I see that many of you own several handguns. What I would like to know is how you came to choose your first handgun and how you decided on it's caliber. Did you choose the caliber based on the handgun, or the handgun based on the caliber? I will be purchasing my first handgun in about a week and the information here would be invaluable.
First handgun and choice of caliber
- Thread starter Hogberry
- Start date
earlthegoat2
New member
I first purchased a 1911 just because of all the history associated with it. The caliber was good and I knew it. It was all American and felt great in the hand. I could shoot great with it and it handled Wolf ammo with ease.
I have since become less enamored with 1911s and moved on to 9mm, of which the pistols I find to be much more intresting if not all the pistol that my old 1911 was.
I have since become less enamored with 1911s and moved on to 9mm, of which the pistols I find to be much more intresting if not all the pistol that my old 1911 was.
My recommendation as far as caliber is .22 LR. There are several fine examples of both semi autos and revolvers. Get whichever works best for you. If you like single action revolvers, you can get a convertible model that will shoot both .22 LR and .22 magnum by changing cylinders.
Whatever gun and caliber you get, you need to shoot enough to learn sight alignment, trigger control, and just general gun handleing. And very importantly, safety! The main reason to start out with a .22 is the cost of ammo. You can get .22 LR ammo for about a tenth of the cost of most centerfire ammo.
Whatever gun and caliber you get, you need to shoot enough to learn sight alignment, trigger control, and just general gun handleing. And very importantly, safety! The main reason to start out with a .22 is the cost of ammo. You can get .22 LR ammo for about a tenth of the cost of most centerfire ammo.
Willie Lowman
New member
My first handgun was a Ruger Redhawk .44 It was a birthday present.
The first handgun I bought was a Ruger 22/45. My stepdad had one and I always liked it and wanted one of my own. Two months later I bought a Colt 1991A1. That was when a guy could shoot afford to shoot .45 all day.
The first handgun I bought was a Ruger 22/45. My stepdad had one and I always liked it and wanted one of my own. Two months later I bought a Colt 1991A1. That was when a guy could shoot afford to shoot .45 all day.
one question you could start with is....what is the purpose and use? There are many.....recreation/hunting/self-defense/conceled carry/home defense....those are just some, but if you can narrow down a purpose, that will help your choices. And yes, a 22LR will be a cheaper way to practice if you feel more comfortable starting that way. If you have never shot handguns, a 500 S&W mag probably wouldnt be a good choice to start with....But yes, maybe narrow down a purpuse/use...
So far, a 1911 pattern gun (in I assume 45ACP), the 9mm caliber, .22 caliber and 38 special have all been mentioned. Pretty random... nothing bad, just random.
Perhaps knowing the purpose of this handgun may determine a range of desired calibers... it may even serve to narrow down the choice of handguns.
Home Defense.
9mm, 38 special, .357 mag, 40S&W and 45ACP are the most common with men. With women, you can add to those listed... .22, 32ACP and .380. With women it can be more a matter of gun size than tolerance to recoil.
There are other calibers like 10mm etc etc, but the above have been traditionally the most common or popular.
Defense-Concealed Carry.
All of the above... frequently in a smaller package. For example, a double stack gun for HD, a single stack for carry. A 45ACP for the home, a 9mm for carry. No opinion is being offered here... only examples.
"Good general purpose gun to have around the house".
There is no specific gun or caliber here. Your needs are your needs. You may have children... or not. You may have a significant other... or not. If other people are involved and may be in a position to use this gun, then they have to be taken into consideration.
For example... if you have children that show an interest in firearms, then perhaps the .22 mentioned is a good place to start.
If your significant other may be using the gun for HD, then they have to be able to operate and shoot it comfortably.
Target practice. You can never go wrong with a good .22 target pistol... as previously outlined nicely by Win73.
Decide what it's for... it may be for the above, or a combination of the above. When you ask questions like this, be more specific, or you leave yourself open to general, and perhaps unrelated answers.
Have fun,
C
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BurkGlocker
New member
I bought a S&W 610 just for the hell of it, and to this day is still one of my favorite pistols and because I love a 10mm...
.22lr is a great way to start - learn safety, sights, grip, etc. The rub is that as important as all this is, and it absolutely is, it is kind of like getting an acoustic guitar when what you really want is an electric. It is always good to own though and you will go back to it often.
I bought my first gun July 4th. I looked over the general types of guns available, then went to gun shows, the Glocks seem to fit my hand well and I liked the safety system. A few guns seemed better but they were a lot more expensive. When looking at the Glocks I tried to decide between the 9mm, 10mm .40S&W, 45ACP and 45GAP. At the time the 9mm was in short supply and I liked the larger capacity of the .40 and 10mm over the 45ACP or 45GAP. Finally settled on the .40 mostly for ammo availability as well as thinking the 10mm may be a bit much in recoil and expense to shoot.
