In accordance with turning 21...

[Nightcrawler]

...I'm going to post this here poll, containing all the semiautos I've considered, to see which one gets the most votes. Just kind of curious here. It might come down to impatience winning over desire and me getting something they have in the shop, though.

 

[ACP230]

I think you should have put the Browning HP on the list too. Since it wasn't there and you have one mag already, I vote Para-Ordnance.

 

[krept]

I just have to rib you here because you are turning 21. I think if you put every pistol that you have publicly considered on the list, I'd still be scrolling.


Bottom line, get the one that you really want. Sure there are a lot of good ones, but you have to start with a keeper at some point and work your collection up from there. If you just go in and buy the flavor of the day, you run high risk of buyer's remorse.

I voted for the G20. Join the dark side and shoot the 10 mil at the same time.

Then save up for that USP.

 

[jack_the_sailor]

Your first handgun should be a revolver 38/357 4" barrel. That's what I learned on. That's what firearms instructors say a new shooter should start with. But if you don't want that. Then I suggest you go slow. Look at all pistols & don't just look at them in the gun store shoot them first. Your looking at how the pistol fits your hand & how your finger reaches the trigger. If you pick a pistol thats too big for your hand, no matter how reliable the pistol is, you won't be able to shoot it well. When I stared with firearms I went in green, none of my friends/family liked guns. I wasn't on line until all most the turn of the century. So everthing I learned was trail & error. Guess what every handgun I've bought so far have been wrong. Even my current carry pistol a Glock 17. I never picked a handgun by how the gun fits my hand & do I have proper trigger reach. I picked a handgun by reading gun rags & what looks cool under the glass. Now figgure out what cal you want. I would suggest a 9mm pistol or a 38 revolver. Then you have to figgure out what action you like. DAO, DA/SA, or SA C&L. I would suggest DAO until you learn the safety rules & become use to shooting. Get professional training. Lots of peope like a whole collection of weapons. I wanted a whole collection of weapons. So I started buying handguns just to buy handguns. 1 day I looked at all the handguns I never shot & stared selling most of them. Don't regret selling any of them. I'm down to 1 pistol which might get replaed real quick because inever bought it for the right reason does this gun fit my hand & do I have propper trigger reach. Now if I replace my current carry pistol. the new pistol will be my primary carry pistol. Now I need another handgun in case my primary pistol goes out of service. So for my second pistol I'm going to get an exact copy of my primary carry pistol. Thats all I need. I have a shotgun (which I need training for). So do you need a collection? No. What you need is 2 pistols & a shotgun/rife. Spend the rest of your money on ammo & training. The more time you spend picking the right handgun to start. The less time & $ you'll wast down the line.

 

[Spackler]

I voted for the CZ-85. I prefer the -75, but I don't think you can go wrong either way. I like the P99 also, but in 9x19 rather than .40. Nothing against the .40, I carry one, but I prefer the P99 in that caliber.

I remember when I chose my last carry gun, I went through something similar. I had a list of about ten or twelve criteria that the pistol must meet. All kind of stuff - weight (33 oz or less), overall length, magazine capacity (not high on the list however), had to be traditional DA/SA, not DAO or striker fired. On and on and on.

It did help me decide what was really important and what wasn't. I think I had fewer choices than you, though. Geez, good luck narrowing it down. You have like three CZs on there, I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them.

jack_the_sailor has some good advice there. A used S&W Model 66 might just be perfect.

 

[spark@onestopknifeshop.com]

No HK USP? No Browning HP? No ThunderFive?

Kevin

 

[Nightcrawler]

No HK USP? No Browning HP? No ThunderFive?

HK USP: Too expensive. Would end up spending over 1K on one. ($800 for the gun plus $200 for four extra magazines.)

Browning HP: Good luck finding one in a store around here. No big gunshows in my area.

Thunder Five: I'm not cool enough for a Thunder Five.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

I'd buy a 1911, and a .22 conversion unit. you'd basically have the .22 pistol and the 1911 portions of the weapons everyone should have list covered, then.


while i'm sure glocks are just fine pistols, a 1911 has soul.

you'll probably find it fits your hand better than a large frame glock, too.

 

[boing]

CZ-85.

It seems like the most versatile shooter of the list, with all the usual virtues of a 9mm, too.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I've got an older Mil Spec .45. Other than the fact that it chews up brass because it doens't have the lowered and flared ejection port, it's a LOT of fun.

 

[StephenT]

Happy 21st B-Day! Why not start off your collection with a quality 1911A1? Mine is very accurate, the fit and finish excellent, and you should be able to find one for about $450 at a gun show.

