Buying a Hand Gun

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rossi

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I'm thinking of buying a hand gun, but I don't know how much I want one.
My big fear is with the Liberal control in Ontario, hand guns might go the way that prohibited guns are now. So once I have one I'm hopefully grandfathered.
Do I buy semi-auto, or revolver, 22lr, or 9mm, or 40SW. Any help I could get from the group would be gratefully appreciated.
 
Start with a 22 like a ruger mk3 if you are on a budget and want to practice a lot. Or get a Glock, they are going for the cheapest they have been in over a decade.
 
I agree about the .22. It's by far the best way to start learning to shoot handguns. I don't agree about the Glock. They're interesting and efficient, but I'd place the emphasis on finding something that fits your grip. If it turns out to be a Glock, that's fine. How well you shoot will always depend on how you grip the gun, and as calibre increases, the grip becomes more important. If you live near gun stores, or can attend gun shows, look for guns that fit your hand. Enjoy it.
 
MTF said:
I agree about the .22. It's by far the best way to start learning to shoot handguns. I don't agree about the Glock. They're interesting and efficient, but I'd place the emphasis on finding something that fits your grip. If it turns out to be a Glock, that's fine. How well you shoot will always depend on how you grip the gun, and as calibre increases, the grip becomes more important. If you live near gun stores, or can attend gun shows, look for guns that fit your hand. Enjoy it.
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Glocks are efficient, reliable, fairly accurate but interesting they are NOT.
:D
 
I dissagree on getting a .22 to "ease" yourself into handguns. Unless you're a child or you have never shot any gun before, go directly to the centerfire caliber of your choice. After shooting several boxes you will be profficient enough.

(If you are a child or completely new to guns, borrow a .22 for a week or so, after shooting off a box of 500 rounds you'll be itching for a real gun).

Any 9mm semi auto will do, ammo is cheap, and there are plenty to choose from.

If you want a revolver get a .357 mag, you can shoot both .38 special and .357.
 
john@ said:
I dissagree on getting a .22 to "ease" yourself into handguns. Unless you're a child or you have never shot any gun before, go directly to the centerfire caliber of your choice. After shooting several boxes you will be profficient enough.

(If you are a child or completely new to guns, borrow a .22 for a week or so, after shooting off a box of 500 rounds you'll be itching for a real gun).

Any 9mm semi auto will do, ammo is cheap, and there are plenty to choose from.

If you want a revolver get a .357 mag, you can shoot both .38 special and .357.
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Bingo!! very true. A .22 won't make you feel you have a gun but make you feel you have a fun toy. If you afraid of the damn low change, get the most powerful semi auto pistol, black and green rifle to make yourself grandfathered just incase. I didn't make myself 12.6 intime and feel kick my nutsac everyday.

Trigun
 
Some guys need a big gun to compensate for a small d***. :p

Do you own a .22 rifle? If the answer is yes then why? Why would you not just have a 270 or 308? Hell why not only shoot magnums and feel like a real man. :rolleyes:

First forget about the idea of owning only one handgun. Only guys that buy a gun more powerful than they can learn how to shoot properly have one gun.

One of the best choices for a first gun is a .22 as mentioned or a revolver that will shoot 38 special ammo. In case you didn't know a 357 revolver will also shoot 38 special ammo. You have a better chance of learning to shoot properly and not developing a hard to get rid of flinch.

Handguns are easy to shoot but challenging to shoot well. There are a lot more things to get right compared to rifle shooting.

No matter what you get make sure you get a good quality handgun that is accurate. There are a lot of "defense" guns out there that are good for their intended purpose but have issues when it comes to real accuracy in the hand.
 
I'm with the buy a 22lr crowd... Been shooting HG for quite a few years and still always take a 22lr to the range with me :D

I wouldn't loose much sleep over the Liberals, if you get a semi, it only means that they have one more person to deal with... which makes it harder for them!
 
My vote is for a .357Magnum revolver!
Shoots loads from "mild" to "heart thumping" Magnums. Start off with milder .38special, move up to .38+P for added punch, and finish off with .357Magnums for added thrill! Or to make things more interesting mix up the loads in the cylinder, give it a spin, and fire away! It's like Bits & Bites....;)
Another plus is you don't have any casings to chase when you're done and no mags to mess with(ie. buy, load, etc.)
ps. my semi-auto's are feeling a little ignored lately(the .22lr's are collecting dust).
 
My first handgun was a Ruger Stanrdard in 22lr. I put about 1000 rounds through it before I bought a Beretta 92, then I sold the 22 later to fund a Smith and Wesson 28 (38/357). I still kick myslef for selling the 22.

I agree that you should start with a 22, but be prepared to buy more of them later. If you are unsure waht you want, I would suggest going used; at least if you decide to sell you will not loose ae much.
 
1). Don't bank on grandfathering.

2). Buy a good gun that you will use a lot. Handle them and if you can, fire them and get to know which one you like. .22, 9mm, .357 Magnum, 40 S&W, .45 Auto, .45 Colt, I don't give a damn. Just pick one you dig... dig?

3). Join a shooting club and compete, get out there, put your sport in a positive light and put it in people's minds about how safe and fun it is.

4). Be an abassador, take people shooting, let them have fun.

If you do these things, three things will happen.

1). Shooting sports and the required firearms will be safeguarded against tyranny.

2). You will educate the people and give them the truth.

3). You will have a hell of a lot of fun!
 
Maple Leaf Pilgrim said:
1). Don't bank on grandfathering.

2). Buy a good gun that you will use a lot. Handle them and if you can, fire them and get to know which one you like. .22, 9mm, .357 Magnum, 40 S&W, .45 Auto, .45 Colt, I don't give a damn. Just pick one you dig... dig?

3). Join a shooting club and compete, get out there, put your sport in a positive light and put it in people's minds about how safe and fun it is.

4). Be an abassador, take people shooting, let them have fun.

If you do these things, three things will happen.

1). Shooting sports and the required firearms will be safeguarded against tyranny.

2). You will educate the people and give them the truth.

3). You will have a hell of a lot of fun!
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The best advise here!

Trigun
 
What about a convertable .22lr kit and a larger center fire caliber handgun? I'm getting a Beretta 92FS in 9mm and a .22lr kit for it. I'll start off shooting .22's then move up to the 9mm when I'm comfortable with it. I'm doing this because I've never shot a gun before.
 
john@ said:
I dissagree on getting a .22 to "ease" yourself into handguns. Unless you're a child or you have never shot any gun before, go directly to the centerfire caliber of your choice. After shooting several boxes you will be profficient enough.

(If you are a child or completely new to guns, borrow a .22 for a week or so, after shooting off a box of 500 rounds you'll be itching for a real gun).

Any 9mm semi auto will do, ammo is cheap, and there are plenty to choose from.

If you want a revolver get a .357 mag, you can shoot both .38 special and .357.
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.22 is a fantastic first pistol. I didn't buy one until about my 10th handgun and I wish it would have been my first. It comes to the range every trip. Nothing beats $1.40/50 rounds of factory ammo that you don't have to pick up for reloading. I don't have a centerfire pistol that can shoot with the .22's. For me, massive recoil does nothing, I'd rather shoot tiny groups at 25m with my .22.....
 
Th idea of starting off with a 22 is a very good one. A 22 has very little recoil or noise, so you won't have to get over flinching later. Ammo is very cheap, so you can do a lot of shooting. This will allow you to get the basic handgun techniques down and become a proficient shooter without going broke, as the same techniques apply to all handguns.

While you are spending a lot of time at the range, you will be able to talk to the other shooters there and get their ideas on what other handguns you may be interested in. One of the main things I like about going to the range is that there are a lot of guys and gals there, and they have a wide variety of guns that you could look at, examine, and probably try out. This will give you an excellent idea as to what gun is best suited for you. There is nothing more disapointing then ordering a gun that you never actually handled, and when you get it, find that it doesn't "fit" you.

Take my word for it, 22's are a lot of fun and are cheap to shoot. No matter how many guns you will buy later, you will always have a 22.

Your going to have a lot of fun in the shooting sports. Good luck.
 
I starting switching back and forth between my .22 and .45 ACP. Since doing this I found my groupings have been getting consistently better. The .22 let's me focus on technique and lot more. If I start flinching etc. I know it's not because of the gun but rather me. The same type of rationale holds true for guys that use snap caps etc. But hey, that's just me, maybe the other guys that suggest going straight to centre fire have been shooting longer than me.
 
Ive been shooting handguns for 30+ years and own 22s up to 44 mags.I enjoy shooting them all.However the one gun that I always come back to is my 22.When I put my IPSC gun away for the winter months I find that the 22 is a great refresher on the basics such as sight picture,trigger control etc

Get yourself a decent 22(doesnt have to be new)that has adjustable sights and a good trigger.Something like a Ruger or Browning,you can pick these up for reasonable prices on EE and Armco often has them around.Stay away from the e cheapo "sport" 22s with fixed sights and crappy triggers.

To become a good handgunner you need to shoot alot and a 22 allows you to do this.Once youve got the basics down you can look at a centrefire and by then may want to get into one of the organised disciplines(bullseye,PPC,IPSC whatever),you would have had the time to decide exactly what you want for a second (and subsequent) gun.And yes,the 22 is a "real" gun
 
I have had a Ruger .22 bull barrel that pretty much goes to the range with me every trip for the past 20 years. It probably has had as many rounds through it as all of my other guns added together. Get the 22 first. Work with it, learn from it, watch and talk to other shooters, and take the time to figure out what you want in a centerfire in the meantime. As far as centerfire goes, I have to admit, I prefer wheelguns (revolvers) over pistols and I like magnums over lighter loads but I only shoot recreationally. No organized disciplines since I have such an incredibly lousy work schedule and cannot commit to any sort of regular leaguework or competition. At any rate, whenever I find my centerfire accuracy falling apart, I switch back to the 22 and work on fixing up my mistakes.
 
M_A_T_T said:
What about a convertable .22lr kit and a larger center fire caliber handgun? I'm getting a Beretta 92FS in 9mm and a .22lr kit for it. I'll start off shooting .22's then move up to the 9mm when I'm comfortable with it. I'm doing this because I've never shot a gun before.
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Most basic centerfire guns do not have as good a trigger as a basic 22. While the Ruger 22 is cheap it has an acceptable trigger (a little spongy if you can tell, but most can't). The cost of a conversion barrel costs close to the cost of a complete gun. I would rather have two guns rather than one and a barrel. Less hassle. What if a part on your gun breaks and you can't get it fixed right away. If you have two guns (should have more though) you can always shoot the other gun.
 
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