The .40 and 9mm also had more selection as far as type of guns available from Glock, full size, compact, subcompact and competition sized. Since getting the Glock 22 I have had a chance to shoot the Glock 19 and 23. I liked the Glock 19 (compact 9mm) a lot, not so much the 23 (compact .40) I was going to try the Glock 27 (subcompact .40) Monday but the range would not rent me one since my son was with me. I have also shot a 1911 .45 and although it was not bad to shoot (except the sights) I prefer the Glock 22. I also shot a 357 (w/38 special ammo, the range was out of 357Mag) it was fine to shoot except it was annoying to have to stop and reload every 6 shots, after the 15 rounds in the Glocks.
For concealed carry the .380acp may be a good choice as well except the ammo is so hard to find right now. For home defense I would get at least a 9mm or 38 special.
I think the main thing is that the gun fits your hand and you can shoot it comfortably. To decide this best you need to shoot lots of different styles and calipers of guns, either having a friends with a good supply or renting. Then take into account ammo availability and the cost of the guns relative to your budget. Remember when budgeting you will want some accessories as well like extra magazines, holsters, gun belts plus taking training courses and practice time at the range or woods. Of course I did none of this before buying.
The .40 and 9mm also had more selection as far as type of guns available from Glock, full size, compact, subcompact and competition sized. Since getting the Glock 22 I have had a chance to shoot the Glock 19 and 23. I liked the Glock 19 (compact 9mm) a lot, not so much the 23 (compact .40) I was going to try the Glock 27 (subcompact .40) Monday but the range would not rent me one since my son was with me. I have also shot a 1911 .45 and although it was not bad to shoot (except the sights) I prefer the Glock 22. I also shot a 357 (w/38 special ammo, the range was out of 357Mag) it was fine to shoot except it was annoying to have to stop and reload every 6 shots, after the 15 rounds in the Glocks.
For concealed carry the .380acp may be a good choice as well except the ammo is so hard to find right now. For home defense I would get at least a 9mm or 38 special.
I think the main thing is that the gun fits your hand and you can shoot it comfortably. To decide this best you need to shoot lots of different styles and calipers of guns, either having a friends with a good supply or renting. Then take into account ammo availability and the cost of the guns relative to your budget. Remember when budgeting you will want some accessories as well like extra magazines, holsters, gun belts plus taking training courses and practice time at the range or woods. Of course I did none of this before buying.
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If your budget allows for it, you may want to consider a centerfire auto for which a .22 conversion kit is available, i.e.
1911 type, Glock, Sig-Sauer.
That way you can learn fundamentals with the cheap, low recoiling .22, then switch to the more powerful centerfire for home defense, CC,etc. still using the same trigger pull, grip feel, sights, and what not.
1911 type, Glock, Sig-Sauer.
That way you can learn fundamentals with the cheap, low recoiling .22, then switch to the more powerful centerfire for home defense, CC,etc. still using the same trigger pull, grip feel, sights, and what not.
lee n. field
New member
You could say that....
You get some weird idea in your head, for whatever reason, that you have to have X. You go out and get X. It either does what you want it to do, or it doesn't. Rinse, lather, repeat.
That's about it.
Plenty of threads around here about it.
A couple things to note:
- It's not a disaster if you decide you've erred in your first choice. Sell it off and get something else. You learn by making mistakes.
- Budget for ammunition and accessories -- holster if needed, extra magazines, cleaning supplies.
- Take a class. Take a class. Take a class.
- A handgun is not a magic crimefighting wand, nor a toy. Do not treat them as such.
- You have more choices if you can spend more money. ("Duh"). Above $350-$400, the choices get a lot better. Below $200, a decent choice outside of ex-commie military surplus is close to non-existent.
- It's perfectly OK to buy used, but ask yourself who's going to support it if there's a problem.
The questions you need to ask, and answer are
- Does it do what I want it to do? Fitness for the purpose.
- Does it fit me? Ergonomics.
- Can I afford it? If you budget's US$400, don't even think about "H und K" wunderpistolen.
So, what do you want this for, and how much do you have to spend on it?
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Congrats on your decision to enter the always exciting world of handguns.
