First Pistol Recommendations

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Animatronic Fireman

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Hi everyone

I am considering purchasing a pistol to practice my pistol handling so I am prepared for course this summer, with the intention of eventually taking it to a range.

Please provide recommendations on things I should look for and consider. Obviously 22 would be the cheapest route to go but I was also considering starting with a 9.

Thank you.
 
I recommend a Sig Mosquito for .22 cal, or a SIG P226 in 9mm (you can actually buy the .22 conversion for the P226 - best of both worlds!)
 
I love my gsg 1911 in 22, cheap to feed, and easy transition to larger calibers.
You wont be able to buy one before you pass your rpal course if thats what your intending?
Depends on your budget, but just make sure you can afford to feed it, Id rather have 500 9mm rounds downrange than 200 45acp, for example.
Also, sticking with the main ones like MP9, Glock 17 will make it alot easier to get into it all, and give you the most options to learn on then going for a slightly cheaper but less well known pistol.
Also think about what you want to end up doing ( just target, IDPA, Ipsc, 3 gun) and take that into consideration so you dont have to buy twice if you cant afford it.
 
I've been doing piles of research on this very topic. I am settling for a Smith and Wesson MP 9mm as my first pistol. Go right to it. Love shooting .22 though! The best thing to do is go to a range and local stores, and actually hold em. See what fits ya best! I've seen guys who swear by something for several years drop their go-to like a hot potatoe because something they never tried comes along and it just works for them. S&W makes an MP .22 as well. I may get it for fun, but 9mm ammo isn't too expensive comparitatively to other ammo, of course nothing is a inexpensive as .22. Happy choice making, first pistol is a exciting time :)
 
I recommend buying a .22 LR pistol as your first handgun. It will be much cheaper to shoot and the lack of significant recoil will allow you to learn and improve your skills quickly.

If money is not an issue, many common centrefire pistols have .22 conversion kits.

I have a GLOCK17 Gen 3 9mm and an Advantage Arms .22 conversion kit and I like the combo a lot.

If you'd prefer to buy just one pistol then I'd suggest something accurate but not expensive like a Browning Buckmark or a Ruger.
 
Start with 22 ...if you want the feel of full size pistol get gsg 1911 they are cheap to get than you got the m&p 22 the sig p226 classic 22 for more $$$ cz kadet or glock 17 + 22kit ... You know if you really like it you will buy lot´s of gun After that crasyness of gun nutz
 
Ok thanks for the early responses. I definitely have my RPAL. I don't plan on shooting competively. initially for weapons handling practice and then for just for fun and keeping practice.

I like the idea of a calibre conversion, how quick is it to install? It seems like it would make for becoming familiar with the weight and fit of just one gun, but does it throw people off switching calibres? How expensive are they?

Two corporals in my platoon just debated the Browning and the SIG, I should have taken notes!
 
Animatronic Fireman said:
Ok thanks for the early responses. I definitely have my RPAL. I don't plan on shooting competively. initially for weapons handling practice and then for just for fun and keeping practice.

I like the idea of a calibre conversion, how quick is it to install? It seems like it would make for becoming familiar with the weight and fit of just one gun, but does it throw people off switching calibres? How expensive are they?

Two corporals in my platoon just debated the Browning and the SIG, I should have taken notes!
Click to expand...

My AA conversion is easy to install. Take out the magazine and slide of the 9mm and slap the .22 slide onto the GLOCK frame. Load .22 magazine and you are GTG.

I bought my AA kit used for around $275.
 
Are there any design issues I should think about...are all of the modern pistols double action (not even really sure what that means) but I think that was one of the points against the Hi Power in the debate and that it needed its magazine seated to be fired. Do they all utilize a similar safety or do some models have a poorer setup/design for the safety?
 
I bought a Sig P226 in .22 and shot it for a while. Then I bought the 9mm exchange kit. 2 guns in one. Takes about 20 seconds to convert from one to the other.
 
I went the M&P.22 Route along with a side order of Glock 17. Get both if you can, but if you have to choose a. 22 is a lot of fun and hard to beat for cheap ammo. The Advantage arms kit also seems very interesting.
 
Animatronic Fireman said:
Two corporals in my platoon just debated the Browning and the SIG, I should have taken notes!
Click to expand...

If you're military then you'll be hard on your guns and you'll expect them to work always... just get a glock. I've got 10,000? rounds thru mine, never had a stoppage. She eats cheap, expensive, FMJ, HP whatever. Easy to clean and only 5 drops of oil always. There's a few on EE right now that are properly priced for used guns, and of course there's a few for the regular WTF? EE price.

As another member suggested, you should go to a shop and hold as many pistols as you can and just see what feels good.
 
Animatronic Fireman said:
Two corporals in my platoon just debated the Browning and the SIG, I should have taken notes!
Click to expand...

If they were debating the 9mm's I would side with whomever said Sig was the better choice. I would also recommend getting a 9mm to start. recoil is mild, and you will be shooting one gun. master the one gun. Then move on to another one if you so choose.
 
All the guns tend to have slightly different controls. They'll mostly be pretty close in each case but there can be variations in size and placement within the "zones" we expect to find such things. For example most slide releases are levers located along the left side a little above the trigger. But the Ruger Mk III uses a button there instead of a lever. And the safeties on some guns are actually de-cockers. Again, for example, the Beretta 92fs has a slide mounted decocker that is up high and at the rear of the slide while the decocker on a Sig is a long throw lever that sticks out along the left hand upper side of the grip scale. So there is some learning and checking that needs to be done for each firearm.

I'm a big fan of separate .22 pistols. The only really good reason for a conversion kit would be if I were shooting with ONLY ONE handgun to prepare for matches or the like. But I just enjoy the variety of jumping around too much. So instead of some parts that can't be shot sitting around I opted to buy whole separate guns. That way I can just pick up and go or I can shoot one while a buddy or girl friend shoots the other... once I trust them not to shoot themselves, me or anyone else.... :D

If you look around enough at this exact same question that gets asked so often you'll find that for .22 handguns there are a few that keep coming to the top. They are;

  • Ruger Mk III in the swept back style or the 1911'ish 22/45 model.
  • Browning Buckmark. The URX version has nicer grips
  • S&W 22a
  • GSG 1911

If you opt for a Ruger 22/45 model pay the extra to buy the version that has the replaceable wood side scales. The other cheaper all one piece models are simply too skinny to fit anyone normal. I have no idea what the heck Ruger was thinking when they approved that particular model.

If we toss in a revolver to the mix the list grows by the following two guns;

  • S&W 17, 617 or K22
  • Ruger Single Six or these days an option is their Single Ten

Obviously there are other guns out there but these are the ones that no one says are at all bad... at least MOSTLY no one says anything bad about them. Any of these will treat you well and provide many years of reliable and accurate use for not a lot of money.

If you don't mind spending more than there are some really nice pistols. But they don't come at beginner friendly prices. And in fact at just a little under $1000 a new S&W 617 might not be considered beginner friendly either.
 
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