How do you choose your first handgun?

D

Drummer101

New member
When looking for your first handgun what do you do?

The way I see it would it not be better for your first handgun to be more of a range gun/full size and one you figure out what you really want then to get a dedicated carry gun.

Do you think for a first handgun (given you have tried it once or twice) it is enough to know that is what will work best as a carry gun that you put your life on?

The way I relate to this is that when I started drumming I started with a cheap set but several years later once I found out what I needed and wanted I get a nice semi-pro kit with that I needed it to do and knew it would work for me.


(this is the assumption that you will still be purchasing more at a later time and not limiting yourself to 2 handguns)

Should/can your first gun be a carry gun?



This is just a general discussion, NOT a caliber or semi vs. wheel gun war.
 
If you are totally inexperienced with handguns, I would suggest a .22lr revolver w/4"-5" barrel, or semi auto. Get proper instruction from a NRA certified instructor. The gun shop you purchase from will be a good place to start inquiring about instruction.

If you need the gun for immediate personal protection, I would recommend a .38 Spl revolver with a 4" barrel, or a 9mm semi auto, instruction should also be obtained.
 
My 2 firsts were chosen for me as gifts from my dad. A Ruger Mk II and a Colt M1991A1 with the old rollmarks. Both pistols are great to have in a collection one way or another and hold a lot of sentimental value for me. Then when I bought my own for the first time I went with the crowd and bought a Glock. It didn't dissappoint, so sometimes it can be good to go with the crowd.
 
I don't know about you but I do NOT want inexperienced shooters carrying (granted CCW classes are something).

leading up to my 21st birthday this year I rented or tried with a friend pretty much every handgun I wanted to try with a few exceptions. HKs, Rugers, S&Ws Sigs, Glocks, 1911s of all types and so on.

When I turned 21 I bought a Ruger MKIII for target and general practice and a Glock 21 for range time and the serious buisness. I dont have a CCW or a carry piece yet but Im getting there. I'd say I'm competant with a handgun (I know what I'm doing and can put the bullet where I want) but I'm not exactly in a rush to get carrying.

I think my family will be getting me some private instructions, at the point then I'd go for carrying.
 
I think you're on the right track , I wouldn't start out with a small gun for carry. 9mm auto are affordable to shoot and carry up north with jacket cover.

Wheel guns are fun something with a 3 in barrel,S&W mod 60 or Ruger sp101.

Of coarse 22 auto's are good if you're new to shooting, but if you're not new and just looking for first gun 9mm auto or 357/38spl are great starters.

Happy shooting and be safe.
 
I started with a .22 and then picked the one I liked best that wasn't real expensive. I chose the Smith&Wesson 22A. I still have it and in hindsight it was still a great choice. I recommend a .22 first and then moving to what ever caliber you like best after that. If you want to skip the .22, then go with something modest in a 9mm or .380 (personally I'd recommend the 9mm over the .380). Even with several larger guns now though, my .22's still get shot by far the most (.22 leagues are cheap to join and they're a lot of fun).

As far as the gun goes, find one that fits your hand well and feels good to hold. Take an extra trip and look at guns first, read some reviews on the ones you liked, and then go back and make a purchase. Make sure that what the reviews complain about or like are things that matter to you. Every gun will have some negative comments. I like this forum and gundirectory.com for reviews as well as several web based columns/blogs. Doing it this way I haven't bought a gun yet that I don't love (although I missed out on a great used deal once because of the extra time checking the gun out).
 
Choosing my very first handgun,,,

Was a matter of availability and price rather than an informed decision.

My first handgun was a true Saturday Night Special,,
Rohm revolver chambered in .22 short,,,
$5.00 at a garage sale in 1966.

Recently though I did go through a true decision making process,,,
I'm a wheelgun guy who decided to buy a "wonder-nine",,,
I wanted high capacity and a full size metal frame,,,
It will probably be my only centerfire semi.

I did all the normal stuff,,,
Read all the reviews of popular guns,,,
Tried to shoot as many as I could get my hands on,,,
Made three trips to Oklahoma City to get to a range that rents guns.

I shot several models made by Glock, Sig, HK, Springfield, Beretta, Bersa, Kahr, CZ, various makers of 1911's, and many other brands.

I decided many things:
9mm is OK,,,
I like DA/SA action,,,
I like full size frame guns,,,
It needed to have slender grips,,,
I wasn't enamored at all with de-cockers.

There was also the aesthetic factor in the selection equation,,,
Life is too short to own firearms you consider ugly.

I eventually decided to get a CZ-75B,,,
I've not regretted that decision for even one moment,,,
It is a great range toy and is now my dedicated home defense pistol.

I'm not rich by any means,,,
But I do have a professional career,,,
With that career comes an adequate paycheck,,,
So I could literally have afforded any pistol I decided upon.

It was very nice to (finally) not have to take money into account,,,
For the first time in my life I was able to do the research and legwork,,,
And make my decision based on desirability factors,,,
Rather than on the cost of the item.

.
 
When looking for your first handgun what do you do?
Click to expand...

If you're smart, you ask on a gunforum.

If you're really smart, you use the search function, and read a myriad of threads where the question's already been asked and answered.

If you're not quite so smart, get all fanboi-ish and buy something because you drank some social Koolaide or other. Maybe it will have been a good choice, maybe not.

Be prepared in any case to eventually sell off your first gun at a loss. It's not the end of the world if you decide down the road that your first handgun was a mistake. It Happens. Move on.

