Help a Newcomer Make an Informed First Purchase

Doug, the advice to try several guns at a range until you find something that suits you was good advice; however if thats not possible, what I'd try to do is buy a used steel framed ex-police department revolver in 38 Special, for something less than $300. That way, you can use it for as long as you like - for a lifetime if you want to - or, if you want to buy something more exotic later, you can sell the service revolver and possibly even make money out of it. Even in a worst case scenario, where the economy tanks, you couldn't lose much. These guns are usually heavy enough so that they don't recoil much if at all, but they're not so heavy that they would detrimentally affect your marksmanship. (You don't have to be a muscle man to handle one of these. There are a lot of frail female 38 Special shooters.)

You can buy a used 38 Special service revolver just about anywhere but you usually get the best prices from those dealers who purchase large quantities from police departments at a good price and then retail them out. The last large batch of 38 Special police guns like that that I saw advertised on-line were being sold about a year ago by J&G Sales (they may still have a few) but they were double-action only as I recall, which would be ok for HD but not great for target shooting.

There are many advantages to owning a 38 Special service revolver, especially if it can be fired in either single or double action mode. Most such revolvers that were manufactured after about 1950 are capable of firing +P ammunition, at least occasionally, but be sure before you buy. (I wouldn't buy one that wouldn't handle at least an occasional lite diet of +P rounds, because in my opinion you need +P Hollow Points for HD.) Standard velocity round nose and wadcutter ammo is best for your target and plinking needs. Its also realitively inexpensive ammo. One of the best things about any revolver is that you can load a chamber with one or two specialty rounds for use in emergency or particular situations. For example, I always keep at least one cylinder of mine loaded with a CCI shotshell because it gives me a very deadly minishotgun for snake duty. (Lots of cottonmouth moccasins around here.)

Last but not least, most people can learn to shoot a 38 Special service revolver with great accuracy because its such a user-friendly, fun gun to shoot.

PS: Some people say purchase a 357 revolver and shoot 38 Special ammo in it, the idea being that gives you "versatility" but I don't recommend that. If you buy a 357, it'll just cost you more than a comparable 38 Special revolver will, and it'll be heavier than a comparable 38 Special revolver would be, and if you're recoil sensitive, you'll probably never fire a round of 357 magnum in it. Or maybe you'll fire one, but not many more. (Most people who own 357's never shoot 357 magnum ammo in them, and if they did, the recoil and blast would probably detrimentally affect their accuracy.)
 
Agree with CWKahrFan ... 9mm is probably your best bet ... and while I carry a Kahr PM9 on a daily basis, I'd suggest instead that you look at the Springfield XDm-9 ... it's my favorite range gun at the moment; 19+1 capacity, extremely accurate, light recoil, great both for practice and home defense and you can carry it if you later decide to get a license ... plus it has never failed in any way, and Springer has great customer service on the off chance you might get one with some defect. Good luck and have fun ...
 
Hi Doug - I would suggest holding the larger and smaller versions of the guns you're interested in. They do make a 3" GP100, since you had mentioned wanting one, but the 4" is much more popular and easy to find. When I bought my 3" SP101 it felt lighter to me than the 2" SP101 did, balance is more important than overall size or weight, in my opinion. Weight at the end of the barrel will sometimes make a gun feel "right" and other times make it feel "wrong".

Another option for smaller, full-size revolvers would be the Ruger Security Six (Speed Six or Service Six), which can be had in shorter barrel lengths and found for a decent price on the used market (they are out of production).

Also understand that a .357 Mag can easily shoot .38spl or .38+P rounds, so you don't have to worry about the "loud" factor, but you have the option to move up later if you want.

If you're stuck on the smaller end of full-size and are interested in an auto, then I say have a close look at the G19, it's small-ish, but not tiny and handles easily. It's a 9mm, seemingly the round of choice in this discussion.
 
Shoot everything in 9mm that the rental place has.

The guns that feel the best will have other models or maybe the same model in different rounds. Give those a try.

