Beginner Handgun

G

geo11

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey guys, so I got my pal/rpal and am ready for my first purchase. I've done tons of reading but though it would be best to hear some first hand experience.

I'm looking for my first handgun and was wondering what recommendations people had and why.

I'm open to anything but major concerns are budget and quality.

I'd like to stay in and around $1000. The less expensive the better. but don't want to get much higher than that.
 
Find out what type of pistol you like. Fit in your hand, ease of controls. If budget is an issue, pick one that's cheap to run (ammo), because the initial cost of buying the pistol is small compared to the money you will spend on ammo if you shoot a lot.
 
Learn to shoot with a 22 before you do anything else. You can get a good Ruger 22/45 for about $350, these are very accurate, have great triggers, and are super cheap to shoot. It has the same controls that you will find on any large bore handgun. You can then put the balance towards a big bore handgun once you've learnt to shoot. You won't impress anyone at the range with your Glock or Sig if you can't shoot straight.
 
I second buying a .22LR pistol for your first handgun. It shoots cheap ammo (so you'll shoot more and get better at it) and it's a great fun firearm.

Once you decide to move up to a bigger-bore handgun, that .22 pistol will become your "buddy gun" or "learner's gun" when you take friends out who are new to shooting.

I'd recommend something like a Ruger MkIII or a Browning Buckmark. They're relatively inexpensive (both around the $350 mark), extremely reliable, and very accurate.
 
As others have said, start with a 22.

My opinion: Ruger mkIII, Ruger 22/45, Browning Buckmark, or Sig p226 Classic 22 (this last one is upgradable to centerfire).

22LR is definitely the best way to develop shooting skills (cheap ammo and low recoil). That said, I know the urge to have something big bore to play with. But at the start, you probably don't know exactly what you're going to want, so I always advise going with something cheap but still functional (you can get three Norincos within your budget:)). I think resale value on lightly used pistols tends to be pretty high, so don't agonize over getting the perfect pistol at this point.

Spend some time at your local shop feeling up guns and chatting with the staff: Some pistols will feel better to you than others.
 
IMHO it is not necessary to start with a rimfire for your first gun provided you are willing to handload and provided you are willing to begin with mild loads. If you are going to take up handloading at the same time as you begin handgun shooting, start with a .38 Special or a .357 Magnum, otherwise start with a .22 rimfire. As to the type of gun you should start with, what turns your crank? Single action revolver, double action revolver, 1911, Glock, or a double action auto are all practical considerations? What type of shooting interests you, bullseye, IPSC, cowboy action, PPC? If basic handgun marksmanship is your initial goal, a medium frame double action revolver with either fixed or adjustable sights in .38 Special or .357 magnum or in .22 rimfire is an excellent learning platform. I'd consider a new or used S&W M-19 (.357) a S&W M-14 (.38 Special) or a S&W M-17 (.22 LR) for a first gun.
 
If you're lucky enough to have a range nearby that has pistols available to borrow/rent, do that. Burn some money on that, find out what brand, model, caliber you like, and then you've got all the info you need to make a decision right for you. Will probably work better than having someone else's preferences influencing you, they might love polymer while you hate it, etc. Of course, trying all those handguns will probably just make you end up with a long "to-buy" list for the future...
 
I'd say a .22 or a 9mm, the 22 because ammo is inexpensive and it's easy to fire therefore you can learn with that and it won't cost much to go through a few thousand rounds. The 9mm. for similar reason with more punch.
Personally, I think everyone should have at least one Glock in their collection so start with one of those. And, then as you get to learn more about the other brands and styles, grips, sizes, et al you can make better informed decisions.
For example I really like H&K, Glock, Sig Saer in .9mm, 40 and 45cal., I've fired S&W 44 as well, but that's just plain ridiculous and rounds are very expensive.
 
Agreed, 22 is the best starter gun, learn to use the fundamentals.... Then go up... Also find a good range where people will let you try out their guns, then you'll get a good idea of what you like
 
Personally, i would suggest a 9mm, the ammo is inexpensive and its just as available as 22lr. Some of the 22s are picky about ammo whereas 9mm are much less so. Also many people get bored of 22 pretty quickly so that is something to think about. If you are new to shooting in general then a 22 is probably the way to go, but if you are just new to hand guns, then a nice steel 9mm like a Jerico 941 Baby Eagle would be a good choice
 
As someone else said already we can't hold the gun for you. If you're at all near any of the rare commercial rental ranges you owe it to yourself to spend some money trying out a bunch of rental guns first.

If you can't do this then my advise is to buy a CZ 75 in 9mm and a Browning Buckmark .22. Then you have a good quality 9mm as well as a great quality .22 for cheap shooting. The two guns in total will come out a little over your $1000 limit once taxes are added. But you'll have two great guns as a solid start to your collection.
 
When people asking for what to buy for a first handgun, many people suggest a .22, it is a yes or not answer. You should start with what ever cal you want to shoot and learn from their. As BC rider point out, go to a rental range and try them all, well spend your money and get some thing you like the best.

Trigun
 
I bought a .22lr, Ruger 22/45 mk III, $315 from Al Flaherty's, love it, thousands of rounds for little money, like $50/1000 round average. Sure it can get a little tedious, but that's true of any learning process, repetition builds solid skills.

Next bought a Glock 17, gen 4, $680, Target Sports. Tougher to shoot, but its only been 300+ rounds.

Next handgun, thinking 1911.

Remember you can always sell off your first pistols and upgrade later, nothing's set in stone.
 
BigBeaverBoomStix said:
I bought a .22lr, Ruger 22/45 mk III, $315 from Al Flaherty's, love it, thousands of rounds for little money, like $50/1000 round average. Sure it can get a little tedious, but that's true of any learning process, repetition builds solid skills.

Next bought a Glock 17, gen 4, $680, Target Sports. Tougher to shoot, but its only been 300+ rounds.

Next handgun, thinking 1911.

Remember you can always sell off your first pistols and upgrade later, nothing's set in stone.
Click to expand...

I did the same as this dude...Hes right!
 
If your budget is $1000, I wouldn't buy a handgun that costs much more than $700. You will want that extra money for ammo.

If you can go to a range that rents, try some different ones out first. Handguns aren't like rifles and there is a huge amount of subjective appeal to them. At the very least I would shoot a Glock and a CZ75. Both are immensely successful designs in their own right, and even if niether of them really do it for you, as long as you keep an open mind the experience will give you a more informed opinion on poly vs. metal frame and DA/SA vs. SA or striker fired.

I fired a CZ75b, 92fs, Hi Power and P226 before settling on my first gun- a CZ75b Omega. I was really settled at the time that I didn't want a polymer framed gun so I never tried any out. I absolutely love my CZ for what it is. If I had to sell everything and could only keep one gun, that would be it. Still, later on I ended up shooting a G17 and USP45. In hindsight, I probably would have had no regrets about buying a Glock for my first handgun either. No harm ever came from this, but it's a lesson learned through experience- don't write anything off until you try it.

The second lesson is that my $620 handgun out of a $900 budget easily tipped close to $1000 once all was said and done. Once you factor in all the accoutrements- ammo and a cabinet especially, you can easily find yourself over budget if you buy.. say a $950 HK or Sig out of a $1000 budget. If you've already got that stuff, or have taken it into account that's great.

I don't really buy into the whole '.22lr for first gun' thing.. but I definitely wouldn't recommend any calibre other than .22lr or 9mm. .45ACP and .40S&W don't seem that much more expensive until you start actually shooting them.
 
justinchow said:
Agreed, 22 is the best starter gun, learn to use the fundamentals.... Then go up... Also find a good range where people will let you try out their guns, then you'll get a good idea of what you like
Click to expand...

+1 on that. Ideally you would know a shooter that will take you to their range to try their gun(s) and they may know others that will let you try their guns. There's no substitution for live fire. Second best option is to try different models in a retail outlet.
 
From what've read on the forum there seems to be couple of camps...
1) Buy a dedicated 22lr pistol, GSG 1911, Ruger etc
2) Buy a centerfire pistol w/ the 22lr conversion kit
3) Buy a Surplus pistol (Tokarov most likely) and shoot the surplus ammo
4) Start with 9mm, shoot it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom