I'm...what, four years from handgun buying age, what should be my first?

I'm...what, four years from handgun buying age, what should be my first?
Click to expand...

You should probably worry about it more, when you're 20.

Given my current financial standing (Food stamps, living in a cheap house in a crappy neighborhood, etc.), something premium like the SIG's or HK's is (Unfortunately) out of the question. Guns that are around 500 or 600 USD are probably the upper limit for me.
Click to expand...

Been There, Done That. Back when, it took me years to accumulate the spare cash to spend the $189 that a Taurus 66 cost at the time. US$5-600 gives you a lot of options.

I also don't mind striker fired, but I think I'd prefer hammer fired guns, DA/SA or DAO, with or without manual safeties.
Click to expand...

"Striker vs. hammer" matters not a bit. Reliability matters a while lot more.

"Buy a Glock"
 
I guess I'm the odd one here but I would suggest a 22LR for a first gun. I would buy a Ruger 22/45 Mk III Target. You need to learn to walk before you run and you can do it most affordably with a 22. My first gun 55 years ago was a 22 and I think it is still the best way to start. My first handgun was a 9mm but a 22 would have been a better choice.

My 22/45 was my 6th handgun and my 3rd 22. I shot a few thousand rounds through it and then bought my first 1911 in 9mm. The 22/45 shoots, aims and feel almost like my RIA 1911 tactical.
 
I recommend a full size steel frame semiauto with a 22 conversion unit-the CZ, e.g., the Ciener units for either a Browning HP or M1911. You learn to shoot with the 22, when you make the switch to centerfire the feel of the pistol is the same.
 
Gunnut17 said:
my parents are more than willing to take me if I can pay for renting guns and buying ammo myself, most likely. I don't yet have a job
Click to expand...
Just curious, what handguns do your parents have, if any, and what have you shot so far? I'd say to focus on school and job first. Shooting can be an expensive pursuit. Rental at a indoor range is a great idea but each session is likely to cost you $50-70 depending on the range, type of ammo, and how much you shoot. If you shoot much at all, getting the gun itself is just the tip of the iceberg.

Edit: just to make sure I'm answering the question asked, I'd recommend Glock 19 or 26 - or Ruger LCR357 if a revolver is a consideration.
 
@Slim Jim, my parents do not own any guns, actually, I took up the hobby on my own accord about 4 years ago.

Also to the suggestions about the P-07, I just remembered how much I nerded out about that when Hickok45 first uploaded a video of him shooting it.

And, to address the striker vs hammer debate, it's just that the only pistols I've held, much less the only one I've fired (An HK P30L on my 14th Birthday.) was hammer fired DA/SA, I have sort of a preference for them. I just like the vast array of carry options the right DA/SA can give. The USP series, for example, with cocked and locked, decocked and unlocked, decocked and locked all possibilities. I don't mistrust the internal safeties on Glocks and M&P's or anything, but I much prefer the control over the weapon's chances of firing a DA/SA with a manual safety has, particularly if they have a decocker too.

I will say when I was more heavily researching guns to be my first pistol the P30S was my first choice to look on google for MSRP on, (Given it's being the safety-added version of my first and, even to this day, probably favorite handgun, (Thank you Burn Notice.)) and that HK is one of my favorite gun manufacturers anyway, though.

That said the advice to keep on saving until I'm buying age is perhaps the most sage thus far. I'd rather avoid getting a gun that's just okay in my book because I settle for a budget gun.

All this to say maybe I'll just save until I've enough to get really any pistol on the market by time 2020 hits.

Of course, the matter of getting out of this state is much, much more imminent a concern for the continuation of my hoplophilia. :p

If it weren't for the dryness in the Southwest nearly killing me with nosebleeds when I lived there a couple years ago I'd go down to Arizona once I've gotten my desired degree in Computer Science/Programming at Olympic College or the Seattle AIE, alas it's not a great idea for either the game design or acting careers I am thinking of pursuing.

Then again the other prospect I have of moving to Ontario to work at a favorite gaming company would make most of this talk of legality of purchases in the US somewhat moot. :p

tl;dr: Yeah, having looked over all of this, I think I'll just save for an HK P30S.
 
Much depends on your use and if you plan to CCW or just keep it for target shooting and home-defense. I’m still a Washingtonian resident, but have been active military for the past 20+ years; it sucks seeing Washington become so liberal. My parents are just south of Kitsap Country (Belfair/Allyn), but I lived for most of my HS years in eastern WA.

My son is almost 17 and has been shooting since he was three. He’s laid claim to my old Gen 3 Glock 19, a Beretta 92 Centurion, my first gen Kimber TLE and my M&P 9mm Shield. He really likes the Beretta the most and shoots the best with it, but he’s been working hard with the Glock. He is scheduled to Enlist with the GA Army Guard in February and attend Basic Training this summer. Interestingly enough, at the age of 18 and a service member, he can CCW in GA. This has really piqued his interest in the M&P Shield, but he’s been able to carry concealed around the house and found the Glock 19 fairly easy.

