Hey, looking to purchase my first handgun, the gun will be used for target shooting and i would be interested in doing competative shooting down the road ... ive narrowed it down to these guns S&W M&P , beretta 90-two or 92fs, springfield xd or the ruger kp89 ... please comment on wich gun would be better and why thanks
Looking for my first handgun , need help
- Thread starter ed695
- Start date
My first pistol was the kp345 but I would really recommend something in 9mm or .38spl to learn on. You can develop a flinch with more recoil early on, and that can be brutal. Refined my skills on a CZ85 and a TT-33 with a 9mm barrel 
9mm is a good cal to learn with. Not too much $$ and the recoil is still managable. you might be frustrated with a GLOCK - I was (stupid GLOCK triggers). Try shooting one before you buy.
I found CZ 75/85 really nice, and Beretta 92f fantastic. If you can find a 9mm in a 1911 style, STI would be good, (although a bit pricey) these are also very nice too.
I found CZ 75/85 really nice, and Beretta 92f fantastic. If you can find a 9mm in a 1911 style, STI would be good, (although a bit pricey) these are also very nice too.
- Location
- Thunder Bay ON Canada
I got a revolver for my first restricted pistol. A dan wesson 6 inch .357 magnum. I also bought a six inch smith and wesson airgun that is almost identical in sight picture, and weight and trigger pull, and is also quite accurate.
I grew up watching dirty harry, so a magnum revolver was where it was at for me. It was only after I already owned the gun that I began to understand how much more versatile the wheelgun is. I keep going back to my first pistol and it always amazes me how much it can do.
I can shoot powderpuff loads, subsonic, monster heavy bullets, soft lead, jacketed little 95 grain pills that can be stoked to scream up to 2000fps, hollowpoints, wadcutters, wax bullets for fastdraw practice, blackpowder flash blanks that light up the twilight for cool pictures, shotshell loads with lead shot........ Dude, I even made up some really funny confetti loads.
Don't get me wrong, I love my automatics, but when I load for them, I need to stay within a certain power range to cycle the action or it turns into a single shot That includes the proper strength of crimp. They only chamber certain shapes well, round nose mostly, but sometimes semi/quasi roundnose hollowpoints. Also, most automatics very much prefer pricier copper jacketed rounds.It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just that for my automatics I find the most reliable load and stick with it. It's not less fun, just less involved, and handloading and bullet casting have become a part of the hobby for me in it's own right, not just to save money.
With my revolvers I can be free to find the most accurate load if I'm shooting for accuracy, or whatever else I want. I also don't have to pick my brass up off the ground which is nicer than you'd think when it rains or is muddy or it's in the winter.
I think you should get whatever type of pistol made you want to get into shooting in the first place, and who gives a crap about what is practical, or what you can compete with. This sport is about fun first, and you have years to get obsessed with times, scores and trophies, and you probably will.
But I wanted to give you an idea of the pro's and con's of automatics and revolvers. I own a precision single shot pistol, single action revolver, double action revolvers, target grade auto .22, 9mm luger, 1911 .45.....
I shoot them all regularly and each gun is a different shooting experience. It's all real fun, and having fun is what sport is all about.
I grew up watching dirty harry, so a magnum revolver was where it was at for me. It was only after I already owned the gun that I began to understand how much more versatile the wheelgun is. I keep going back to my first pistol and it always amazes me how much it can do.
I can shoot powderpuff loads, subsonic, monster heavy bullets, soft lead, jacketed little 95 grain pills that can be stoked to scream up to 2000fps, hollowpoints, wadcutters, wax bullets for fastdraw practice, blackpowder flash blanks that light up the twilight for cool pictures, shotshell loads with lead shot........ Dude, I even made up some really funny confetti loads.
Don't get me wrong, I love my automatics, but when I load for them, I need to stay within a certain power range to cycle the action or it turns into a single shot That includes the proper strength of crimp. They only chamber certain shapes well, round nose mostly, but sometimes semi/quasi roundnose hollowpoints. Also, most automatics very much prefer pricier copper jacketed rounds.It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just that for my automatics I find the most reliable load and stick with it. It's not less fun, just less involved, and handloading and bullet casting have become a part of the hobby for me in it's own right, not just to save money.
