Most important factor in selection

G

Green Lantern

New member
Ok guys.

When choosing a new handgun, do you have more important factors when you choose?

I usually look at youtube videos to help. Quality.

Looks are important.

Price for me. Five guns, all bought under $300.

I'm looking into a M&P 22 4.1 barrel 12 round. Ya, it's over 300
 
Top 3, ok I'll play along ...

#1. Meets my Need: ....could be size, caliber, use, fill void in collection, etc...

#2 Specs / Features.... finish ( stainless, blued, etc), type of front & rear sight ( battle
sight, fibre optic, gold bead...), mag well if semi auto, ambi safety if semi auto,
type of trigger ( single action or double action if revolver / SAO, DA-SA, etc if
semi auto......

#3 Quality....best internal parts, no MIM parts if possible, fit, finish .....ideally from a
high end mfg where gunsmiths fit the parts carefully.../ ...high quality service
dept if I need it down the road / lifetime warranty preferred

( we all have budgets, but $300 for my top 3 - not likely....but I am prepared to pay for what I want in that gun.). WIlson Combat, Freedon Arms single action revolvers, older pre lock S&W revolvers in DA will meet or exceed my top 3 expectations....

My next gun....Nothing I really want... maybe a Korth revolver, maybe another Freedom Arms in a different caliber, maybe another Wilson in a 4 1/4 " barrel, maybe another S&W model 27-2 or earlier in 5" Nickel....:cool:
 
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For me I'll be honest the first thing that gets me going is the look.
It's not all esthetics but Im also appraising design.. is it interesting? unique? what do the controls look like, mag release, sights.

Something has to pique my interest.

It's the reason I don't own any sigs despite I consider them pretty good guns no sig has ever spoke to me.

Next up is the gun at a price I'd pay? There are a lot of guns I'd like to have but refuse to pay the price for.

So assuming we've gotten this far the gun is both interesting and at a price I'd pay.
Next I start looking at reviews, posts, youtube videos.. try to get a sense if the gun is any good or crap.

If we're still good at this point then I start thinking about how to justify it.. and when I say justify it I mean just loosely rationalize the decisions.. what would I use it for? is this gonna be a carry gun? a beater, a range gun.. a novelty gun, what?

It's always great if you can hold and fondle the gun but I've bought guns that was cheap enough that I haven't.. the more expensive the gun the more hands on time I want with it.
But even then I've usually have already thought about it long enough that the decision was made before I walk in the door of the shop (If I didn't just order it online).

I've never found that perfect gun.. not in the shops, not on any loaners at the range, not in my own collection.. I can find negative things about every single gun I've ever picked up.


To bottom line I guess the most important thing is price, If its' to high it's a non starter and if it's low enough I can be talked into just about anything.
 
The more I learn about guns, the more what I look for in a gun changes. At first, all I cared about was whether I liked how the gun looked. Then I added seeing how the sights naturally lined up when I pointed the gun. Then I added paying more attention to how the gun feels in my hand. The latest thing I've added is how the trigger feels to my finger, take up, and how easily I can detect the reset. I'm guessing it's just the natural progression of things as my knowledge of, and experience with, guns grows.
 
Well, I look at what I do and don't have. Should it be in a caliber I already have for ammo compatibility? Am I ever going to carry it? Polymer or steel? Comfort and trigger? Is it a proven design with good reviews? What kind of distance do I plan on shooting it at?
 
It must be of interest. And since I'm particular that rules out many guns. It's often more like finding a gun lacking any deal breakers.

Most important are design and execution. To me Browning's designs along with some Mausers, some Rugers and the Glock are (were) great designs and are the best we have. They are interesting guns.
 
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I guess I'm kind of like Joe. If it's inexpensive enough, it interests me, and I know it's of good quality... sure, why not?

I end up buying most of them online because that's where most of the really good deals are.

If it turns out I don't like it, I trade it towards something else at my LGS.

If you got a good enough deal in the first place, you're not going to lose any appreciable amount of money on it.
 
Probably, more related to keeping than selecting, but here it goes:

1) My ability to hit target (paper plate) at a reasonable distance (varies, but 10 yds for ccw) in the lead west possible time.

2) Safety - My ability to carry, handle and shoot , given expected mishaps, in the safest possible manner.

3) Reliability - Ability of gun + shooter to not have "abnormals" during shooting. Abnormals cause thinking and thinking takes time.

4) Practical Accuracy- Very similar to #1, but not really considering speed, how consistently can I make a high accuracy shot (2-4" circle) at expected range (0-25 yds)

5) Do I like it....really related to the above 4, but includes appearance.


So, for me, this typically directs me toward some kind of 1911.
 
I think #1 consideration is what are you going to use it for. Then consider, price, Manufacture, caliber, revolver or semi-auto, Etc
 
How it feels in my hand, coupled with reliability. What someone else on YouTube says has no bearing for me.
 
Past experience with brand.
Generally read comments on gun forums.
Last pistol I bought was Glock 35, read favorable comments.
Availability of holsters, magazines, magazine springs, night sights - same as Glock 22 (which I already had)

Next pistol on my want list is a Glock 41 - I've read favorable comments on gun forums.
Magazines, mag springs, night sights - same as Glock 21SF which I have.

My toleration for listening to someone talk about a gun on YouTube is extremely low.
 
I guess my selection criteria would be along the lines of quality, hand fit, looks, features, and of course, price is always a consideration. I know I'm behind the times in this digital age, but opinions on enthusiast forums, Youtube, etc. don't enter, at least consciously, into my buying decisions. I prefer quality over features. For example, the last pistol I bought was not inexpensive, but had no red dot optic, threaded barrel, suppressor sights, magwell, Hi cap magazine, no tactical decorator colors, G-10 grips, forward cocking serrations, or ever-popular skull crusher option. Could have bought a pistol with some of the features I mentioned for similar money, but went with boring old perceived quality instead;)
 
Quality and dependability, some good manufacturers have it, many don't.

Features and sizing, it must match my hand, and have the options I want.

Caliber, the pistol must match my needs.

Looks, life is too short for ugly guns, when there are nice ones that look great out
there.
 
The most important factor for me is simply that I want it. However, being a cheap skate, I buy on price more than anything else.
 
I'll go with purpose of the firearm, whatever that might be.

Further criteria may change beyond the guns intended purpose. A for instance would be a handgun. If it may be a CC piece reliability shall be number 1. A range toy? I still need reliability, but it's no longer #1.

It just depends.
 
As a sidenote...

I already have more than enough CC handguns, HD handguns, and SD handguns in general. Out the Wazoo, as they say.

So any handgun I purchase is just a plinker/range toy.

Things were different when I was younger and had very few firearms and almost no spare cash.
 
I gotta say, for me, price is a big one. I just don't have a lot to spend. Appearance and fit matter. I have to like the way it looks and feels. It has to work. Just because it wasn't expensive, doesn't mean it's junk, but I have to research alot of user feedback to make an educated choice with little calculated risk.

I'm in my early stages of hand gunning, but have been very happy with my decisions so far.
 
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Factor No. 1 ....Need/use
Hunting big game , small game , formal target shooting, plinking ,

Factor No. 2...You just see something, it calls out to you ....it whispers "take me home" .

Factor No.3 ....you have always wanted to own one and a deal jumps in your lap.

There are two rifles I have always wanted to own. An 1860 Henry Rifle and a 1878 Sharps falling block (in any black powder cartridge caliber) Now Why ????
I have no idea...just always thought they were so cool, even as a boy way before Dancing with Wolves and Quigley Down Under... watched too much TV then , westerns were all over the tube .
Gary
 
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