I don't look at the same things that I did twenty years ago. My collection goes through a slow churn. I don't own one single handgun that I owned ten years ago.

The questions I would be asking myself in your position are:
  1. What can I afford? Don't go asking "what gun for $300?", when what you have is $300. You also ought be be buying more magazines, ammunition, "accessories and acouterments". And a class. And range time or club fees. It never ends. Not that all that needs to be bought at once.
  2. What is this gun for? Fitness for the purpose. Don't buy a Dessert Eagle (sic) for random plinking or concealed carry. Don't buy an expensive target .22 for anything other than putting holes in paper.
  3. Does it fit me? Ergonomics -- fitness to the user. Do you have any physical limitations that need to be worked around? Big hands, little hands? Weak hands? Can I reach and work the controls?
  4. Is it right, out of the box? With the exception of grips (see point 3), I haven't stayed with any aftermarket dingus. I've always gone back to factory.

Should/can your first gun be a carry gun?
Click to expand...

Sure. Why not.

Oh, yeah. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
 
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"When looking for your first handgun what do you do?"

Look at, handle, and SHOOT as many as you can get your hands on... Guns that friends and relatives own and guns you rent at the ranges... Then you'll have SOME idea what direction to go in.
 
How to choose your first handgun? Everyone is different. Do you have a specific need such as home defense, personal defense, concealed carry, target practice, or maybe hiking. My first handgun was job related. I borrowed a gun from my dad when I went to work as an armed security officer. A few months later he helped me get my own handgun. The company required that it fire 38 Special ammo. I fell in love with the Colt Python used in "Starsky and Hutch" so I chose a 6" Royal Blue Colt Python. I carried that gun for about 3 1/2 years before I went to a 4" S&W model 28-2 Highway Patrolman. Determine your need or want then try to locate samples in that category. Go to a range that rents guns and try as many as you can. Choose the one you like most and can afford. Good luck. Remember the search is half the fun.
 
My council would be a stainless steel, double action, .357 mag, with 3 to 4 inch barrel. Adjustable sights are a plus. These guns can be found new and used from quality dealers and hold their value should you want to trade later. Weight dampens recoil and shooting .38 special is pure pleasure. After more years than I care to count and more pistols than my wife needs to know I own, my old smith is still with me.
Tomaz45
 
Renting or shooting guns that family or friends have will do a few things for you. You get in some range time and have fun. I suggest you also take notes on what you liked and didn't like about every gun you shoot. It will help you to find a gun you prefer to shoot. Not every caliber, size, action type, grips or sights will please everyone. I have found the calibers I like to shoot and carry. I have also found the features I prefer along with what I will put up with. I suggest this route to take rather then buying several different gun until you find something that works for you.

When it comes to a CCW you need to be comfortable with it. If you don't really care for the gun you bought you probably won't carry it. Most likely the day/night you don't carry it is the time you really did need to have it. Murphy's Law. The holster and belt you use can be nearly as important as the gun. It needs to be comfortable as well as functional.

I have several pistols and a few revolvers. They all get shot. Some more then others. When it comes to what I carry it comes down to two of them and one a lot more then the other. Most of my pistols have the controls located in the same places to keep things simple for me.

When it comes to revolver or pistol that is a personal preference thing. Both can get the job done. Both have pluses and minuses too. For caliber a .32 and above will normally get the job done with proper shot placement. The trick it to become as proficient as you can be with what ever you have.

Remember the first rule of a gun fight is to bring a gun.
 
I get the one I like the best that fit my purpose for a handgun to start with.practice x 3 IF you get want the first time for range or carry who knows you might not need another one until your B,DAY :D:D
 
Do as I say not as I did.:D

A kid in Jr. High showed me a gun and asked if I wanted to buy it. An ugly nickle plated sub-compact .22 with fake mother of pearl handles.
My parents found out about it before I got a chance to shoot it.

If I could rewind, I'd start with a quality .22. A good S&W or Colt double action.
Of course back then I could get one of those for less than $100. Now I'd more likely opt for one of the many quality .22 semi-autos. The Ruder Mk series would be a good start.
 
Sure, your first can be your intended carry gun. If you decide you don't like it you can usually get near what you paid for it, if it's a quality gun. If you don't start out with a 22, 9mm or 38/357 are probably the best choices. They are relatively cheap on ammo and mild to shoot.

Neither will recoil as little as a 22 and neither will be as cheap to learn on, but many folks out there start on larger guns than 22s and do just fine. The learning curve is just a little higher and more expensive at the beginning. I liked the suggestion someone else gave on here about getting an auto that has a decent 22 conversion available. I'm going to pick one up for my Glock and I'm nowhere near "starting out".
 
I buy it

I buy a Ruger 4" stainless steel 357 Magnum-chambered revolver.
I learn (kinda) how to shoot it with inexpensive 38 Special practice ammo.
Then I go completely insane.....
 
Born and raised on a large ranch here, my first handgun naturally had to be a single action Colt. I wanted a .45, but not even a teenager yet, my father talked me into a Frontier Scout .22, which I still have. :)
 
1. Purpose.
2. Ergonomics.
3. Quaility/Price.
All three together. It is always a compromise.

.22LR is a good choice 1st handgun caliber. Allows lots of practice for less money.
 
i went a shot 4 9mms and 1 .40 to determine which was the most comfortable in my hands. the only thing i failed to realize, is that a full size glock, isnt the easiest thing to conceal.
 
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