Good first time Pistol???

S

Smusac

Inactive
Hello all, so this is my first time posting to the forums, and i know you guys get this type of question a lot. My apologizes.

So ill get right into it. i am going to purchase my first handgun for range shooting and personal protection (possibly conceal and carry at some point) but not hunting or anything else. I am a big guy, 6'3" 220 on a good day with good sized hands.

i have an opportunity to buy one of my buddies Glock G21 45 ACP. now i have never fired that gun but have been looking into it and the reviews seem promising. i believe that i could get the gun for around $400, is that a food price?

now keep in mind that this is my first gun...
With that being in mind i have fired my buddies Glock subcompact with .40 S&W (i forget the Glock model number) that was a fun gun but definitely to small for my liking.

my father owns a H&K USP 40. i like the size of that but unfortunately haven't fired that either.

so ultimately my question boils down to should i go with the Glock 21 or wait and see if i can find a better suited gun for myself... i really don't know to much about handguns and any info that you can lend me would be a huge help. feel free to suggest specific guns, ammo size, and brands. the more info the better. :)
 
Personally I think the GLOCK 21 would be an excellent choice and the price seems fair. The .45 caliber is an excellent and proven round. If you were to consider another caliber I would look at the 9mm instead of the .40 caliber. Modern ammunition manufactures offers several very good choices for self defense as for practice and range use 9mm ammo will almost always be cheaper.
 
Welcome-

The first pistol I bought was a Glock 21- Great gun and I will never sell it. In addition $400 bucks for a Glock 21 is a fair price. However....

If I had to do it all over again I would have gotten a Glock 17 or 19. I love both those guns and they are cheaper to shoot. I would also consider looking at the XDM's, great gun and very nice! I would at least try another flavor before submitting to the Glock cool-aid
 
Shoot it first to see if you like it. Unless it is very new it has a pretty fat grip which caused me to sell mine. Although if that is a full-size USP your dad has and you like it, grip size might not be a problem for you.

I also didn't really like the kick of my Glock 21 with defense loads, although I might be more used to it nowadays.

As one new to guns I would generally go with 9mm, much easier to control and the ammo is much less expensive.

New Glock 19s go for $500 or less, so not much more than your deal. Easier to carry than the 21 also.
 
Nothing wrong with the Glock 21, but keep in mind that 9 mm practice ammo costs in the neighborhood of 2/3 as much as .45.

IMO 9 mm makes a good first gun because of the combination of economy, low recoil, and reasonable effectiveness for SD. Your situation is different because of the availability of the used pistol at a reasonable price from someone you know and trust. Only you can decide how important the ammo cost is going to be to you in the long run.

Also, you need to shoot the G21 to decide for yourself about the recoil. Most people don't mind the recoil from a .45, but some people really dislike it. If this is going to be your only gun, at least for a while, you need to be certain it is one that is comfortable and enjoyable for you.
 
Welcome to the forum. First off, guns are like Pringles, once you pop you can't stop. $400 for the 21 is a good price. If you want that as a carry gun that would be fine. But i would also consider buying a nice .22 caliber pistol as well so you can learn to shoot on it. Starting off with a .45 is not necaserraly a bad idea but some tend to develop bad habits starting off with large caliber pistols, flinching, anticipating the shot, so on and so forth. If you don't want to buy to guns, given your size a G17 or G19 both in 9mm would be a very good decision as well considering the 9mm is a lot less expensive to shoot. 9mm has also come a long way as far as what their rounds are capable of. You may buy cheap FMJ rounds for range use and then get your self good carry rounds for SD and HD. Hope this helps. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 
Welcome, The Glock 21 would be a great first gun. The 45 acp is an excellant round for HD/SD and a great plinking round too.Maybe a little large for CCW, but could be done.

For that price I'd be all over that deal. It should have a milder recoil than your buddy's compact 40. Go for it and be happy.
 
I agree with the previous poster that suggested a Glock 17 or 19. The 19 would be more versatile, you could carry it plus it would be a good range gun. As pointed out 9mm may be a better choice for a first gum, less recoil, cheaper ammo hence more practice time. As mentioned earlier, handle the gun Glock 21 to see if you like the grip. Some people don't like the grip on the Glocks (too fat).

Another excellent choice would be the Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm or 9c Compact version)
 
I would buy it if that's what you want. It sounds like a good deal for a good pistol. But do yourself a favor and goto a range that has rental guns and try out as many as you like. You will find that there are some you won't like at all and certain ones will surprise you. This way you can find whats best for you. Everyone really is different and the great thing is there are a ton of good choices. I can shoot certain guns way more accurately than others and it's not because the gun itself is more accurate.
 
