Looking to buy first handgun
- Thread starter Burglecut83
- Start date
Anyad Pitchaya
CGN Regular
- Location
- Witness Protection
I would suggest a .22 as your first handgun. Ammo is cheap, and a minimal recoil is helpful when first learning to shoot accurately. Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mk. II or III are good accurate guns, and can be had for a reasonable price.
Once you have learned to shoot accurately, then you can move up to the larger calibres.
If your goal is to have handguns and not care about how well you shoot them, then get whatever you want.
Once you have learned to shoot accurately, then you can move up to the larger calibres.
If your goal is to have handguns and not care about how well you shoot them, then get whatever you want.
X2 on that one.
If I may be so bold and commit heresy in the New Age, buy a 22 LR REVOLVER, then step up to a semi auto.
When you step up to a centerfire cartridge, again, start with a REVOLVER, 38special/357magnum, preferably the magnum as it will digest both.
There are a lot of excellent quality 38 special revolvers languishing in safes these days.
The 38 spcl and 357 magnums, are amongst the cheapest and easiest to start reloading as well.
Again, go to a semi auto of whatever caliber you can handle or have a hard on for, form there.
The reason I suggest revolvers as first handguns, is that there is a lot less to go wrong. There was a very good reason why most police forces issued double action revolvers and as the RCMP do now, double action self loading pistols.
There is a lot less room for accidental discharges. A well tuned double action pistol, is every bit as accurate and serviceable as any semi auto, maybe even more so. One reason the police forces issue double action self loaders, is because they have large magazine capacities.
Whichever you choose, find someone in your area that has both types of pistols and offer to purchase a few boxes of ammo for an afternoon at the range. You sound like you're on your own. NOT A GOOD SITUATION. It can lead to all sorts of issues that are anything but pleasant.
Just about any of the brand name pistols are almost foolproof. Some balance differently and some feel better in different hand sizes. Some people have small hands and can't hold onto double stack magazine pistols well enough for good accuracy, that's where single stack mag pistols come in.
Revolvers usually start out with grips that fit medium size hands. Most people will eventually add aftermarket grips to fit their needs.
If cowboy shooting appeals to you, take a look at the single action offerings. Pietta, Ruger and Colt clones.
The nice thing about the cowboy action shooting is that their pistol cartridges are also chambered in lever action rifles to go along with the pistols.
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You'll grow bored quickly of a 22. Before I bought my first handgun I read and watched a lot of reviews online for firearms that appealed to me and were in my price range. I changed my mind about 100 times but finally decided on the Ruger SR1911. The reviews were very good for a $700 gun and it was nice enough looking and feeling that I could see myself being happy with it for a long long time. It's also a 45 caliber so it's no slouch in the power department either. One of the most important considerations for me was ammunition cost. A gun isn't much fun if you cant afford to shoot it and if you want to be comfortable and reasonably proficient you need to shoot a lot. I just bought 1000 45 rounds for $300. That's very inexpensive in my opinion. I really love everything about the gun. It's got just enough kick to never get bored. It functions flawlessly even with my cheap Chinese ammo. It looks really nice for a gun in that price range and I'm confident that in any situation it would do the required job. It was the right first gun for me because I did my homework. The right one for you might be totally different.
A 9mm is also very affordable to shoot but I wanted something with a little more power just in case there's a zombie apocalypse
A 9mm is also very affordable to shoot but I wanted something with a little more power just in case there's a zombie apocalypse
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Some handguns have caliber conversion kits, so you can shoot .22lr, 9mm, and maybe .357 Sig, or .40 S&W with the same "pistol" you just swap the slide and magazine.
I went through 3 handguns before I found the one I really like that works for me. Well my first was a Walther PPQ Navy, and it was ### on hellfire, but those magazines are just too expensive for me to be buying a dozen to get into competition shooting.
Now I've got a SIG P226 in 9x19 and a .22lr conversion kit for it.
Glock and SIG are the two I know of that have conversion kits available.
I went through 3 handguns before I found the one I really like that works for me. Well my first was a Walther PPQ Navy, and it was ### on hellfire, but those magazines are just too expensive for me to be buying a dozen to get into competition shooting.
Now I've got a SIG P226 in 9x19 and a .22lr conversion kit for it.
Glock and SIG are the two I know of that have conversion kits available.
- Location
- West Quebec
22 Cal is recommended and a good start and I have not gotten bored with 22 cal yet.. even shooting a couple of 9mm's.
The fun never stops with my 22 Revolvers and semis..
Any .22 and the ammo is going to cost nothing, coffee at Tim Horton's costs more.
Are you people serious? To each his own I guess but for me shooting a 22 is about as exciting as playing with a pellet gun and most people I know feel the same way. To be honest this advice that you have to start with a 22 and work your way up sounds like the old-school BS mentality where some of you feel that a new shooter has to "pay his dues" or earn his right to play with the big boys. To say that you'll never become a good shot unless you bore yourself silly first with some snore inducing pea-shooter is nonsense. You can become good with any gun you practice with consistently.
