Almost ready to buy my first pistol, need some advice.

Dan Wesson Vigil offers aluminum frame 1911 in government, commander, or CCO size in either .45 or 9mm, with many features including black nitride type finish. Irunguns has them in stock on their US site.
 
Sig p226s Tacops 9mm or .40. I have both. They will outlast you. 9mm came with 20 round mags (pinned to 10) at one time but hard to find. Make sure you shoot one first the Beavertale isn't for everyone. Doubt I'll ever sell mine... really love these!
 
Get a .22, one that is accurate enough to help you shoot better, not a cheap lead-spreader. I've owned all kinds of centrefire pistols and revolvers over the years. Presently, I am shooting .40 IWI Jericho a bit more than anything else. I shoot a lot of 9 mm and .45 (I reload everything). My 9 is a CZ clone, and I love it; great trigger, works all the time, and is very accurate. Both it and the 1911 .45 are easier to shoot well than the .40; but at this stage of my life, I find the more challenging .40 is improving my shooting with both the 9 and the .45. The .40 is a heavier gun, but is a lot snappier to shoot, and therefore harder to shoot accurately and quickly. For a beginner, I would be concerned about it developing some bad habits.
 
Bodain said:
I've had a few people suggest 9mm for the first pistol for those exact reasons listed above, cheaper, less recoil, etc., but I feel like I really want some extra oomph lol

Seems like 9mm is about $2 cheaper a box than .40SW, and .40SW is about $6 a box cheaper than .45ACP. That big jump to .45ACP has got me thinking....




I'm not too concerned with recoil tbh...

I've fired some pretty large pistols without flinching (.44mag, .45-70) without issues. I'm not a small guy. :)


Thanks for the replies, gents! Maybe I'll take a second look at the Beretta 92....
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Have a buddy randomly load a mag with a couple of snap caps mixed in without you watching. Then, have him watch you shoot the mag. I bet you flinch when the snap cap doesn't go off(most people do to some extent and it takes time to minimize/overcome it).

Trust me and set your ego aside, it will help in the long run. Many people use a 22LR to help improve their basic skills. Larger calibers are fun and can be shot just as proficiently with practice but, for a first or only handgun, my opinion is that 9mm is the best center fire option. YMMV of course.
 
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I got a .40 as my first gun. It was the wrong caliber. I should have gotten a nine. I recommend you do the same.

If you buy a 1911, buy it in the proper caliber (.45 ACP). I recommend a Ruger SR1911. I got mine for a grand and it has been amazing. It even has the plunger tube built right into the frame which Colts at the 1500 dollar mark don't even have.
 
Tachead said:
Have a buddy randomly load a mag with a couple of snap caps mixed in without you watching. Then, have him watch you shoot the mag. I bet you flinch when the snap cap doesn't go off(most people do to some extent and it takes time to minimize/overcome it).

Trust me and set your ego aside, it will help in the long run. Many people use a 22LR to help improve their basic skills. Larger calibers are fun and can be shot just as proficiently with practice but, for a first or only handgun, my opinion is that 9mm is the best center fire option. YMMV of course.
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I agree. I have been shooting hand gun for about 45 years, and I am getting over it. LOL
 
Kosmonument said:
I got a .40 as my first gun. It was the wrong caliber. I should have gotten a nine. I recommend you do the same.

If you buy a 1911, buy it in the proper caliber (.45 ACP). I recommend a Ruger SR1911. I got mine for a grand and it has been amazing. It even has the plunger tube built right into the frame which Colts at the 1500 dollar mark don't even have.
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Mine is a Norinco; no issues, ever. Super accurate with 200 gr. SWC bullets too. Managable to shoot. I had the good fortune to recently shoot a SIG .45 1911; wow! Was it ever nice; but not $1000.00 nicer than the Nork (maybe $400.00) ;)
 
Tachead said:
Have a buddy randomly load a mag with a couple of snap caps mixed in without you watching. Then, have him watch you shoot the mag. I bet you flinch when the snap cap doesn't go off(most people do to some extent and it takes time to minimize/overcome it).

Trust me and set your ego aside, it will help in the long run. Many people use a 22LR to help improve their basic skills. Larger calibers are fun and can be shot just as proficiently with practice but, for a first or only handgun, my opinion is that 9mm is the best center fire option. YMMV of course.
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I'm sure there's some flinch, no one is perfect lol. It's hard not to move in anticipation to a force being exerted on your hands and wrist. I still occasionally flinch when firing my .300 win mag, but I've done my best to overcome it.

Really not interested in a .22LR pistol, but I am seeing the benefit to perhaps going with 9mm.

Meroh said:
I agree. I have been shooting hand gun for about 45 years, and I am getting over it. LOL
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Took that long, eh?

I do like the idea of using some snap caps to see if I flinch.... good advice.
 
This discussion on flinching is like the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine plays tennis and tries to say she has "some grace". Her boss said you can't have "some grace". Either you have it or you don't. I feel like either you flinch on a trigger pull or you don't. It may not be every pull but a flinch is a flinch is a flinch and it will impact your accuracy downrange.
 
I like the Beretta 92 a lot and I enjoy shooting .40 but I've read that the 96 can have durability issues. If it were me I'd get a 92 or another .40 (FWIW, my .40s are a Walther P99, Glock 22 and H&K USP). A lot of folks like the HK45 and I tried to—I've bought (and subsequently sold) three different ones. My complaints were that the grip texture was too slippery, but the bigger complaint was that the groove in the inside of the trigger guard hit my trigger finger under recoil. Many shooters don't have the problem, though, although Larry Vickers (one of the guys behind the design concept) does experience it.
 
Travis_m said:
This discussion on flinching is like the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine plays tennis and tries to say she has "some grace". Her boss said you can't have "some grace". Either you have it or you don't. I feel like either you flinch on a trigger pull or you don't. It may not be every pull but a flinch is a flinch is a flinch and it will impact your accuracy downrange.
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You can have grace sometimes, and not others, just like you can flinch sometimes but not others. It's a skill, and no one is perfect at something all the time.

I've certainly flinched before and pull shots from time to time, but I've worked fairly hard and consistently to minimize that reaction.
 
Glad I came back to this tread what a good idea to train with snap caps randomly loaded into a mag. Going to try this exercise this weekend!

Bodain/OP, yes I mentioned a 1911 because of all pistols I've owned, and *had to* pick one, the 1911 would be it. But in all honesty I too shoot 9mms the most often (my Walthers) because of 'bullet-economics' lol. Paper targets downrange won't know the difference and trigger/recoil management about the same I find on a polymer 9 vs steel .45.

I wouldn't spend too much time on this debate though - because I know of zero people with a restricted license who have only one pistol in their safe!

Cheers.
 
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