Renting at the range help

G

gadgets19

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
Alberta
Now that my license is in the mail it is time to start thinking about purchasing. Because I am a new shooter before I buy I want to rent and try and get a sense which I prefer between 9mm and .40. I will probably take a day trip to the Calgary Shooting Centre which should allow me to test a number of different guns, obviously inventory dependent.

Here is what I am thinking about in terms of manufacturers.

Ruger SR9
Ruger SR40
Glock 17
Glock 22
CZ 75B
S&W MP .40
maybe Sig but probably out of my price range.

My question is does it make sense to shoot both calibres of each manufacturer? I am thinking because the dimensions, other than maybe weight, are the same I don't need to shoot for example both the Glock 17 & 22. Hoping that one manufacturer of either calibre allows me to focus on which calibre I prefer but I will still have a notion of which gun feels the best in my hand.


Thoughts?
 
I would skip the .40 and buy a 9mm and a .22 or a 9mm and a .45
All the gun your chose are good choices try as many as you can not sure how that range works but with most ranges you can shoot as many as you want you pay the range fee and pay for the ammo the gun is free to use.
 
I would go with a Glock G22 and a 40-9 conversion barrel. That's what I have and I can shoot both 9 and 40 from the same gun. Others that I would consider getting is a M&P9 Carry & Range Kit, .22 and a 1911 .45.
 
Of the two, I would stick with 9mm. Cheaper ammo means more trigger time and more trigger time means better shooting. However, I would personally skip both and buy a decent .22 pistol. Way cheaper to run, and his easier to practice with. Get yourself a nice used Ruger MkII and you will not be disappointed. The Browning Buckmark is also a good gun as are the classic High Standards.
 
9mm all the way, yes a good .22lr (Ruger Mark II or III), and definitely a 1911 .45acp.

I personaly not have interest in the .40,...., neither in conversion kit barrel, I prefer having the real gun in the appropriate caliber instead of a conversion kit....

one gun with one log book.
 
I've been shooting for a long, long time - since before they invented 40 S&W - and I've still never owned a 40 cal gun. They're great if you're a police officer, trying to get as much power out of a small frame pistol as you can, but for just about everyone else (and some police officers, I would argue) 9mm will do the job without the sharp recoil and extra flip.
 
Agree with previous posters. Get a nice 9mm and a .22 if you're just starting out. Any trigger time is good trigger time. Money in your pocket means more trigger time :D I just picked up a Sig 1911-22 (found it for less than the GSG 1911 locally for some strange reason). Spending time with it has made my CZ SP-01 time even more fun.
 
I have a Glock 17 and a Glock 22; I look forward to shooting the .40 most - it's more exciting. Conversely, the price and availability of 9mm ammo is better.

Try both calibers, then decide. (Or get both!)

The G17 and G22 feel the same in the hand - any difference is imperceptible.
 
Last edited:
You absolutely cannot go wrong with any of the GEN 4 Glocks (double recoil spring, RTF frame, 3 mags) - but having said that, an M&P Range Kit is a great deal (pistol. hoster. mag holster, speed loader, 3 mags) and you'll likely get the most use out of it.

Heh, heh, and not to be too wishy washy - the CZ 75B is a great gun worthy of owning (pretty darn accurate) .....
 
its going to get really expensive trying all those at the range there. you can pay for a good chunk of the gun itself with that $$ spent

I suggest you ask to hold each type of gun to see how you like the grip and ergonomics and then try 1 or 2, you might not like one just by holding it
 
I agree with this advice - handle a few and see what feels best then fire 2 or 3. 9mm is the go-to calibre due to cost (unless you reload), better pistol selection, and lighter recoil. 40S&W is a fun calibre that steps up the power, recoil, and excitement a bit. Why the existence of 40 calibre offends so many 9mm shooters I don't get.
 
Definitely hold them first. See how it fits your hand. I would find the one you like to hold the best and shoot that in both calibers. Then you would find out which caliber you like better. Once you figure out that, try any other guns that peaked your interest in your "feel test" using all the same caliber for a balanced comparison.
 
Only meaning to fire two from each which should be good enough.

From reading and researching here I'm starting to buy into the "trigger time" theory and might be thinking that something like a GSG 1911 .22 could be a better way to start out as a new shooter.
 
One of my favourite recommendations for new handgun shooters is "if your first handgun is not a .22 then your second one darn well should be".

Some will poo-poo the rim fire guns based on the fact that there's only a little kick. But a .22 can pay for itself once or twice over in saved ammo costs if you happen to develop a flinch while shooting a center fire gun. And once you're safely past any flinch issues, which can take MUCH longer than you'd imagine, then it can still offer up a lot of good practice in many ways on an ongoing basis as well as being super cheap to feed. Which translates to more trigger pulls and more chances to learn to shoot better. And in their own "undernourished" manner they can still be a lot of fun if you don't need big kicks to the hand with every shot to have fun. Which likely explains why I've got about 8 or 9 various semis and revolvers in .22.

When you go to the rental range pay particular attention to all metal vs polymer for feel and recoil as well as striker to hammer fired trigger feel. I did the same as you when I started by using the local rental range to try a bunch. It quickly filtered down to all metal and hammer fired for me.

But YOU are YOU. You SHOULD try an assortment with the poly vs metal and striker vs hammer and see which you like best. Once you've zeroed in on what feels good in your hands and which seems to work best under your trigger finger THEN try the 9 vs .40 and see which you prefer for kick.

Buying factory 9 vs .40 IS somewhat cheaper. Shop around to see what ammo costs for 1K and factor in how much you plan on shooting per year.

In a lot of ways it's cheaper in the long haul to buy a 9mm as well as a rimfire and a .44Mag revolver. Shoot the rimfire and 9 for fun and practice and the .44Mag for the end of the session giggles. Doing so you'll find that a cylinder or two worth is enough then you can go buy that blue rare steak and revel in your manliness..... :D Doing it that way if you end up shooting 4 to 5K of 9mm per year could well end up cheaper than buying a .40S&W and paying the extra for the ammo over the course of a few years.

I'd also suggest you look into what your local clubs have for handgun competitions. These can be a WHOLE LOT OF FUN and you'll get to chum around with a bunch of like minded folks that will likely lead to new friendships. And if nothing else it gives you some folks to kid around with while you're shooting. The only "problem" is that you'll end up shooting more often and more ammo for each time out. Which brings us back to your annual round count again..... :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom