Inexpensive starter pistols

Have you considered home defense? I would go 9mm or 38 special at least. If you just want to plink at the range then a 22 lr is the ticket but also can be used for HD though not recommended.

S&W has a new pistol out. It's a SD9VE 9mm and priced well. The 9mms suggested above is also good but a double action only pistol will be easier and less complicated for you. You shoot it just like a revolver. Also it's safer to keep a round in the chamber.

Just remember this, taking the magazine out of the pistol does NOT mean it's unloaded. That's for all the pistols.

EDIT: by the way, I have the P250 and while it's a great gun the trigger has a long pull. You may not like it so try before you buy. In fact, try any gun before you buy.
 
second on the above
sig sauer pro 2022 in 9mm
cost is under 400 for the gun (350-400 most days on the interwebs)
9mm is hands down one of the least expensive rounds to purchase

you can run this gun into the dirt with high round counts and it just gets BETTER with age.

Yes, I own one.
No, its not my only gun.
Yes, they are like potato chips. NOBODY can have just one.
 
Like several others have done, I'd suggest starting with a .22lr.

On one hand, it can be hard to spend $300-400 on a rimfire when 9mm options are sitting right next to it for not much more $$$, and it's tempting to jump straight to a "real gun" that you could use for defense and make bigger holes and bangs with.

On the other hand, I remember the first time I went to a range for maybe an hour and was getting tiny little groups while guys around me had much larger groups with big caliber guns. It wasn't that I was a better shot. It's just that .22's tend to be accurate, and I could focus easily without worrying about recoil and noise. Also, I left that day having spent maybe $6 on ammo (based on 150 shots), while shooters next to me could have spent $50-150 for the same number of shots (depending on the caliber).

Personally, my first gun was a Walther P22, which was fun enough, but I later traded it toward a Browning Buckmark, which felt better in my hand and has a nicer trigger.

If you do get a centerfire handgun, you might look into handloading ammo. A few weeks ago, I didn't know the first thing about reloading, but after some reading, some help from members here, and some video demonstrations on Youtube, I have now managed to load some .38 special ammo. I got very basic equipment for less than $100, and now I'm able to reload my old brass for about 13 cents per cartridge (roughly 1/3 the cost of the cheapest factory ammo I can buy). Plus, I can make very light loads that offer some of the same advantages as .22 ammo--low noise and recoil.
 
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A Bersa Thunder 380 is a great place to start and will fit your price range with about $100 left over for ammo.

A little more powerful but also a good and underrated gun is the Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact. Used the T9UC will be well under your $400, New a little over the $400. Bersa has a lifetime warranty (if it needed at all).
 
Are you planning on carrying this gun around with you? If so I would go with a 9mm or a .38 special nothing smaller. The ammo is cheap and easy to find and can still do some damage.

IF you are planning on carrying this gun with you I would NOT be cheap on it. Are you really gonna trust your life to some cheap non reliable gun? I would wait a bit save up some more money and get something that is a little more spendy but is something you can trust to be their for you when you need it.
 
We need a little more info from you. If you at any point plan on concealing it then you want something no bigger than a glock 19 (and probably smaller than that even). If this is just going to be a range/car/home defense gun then we can go full size. I am also going to assume you are right handed but if that isn't the case then things change a bit.

For a first time pistol that is big enough for defensive use but small enough for a beginner I would recommend a 9mm. The ammo is cheap and easily available and the recoil is very manageable. Here is a short list of a few good ones:


S&W M&P (a bit expensive)
Springfield XD (personal favorite)
Sig 2022 (Best Value)
Sig 250 (can double as CC)
EAA Witness
Ruger P95, SR9 (slightly different, check the specs)

You can also try looking for a used glock. If you want this to double as a carry gun then look for a compact or subcompact. All of the brands above sell smaller versions of the listed guns (although the M&P might be out of your price range). Hope this helps.
 
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