Good first handgun?

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chip_143

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hey everyone, i will be getting my restricted license soon and will be on the market for a handgun. I would really like .45 1911 by kimber or something like that but im not sure if .45 would be a good caliber to start out on or not. I also usually buy good quality things so they last me a good while but is it really worth dishing out around $1200 for a first gun? What is your opinion?
 
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chip_143 said:
hey everyone, i will be getting my restricted license soon and will be on the market for a handgun. I would really like .45 1911 by kimber or something like that but im not sure if .45 would be a good caliber to start out on or not. I also usually buy good quality things so they last me a good while but is it really worth dishing out around $1200 for a first gun? What is your opinion?
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.45 ammo is about double the cost of 9mm, which is something you might want to keep in mind (depending on your finances, of course). Also, stay away from Kimber as they tend to have reliability issues. There are better 1911s out there (i.e. S&W, STI).
 
i spent a little over 1200$ for my first gun (a sig 229) and i say it is deffinatly worth it, gun is much better than i am and has never let me down.

i would suggest a 9mm for your first gun for less recoil and cost of shoot. but with the .45 kimber if you want to spend an extra 300$, you can get a .22 kit for it for really cheap shooting
 
Ya really gotta decide why ya want da gat and what ya plan ta do wid it. There are so many varied choices out there in a myriad of price ranges, calibers, materials, and finishes :runaway:.

Ergonomics play a huge role: are you a large, endomorphic person with huge hams; of the ectomorphic persuasion with miniscule mittens; or somewhere in between? Get something that fits your particular hand properly, and that you can lift--which may very well not be the pistol you had in mind or find most aesthetically pleasing :dancingbanana:.

Do lightweight, hi-tech, space-age materials float your boat, or are you a retro "Harley" kinda guy that likes the feel of heavy metal in your palm? Do you plan to engage in shooting sports (IPSC, IDPA, 3-gun, bullseye, etc.)? If so, buy what the mainstream shooters of each respective discipline are using--at the very least, you will be able to borrow gear and magazines in times of dire need and have a ready-made market for selling your rig if that sport turns out to be not for you :).

Are you planning on reloading your own cartridges, because shooting some calibers is just plain cost prohibitive! I've actually seen guys shoot a single round of .38 Super out of a race-gun, then stop and follow the arc of the brass as it is ejected and pick it up--not my idea of fun, but they sure sound cool. I won't even mention .50AE or .454 Casull et al! :eek:

The handgun really is a "tool" and each has its own innate purpose--just because some people bang in a nail with a pipe-wrench, doesn't mean it's right, or the best choice, but sometimes it will do in a pinch: I just wouldn't want to build a house with one anymore than I would want to hunt deer with a Barrett .50 BMG ;).
 
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My first handgun was two. I bought a Ruger MKIII .22LR for cheap shooting and a Springfield Armory 1911 .45ACP for a bigger bang. I am now working on my 6th in less than a year. :D

I am also reloading.
 
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If you want the Kimber in .45, buy it. At the same time, also buy a .22LR conversion kit.

Beware the man with one gun.
 
yeah i'd say spend a little more on your first gun. you might be happy with your purchase and decide to keep it for long time to come versus spend little on something you don't really like then look for something better in a month or 2.

im very happy to my first handgun purchase and i dont think i'd ever sell it. when you spent 800-1200 on a quality gun that you like ,you would take it out , handle it and appreciate its' quality and craftsmanship when you werent shooting it. i dont think that would apply if your first gun was a Nornico :D
 
starting out all over again. i WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER A 1911 or ANY AUTO unless it was in 22 to begin with- REVOLVER ( GP100 OR SMITH 686) IS THE WAY TO GO- in STAINLESS- YOU'LL SPEND FAR LESS TIME CLEANING THE DARNED THING - even if you reload, you STILL have to chase your brass, wich cuts down on your shooting time
my first pistol was a COLT GOVT series 70 , and then you had to get the extra mags, the reloading set-up, the pouches and holster, and then the consumables- brass, bullets, primers, and powder- and then you'll have to get the thing"worked on" - as it stands right now the only things on it that's colt are the frame, slide and barrel- the rest is wilson- with the revolver, you get to know accuracy and trigger control as well as dicipline- you load 5 or 6, learn to make every shot count, tape your holes and go again- the tendency with the auto is just to "blaze away till empty"- ie you learn nothing
shot to shot b/c you don't know which you pulled, or didn't line up right , or whatever
and i guarentee no matter how careful you are, you won't get all your brass back- you may numerically- it's either 1 or 2 over or under, even on an indoor, but how do you know that brass is yours without a special mark or something- i lost a slide stop due to a head blow out on brass i thought was mine a while back-
right now the popular choice is some kind of a 9mm, and i'll admit i've got a few , but i say buck the trend and learn HOW TO SHOOT
 
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well perhaps i should lean more towards practicality rather than "ooooooooo shiny" and get a glock or a sig. Im not really interested in a revolver but I still have a few months to decide and i think ill get a reliable 9mm and save the polishing and cleaning my .45 dream pistol for later on when i learn more about handguns and decide if it is for me or not.
 
The two you are suggesting are two very high quality handguns.
The Glock 17 and the Sig P226 9mm are extremely realiable pistols, of course both are not in the same category as the Glock's frame is made out of polymer and the Sig is a kind od alloy, but both don't need to be tested anymore, they proved over the years, and they are still two of the, if not THE bests pistols on the market today.
Both are what I am going to buy as my first restricted too, I am a Sig guy so I'll probably stick with Sig. ;)
 
REVOLVER ( GP100 OR SMITH 686) IS THE WAY TO GO- in STAINLESS- YOU'LL SPEND FAR LESS TIME CLEANING THE DARNED THING - even if you reload, you STILL have to chase your brass, wich cuts down on your shooting time

+1

38's are: cheap to shoot, easy to reload, easy to capture cases, simple to aim (I'm still working on that part), safe to use, reasonable to clean and don't jam unless they are really dirty.

Why wouldn't you want one or two?
 
Glock-17 is a good deal for sooooo many reasons...

  • they're extremely reliable, and easy to use
  • They're available cheap on the EE
  • 9mm is cheap
  • reasonably accurate
  • parts, including mags, are readily available and, again, CHEAP

What's not to like? :D

I have a 19, a 20, and a 29, but they're all a little more pricey...
 
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All of the above mentioned about Glock is true and great but, for me, I just don't like the pistol itself. The grip angle just doesn't do it for me. I snap the gun up and shoot... the ceiling :D
 
My first handgun (18 months ago) was a .22 pistol, and I have honestly put about 5000 rounds through it. I shoot a 500 rd economy box of .22 ammo each time I go to the range and it costs me about 17 bucks for hours of shooting. I now have a 9mm on the way as I think thats the next step once the training wheels come off. I have had LOTS of practice now (which I wouldn't have even come close to being able to afford starting off with a centerfire) I spent lots of time practicing holds, breathing, etc.
They are alot more fun than you'd think (.22's) and they certainly don't break the bank. I bought a mint Smith and Wesson 422 semi 6" barrel for 275 shipped. I can't wait to put my next 5000 rounds through her.
 
sgt.rock said:
My first handgun (18 months ago) was a .22 pistol, and I have honestly put about 5000 rounds through it. I shoot a 500 rd economy box of .22 ammo each time I go to the range and it costs me about 17 bucks for hours of shooting. I now have a 9mm on the way as I think thats the next step once the training wheels come off. I have had LOTS of practice now (which I wouldn't have even come close to being able to afford starting off with a centerfire) I spent lots of time practicing holds, breathing, etc.
They are alot more fun than you'd think (.22's) and they certainly don't break the bank. I bought a mint Smith and Wesson 422 semi 6" barrel for 275 shipped. I can't wait to put my next 5000 rounds through her.
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Way to go! I find it amazing that at most gun clubs you get these people who show up with their 9s, 45s and assorted magnums and blaze away, and down range it looks like someone`s taken a shotgun to their target. These same people then complain that their handguns aren`t very accurate. A competent shot should be able to consistently hit a 12 inch gong at 100 yds with virtually any stock handgun.
 
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I suggest a .22 that matches the style of firearm you want to master in centerfire.

For example:
I shoot a Smith and Wesson model 41 because it has the exact controls as the 1911. As was mentioned, I can shoot 500 rounds for about $20 and feel pretty confident to hit out to 25 yards. Once I switch to my 1911 at the end of the session, everything feels right, except for the bigger bang.

If you want to master a .357 double action revolver, find a .22 revolver with similiar handling and shoot it at lot. Same idea for a single action revolver, double action auto or whatever.

Kimber makes a nice .22 conversion for a 1911 as well so you could even practice on the same frame with the same controls.

Whatever you decide, have a good time with your buds at the range. That's the main thing.:D
 
if you want a challenge after you get good with a 22, go to something SMALLER in size- it's VERY HUMBLING- something on the size on a JENNINGS, RAVEN, or 25 but chambered for 22lr- your small groups will really open up , and you'll have to learn to shoot all over again- and since most have fixed sights, you have to learn to compensate
 
indyelviskenobi said:
I suggest a .22 that matches the style of firearm you want to master in centerfire.
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The more I hear suggestions like this one, the more I want to get a CZ-75B with a .22 kit. I'm not sure though if I should go for the 75B or the SP-01, the latter being slightly bigger & heavier - I have small hands.

I wish there was a way to try them out & then decide... Maybe I should drive down to Buffalo & find a 'real' gun store where I can actually shoot these guns?
 
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