Purchasing my first handgun. Need suggestions.

Okay, super important to buy a handgun that fits YOUR hands, not your neighbours hands, not cgn folk hands, not dirty harry hands, YOUR hands.
I cant stress that enough!!

You will hear all kinds of stupid rectum BS about if you know what you're doing then you can shoot any kind of firearm very well.
I'm sooooo tired of hearing stupid crap like that. It is true that given an infinite amount of time you can be an expert with any platform of handgun, but for you to become a good shooter in the SHORTEST amount of time, you need a pistol that really fits your hands and grip like a glove.

You need a pistol that you feel your thumbs forward grip is comfortable with your trigger finger being flat on the finger print pad hitting the trigger bottom half and able to pull backwards in the smoothest straightest line possible. You need to be able to clearly pick up the front sight, CLEARLY, very crisp.

Grip
Trigger
Sights
you're 80 percent there with those 3.
 
Lucky to be able to shoot in Florida there should be plenty of firearms to try..

I'd suggest 22 till you become confident handly firarms safely..
 
My thoughts on this.
In the past my buddies and I would go to the states to shoot all sorts of different pistols etc. From .22 up 50ae. It was all fun. I think that shooting .22 is ok but it gets boring fast. Just my opinion.

My first pistol has been a XDM9. It's a fantastic pistol regardless of what some people may say. I blast through 300-500 round of .223 nearly every range trip. I seem to be going through about 200 rounds through my pistol each session. I reload my own .223 but the cost of factory 9mm vs the difficulty of getting components means I shot factory pistol ammo. Just like anything fun you gotta pay to play I don't think saying buy a .22 because ammo is cheaper is all that great advice.

I think shooting a pistol that fits your hands and feels good to you means you will shoot it more than one just because ammo costs less.

Try before you buy then make an educated decision on what what you want. Not what others say you should want.
 
Grab a GSG 1911 .22 and a Tokarev TT33... Just a bit over $500 for the pair (before tax) and you get inexpensive fun....22 for learning fundamentals and tt33 for a little kick now and then...
 
First handgun I bought ( and still the only one I have) is a Kimber 1911 Rimfire Target. Awesome firearm, a little out of your budget tho. I am very glad I went with a .22 for my first handgun. Even at 6-8 bucks for 50 rounds of high quality ammo its very affordable.
 
Thank you everyone for your input.
I will find a local range in Florida and practice, practice, practice with a .22, 9mm, 40 sw, 45 etc etc until I find what fits.
Have a great holiday season!
 
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I went to an "open house" day at the club I was looking at joining as a test to see if I was truly interested in handguns. I started with a .22, which was fun and light, and within half an hour had gone through .38 special, 9mm, 45 and a few others I can't recall offhand in both revolver and semi-auto. See if you can find such a day at a range near you. I from that chose to start with a .22 revolver for cheap plinking fun, and a 9mm Ruger SR9. I will eventually add a .45 to that collection, but testing them all out beforehand really helped to see where I was at comfort-wise. A .22 is always a good place to start, and some can be had cheaply. If you are willing to purchase used, you can fit a bunch of different firearms into your purchase budget, but my Ruger SR9 was $509 new. I had a similar budget. One of my co-workers also speaks well of Norinco if you want to stay under that $500 mark but I'd seek further advice on that because I've heard varying opinions on those.
 
I have about 8 different calibers of handguns, and the .22 never gets boring for me. I have a Browning 1911-22 and it is an excellent gun, and I haven't found any ammo it doesn't like. No matter what guns I take to the range, the .22 always comes with me.
 
Some people think that you can only hit your target with a centerfire and a .22 is just a toy. I am not in that camp.

Shooting a quality .22, is very rewarding and when everyone else comes out and shoots 25 rounds a week, you can practice several hundred and get so much better.

If you absolutely need a centerfire, I would consider a nice wheelgun. A used SW686 can be found in or close to your budget, and its a quality piece you will own forever.

Opinions vary. good luck.

C
 
Black_Valkyrie said:
none of us know what his budget is so why keep suggesting 22 over 9mm? How about someone chime in with the costs of the 3 calibers and let the OP decide. For instance, I dont really care which caliber I shoot. The money really isnt an issue for me. Firehoser - is money a major issue for you in this decision?
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I am retired but have a decent pension. It's like buying a car. Looking for a decent compact. A Toyota or a Lada? They both have 4 wheels but that is where the comparisons end. $500.00 budget for my first purchase. Ammo costs not a big concern. Don't want a Lada that is temperamental or fussy about ammo.
 
mikethebike said:
Okay, super important to buy a handgun that fits YOUR hands, not your neighbours hands, not cgn folk hands, not dirty harry hands, YOUR hands.
I cant stress that enough!!

You will hear all kinds of stupid rectum BS about if you know what you're doing then you can shoot any kind of firearm very well.
I'm sooooo tired of hearing stupid crap like that. It is true that given an infinite amount of time you can be an expert with any platform of handgun, but for you to become a good shooter in the SHORTEST amount of time, you need a pistol that really fits your hands and grip like a glove.

You need a pistol that you feel your thumbs forward grip is comfortable with your trigger finger being flat on the finger print pad hitting the trigger bottom half and able to pull backwards in the smoothest straightest line possible. You need to be able to clearly pick up the front sight, CLEARLY, very crisp.

Grip
Trigger
Sights
you're 80 percent there with those 3.
Click to expand...

Good advice.
 
TheM4chef said:
My thoughts on this.
In the past my buddies and I would go to the states to shoot all sorts of different pistols etc. From .22 up 50ae. It was all fun. I think that shooting .22 is ok but it gets boring fast. Just my opinion.

My first pistol has been a XDM9. It's a fantastic pistol regardless of what some people may say. I blast through 300-500 round of .223 nearly every range trip. I seem to be going through about 200 rounds through my pistol each session. I reload my own .223 but the cost of factory 9mm vs the difficulty of getting components means I shot factory pistol ammo. Just like anything fun you gotta pay to play I don't think saying buy a .22 because ammo is cheaper is all that great advice.

I think shooting a pistol that fits your hands and feels good to you means you will shoot it more than one just because ammo costs less.

Try before you buy then make an educated decision on what what you want. Not what others say you should want.
Click to expand...

I am going to fire several types of handguns and calibers over the next six months and maybe find one that fits me in grip and accuracy. Tips from staff and other shooters I hope will help with my newbie status.
 
Scrounger said:
I went to an "open house" day at the club I was looking at joining as a test to see if I was truly interested in handguns. I started with a .22, which was fun and light, and within half an hour had gone through .38 special, 9mm, 45 and a few others I can't recall offhand in both revolver and semi-auto. See if you can find such a day at a range near you. I from that chose to start with a .22 revolver for cheap plinking fun, and a 9mm Ruger SR9. I will eventually add a .45 to that collection, but testing them all out beforehand really helped to see where I was at comfort-wise. A .22 is always a good place to start, and some can be had cheaply. If you are willing to purchase used, you can fit a bunch of different firearms into your purchase budget, but my Ruger SR9 was $509 new. I had a similar budget. One of my co-workers also speaks well of Norinco if you want to stay under that $500 mark but I'd seek further advice on that because I've heard varying opinions on those.
Click to expand...

Thanks I will keep my head up for an open house.
 
Cardamonfrost said:
Some people think that you can only hit your target with a centerfire and a .22 is just a toy. I am not in that camp.

Shooting a quality .22, is very rewarding and when everyone else comes out and shoots 25 rounds a week, you can practice several hundred and get so much better.

If you absolutely need a centerfire, I would consider a nice wheelgun. A used SW686 can be found in or close to your budget, and its a quality piece you will own forever.

Opinions vary. good luck.

C
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There may be 2 handguns in my near future. A .22 and ???
 
SharttStrike said:
I started with a norc 1911 in .45. Then picked up a GSG 1911 in .22. Then a M&P 9 range kit. Then another norc 1911. Then traded the first 1911 for a norc 226 clone. I guess what I'm getting at here get what you want. If you want to shoot a lot then a .22 would be a good idea due to ammo costs. If ammo costs aren't a concern then get whatever you want and have fun. If you don't want a .22 to start with grab something in 9mm can't go wrong with a glock or a M&P.
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Finding one that grips comfy, shoots strait and has easy to line sights in my price point is the real challenge.
 
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