First Handgun

MrNg

MrNg

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Hey guys,

I just finished my safety course for both non-restricted and restricted and am going to mail in my PAL application form within a few days.

Naturally, I'm excited to purchase my first gun and I'd like some opinions since I don't want to go in and do this blindly. What are some good starter handguns?

Just cruising around on the websites like Canadaammo.com I see Norinco 1911 handguns are fairly cheap. I know they are chinese made knock off's of the Colt 1911 but are they really that bad? How is the quality?

I'm not a first time shooter by the way. I have fired a 1911, CZ 9mm, .22 Ruger, .22 rifle (not sure which), M4a1 (full auto), and others.

Thanks.
 
G17 or M&P9 are great starter pistols. Its a matter of what fits your hand better, both guns are equally as good. (I went with the G17, and I love it)

I dont have any experience with the Norinco 1911, but I do have a Norinco M213 and im fairly happy with the cheap knock off. If you got into the sport about 4 weeks ago, you would have been able to buy one for $124 shipped to your door.

Here is a simular thread someone started, http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310544

Try the search function, type in Norinco 1911, or anything you are interested in, and im sure there will be information on it.

Also, posting where you're from would be helpful, many members are willing to take some new shooters to the local range and let them try their guns.
 
Oh, yea I should really fill that stuff in.

I'm in Vancouver BC. My father has a Norinco 1911 that has been tuned up and customized and it shoots fine but I have heard on multiple occasions that they are of shoddy quality. It seems to me that alot of people are just riding the bandwagon without seeing for themselves.

I have also looked at the M&P9 like you said and the Ruger SR9 but they will come up to over 600 dollars. The Norinco will be significantly cheaper. As much as I like them I may not want to shell out that type of cash on my first gun.
 
MrNg said:
Oh, yea I should really fill that stuff in.

I'm in Vancouver BC. My father has a Norinco 1911 that has been tuned up and customized and it shoots fine but I have heard on multiple occasions that they are of shoddy quality. It seems to me that alot of people are just riding the bandwagon without seeing for themselves.
Click to expand...

Well, I have two Norcs (NP-34 and NP-29) and have shot others. All functioned 100% with no issues. Some of the models have some rough edges, some have heavy triggers, but they all functioned properly and are significantly more accurate than I am. I would not hesitate to buy another Norc 1911 in 45.

That said, I would suggest a .22 or 9mm as a first gun over the .45 simply because of ammo costs. 45 is around 50% more expensive than 9mm, which adds up fast if you do any amount of shooting. As with rifles, a .22 is really the best starter gun going because of the low ammo costs and lack of recoil. My centerfire accuracy improved significantly after I started using my .22 pistol (it's a Ruger 22/45).

Mark
 
MrNg said:
Oh, yea I should really fill that stuff in.

I'm in Vancouver BC. My father has a Norinco 1911 that has been tuned up and customized and it shoots fine but I have heard on multiple occasions that they are of shoddy quality. It seems to me that alot of people are just riding the bandwagon without seeing for themselves.

I have also looked at the M&P9 like you said and the Ruger SR9 but they will come up to over 600 dollars. The Norinco will be significantly cheaper. As much as I like them I may not want to shell out that type of cash on my first gun.
Click to expand...

Armco, one of our site supporter, a gunsmith, also a deal sell tuned Norinco, it will cost you a little more than the others but the gun will be a sweet heart. And it fits your bill.

Trigun
 
I jsut bought I S&W .357, after some help from the guys here. I pick it up soon when my rapl arrives. The reason they were saying that cause it can also fire .38 spc and its really affordable. Plus the .357 is Fun as hell to shoot
 
+1 for an Armco tuned Norc (especially if your father reloads, or you can talk him into reloading) you'll get a good solid pistol with a terrific trigger - but have him do the sights too!
 
I bought a revolver for my first pistol. A Dan Wesson in .357, and it's wonderfully versatile, and I've never regretted it. Speedloaders are cheap, and I don't play in the short grass (or the mud, or the snow) looking for brass.

I own a number of autoloaders now too, and just bought an IMI eagle, but I still put alot of rounds through that wheelgun on a regular basis, and it's probably the last pistol I'd sell.

Don't forget about the cost of mags when buying guns, you'll want ten or more and that adds up, and you'll want to remember the price of once fired brass when choosing a caliber, and the price of bullet too, unless you decide to cast your own bullets. Get a progressive and start reloading. I really like my norc 1911 but don't bother pinching pennies when you buy your gun, not with powder and primers at the prices they're at.

So, I suggest a revolver that can take .38 special for your first pistol, it was a good decision for me. It's not "mall ninja ###y", but it's alot of fun, and you can use any type or shape or weight of bullet, and they never jam. 6 for sure, over and over and over again.
 