My first gun was a Smith & Wesson Sigma 40ve which is a 40 caliber semi auto. Here's how it went down. Like you I decided I wanted to own a gun but didn't know much about them or what kind of gun I wanted. So I walk into a local gun shop and tell the guy I want to buy one. He shows me the Sigma and tells me about Smith's two free magazine promotion. I think he means magazines you read so I say ok I'll take the gun. Before I leave the shop he explains the magazines are for holding bullets. I'm not kidding. I was that clueless.
That was three years and eleven handguns ago. I now have different numbers of guns in .22, .380 auto, 38 special, .357 magnum, 9mm, and 40 caliber plus reloading equipment so I can reload my own ammo. Handguns and all types of guns for that matter are a great hobby and shooting is loads of fun.
The caliber you buy probably depends on what you want to do with that first gun. If you're like most you'll end up with several and long guns to boot. 9mm is hard to beat because the ammo is less expensive than some others calibers. If you're interested in carrying there are lots of nice choices of conceal type weapons in 9mm. If you lean to revolvers consider a small to medium frame size .357 in all steel with about a 2 1/2 inch barrel. Either Smith Wesson or Ruger win the go ahead in the revolver department. Slightly more expensive but very much worth the extra money.
My first gun was a Smith & Wesson Sigma 40ve which is a 40 caliber semi auto. Here's how it went down. Like you I decided I wanted to own a gun but didn't know much about them or what kind of gun I wanted. So I walk into a local gun shop and tell the guy I want to buy one. He shows me the Sigma and tells me about Smith's two free magazine promotion. I think he means magazines you read so I say ok I'll take the gun. Before I leave the shop he explains the magazines are for holding bullets. I'm not kidding. I was that clueless.
That was three years and eleven handguns ago. I now have different numbers of guns in .22, .380 auto, 38 special, .357 magnum, 9mm, and 40 caliber plus reloading equipment so I can reload my own ammo. Handguns and all types of guns for that matter are a great hobby and shooting is loads of fun.
The caliber you buy probably depends on what you want to do with that first gun. If you're like most you'll end up with several and long guns to boot. 9mm is hard to beat because the ammo is less expensive than some others calibers. If you're interested in carrying there are lots of nice choices of conceal type weapons in 9mm. If you lean to revolvers consider a small to medium frame size .357 in all steel with about a 2 1/2 inch barrel. Either Smith Wesson or Ruger win the go ahead in the revolver department. Slightly more expensive but very much worth the extra money.
I bought my first handgun 17yrs ago. I purchased a ruger P89. I have been very pleased with it and still practice with it today. I don't regret the decision I made. But.....
If I had to do it all over again, I would find a range that rented firearms and shoot a few different ones and see how they feel. Take in the ergonomics of each, price, availability of ammo etc, my planned use for the firearm(range, home defense, CCW)... and make a more informed decision.
I didn't have the option of renting firearms when I bought my first one. Of course economics had alot to do with my first purchase as I paid $299 for my Ruger!
Again, I don't regret my first puchase. But today I would go about it differently.
If I had to do it all over again, I would find a range that rented firearms and shoot a few different ones and see how they feel. Take in the ergonomics of each, price, availability of ammo etc, my planned use for the firearm(range, home defense, CCW)... and make a more informed decision.
I didn't have the option of renting firearms when I bought my first one. Of course economics had alot to do with my first purchase as I paid $299 for my Ruger!
Again, I don't regret my first puchase. But today I would go about it differently.
I think Lee nailed it…
Most people buy on impulse without ever trying or taking the firearm to the range. Some guys ask around and go with whatever other people recommend. I know guys that literally owned one pistol and swore by them until I let them shoot a few different handguns or they tried something else. If you are buying your first handgun I would suggest that you drive to a few different shops (or one that has a really good selection) rent a bunch of different guns and calibers and have fun…then buy the one you are most comfortable with. You can research for hours on end and find what you believe to be a perfect match and end up hating it when you get to the range. Don’t make any rash decisions.
I wish I would have looked at the XD line by Springfield a little sooner. In my opinion they are build well, I like their ergonomics and the ability to customize their fit to my hand, they have the right safety features, they aren’t overly expensive and they have a good warranty. Good luck!
Most people buy on impulse without ever trying or taking the firearm to the range. Some guys ask around and go with whatever other people recommend. I know guys that literally owned one pistol and swore by them until I let them shoot a few different handguns or they tried something else. If you are buying your first handgun I would suggest that you drive to a few different shops (or one that has a really good selection) rent a bunch of different guns and calibers and have fun…then buy the one you are most comfortable with. You can research for hours on end and find what you believe to be a perfect match and end up hating it when you get to the range. Don’t make any rash decisions.
