First handgun recommendations for a college student living off campus?

[BigJimP]

Go to a local range...and shoot / rent as many guns as you can before you decide. Its about what fits your hands the best...not what fits mine.

In general, I think a good 4" revolver in .357 mag is a good choice ( you can shoot .38's in it as well ) / and I would stay with a steel frame vs alloy or scandium. I prefer S&W...if you shop used...model 66's or 19's are a good choice in a K ( medium sized frame ) ...686's in an L frame.../ Ruger would be my distant 2nd choice because of triggers in general vs S&W / and I would stay away from most everything else out there - because quality is often a problem on many of them.

I also think a semi-auto in a 9mm is a good choice / ammo is reasonable in price - and there are lots of options out there for you. I'm not a poly frame guy...but it doesn't mean they're bad guns. I've shot and evaluated guns like the XD's, Glocks, HK, M&P's, etc...for a grandson that was looking for my input / personally, I think the new Glock Gen 5 is a pretty good gun ...and some of the older versions are good value. ( personally, I am a 1911 guy in 9mm and .45 acp / but unless you have experience with them a 1911 is not a great first gun option ...unless you get your budget up around $ 1,000 - $ 1,500.

For any Defensive or Carry gun....yes, maintenance is important. Keeping a dirty gun for Defense makes no sense to me. Learn to strip a gun down properly ...clean and lube properly...and if its a quality firearm, it will give you thousands of rounds of service and reliability.

Good luck ...and don't forget to have fun with the process !

 

[Mikef262]

$600 is going to allow a variety of combinations. A nice new gun made by a reputable company (Glock, S&W, FN, etc) but little to no money left for ammo, mags, or whatever else you may want. Being new buying a used gun can be intimidating. You might not know what to look for, or if it is a good deal, or if it is even a good gun. But you can always ask somebody you know and trust their opinion. Or post it here. I'm sure we all would be willing to give our opinions on a deal. Don't always trust the seller. Keep in mind they WANT to sell it. Yes, most gun shops, at least around here, aee honest and will tell you the truth. However, there are some that will lie just to get a sale. Get a feel for the shop, listen to the salesman talk. Does it seem like his answers are genuine? Or does it seem like he is telling you what you want to hear? Try to narrow your choices down, and reseaech them. Reviews, problems, and I also suggest un boxing videos so you know what comes with the gun. After you do that go to a shop and actually handle them. You may like the looks, reviews, and price of a gun, but when you handle it the gun doesn't feel natural to your hand. If you can try to rent one and shoot it. Make sure you can shoot it well, but also keep in mind that the one you are renting is a range gun. They may not take care of it, and it could be junk due to extensive use and lack of care. Make sure you have a small safe to keep it in. Most burglars won't bother targeting college area apartments for large burglaries. They are typically in and out jobs. Less than 5 minutes. College kids typically don't have very many valuables, so this is why the burglaries are typically quick, as the burglar won't expect to gain a whole lot. Now for a few recommendations..

Glock 17
Glock 19
S&W M&P 9
S&W M&P 9c
Ruger SR9
Ruger SR9c
Ruger Security-9 (wait for it to be tested)
Ruger 9E
FNH9
FNP9
Canik TP9
Walther 9mms

You could also look into used Sigs such as the P226. It is a metal frame, so it is heavier, but also lowers the felt recoil of the gun due to added weight.

Also consider that you might not find a gun that fits all of your needs perfectly. That is okay. Start off with a gun you are comfortable with, which will most likely be a full to mid size gun. Such as the Glock 17 or 19. As time goes by you will aquire more guns. Better ones for CCW, or better for HD, or better for range.

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...As per usual for..." You have no money? Decide on a budget first. Do not discount buying used either. It takes a lot of abuse to damage a modern handgun. A used Glock 19 runs a bit over $500 on Gunbroker. A Smith M10 or 60 (.38 Special) can be as low as $300 there. Where you are matters as prices vary from place to place. Best to pop into your local gun shop and shop. You have to try 'em on for size anyway.
"...gun friendly state..." That really doesn't matter as most universities don't permit CCW on campus. So you either leave the thing at home or have a secure place to lock it up elsewhere. And no licence to buy doesn't mean you can carry it without a permit or training.
"...deal with not being shot or cleaned regularly..." They lay wherever you left 'em, collect dust and pout. snicker. By far most CCW, military and police handguns do just that. They're carried a lot but fired little or not at all. SS will help defer that.
"...immune to this issue..." Limp wristing is operator failure that has nothing whatever to do with the firearm.

 

[jstert]

ruger sr22 is handy, reliable, fun and cheap to feed, and a soft enough shooter that most girls would enjoy it on a unique date to a pistol range. if you find a young lady who enjoys shooting dates together you may have a keeper. when you graduate and can afford more guns you will still always have a need for this rimfire plinker.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

An important notice for the college-aged group, possession of a firearm is usually legal. Possession of marijuana or other illegal substances in recreational quantities is often a minor criminal violation similar to a traffic ticket these days. Possession of both at the same time (and possession can be broadly defined as simply having access or control) is a much more serious crime.