Of all my CCW pistols, the smaller 9mm ones, the M&P Shield is the most range-friendly. I can shoot hundreds of rounds quite comfortably. It’s not the smallest single-stack 9mm, but is still very concealable.

Don’t discount used guns and you should be able to find a solid shooter at very reasonable prices if you look around. The new WA law sucks as here in GA, you can’t buy a pistol at age 18, but you can own one…unless military, you must still be 21 to apply for your CHL.

ROCK6
 
My wife and I put $20 in an envelope once a week so that we have an extra $1K laying around at Christmas and the expenses of presents and such are more manageable. With four years to go, putting two bucks a week in an envelope gets you $400 to soften the blow of buying a pistol; three bucks a week means you have $600 when you are ready. Can you drink a McDonald's coffee instead of StarBucks once a week? Skip the Friday night pizza once a month? Rent a movie instead of going to a theater?

As someone else said, there are going to be new pistols and perhaps a new regulatory environment in four years, so the "what to buy" decision needs to be postponed, but you can help yourself now by keeping that goal in front of you and saving. In the meantime, if you have family or friends or friends' families that shoot, you will find that shooters are usually quite generous helping young folk get started. The more different pistols you shoot, the more confident you will be that you are spending your money on one you will keep when the time comes.
 
Howzabout,,,

Howzabout,,,
A quality air-gun of some ilk.

Way back in the dark ages,,,
I had a very nice Crossman pump pellet pistol.

I practiced with it a lot,,,
And gained some expertise while having fun.

Four years is too far away to start planning "what gun",,,
Just do as TailGator mentioned and start squirreling back some cash.

Four more years will be approximately 19% of your life at 21,,,
Nothing you decide now will matter very much,,,
After that amount of time has elapsed.

Aarond

.
 
@TailGator, I frankly can't afford Starbucks or McD's on my own merit at all these days,

@Aarond, I like airsoft guns as a prop and for practicing my stance and stuff, so maybe picking myself up a decent SIG P226 spring pistol or an HK wouldn't be terrible for now, but the long term is my main goal. I want to have a good gun for home defense, carry, and the range in one package. Obviously I'll probably get a Remington Marine Magnum or Mossberg 590A1 and some kind of 5.56 rifle next year, of course, but either are a bit cumbersome for HD. Particularly if my means are no better than this Duplex when I'm out on my own.
 
I didn't mean air-soft,,,

I didn't mean air-soft,,,
They are nothing but toys.

I meant a real pellet pistol.

Not a CO2 which costs a lot to shoot,,,
But a pump or break barrel air powered pellet pistol.

Browning Buckmark Air Pistol

There are a lot on the market,,,
This is just one decent example.

Aarond

.
 
With your father go to a range and rent to see what you like and what fits you best. Then once you find that your first gun can be your high school graduation present from your father and that will even comply with Washingtons crap law. I gave my niece and nephew each and handgun for their graduations some twelve plus years ago.

You only have to be 21 in Washington for a CCW not to own a hand gun...that you can do at 18. You may be poor but believe me that there still is someone out there that will try to make a victim out of you unless you have the ability to stop them.
 
4 years is a long time. There are about a dozen new guns being manufactured each year it seems like. But you said you like hammers and DA/SA. I too am a huge fan of DA/SA. Always have been and always will. Bruce Gray has a nice write up for the naysayers on "learning" two triggers. It's easy. People just don't want to put the slightly extra effort.

You can get a used SIG or HK off CDNN sports and they pop up on Bud's too sometimes. Local shops are good too for the most part.

SIG also has a SIG Pro SP2022 which is about the same price as a Glock. Sometimes even cheaper. :)
 
I started out on single action 22 revolvers. I would start there or with a double action. Then, move to a semi auto 22. Get a decent one like a M&P or SR22.

Then, get a 9mm would be my advice.
 
If getting/owning a handgun for defense/carry/plinking is your primary goal, I wouldn't spend any money on a shotgun or AR any time soon. And if I did feel like I needed a shotgun for home defense or hunting, I'd go with something like the considerably-less-expensive Maverick 88.

I'm also not sure I would wait until I was 21 for the handgun, if I am legal to own one at 18. Sure...you never know what might be new to the market in 4 years that will be way cool; but you also never know what restrictions might come along in that time (magazine capacity limits, microstamping requirements, total ban on handguns, etc).

If it's me, I'm saving all my pennies, taking extra earning opportunities and looking (as soon as I'm 18) to purchase, from a private seller, something along the lines of a used SP2022. If I find one before then, I'm probably asking my parent(s) to make the purchase and gift it to me as soon as my birthday rolls around.
 
I'd like to give you some reassurance. The guns that are the "classics" will still be there. Even the cheap imports/vaporware. Most people who buy pistols don't shoot them - can't find a range, not into it, difficult to shoot well unless you are intentional and think about the biomechanics. You wouldn't think this is true since folks on this forum really like guns, but I was surprised how little folks knew about their own guns, the more gun owners I met. These folks will sell their pistols when they need money since they haven't grown attached to the pistol at all over the years since they hardly shoot - and the pistol looks almost new.

