Recommendations for first handgun?
- Thread starter rightsided
- Start date
This ^^^
Any post that says "you should buy this model or this brand" is leading you astray. What you do is go to every store, every range and every friend with handguns and you get as many into your hands as you possibly can. Even better if you can actually fire a few rounds through them. Handguns are like shoes - they all fit differently. I've fired every handgun my range offers. Some I really enjoyed and others I barely managed to put 10 rounds through before I returned it in disgust. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about your choice except you (and perhaps your wallet). Try as many as you can get your hands on. Pay attention to how it feels sure, but more importantly, how it points - do you have to work at getting the sites to land on what your eye is on? How do you like the feel of the trigger? How do you like the reset? What about the take-up? Can you operate the controls comfortably?
My good friend has or had an HKP30 that he absolutely loved. A quality gun by any measure. No matter how many times I used it, I could not bend my head around it's controls and never got used to the way it feels. My two favorites are on opposite ends of the $ scale and every time I go, it's a debate that ends with both of them going. One is a single-action hammer style and the other a striker fired. One is heavy metal, one is plastic. One has an amazing trigger and comfortable ergos, the other has amazing ergos and an acceptable trigger.
The "right" first handgun is the one you pick because it fits what you want.
sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Be realistic...
- Buy something that you like
- Buy something you can afford to feed...
Over the years I've seen too many guys saving their money to buy one nice handgun, only to realize that blasting a few hundreds rds every range session doesn't really fit in their budget.
- Buy something that you like
- Buy something you can afford to feed...
Over the years I've seen too many guys saving their money to buy one nice handgun, only to realize that blasting a few hundreds rds every range session doesn't really fit in their budget.
I think part of the fun is asking these questions, doing a bunch of research, going to stores and feeling them out to determine what works best for you. I just bought my first pistol and chose glock 17 gen 5 9mm. This was after many hours of research and going to a range and shooting a variety before in the past as well.
Lots of good advice here and caliber wise would definitely agree with .22 or at most 9mm due to costs and developing good habits.
Lots of good advice here and caliber wise would definitely agree with .22 or at most 9mm due to costs and developing good habits.
I was going to say this. lots of good reviews apparently 'a Glock killer'. I would also suggest a 22 for cheaper ammo too maybe a ruger wrangler then you can have a semi and revolver.
Some great suggestions here. First among them is a 22 lr. For practice you cannot beat this. Cheaper ammo and often you can get one to mirror your actual 9mm. Ruger mark iv series is the go to. Although their SR22 is a great plinker as well. There are lots of similar polymer guns to the glock, any are great but the solid suggestion of a steel CZ is fantastic. This is a dependable DA/SA item that you can easily use for dry fire practice as well. Working your fundamentals at home. A few centre fire gun With a 22 upper is an option. Available for lots of makes. Cz, Glock, sig etc. If they can be as pricy as picking up a used 22 off EE.
A P320 has more issues than a teenage girl.
I would replace that suggestion with an HK VP/SFP-9.
Amazing trigger and HK quality with an infinitely adjustable grip.
There is plenty of good advice on this thread. If possible at some point get professional training on pistol handling...either IPSC or Self-defense/combat training where you have an expert observe and ensure you are applying fundamentals correctly...this will improve your ability to handle ANY pistol, even ones that don't fit you ideally. It also saves you money in ammo trying to learn things on your own. However....
1. Do handle and if possible shoot as many pistols as you can to see what you do best with. If unable to actually shoot one, dry fire one and pick the one that the sight picture does not shift much as you pull the trigger. Depending on your hand size, the size of grip, length of trigger reach CAN affect how efficiently and easy you can pull the trigger and maintain alignment.
2. Take courses or participate in competitions where you learn to use your pistol under time pressure and duress, this will let you know what platforms are more efficient FOR YOU. No one else can accurately predict what is best for you.
3. Comfortable 'fit' of the gun may not mean that you can efficiently use it, only live fire and various drills can reveal that. In my case over time I realized I did much better with singlestack guns, and with short 1911 triggers instead of the long triggers I originally put in my 1911's....due to my hand size.
