First time gun buyer

I don't intend on informing people I am carrying. My point is that I want to have a good gun to have when my friends and I go to the range. I'd like them to think my gun is cool, I know it doesn't matter what they think but if I'm spending hundreds of dollars on something I'd like other people to like my purchase as well. I've done endless research and watched dozens of hours of reviews, read numerous articles etc and have narrowed down the many options to a handful. I am no expert and that is why I am here. I do not like glock and feel they are severely overrated and are not worth the money IMO.

To answer a few questions: customizable guns would be cool but not necessary especially when I've never done any work on a gun myself. I like the grip safety on the xds and I do not care one way or the other on manual safeties.

I know it sounds like I'm asking alot. But I intend, for now, to buy this one gun and not buy several shortly after. So I'd like the gun I choose to do a little bit of everything. I know that sounds silly but in 2016 I think there are options and that this is a great time to be looking to get a gun with all the options out there. So I'm looking for something that can be decent at everything but doesn't have to be the best at anything.
 
Gochet077 said:
My point is that I want to have a good gun to have when my friends and I go to the range. I'd like them to think my gun is cool, I know it doesn't matter what they think but if I'm spending hundreds of dollars on something I'd like other people to like my purchase as well.
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Why do you care what anyone thinks of your gun? It's your gun and it's your money. What your friends think of it doesn't matter ... at all. Not even a little bit.

Forget that line of thinking and look for a pistol that fits you and fits your needs.

Gochet077 said:
I'm looking for something that can be decent at everything but doesn't have to be the best at anything.
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Then that's what you'll get.

I don't say that to be disparaging. If you're only going to have one gun, that's exactly what you need. My choice for that isn't on your list: a Colt Commander or Combat Commander, in either .45 Auto or 9mm. Shorter than a full-size 1911 but long enough to be reliable and offer a usable sight radius.

But a gun that's good at everything and best at nothing is not "cool."
 
Apparently my point isnt gettin across. I guess this site is full of old dudes and gun snobs and tacti-tards. I asked a simple question. Which of the three would best benefit me and what I'm looking for. I did not ask for training, or attacks on my intent of why I'm getting a gun. This has been a pointless effort and I really hope all new comers don't get berated and questioned by all these gun elitists. For those who actually did answer my question I greatly appreciate it. To the rest, thanks anyway.
 
Agree with Aguila. You should impress your friends with your ability to safely handle, operate, and possess whichever firearm you buy. It's not a watch.

I can tell you I'm not a Ruger guy as such but still recommended the lc9s to you earlier, since you wanted ONE gun for multi purposes, and I carry mine majority of the time. Other great options out there as well. That's just the one on which I landed, after trying nearly all.

I definitely wouldn't suggest you trash Glock before you try them. One of the most reliable, if not the most, of all guns out there. I can't remember a single failure with any of mine, honestly. I can't say that same about other brands I own, all reputable brands. The Glock 26 or 27 is another great choice if you want a single all-around good gun, concealed to night stand. I carry them when I want .40 or more 9mm capacity over Ruger, and when I can lug that much gun IWB in my outfits. I find it much more valuable, to me, to carry it over the xds .45 that sits in my safe most of the time. Xds is a nice gun but weighs a lot for 6 rounds. G26/27 has of a lot of capacity and power in a little weapon. Plus you can have 33rd mag in 9mm.

Just my two cents. Good luck.
 
My advice would be to find a range that rents them and go test fire them all. Then pick the one that feels best. May be that after firing them all that you find you don't like any of them.

I have only one gun. It is not on your list of any of the others and probably never will be.. It has a 4' barrel, is extremely accurate and extremely reliable and fits my hand like a glove. Will it conceal? Yes, but not as easily as many others.

I'm also not one that feels the need to walk thru life armed 24/7/365 with one hanging on the shower door while taking a shower.
 
I've done endless research and watched dozens of hours of reviews, read numerous articles etc and have narrowed down the many options to a handful.
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What you're going to get in response are the personal preferences of the people here. Hopefully some will sound off in their own experience with those pistols, but if you have watched dozens of hours and read numerous articles then you have a lot of anecdotal evidence already. Both the Walther and the XDS have been on the market some time (especially as the PPS M2 is mainly a cosmetic change of the PPS), the Ruger American Compact not nearly as much.

What no one on this forum can do is tell you what will work best for you personally. We're not you. Most of us who have been doing this some time were in the same boat at some point. We bought a first gun asking for a lot of input. Some of us may be using that same gun, but I'd wager many of us have changed preferences a number of times since then. What I've learned is that as long as the pistols have decent reputations (no glaring issues that commonly show up multiple times across forums) and are from good companies that stand behind their products then the only one who can tell if I will really like a pistol is me. This has been the case over and over again.

If you can rent and try them that's a good start, or even ask to borrow from others at the range. Most people like to share and show off their firearms to others.