I see a few people in their 20s getting hung up and having some serious consequences as a result of not understanding how twothings that aren't serious separately suddenly become serious.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

That is an excellent point. Good post, Bart!!

 

[bn12gg]

Slightly off topic but I would think long and hard over how you intend to secure your gun in a rather student active apartment complex. Student apartments generally have far more activity than your parent's home. In my experience theft runs high around a university. I'm a prof myself fwiw. Good luck with a gun choice. Just me but I love my Smith and Wesson M37 Airweight loaded with 38 wadcutters.

.02. David.

 

[tony pasley]

First find a range that offers a basic handgun safety course, they usually supply handgun for shooting, Second find a place you can rent different models to try. You will have a lot better knowledge of what you need and want than you can get on line.

 

[cw308]

If your thinking of buying a used revolver , revolvers have problems also . Timing & endshake . The problem with cleaning revolvers is the cylinder face , cone an cleaning the barrel an 5 or 6 cylinders . I have 3 revolvers 3 autos , I like them all . The easiest is a auto , auto's are just as reliable as revolvers . Auto's are all designed for defence tested with round nose bullets , problem comes when shooting hollow point bullets , some autos are finicky with them. First gun I would go between a 4" S&W 357 or a Colt Combat Commander 45ACP You should always buy what you could afford. Don't go off half cocked . Buy the gun you really want , save up alittle more , no need to rush. Keep it in a secured area when your not carrying . It's a very dangerous tool , treat it that way . Be Safe , hope I helped in some way .

Chris

 

[Guilty]

Before I give a recommendation on what I think would be a good 1st handgun choice, please consider buying a handgun safe for when you're not carrying on your body - there is nothing worse that coming home to find that your handgun has been stolen. Dean safe has quite a few good handgun safes to choose from, I prefer the simplex type locks for ease-of-use and reliability.
As far as handgun options, consider the weight, comfort, conceal-ability, and reliability these things do make a difference. I think 9mm is the best caliber for HD, CC and range and any of these with a quality holster would make a exceptional 1st handgun, especially for conceal carry:
Glock 19 23.65 oz
S&W M&P 9C 24.7 oz
S&W M&P 9 Shield 20.8 oz
HK VP9 25.56 oz. (this is my favorite)
HK VP9 SK 23.07 oz.
Whatever you choose, get out and practice as often as possible, be safe and enjoy.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Ruger SP 101 in .357. A snub nose is the quintessential carry gun and very straight forward. As far as .357, you,will most likely only want to load and shoot it with .38 specials but it gives you options and is two guns for the price of one.

 

[Kvon2]

I would still lean towards a semi auto.

You said you would clean it after you shoot it, and that is a good thing. If you clean it well and leave it for a while, you shouldn't need to clean it all that often. At least not often enough to make it a pain.

My grandfather had a SW 659 that day for probably close to if not more than 20 years without being shot or cleaned. He gave it to me for my 21st birthday, I gave it a good cleaning and it has been flawless for the past 4 years.

 

[TheGunGeek]

The Beretta PX4 compact is highly rated, upgradeable, and safe with the DA/SA design & manual safety.

A semi-autos, especially a carry pistol should be wiped down/relubed once a month. A revolver seems to be able to sustain less maintenance and still function due to the simpler design, however when carrying all guns will be exposed to more elements and should be cared for.

 

[TheGunGeek]

ruger sr22 is handy, reliable, fun and cheap to feed, and a soft enough shooter that most girls would enjoy it on a unique date to a pistol range. if you find a young lady who enjoys shooting dates together you may have a keeper. when you graduate and can afford more guns you will still always have a need for this rimfire plinker.

Agreed, the Ruger SR22 is a good beginner pistol, and is easy on the wallet for practice.

 

[Nathan]

As much as I like a good revolver, I think I would recommend an semi-auto for these reasons:

1) price: a good semi-auto will run $300-$600. A good revolver starts at $450.

2) capacity: Revolvers hold about 6. Semi-auto's hold 13 plus in the type you are considering.

3) price to shoot: revolvers of the type you want are 38/357. 38's will cost ~$16 a box where 9mm can be had for $10 per box. That's almost double the shooting for your money.

While a Ruger, M&P, XD9, etc are under your budget, have you really considered ammo, range bag, ear muffs, safety glasses, decent cleaning kit, decent holster...? That is roughly $400 + the gun to get going.


Last, consider a thumb safety. Lots of experts will boo hoo this, but a thumb safety is an excellent measure against handling/holstering ND's. Ask anybody with a Glock-leg.

 

[peacefulgary]

1.) it’s my understanding that revolvers can sustain neglect very well and fire regardless of how it was cared for. Though I plan on cleaning my gun whenever I’m done shooting it, how well does your typical modern day semi-auto deal with not being shot or cleaned regularly? Being a university student, I’m not exactly gonna be able to shoot every week. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to, but I want to rest assured that it’ll work when I need it to.

