cheap fun
- Thread starter brybenn
- Start date
- Location
- West Quebec
22 cal Colt gets my vote from that list
If this is your first handgun I'd stay away from the tokarevs. Fine guns in their own right, but not an ideal starting point.
The gsg 1911s get good reviews from what I've seen, I'd probably get one of them if i was picking from that list. The colt might be a better gun, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $$$ (not that i even know what the price on a colt is...)
The gsg 1911s get good reviews from what I've seen, I'd probably get one of them if i was picking from that list. The colt might be a better gun, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $$$ (not that i even know what the price on a colt is...)
Even at today's crazy price points .22LR is still a lot cheaper to buy than any center fire ammo. You still get twice as many trigger pulls per buck with rimfire as you can with the cheapest center fire.
If you opt for a center fire gun as your first then strongly consider a rimfire as your second gun. More trigger pulls means more opportunities to perfect your stance, grip and sight picture.
Unless you plan on being a very infrequent shooter you will quickly find that you "shoot the cost of the gun" in a short time. That is the cost of the ammo will match then pass the cost of the gun early on. So saving a few bucks on a cheap gun is not good economics. Buy good name brands and buy guns which will fit in with more of the fun competition scene in your area at a later date. Going out on your own or with a buddy to punch holes in paper get's old faster than you'd imagine. And when that occurs then you can stir up the juices again by entering the local competition scene even at a lower level. You get to test yourself in new and interesting ways with the demands of shooting quickly while still needing to focus on accuracy. And you get to hang out and chat with folks that have similar interests. All in all it's a grand way to spend a day shooting even if you actually shoot less per day than you do per hour when on your own.
And on that note a TT is a poor choice I'm afraid. I really do like the design. And they do shoot decently, quite nicely in fact. But it lacks things such as a proper safety and has poor ergonomics for two handed use if you have larger hands that makes it a less than ideal gun for competitions.
If you opt to get a .22 as your first gun then the GSG is not a bad option. It can be slightly more fussy on ammo options than some but if you stick with round nose instead of hollow points then it should cycle fine with most ammo you can find. If in doubt just buy a 50 round box to try it first before you jump into buying a bunch of bricks. The least fussy rimfire semis tend to be the Browning Buckmark and Rugers. But not everyone likes the looks of "proper" rimfire guns. You might also consider the new S&W Victory. It seems to be getting pretty good reviews.
If you opt for a center fire gun as your first then strongly consider a rimfire as your second gun. More trigger pulls means more opportunities to perfect your stance, grip and sight picture.
Unless you plan on being a very infrequent shooter you will quickly find that you "shoot the cost of the gun" in a short time. That is the cost of the ammo will match then pass the cost of the gun early on. So saving a few bucks on a cheap gun is not good economics. Buy good name brands and buy guns which will fit in with more of the fun competition scene in your area at a later date. Going out on your own or with a buddy to punch holes in paper get's old faster than you'd imagine. And when that occurs then you can stir up the juices again by entering the local competition scene even at a lower level. You get to test yourself in new and interesting ways with the demands of shooting quickly while still needing to focus on accuracy. And you get to hang out and chat with folks that have similar interests. All in all it's a grand way to spend a day shooting even if you actually shoot less per day than you do per hour when on your own.
And on that note a TT is a poor choice I'm afraid. I really do like the design. And they do shoot decently, quite nicely in fact. But it lacks things such as a proper safety and has poor ergonomics for two handed use if you have larger hands that makes it a less than ideal gun for competitions.
If you opt to get a .22 as your first gun then the GSG is not a bad option. It can be slightly more fussy on ammo options than some but if you stick with round nose instead of hollow points then it should cycle fine with most ammo you can find. If in doubt just buy a 50 round box to try it first before you jump into buying a bunch of bricks. The least fussy rimfire semis tend to be the Browning Buckmark and Rugers. But not everyone likes the looks of "proper" rimfire guns. You might also consider the new S&W Victory. It seems to be getting pretty good reviews.
I recently bought a 1911 in 9mm and will be buying another higher end one in 45. I'm looking for something more for others to shoot and for me to just dump rounds down range. I don't want to hand a new shooter a $2000 45 and have them drop it.
With either I can stock pile ammo reasonably cheaply. I find the recoil from the tt33 fairly easy and the boom is far more impressive than the 22lr for only twice the price
I admit I'm not a big handgunner. I prefer shotguns and rifles
With either I can stock pile ammo reasonably cheaply. I find the recoil from the tt33 fairly easy and the boom is far more impressive than the 22lr for only twice the price
I admit I'm not a big handgunner. I prefer shotguns and rifles
- Location
- West Quebec
Always a solid choice..
Pistolwhiptricks
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Mississauga
The problem with a 22lr pistol is the boredom you get after shooting it for 10 min. There just no excitement.
Check out the Star Model B's that some of the sponsors have. 1911 type of pistol so you will be familiar with the workings, sized down for 9mm, very inexpensive without being cheap and you don't need to worry about it like you would your expensive 1911.
ya gotta watch the Tokarev. Its 762x25 round is DEADLY. It will penetrate steel targets.....I know, I have some home made ones and the Tok ammo goes through them like butter ! Its a very fast deep penetrating round. Will zip through a lot of stuff that a 357 wont. I was reading on a US Gun Forum, and they don't recommend the Tok for Personal carry because it will go through the Aslant & the 2 people behind him, LOL. I personally love mine and it has never gave me any trouble. Wild little gun.
Should you get one.....................
Added note- you wont be able to use it at Indoor ranges, as they destroy the back- stop.
Should you get one.....................
Added note- you wont be able to use it at Indoor ranges, as they destroy the back- stop.
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Hence the thought of the 7.62x25. Big bang. Impressive flash yet still cheap
Another option to consider might be a 9mm 1911. Norinco ones are like $350 if you can find them, and Wolverine sells the SAM 9mm 1911s for under $600.
This way you get a centerfire 1911 without buying 45acp, and you can avoid the milsurps for now.
This way you get a centerfire 1911 without buying 45acp, and you can avoid the milsurps for now.
Don't let anyone talk you out of the TT33. You don't need a safety, you'll adapt your grip to suit, and you can always reload for them if you get tired of the snappiness or your range doesn't like the surplus ammo.
These are real bargains, and I suggest anyone not buying one now will regret it later...
These are real bargains, and I suggest anyone not buying one now will regret it later...
I see this so often. There's some truth in it. But some of us enjoy being able to shoot neat tight groups for cheap or use the rimfire as cheap practice alternative for center fire guns. The excitement comes from hitting what we aim at. And when we can do that in a really tidy way then for some of us that's excitement enough.
Yes to all of that. And I even used my own 9mm Tokarev M213 for a couple of evening IDPA practices just for giggles. But to make the gun safe for holstering while loaded I had to go with either an empty chamber and rack it as part of my draw or I had to lower the hammer and #### it as part of my draw and presentation. Neither of which encourages a speedy first shot on target from the draw.
I really do like the design. It's one of those guns which is elegant in its simplicity. And the two I had were tack drivers to boot after an initial break in. But the Tok just didn't fit in with the events I shoot and they were not seeing the light of day often enough to keep around. So away it went.
