New to the restricted side of guns. Looking to purchase a 9mm hand gun to start. There seems to be many brands and models to choose from. What do you have and what do you like about it? It’s had to do a great comparison before buying. I hope you can share your thoughts to help me narrow it down. Thanks for your time.
Purchasing 9mm - what do you shoot and why?
- Thread starter Ken Nunn
- Start date
I bought a shadow 2 optics ready as my first a few weeks ago as I thought I might only own one handgun so it should be a good one that will be useful for lots of scenarios if I like the competition side of things. That lasted a week or so and now I own 3. One of them is a .22 that I’m waiting for as I was going through rather a lot of 9mm ammo which was making my wallet very light.
Are you close to a rental range by any chance? If at all possible, I would suggest you spend a day trying out different handguns, every hand is different and there are endless variations of grip angle , ergonomics etc, as well as the steel vs polymer, hammer vs striker preference. I love Glocks, and shoot a G19 most of the time, because it fits my hand and just plain works for me, however, there are many people who can't stand a Glock, the grip angle just doesn't work for a lot of people.
if you are a member of a range, try going on a night where they have pistol events and ask some questions,, you will be surprised at how many people will let you try their handgun,, after all, we are all convinced our favorite is the best lol
Good luck in your hunt for your first,,it won't be the last but you will never forget your first
if you are a member of a range, try going on a night where they have pistol events and ask some questions,, you will be surprised at how many people will let you try their handgun,, after all, we are all convinced our favorite is the best lol
Good luck in your hunt for your first,,it won't be the last but you will never forget your first
I started with a Glock 17 generation 4, nice pistol easy to use and clean. i just find it light and kind of small ( i have large hands ) i still shoot i quite a bit but when i picked up a CZ shadow 2 it was perfect, weight, size, sights. Im going to pick up the 22 conversion kit next. The Glock is less expensive and many people love it, But i am recommending the shadow 2. Or buy both , while you can.
There is a few factors to consider, what fits you best, which is the most comfotable, which one do you shoot most accurately (though it might not be the most comfortable), the cost factor, preferences in aesthetics and who could forget the cool factor. I consider myself an average shooter, with medium size hands and my most accurate pistol is my WD Beretta 92 but the gun I shoot the most is my two tone Sig 226. Both of these give me the best results and a better over all shooting experience that any of my polymer and other steel 9s.
Try holding a CZ 75 or even better a CZ 85 . same two pistols . the 85 has adjustable sights and ambi safety plus from what I have heard a nicer trigger pull . very accurate pistols and reliable . plus the feel of the grips are fantastic in my opinion . or your next option is a Glock 17 or a Glock 19. I have only shot so many Glock pistols and need more practice . I find they aren't as easy to shoot accurately as the CZ pistols . without more practice that is . I shot a 9mm Beretta 92 and even though they are highly recommended in some circles it didn't turn my crank . I have seen many people who own the CZ SP01 shadows at my club and all who own them love them . the slide of the CZ pistol rides inside the frame . hence it makes for a more accurate pistol .
Good luck in your choice.
Good luck in your choice.
At the current time, my favourite 9mm is a 9mm stainless steel 1911 CCO, or a Browning Hipower. 1911's are overbuilt for 9mm and in steel frame will last almost forever. They are very accurate with excellent trigger pull and the weight dampens recoil. Single stack magazine means you are not "wasting space" on a neutered magazine and the 4.25" barrel means no ugly pinocchio barrel. The 1911 and the Browning Hipower are very slim compared to most modern pistols and they are classic guns. I also have years of muscle memory built up on pistols with the same grip angles as these two so I prefer them. The 9mm CCO also allows me to practice with a gun similar to my .45 ACP CCO with cheaper, lower recoiling ammo. With Wilson magazines, you can get non-extended 9 round magazines for CCO and 10 round magazines for full size 1911's (both in 9mm of course)
That being said, grip angles can be adapted to after a few hundred rounds and a few draws from holster, and the Glock 48 is very affordable, very reliable and also gives you a slim gun with no neutered magazines, or Pinocchio barrel.