The gun the fits best and that you are most comfortable shooting will most likely be the best gun for you.
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Far and away the most useful bit of advice on the thread.

We can all tell you what our favorite guns are, but the only thing that matters is which of all these fine guns feels best to you. Buying a certain brand and model of gun because a few more people favor it on some internet forum would not be advisable.
 
We can all tell you what our favorite guns are, but the only thing that matters is which of all these fine guns feels best to you. Buying a certain brand and model of gun because a few more people favor it on some internet forum would not be advisable.
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Absolutely! But folks here have been a big help in suggesting a place to start.

9mm's are definitely on my list now, as is a Glock and a .38 special. And now I know that the GP100 comes in both 3" and 4".

I'll try as many as I can at the range. Thanks to this thread, I have a better idea of where to begin, and when I narrow down my choices, I'll more easily be able to group them with other similar models.


I still don't know if I'll go with a conversion kit or a second gun, a .22 dedicated to practice. I'm reading more about kits to learn.
 
The advice of others will rarely be as beneficial as your personal experience. Try walking up to the counter and letting the person helping you know right off the bat that you're new and looking to get an idea of what you like. A good dealer will be more than happy to help you out and have plenty of knowledge to share with you. Try a few revolvers, a few striker fired autos, a few da/sa autos, and some other types as well. Find out what your dealer likes and why and see what is selling well. Determine what fits your hand well in a proper grip. If you haven't learned a proper grip, the dealer should be able to show you. Determine which weapon type suits you best keeping in mind how much you plan on training with it both with ammo and dry fire drills and after narrowing down the type, check out similar pistols and pick your favorite. Most of all, don't be afraid to leave and come back later to do it all over again so that you can be sure you're getting what you want.

Basically, act like you're buying a car.

As for specific weapons I would reccomend looking at, here is a short list:

Glock
M&P
SIG Sauer
HK P30
1911 style autos
CZ75 line pistols
Beretta

Then I would look at similar offerings from other brands to hold up to those and use a process of elimination to decide what I like best.
 
My advice is to buy a good .22lr pistol. Then after you've run a few hundred rounds through it, and mastered the basics, you can sell it and move up to something better suited for hd.

I favor mid size revolvers. The S&W K frame is a great gun in my opinion. I like the weight. I also like that if you have a failure to fire all you have to do is pull the trigger again.

You could get a used S&W model 64 for $239 plus transfer fees. So for about $300 you could have a .38spl+p revolver. If you still want a .22lr you can pick up a Ruger MKII for another $300. For $600 you have two range pistols and a great hd weapon.

Of course I recomend going to a local gun shop and trying them out before you drop any cash.

Model 64 for $239
 
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If I was to do it all over … my first handgun would be a revolver. Here is why;

Short of chaos, five rounds is enough

You can use lesser rounds to get practice without producing a flinch. Eg. a .38/.358 combo or a .32 H&R/.327 Mag. + it’s generally cheaper using these rounds.

There are less things to go wrong with a revolver (generally). They are just reliable.

You don’t have to pick up your shells (even better if you intend to reload)

Less shots makes you (me) focus more

If you decide or need to take a hiatus from shooting, you don’t have to worry about the springs weakening in your clips etc … leave it loaded wherever, and when you’re ready …

This is all subjective of course. I am sure there are just as many good reasons to go semi first, such as faster to shoot well, firepower, some prefer the feel, etc, etc …

But if it was me, and I was to do it all over again … I would go the revolver route. Besides – once you start – eventually you’re going to have to have one anyway lol!

YMMV
 
Being a new shooter. I would buy a Smith & Wesson. They have a fantastic warranty. You have a problem. Call them and your pistol will be taken care of with no out of pocket expense.

Getting a .22 is a good idea and they can be a lot of fun to shoot. But if you shop right you might be able to find say a new SD-9 and a J-Frame revolver.

I purchased a Smith Model 60 Pro for my wife in Sept. She is a new shooter and loves it. She can shoot .38/.38+P/.357 with it. I can hit milk jugs with it at 100 yards. :) And honestly,,, I like it as much as my 686P. But I would not get a J-Frame snub. 3" barrel is very shootable.

