First post, choosing a first handgun

I'd shy away from $1,000 guns on your first go. Good choice for your second, or third.

Anyways, if you are less than excited by the advice so far, I'd take a look @ the Sig Sp2022.
 
Quik....lots of good advice here, lots to think about. For Old Farts (that's American for Senior types) I can tell you that you'll never outgrow a good 22. And there's a lot to choose from. Same with 9mm. A staggering variety of choices.

Enjoy the search!

If you want the show piece BBQ gun, I think it's good advice to wait. You're young. Give yourself time to winnow down the myriad choices for something special.

A couple random thoughts. For $1K CAD, you might consider

- Ruger Mark III 22/45. An exceptionally accurate and reliable 22 semiauto. Will generally eat anything you feed it. As one poster said, most of the problems are ammo related. Just the nature of 22 ammo. Having said that, it's usually rack another round into the chamber and proceed. I'm guessing $300-325.

- Ruger SR9. I have a SR9c, the compact version, and it is very accurate and a nicely soft shooting 9mm. I have never had a failure. Can't remember exactly what I paid, but I'll bet they're around $400. The full size SR9 I would expect to be just as easy and forgiving.

So now you're at around $750. Leave you some cash for ammo, maybe a red dot for the 22....or

A used Smith & Wesson Model 10. With either the standard (tapered) barrel or the heavy barrer @ 4 inches. The standard police weapon for a generation and just some good ol 38 cal goodness! I don't know if Canadian police departments or the RCMP have made their old revolvers available as they replace them with semi autos or not. Buds, for example, routinely sells police trade ins for about $275. Might be a little holster worn, but generally excellent mechanically. And they shoot wonderfully. Plus, the blued steel and wood grips give it soul!

Just my thoughts. For a little more than $1k CAD, you have an instant collection in three generally available calibres. And all are superb firearms.

Best of luck to you as you sift through all the advice. Remember, no matter which way you go, I think you're wise to start with a good 22.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone, much appreciated!

Okay, so I don't need to go with a revolver for exceptional accuracy.
And contrary to what I thought I learnt through my limited research, revolvers aren't necessarily the only choice for a .22LR handgun.
Since I hear everyone is saying great things about the Browning Buckmark and Ruger MkIII for very little $$ shelled out, if I like how it feels in hand, I might go with a Browning Buckmark or Ruger MkIII, and save some cash for a second, 9mm pistol (maybe the CZ75B or SP-01 Shadow, which would keep me just over ~$1000 CAD).

I dropped by the gun shop today near closing time, so unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to try any handguns for a fit. However, I spoke with a very helpful employee, who was supposed to check out the ETA on a S&W 617 (but didn't have time recently).

He mentioned that their site doesn't have all their stock, nor all the information:
  • The ~$925 Sig Sauer P226 they have in stock is made in Germany.
  • They have a used H&K USP 9mm for ~$950.
    (The salesman was trying to convince me to go for the H&K, as it is very rare up here, apparently.)
Unfortunately, I don't have anymore information, but I'll be going back this Thursday for more information and to try their in-hand feel.

Also, I've realized that I prefer DA/SA handguns, both for the .22LR and the 9mm pistols. The HK USP 9mm also has a polymer frame, so I think I'll be going with something else. I'm not eliminating the S&W 617 just yet, though. Is there a discernible difference between the Sig Sauers that are made in Germany vs. the American Sigs?

One more question: they have the S&W 686 in stock. I know that the 686 is an L-frame revolver, while the 617 is a K-frame revolver. My question is: if the 686 fits well in hand, should it equate to a good fitting with the 617?

Your opinion has been absolutely invaluable, thanks a bunch!
 
First, I'll have to be Honest;I didn't read completely through all the posts here.

Next, I need to be Frank or Blunt:

If you only get a .22lr, I think you'll get bored with it sooner rather than later. Don't get me wrong, they're great fun and very useful but unless you can come up w/ some way to game them (and there are lots of ways) I get tired of the rimfires after a bit.

If you don't get a rimfire first, something I think every handgun owner should have is a medium frame 357 (or a 38). The light target loads barely recoil and the heavy hunting loads... do.

If you don't want the flexibility of a weapon you cycle with your finger, and end up with a semi-auto, try for one that has a 22 conversion kit available which will partially offset the need for a separate 22.

I'm assuming you can have a conversion kit and not have it treated like a firearm up there. While I'm making assumptions... a high quality airgun is almost as good as a rimfire to practice with though nowhere near as useful.

TLDR, get a 357.
 
My first real handgun (22s excluded) was a S&W 4 inch 357 mag. It does everything you need a handgun to do. I've never really needed another. Not to say I haven't wanted, and owned, many others. But if all I'd ever had was that old K frame I'd have been just fine.

It's an ideal first handgun. That's my recommendation.
 
I had awful luck with the CZ74B and the Kadet kit.

The purpose of the 22 Long Rifle hand gun is to provide a low recoil learning gun. The Ruger 22/45 is a very reliable gun. I have one with a 4" barrel and it's a very good shooter. This gun, or one like it, will help you learn to shoot.

I recommend the SIG P220 or P227, which is SIG's new handgun in 45 ACP with 10 round capacity. 45 ACP is a very accurate round and is easy to reload. It meets the minimum barrel length restriction and is an accurate gun. You can get this gun in a single-action only version if you do not want to learn the double action trigger. If you're limited to 10 rounds, you may as well go with a gun that shoots large, heavy bullets.

There are many very good guns available. You could try a double action revolver, but they require quite a bit of dedication and discipline to master. I recommend you try a gun built around a ten round magazine. Quite a few guns in 40 S&W and 357 SIG are built around such magazines.
 
Quik said:
if the 686 fits well in hand, should it equate to a good fitting with the 617?
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The k- and L-frame share the same grip frame & grips, so they'll fit your hand the same way. The L-frame is a bit bigger gun overall, though, so the balance will feel slightly different. They're pretty dang close, though.
 
First, I'll have to be Honest;I didn't read completely through all the posts here.
Click to expand...
Well Frank Blunt, if you do not read the other posts, why should anyone read yours?
You probably just repeated something that was already said.
 
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Also, I've realized that I prefer DA/SA handguns, both for the .22LR and the 9mm pistols.
Click to expand...
Did you come to that realization by actually shooting a DA/SA gun, or just thinking about how they work? I question that because they can be a little tricky getting used to with the first shot heavy trigger, then instantly a light trigger and a round going through the ceiling. It is best to try one first to see how well you adjust to the change when actually firing. A DA/SA is not very well suited for formal (off-hand, small of a group as possible, or competitive paper-punching), target practice. It depends on what you consider "target practice".
 
Nullcone, thanks for your opinion.

Since the helpful people around here have suggested the Browning Buckmark or Ruger SP101/MkIII multiple times, I might consider buying both a .22LR and a larger caliber pistol, in order to avoid getting bored. It depends on the fitting and on the urges I get at the gun shop ;).

Bullcamp82834 also suggested .357 magnum. The .357 or .38 rounds here are relatively harder to find than any .22LR or 9mm, and considering the 9mm are also less expensive, I prefer to stay with the 9mm for the larger caliber, and maybe move on from there.

As for the .45 ACP, suggested by tomrkba, those are more expensive than 9mm as well, not to mention quite a larger caliber, and I think I'll leave that to later, once I've fully grasped shooting .22LR and gotten some experience with the 9mm.

It's good to hear that the K-frame and the L-frame share a lot with respect to feel. Thanks for the info, MrBorland.

dahermit, while I've never shot any double action/single action pistols, I'm under the impression that a lighter trigger pull once in S/A leads to higher accuracy with enough practice, of course. What I like about DA/SA is that if I can't get used to the initial DA, I could pull the hammer down before firing, and put it into SA. Either way, the Rugers/Brownings at .22LR aren't DA/SA, so I'll have to make do with that I think. I'm pretty much sold on one of these, I just need to put them in my hand at the store before I make a decision.

Like I previously mentioned (this thread is getting pretty long! thanks for all the help!), the only firearm I've ever shot was my cousin's M&P9 PRO, for approximately 1 hour alternating with 2 other people, and at 25 yards the best accuracy I could get to was unimpressive (8.5" x 11" paper riddled with 10 rounds, so maybe 10.5" group hah).
 
Hi again everyone,

Let me apologize again for another lengthy post, but I went to the gun shop today, and after putting several handguns in my hand, I made my decision. :)

I went in and asked to see a Browning Buckmark. The knowledgeable salesman gave me a Buckmark Camper UFX Stainless. When I put it in my hand, the grip felt too big for my medium sized hands. I couldn't engage the magazine release with my thumb. As they didn't have a .22LR snap-cap available, I couldn't try the trigger. I have to say it felt like a quality sidearm, though. They didn't have the all black Buckmark, which would have been my choice.

Next, he pulled out the Ruger 22/45, and I decided I rather the Buckmark almost immediately. I didn't spend much time with the Ruger, as I preferred the cheaper Buckmark.

He then pulled out the Smith & Wesson 686, with the 4" barrel, and I have to say it felt great in hand. It felt like a premium revolver, and I could easily reach the cylinder release latch using my thumb, which is a nice plus.