Then you have folks that are in transition or are still exploring. For example, I have a Kahr CM9 that I bought used at a decent price face to face. The young man I bought it from just wanted to see what a PM9 was like (not much different) and needed the funds. So he sold the less expensive model. I also have a S&W M&P 9c which I remember being featured in all the gun magazines at the time for its ground breaking ergonomics - not a blocky handle! Interchangeable back straps! And what do you know just a few years later comes the M&P shield and lots of folks have the urge to sell their M&P. Police departments sell their M&P's to buds gun shop because a new chief is in love with a different caliber or brand.

That kind of thing happens all the time, predictable as clockwork. You never see anything about the Ruger P89 or P90 anymore but when they came out I bet they were advertised as the best thing in the world. If you can ignore the hype and stand to wait, you will indeed get to try all the "new" designs for much less - if you can wait until the initial craze is over. Sometimes it's only 1-2 years after a new model comes out. If you live in a state where face to face transactions are legal when you are of age (bring your own form) trying and buying is a lot easier. And then you will find its more about the shooter, not the pistol.

In the end for pistols it typically comes down to the shape/size/weight of the pistol or grips, placement of the controls, and how that influences your shooting experience. These things you wouldn't notice unless you had the pistol in hand or even shot it a few times. And even then when we start shooting pistols we all shoot horribly compared to our expectations of what we see others doing. At that point is it really the pistol or us that keeps us from being an IDPA grand master Jedi? Little things like sights or texture can usually be changed yourself. Keep this in mind because watching all those gun reviews could make you think that a certain new "feature" places it miles ahead of others. Training trumps a multitude of "features"

If you do get to be a crack shot with whatever you chose someday, it wouldn't be just because it's a good gun, it wokd be because you worked at it. Of course it won't "feel" like work because shooting is fun.

Watch out for "custom modifications" = Bubba did it unless they sent it somewhere reputable. And I never agree with "I'm just trying to get back what I put into it" as they try to sell at the same exact price they bought at.

Ditto on skipping the AR unless the idea is very important to you, a cheap one will be around $500 which could go toward your goal instead.

Sorry to rant, I see myself in your shoes however I didn't start shooting until college.
 
Picked up my P30sk for $600 brand new. Also VP series is around that same price if your looking for something bigger. You can get a S&W shield at BI mart for 375 which is an outstanding gun for that price.. Canik TP9 can be had for around 300 as well..lots of great options out there. Hope it stays that way 4 years from now. I'll echo what others have said. Start saving now. You will need ammo and extra mags and holsters as well. And the list goes on:D
 
The question is very much like "what car should I buy as my first car". Well, that would depend on a bunch of stuff. So too with first firearm. If your first job is driving to a work site 75 mi away each day with your toolbox and a bunch of power tools, the answer is a bit different than if you're a part time student delivering pizzas or you work at the mall 4 blocks away.

I'd suggest at least narrowing down to "I want a gun I can carry" or "I want a gun I can enjoy shooting at the range once a month" or "I'd like to get into Steel Challenge".

Given your financial situation, I wouldn't be able to stress enough that your first gun isn't your first priority. But Moderator has suggested care needs to be taken in getting into all of that. So, my recommendation is

1) what do you want to do with the gun, mainly, and
2) buy used--as Dyl said above, a great number of 'used' guns really...aren't
 
Last edited:
Like others have said, skip the shotgun. While cool, they're not very practical. Basically, you can really do much target shooting with them. Blasting off some 00 Buck at the range is cool, but you're not improving. I do think an AR of some type is worthwhile.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be buying high cap magazines as money allows. Given the situation in other "blue" states, and considering where WA is going, I think a 10 round magazine ban is highly likely in the next few years. If you started purchasing Magpul 17 and 15 round Glock magazines for $15 a pop, you will not regret it. Also get Magpul 20 and 30 round AR mags. You may not want or end up with a Glock, but it's basically the benchmark of what a defensive pistol should be in terms of size, capacity, reliability, and shootability. Alternately, start picking up P30/VP9 mags at $45 a pop. The worst case is that if there is no ban, you have 10 or so mags for your pistol. If there is a ban, you will be very glad you bought them. I speak from experience because I just a few years older than you during the 1994 ban.
 
The best advice I can give you now is not to worry about the choice itself. You have four years. That is a very long time and we'll undoubtedly see new products between then and now. What would be worth doing now:

1. Saving! Start putting aside a little every time you get some cash. If you squirrel away just $5 per week for 4 years, that's over a thousand dollars! The trick is keeping up with it and resisting the urge to touch it for other things. This will open up a world of possibilities for when you do come of age.

2. Shooting! Take every opportunity to try different things and practice handgun shooting with what you can. This will also inform your decision when the time comes.

3. Training. Consider setting aside a little extra for some proper lessons. Even experts take them and can get something out of them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top