A SD-9 will get you into the world of semi auto's. It has a good enough trigger, a good feel with a front night site.

Or you could do the same thing with Ruger. Say a small revolver and one of there semi auto's. The Ruger's would be cheaper to purchase new. But there warranty isn't as care free as Smith & Wesson's.

The 9mm and .38's are about the cheapest ammo one can buy today retail. And you will need to shoot. A firearm will do you no good at all if you can't hit a target with it.

Most important,,,,, HAVE FUN!!!!! And let us know how it goes. ;)
 
As many have said, shoot before you buy - shoot as wide a variety of pistols as you can find.

Consider taking a class, and ask the instructor for advice, particularly if he is a LEO.

You probably are going to end up sticking with a 9mm for defense purposes (ammo cheaper, and practice is your best friend).

I'm going to second the idea of a 22LR conversion kit; gives you even cheaper practice than a 9mm, and gives you the same feel, weight, and control mechanism as your defense gun. Given that, a few to look at include:

One note - many of the links above mention MSRP pricing. Don't despair if you see high pricing on the links; it's the retail price you want to go by, which can be often significantly cheaper. Here's a link to the Shooter's Depot Davidson portal, where you can get more realistic pricing - not necessarily the absolute lowest you can find, but it'll give you a better idea than the manufacturer sites.
 
The advice of others will rarely be as beneficial as your personal experience
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Definitely. But this Thread is a great help. Now I know more useful questions to ask at the dealer, and I have some specific models to at least try.


don't be afraid to leave and come back later to do it all over again so that you can be sure you're getting what you want.

Basically, act like you're buying a car.
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Good advice, thanks. I'll also try what I can at the range, and that'll help me decide between the three choices of 1) single gun for HD and practice, 2) HD choice w. conversion kit for practice, or 3) separate HD choice and .22 rimfire for practice.


Consider taking a class
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Already signed up. Two, actually.

Gah! I'm already sliding into another hobby. I can tell this will be addictive. Why couldn't I like something simple and cheap, like basketball?
 
dougnew,

I agree with icemonkey but mainly dont go to the store tunnel visioned on I want a revolver or I want a semi. I hear from gun dealers this is what happens. its ok but be openminded to thoughts while asking at the counter. I would go with a ruger or smith&wesson .357 revolver. otherwise I would buy a smith&wesson .44magnum. I think you should kill 2 or maybe three birds with one stone here. example: buy a nice weapon you can use for homedefense also. maybe also buy a firearm you can also use a 'carrying concealed weapon'. this will probably make the barrel size shorter. I prefer about 6" barrels 6shot revolvers(maybe little longer) and 2" for concealed. the 2" concealed works better for me than a 3". more great advice a dealer gave me: what feels right to you. don't buy it if it doesn't feel right. I think you'll be ok not shooting it first but that Might just be my impatient nature. also, revolvers suit beginners more in my opinion and that advice came from a dealer too. I didnt listen the first time but he was right
 
Suggestions

I am partial to the Sig 226, its a well balanced user friendly gun that you can put almost an unlimited amount of rounds through. If you're going to use it for home defense as well I would recommend you get it chambered in the 40 Caliber. Its still user friendly with a little more punch.

I also just picked up a Beretta 92 FS, I'm actually going to go try it out today. The nice thing about the gun is it has an option for a .22 LR conversion so you have the benefits of a home defense gun along with the option of firing cheap rounds at the range. The gun is 600-800 dollars and the conversion kit is about 300. The nice thing is you basically get two guns for about 1100 dollars.
 
At the risk of resurrecting an old thread, I wanted to offer my thanks for the good suggestions here, and to give an update. I've taken a class, tried a bunch of models, and I'm down to two choices: Glock 19 or CZ-P01/PCR.

I've posted a question about them in this thread, and here, what a great help this has been. No, I'd never buy a gun based solely on what someone says on the Internet, but the thoughts here gave me great ideas of what to consider and why. Thanks!
 
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