A pirate pistol is the best, as it is cheap to shoot, easy to load, and makes a lot of smoke.A black powder single shot is what our ancient ancestors started off with, and it is good enough, even now.It goes good with an eye patch, and old stinky clothes.
WTB my 1st handgun but I am not that into them. What is the best gateway handgun?
- Thread starter KsCan
- Start date
Thanks for that. That Walther P1 option is pretty neat, it's an interesting idea. Those 1911s do look good. I have nothing against .22s in general but handguns are not really my focus. I just want 1 or 2 to mix things up at the range. If you were restricted to only having one, because "public safety" or something, which one would you choose? (<$1000 of course)
to maximize your shooting pleasure and watch costs a 22 semi like the ruger mark 4 to 6.. watch for a used one.. they are comfortable to shoot and not too expensive. for 9mm I like the CZ75 - I've owned two, function and reliable. Handgun shooting takes willingness to practice (meaning lots of ammo)
just my opinion.
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Once again thanks to everyone for all the help. I went to a range today as some people suggested. Before going, I watched a video that jimbo14 sent me and tried to reproduce what was taught there. After selecting Glock 17, M&P 2.0, Beretta 92F, Cz Shadow 1, and even a 1911 in .45acp just for fun, I was at the firing line. I got to admit firing handguns is a bit more difficult than I thought/remember. I started with firing 10 rounds out of each pistol. Right of the bat, My performance could be rated like this: Cz/Beretta > 1911 > Glock/M&P. All the guns were fairly comfortable to hold. Beretta was probably the bulkiest/least comfortable and Cz the most comfortable. Didn't notice too much difference in triggers either. I mentioned before that I was leaning towards a Glock but it was the only gun that I kept pressing the magazine release during firing (LOL) and not just once but maybe 4-5 times. I don't know if it was me that was mentally challenged or the release was too loose. I did try to hold it firmly as my accuracy was dog####. After the initial run, I got more ammo, kept Beretta and Glock and continued firing the Glock. After 30 rounds with the Glock my accuracy improved but it was still looked like it was someone's first day at the range. I did the last round of 10 shots out of each. At 15 meters I landed 8/10 shots into a plate-sized target with a Beretta with 3 pretty much in the center and a nice overall group size. Glock group was at least double the size if with rounds all over the place. How long does it take for someone to get good with the Glock??
JDForBrkFst
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Roughly North Central AB
It can take a while. That Vickers trigger I showed you helps tremendously. A trigger job helps a lot too.
I don't mind terrible triggers as a lot of my shooting experience is firing surplus type firearms. I definitely limp wristed the Glock at first but then I concentrated on the grip more and I was getting better as I continued shooting (minus the magazine debacle). I would say that I put more effort and concentration into firing Glock than Beretta and it still yielded a way worse result.
Normally I'd have invited you out to Abby to try our a variety of handguns and see which you preferred, but since we just got hammered by the flood, well, can't do that. However I highly recommend going into DVC (Vancouver indoor range), and trying out a variety there. Talk to the guys who work there, see if you can find Kelly A. they have a lot of models and can fill you in on the things like durability etc.
All that said, buying a used handgun is not a bad idea if you want to save a few bucks, any of the top tier guns will last a loooooong time so buying used is usually safe. CZ and Glock would be my top two picks. CZ Shadow or Shadow 2 if you think you might ever want to get competitive, CZ P10 or Glock 17, 19 or 48 if you just want in a bit cheaper and mostly for fun and maybe some competition. I've got all of them and obviously shoot the Shadow series the most (13 or 14 of them I think now???) but I have plenty of Glocks too, including the 48. It fills a nice niche but, if you want something for regular use and have average size hands, a 17 or a Canadian legal 19 would be a better choice in my opinion.
All that said, buying a used handgun is not a bad idea if you want to save a few bucks, any of the top tier guns will last a loooooong time so buying used is usually safe. CZ and Glock would be my top two picks. CZ Shadow or Shadow 2 if you think you might ever want to get competitive, CZ P10 or Glock 17, 19 or 48 if you just want in a bit cheaper and mostly for fun and maybe some competition. I've got all of them and obviously shoot the Shadow series the most (13 or 14 of them I think now???) but I have plenty of Glocks too, including the 48. It fills a nice niche but, if you want something for regular use and have average size hands, a 17 or a Canadian legal 19 would be a better choice in my opinion.
.... How long does it take for someone to get good with the Glock??
Good for you for getting out to do some direct comparisons. I'm not surprised to read the details of your report, not at all!
I think for most people, the Glock trigger takes quite a while to master. It's not "bad", it's just different. The longish and heavyish pull is part of the safety features of the gun. It also makes it harder to shoot accurately without specific training. Also, note that the G17 feels dramatically different in the hand compared to the G48 that you were considering. I find the trigger feels different as well, because of how my grip changes with the thinner frame. And then there's the G17/22 "Glock hump" that throws a lot of people off...
