I need help picking a handgun

B

BTR

New member
I'm fairly new to shooting, and I own a Ruger .22 pistol, which will probably remain my recreational handgun for years to come. My experience with centerfire handguns is very limited- I've shot a dozen .38s, a few 9mm, about fifteen or twenty .45s and a couple of .40s. I've shot quite a lot of my .22. I've been giving some consideration to buying another handgun in a defensive caliber at some point. I would try to shoot it enough to become fairly proficient, but I can't afford the centerfire ammo nearly as well as rimfire. If I do buy another handgun, I want to buy sure to get a good one, as I may never buy another. Reliability is of the utmost importance, as if I get a couple a failures, my confidence in the gun as a defensive arm would evaporate. My mind isn't made up on whether I shall purchase or not, but I would like some information. The two pistols I have been considering mainly are Ruger revolvers and Glocks.

My gun store has a new stainless Ruger .357 with four inch barrel (GP100) for about $330. I like my Ruger, and I presume I would be a reliable gun. However, I'm not very familiar with revolvers, and I presume the double-action trigger would take some getting used to.

Considering all the nice things I've heard about Glocks, I'm looking at them. The store has a used model 17 for $430 (though he may go down). It's not as nice looking as the Ruger, but that doesn't matter too much. Whether the glock would be reliable is much more important. With the only glock I have fired (three rounds from a .40) I noticed quite a bit of muzzle flip. Also, the first ejected case flew up and hit me on the forehead (yes, I wear glasses) and I doubt that's what it's supposed to do. Am I a "limp wrister" and might that cause problems? Like I said, my experience is limited. On the plus side for an autoloader, I can think of higher capacity (I might be able to get a 16 shot mag) and potentially, a shorter trigger pull.

At this point, I am not planning on a concealed carry license. I might not buy for a couple more years, especially if I decide I can't afford the cash, but want keep my next purchase in mind. I would appreciate your advice. If there is another gun that would be much better (or if I should opt for a larger caliber) let me know. Thank you all.
 
I'd recommend the revolver for several reasons. You've already stated that any question of reliablity would discourage you and you've already had a bad experience with the Glock. Since money is an issue you will in all likelihood purchase the lesser priced gun sooner. The chances of experiencing malfuntions are greatly reduced with the revovler.
Your caliber choice of .357 is good. There is a wide range of loads available for it and you can usualy find .38 special reloads as cheap or nearly so as the .22's you are now using. A larger caliber will only add to the cost of ammo allowing less practice and lessen the "fun factor".
The Ruger is a good gun but that price is a little on the high side. You may want to consider looking for a good used Ruger or Smith & Wesson. With some good shopping you can probably find sometihng used in the $150 to $200 range.
Good luck.

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Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
 
I agree with Gunslinger. Given what you've written I'd go with a revolver since you will find reliability failures discouraging. I have both but prefer .45 acp myself. There are very reliable semi's out there. But every manufacturer every now and then has one that may have feeding problems, etc. If you are unlike enough to get that one, you'll undoubtedly find it frustrating. Although revolvers can develop problems, too, in my experience you are much less likely to encounter that--particularly when they are new. Whatever, you purchase enjoy!

RJ
 
I'd go with the glock 17 for several reasons.
1. easier to learn to shoot well
2. trigger is easier to pull and be accurate
3. more rounds
4. faster reloads

there are many reasons to choose a pistol over a revolver. i shot 3 of my pistols and 1 of my revolvers today at the range. the gun that has the most potential accuracy is the S&W revolver. the one that i shot least accurately was the S&W revolver. i don't like that long DA pull on every round. its hard for me to shoot that accurately with it and the gun also doesn't feel good in my hand.

glocks are great for people to learn how to use quickely. They only have 1 type of trigger to learn, they point good for most people and they opperate simply with no external safeties.

9mm ammo is fairly cheap also. i just bought 1000 rounds of American Eagle ammo from AmmoMan for $139.

also another big plus to the glock 17 is that you can buy a .22 conversion kit for it. i have one on my beretta 92 and it works great.

if you don't know what this is its a whole new upper for the gun. all you do is take the slide off the glock and put the .22 one on and put in a .22 glock magazine. then you can shoot .22rimfire ammo in a glock pistol. that way you can practice with your defense gun and have the same trigger pull, grip, sights, feel, pointing as you gun that you need to practice with to defend yourself. this is the cheapest way to practice and i use mine all the time. i have put over 5000 rounds thru mine with only about 2 jams of any kind.

the company that makes the conversion kits is called Ciener. their web site is www.22lrconversions.com
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Russell92:
oh and glocks are very reliable. i would consider glocks nearly as reliable as revolvers. [/quote]
"nearly" close, but not there. IMHO the Glock is one of the most reliable autojammers out there, but it usually falls short of the revolvers from any major maker. I have never had a jam in a revolver. If ammo money is a consideration, you will likely take up reloading. With a revolver, saving the brass is a lot easier and you should not have to worry about getting "alien" brass which can occur when you are scraping up your auto's far flung brass at the range. The GP100 is as strong as any wheel gun out there and gives you the flexibility of shooting .38 Special and .357 Mag. Many consider the Glock trigger pull to be the auto equivalent of the revolver and you may have no more trouble acclimating to the revolver than the Glock.
 
The Glock 17 is still the best Glock made. Very reliable, reasonably accurate, ease of maintenance and replacing parts. I've owned 2 and never had any malfunctions. Its the handgun I would recommend.

Go to http://glocktalk.com - there are solutions to erratic brass ejections.

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BKs Pistol Pages
 
BTR,
Concur with all of the above. Whatever you do, do not sell the Glock short! Do as much shooting as you are able to do with all of the offerings,(pistol and revolver),that you can get your hands on. Above all else, do not make a purchase based on impulse alone and always buy the best that you can afford (once you've made up your mind)...in ten or twenty years $200 or $300 more will be insignificant.
Recommendations: Well, I've been fortunate enough to have had or shot 2 or 3 of just about every shootin'iron ever mentioned in this Forum and I can't recall a bad gun out of the whole crowd. Favorites, yes, for CCW/defense, the various compact Glocks, Sigs, Smiths and 1911's (in that order) What's in my nightstand? A Glock 23. What's in my waistband or pocket when I go to town? The same thing most gunwriters and celebrated experts REALLY carry, a J frame Smith.

Regards,
Bill
 
"i don't like that long DA pull on every round."

The SW 686 has the lightest and smoothers DA/SA pulls of any handgun I've ever fired. Too bad those curs sold out, I really wanted to get a new 686.

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So many pistols, so little money.
 
Put me square in the Ruger GP100 camp. I've got the stainless variety with a 4" fully lugged barrel. Shooting .38's through it gives you all of the fun of a larger caliber with little more than the recoil of a .22. Shoot .357's through it and you get the flavor of the beast without much more than a nominal flip.

The adjustable sights offer a great site box--I like to shoot single handed just for fun and find that with .38's, I can place 95% of my shots in the forehead section of the silhouette at 10 yards time after time. It's a great gun.

Most of the time I shoot single action--I like to take the time to savor my ammo... The factory grip is second to none when it comes to absorbing recoil and providing a comfortable platform. On top of all that, being a revolver, it's the most reliable gun in my collection. A thousand rounds without a misfire...

I bought mine new for $349 with a box, a lock, and a manual. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This gun's gonna be with me for a looooooooooooong time.

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Triggers exist to be pulled... again and again.
 
If absolute reliability is a defining variable for your gun then the Ruger revolver would be a logical choice. They are built as well as any revolver on the market. With proper care they will last for a lifetime. Glocks are also a superior product and their track record on reliability is just excellent. You are to be congratulated on the work you have done to narrow your choices to two quality one. Good luck and enjoy whichever you choose.
 
My opinion is this:

If you're going to get a gun for pure home defense, get a revolver. A few reasons (which can be debated until the end of time, I know):

1. Utter reliability. it will work. Every time. Period.

2. Simplicty. You may or may not practice a lot with this gun...if you don't do a lot of shooting, in a stress situation with all **** breaking loose, your heart pounding and adrenaline being dumped into your system like niagra falls, the simplest things become difficult, and the less you train the worse it is. semi-autos have things like safeties on them and are in general more complex. Revolvers are point and click.

3. the endless magazine-spring debate is moot with a revolver. ;)

4. If you get a misfire, or if you end up in a struggle over the gun, semi-autos can be a real bear to get back into firing order. if you don't practice this, its even worse (and its an unlikely enough scenario that few people practice malfunction drills). revolvers are easy to fix. Pull the trigger again. BOOM. problem solved.

5. ammo capacity of 6 is perfectly adequate for home defense. Lets face it, the majority of shootings involve, what, 2-3 shots per side? if you have a guy in the house who isn't down or running after hearing 6 .357 magnum rounds go sailing through the night, you might as well switch to plan B, 'cause plan A ain't working. ;) (Thats semi-facetious...more ammo is always better. I'll never argue that. but 6 is plenty, IMO, if you're defensive...and thats how you should be. Besides, speedloaders aren't THAT hard to use)

6. Economy. Revolvers are cheaper to buy and maintain.

Ultimately, you have to pick something you feel comfortable with. Practice with it as much as you can...just be aware if you choose a semi-auto its probably a good idea to train some malfunction drills and be prepared to deal with the greater complexity of the tool you have chosen. And for God's sake, if you have kids, invest in one of those gun safes where you can get to it fast but still keep it out of their hands. Don't skimp there.

Mike

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"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
BTR,

Add my vote to the Ruger GP-100 group. I shoot several excellent, very high quality semiautomatics (including Glocks) plus a single all-stainless .357 magnum revolver (it happens to be a S&W "N" frame 627, which is a little stouter than either the Smith 686 or the Ruger GP-100).

The accuracy of the revolver is better than any of my pistols, for me. I would be the first to agree that a true marksman could probably do as well with my Sigs, Glocks, Kimber and Colt semiautomatics, but I am able to generate 2-inch groups at fifty feet with the S&W and 3-4 inch groups with all the others.

A high-quality all-stainless revolver (like the GP-100) is incredibly easy to maintain, exceptionally reliable and durable, and will probably last at least one lifetime with zero malfunctions of any type.

Therefore, for a first "tactical handgun" I would opt for the GP-100 (until a few weeks ago, you'd now get several paragraphs comparing Smiths and Rugers, since both are superb revolvers).
 
"Me too" on recommending the revolver. Unless you plan to fire often, at least monthly, to maintain familiarity and comfort with the semi-auto, stay with the simplicity and reliability of the revolver. The DA .357 also is arguably the most versatile of all handguns, also, with ammo available form .38 Spec. wadcutters up to magnum 180 grain hunting loads.
 
Own a matching pair of 4" stainless GP100's; you will never be sorry...

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
Try the g17 before your decide. You tried the glock in .40SW and is a bit hotter then the 9mm. If you thought muzzle flip was bad in the glock, try a full tilt boogy load in .357. The muzzle blast alone will blind you at night. Putting the other 5 into the night is about right. Still as said, the .357 is a very versatile weapon. I have the g19 the 17's little brother and have never had a problem with it and own the S&W :( model 66 in .357mag. Both are great guns, but both hold very distinct positions in my firearms arsenal.
 
I think its great that you have decided to buy a new gun. Keep buying 'em, get as many as you can. Good luck, go with the Glock, have fun.
 
I own a 1911 and a Kahr(similiar in function to a glock), my next handgun purchase is going to be a Ruger GP100 most likely.

Why? I can teach my wife to shoot with .38 ammo and .38 ammo is roughly the equivalent in self-defense as 9mm. I can shoot .38 and save money, but I have little problems with recoil. Plus a revolver is more reliable, especially if worried about limp wristing.

Having said that, evey gun I own has had at least one failure of some sort to fire. Even my Ruger Super Redhawk in .454, maybe I am just unlucky. Best option, TRAIN with whatever firearm you get, TRAIN on the range often and learn to dissassemble the firearm yourself(for cleaning) so you know exactly how the gun operates.

Case in point: I had a primer blow out in my Kahr(factory ammo) while I was at the range. I waited 30 seconds with the gun pointed in safe direction. I confirmed a round was chambered, dropped the mag, and cleared the round. I did this instinctively, cause I was freaked out by the blue fire shooting outta my breechface when the round failed to fire. I was able to dissassemble and reassemble the gun in abou 2 minutes to verify that the gun was still in working order before continuing.

My Vote: Ruger GP100 Stainless Steel, 3" barrel with fixed sights.

KNOW YOUR WEAPON, KNOW YOURSELF, KNOW YOUR ENEMY.
DaHaMac
 
All great guns.

Prefer the Glock 17 or 19 for car or carry. A Kahr MK9 for deep concealment. A Beretta Jetfire in .25 when all you are wearing is your underwear - better be a good shot with it however.

Have a Ruger SP101 as a nightstand gun in 38+P - weird but I got a fantastic price on it as everyone wanted a .357 at the time.

Often coveted a Ruger GP100 but never bought one. I'm sure it is a great gun if anything like the SP101.
 
BTR,

Pick the gun that fits your hands the best and that you can shoot well. An ill-fitting gun is like an ill-fitting pair of shoes -- something you don't want to buy.

As for the relative reliability of revolvers and autos, both the GP100 and the M17 will be very reliable if you maintain them well. Revolvers are not failproof by any means. For example, my S&W M38 jammed up on me during Insights's CQC class last October. The timing was so far off (thanks to me and my warm reloads) that pulling the trigger would not rotate the cylinder. I had to ditch the M38 for the remainder of the class in favor of my Glock 19.

Since you are already familiar with the shorter and lighter trigger pull of the Ruger .22 LR pistol, you might lean more towards the Glock if it fits your hands.

Use only factory magazines for maximum reliability -- cheap aftermarkets are rarely a good idea. Why would anyone spend $400-500 on a quality handgun, only to skimp on the magazine? Without a reliable magazine, your autoloader is nothing more than a manually operated repeater (a la the Semmerling).

You may want to look into a police trade-in Glock as well. Both my Glocks (19 and 23) are police refurbs -- reconditioned at the factory and shipped with two pre-ban factory magazines for $399. Almost as a good as new and you get preban magazines to boot.

Justin

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Justin T. Huang, Esq.
late of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
 
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