looking for a good starter handgun

[mattritchie238]

+1 for a G19

 

[88E30M50]

There are lots of options available. Each has it's advantages as well as it's negatives. 9mm is about as cheap as you can get in terms of ammo and it's an effective caliber that's easy to shoot. But, it's really hard to find right now. That will change though, as ammo makers are slowly catching up with demand. .40 S&W has a bit more power and is readily available in Central Indiana right now, but is a bit slower to shoot well and costs a bit more. .45 will always be a popular caliber, but will never be the cheapest round to shoot. The .45 ACP is a good self defense round that does not need a lot of speed to be effective. It can be an easy caliber to shoot with more of a firm push type recoil as opposed to the fast pop of a .40.

There are lots and lots of gun styles available right now too. The up side is there is something out there that will fit you well. The downside is that you might have to handle 20 guns to figure out what it is. Glocks are a perennial favorite and for good reason. They are generally reliable and are very simple in both construction as well as operation. 1911s are also great guns and have been a workhorse in personal protection for over 100 years. There are lots of gun styles to choose from and each of those have their ups and downs.

When choosing a handgun, you are balancing several criteria. Weight, size, caliber and capacity are the big things to consider. A heavy gun will shoot better than a lighter gun in the same caliber but can be uncomfortable to carry unless you invest in a good belt and holster. A larger gun will generally have a higher capacity than a smaller gun of the same caliber but comes at the price of conceal-ability and comfort for carry. A larger caliber can pack more power per round, but comes at the cost of the number of rounds you can carry when comparing similar sized handguns. With the quality of today's ammunition, anything 9mm or above will generally be considered adequate in terms of power. Finally, capacity needs to be considered. Running out of ammo in a gun fight is considered poor form. Running out of ammo before your attacker runs out of ammo will get you killed. A good standard capacity 9mm can have upwards of 18 rounds on board were as a sub compact .45 ACP may only have 6. That 6 round .45 will conceal a heck of a lot better than that 9mm, but the 9mm will keep you in the fight much longer than the .45. You can mitigate the capacity issue to some degree with spare magazines and lots of practice though.

What works for me, but may not work for everyone else, has changed through the years. There was a time when I carried a compact 1911 in .45. That gave me 8 rounds of good ammo on a solid shooting platform. With 2 spare mags, I had 22 rounds at my disposal. Then, I carried a CZ 75 Compact for a long time. That one gave me 17 rounds of good 9mm in a very easy to shoot platform. Add one spare mag and I had 35 chances to save a life with only one reload needed. I still carry that setup often. Now, my day to day carry is a Glock 23 in .40 S&W. I have 14 rounds on board with another 13 in a spare mag. The G23 hits the sweet spot for me in terms of a very shootable caliber, great platform, easy to carry gun that packs a decent punch. As I age (currently 50), I may move back towards the CZ as my primary carry if my ability to shoot the G23 falls off.

Whatever you find that works for you, practice with it as much as you can and invest in a good belt and holster. Those make a huge difference in how safely and comfortably a gun can be carried.

 

[stationhollow]

you wont be able to stop at just one. by a biggun and learn to shoot first. then learn to carry.

 

[PMR]

There are lots of options available.

Very good informative opinion/post here Tim, I'm also shopping for my first hand gun and I really appreciated Tim's full post.

 

[VERT]

Remember whatever first pistol a person buys they will eventually have to support the overall system. By this I mean they will need holsters, magazines, ammo, parts, add ons such as a light. Also take into consideration popularity and resell value. So this whole topic becomes a function of price/value, reliability, comfort and popularity.

My List: (all of which have full size & compact versions available)
Glock
Smith & Wesson M&P
Springfield XD
Ruger SR9

 

[lucky4034]

Lots of guns are good for lots of things...

But until you decide what you want to do with the gun, its impossible to answer this question.

If you want something cheap to build skill and just plink.... Buy a .22lr pistol.
If you want something for self defense but relatively cheap for practice... Buy a 9mm

After you decide which you want and how much you want to spend... THEN you will have to start narrowing down specific needs and how you intend to put it to use.

If you decide that your need is to have a defense weapon to practice with... you will chose 9mm, but your work isn't done. You will then need to decide:

-Is this for home defense or do I want to eventually carry this weapon
-If you want to carry it... you will want to decide if you want to Conceal Carry or Open Carry
-If you decide you want to Open Carry, you will need to decide whether you want to Carry "locked and cocked" or no safety Double Action etc....
-Once you decide how you want to carry... you will have to decide WHERE (on your body) you want to carry​

..... AT THAT POINT.. you can start to compare brands and models that will fit that purpose.

The same methodology goes for choosing a .22lr pistol. Until you are able to narrow down exactly the TYPE of pistol you want... it really does no good to randomly sift through specific brands and models.

I'm not the most seasoned shooter here by any means. In comparison to the company we keep here on INGO... I'm a novice, but I've learned the hard way that it makes no sense to just chose a gun if you don't know what you want to use it for.

Guns are tools and each one of them can do a specific job.. until you define the job its hard to choose the tool.

Trust me... a super compact XDs or M&P Shield are great guns... unless you want to shoot in a .22lr bulls eye competition

 

[sig40]

smith and wesson m&p 9mm

 

[Jordan]

FN FNS - swap between 9mm and .40 in a great platform

 

[skunkworks1]

if not familiar with hand guns consider a .38 special revolver. they are easy to shoot and are very reliable.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I prefer carrying the G26, but I'd recommend the G19. Shooting the 19 has a better feel (for me anyway). The Glock 19 is quite concealable with the right clothes, 15 round mag brings a lot of firepower. I carry a spare 17 round mag when I carry either gun (another + for Glocks, there's always a bigger mag).

 

[ru44mag]

After all these opinions, are you more confused than ever? LOL. That's a tough decision. I bought my first handgun about 26 years ago. Still have it, and it's one of my favorites. Rugar Super Blackhawk 44 mag. I would not suggest it for you. For me it had a purpose. Keep up your research. You will find what is right for you. Right now I have 8 revolvers and 7 autos. I like them all. They all have different uses. If somebody told me I could only have one...well I think I would keep my Ruger GP100 .357mag. I can reload cheaply. Lite loads for target practice and heavy for self defense. I can even hunt deer with it legally if I needed to. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[MolonLabe7]

g19

 

[dswanso1]

thank you all for the feedback! It is really helpful and much appreciated!

 

[88E30M50]

Remember, choosing your first gun does not limit you to only that gun, but instead only starts your education on firearms. If you are careful, buying a gun can be thought of as a long term rental. You buy it for $500 today and if, after a year or so, decide you like something better, you sell it for $450. I look at that as a $50 long term rental fee or, as the cost of the education the gun gave me. I've gone through many guns that way and often sell for about the same price I bought it for.

So, don't try to over think the initial purchase. Do your homework and find what seems to fit you best. Some folks get lucky the first time out, but others go through many guns to find what works best for them. To be honest, I feel bad for the folks that get it right the first time. They don't know what they've missed in courting other firearms.

 

[tmanbuddyy]

S&W 500 2in barrel

 

[cbhausen]

Starter handguns are usually revolvers and shoot blanks, but not this one:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHuQ1cqhJi8[/ame]

Lots of really bad gun handling in this one, by the way. Muzzle and trigger control? NOT!

 

[AlwaysVigilant]

Whatever you buy, I promise it won't be the last...especially since it is your first. I second the sentiments for learning to shoot on a a gun that isn't tiny. Learning the fundamentals is essential, and it is just plain easier on a larger platform.

Something in the mid size range would be a good compromise. It will likely be large enough for good practice on getting a good grip and general pistol manipulations, while being compact enough for concealed carry if you decide that is the best method for you.

Trying several out is very important. The "feel" of a handgun for different people ads to comfort levels when learning to shoot. You want to make sure it feels good to you.

I also recommend taking a class or two from a reputable instructor, where you will get expert help, and have the ability to try samples from multiple action types...DA/SA, DAO, SA, Striker fired, etc. those things make a big difference in the beginning, as do the safety designs and requirements. A good instructor will be able to provide examples, and how to use each one effectively.

Good luck, and welcome to a different way if living.

 

[ccolip2189]

everyon here has great suggestions but really the best thing to do is to go to a gun store and just grab alot of different styles find the one you like then find the caliber you want if you do that then you will be more comfortable when you go to shoot it

 

[klug3835]

I agree with ccolip2189.. a lot of it is personal preference.

fyi, it'll be awhile before you get your permit if you just applied. as you probably know, there has been a record number of applications recently and it will probably take a couple months.

 

[Sonney]

Starter pistol

Weapons are like tools you get what you pay for. If you are buy a pistol for your protection then get a good one that fits your hand well. The caliber is another thing to think about. I prefer the 9mm and the 40 due to the mag size. You have to think on the size of the pistol that you want to carry can it be concealed easily. The main thing is don't go cheap thinking you are saving money what you may lose is more important than a few dollars.


Sonney