More confused than ever.

Lot of advice but as you are very new to guns the sorting process beings with the following, not specific gun recommendations.

Type:
Revolver (easier to sort through due to common features to all). Good place to start unless you have a specific use profile that pushes you to a semi auto.
Semi Auto (more difficult to sort through due to the various types to sort through and types within types). Easier to conceal than a revolver and more ammunition in the double stack types (15-17 rounds of 9mm is common for a non concealed one though those can generally be carried canceled in most cases). Single stack flatter types common if concealed is an issue with fewer rounds.

What you plan to use it for from target shooting, concealed carry (CC) to home defense (HD)- and mixing of those types.

Do you want a couple different one because CC can mean too small for good target shooting or HD.?

Revolver:
Pull the trigger, it cocks the hammer, then releases the hammer and it goes boom. Called Double Action (Da) (cocks and fires), a bit hard to shoot well if new due to the heavy trigger pull (10 lbs or so)
Thumb back the hammer and you have a nice crisp trigger pull and it goes boom called SA. Good for target shooting. Unlike Semi autos they do not use the DA/SA designation as its is going to have SA anyway (down further). Can be confusing to sort though though much simpler in actual use.
Some revolvers are actually Double Action Only (DAO) as they have a chopped off hammer or concealed hammer. these are purely self defense and CC (concealed carry) though you can shoot them fine at a range for practice.


Semi Auto:
DA/SA: This emulates a Revolver in that you can cock the hammer with the trigger pull and it fires (after that it shifts to Single Action, ergo the name.
Most familiar if shoot revolvers. Complex can happen if you add in safety (S&W did a lot of that). Others like Sig have no safety other than the hard trigger pull of 10 lbs or a bit more (internal safeties that if you drop it it will not fire no matter what mode its in)
You can also cock the hammer and go SA. There is a de-cocker lever of some sort so that if you wind up with the gun in SA and want to stop shooting (or take it off SA ) it blocks the firing pin and drops the hammer safety (lot more to it depending on what make but the idea is it safes the gun).
Sig, HK and CZ are well known in that area, S&W was though I am not sure what they make, and you have Walther, Berretta in there.


Striker Fired: This is the in between school of safety. 6-8 lbs (more or less) of pull on the trigger and like a rifle it cocks the firing system and then release the firing pin (again very simplified and more complex with variations but in the end the result is the same though the various mfgs get there different way mechanically). These are easily seen as different form the SA/DA semi auto as there is no hammer or de-cocker.
In a way its like a light Double Action trigger pull. People like it or some can get used to it. Trigger is not nearly as good as a good SA/DA Semi Auto. Higher risk of an accidental discharge due to the much lower trigger pull (mitigated by various safety features). Normally not an issue but.
Glock would be the leader in this by numbers alone (and reliability), Springfield Armory with the XD, S&W with their MP series and Sigmas.
 
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From what I've shot, Sig may be the winner.

I spent some good time on Saturday shooting a couple of different .38 revolvers and then Sunday I went back for the Semi-autos in 9mm and this time I brought my wife along.
By the time we showed up on Sunday afternoon they only had one 50rnd box of 9mm left so we were a bit limited in how much we could shoot so I went back through the G19,G26 and the Sig P226.
I felt that at this point as a beginner I have had better results with the autos as apposed revolvers so that's the way I plan to go.
I was a fan of the Sig P226 that they had at the range and my little wife liked it better than the Glocks because of the "less square" grip.

Now finding one at a good price is the task at hand.
 
Ok, I am not completely clear about why you want the gun. If it is for Range Fun, Home Defense or both? Are you limited to one gun? IF I missed your clarification of intent, I apologize and just ignore the rest of this thread.

A LOT of brighter people have commented before me and I can say I agree with most. There have been 4 center-fire guns that 'leaped' out at me: 1911 platforms just 'feel' good to me, Browning Hi Power feels EXCELLENT, S&W M&P .45, and Ruger GP100 4" revolver.

However, there is another option I am not noticing others bring up and it seems to be missing from your list. It WOULD be missing if home defense were part of the equation, but SHOULD be thought of if your interest is strictly range fun.

I am suggesting a quality .22 pistol. I have to admit I LOVE the feel of my Ruger .22/.45 Mark II, with 5.5" bull barrel. Especially after bringing the trigger down to 2lbs6ozs. A VERY sweet gun!

AND economical: 550 rounds cost me $19 at Walmart, versus $18 for 50 rounds of .45acp, about $15 for 50 rounds of .40s&w, about $12 for 50 rounds of 9mm, or about $24 for 50 rounds of .357mag or $35-45 for 50 rounds of .44mag.

I fit into the 'have a lot, shoot alot' camp.

