New guy needs help. First pistol recommendations.

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oneguy

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Hi Everyone,

I would like to start by saying I used the search feature but did not get any results. If these threads are not allowed, my apologies and please delete it.

I have my course(s) coming up. PAL and RPAL.

I am almost OCD when it comes to researching any major purchase I make.

I would like to know what people recommend for a first pistol. I am open to anything from a .22 to a .45. I would like to keep it in the sub $700 area.

Now, I will be doing mostly range shooting, but may want to get into IPSC down the road.

My main concerns are reliability and accuracy. Annual costs are a slight factor as well.

Please also keep in mind, my wife will most likely be shooting it too for the first while. I had concerns about a .45 being too much for her. She is barely 5'3" and maybe 125lbs. Should this be a concern?

Thanks guys and gals.
 
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Depend what you would like to honestly. If you want to shoot at almost no cost and shoot a ton of bullet for fun , I suggest a .22.

In the middle there is the 9 mm. Bullet not so expensive and its a good solution between a .22 and a .45. This gun don't have many stopping power.

The .45 in my opinion is a gun really fun to shoot. I like the kick of the gun and the power of the bullet,but bullet are kinda expensive so you could reload or buy in bulk (1000 ammo case at canadaammo for exemple) to make it cheaper.

A gun is never to powerful :D I remember shooting the .44 redhawk of my grandfather at the age of 7.

If the price not a concern there is some beautiful and masterpiece sig out there. You could also check at .40 but this caliber tend to loose popularity.

that my 1 cent.
Sorry for poor English and this might be confusing x)


For my part, I bought a s&w 422 ( .22 gun) for my first gun then I bought a 1911

Charles
 
45 for a first gun?...I'd be rethinking that idea. If your wife is going to be shooting as well, I'd lean towards a 22 on a 1911 platform if you want the 45 look or possibly a 9mm in one of its configurations. I started out with a Ruger MK1...for a beginner pistol,I would recommend no other. MK1,2 or 3...all awesome.
 
If you want to learn pistol marksmanship then your first pistol must be a 22. This way you can shoot 100 times as much and prioritize working on your technique and skills. A 22 is also ideal for breaking in new shooters. Now, if you want to go to the range and make loud banging sounds and look cool then listen to the posts below that will argue between a 9, 40 or 45. While your at it considered the desert eagle or a colt anaconda, don't forget to hold it sideways. As for what 22... all the big manufacturers make fine autos, go to the range, ask around , try out whatever people will let you try, buy what you like. I am a Ruger guy myself, my was trained on a 22/45 and was told to go buy one and I did, then I trained half a dozen people on it, when my son is old enough I will teach him to shoot it. I've had 2 mk 1's come and go but the 22/45 is going to stay. So, my first handgun was a 22/45, I've had other 22s, 9mm, 40. 45. And 357. All come and go but the 22 stays, there is you answer, not just listing calibres that are nice. Start with a 22. Others will come and go.
 
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i love my first pistol is a CZ 75B in 9mm, it's very nice to shoot. My 2nd pistol is a GSG 1911 .22LR for cheaper shooting.
 
My only advice is to get something fairly common. I went with a Walther PPQ navy 9mm for my first pistol, with the intent of getting in to competitive shooting with it and it's practically impossible to find local sources for extra magazines or holsters. I finally got fed up and ordered a SIG P226, great deal from I Run Guns by the way, and I plan to get a .22 conversion kit for it for some really cheap range fun.
 
CZ75 shadow is a great gun for IPSC, try it in your hands , you will see.

.22 : 1-Browning Buckmark. 2- Ruger Mark III

Fun shooting for not too much $$$=9mm

A 1911 platform will not have much more recoil than a 9mm (I have a 92fs9mm & RemingR1 1911.45acp)
 
A .22 is of course going to be the cheapest for both cost of the firearm and ammo cost. I have to completely agree that it would be a wise move to get one and work on your technique. although IMHO nothing compares to the feeling and function of the browning 9mm. hope this helps.
 
A .22 semi-auto like others have mentioned (Browning or Ruger for example) is a great first choice. Low recoil and noise, cheap to shoot, and easily workable by nearly everyone. For centrefire I'd pick an all-steel gun like the CZ75 as others have mentioned. A good-quality lower-cost 9mm 1911 like a STI Spartan would also be a good choice--and fits nearly every hand size. Those pistols are inexpensive, reliable, and their weight means lower felt recoil. However, some women could have trouble working the slide of a centrefire semi-auto--have you thought about a revolver like a 686 or GP100? They're .357 magnums but can also shoot lighter-recoiling .38 Special rounds.
 
...Go for a .22lr for your first pistol till you get familar with grip,trigger pull etc etc.I would suggest something by Ruger or if you can find one these day's...an M&P 22lr pistol...I would not consider a .45 for quite a while yet because of recoil..after the .22 I would go for a CZ Shadow for 9mm...good luck to you..
 