If I were just starting out again, I would buy either a Glock 48, or a Dan Wesson Vigil in 9mm...either a Commander or a CCO. The Vigils come with an aluminum frame which makes the gun lighter too.
Ultimately, I suggest you try out a number of guns before buying your first. Like most people, over time you will buy other platforms and your preferences may change over time and experience.
That being said, grip angles can be adapted to after a few hundred rounds and a few draws from holster, and the Glock 48 is very affordable, very reliable and also gives you a slim gun with no neutered magazines, or Pinocchio barrel.
If I were just starting out again, I would buy either a Glock 48, or a Dan Wesson Vigil in 9mm...either a Commander or a CCO. The Vigils come with an aluminum frame which makes the gun lighter too.
Ultimately, I suggest you try out a number of guns before buying your first. Like most people, over time you will buy other platforms and your preferences may change over time and experience.
I’d say to buy a .22 to start. 9mm ammo is over 3x the price, and most people develop wonderful flinches by starting out with a 9mm or bigger.
Assuming you’ll stick with 9mm and if the idea of competitive shooting appeals to you, you might want to look carefully at the original Shadow. It’ll work for both IPSC and IDPA, and is a very well known gun that will last a long time. It’s easier to shoot than a Glock too.
If you’re older with eyes that suck like mine, then give some thought to a gun that is ‘optics ready’. You can move to a dot easily at that point.
Avoid the headaches with $300 guns. Buy a good name, and that will lower initial frustrations you may encounter with garbage guns like the SD9VE. Don’t buy junk like that. It’s a horrible intro to pistol shooting.
Lastly, learn how to grip a gun properly, before you go out to see how they feel. A proper grip changes how a gun feels in your hands, and may affect your decision.
Assuming you’ll stick with 9mm and if the idea of competitive shooting appeals to you, you might want to look carefully at the original Shadow. It’ll work for both IPSC and IDPA, and is a very well known gun that will last a long time. It’s easier to shoot than a Glock too.
If you’re older with eyes that suck like mine, then give some thought to a gun that is ‘optics ready’. You can move to a dot easily at that point.
Avoid the headaches with $300 guns. Buy a good name, and that will lower initial frustrations you may encounter with garbage guns like the SD9VE. Don’t buy junk like that. It’s a horrible intro to pistol shooting.
Lastly, learn how to grip a gun properly, before you go out to see how they feel. A proper grip changes how a gun feels in your hands, and may affect your decision.
The only rental range in Manitoba is Xtreme in Winnipeg and it's is ridiculously over priced for rentals, it's a long wait until next July but the best opportunity in MB to try a bunch of different pistols would be Wolverine Days at Wolverine Supplies in Virden. When I was looking for my first handgun I actually drove out to Wolverine as none of the shops in Winnipeg would let you handle a handgun without an RPAL and I was still waiting on mine on the mail.
With some of the deals floating around on the original SP-01 Shadow I think it is a fantastic place to start and as a bonus if you decide to compete down the road it is good to go for both IPSC Production division and IDPA. If you come in to Winnipeg often I'd be happy to meet up and let you try my Shadow.
I have a sig p320.
Amazing trigger out of the box, great sights, the trigger assembly is the registered firearm so you can swap the grip and slide around for different ones if you choose.
The deciding factor for this gun over the HK VP9 was the fact that its so modular. I do really like the VP9 though.
Most people will say go Glock for your first firearm, but I would argue go for the P320 or the VP9, far better trigger, sights and ergonomics out of the box.
Glocks are more of a buy one, then spend another $500 upgrading it to perfection type of gun.
Amazing trigger out of the box, great sights, the trigger assembly is the registered firearm so you can swap the grip and slide around for different ones if you choose.
The deciding factor for this gun over the HK VP9 was the fact that its so modular. I do really like the VP9 though.
Most people will say go Glock for your first firearm, but I would argue go for the P320 or the VP9, far better trigger, sights and ergonomics out of the box.
Glocks are more of a buy one, then spend another $500 upgrading it to perfection type of gun.
I have no idea what your experience is with handguns but I have tried multiple P320's and I'm not sure I've ever found a modern handgun with a worse trigger. The 320 X5 is better but the stock 320's I've tried are awful.
