First Pistol

kidcom said:
Personally I strongly suggest that you start off with a 22LR pistol. Ammo is cheap allowing you to do a lot of practice shooting in order to get use to a pistol. With that in mind there are several nice 22LR pistols out there. My suggestion would be the new S&W Victory 22LR with it's match barrel. A terrific and accurate shooter. Good luck....
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Good advice and then move from there..
 
Just sold my M&P 9 Range kit on the EE. Loved the fit and feel, but I just couldn't shoot it well, and my wife (just got her RPAL) was the same. I figured for the cost of an APEX trigger, I would be putting more into it than I wanted too...and if I get into IDPA I believe the trigger takes you out of the stock class.

I went with the TP9SA based on the reviews, price and trigger. Fit and feel is also great...still waiting on my Reg papers before I can test it out. Decocker was not a concern for me and if the cerakote wears (only from holster use), I can get it redone....
 
M&P series has the advantage of getting the same handgun in .22lr also. I have both the M&P9 and the M&P22. When I'm done with big boy 9's I switch to .22lr to get a little more bang for the buck at the range.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I will be headed to a range this evening that rents a good selection of pistols. I'll handle as many as I can and try to specifically test out some of the firearms mentioned.
 
If you have never used a pistol before, take someone along who is experienced or ask the RO for help for tips on the proper grip and sight picture. When you are testing and choosing a pistol, it's best to have the fundamentals down so the only variable is the gun itself.
 
Burchell said:
Greetings everyone!

Im new here and would like to ask a few questions. I just recieved my RPal in the mail yesterday and am getting ready to purchase my first hand gun.

Im working with a loose budget of about $600 and am wondering if anyone would be kind enough to offer some advise.

Ive been doing a bit of research and have narrowed it down to following options:

Smith and Wesson Sd9ve
Canik TP9SA
Jericho 941(baby eagle)
Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm

I worry the SD9 may leave me longing for upgrades as I hear the trigger is fairly basic. I also hear mixed opinions about the build quaility feeling a bit cheap, although I have no experience with this gun and may be mistaken.

The Canik seems to be well liked and the de-cocker and single action are not an issue for me. I have heard a few stories about the feed ramp being a bit rough around the edges causing ocassional jams. I also hear the finish may wear over time.

The Jericho/Baby eagle seems to hit all the right buttons but is at the upper limit of my price range. At the time this is my top pick, but again its pushing my budget.

Ive shot the M&P 9 and loved it. That being said the only other hand gun ive shot is a Baretta (forget model) which is my uncles service pistol in the Canadian Border Services. I did not like this gun compared to the M&P. I found the trigger very heavy. That being said I outshot everyone at the range with it, managing a very tight group from a variety of distances. I still did not like the way it felt in hand, which may be why I liked the M&P so much.

That about sums it up. Anyone have any direct experience with these firearms that could make a recomendation for a first time owner who will likely only own the one firearm for a few years?

Thanks for reading!
Cheers
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Check out the Girsan Yavuz Regard. Awesome pistols for what you get. On a side note, with respect to the use of your uncles duty firearm, id stay tight lipped about it...
 
Got to recommend starting out with a 22 - and get a snapcap or two for dry firing practice - I know, I know, lots of recommendations for a 9mm / 40 / 45 but to be quite honest - there are not many good pistol shots out there. Hone technique with a 22 and then progress
 
North of 7 said:
Check out the Girsan Yavuz Regard. Awesome pistols for what you get. On a side note, with respect to the use of your uncles duty firearm, id stay tight lipped about it...
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OP states in his post that he doesn't like the feel of the Beretta at all, I don't think the Girsan is a good recommendation as it is a clone of the handgun he has stated he doesn't like,lol
 
I have an m&p9 and love it. I can't say much about the canik or sd9, but I have shot the baby eagle. It's a pretty nice but heavy gun, but not really for me. But I love my mp9, some people don't like the trigger but I don't mind it at all!! I got the range kit and it came with 4 mags.
 
Thanks again for suggestions everyone! I am going to check some of them out this evening.

I had a chance to hold the Jericho 941 and Glock 17 this evening. The Glock felt nice and I could see myself liking it very much. The Jericho felt perfect to me. Maybe I should be looking at some of the CZ clones or see if I can find a second hand CZ 75. I much preferred the weight of the steel pistol and the grip felt like it was molded after my hand. The slide mounted safety on the Jericho was a bit odd. I had no trouble racking the slide, but grabbing it by the safety felt strange.

I'd still like to get my hands on a Canik. I'm going to do some window shopping tomorrow at some local spots and see what else I can find.

I may pick up a cheap second hand .22 as well. Something a little more economical to shoot would nice. I'm likely to get the 9mm first though. I have shot bows, all sorts of air rifles my whole life, and have some range experience with pistols.
 
Canik

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Well if you are set on a larger caliber do not discount the NP22 , do all the googling it is awesome
9mm sig 226 clone and a great time , my second pistol
 
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