Newbie w/ zero experience looking to buy a pistol...

My advise get a STI spartan 9mm and a 22lr conversion kit. Can all be had around $1100-1200 or if you are not a 1911 guy (crazy) get a glock 17 with .22 conversion or M&P9 and M&P .22. Point is you get cheap plinking and 9mm. You get used to one platform and get to know it very well.
 
Go with whatever you like the look and feel of, if you can get a chance to shoot it even better. The thing about guns is everyone has their own opinion on what's best , guys will give you an ear beating on which gun is better than which and why, but there really are quite a few that are pretty damn good. Glocks, Sigs, S&W's, CZ's even Rugers all have great reputations and plenty to choose from. So if you like it and it works then add it to your collection if you can, I'd get the Glock you won't be disappointed.
 
One big question that you have not answered is what type of shooting you want to do. This will be a big governing factor on the type of firearm that you want and need. Buying a pistol for IPSC/practical shooting vs Bullseye/target type shooting is different. It works well for one type of shooting but is not suited very well for another. Have a look at the clubs in your vicinity and which ones will suit your requirements the best. Once you join a club you will have to go through a probationay period. During this time you will be able to shoot different types of pistols. You will also find that the people shooting at these clubs are more than happy to let you try out there own firearms. This probationary period will allow you to try many different firearms and find one that "you" like. I do suggest that your first pistol be a .22. Its an excellent pistol for you to hone good shooting practices and skills, not to mention that it's very economical to shoot. The same strategy will then apply for a center fire pistol. Try out different makes/models and calibers, and see what suits "you". It's much the same as buying a car, go for tests drives, kick a few tires and you should find what you like and need.
 
I bought a Glock 17 first. I don't regret it at all. I would get the gun that makes you want to shoot.

A 22LR pistol is great for practising the basics, but so is dry-firing your centre-fire handgun (and it is free, so it's even cheaper than a 22. Ha!). That said, the hard part of shooting is managing recoil, and only shooting with live ammo helps you get used to that.
 
06gtpony said:
Hey folks...
A friend of mine is an IPSC shooter and recommends I spend over $3gs on an STI.
My local firearms store suggests I go with the S&W 9mm M&P range kit because it comes with everything I need to get started.
I happen to like the look and feel of the Glock 34.
... snipped ...
Thanx.
Click to expand...

Just my .02 cent worth. There is NO reason to drop 3k on a first gun. It's better to use 600-1000 on something decent and the rest on ammo/training to become skilled. A fancy pistol won't make you a good shot, but time and practice will.

If you are considering IPSC, just be aware that the Glock 34 doesn't fall under the Production Class where a lot of "stock" pistols fall. It would push you into a "higher" class where shooters are running fancier guns, and generally are more experienced anyways. (BTW, the Glock 34 was the pistol I initially wanted also, but I still don't own one... :) )

The M&P range kit isn't a bad choice, and there are other kits out there. Walther has a PPX range kit, about the 620-650 range which has extra mags, holster, and mag pouches. There are Sig P226 kits also, but they're about double the price. Whatever your initial choice is, enjoy the sport and have fun.

A rainy day at the range is better than spending a sunny day in the office.
 
The IWI Jericho gets decent reviews and I've seen several shopa offering it in a range kit. I've just bought a Grand Power K100. Dlask Arms has them for $539. I'm very happy with it so far.
 
So just an update here....

Decided to start off with a .22 to practice target shooting fundamentals. Once I get the hang of it I'll just upgrade to a 9mm or whatever floats my boat down the road.

Now I'm facing one last fork in the road...which pistol to choose.

Narrowed it down to two options - a Sig P226 with the option to do a 9mm conversion down the road, or a GSG 1911 (which is cheaper in price) and just buy a complete different upgrade pistol later when I'm comfortable.

Thoughts/opinions/experiences for either option??
 
I am no expert and on a tight budged. So, to that end I got myself a Norinco NP29 9mm and a GSG 1911 .22 for around $840. Did not break the piggy bank and you can train with both.
 
If you can find one, go to to range that has rental guns and try as many different ones as you can. A friend has the GSG 1911 and I have a Browning Buckmark and Ruger 22/45 Lite. Even though each is a 22, they behave and feel quite differently. None is good or bad, just different. Whatever feels comfortable in your hand and is easy for you to shoot will be what's best for you.

It's kind of like asking what is the best car. Everybody has different needs and expectations for their vehicle, so there is no "best" car. A Lotus Super 7 may be wonderful for ultimate road handling and grip, but it's absolutely useless if you're trying to run an airport limo business in the winter.
 
Nestor said:
Ruger 22/45
Master this one first, before moving up.
You won't break the bank and you'll be able to use it a lot.
It's important to shoot a lot if you really want to learn and ammo for this one is cheap.
Click to expand...

really? because if he takes it apart he will most likely never be able to put it back together without smashing it... That gun is the hardest to clean worst designed piece of bat excrement ever created.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom