Advice on my first handgun, please

N

nodule

New member
Hello,

I just joined this forum this morning.............

I am a VERY fit 48 year old guy, with spotless record, looking to purchase my
first handgun after MANY years of contemplating. I have been watching TONS
of You Tube clips of handgun reviews and proper gun safety and handling
clips as well.

Safety will be of paramount priority for me. I have fired a handgun
once as a teenager, and really dont remember what type of gun, except that it
was a revolver.

So, im debating between my first handgun being a revolver or semi automatic.
If I decide on the revolver, I like the Ruger SP101 and if I go for the semi
automatic, I like the Glock 19, Ruger SR9 or Sig P229.

This is all from just my internet research and watching many reviews on all
of these models.

So would my first step be to find a reputable gun shop and touch and feel
these handguns. Or do I first need to speak to someone about training first.
Can someone please steer me in the right direction?

Also, the gun will be using for target shooting, and double as home self defense.

Thank you, and I look forward to your thoughts!

Michael
 
Welcome to the forum,,,

Here's my 2-cents worth,,,
Try and find a local range that rents handguns,,,
And buy an inexpensive but quality .22 semi-auto and join a pistol club.

What joining a club will do is expose you to lots and lots of different guns,,,
I'm an dyed in the wool revolver guy so I was familiar with wheel guns,,,
But when it came time that I wanted a Wonder-Nine I was clueless.

I took a day and went to Ok City and hit a gun store that rented pistols,,,
I spent a fine afternoon (and about $135.00) renting different guns,,,
I also spent a lot of time at my pistol club looking at other guns,,,
Thanks to the generous people at my club I shot a lot of guns,,,
So when it came time for me to decide I had a basis of fact.

Everyone in here (myself included) will recommend our favorite guns,,,
In my case I always recommend that a person look at CZ pistols,,,
I have a CZ-75B in 9mm that I absolutely love owning/shooting,,,
But that doesn't mean you'll like the way it fits your hand.

Sure, ask for recommendations,,,
Get as much input as you can get from other shooters,,,
But always take their comments with a grain of salt because we all have agendas.

And never ever buy a handgun that you haven't held in your hand,,,
I don't care if it's the finest gun ever made,,,
If it doesn't fit your grip, it's worthless.

JMHO - YMMV

Aarond

P.S. if .38 Special is in your mind,,, Try and find a decent used S&W K-frame to try on for size,,, Lotsa models to choose from and used prices shouldn't be too high.

.
 
Most experienced shooters are going to tell you you should consider a revolver for your first pistol. I think a .38 is a good start. Proper training in gun handeling is always the smart thing to do. Shooting various pistols is also the smart thing to do. If you have a friend who has firearms maybe buy a couple boxes of ammo and ask if you can go shooting with him/her once. Most people that shoot are always looking for an excuse to go. I love taking people out shooting for there first time. Biggest reasons to start wioth a revolver is there simplicity. They typically have a longer trigger pull and you don't have to worry about weather or not there is a round in the chamber. In an emergency you just pick up your revolver and it's ready. I'm not as well versed in .38's so I'll leave that up to other posters.

Good luck and stay safe.
 
Also I wanted to add. Outside of safety there are two main items you need to practice to become a better shooter. They are trigger control and sight alignment. It's better to learn these with a double action revolver in my experience. And if you can do these well with a double action revolver then you'll be able to shoot most anything.
 
For anyone that has little to no experience with handguns their first one should be a good .22lr target gun. Most people don't want to hear this and alot will not believe this but it is the best, least expensive way to learn how to shoot real handguns.
Never underestimate the short and long term usefullness of a good target .22lr handgun.

My first purchase when I got serious about shooting handguns was a .22lr. After many rounds shot I then purchased a .44 magnum.

A hit with a .22 is always better than a miss with anything else.
 
revolver

Thanks....