At this point, the salesman was pressuring me to put aside the 617 .22LR revolver and instead opt for this .357 magnum. Without making this thread longer than it already is, in a nutshell, his opinion was that I would get tired of the .22LR quickly. I nodded my head. It wasn't worth the argument, especially since the Buckmark I really wanted was unfortunately out of stock.

I asked to see the CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW they had in stock, he said "yes, good choice".

Wow. Perfect fit, what more can I say. The CZ-75 had a nice weight to it. The single action trigger was nice and light, and the double action was heavy but smooth and manageable, it will take a bit of practice. My hand fit around the grip wonderfully, and my thumb could action the slide lock and the safety with ease. The red fiber optic front sight really did it for me, too. I was pleasantly surprised: I had done my homework, and read a lot and watched a lot of videos on many handguns, including the CZ-75s (originally, I had wanted a Magnum Research Baby Desert Eagle 9mm, which is based on the CZ-75) and I grew to appreciate them. I was happy it fit so well, and I know the SHADOW line is relatively rare, but before pulling my wallet out, I absolutely wanted to try the Sig Sauer P226.

The salesman took it out for me, saying "I can't blame you for wanting to try it, it's a great handgun, but we have similar hands, you and I, and the Sig P226 will be too big". Annoyingly, he was right, as I couldn't even action the decocker, let alone the magazine release or the slide lock. However, I understood why everyone was in love with this pistol. Man, is it nice, though.

He insisted I try a 1911 before making my choice, though. He brought out a PARA Ordnance 1911 Expert Stainless. When I tried it, it was only slightly too big for my (seemingly smaller and smaller) hands. Nevertheless, I liked it. The SA trigger (this firearm was SA only) was extremely light, and the pistol was pretty heavy, too. Had I not tried the CZ-75, I think I would have appreciated this one a bit more, but not enough to go ahead and buy it.

So, my choice was made. Today, I treated myself to a CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW, and with a couple of months before I could even take it out of the store, I'll have to keep looking for a full black Buckmark, such as a Browning Buckmark Contour 5.5 URX.

You guys have been an awesome help. I hope to get myself some experience and one day be an active member in these forums. Also, honorable mention to JimmyR for suggesting a CZ-75 :D
 
Quik said:
Also, honorable mention to JimmyR for suggesting a CZ-75
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Thanks for the props. I think you will enjoy your new gun. CZ's have something of a cult following, but they really are some excellent guns.

Now, I'm not sure about the SP-01, and it may take some digging around to find it, but I have found that VZ grips make a CZ-75 even better. The grips are slightly thinner than the stock grips, and give a lot more texture while shooting. The CZ rubber grips are also great for range shooting, and a good deal cheaper than the VZs. Just a tidbit from one CZ owner to another...;)
 
Quik said:
. . . .So, my choice was made. Today, I treated myself to a CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW, . . . .
Click to expand...
Congratulations! :cool:

We look forward to a range report when you've had a chance to go put it through its paces.
 
Hey JimmyR, thanks for the heads up on the grips. I'll keep it in mind once I have the pistol in hand again. I can't remember my opinion on the comfort of the grips, I was really only focused on the fitting, which was perfect.

Spats McGee, you better believe I also look forward to the range report!! :D

Thanks again for your help everyone!
 
This seems to be a very easy question that is being made complicated.
22's are a great place to start but you want to move to something bigger later in case you get bored.

CZ75 in 9mm with the kadet 22 conversion.
 
If you have not decided, a Sig will endure. It holds market value and is a superior brand. It is also just plain durn fun to shoot!
 
Hey everyone,

You've all been super helpful while deciding on which first pistol I should get. The next course I need to take will be completed next Saturday, after which I can apply for my firearms permit. I can't wait to try out the CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW I had put aside!

Until then, I'm doing some homework, mainly on cleaning and maintenance. However, just this morning I was browsing and I realized that my local range had just received 3 CZ Kadet .22LR kits, and I was very excited until I saw the price. These kits are going for ~$700 CAD each with 2 .22LR magazines. Now, I was expecting the conversion kit to go for maybe 400$, 500$ would be pushing it.

But for ~$700 CAD, I think it would be better to get a Browning Buck Mark and save some money. However, since I know next to nothing about firearms, and these kits seem to be VERY hard to find, I'm turning to you guys for your collective wisdom.

Thoughts?

Thanks a bunch!
 
Bump, a penny for your collective thoughts? :)

What would you choose, a Browning Buckmark for ~$350 CAD or a CZ Kadet kit for ~$700 CAD? Why?
 
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