first hand gun

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gord1986

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Hi,

I am new to the form. I recently received my PAL (restricted and non-restricted)

I have bought a few long guns already and have decided its about time to get a hand gun.

I am looking for some advice on what kind of hand gun would be a good starter gun. I am a pretty big guy and think i can handle the recoil of larger rounds.

I have been very interested in getting a Norinco for my first gun. their reasonably inexpensive and look cool. Has anyone ever bought one? If so would you recommend it to a beginner?

also i am looking to spend preferably under $700. but if all that is available at that price is garbage then i would be willing to go up to $1200.

Thanks!

gordo
 
gord1986 said:
Hi,

I am new to the form. I recently received my PAL (restricted and non-restricted)

I have bought a few long guns already and have decided its about time to get a hand gun.

I am looking for some advice on what kind of hand gun would be a good starter gun. I am a pretty big guy and think i can handle the recoil of larger rounds.
I have been very interested in getting a Norinco for my first gun. their reasonably inexpensive and look cool. Has anyone ever bought one? If so would you recommend it to a beginner?

also i am looking to spend preferably under $700. but if all that is available at that price is garbage then i would be willing to go up to $1200.

Thanks!

gordo
Click to expand...

Well then hands down go for the 500S&W:D but you'd have a hard time getting one for $700 plus the ammo would be $700/month.

Seriously, search "my first handgun" there must be 10K threads.

I bought a .45ACP 1911 SA Loaded and a .22 Ruger MkIII as my first handguns as I was waiting for my RPAL to show up. The .22 is cheap to shoot when you run out of CF rounds and great for introducing kids and new shooters to the sport. If you only have $700 and want a CF go for a 9mm in whatever fits your hand in that price range. There is a good selection. Buy a good used one for even less.

If you have huge hands like me I found the S&W M&P 9mm with the interchangable grips was a good fit.
 
I was in your exact same situation earlier this year, My first gun was supposed to be a Ruger MK III.... it was on order until just last month... so in the meantime, my first gun was a S&W 686 .357 :)

go to your local club and ask around, try some stuff out, most folks are happy to show off their guns. See what you like, see what feels right.

I've got a Norinco NP22, and NP58 (9mm, and .40). They are great guns, and a real deal. Keep an eye on the EE for something you like, if you outgrow it, or want to get something fancy and new, you'll probably be able to sell your starter gun for almost the same that you bought it for
 
Start out with a good .22 pistol, such as either a Ruger Mk II/Mk III or Browning Buckmark. This will allow you to master the fundamentals for a far lower cost than shooting even 9mm. When you become proficient with the .22, then you can start to consider centrefire pistols.

Within reason, recoil tolerance has little to do with physical strength. It is more mental than physical.
 
Actually, I spotted an ideal first gun at my local store last week, it's a CZ 75 and Kadet conversion (basically two guns in one). The conversion turns the pistol into a .22 from a 9mm. The switch back and forth is simple, and you can shoot 9mm 'till you run out, and then shoot .22, all on the same frame (same trigger pull, same safety, etc.) The CZ is an excellent pistol, and very popular in 'practical' shooting.
 
All thoses are good guns but not the only ones.

Glock 17 (No.1 choice)
CZ 75 (No.2 choice)
S&W M&P9 (Glock copy so better pick the Glock anyway)
Sig P226 (A bit pricy for a first pistol)
 
I'm gonna get "shot" for this, but here's my take as a newb.

I went in planning to buy the G17. It is easily the most frequently recommended gun.

Tried it out at the range vs the Sig 226, liked the Sig better (feels more substantial). The Glock is just too light.

Then I tried a 1911 (dunno which manufacturer, because I really wasn't considering it seriously at the time due to ammo costs) but it felt better than the first two, partially beause it was a bigger heavier gun. Didn't like the scrawny grip though.

Held a few others, ended up buying a Beretta 92FS. Bigger than than the other 9 mm, but even though I am a small to medium sized guy I didn't mind it. I like the all steel (mostly) construction. A lot of the criticism for it is its size, which in the US with all their concealed carry and regular carry options may be an issue. But in Canada where you will be carrying to the range in a box, then putting it back in the box when done, this is a non-issue.

No one has ever criticized its accuracy, and though there have been some concerns about mechanical failure of the locking block, there are tons of threads of this nature about any commonly used gun, and it is a very widely used handgun with mostly very good reviews.
 
You didn't say where you live in your user profile. If you're anywhere near one of the locations where they have a commercial range where you can "rent" a variety of guns I suggest you head over and try out a bunch. You'll soon get a feel for which you like and what you don't. And when you do take a note book and a camera and take lots of notes with some pictures. What feels great on one person's hand may not fit your hand.
 
gord1986 said:
Hi,

I am new to the form. I recently received my PAL (restricted and non-restricted)

I have bought a few long guns already and have decided its about time to get a hand gun.

I am looking for some advice on what kind of hand gun would be a good starter gun. I am a pretty big guy and think i can handle the recoil of larger rounds.

I have been very interested in getting a Norinco for my first gun. their reasonably inexpensive and look cool. Has anyone ever bought one? If so would you recommend it to a beginner?

also i am looking to spend preferably under $700. but if all that is available at that price is garbage then i would be willing to go up to $1200.

Thanks!

gordo
Click to expand...

Gordo:
I would get some experienced advice on this; someone to handhold you through the purchase.

Realizing that you are brand new to this, one wonders what you want to do with the handgun? That will dictate the advice you receive.

It's pretty tough to suggest something without knowing what you want to do with it... one thing for sure though, I would stay away from anything that is in the least 'cheap' or 'questionable quality'. Personally, I am partial to Glock, Sig, Walther, S&W, Springfield and a few others. And again it depends very much on what you want it for. For IPSC we use Glock and Para and are looking to try out the Springfield XDM series. They are all super reliable and it depends on how much you want to spend as well... in your price range Glock is going to be a good bet but if you are looking at target shooting Glock is not the way to go... you probably want S&W, Walther and those specific for target shooting. And then there is the topic of stateside carry and that is a whole different kettle of fish with different specs.

My advice? Get paired up with someone with loads of experience and perhaps try out a few at the range before spending your hard earned money. We have a couple of HK P7M8's that I just love but many will swear at (I wasn't going to mention them). What fits your hand may not fit someone else's and vice versa. Calibre? You may want to think about starting out with a decent .22 to get used to using a handgun before sinking money into a more expensive piece. We have several .22's and shot .22 for a while before moving up. I love the Ruger Mk II and III with bull barrel. There are better of course but you get what you pay for and the Rugers are easy to clean and if kept clean are very reliable and fairly accurate; they are also inexpensive at about $400 give or take. And if you buy a good used one you will get your money back quickly when you decide to move up. We kept ours so we can take newbie friends out to the range to plink. Keep in mind that restricteds can only be transported to and from a range (with the odd exception) and can only be shot at the range. In Canada.

Your question is a very valid one but one that is probably the most difficult to answer - you need to spend some time at the range and with experienced shooters before you make a decision. On the other hand, with a Ruger Mk II or such, you are not blowing the budget and you are going to get your money out for the most part when you make a decision on another handgun.

Whatever you choose, good luck to you. It's a great sport.
 
BCrider hit it in the A-Zone. If that is not an option ask to try other folks pistols. If that is not an option go handle a few a your local shops...Fit is pretty important for a sporting gun imho
 
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