starting handgun

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saders

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Looking to get a handgun when i get my Restricted doing on april 11-12.
Justin wondering what you all would suggest to start out with. I been think about a baby eagle in 9mm or 45 but not 100% just looking around right now its all eye candy.
 
First , you will try to convince yourself "just one for now". Then, you will probly want to get a semi and a revolver. And then from there you will probly want to get into black rifles. Hope you have a well paying job..... this is a heck of a hobbie...:D:D:D

Anywho, a good 9mm in a semi or a .357 in a revolver (Ruger is my choice).

Good luck, you will probly never be satisfied. :nest:
 
I just started out and I went with a Ruger Mark III and M&P9 Pro to start. Very recently I added the Glock G17.

I'm realizing that the pistol is the cheapest part of this sport/hobby. 9mm and .22 keep the ammo prices affordable ($260 for 1K of 9mm, $60 for 1K of .22 - roughly). You can also decided to join IPSC production with a 9mm and not worry about power factor scoring differences.
 
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I am new to pistol shooting as well, but my father-in-law and some other people who are long time shooters did suggest a .22 cal for my first handgun.
I was told " For your first gun, it'll be lots of fun and pennies a round".
So far I agree totally!


That being said, I am now anxiously waiting for my .45 Glock to arrive! But I am still glad I started small.

Also, once you get to know some of the people at your range they might let you try a few rounds from their pistols. This will let you try a few different guns and get a feel for what you REALLY like shooting before you invest in something that looks good, but you don't enjoy shooting.

...just a fellow Newbie's 2 cents worth based on my experience so far.
 
i think ill have the job part down doing welding in school right now almost done. I bought 4 rifles in my first year of getting my pal. And i have shot a 40 or 45 at the range don't remenber was pritty excited to shoot it.
 
I was lucky when I did my restricted. My instructors took a few of us over to their range after we where done. So i got to (under their supervision of course) fire a .22 cal revolver, a .38 cal revolver and a .40 cal semi.
That was a fun day. Knowing you just passed your course, and getting to try a few guns out RIGHT AWAY, since you know it will be weeks from when you pass the course to when you get your license, and then weeks again before you get into a club and get to shoot. (Depending on the clubs around you Maybe longer.)
 
I think I'll support the opinion of a good .22 as a first handgun. Anything larger than that and you'll get frustrated very quickly. I recently started into handguns myself and .22 is what I shoot most often. It's really rewarding to watch your groups shrink in size from 6 or 7" down to 4 or 5". The only way to do that is to send a ton of lead downrange.

9mm tends to be annoyingly snappy (especially in a polymer piece) if you're trying to train your grip. 45acp is a fun cartridge, I agree, but it sends a good shock into your shoulder that, if your grip isn't consistent can cause your shots to fly all over the place. I recall shooting a friend's 1911 and being very irritated that I couldn't get it to shoot where I pointed it.

I've been shooting rifles and shotguns since I was old enough to hold them, but a handgun is a completely different platform. You've got to go right back to square one and train up from there. I'm not saying you can't do that with a .38 special or a 9mm, but you're definitely going to have a much more difficult time. I think most of the veteran shooters will support my thoughts.
 
If you haven't shot either caliber before I'd recommend starting with the 9mm, it'll be cheaper to shoot especially if you plan on doing a lot of shooting.

I've haven't owned the baby eagle but I did get to try one at the range once in a 9mm and I shot really well with it actually and it felt good but everyones hands are different once you get your R rating get down to your pistol shop ask to see the pistols in your price range see which feel best in your hands and then go home do some reading on those and ultimately make your decision
 
well right now i have 300 bucks that i have from my bow i sold then w/e i get on my income tax and i might get a 500- 1000 dollar grant from being top of my class in welding
 
Just look at the prices of the ammo.
22 lr and 9mm are just the cheapest to run.
Pick up something chambered in the caliber that will let You to train a lot.
No point in having a handgun too expensive to train with.
 
.22s are fun yes. But if you want something with a bit of power, get a 9mm. I highly recommend the M&P9, preferably the Range Kit. First gun I bought, took it to the range and love it.
 