I guess this site is full of old dudes and gun snobs and tacti-tards. I asked a simple question. Which of the three would best benefit me and what I'm looking for. I did not ask for training, or attacks on my intent of why I'm getting a gun. This has been a pointless effort and I really hope all new comers don't get berated and questioned by all these gun elitists.
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This gets you no where. It just doesn't. For someone that doesn't own a pistol to be calling others gun snobs and tacti-tards is just ridiculous, especially for as short a time that you've been here. For that matter, you came here asking for help. Insulting the people you ask for help is your answer?

Training, no matter how long you've been shooting, is a good idea. Frankly the shooter makes much more difference than the firearm. I've read what's been said. I don't see anyone attacking you. I see people offering you advice on areas that they've found important over their time as gun owners. Don't be so thin skinned. You can always ignore what people say. It's easy here to read too much into what is in the end text on an internet forum.

I am no expert and that is why I am here. I do not like glock and feel they are severely overrated and are not worth the money IMO.
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You're certainly welcome to that opinion. I would say there are a number of folks who have owned and used pistols for years that would likely disagree, including many in law enforcement and the military. There's nothing wrong with having preferences, just don't let preferences blind you.
 
Gochet077 said:
I asked a simple question. Which of the three would best benefit me and what I'm looking for.
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And the simple answer is: None of the above. You have presented mutually exclusive criteria. You put up a list of three compact pistols and asked which will be best as a range gun ... and then you threw in that you also want it to be "cool" to impress your friends.

None of the three choices you posted is really going to be a good "range gun," and none of them are really "cool." They are utilitarian firearms designed to be carried for personal defense.
 
First of all, welcome to TFL, Gochet077!

I haven't combed through every post in the thread, but if I understand things so far, you want a gun that is:
  • 9mm;
  • suitable for EDC; and
  • a cool range gun.

And from those, you've narrowed down the list to:
Gochet077 said:
Springfield XDS
Walther PPS M2
Ruger American Compact
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First of all, "9mm." It's a solid choice for a first time gun buyer, and the cheapest centerfire round you'll find. .22LR is markedly cheaper, and a frequent recommendation for first-time buyers, but it's not great for self-defense, and ammo availability can be spotty these days.

Second, "suitable for EDC" and "a cool range gun." Hmm . . . these two work against each other. The very things that make a gun suitable for the range make it more difficult to carry. A good range gun (not necessarily a cool one) is big, heavy, and has a long sight radius. A good EDC gun will be smaller and lighter. That said, there's a whole market of what I call the Goldilocks pistols. The G19, S&W MP 9c, Ruger SR9c, CZ 75 Compact, Sig P320, . . . They are the "jacks of all trades and masters of none."

With that said, though, and from your list, I like the XDs. I only have limited experience with one, but I really liked the one I shot (in .45). I've never shot the Walther, but they seem to get good reviews. As for the Ruger American . . . . I'd be cautious about them simply because: (1) it's pretty new on the market, and (2) you're a new shooter. I'd give that one a year or two to make sure all the bugs are out.

As others have suggested, go rent or borrow some pistols. We live in an absolute Golden Age of choices in pistols. There are probably dozens of pistols on the market that would suit your needs/wants. We cannot tell you, however, which one fits your hand best, or which one you'll shoot most accurately.
 
Spats has a lot of good advise.

I would like to build on what he has said with my response, and possibly help narrow and expand your list ;)

First off welcome! And yes a lot of old guys hang out on this forum but there are also a bunch of young guys as well, for example I am 24, I got into shooting while still at college and had very limited funds. My closest friend purchased a glock 19 and introduced me to the world of pistols. He was a glock fanboy... it drove me crazy and I didn't ever want to entertain he idea of a glock especially because of the trigger.

Fast forward 3 years and at this point I have been through close to 15 different handguns for different purposes and absolutely love the hobby and enjoy most aspects of shooting.

So when I was looking for my first gun I had the exact same parameters as you, I wanted a gun I could carry that i was proud of and did well ont he range.

When I went to the range and rented a few the XDS 4.0 and the ruger sr9c were the two I came down to. I ended up purchasing the sr9c. It was a GREAT gun for me. It fit all the parameters, I could carry it, I was proud of it and I shot it well. not only did it conceal well but it also had that 17 round mag with a grip extension so it was also a pleasant range gun.

I purchased an xds down the road, but ended up selling it. I found I shot the Smith and Wesson shield(speaking on terrible triggers) better than the XDS and have stuck with it ever since.

I also ended up trading my sr9c in for a glock 19, which actually is sitting on my hip as I type this. I decided I didn't want a safety on my carry guns a while back which is where my sr9c fell short. I also have guns specific for range use now and guns specific for carry. I decided to stop being stubborn and realized the glock 19 was the perfect do everything gun for me. I shoot it well and its a tool. its got nothing on my cz as far as a range gun but its a way better shooter in my hands than any other carry gun Ive had.

So all that to say, your preferences will change over the years, but for now lets come up with a perfect "Goldilocks" gun FOR YOU.

