First time semi auto handgun buyer! Help!

R

rcase1234

New member
Looking for full size. 9mm, .40, or .45ACP. Not a huge fan of striker fired guns. Wanna spend about $500 or less. I really like 1911's and was also looking at 3rd Gen Smiths such as a 5906. I'm just looking for options to check out while I'm shopping as I feel what I've looked at and handled I've merely scratched the surface. New or Used don't matter. And.... Go
 
I'll highly recommend in 9mm a Walther PPQ M2...you can also get the tactical version with the threaded barrel and 17 round capacity for no more than 600 buckos! It's just such a sweet shooting full size 9, uber reliable and accurate, German engineering, I'll say no more
 
The 1911's from Turkey and the Philippines are in your price range brand-new. So are the Turkish CZ75 derivatives.

If you are willing to look at surplus police/military pistols, there are a whole lot of good ones in your price range.

I don't have a Turkish CZ, but I have examples of all the others. Just holler if you want more details.
 
Very interested in something surplus. Always something I liked about guns that have a "history"
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Check out CDI Sales and AIM Surplus on Gunbroker. Both have Israeli police trade ins of Browning Hi-Powers and CZ75s for under $500.00.

I've had bad luck with 5 Turkish guns (1 Canik CZ clone, 1 Regent R100 1911 clone, 2 Sarsilmaz shotguns and one Kirikkale Walther PP copy), so I have learned (finally!) to stay away from Turkish turkeys.

However, as always, YMMV.
 
New:
Tristar P120. 9MM Close copy of a CZ SP01, and in your price range.
Beretta 92. 9MM Very similar to Beretta 92/M9 service pistol.
(Stretch your budget a bit, or watch for a good sale, and you might find a Beretta 92fs close to your budget)
SAR Arms K2. 45 ACP
Rock Island Arms 1911 45 ACP
Used:
Police trade in Sig 226 either 9MM or 40 S&W
FEG High Power copy, 9MM
Used Beretta 92fs
Always something I liked about guns that have a "history"
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Well, not actual history, but Hollywood history, S&W 645. Sonny Crockett, Miami Vice season 3 and 4. Replaced his Bren Ten.
Got one, love shooting it. Accurate, and reliable. But for carry, it's full size, stainless steel, weighs a ton, and is a single stack with only an 8 round capacity.
They're out there if you look, and should be in your price range.
 
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Bud's Guns (online) has police turn-ins sometimes. AIM Surplus (online) always has police or military surplus pistols. I have bought guns from both and had no problems.

My favorite is CDI Sales on Gunbroker. One advantage is that you can see photos of the exact pistol you are buying, rather than just a generic picture. Last time I looked they had several that I own or have owned and like very much: CZ83, FEG High Power clone, Beretta 92 clone made by Taurus, Star Super B, Beretta 84... and more I am not remembering.

I have had excellent experiences with surplus firearms. They tend to be carried a lot and not shot much. Occasionally they look practically new. All of mine have been durable and reliable, including all of the ones listed above - which would range in price from somewhere in the ballpark of $250-$400.
 
Be patient, read up on your preferred handguns, join Gunbroker (warning, this may be harmful to your bank account). The following are suggestions from some I own or have owned, each acquired for less than $500, some less than $300:

Beretta M1951
CZ 75
S&W 669
Glock 17
Ruger P94

Some were is great condition, some showed considerable external wear. All were reliable and fun to shoot!!
 
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You might take a look at the Stoeger Cougar. It is made in Turkey but on the same machinery that was used to make the Beretta Cougar. The tooling was shipped to Turkey when Beretta (which is owned by Benelli which also owns Stoeger) discontinued the Cougars.

I have two Beretta mini-Cougars (one Italian made and one US made) and my Stoeger has equal fit and build quality to the Berettas, although a slightly less glossy finish. The vast majority of Stoeger Cougar owners have been very happy with their pistols and consider them to be greatly undervalued.

I bought a Stoeger Cougar 8045 .45 ACP for right around $400 NIB about a year and a half ago. I recently saw new Stoeger Cougar 8000 9mm pistols at Academy Sports for $299.

My Cougar 8045 is as accurate as my Springfield 1911 and SIG P320 and softer shooting than the 1911.
 
CZ75; One of the most prolific and copied handguns on the planet for good reasons. To me, it's the best-balanced smoothest-shooting production hammer gun. World-wide, tens of thousands of military and police personnel are carrying them in this moment.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone. And as great as a gunbroker account sounds, I am under 21 and in Michigan I can only buy from a private seller not a dealer. If I were to do something through gun broker, Could I get someone to purchase who would privately sell it to me after? And yes I know, don't even get me started on how much of a garbage law that is.
 
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The sort of transaction you describe might easily be construed as a straw purchase and land you in hot water, too. There are others here with more legal knowledge than I, but I would not approach the idea of someone else buying and re-selling the pistol to me, all at my behest. If my amateur-hour understanding of the law is correct, that is pretty much the definition of a straw purchase.
 
Get the real cz75.

http://www.impactguns.com/cz-cz-75-7...703011356.aspx
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Skip the omega trigger. IMHO.