I personally got a Chiappa Model 911. It is a 1911 style semi-auto.
I know I'm probably going to get posts about buying a cheap gun from some readers, but hey, it cost me about $400 delivered to my door from "Cedar Valley Hunting" (They are listed with the sponsers at the top of the page) and it has been loads of fun without any problems so far. What else can you ask for when you are getting started?

Oh yea, and being able to buy ammo dirt cheap helps too!

I think of it like learning to drive a car....do your learning on an Omni before you buy a Porche. lol
 
My first handgun was these:

1) Ruger Mark III .22LR
2) Sig P226R 9mm
3) Beretta 92FS 9mm
4) S&W 629 .44 Magnum

My initial intention was to keep only 1 of the 9mm's but I just love both so I kept them. I had the luxury of having a big budget so I bought 4 at the same time. If I were to only buy 1 as my first, it would have been a toss up between the Mark III & Sig P226R. A .22LR is definately a must have so I recommend starting there. Cheap ammo is a good thing. .45ACP is a pricey round compared to the 9mm.
 
I'm with bristow84... My first was the S&W MP9 range kit... With all that you get with the kit, you CAN NOT go wrong for 650.00... I got mine from Al Flaherty's
 
Sader's,...you are on a budget right now. If I were you, I'd pick a good used, or new Nork SIG 226 or CZ 75 copy of the EE or from one of the sponsors in "9MM Parabellum".

When you have more cash, and can decide on what direction you want to go, 9mm, .40, .45. IPSC, handloading, etc etc, you can always sell the Nork on the EE, probaly for exactly what you payed for it if it was used to begin with, and upgrade to a finer made pistol. When I say finer ,I mean a Glock 17.;)


The 9's as cheap as it gets in bulk ammo without reloading. Well maybe the Tokarev with corrosive ammo, but I don't recommend that for your first pistol.

So a good copy 9 pistol for $300-350, plus bulk fmj ammo for around $14.00 for 50, and I see lots of bang bang in your future. My first 9mm, 30 years ago, was a German P-38, mismatched, and let me tell you, it didn't back down from any service pistol on our range firing NATO ammo! That makes me think maybe even one of those post was P-38's for around $350, is not a bad idea either.

Anyhow the point is, any of these won't cost an arm or a leg, it will get you double tapping, and after you're seasoned, and are outshooting the Nork or P-38, than you can sell, minimum loss, and buy a new or good used "Brand name:eek:" pistol. That would probaly be made in Austria.:p

I didn't mention the .22 route. I had a Ruger MkII 5.5" Bull barrel, very accurate, very economical, and very boring. I know you want to shoot centerfire;),......... everyone does right????:p
 
For my first pistol I am interested in the M&P40 VTAC. I am not familiar with the .40 S&W and have only shot 9mm and .45 ACP. Money aside, is this a good one to start with? A friend of mine swears by the .45 and reccomends that for accuracy. what do you fellas think?
 
If you get a polymer gun, go with 9mm for sure. If you go to a steel gun, and you really cant go wrong with the baby eagle, you can go to a larger caliber, like .40, without having it feel like you are shooting a cannon as the extra weight really helps soak up recoil. Dont go to .45 for your first gun,leave that until you have a good feel for handgunning.

The Norc's are much more affordable but you get what you pay for so dont get your expectaions too high if you go with one of those, as said above its a good learning platform.

I find 22lr to get boring pretty quick but then again I love the sound and feel of recoil, always have :) My bottom line suggestion; Save a few more bucks and get the baby eagle in 9mm, get a case of ammo and have at 'er. Or if you have access, hit a range where alot of people shoot and ask around to try some other guns and see what you like. Its more about how you like it when it goes off than how it feels in the gun store
 
I agree with the 9mm to start with.

I bought a CZ 75 in 9mm for my first handgun and I love it. Ammo is 260$ per 1000rds so thats not too bad. Within the next month or so I will be upgrading to 40S&W and buying a Glock22. In my opinion starting with 9mm is just cheaper and easier to train with.
 
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