4. As you become more experienced you will naturally discover that the original choice might not be the most efficient one for your needs, that's ok and most of us have taken a journey to discover what works best for us. Enjoy the journey.
5. Please note that will proper training, you should be able to handle almost any handgun, regardless of how ideally it fits. When I say you find a platform that fits you better I mean it will be a bit more accurate than others, or you are able to draw it a little faster, and align the sights a bit easier than other platforms. Depending on your use for the gun, these tiny gains might be very important. In my case, I can shoot double stack guns but the smaller grip of singlestacks work better for me. Some platforms are just more accurate....my P239 can match or beat the accuracy (in my hands) of double stack polymer guns or even custom 1911's despite it having a DA/SA trigger...(and yes I fire it in DA for first shot and decock before holstering). I can still shoot guns that "don't fit me" but performance will be a bit worse than with guns that "fit me".
6. If you end up with a number of pistols, do take time and practice with all of them. Having a gun with a slightly different trigger reach/grip size than your preferred gun makes you focus on fundamentals which improves your shooting not only with the "ill fitting gun" but also your preferred gun. For example, practicing DA/SA shooting with my P239 really helps me focus on trigger control even though I prefer striker or SAO guns.
7. On some platforms (1911 for instance) you can change grip thickness/trigger length, or you can change grip inserts on polymer guns to change grip size. Do actually fire your pistol in different configurations to see if certain modifications fit you better (this is more important if your hands are smaller/bigger than average). For most people this won't be significant.
1. Do handle and if possible shoot as many pistols as you can to see what you do best with. If unable to actually shoot one, dry fire one and pick the one that the sight picture does not shift much as you pull the trigger. Depending on your hand size, the size of grip, length of trigger reach CAN affect how efficiently and easy you can pull the trigger and maintain alignment.
2. Take courses or participate in competitions where you learn to use your pistol under time pressure and duress, this will let you know what platforms are more efficient FOR YOU. No one else can accurately predict what is best for you.
3. Comfortable 'fit' of the gun may not mean that you can efficiently use it, only live fire and various drills can reveal that. In my case over time I realized I did much better with singlestack guns, and with short 1911 triggers instead of the long triggers I originally put in my 1911's....due to my hand size.
4. As you become more experienced you will naturally discover that the original choice might not be the most efficient one for your needs, that's ok and most of us have taken a journey to discover what works best for us. Enjoy the journey.
5. Please note that will proper training, you should be able to handle almost any handgun, regardless of how ideally it fits. When I say you find a platform that fits you better I mean it will be a bit more accurate than others, or you are able to draw it a little faster, and align the sights a bit easier than other platforms. Depending on your use for the gun, these tiny gains might be very important. In my case, I can shoot double stack guns but the smaller grip of singlestacks work better for me. Some platforms are just more accurate....my P239 can match or beat the accuracy (in my hands) of double stack polymer guns or even custom 1911's despite it having a DA/SA trigger...(and yes I fire it in DA for first shot and decock before holstering). I can still shoot guns that "don't fit me" but performance will be a bit worse than with guns that "fit me".
6. If you end up with a number of pistols, do take time and practice with all of them. Having a gun with a slightly different trigger reach/grip size than your preferred gun makes you focus on fundamentals which improves your shooting not only with the "ill fitting gun" but also your preferred gun. For example, practicing DA/SA shooting with my P239 really helps me focus on trigger control even though I prefer striker or SAO guns.
7. On some platforms (1911 for instance) you can change grip thickness/trigger length, or you can change grip inserts on polymer guns to change grip size. Do actually fire your pistol in different configurations to see if certain modifications fit you better (this is more important if your hands are smaller/bigger than average). For most people this won't be significant.
Don't over think it. Go to a gun store and handle a few and choose one that you find attractive and fits your budget. Remember that you can always buy/sell/trade if you want something different. I would suggest that you do buy something a little more common, with a proven track record and good aftermarket support, ie. a common duty pistol. And as Gundoggy said, try and get some, if even just a few hours of professional instruction. The proper application of sound fundamentals will allow you to shoot ANY pistol well.
Also, get a P320.
Also, get a P320.