Both revolvers and auto-loaders can literally sit for decades and still function fine when needed to fire.
The biggest problem I've seen with long term neglect is with the ammo.
Brass will eventually tarnish green.
That can cause feeding problems with an auto, and ejection problems with a revolver...but that takes a long time to occur.

Steel cased ammo could rust if the humidity is enough.

Aluminum cases over long periods of time...I don't know.

2.) I’m familiar with the whole concept of limp wristing. Don’t hold the pistol properly and it jams. But this raises a question. If you’re in a close up confrontation with someone and you’re under stress, adrenaline pumping with a possibly shaky hand, perhaps just barely able to draw, would there be any issues with firing, or are most modern autos immune to this issue?

Well..."limp wristing" really only affects the second shot...so make the first one count!

Actually, consider this:

With a revolver you have that heavy double-action trigger pull to deal with.
If you have a shaky hand that can barely draw the revolver...would you have enough control and grip to pull the heavy trigger of the revolver.
You might not.

But with an auto, with a round chambered, especially an auto with a light trigger...if you can draw it then you can almost certainly fire the chambered round.
It might not cycle the slide and chamber a second round, but you are almost guaranteed that first shot with an auto that has one chambered.

 

[peacefulgary]

You also said this...

I’m looking for a multi purpose (CC, HD, range) first handgun.

Forget about all steel 4" revolvers when it comes to concealed carry.

YES, it can be done (I concealed carried a Ruger GP100 4" for about a year), but it was not easy!

A Ruger GP100 4" weighs 40 oz empty!!!
That's more than if you were carrying three 12 oz sodas on your hip!

It's just too darn big and heavy to lug around every day.
And for only 6 shots!

Nobody deserves that kind of abuse.
Avoid anything over 29 oz empty.



I think you should go with a single-stack compact or sub-compact 9mm auto-loader (or a smallish double-stack).
You can't go wrong with any of the well established makers (Ruger, S&W, Springfield XD, Glock, Sig, Beretta, FN, CZ, Walther, etc...).

Striker-fired, hammer-fired, SA/DA, DAO, safe action....whatever...don't get caught up in the internet drama.
They all work.

 

[briandg]

Double action revolver is best, imo. 38 special. Full sized 'police' style.
You've been showered with information.

This revolver is something that you can count on. Load it, set it down.

No safety, no empty chamber, you lift it up and bull the trigger. You can't forget a step, can't leave an empty chamber, limp wrist, loosen the magazine, etc. You have six rounds of powerful ammo. Reloading takes skill, that's a drawback.

My suggestion.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

As I said - everyone is suggesting everything, so the overall responses are really not that helpful.

As several have said - DON'T BUY A GUN NOW! Unless you are in extreme threat - wait just the small amount of time it takes to go get some intro experience and training on quality semis and revolvers.

 

[lee n. field]

I’m a soon to be 21 year old college junior living in an apartment near my university. As per usual for newbies, I’m looking for a multi purpose (CC, HD, range) first handgun.

I’m thinking maybe $600 max.

Wow, someone with a realistic gun budget. Usually when I see questions like this is phrased as "What gun for $X?", where X is really too low to get much worthwhile. More money gets you more and better options.

Glock 19. Or equivalent doublestack compact plastic frame 9mm from one of the other major manufacturers (S&W M&P, XD, Ruger. Walther or CZ? Others?). You want something with decent quality, reliable, with a good warranty and a company that can fix it for you if something goes wrong and will cover shipping it in to them.

Run with that for a while, and you'll have a good idea if you need or want to move on to something else.

It's not a bad choice, but these days you kind of have to have a good reason to go with a revolver.

I’ve considered used revolvers too, perhaps an old police Model 10/64. My experience with firearms is limited to firing a .22 rifle and .22 revolver. Even though I’m in a very gun friendly state (no license needed to carry concealed or open), I come from a family of Democrats, my grandfather being the only gun owner in the family.

Anyway, I’ll probably go to a range to try out a few, but I’ll assume most of you will mention Glocks

"Thou hast said it."

or some kind of revolver. Despite my limited experience, I’ve done my homework online and know more than the typical newcomer about the mechanics and such.

The more I go on, the less I trust "the innernet", especially social media, for good advice. (Holster advice is particularly untrustworthy, I find. "I like my Derpa!")

Regardless, I have a couple of questions.

1.) it’s my understanding that revolvers can sustain neglect very well and fire regardless of how it was cared for. Though I plan on cleaning my gun whenever I’m done shooting it, how well does your typical modern day semi-auto deal with not being shot or cleaned regularly? Being a university student, I’m not exactly gonna be able to shoot every week. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to, but I want to rest assured that it’ll work when I need it to.

Yes, and no. I've had the cylinder axis get gunky on my snubbies, and need cleaning. Still worked, but you could tell.

2.) I’m familiar with the whole concept of limp wristing. Don’t hold the pistol properly and it jams. But this raises a question. If you’re in a close up confrontation with someone and you’re under stress, adrenaline pumping with a possibly shaky hand, perhaps just barely able to draw, would there be any issues with firing, or are most modern autos immune to this issue?

You'll probably be OK.

All this IMHO & YMMV (standard Internet disclaimers).