I have a GSG 1911 22LR. It was very cheap to buy (375ish from Wolverine) and very cheap to shoot. It works very well for me with any ammo I use (I have others have had some issues but not me). I would definately recommend this as a first pistol.

What ever you choose I hope you enjoy it (safely).
 
oneguy said:
Please also keep in mind, my wife will most likely be shooting it too for the first while. I had concerns about a .45 being too much for her. She is barely 5'3" and maybe 125lbs. Should this be a concern?.
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Juste to let you know that my 12years daughter shoot my 1911 R1 with no problems, ... She began with the Ruger mark3.
 
Bump your budget up 300 dollars and get two guns; a MKIII Ruger and a Glock 17.
If money is an issue, get the MKIII and save for the Glock.
 
Been there... I am no expert, and can only comment on my own experiences. I started shooting handguns 5 years ago. I had my heart set on a .45, and a friend of mine had one that I'd already shot; so I bought one. I purchased a Para GI Expert for around the $600 mark. I had a few issues with failure to feeds at the start, but now that its broken in it runs flawless... Love it! Then I started to complain about how expensive it was to shoot, $35 for 50 rounds of factory Winchester where I'm located. There are better deals and you can reload your own if your into that, which I'm guessing you're not yet. It was just an excuse to buying another handgun. I opted go go with a 9mm Glock 17 Gen 4. It's cheaper to shoot, just bought a 1000 rounds of AE for $280 including tax. I have 250 rounds thru it and not one single malfunction! But then I shot my buddies Sig 226... I was more accurate with his Sig in a afternoon of shooting than I was with my own Glock. Got one on order now thru Questar. I'd like a .22 because they're super cheap, to shoot $20 for 500 rounds. But the ones I've seen seem to have a lot of failure to feeds, miss fires etc. they come in all models, 1911's, Glock's, Sig's, revolvers, the list goes on. Good training platform, just need to get a good one.

Enjoy the entire process of finding the right one for you! You'll hear a lot of arguments for one to another. "1911's are for old farts, Glocks are for pussy's". Take those comments with a grain of salt, it's all part of the fun, dish it out but be prepared to take it! Get your hands on as many platforms as possible, shoot them if you can! Don't be afraid of making a mistake, you can buy a gun you think you like, then turn and sell it. Accuracy depends a lot on the shooter, you may be a natural, or maybe you won't hit :bigHug::bigHug::bigHug::bigHug: for awhile. It's about looking, learning, practice, having fun, and passing the sport on to new shooters!

All the best!
 
mr00jimbo said:
...and save for the Glock.
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While I really like Glocks (I own two now and have owned five others previously) I don't think they make very good first pistols. Their light weight and less-than-perfect triggers make them unforgiving of any bad habits like snatching the trigger or not gripping correctly, and they have a flinch-inducing snappy recoil than can be off-putting if a new shooter is not used to it.
 
Recently, two new shooters at the club I go to, started out with 1911, 45's.
They spend about 50 bucks an outing on ammo, but their targets last forever!:)
 
trebor2880 said:
Recently, two new shooters at the club I go to, started out with 1911, 45's.
They spend about 50 bucks an outing on ammo, but their targets last forever!:)
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HAHAHA...

Point taken.

As I said. the .40 and .45s are off the table.

I have heard some good things about the Norinco line. Good price, reliable and accurate. Thoughts?

I also have heard good things about the STI line.

And of course you have the bigger names.

My mind is no where near made up.......lol

Like I said before. I want reliability and accuracy. Good customer service is up there too.
 
Get a .22 And spend the money on a decent one. Over the pistol's lifetime (at least 50,000 rounds, if you take care of it!), the cost of ammo will make the initial cost disappear.


I have a Norinco M-93 "Woodsman", and while it's a fun gun for kids and the wife/girlfriend/new shooters, it really wouldn't be a great choice as a first pistol. It wouldn't be a horrible choice; but you could do better. At the other end, I also have a Walther GSP, and if these were available for $500, I'd tell everyone to get one!

My recommendations?
- Top of my list would be if you can find a good used Ruger Mk2 or Mk1 Target model, I'm not really a fan of the Mk3, they aren't bad, just not as good as the older Marks.
- Next would be one of the old MCM or Margolin pistols from Russia, these occasionally still pop up in almost new condition, they are robust and yet capable of almost Olympic-grade accuracy.
- Buy your M1911; but stick a good .22 conversion on it. A Kart (rare) or a Marvel will be as accurate as any of the above pistols; but you can stick the 9mm/.38Super/.45 top end on and make a lot of noise when that option suits you. I think Questar has a line on the Marvels.

Whatever you get, remember that it'll likely outlive you, and your kids and grandkids will thank you for spending the extra money on something of quality.
 
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