First Handgun

T

The_Wagz

Inactive
I am looking into getting my first handgun. I have shot .22 automatics, S&W .357 revolvers, sig .45, .38 specials, & glock .9's.

I tend to like the .357, I'm a big guy, and i like the weight of a .357 versus the others.

What are your feelings on this for a first handgun, and do you like the Rugers or S&W's better?

Should I be looking for a new or used piece?

is it best to go to shows, pawn shops, dealers, or buy online. If I buy online, should I buy inly from the manufacturer?

In short... a little help is appreciated.
 
Both the Rugers and Smiths are quality handguns so either would fill your bill. Choose what feels good to you.
Since you are new at this then a new model from a dealer is your safest choice. If you take your time and learn what to look for then you can get a bigger value for your money off the used gun market.
 
Welcome to TFL, The best advice is first answer What do you want?? Do you want a gun to target shoot, do you want to hunt, do you want a ccw. I have found that if you find a dealer that wants to become your dealer not just sell you a gun it,s works out better. I would join a shooting club that way you can see what is availible without having someone pressuring you to buy. There is all kinds of handguns on the market, revolvers is the best place to start because of ease of operation. If you are a big guy it opens alot more options on gun size, find a gun store with alot of used guns and normally they will let you do more handling then a new gun, find what feels good to you and buy it and go shooting.
 
Good advice so far. Determine what role(s) your handgun will need to fill and let that help guide your selection.

It's pretty hard to go wrong with the .357 revolver as it will fill the role of personal defense, target shooting and light hunting. Using .38 specials is less expensive and easier on both the gun and shooter for the first two applications with magnums reserved for hunting (or defensive use in some occasions).

If you're thinking of carrying it, most find a 4" barrel to be the longest for comfortable carry. For target shooting or hunting a 6" barrel is better since it provides a longer sight radius to aid accuracy.

I'll admit to being biased towards S&W for both it's name brand value and it's style over that of Ruger or Colt. Rugers are well built and will handle magnums very well - some say a Ruger will hold up better than a K-Frame S&W. However the L-Frame 586/686/620 series S&W's were built for the .357 and the large N-Frames (44 frame) are built like tanks.

For a first gun, going with a new firearm is your best bet. No previous abuse, warranty, storage box and instruction manuals come with them. However if you know someone who is experienced with evaluating used revolvers a good used gun can save you some cash and still give you a great wheelgun.

I'd look for a dealer who carries a decent selection of new and used guns who will take the time to answer your questions.
 
Welcome to TFL. Everybody has had great points so far and I'll just add one more thing. When you start looking at models and other information, take into account the single vs. double-action decision, especially with the Rugers. While you'll likely want a double-action pistol because of its better versatility there are good things to be said about single actions as well. For fun on the range its really hard to beat the feel of a good Ruger Blackhawk. As others have said, the biggest question is what you want the pistol for and what you want to buy, but I'd recommend at least handling a single action or two. The exception would be if you plan to use it as a self-defense weapon, in which case you definitely want a double action.
 
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