Out of your three options it sounds like you wont be happy untill you have the xds. It seems like you are somewhat set on it. But its not a "do all" gun. its disadvantage is that its a single stack. though it is one fine shooting single stack its still a small single stack carry gun.

My suggestion is you find a small double stack 9mm. the options I would suggest is the ruger sr9c, glock 26/19(though I know you are not a fan), smith and wesson m&p9c, possibly the compact ruger american and then lastly the one I think will fit your needs best, the compact springfield XDM 3.8in with the short and extended magazines with grip sleeves.

If you feel like you wont be able to EDC a double stack the xds is a great option, but also look at the shield and also look at the 4in xds, it gives some advantage over the 3.3 at the range and may be the in-between you are looking for.

I hope this very lengthy comment will help you decide on a first handgun. please let us know what you go with and dont give up on this forum just because your question wasn't answered how you wanted at first. A lot of the "old guys and tacti-tards" have some good advise and experience to back it up! (even if it seems like they give it at the wrong time sometimes;) )
 
CZ PCR or P-01 ... 9mm, not plastic, has a hammer. If you absolutely have to have plastic HK USPc or P30 ... they both have hammers. I know, I'm and old fart ... old farts like hammers.
 
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First time gun buyer
Looking to get my first gun. I want this gun to be my EDC (conceal) and be a good range gun to show my friends. After a long process of elimination I have decided on 9mm and have narrowed down my choices to a few in the $350-450 range. I'm open to opinions so please share your thoughts! As of right now my top 3 are:

Springfield XDS
Walther PPS M2
Ruger American Compact

I have a Shield and my wife has a PPS. She like the PPS because it is easy to rack where the Shield is very stiff. I went the the Shield but it was a flip of the coin between the Shield/PPS/XDS. I like them all. Never shot the Ruger.
 
I would say for the combination of what you want, Glock 26 fits.
10 round capacity, easy to conceal, reliable, accurate and you can use bigger magazines if you want.

The bad news is that it will probably costs $100 more than you're willing to spend unless you want a used one.

The Walther PPS is a very nice gun and I like mine a lot. They can be found for under $400 new.
 
Gochet077 said:
Apparently my point isnt gettin across. I guess this site is full of old dudes and gun snobs and tacti-tards. I asked a simple question. Which of the three would best benefit me and what I'm looking for. I did not ask for training, or attacks on my intent of why I'm getting a gun. This has been a pointless effort and I really hope all new comers don't get berated and questioned by all these gun elitists. For those who actually did answer my question I greatly appreciate it. To the rest, thanks anyway.
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I understand your frustration, but I think you missed something important in the replies: the things that make a good carry gun tend to be things that make a poor range gun, and vice versa.

Of the three you listed, the XDS and PPS are excellent carry guns because of size, but make poor range guns for the same reason. After 100 rounds, chances are your hand will be sore due to the small size and high recoil that comes with those micro nines.

I'm not a fan of the Ruger American primarily because of the size/weight, which to me feels even bigger than its dimensions. This is a subjective judgement, though, so you might feel differently. However, because of the added bulk, it will tend to be easier to shoot at the range, but much less comfortable to carry concealed.

As you say in your intro, you're a first time gun owner. It is the experience of most people here that the three guns you listed won't give you everything you said you wanted. Thus, the calls to get training and to try out a wider variety - it's not intended to be condescending, but to direct you to the best way to get far better understanding of the different characteristics of the various guns out there than just reading reviews. All guns have different tradeoffs, and everybody has different preferences - nobody can answer what's best for you but you.

Of the three you listed, I like the PPS the most - but as I said above, it's a lousy range gun (but outstanding for EDC).
 
My point is that I want to have a good gun to have when my friends and I go to the range. I'd like them to think my gun is cool...
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I know 10-year-olds who have a more mature understanding of what's involved with being a gun owner.

Why not go back to your video games where your "friends" think your choice of gun is "cool", and leave the very serious business of owning and carrying a deadly weapon to the grownups?

You are way too immature, and your priorities too puerile, to own a firearm.

David
 
First Time Gun Buyer

For what my opinion is worth, I would choose a good, sturdy, revolver as a 1st. I've found it is easier to add to, than to take away.
 
First Time Gun Buyer

I must say I am in agreement with some of the previous posts. Owning a firearm is a very serious movement. You will hold the power of death in your hands. It is not a toy. It is not something to look cool with.
 
First Time Gun Buyer

This thread has grasped my interest, as I have a 22 yr old son that is moving out. Only child, empty nest kind of thing. Realize that if you ever have to use that gun, you will be scrutinized just as must as the assailant. I'm not certain, but I would guess the 1st thing for you would be a drug/blood test and a questioning by a Professional. Are you ready for that?
 
Gochet has apparently left the building.
OH well, he didn't seem all that interested in our answers anyway.
Bon Voyage.
To slightly misquote Colonel Cooper:
"Ride hard, shoot straight and always tell the truth."
 
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