Good Start

Chippy123

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm new to guns, but I love the sport, and was thinking of getting a good pistol to start with, something comfortable and pretty cheap, if anyone has any suggestions, that would be great :D
 
I'm not one of those guys who say get a .22 to start, but it is a cheap way to learn.
Whatever you get, make sure it's reliable. There's nothing worse than a gun that doesn't work right especailly when you're starting out.
A modern semi-auto in a calibre with lots of cheap ammo available is your best bet.
Do searches and check out what is available through dealers on this site.
Don't over-think it! Get out and shoot.
 
Check out this thread http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99383 and http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?p=815293#post815293

I would say the best bet would be to buy a Ruger .22 with a bull (heavy) barrel. If you want to save a little more then look for an older Mark I. You can find even cheaper .22s but few would be as good a choice as the Ruger. The first handgun I bought was a Ruger mark I, the second was a Desert Eagle in 44 magnum.

An inexpensive .22 is a good choice for someone starting pistol shooting. Ammo is as cheap as it gets. You also get to learn how to shoot properly without a lot of noise or recoil. This is more important than some shooters believe. Compare the cost of a box of .22s to any other center fire cartridge. You will be doing a lot more shooting with the 22.

After you are more experienced then look for a second gun. And try out other shooter's guns. Buy them a coffee and ask them their advice. Get a wide range of opinions. But be carefull, this may happen.

Img_7527.jpg
 
prproulx said:
I'm not one of those guys who say get a .22 to start, but it is a cheap way to learn.
Whatever you get, make sure it's reliable. There's nothing worse than a gun that doesn't work right especailly when you're starting out.
A modern semi-auto in a calibre with lots of cheap ammo available is your best bet.
Do searches and check out what is available through dealers on this site.
Don't over-think it! Get out and shoot.

100% agree. do some more research, find one good calibre for yourself, a nice gun give you a good way to learn and enjoyment. I know some people start with .45ACP and are very good shooter.

Trigun
 
holy fcuk rudy!!! i think there is a 1-800 number for guys like you. there isn't a person looking into that safe that isn't thinking "how the hell do i get that many and still keep my wife in the picture.....?" :)
 
Chippy123 said:
I'm new to guns, but I love the sport, and was thinking of getting a good pistol to start with, something comfortable and pretty cheap, if anyone has any suggestions, that would be great :D


Welcome Chippy123!

As time goes on, you're going to end up with "them all." Pistol shooting is an addiction!

Couple of things to consider before you start:

You can buy cheap .22's, 9mm's, .38's, .40's and .45's. Lots of deals to be had in the equipment exchange section. Also, Marstar sells the Norinco line, and they are all good starter guns. So lets leave out price for a moment.

Did you have a particular style of shooting in mind? Bulleseye? IPSC? IDPA? PPC? Plinking? Olympic three-position? All have different caliber and gun requirements. Whats your game?

What's your build and what size are your hands? Smaller grips and lower recoil might be the key if you are of a smaller build. .500 S&W may not be your thing. Or maybe 44Mag in a large frame revolver or .45ACP is just the ticket.

Lastly, do you reload or will you be shooing factory ammo to start? If reloading, the sky's the limit, but with cheap factory ammo, you are often limited to .22rf, 9mm and .38's.

Personally, I recommend a good .22rf. Say a Ruger Mrk II with 5.5" bull barrel. Cheap to buy, shoot and easy to maintain. Also, you are a lot less likely to learn bad habits, which can be expensive to un-learn later on.
 
Sweet, thanks for the advice, I'll give it some thought, and that ruger sounds pretty much like my type of gun :D
 
manboy said:
holy fcuk rudy!!! i think there is a 1-800 number for guys like you. there isn't a person looking into that safe that isn't thinking "how the hell do i get that many and still keep my wife in the picture.....?" :)

If by keeping a wife in the picture she takes up one of those slots then you might have to start asking yourself some hard questions.:rolleyes:
 
Chippy123 said:
I'm new to guns, but I love the sport, and was thinking of getting a good pistol to start with, something comfortable and pretty cheap, if anyone has any suggestions, that would be great :D

Cheap will usually put you into a .22 LR plinker/target pistol. Another consideration is a .357 magnum revolver. You can shoot cheaper (although not as cheap as .22) .38 spl loads and if you reload it gets a lot cheaper again.

When you're ready you can step up to full house .357's. Another plus is that if you #### and fire in SA mode you will also learn and practise patience. I have seen too many newbies go into "Bruce Willis" mode with a semi-auto .22. All it means is that you can't miss fast enough.

If you've got a few hundred bucks to spend you can pick up a decent revolver on the exchange. If you have access to a club it shoudn't be too hard to try out a few handguns. Take your time and choose well, but whatever you choose, enjoy, and safe shootin'.
 
Last edited:
My first handgun was a Ruger Mark II. I enjoy shooting it very much. You could also step up to a 9mm. That isn't too expensive to shoot. 50 rounds of 9mm can be had for around $11.00 while .22 sells for about $13.00 for 500 rounds. The bigger calibers will cost you more to shoot.

It surely doesn't end. I now have .22, 9mm, .357 mag. and .44 mag. I am considering buying a .45 before the year is up. Great fun though!

Welcome to the club.
 
My first pistol was a Walther P22. I've got smaller hands, so the adjustable grip was great to figure out what was best for me. The compensator also kept me from shooting too wildly. After I was pretty confident with the .22, I moved up to 9mm (Sig 226); the progression seemed natural and I wasn't intimidated by the larger round. Had I started with a 9mm, not only would it have cost me a whole lot more upfront, it would have also taken me a lot longer to feel comfortable shooting.

There's also always a market for .22 pistols, so it's not like you're gonna be stuck with it if you're no longer enjoying yourself.
 
I am never one to reccommend a .22 to start with, I would say a 9mm semi auto is a good choice, fairly cheap ammo, and you still get a decent bang out of it, recoil is pretty tame so you don't develop "bad habits" - though I don't nessecarily agree with the bad habit thing.

I always suggest a gun that gives you the biggest fun factor to start with.....for me it is a Centerfire Semi Auto - I like to send as many rounds down range in the shortest amount of time with alot of noise. I started with a STI .45.

A CZ75 or 85 in 9mm is a good all around gun that is very dependable and throws just about any ammo downrange without hiccups and is accurate and fairly reasonably priced to boot IMO.
 
manboy said:
holy fcuk rudy!!! i think there is a 1-800 number for guys like you. there isn't a person looking into that safe that isn't thinking "how the hell do i get that many and still keep my wife in the picture.....?" :)

What wife?


Img_7527.jpg


The problem I have now is that I have run out of space. I never thought I would out grow this safe when I built it. I have another 31 bought and paid for prohibited handguns sitting in various locations. Just waiting for my 12(6) hearing to be completed. Since the 31 are all small guns I hope to tuck them in between somewhere. I hope!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom