First Handgun Purchase

P

pensfan341

Inactive
Greetings,

I am looking to purchase my first handgun in the near future. I think I would like the first one to be a 9mm. After talking to people in the know I have some idea of what I want. My Uncle recommended the Glock 17 or 19 or the 22 and 23 as well as the Sig Saur pp226 or 229. My Grandfather recommended a Ruger.

I am just looking for some other opinions. Size, price, reliability, personal experience.... whatever you have to offer.

Thanks
 
CZ-75B in 9mm,,,

CZ-75B

A full size duty pistol with 16 + 1 round capacity.

tmavazena.jpg


Certainly one of the finer pistols available today.

Runs around $500 making it a very affordable bargain.

Here is a decent review of the handgun.

Look my friend,,,
There are lots of fine 9mm pistols out there,,,
This is simply the one I personally recommend after shooting a lot of them.

Have fun shopping.

Aarond
 
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Sigs

I own several of the guns you mentioned, including 2 of the Sigs and 2 of the Glocks. If this is for a general purpose range and home defense 9mm, with no intent to carry, I would go with a full size Sig like the model P226. I have owned the one below for 15 years, and it is reliable and accurate, with a good trigger feel.

SigP22620-2.jpg
 
I would recommend the Glock 26 in 9mm. It is a nice size for concealed carry and is really accurate. They run about $560 brand new and about $350 used.
 
A lot depends on what you want to do with this hand gun. A gun for concealed carry will be different than one for just range use/target practice. For your first gun I would stay with a service size, not a small gun. Also a good 22lr hand gun is a good place to start, ammo is cheep and recoil and muzzle blast is light, makes it easier to learn the basics. You should go to a range that rents hand guns and try as many as possible, to see what you like. If you read through a number of posts on here you will see that for every person who likes a particular gun, there is some one that thinks it is junk.
 
You can't go wrong with a M&P, Glock, or FN (P or X models) in my opinion. All have great reliability, good to excellent accuracy, and are easy to maintain.

If your budget is a little higher, the STI 9mm 1911's are great guns as well. Not quite as reliable or easy to maintain IMO, but the trigger's are better and accuracy is top-notch.
 
I too have several guns including Glocks, Rugers and SIGs. In my opinion the SIG P229 in 9mm is an excellent choice since it can serve as an all around firearm. The gun is small enough to carry without some of the disadvantages of small guns. The gun is reliable, accurate and with a more than adequate capacity of 15 rounds. There are obviously plenty of options, but at least take a long look at the SIG.
 
Sheepman is giving good advice,,,

Also a good 22lr hand gun is a good place to start, ammo is cheep and recoil and muzzle blast is light, makes it easier to learn the basics.
Click to expand...

In this case the CZ-75B really does make sense,,,
You can buy a CZ-75B Kadet adapter to convert a CZ-75B in 9mm to .22 LR.

Or, you can simply purchase a complete CZ-75B Kadet pistol,,,
Then you will have an extremely nice .22 that exactly matches your 9mm.

czechs.jpg


Everyone on this forum knows I'm an advocate of having a pair of the same handguns in both cartridges,,,
I personally own seven .22/centerfire pairs and find that to be a real advantage,,,
Cheaper practice with the .22 pistol lends to more proficiency with the other.

Sig Sauer makes three pistols that do the same only backwards,,,
If you were to purchase a P220 Classic 22, a P226 Classic 22, or a P229 Classic 22,,,
You then buy a SIG SAUER X-CHANGE Kit™ to convert the .22 pistol up to a centerfire cartridge.

Not quite as convenient as owning two CZ pistols,,,
But absolutely as effective in low cost shooting and performance,,,
I have been told by Sig owners that changing the pistol from .22 to centerfire takes 3 minutes at most.

Just something else to think about.

Aarond
 
9mm is a good choice for your 1st handgun. It is soft in recoil and is the cheapest centerfire ammo to buy. This will allow you to practice more.

1) I wouldn't get a compact gun as my first one. The recoil will be more and the accuracy will be less. Those two things can discourage a new shooter from practicing more. You can always add a carry gun later.

2). For home defense and target shooting, you cannot beat the CZ SP01 or CZ 75B. I prefer the SP01, but it is more costly than the 75B. Both are supremely accurate and soft shooting.

3). M&Ps, Glock's, and Rugers are fine weapons, but I love the full steel framed CZs for a first gun. Hell, if you miss the intruder, you can hit him over the head with it! ;-)

4). Check videos on you tube for all the guns mentioned. There are some great reviews. Sootch and GunBlast have two great reviews on the CZ 75B.

5). Revolvers are great weapons too, especially for a first handgun. My first handgun was a S&W 686. It shoots both .357 magnum and .38 special. It is the most accurate gun I have. It is built like a tank and will be passed down for generations. As a new shooter, you can shoot .38s at first and work up to .357 magnums. Revolvers are the most reliable firearm you can get. Just stick to a mid size or large frame. Stay away from snub noses for a while.

Good luck!
 
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What is it for?

You going to carry it for CCW?

Range/Target Practice?

Home defense?

All of the above?

What's the budget?

I'd recommend a 9mm 1911 such as (STI's Ranger II).... but you really need to go to a range and try several different types of guns ...... SA Revolver/DA Revolver/DAO Auto/ DA-SA Auto/SA Auto/Striker Fired Plastic Fantastic .........

You could also try to find a mentor with guns to shoot ....... he or she could give you a few tips, too:

http://outofoptions.wordpress.com/mentors/
 
I'm surprised no one has written:

1) Take a class & educate yourself about handguns....

2) Determine what you really want your handgun to do

a) Mostly home defense?
b) For target shooting?
c) For concealed carry?
d) Sidearm for hunting / camping / hiking ?


Once you have determined what you want your pistol, then when you look at pistols you can see that a particular model does or doesn't fit those requirments.

3) Rent some different handguns and see what you like...


There is like some standard blurb that gets written for 1st time handgun purchase advice but I can't find it...

Having said that... I was dry firing an XD Tactical Model 5" the other day side by side with a Glock and the trigger on that gun is better than a Glock, and the CZ75 in SA has a better trigger than the Glock too...

Once you start handling and testing pistols, you may really find something you like... you may just fall in love with one particular pistol so you should do that BEFORE you buy one and not after...
 
Those are nice looking CZs.

Nice looking pics too... if I ever take more pictures of my P7M8 - I'll use a dark green background and do something cooler with the bullets.
 
Before you make any decisions on buying your first gun, ask yourself some simple questions. Is this gun going to be a range gun, a concealed carry gun, or maybe both? It probably doesn't make a lot of sense to buy a large gun, if you're going to use it for concealed carry. At the same time, it doesn't make sense to buy a mouse gun if you're looking for something for range use or home defense. So, you really want to know why your buying it, and what you're main use is going to be. Then consider your budget. How much can you spend? Does the gun come with 1 magazine, 2 or 3? Once you've answered a few of these questions, I suggest going to a shooting range that has rentals. CZ's, Glocks, SIG's and Rugers are all good brands, but in my opinion it makes sense to spend a little money on rental guns before you make a decision. I know a number of gun retailers that will let you try different models out for free, with the understanding that you'll be making a purchase. See what you can negotiate, but it's best to try before you buy if possible. It makes no sense to make a purchase, only to be disappointed with your choice after you've made the purchase.
 
C0untZer0 is correct,,, I was fortunate,,,,,

Once you start handling and testing pistols, you may really find something you like...
you may just fall in love with one particular pistol so you should do that BEFORE you buy one and not after...
Click to expand...

I belong to a Rifle & Pistol club,,,
Most of the members are more than happy to let you try a few rounds through their pistols.

I also made the 75 mile drive to H&H Gun Store in Ok City,,,
I rented several handguns there to try different models.

I considered the $150 to $175 I spent on rentals and ammo,,,
As a fun little Day-Cation that kept me from wasting a larger sum by getting the wrong gun.

I may still have the list of guns I tried out,,,
I'm fairly sure I shot over 60 different handguns,,,
I was a long time choosing the ideal Wonder-Nine for me.

While that venture did cost me the price of a cheapie mouse-gun,,,
It did allow me to make a purchase based on knowledge rather than specs alone.

Good specs are a must in a quality handgun,,,
But the best specs are worthless,,,
If it doesn't fit your hand. ;)

Aarond

P.S. That green background is a piece of cheap green suede leather from Tandy Leather Factory.

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Hand guns are like tools. There is a specific tool for each job at hand. Discover what you really want in a hand guns then determine which one feels best you and then you'll have a winner!
 
I had great fun with the CZ75BD and the Kadet kit getting started. 500 rounds of .22 and 200 rounds of 9mm makes for a great range trip for a reasonable amount of $.
 
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