Good first handgun on a budget...

S

Stevodod

Inactive
You've probably seen this post hundreds of times, well here is mine!

I'm looking to get my first (in 10 years) handgun and will be using it for home defense and occasionally range shooting, even maybe some hog hunting. I'm way open, but on a budget (under $500), and would like something with stopping power, reliability, ease of use, fairly safe, where the ammo won't break my budget.

I was thinking .40 cal b/c of the ammo price and stopping power, but I'm also open to revolvers.

All suggestions appreciated!

If you have something used to sell, let me know- or are there any websites you'd recommend?

Thanks,

Stevo
 
My knee jerk reaction for questions like yours is to recommend a used S&W .38 or .357 revolver. Model 10 .38 Specials are very simple and reliable, easy to shoot, can be had for as little as $200, are tough as nails and common as can be. Most of my family learned how to shoot using S&W revolvers in .38/.357 and all of us agree it is an excellent and safe way to start out.

Since you mentioned hog hunting, a gun chambered in .357 magnum (which allows you to use .38's as well) is an excellent choice that would fit your bill well. S&W Model 686, Model 66, Model 19, among others are good revolver options.

If you are going to start on an auto, I would recommend a full size 9mm (like a Glock 17, XD9 or M&P9) because ammo's cheaper and recoil is less.
 
I'd also suggest a used 357 mag revolver. I picked up my first revolver this year, Model 66-2 S&W and I really enjoy shooting it. For range or practice the 38 spl is fine, and the step up to 357mag isn't too tough on the recoil. Look for one in a longer barrel for target/hunting application...mine is 6".

good luck!
Joe
 
I'd also recommend a Taurus if you have to have new. Otherwise, I'd get a used Glock (maybe even a new one if you're lucky enough to find one for right at $500 like I did).

Also, don't discount the 9mm. With all the new ammo technology, they have great stopping power and are cheaper at the range than .40 S&W.
 
My Ruger p95 was 329 plus tax
What I recommend doing is find guns in your price range and holding them. Then find the ones you like at a range rent and shoot.
Then buy the one that fits you best
 
Ruger P series comes to mind.

If you have something used to sell, let me know- or are there any websites you'd recommend?
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I recommend this very site. Head over to the Gun Show forum, read the rules, and post a WTB thread in the handgun Buy/Sell section.

Edit to add: My recommendation is for range/HD purposes only. If you absolutely need your first gun for hogs also, I'd take heed on the members that have spoken about experiences with hog hunting. I can't help you there.
 
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.357 revolver...there are lots of good ones out there, so take your choice...or... I also agree with the suggestion of 9mm in the glock, xd, or m&p ...personally I chose the xd
 
+1 for Ruger P series

In March I bought a brand new P95 stainless at a gun show for $309 ($327 OTD). The blued version was $10 less.

It's a little bulky and some might even call it a brick, but it's extremely reliable, eats just about anything and is very affordable.
 
My first handgun was S&W Model 60 .357 -- a decision I will never regret. From the looks of it, lots of people here are also sharing the opinion that a GREAT first handgun is a .38/.357 wheelgun.
 
It might depend on just how much hog hunting you intend to do. I sure couldn't argue with the .357 revolver choice though. There are so many fine 357's out there in the price range you mention and that is such a versatile cartridge. I have a couple of them and they are my most-used guns of all. However, a couple years ago I was on a job in South Texas where we were just overrun with wild hogs. They caused us a lot of problems chewing up our cables at night. Like a dummy, I had only brought one firearm with me. That was my little S&W model 60 with a 3" barrel. It has decent accuracy and acceptable power with .357 loads. But I admit I felt undergunned when I saw some of the larger hogs in the thickets. I did shoot one medium sized hog with it at very close range and it worked just fine. But as this "2 week" job stretched into 2 months, I found myself kicking myself in the butt everyday for not bringing my 44 mag on that trip. I finally managed to borrow a rancher's 30-30 rifle and felt much better about things then. I shot several hogs with that rifle. But I didn't carry it all the time when going about my duties on the job.

Like I said, the 357 did the job OK, but if I were going to go after hogs on a regular basis, I would opt for a 44 mag or a 45 Colt.
 
Hard to beat a .357 revolver as an all around first gun. I'd look at either a S&W or a Ruger as both make very good firearms.

I'd suggest staying away from the lower end revolvers like Taurus, their QC is just too hit or miss to take a chance on.

If S&W and Ruger's new prices are bit more than you'd like to spend, look around and shop for either one used.
 
I'm looking to get my first (in 10 years) handgun and will be using it for... maybe some hog hunting... I was thinking .40 cal b/c of the ammo price and stopping power, but I'm also open to revolvers.
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.40S&W is widely considered inadequate for taking hogs. Like .45ACP, it throws a relatively big projectile at relatively low velocity. This is OK for thin-skinned critters but doesn't work on tough muscular ones. You need velocity and mass to penetrate tough hides, and .357Mag is the least expensive caliber that delivers both.

Although the earlier suggestions for a Ruger P-series or CZ-82 would be fine IMHO if SD and range shooting were the main considerations, 9x18mm Makarov and 9x19mm Luger are woefully inadequate against big ugly snorting brush-dwellers. :(

There's a S&W or Ruger .357 out there with your name on it. :) FWIW the generally big and heavy Rugers or the larger-frame Smiths (L frame x81/x86 or N frame Model 28) are better than the smaller K frame Smiths (13, 19, 65, 66) at taming the recoil of hot .357Mag loads with heavy bullets.
 
Get a Ruger P-series, you can walk out the store happy with a NIB handgun that's super reliable & simple to keep with 300 rounds of ammo (if not more) for under $500.

If not, you can always look at the Police trade-in Glock 22/23 (chambered in 40SW). There are a lot of them laying around for $350~450.

PS. NIB Taurus model 100 is not a bad buy either, they looked like a Beretta 92FS but in 40SW.
 
Just to be contrarian I'd like to suggest you look into a used shotgun for hog hunting. Very good used pump actions can be had for under 200 bucks. They're not bad for home defense either.

The kicker is the hogs, otherwise I'd say go ahead with the the Ruger or Smith .357.
Not that hogs are bullet proof or that you shouldn't use handguns to hunt them. Just that I doubt handgun hunting hogs would be a good introduction to hunting.
 
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