I wish I would have looked at the XD line by Springfield a little sooner. In my opinion they are build well, I like their ergonomics and the ability to customize their fit to my hand, they have the right safety features, they aren’t overly expensive and they have a good warranty. Good luck!
radioflyer
New member
(quote lee n. field)
A couple things to note:
It's not a disaster if you decide you've erred in your first choice. Sell it off and get something else. You learn by making mistakes.
Very true. I purchased a Sig Pro 2022. While there was nothing wrong with the gun itself, I quickly discovered i couldn't stand the wide grip. I had poor control which resulted in a longer target re-acquisition. I sold it and shelled out the few extra $$ for a H&K P30 which fits like a glove.
Budget for ammunition and accessories -- holster if needed, extra magazines, cleaning supplies.
One of the main reasons my first guns were 9mm. This was especially considered because I bought both during the ammunition scare when .45 and .40 were nearly impossible to find.
Take a class. Take a class. Take a class.
very helpful, however if you have friends or family that are active shooters, they can be an option as well if you're more comfortable with them.
A handgun is not a magic crimefighting wand, nor a toy. Do not treat them as such.
Def. true
You have more choices if you can spend more money. ("Duh"). Above $350-$400, the choices get a lot better. Below $200, a decent choice outside of ex-commie military surplus is close to non-existent.
My mother is obsesed with the lowest price possible on most of the things she buys. Her first gun was a Taurus mil pro 24/7. It shoots well most of the time but feels like a tinker toy. At the range it's had about 5 malfunctions for about 200 rounds through it. My Sig and P30 have functioned flawlessly....but they were ~2x the price of rthe taurus.
It's perfectly OK to buy used, but ask yourself who's going to support it if there's a problem.
Buying used can make the wallet hurt a LOT less especially l when buying a more expeensive piece. My P30 for instance usually sells for ~$900 brand new (with all thee taxes etc) but i picked up a pre-owned one for $700. Most HK users reeccomend a break in period for the P30 using 147gr ammo for tehe first few hundred rounds and since this was already done, I could shoot pretty much whatever i want.
A couple things to note:
It's not a disaster if you decide you've erred in your first choice. Sell it off and get something else. You learn by making mistakes.
Very true. I purchased a Sig Pro 2022. While there was nothing wrong with the gun itself, I quickly discovered i couldn't stand the wide grip. I had poor control which resulted in a longer target re-acquisition. I sold it and shelled out the few extra $$ for a H&K P30 which fits like a glove.
Budget for ammunition and accessories -- holster if needed, extra magazines, cleaning supplies.
One of the main reasons my first guns were 9mm. This was especially considered because I bought both during the ammunition scare when .45 and .40 were nearly impossible to find.
Take a class. Take a class. Take a class.
very helpful, however if you have friends or family that are active shooters, they can be an option as well if you're more comfortable with them.
A handgun is not a magic crimefighting wand, nor a toy. Do not treat them as such.
Def. true
You have more choices if you can spend more money. ("Duh"). Above $350-$400, the choices get a lot better. Below $200, a decent choice outside of ex-commie military surplus is close to non-existent.
My mother is obsesed with the lowest price possible on most of the things she buys. Her first gun was a Taurus mil pro 24/7. It shoots well most of the time but feels like a tinker toy. At the range it's had about 5 malfunctions for about 200 rounds through it. My Sig and P30 have functioned flawlessly....but they were ~2x the price of rthe taurus.
It's perfectly OK to buy used, but ask yourself who's going to support it if there's a problem.
Buying used can make the wallet hurt a LOT less especially l when buying a more expeensive piece. My P30 for instance usually sells for ~$900 brand new (with all thee taxes etc) but i picked up a pre-owned one for $700. Most HK users reeccomend a break in period for the P30 using 147gr ammo for tehe first few hundred rounds and since this was already done, I could shoot pretty much whatever i want.
turbotype87
New member
ist handgun.
Well if i were you i would get a new smith&wesson 460 or 500 model this way here when you get fed up with not hitting your target then you can buy something else. LOL, Just kidding you really need to find something that fits your hand comfortably, And start with a small caliber handgun 22, 38, 9mm these don't have much recoil and are easy to handle for most people. Join a gun club, there are many experienced gun owners as well as range personnel that can help with any questions that you may have or help that you may need. Good shooting.
Well if i were you i would get a new smith&wesson 460 or 500 model this way here when you get fed up with not hitting your target then you can buy something else. LOL, Just kidding you really need to find something that fits your hand comfortably, And start with a small caliber handgun 22, 38, 9mm these don't have much recoil and are easy to handle for most people. Join a gun club, there are many experienced gun owners as well as range personnel that can help with any questions that you may have or help that you may need. Good shooting.