IF I were completely honest with myself and were prevented from EVER using a handgun for defense, I would probably be satisfied with my .22lr pistols. I wouldn't be happy. The bigger bang and bigger hole is VERY satisfying, but I can shoot my .22lr for 2 months, shooting 1000 rounds, for the cost of 50 rounds out of my .44mag. Love the feel of the mag rounds. However, if I had to watch EVERY cent, I'd rather shoot every month for 300 rounds or so, than have to wait and shoot once every 4 months for 50 rounds.
 
The main goal for this purchase is for home defense and fun at the range. I live in the burbs of NYC so I won't be carrying on a daily basis any time soon unless I'm on a camping trip.
I understand your rational of getting a .22 because of cost. It makes sense. If I do get the Sig I have all ready thought about purchasing the .22 conversion kit for it.
At this point I'm not too worried about the cost of the 9mm rounds. Even if I go to the range every weekend I can still do it at some what of an affordable price. In the past two weekends alone I've spent over $200 just on gun rental and the high price of buying my bullets from the range. I'm not sure about where you live but the one range near me charges about double the price of what I see online for the box of 50.
It's all in good fun though.
 
The cost at the range...

I believe it was $30 a box for .38 and $20 a box for 9mm. The range fee is $25. I did get the 3 month membership for $100 which let me use any of the rental guns and it's a flat fee of $25 for the day instead of $25 per hour. Also when using range guns you have to purchase ammo from the range.
It's $200 for the lifetime membership, it's a racket but they're the only game in town unless I want to drive at least an hour or so and pay bridge and NYS Thruway tolls.
 
Well, moving over something like this is not as option.
Depending on where you live you'd probably flip if I told you what my monthly nut is for my condo.

I don't know where you live but what does it cost for you at an indoor shooting range?
 
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My monthly rent is $300

I don't think you could find a room to rent for that price is a neighborhood you would want to be in within 100 miles from me. Also, in that nieghborhood you wouldn't be aloud to carry. But that's just the law right.
 
BillyBeards,

Thanks for the clarification. I understand better now.

I'd recommend that you don't confuse caliber and platform. A Glock can be 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP [I know, and OTHERS], but so can a 1911, or a XD, or an M&P, or a SIG, etc.

Figure out if there is a platform that feels the most natural in your hands [and your wife's]. THEN figure out what caliber you can control the best and best fits your needs. [feel free to switch steps]

Then take a look at all of your other considerations [cost of ammo, etc]. I am not interested in caliber wars. Some have more energy than others, etc. However, the one YOU can control regularly under stress is better than a 'superior' powered caliber you can only control 2 times out of 10.

When it comes to .22lr, it is a GREAT method of improving your accuracy and confidence, as an addition to your SD/HD gun. Yes, you are aware of the SIG .22lr conversion kit. There is a kit made to work on Glock 17/22 or Glock 19/23 models as well. There are a few kits designed to work on 1911 platforms also. There is at least one kit designed to work on the Browning Hi Power.

All of the kits share a few characteristics, notably that it adds at least $200 to your bills. I've looked into .22lr kits for my 1911, for example, and realized that I would want at least the Kimber quality, which is about $330 suggested retail. That is around the same price as a dedicated Ruger .22/.45 also. The really nice .22lr kits run closer to $450-500. So does a Competition/Match Ruger Mark III.

I know it would be easier to sell my wife on a kit as it doesn't involve buying a 'second' gun. It is easier than dealing with laws also. And you practice the EXACT trigger for your HD gun. GREAT reasons for buying a kit. But it doesn't necessarily save you any money.

I have 2 .22lr pistols. If I REALLY had to reduce to one firearm, and only one, I would be tempted to keep a 1911 and add a .22lr kit to the top end, so I would have two pistols in one.

If one pistol is the max, I'd also be tempted to do a Glock model 22/23. The reason is you can use .40S&W for home defense. No one argues that it is weak. You can buy a .357Sig barrel and throw it in, giving you a second caliber. You can buy a 9mm conversion barrel and throw it in [plus buy 9mm magazines]: it won't feed/eject as reliably as .40s&w, but is fine for range play and guess what, you get to practice clearance drills! And you can throw a .22lr conversion kit on the top of it for cheaper practice all the time.

4 calibers with 3 sets of magazine and one spare slide/barrel, using only one frame: thus technically only 1 gun.

S&W M&P can do this too for everything except the .22lr conversion kit. I don't know about other brands like springfield XDs doing this. A 1911 can't do this due to the differences in feed ramp. I don't know of any handgun that can do this easily swapping between .45acp and .40 or .357sig and 9mm.

I personally don't like the way Glocks feel in my hand, but they work VERY well and this is a GREAT advantage: if the handgun 'fits' your hand well.

I live in Commifornia, with similar stupid laws [or worse]. I understand your plight. I can't move either. Don't let others get to you when they say 'move'.

Last consideration based on NY residency. The following is based on an assumption that 10 round magazines is a limit for you. If false, ignore the rest.

Once you find a platform that feels 'natural' for you and are at the caliber choosing stage, remember that 10 rounds of 9mm isn't significantly better than 8 rounds of .45acp or 9 rounds of .40S&W: IF you can hit where you want with the other rounds reliably AND your wife can too.