OP, if you want to waste your money on something you'll be bored of after an hour of shooting go for a 22 caliber handgun. If you want to be bored after 15 minutes go for a single action 22 caliber revolver. Then you can use it as an expensive paperweight after you go out and buy something that's actually fun to shoot.
OP, if you want to waste your money on something you'll be bored of after an hour of shooting go for a 22 caliber handgun. If you want to be bored after 15 minutes go for a single action 22 caliber revolver. Then you can use it as an expensive paperweight after you go out and buy something that's actually fun to shoot.
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Easy cheesey! No old school mentality, I would have suggested a 1911 or a sig 226 but he said:
So if he wants cheap ammo buy a .22 if he wants fun then pick another caliber maybe a nice cheap norinco handgun or a nice cheap cz or something like that if cheap is the Modus operandi.
Get whatever gun you desire and can afford, that's what will make you happy.
If you want a foolproof semi 9mm i like the glock17, beretta 92fs, sigp226, cz shadow, etc
9mm is cheapest to shoot. 45 is more expensive, ruger sr1911 is nice for the price
Whatever model you like really, they are all good.
I want them all
As for .22 pistols its nice to have one, but not as your only pistol. I have 2'but i dont shoot them much, i mostly shoot 9mm because i reload and i can afford it...
If you want a foolproof semi 9mm i like the glock17, beretta 92fs, sigp226, cz shadow, etc
9mm is cheapest to shoot. 45 is more expensive, ruger sr1911 is nice for the price
Whatever model you like really, they are all good.
I want them all
As for .22 pistols its nice to have one, but not as your only pistol. I have 2'but i dont shoot them much, i mostly shoot 9mm because i reload and i can afford it...
9mm cz 75 sp01 shadow, has conversion kit for .22lr
Start with 9mm, if you can't get the hang of it get the conversion kit to .22lr
That way you have a 9mm and a .22
CZ 75 sp01 shadow was my wife's first handgun, and she still uses it today.
CZ aren't cheap, but they're worth the money, you're looking at 900$ for a shadow. Don't think cz is in the same bucket as norinco, they are a top quality firearms manufacturer.
Start with 9mm, if you can't get the hang of it get the conversion kit to .22lr
That way you have a 9mm and a .22
CZ 75 sp01 shadow was my wife's first handgun, and she still uses it today.
CZ aren't cheap, but they're worth the money, you're looking at 900$ for a shadow. Don't think cz is in the same bucket as norinco, they are a top quality firearms manufacturer.
thunderhand
Regular
- Location
- Mississauga
foolproof semi 9mm i like the glock17,
this will be my first handgun ,,, im my rpal ever shows up !!!!
this will be my first handgun ,,, im my rpal ever shows up !!!!
- Location
- Hamilton Ontario
Get a .22 for your first handgun, boring or not it will help you learn the fundementals of shooting and help prevent you from developing any bad habits like over compensating for the recoil and trigger slapping.
For me it went
1) Tokarev
2) Browning Buckmark Camper
3) CZ75 SP01 Shadow
The Buckmark helped with learning my stance helped me become more accurate with the Tokarev and the Shadow, and really keeps me sharp without burning a hole in my pocket. This is not the case for every shooter but as someone who chose not to go with a .22 first..it was a poor choice for me.
For me it went
1) Tokarev
2) Browning Buckmark Camper
3) CZ75 SP01 Shadow
The Buckmark helped with learning my stance helped me become more accurate with the Tokarev and the Shadow, and really keeps me sharp without burning a hole in my pocket. This is not the case for every shooter but as someone who chose not to go with a .22 first..it was a poor choice for me.
You are just full of vitrol aren't you? Nobody is talking about paying dues or anything; it's about learning to shoot well. There are tried and true ways of doing this and they include shooting lower calibre guns first so that you learn good practices. I'd personally much prefer 500 rounds of 22 compared to 50 or 75 rounds of something bigger and more expensive.
It is possible to have a different opinion about something without insulting other peoples opinions.
To the OP:
If there is a gun range with rental guns nearby, make it a point to stop by and actually try the guns you're potentially interested in. You'll be much more accurate and have a lot more fun shooting a gun that properly fits your hand. I would suggest a quality. 22LR to start, or a centerfire 9mm with .22LR conversion. As much as I love the 1911, it isn't a platform I'd recommend to a novice shooter. The CZ, SIG 226 or even the Glock 17 or S&W M & P would be much better choices.
That said, I wouldn't sell either my S&W Model 17 or 617 .22LR revolvers. They're quite accurate, very cost effective to shoot and are very easy for novice shooters to pick up the fundamentals with and NOT develop any bad habits, ticks or flinches.
I don't measure manhood by how much recoil a shooter can handle, although I own several. The. 22s, .38s and 9mms get shot much more often than the. 44 Mags, .45 Colts, etc. Of course, the OP could follow the lead of Mickey Rourke's character from "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" and "learn" how to shoot with a "fun" .454 Casull and ignore all the posters recommending a "boring" .22LR.
K well, I bought a walther p22 that the wife and I can shoot cheaply and also bought a cz 75 tactical. Can't wait to bring em home clean em and take them to the range. Thanks everyone for your suggestions... Now where to find cheap 9 mm ammo lol
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