With my revolvers I can be free to find the most accurate load if I'm shooting for accuracy, or whatever else I want. I also don't have to pick my brass up off the ground which is nicer than you'd think when it rains or is muddy or it's in the winter.
I think you should get whatever type of pistol made you want to get into shooting in the first place, and who gives a crap about what is practical, or what you can compete with. This sport is about fun first, and you have years to get obsessed with times, scores and trophies, and you probably will.
But I wanted to give you an idea of the pro's and con's of automatics and revolvers. I own a precision single shot pistol, single action revolver, double action revolvers, target grade auto .22, 9mm luger, 1911 .45.....
I shoot them all regularly and each gun is a different shooting experience. It's all real fun, and having fun is what sport is all about.
Is there a commercial range anywhere in driving distance of you where you can go and try out some different guns?
If you're a member of a gun club what about show up with a couple of boxes of ammo and ask the other members if you can try their 9's. As a "thankyou" after you're done shooting a mag or two of your own ammo I'd suggest fill one up with your ammo for them.
I tried a lot of the options in your list. I ended up buying the one you don't list. The CZ Shadow. It's a great gun to just shoot for sport and training and it'll easily carry you into your first competitions in IPSC Production. If you aspire to shooting IDPA and don't want to buy another gun then perhaps one of the plastic pistols would be better since the Shadow typically comes in over the maximum weight limits for IDPA.
Revolvers are GREAT fun too. But for widely different reasons. I just found that the odd looking things lend a zen like process to the loading which is more frequent but far more direct an experience. And the option of double actioning the trigger or hand cocking the hammer for a superb feeling single action pull really had me smiling a lot. Not many use revolvers in the action matches other than the cowboy scene which uses specialty single action options.
If you're a member of a gun club what about show up with a couple of boxes of ammo and ask the other members if you can try their 9's. As a "thankyou" after you're done shooting a mag or two of your own ammo I'd suggest fill one up with your ammo for them.
I tried a lot of the options in your list. I ended up buying the one you don't list. The CZ Shadow. It's a great gun to just shoot for sport and training and it'll easily carry you into your first competitions in IPSC Production. If you aspire to shooting IDPA and don't want to buy another gun then perhaps one of the plastic pistols would be better since the Shadow typically comes in over the maximum weight limits for IDPA.
Revolvers are GREAT fun too. But for widely different reasons. I just found that the odd looking things lend a zen like process to the loading which is more frequent but far more direct an experience. And the option of double actioning the trigger or hand cocking the hammer for a superb feeling single action pull really had me smiling a lot. Not many use revolvers in the action matches other than the cowboy scene which uses specialty single action options.
I prefer the S&W, and given how well its grip can be customized there is a good chance it will suit you too. But you're asking the wrong question.
What you should be asking is if anyone knows of a shop near wherever you are where you can try the various handguns you are interested in. What I or anyone else shoots best with may be something that just doesn't work for you.
I would emphasis this all the more when you state you intend to get involved in competitive shooting - having the handgun that suits you best of the choices you see as available can make quite a difference. If there were one "best" handgun, you'd only see one make and model of handgun on the firing line.
Beyond that, I'd recommend your first handgun be a .22. You can shoot a lot more for a lot less to work on the basics for a fraction of the cost. I have a conversion kit for my BHP, but I also have a High Standard target pistol which I consider to have been a great investment at the time and every passing year confirms that. The amount of rounds I have poured through that handgun over the last 30 years is staggering.
Ideally, I would suggest you buy a quality .22 handgun and find a mentor or coach who knows what they're doing to teach you good basic handgun technique. After a few months of that when you've started to get a feel for things, then go shopping for a centerfire pistol that best meets your needs.
Once again, pick a quality firearm that fits YOU, don't ask everyone else what they think fits you.
I always recommend a .22 as a first handgun, and more and more getting
a centerfire auto with a .22 conversion unit. You learn to shoot with the .22, when you make the transition to centerfire the feel of the gun is identical.
I would look into a CZ75 withe their Kadet unit.
a centerfire auto with a .22 conversion unit. You learn to shoot with the .22, when you make the transition to centerfire the feel of the gun is identical.
I would look into a CZ75 withe their Kadet unit.