I was in the exact same position at the start of the year. I ordered a Norc 1911 from Can Am. Although I intend to send it to Armco one day, I'm very happy with the purchase as it is (although CanAm dropped the ball a couple times, they got it right eventually). If I had a do-over I wouldn't change a thing.

Spend less $$ on the gun and more on ammo - they're WAY more fun to shoot than to look at :)

7m7
 
I own a norc 1911, did not do much to it but put thinner wooden grips, low mount saftey, heavier return spring, and full lenght guide rod and finely a longer ejector, the gun runs great, it ran great before the little add one, so go norc single stack 1911, and have more money for ammo, go look at my pic on profile to see what you can do with one
 
I own three 9mm's I'd say if you're looking for something cheap try to get a 9mm ammo is alot cheaper than .45

The two m213 Norinco's I have have been pretty good, once I get more money I'd love to get a 1911 or revolver. Then again a .22 pistol would also be great as it's around $15-20 for 500 rounds nothing better than shooting as much as you can not giving a shat about the ammo price.
 
For my first handgun I got a Hi-Point JCP (.40 S&W) and I couldn't be happier.

I've never had a misfeed, jam, or misfire with it -- which is more than I can say for some of my other firearms. I've read a lot of reviews saying they're ugly or too heavy due to their heavy-slide, blowback design, but this hasn't bothered me at all. The gun feels great to hold and the slide is easy to rack.
 
I bought a GLOCK 17 as my first pistol and i was not disapointed. I am sure that the GLOCK is the only pistol that i can "service" myself, if needed. I have owned a Sig P226 and handeled CZ and beretta's and i can say that thoses are really great piece of gun, but if something break inside of it, i will not be confidend enough to detail stirp it to change the broken part.
 
Beretta 92 was my first gun..still have it...will never selll it :) Always a good choice if you're looking for a 9mm. M&P is another great gun esp if you want plastic or don't have a lot to spend...you'll want/need a .22 at some point; I ended up getting one few handguns later...so might as well get one as your first gun.
 
If you're keen on a 1911 and if your dad shoots often enough to justify it you could both save a bunch of bucks by setting up a single reloading station and just reload your own .45. The cost of the machine will be easily paid for a few thousand rounds later and from there on you'll be able to reload your .45 for about 1/2 the cost of factory 9mm.

Given the issues with inconsistent trigger pull on the stock out of the box Norincos you may want to spend a little more to get the Armco version which seems to enjoy an excellent reputation for fit and trigger feel. The other option would be to spend a little more and get a Springfield or STI Spartan and get most or all of the performance in a stock gun right out of the box.

I recently started shooting IPSC and if you plan on something like this you'd be better off with a gun that uses cheaper brass. The pace of the matches doesn't allow for a lot of time to hunt for your brass. Also I have yet to need more than 4 magazines to finish a stage. But I have a fifth just in case one of the others gets its lips bent during a match.

But somewhere pretty quick you should also get a .22 to help you work on your grip consistency, sight view and flinch avoidance practice. Also it's still "real" shooting and the ammo is super cheap.

And come out to the next Speed Steel shoot at Mission. This is a real blast of an event and it's multi gun AND rimfire friendly so you can shoot your eventual centerfire gun as well as your "trainer" .22 in a friendly and fast paced fun event.

http://www.missionrodandgun.com/calendar/Jul_09.htm
 
Awesome thanks for the info.
I'm going to pocket the money I have now and save up for maybe a Springfield or a Kimber. Since my father already owns a tuned up Norinco he told me to just save for something nicer.
 
Go to your range, pick out all the nice shiny ones you like and ask the owners to let you shoot them. Easiest way to find out what you like with out blowing all your money.
Don't buy something your not comfortable with.
I'd suggest something that's cheap to feed, easy to operate and something comfortable.
I've shot things that just felt wrong and others that I just loved.
A .22 is a good thing to learn with and you can afford to practice 10x as much.

My favourites i've owned are,
1911 .45acp
Springfield XD 40
Beretta 92 fs
S&W 686

The most fun to shoot is my Ruger Mk III .22lr target pistol.
Also have an old S&W K-22 masterpiece (.22lr) revolver, it consistantly hits steel plates at 100 yds.(when i can)

Never was a fan of the Norc. stuff, one shoots ok, the next one doesn't, at least thats the way things seem to go around here.

M.
 
As above, in addition to a 1911, pick up a reasonable 22LR, say a Ruger or similar. It will give you LOTS of practise/trigger time considering the 3-$400 you spend on a 22 doesn't go very far when buying 45ACP ammo. One box (50) of 45ACP => $25-30 one brick (500) of 22LR => $20-30

As for a 1911, also take a look at Dan Wesson, their level of quality far exceeds the price you pay, (no MIM and a lot of Wilson Combat parts) They are also way ahead of production guns like Kimber, etc, for only a few hundred more.
 
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