To the OP I will ask the standard questions I always ask people.

-What are you using the gun for? Range toy, gun games, concealed carry, home defense or a combination of uses?

-What manual of arms are you already familiar with? This is your first semi auto but have you shot a lot of rifle, shotguns or revolvers?

-How large are you hands? How long are your fingers?

-Hand strength good?

-How is your eyesight?

If you are willing to take the time to answer these basic questions we can offer better more meaningful suggestions. If not you will simply get a list of peoples favorite guns under $500 which is Ok but not very meaningful. IMHO
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone. And as great as a gunbroker account sounds, I am under 21 and in Michigan I can only buy from a private seller not a dealer. If I were to do something through gun broker, I'd need it to be purchased by someone else who would privately sell it to me after. And yes I know, don't even get me started on how much of a garbage law that is.
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DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

What you are describing is the definition of a straw purchase and is not recommend or condoned by the members of TFL no matter how stupid the laws of Michigan might be. :mad: I am not a lawyer nor do I claim to play one on the internet but I believe most will agree this is not a legal transaction.

If you have to buy from a private seller I suggest using a local classified like armslist so that you can avoid a straw purchase and the jail term which might accompany it.
 
From my understanding, I thought a straw purchase was when one bought a gun for a felon who could not legally own a firearm?
 
You are federally prohibited from purchasing a handgun from a FFL. It is not a Michigan law. It is a federal law. IMHO that having another person purchase a gun with the sole intent to sell it to you is a straw purchase because you are "prohibited" from buying the handgun yourself.

The gray area would be someone purchasing the gun for you as a gift. Then the laws of Michigan would come into play but even this us up for interpretation. It comes down to intent and where the money actually came from.

Take this advice with a grain of salt and consider how much you paid for it? LOL but again IMHO you are skating on thin ice here especially since you have posted your intent on a open to the public gun forum. :eek:

15. STRAW PURCHASES

Questions have arisen concerning the lawfulness of firearms purchases from licensees by persons who use a "straw purchaser" (another person) to acquire the firearms. Specifically, the actual buyer uses the straw purchaser to execute the Form 4473 purporting to show that the straw purchaser is the actual purchaser of the firearm. In some instances, a straw purchaser is used because the actual purchaser is prohibited from acquiring the firearm.

That is to say, the actual purchaser is a felon or is within one of the other prohibited categories of persons who may not lawfully acquire firearms or is a resident of a State other than that in which the licensee's business premises is located. Because of his or her disability, the person uses a straw purchaser who is not prohibited from purchasing a firearm from the licensee. In other instances, neither the straw purchaser nor the actual purchaser is prohibited from acquiring the firearm. In both instances, the straw purchaser violates Federal law by making false statements on Form 4473 to the licensee with respect to the identity of the actual purchaser of the firearm, as well as the actual purchaser's residence address and date of birth. The actual purchaser who utilized the straw purchaser to acquire a firearm has unlawfully aided and abetted or caused the making of the false statements. The licensee selling the firearm under these circumstances also violates Federal law if the licensee is aware of the false statements on the form. It is immaterial that the actual purchaser and the straw purchaser are residents of the State in which the licensee's business premises is located, are not prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms, and could have lawfully purchased firearms from the licensee.

An example of an illegal straw purchase is as follows: Mr. Smith asks Mr. Jones to purchase a firearm for Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith gives Mr. Jones the money for the firearm. If Mr. Jones fills out Form 4473, he violates the law by falsely stating that he is the actual buyer of the firearm. Mr. Smith also violates the law because he has unlawfully aided and abetted or caused the making of false statements on the form.

Where a person purchases a firearm with the intent of making a gift of the firearm to another person, the person making the purchase is indeed the true purchaser. There is no straw purchaser in these instances. In the above example, if Mr. Jones had bought a firearm with his own money to give to Mr. Smith as a birthday present, Mr. Jones could lawfully have completed Form 4473. The use of gift certificates would also not fall within the category of straw purchases. The person redeeming the gift certificate would be the actual purchaser of the firearm and would be properly reflected as such in the dealer's records.
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No no no. If it is illegal, I have NO INTENTION of doing so. I was a little confused with the law as it is a very gray are. When it comes to firearms, I always play by the rules. I have been looking on ARMSLIST and have the intention to buy one from a private seller as that is the law. Thank you
 
No no no. If it is illegal, I have NO INTENTION of doing so. I was a little confused with the law as it is a very gray are. When it comes to firearms, I always play by the rules. I have been looking on ARMSLIST and have the intention to buy one from a private seller as that is the law. Thank you
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Good to hear! Hope we can help you in your search.

If you take a moment to answer these questions I can offer a few suggestions.

To the OP I will ask the standard questions I always ask people.

-What are you using the gun for? Range toy, gun games, concealed carry, home defense or a combination of uses?

-What manual of arms are you already familiar with? This is your first semi auto but have you shot a lot of rifle, shotguns or revolvers?

-How large are you hands? How long are your fingers?

-Hand strength good?

-How is your eyesight?
 
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