Being in California the only advantage a 9mm M&P has for me over the .45acp M&P is that it allows faster followup shots and has less push. I can recover and get back on target better. However, the M&P .45 full sized ALSO holds 10 rounds. If you can control it and it feels right, there is an advantage to having 10 rounds of .45 over 10 rounds of 9mm. The key is your ability [and your wife's] to control it and place your shots well. Shot placement is key.

I find I am about equally good/bad with 9mm and .45acp. I am worse with .40S&W. .357mag is going to burst eardrums with full-house magnum-pressure rounds inside your house for home defense AND have greater requirements of time for follow up shots. One full .357mag round will HURT, but you may be able to get 5 aimed 9mm rounds on target in the time it takes to get 4 .45acp or 2 .357mag rounds.

Placement is key. Missing is going to stop no one.

Then factor cost of ammo in. If your wife is 'normal', 9mm will be more pleasant than other rounds, and is CHEAP. Slap a conversion kit on top and you have a great shooter.

I made one significant mistake in my gun buying experiences so far: I wish I had bought the M&P .40 instead of the M&P 9. I don't like the .40, but I could have added the .357sig and 9mm barrels and had all three. I can't do that without buying a new slide AND barrel for my M&P 9. For that cost I may as well buy a new gun overall.

Sorry, I'm rambling. Lack of sleep, annoying kids and hunger driving me to ramble. I'm a rambling man.

Weigh all advice and buy what is right for YOU, not us. Asking advice is great. Don't follow blindly. You seem to be doing a good job so far!
 
It's funny how the price isn't really the thing that is on my mind at this point. I'm not saying I'm made of money by any means but a quality tool is worth every penny.
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I once knew a man that loved to say, "Only a rich man can afford cheap tools." That doesn't mean that value isn't out there.

I recomend trying the CZ 75 and 75 Compact family. The "compact" line seems to be improperly named to newer shooters. They are usually 7.5" long, 5.1" tall and weigh in at about 27ozs. They are all metal designs with a strong reputation for reliability. They also shoot like a dream once the trigger is broken in. Plus you can get one brand new for about $525.

I carry a polymer CZ P-07 in 9mm. It does great as a house gun or hip gun. Plus it holds 16 rounds. They can be had new for about $475. I have had issues with failure to extract malfunctions. It is currently back at CZ. Once the head of the repair shop heard what was happening he wanted to look at it himself. It seems mine was the first report of the exact issue I'm having.
 
keep trying different weapons until you find one that "feels right", one that is confortable for you to hold. Personally, I like the 1911's, I like the way they feel when I'm Holding them, Plus, they haven't changed in a Hundred years. I also own, and sometimes carry, a Smith & Wesson, M&P .45, it is another excellent tactical sidearm. it all depends on what you like, whether or not you are wanting something Flashy, or something practical. My 1911, has been customized extensively, Match grade set trigger, Beavertail safety, Full length guide rod, Heavier buffer spring, to make it more accurate, while my M&P, is still all factory, there is nothing i can do to make it better, it all boils down to personal preference. however, if you are just wanting a weapon for home defense, I would suggest a Shot Gun.
 
I still have a problem buying something that I have never shot before and I know that narrows my choices a lot but I feel its smart with this being my first handgun.

1stADCombatVet: I all ready have the 12g in the house but it's a little much for the wife to handle. She has no problem with the 9mm.
 
If you like the 1911 "platform" and want a .22 to shoot cheaply, I can recommend the GSG-1911 imported by ATI (have) or it's identical cousin the Sig 1911-22. I also just looked at the "Colt"/Umarex/Walther 1911-.22 railgun and gotta say GIMME! (I think I just found my Xmas present!) I cannot recommend or understand why anyone buys the Chiappa 1911 it has all the appeal and quality of a cap gun.
 
That's terrible advice and a waste of money for someone who appears to be a new shooter trying out guns.
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johnbt, are you out of your mind? Shooting a 357 with 38s gives you NO IDEA what a 357 is all about. It's like driving a Corvette with a rock under the gas pedal. By the way, after 5000 posts shouldn't you know how to quote?
 
I went with a used Glock 26 with Night Sites. I bought it Friday afternoon and went right to the range and put 100 flawless rounds through it.
 
Billy, cool choice. I've been thinking about picking up one of the 26s to carry so I can leave the P-07 at home with my wife.

You will undoubtedly find that there is some "reason" (excuse) that the Glock isn't enough. Then you can start a thread on what should be your second gun. :D It happens no matter what you buy.
 
You answered your own question. If you felt most comfortable with the G19 that is the gun you should get. It is an excellent balance of size, weight, power, capacity, and shootability. Just be aware some of the newest versions of the GEN 4 and some late model GEN3 G19's are having some problems. Glock will make them right if their is a problem. But you might be better off right now looking at a used G19.
 
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