What is the S&W equivalent to the Ruger SP101? Would it be the Model 64 or
67? The 686 would be over my budget.
 
yep

if you know a person who shoots ask them to take you out. like this weekend i am takeing a few people out that have little to no experience out to shoot that i work with. so they can get a idea of what to buy for themselves. first gun i would reccomend a wheel gun shop around see what you like and maybe check out a 5 inch or 7 inch barrel it seems to me they are a little more fun to shoot. since some of the snubs seem to recoil alot more and maybe it will help you with accuracy. just my .02 good luck and hope you enjoy shooting.

check out the ruger gp 100 6 inch or smith 686 or taurus 6 inch last i checked i saw a few for 599.00 just shop around you will find one in your price range that you like.
 
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thanks

Jeep,
So I would NOT need any formal training from a professional in order to buy
a handgun, just shooting with a friend who is a firearms owner and avid
shooter is enough for me to purchase a handgun??

I am in NJ, so i think there is a LONG background check and waiting period, but I may be wrong.

So, if i just walked into a NJ gun shop and asked to purchase, what would
they ask me??
 
training

Is never a bad thing but if you can get a friend to teach you saftey and the all around good handling of guns wheather it be semi aut or revoler you should be ok, never discount training it is always helpfull. I have been to many training grounds and always taken away good info. Alays remember the golden rule treat every firearm as if it were loaded. And you should be able to walk in your gun shops tell them what your looking for and they will show you many different ways you can go good luck keep us posted on what you get.
 
YES

Absolutely Jeep!

Just from watching the popular firearms expert on You Tube, Hickok45, I have
learned to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, treated a gun as if is is loaded, if though you
know 110% that it is NOT!

You always wanna over exaggerate safety and be sure to signal to others
around you that you gun is unloaded ALSO!

I think this is an excellent point I learned, even before picking up a gun!
 
If you want to learn the fundamentals of accurate shooting - trigger control, follow-through and calling the shot - start with one of these:

http://www.airguns.net/reviews_daisy747.php

Accurate, zero recoil, quiet and a box of newspapers will do as a bullet trap.

The ammo is practially free. You can shoot in the house or garage.

I've had a 717 since the mid '70s. It's been rebuilt twice (under $20). I've fired untold thousands of shots through it and the accuracy is still amazing. It'll group 10 shots on a 1" paster at 25 feet all day long if you can hold and squeeze.
 
Models 64 and 67,,,

What is the S&W equivalent to the Ruger SP101? Would it be the Model 64 or
67?
Click to expand...

The SP-101 is a 5 shot revolver,,,
It's close S&W Equivalent is the Model 60,,,
The Model 60 is what is called a J-frame revolver,,,
In S&W this is known as an absolute classic snubnose .38.

BTW, the Model 60 is the Stainless Steel version of the Model 36 Chiefs Special.

The Model 64 is the stainless steel version of the S&W Model 10,,,
The Model 10 is the most basic .38 Special revolver that S&W manufactures,,,
It is a K-frame (next step up from a J-frame), has fixed sights, and holds six cartridges.

The Model 67 is the stainless steel version of the S&W Model 15,,,
The Model 15/67 is virtually identical to the Model 10/64 in that it is a K-frame,,,
The biggest difference is that the Model 15/67 Combat Masterpiece has adjustable rear sights.

Either of these revolvers would serve you just fine as a range gun or for home defense,,,
I would go for the adjustable sights on the Model 15/67 but that's just me,,,
Some folk like the absolute simplicity of the Model 10/64,,,
They're not wrong, I just like adjustable sights.

Aarond
 
well

there are a few differences in the chief special and the model 60 the model 60 is a 357 and the chief is a 38 special. in which you have to be carefull with the chief as plus p round can warp the crane if the firearm is not rated for the round. so be carefull. Pic of my model 60
 

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+1 to the comments of finding a range to rent - and shoot a lot of handguns...

but if you really want to focus on .38 spl / I would still recommend a gun chambered in .357 mag ....that you can shoot both .38 spl and .357 mag in ...

I still see a lot of S&W model 19's ( blued or nickel finishes ) and 66's ( stainless ) -- especially in 4" around. The gun shows seem to be full of them / my local used gun stores seem to have quite a few as well ...
 
+1 to the .357 mag. Very versatile handgun that you will probably never sell.

also buying a 22 for your first pistol is not bad advise either.
 
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