Welcome to the forum!

Is it a .45ACP or .45GAP? IMO, stay away from .45GAP. 45GAP Ammo is higher priced and much harder to find than .45ACP.

Also note the standard barrel of a Glock has an unsupported chamber. Some people claim this is why some Glock handguns have kabooms. Many competition shooters will replace the factory Glock barrel with a barrel that does have a supported chamber. A supported chamber puts less stress on the cartridge case which can be important for those who reload. One thing about Glock handguns is there are several aftermarket items for them.

I would suggest two handguns - one in .22 Long Rifle and one in the centerfire cartridge of your choice. Some models have a conversion kit so you can also fire .22LR.

If you have large hands, a .45ACP may be a better fit than a 9x19. However, .45ACP ammo is higher priced than 9x19 ammo. Be aware that the recoil of a .40 S&W is snappier than a .45ACP or 9x19.

Some people love brand __________ while others hate the same brand. Each of us have hands that are a little different and some models work better with our natural point of aim than other models. What works well for someone else may not work well for you and vice versa.
 
Go to an indoor range and try out several weapons by renting them -- both semi-auto and revolvers. Try them a couple of times. Then, and only then, make your choice. I have and shoot both, I like them both. However, if I were recommending one for someone, I would suggest the simplest operating pistol possible. I know many like the Glock in various forms. But is this the simplest one to use? CZ and Ruger both make creditible pistols, as do S&W, Kimber, etc. For a new user, I personally think a revolver would be the simplest to learn to use.

willr
 
FN Herstal

zferrisz said:
Any thought on the FNP9 or 40? Or the FNX series?
Click to expand...

I have an FNP9.

Let my buddy borrow it over the weekend and now he's after me to sell it to him.

LOL no way.

Excellent shooter and the grip is really nice.

Thats my beef with anything Glock, the grip frame, cant hang onto em.

Have yet to find one that fits my hand.

:eek:
 
I recommend folks start with either a Glock 19 or S&W M&P9 or 9c.

Stick with 9 for your first gun. Ammo is cheap, and you'll need the practice. These two have a lot of accessories, holsters, magazines, and aftermarket parts readily available. As much as I love .45s, I hate buying the ammo to shoot. It's about twice as much per 50 round box of practice ammo.

The choice really comes down to feel. Go with what feels best, both grip and trigger. Either one will be easy to sell or trade to get something you want later.

A lot of folks start out with Glock. They're cheap, simple to operate, and super reliable. Most people then graduate or grow into something else. Your tastes will evolve in time as you shoot different guns.

That said, the trigger on the M&P is much better. I also prefer the grip angle on it over the Glock.
 
9mm is now $10 for 50 rounds at Walmart.

Nothing else is as cheap that is suitable for self defense.

The Glock was designed first and foremost as a 9mm platform and that's where it works best.

Since you mention concealed carry I suggest the baby Glock G26 which can be carried in a pocket holster in cargo sized pants pockets. Also, it doesn't feel like a subcompact, it feels bigger than it is. It will make for a more versatile choice.

If you want a more svelte 9mm you can carry in any pants pocket look at Kahrs, start with the PM9.
 
From my limited knowledge, it seems all the models mentioned so far are entirely capable in their own right.

From your initial post, it sounds like you could benefit from finding a means of trying out a few different gun types to see what appeals most.

Also, practice makes perfect, and a lot of practice in .45 is going to cost much more than the same practice in 9mm...
So you might miss on a good price on that Glock, but find you save that money and more by shooting cheaper 9mm ammo.

Having said all that, if you know you want .45 and you like that Glock, well... one could spend a lifetime trying guns to see if the next fits better than the last.

If your heart is in it, then go for the Glock.
If it just seems like a convenient opportunity, perhaps hunt around....
 
You need to get your fathers HK out and shoot it.

More important than the mfg is the type of firing system (Strike or hammer fired).

I like hammer fired. I like the much better trigger after the firs shot (or cocking it like a Double Action revolver).

As big as you are, the caliber may not be as much a factor as it is for others.

While I am not 6 ft 3 much to my wife regret, I am 215 lbs. I can still handle the recoil better with the 9mm than the 45 (sweet P220 of my brothers, I like shooing it better but it move the hand up more).

Glock ahs a fixed grip, HK, Sig and other have grips you can change to suit your hand.

I don't like striker fired and I do not like how the Glock fits my hand period. I love the HK grip (though I have a Sig SP2022 as its less expensive and has both a good grip).

If I could afford it I would own an HK for a range gun.
 
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