 

[jack_the_sailor]

A firearms instructor once said the gun is the cheapest thing your going to buy. It's your baby your going to have to cloth it, feed it, & take it to the hospital. I'm going to add pay to get trained on how to use it. What all this means is it's going to cost you more money for holsters/belts/mag/speed loader case, ammo, & a gunsmith in case your gun brakes. So lets say you made a wise choice & picked a handgun that fits your hand with proper trigger reach. It cost $700 or $800. In the long run that might be cheaper than 2 or 3 $500 handguns you don't like so well. If you buy a $500 handgun which you cloth & feed. Then find out you don't like it. You go buy another $500 handgun feed & cloth it. Find out you don't like it. You've just spent over $1000 on handguns you don't like. So it's better to take your time, pick the right handgun for you, even if it cost more. If you choose wisely pick 1 handgun that works better than all others. Cloth & feed it. Then duplicate it. Now you have 2 handguns that wear the same cloths & eat the same food. I the long run you'll come out ahead. I've spent well over $3000 on different handguns/cloths & none of them have been right for me. I wish I had that $3000 back. I could get 2 pistols w/ night sights that used the same holster/mags/mag holder & have $1000 left over for training & ammo. What you should do is get a used 38 revolver cheap under $250. Get 2 speedloaders, a belt/speedloader holder/holster. Learn how to shoot. Save $$$ for a pistol you really like. While you saving $$$ you can test fire a bunch of different pistols to find the 1 that fits you the best. You can get by with the revolver for a year or 2. Then you'll have a lot of $$$ for your carry pistol. Plus you'll have the confidence that you made the right choice. Instead of buying a handgun that you might not like only to save $$$ for another handgun you might not like. There's nothing worse than having a collection of handguns that you kind of sort of like but no handgun that you really like.

 

[blades67]

Just start at the top of your list and work your way to the bottom.

 

[dinojas]

I voted for the Springfield for 2 reasons. The first is that I plan on someday having one myself and have enjoyed shooting other people's. The second is I think it would be the most fun to trick out. 1911's are kinda new to me, but I think I'm hooked for life now. p.s. . The Para would have been choice number two.

 

[Kevlarman]

I just turned 21 (D-Day). Went to Vegas, scored $250 on slots, proceeded to neighborhood gunstore and bought a Glock 30. I get to pick it up this Friday. Woo!

 

[Ala Dan]

Any Sig "classic" P-series; as I see they didn't make your
offical list?

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Nightcrawler]

The reason for NO SIG, NO HK

One of my requirements is that the price be less than $650 at this time. Neither the Sig P-series nor the HK USP make that requirement by a wide margin. Sigs run $750 here, HKs up at $800.

 

[Justin]

Yo, Nightcrawler-

IIRC you're a college student, which (to me at least) equates to being a shooter on a budget.
In that case, I wouldn't go with something like a .40, .45, or 10mm.
If you do some price checking, 10mm runs about $140 for 500 rounds, and .45 is about $119 for 500 rounds.
.40 S&W is only slightly better at about $100 for 500 rounds.(Prices taken from ammoman.com)
9mm, on the other hand, can be had at around $70 for 500 from Ammoman, or you can go to Wal-Mart and get the 100 round value packs for about $10 a pop.

There's no use in having a pistol in a caliber that is expensive to feed, because then you don't get nearly as much practice, and saving for ammo becomes an ordeal. (you can only survive on ramen noodles for so long.)

Also, for your next purchase, you may consider picking up a pistol in .22lr. Granted the cool factor is kinda low, but the .22 is the best round to practice with, it's cheap, abundant, and it's low recoil and easy controllability makes it a lot easier to practice all the basic stuff like site picture, trigger control, stuff like that.

At any rate, don't stress over it too much, and don't let those of us in the chorus distract you by shouting too much advice.

 

[Christopher II]

If it were me...

I'd get the CZ-85B,imply because it's the only 9mm on the list. Nines are cheap to feed, and you will thus shoot more. The CZ-85 has a very fine trigger and good ergonomics, so you'll enjoy shooting it, and thus will shoot more. The CZ-85 also can be fitted with a Kadet .22LR adapter, which is REALLY cheap to feed, hence, more shooting. All this shooting will make you a better shot, which is all that really counts, right?

One point - do NOT get a revolver for your first pistol! Revolvers, especally small ones, are much tougher to shoot well than an automatic. Handicapping a new pistolero with a twelve-pound DA trigger, high bore axis, small stocks, and sharp recoil is not conducive to the creation of good shooting habits. You want a gun that is easy to shoot...

Another point - caliban gave you some good advice. You might actually think about a .22LR semi with adjustable sights for your first gun. Learn how to shoot with that, and in the meantime shoot many other people's guns and decide for yourself what you want and don't want. Selecting a handgun is very personal, kind of like boxers/briefs except with more choices. Let your own experience narrow the choices down, and in the meantime put thousands of .22 bullets downrange.

BTW, happy birthday!

- Chris

 

[thomcatf14]

I voted for the CZ-85. A fine, fine gun.

I'd recommend something in 9mm. Several others have already brought up the ammunition price factor, and I definitely agree.

In regards to your choices though - hell, they're all good choices. Personally, I'd save up an extra $100 or 200$ and opt for an HK or a Sig. My preference is Sig (I have a P228), but given the fact that you're a lefty IIRC from your previous posts, the USP probably best suits your needs. You can have it configured to your specs from the get-go. The Beretta 92FS/M9 is also a good option. My experiences with it in the Corps in the worst of conditions (sub-zero temp, blizzard, etc.) were very favorable.

In the end, though... who cares what I think? Or what any of us think, for that matter? Pistols are a very personal thing. Pick the one that most feels like an extension of your hand, the one that all the intangible factors make the best for you. If you "settle" on one now, you'll end up spending far more money in the future. I say that from experience.

Now that I've waxed poetic and said all that reasonable crap, go buy a Sig!