Single action triggers (or striker fired triggers that try to mimic single action) are dramatically easier for most people to get better accuracy with as beginners. It's easier for most people to keep the sights aligned while making a shorter and lighter trigger pull.
If you want to improve with a Glockish trigger and you're willing to put the time in, you will improve. If you want to make the Glock trigger less Glockish, you can do that as well with some mods. But really we could say the same about any of the options you are considering. The question is "Where do you want to start?"
If you want the best accuracy right off the bat, you will probably want something with a shorter and/or lighter trigger pull. If you really just prefer Glocks, don't worry, you will get better (due to practice and/or mods). If you are on the fence, just pick whatever gets you most fired up, for whatever reason. If you decide to change platforms a month or a year down the road, it's really not a big deal - You'll probably get more out of range time now (with any pistol) than you will out of spending much more time before getting started.
I went to an indoor range in Langley, the one just across the bridge from Pitt Meadows. It was a kind of spur-of-the-moment thing. I tried to go DVC a few months ago but I had to book over a week ahead so I never ended up going. I am definitely considering buying used as well. I always try to buy things used whenever possible.
I am always happy to meet new people. I would never say No to a gun sampling session
. I am a member at Mission if that's any help .@alpining
I was interested in a Glock before but I was slightly disappointed after testing one out. More so my performance with it than anything particular.. oh and the mag falling out... Maybe that particular one was just bad...
Slavex is a good dude who speaks the truth about Kelly at DVC. Kelly is awesome. Go by DVC when you can.
My range, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club in South Surrey, just opened up again after a long ####ty story, (the full deal is a 3-beer story), so feel free to drop me a line if you want to come by. New members came by tonight and one of them was shooting a Glock, while his buddy shot a Shadow. Both super friendly and I worked with the Glock guy and gave him some tips. He was over-the-moon happy with the evening. He'd have let you shoot his gun, and same with the Shadow guy.
P.S. Glock guy really loved shooting the Shadow, and now he's thinking about buying one. Beware the Shadow. lol!
My range, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club in South Surrey, just opened up again after a long ####ty story, (the full deal is a 3-beer story), so feel free to drop me a line if you want to come by. New members came by tonight and one of them was shooting a Glock, while his buddy shot a Shadow. Both super friendly and I worked with the Glock guy and gave him some tips. He was over-the-moon happy with the evening. He'd have let you shoot his gun, and same with the Shadow guy.
P.S. Glock guy really loved shooting the Shadow, and now he's thinking about buying one. Beware the Shadow. lol!
Ah, I see. If you can borrow a tricked out version then you might have a better idea of what they are capable of. If you want to go the mod route... But the mags really shouldn't fall out that easily, I find them on the stiff side to be honest - Either there is something up with your grip, or the mag release wasn't working to spec on that pistol.
In any case, I'd definitely try the G48 (or even the G19) before you decide against Glocks.
If we're getting into real specifics - What didn't you like about the 1911 that you tried? They're famous for being capable of having superior triggers, and they index better for many people because of the thin grip. Personally, I like the CZ Shadow and readily recommend it as a gaming gun, but I'd take a nicely tuned 1911 over a Shadow for literally any other application.
I am biased though, looking back I can see that the 1911 was my "gateway pistol".
I really like surplus firearms but I don't really have the same interest for handguns from a historical perspective. If I can get something surplus that's a bonus of course as long as its not too beat up. I will check them out, thanks for the lead.
I tried it just for fun. Nothing was wrong with it. I mostly just looking for something in 9mm and I don't think I would buy a 1911 in anything other than .45 due to my personal biases. I am also trying to keep my budget under $1000 and if I spend less on a gun, I can spend more on ammo. I did note the thin grip on 1911 as well. Funny enough I basically mag dumped/fast fired the 1911 and got about the same accuracy as when I was trying to actually aim with the Glock.
Try as many pistols as you can to see what you do best with. The fact you got as tight a group rapid firing a 1911 as you did slow firing a Glock is telling you something. A 1911 in 9mm lasts virtually forever, other than spring changes, and parts for a 1911 are easy to acquire. It is also one of the most ergonomic designs every created and if you want to go custom later, provides an excellent base gun. I notice you mentioned slim grip. Depending on your hand size a singlestack pistol might give you better control (it does for me). Also considering our neutered magazines, a big bulky pistol with fat mags without higher capacity is a turn off for me. A full size grip 1911 has access to 10 round magazines. That being said I do like the Glock 48. It's the only Glock I like (other than G43) due to its slimness and better grip for my hands. The grip angle is a bit more raked than 1911 but with time you will adapt to whatever you shoot the most. The cost of the G48 is attractive as well.
Don't forget about getting professional training, with solid fundamentals you will be able to shoot virtually ANY gun to about the same proficiency with some designs being more efficient for you of course.
Don't forget about getting professional training, with solid fundamentals you will be able to shoot virtually ANY gun to about the same proficiency with some designs being more efficient for you of course.
