said:
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.
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.22's are a blast. I have 4 of them and they are just as fun to shoot as as a centerfire. I actually shoot the .22's more because I can shoot the thing all day and it costs about $20 +/- a few $$. I gave a 22A, as listed above, got it for $285 and the gun is a tack driver. The kids and their friends love shooting the .22's, can't hit anything but they sure have fun.
 
I've been shooting anything I could get my hands on for 40 years, I currently own 2 Glocks (since they were introduced, I've owned many Gen 1, 2 and 3), an M&P9 (my 3rd M&P) and a 1911 (my sixth). The gun I shoot the most (55,000 rounds to date) is the M&P9. More than accurate enough (full mag dumps into a 3x5 card at 15 yards), decent, workable trigger and rock solid reliable. I don't shoot 40 cal, simply because it snaps more than necessary and while it does have more power, the 9 has more than enough power to put holes in paper. Cost saving on ammunition is more important than cost saving on the gun - work out what an M&P costs, then try to estimate the value of 55000 rounds.
 
I have a 1911 22 that I simply don't have any interest in shooting. It is a good gun to have new shooters try and I keep it for this. I reload so when I shoot a pistol I use centre fire. I just bought a .40 recently because I could and it fills out the line up for my shooting activities. I would suggest that you get a 9mm to start and the S&W M&P9 is a great gun especially in the range kit. The trigger can be tidied up easily and it is "accurate" for a pistol. I have put 10s of thousands of rounds though mine. The Glock is great too. If you are a go for the throat sorta guy then I'd recommend a 1911/2011 9mm like the STI guns.

Have fun.
 
enefgee said:
I don't shoot 40 cal, simply because it snaps more than necessary and while it does have more power, the 9 has more than enough power to put holes in paper. Cost saving on ammunition is more important than cost saving on the gun - work out what an M&P costs, then try to estimate the value of 55000 rounds.
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Exactly, spend the extra on getting a nice pistol and then save money every time you squeeze the trigger.
I'd probably shoot .45acp more then 9mm if it was the same price but I'd also shoot 9mm more then .40 if it was the same price.
The bonus on the 9mm vs .40 fun factor is that not only is it more fun to shoot 9mm at the range it's also cheaper.
 
my first HG was a the M&P 9mm. it was okay but really there is better guns out there for a first time. unless you are getting a good deal on the M&P I would get something else. if i was going to buy a handgun for a friend for a first gun I would get a glock 17 9mm. if you could still get the norinco 9mm 1911s that would be even better but my choice would be the glock and I have had lots of different pistols.
 
I love my M&P9, nothing but good groups and is very comfortable. Purchased it new as part of the range & carry kit, great deal. Second pistol was a GSG 1911, very comfortable and nice (purchased it used and it has the upgrade spring kit, etc). You can't go wrong with the M&P9. People complain about the trigger, but that's more of a problem on the older models. Don't waste time on .40 or 45, 9mm ammo is cheap and everywhere you go. A Glock 17 or 19 would also be an excellent choice.
 
laker415 said:
I think the m&p 9 range kit will be what I go with. If I enjoy it then I will consider a 1911 in 45acp next. Thanks for the input
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Bought that kit as my first handgun 3 weeks ago, and love the feeling. Did not shoot many pistols/revolvers in my life, but so far I really like this one (the multiple backstraps really helps to find a confortable grip). Also, for groupings, I was able to do 3 inch groupings at 10 yards the first time I tried it! (except a couple of flyers that were way way off target, but those were totally my fault, not the pistol)
 
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