My First Hand Gun

RuggedRadios

My First Hand Gun
Hey Eveyone! My name is Andy and I'm new to the gun community. I am currently looking for a hand gun i can just take to the range on the weekends that a nooob could handle. Thanks and hope to meet some great new people!
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Do you have any experience with hand guns at all?
Have you ever shot a hand gun?
Do you have any training?
Do you have any preferences as to a revolver or a semi-auto?
Do you care whether it is a .22 rimfire or a centerfire cartridge?
Are your hands small, average or large?
What sort of budget do you have for this acquisition and ammo?
 
Doodlebugger is right, I've been looking at the S&W 500 at my local gun store even though I have plenty of guns already :D.

But I would hold on those for now, especially with rising ammo prices.

If you must have a powerful revolver, get a .357 revolver capable of full power loads (S&W and Ruger come to mind). You can shoot .38s at the range, and buffalo bore .357s outdoors.
 
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If you are looking to make an investment in a gun that shoots everything the Sig P229 is the way to go. You can Shoot a 40SW or .357 sig with just a change of the barrel. Also change barrel and clip you can shoot a 9mm. Get a kit and you can as well shoot a 22 out of it. Not to mention you would be getting one of the badest handguns on the market today. Carried by Air MArtials, CIA, NSA, ATF, and tons of other local and state law enforcement.

The down side is the money you are going to spend. However once you spend that money you will never have to buy another gun. That will be a gun you can keep and do anything you want with it. As an owner of one myself i can tell you they are the top of the food chain as far as hand guns are concerned.
 
It depends on whether you want your first gun for self defense or not. If so then a quality 357 revolver is hard to beat as a first gun. If you just want to learn to shoot cheap then I'd go with a 22 pistol like the Ruger Mark II or III.

If you could swing both you'd have a great start. They're like Lay's potato chips ya'know!
 
As many have already said, a .357 magnum revolver with a 4" barrel is the way to go. You can start out shootin' .38spl then as you improve, work your way up to .38+p then +p+ then into the magnum rounds, I carry a S&W 640-3 .357 magnum everyday,loaded with Federal Hydro-Shoks 158gr; I whould not recomend starting out with something so powerful, but you see my point.
 
As a beginner, it's hard to beat a revolver. Simple and very straight forward to operate. I'd look for a .357 Ruger GP or a S&W 686. The Ruger is the cheaper option out of the two but the S&W typically has a better trigger. No fret however as both are great revolvers.

Buying a .357 also allows you to use .38 spcl ammo with less recoil and less of a dent in you wallet.

If this is just a range gun, I'd suggest a 6" barrell but a 4" barrell is a good option as well.
 
For a first gun and a range gun, I'd recommend something in the .22 caliber. Your best bets for semi's are going to be a Ruger Mark II/III (The Mark III is the current production model and what you'll be able to find new) or a Browning Buck Mark. If you think you'd prefer a revolver you should consider a Ruger Single Six or a Smith and Wesson model 17 (which will be the most expensive of the lot by far). Taurus guns are a possibility, but they're a crapshot for quality.

The main reason I'd recommend a .22 is because the ammo is affordable. Spend some time reading the different threads and you'll see it come up time and again that most folks are shooting .22's mostly to keep the cost down. The ones that aren't are mostly reloading their own ammunition. You can send 500 rounds down range for about $15 with a .22, while other calibers will be about 50 rounds for $15 (Wally World 9mm will run you $10 per 50 if you can find it - it's somewhat challenging).

If you really *want* to actively shoot, get a .22 pistol. If you want a big gun to put in a box and show your buddies, get a centerfire pistol.
 
Another reason for 22

A 22 will get you to the range for a very low cost of entry. Gun is reasonably priced and ammo is cheap.

Take a class (or two) in shooting safety and marksmanship.

Here is the reason I have not seen mentioned yet.

Time spent at the range will let you see what other people are shooting. If your gun handling skills (marksmanship and safety that you learned in the class) show experienced shooters that you are a serious person, you will very likely get a lot of free advice to accompany the ability to actually see, perhaps handle and maybe even shoot a couple of rounds with other people's guns.

Welcome to the forum. Good luck, good shooting, invest in the best hearing protection you can afford (electronic muffs are pricey, but it is really nice to be able to converse with ease) and always wear eye protection.

Lost Sheep
 
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Lost Sheep has some sound advice and everybody needs a 22 for fun.
Take some classes and watch your friends. Become a range bum most shooters would be happy to let you fire there gun.
 
Mouse gun first and become proficient with it. First choice would be a Ruger Single Six just because it won't break the bank. Easy to shoot, accurate out of the box, wouldn't say no to a 22 semi auto either just learn to shoot it first and by the time you can call yourself a marksman with it you will have a better idea what gun you want to move up to.

Best is to get acquainted with other hand gunners and shoot their guns. Ask questions, don't be a smart alec and ask questions, you will be surprised at the amount of good and bull you will get and eventually you will be able to tell the difference. In the meantime they get to show off their toys and you get to shoot them.

Whatever you get buy snap caps for it along with your first box of ammo and learn to dry fire. Even cheaper than 22's and the best practice you can get.
 
Here's a useful link for a beginner as well:

http://www.bullseyepistol.com/chapterf.htm

It's the Army's pistol manual. It's geared towards Bullseye (one-handed) shooting, but there's a TON of good information in here, regardless of your stance/grip. My suggestion is to skim/glance through part of it and work on one thing at a time. Taking it in all at once is pretty tough.
 
;)What a loaded question, and youre probably confused as hell right now with all the different answers!

Here is my recommendation....Find a local gun store with LOTS of guns to look at. Not necessarily a sporting goods store, but a gun store will have many different varieties.

Depending on your budget, you could start with a .22, but you'll soon want to shoot somethin a little bigger and be urged to buy another gun. If you can afford that, then thats awesome.... because .22's are always fun. 9mm is a great first caliber IMO. Lots of ammo available, and different choices. Its the cheapest of the larger calibers also.

If you live in MI, I have one for sale ;)
 
Definitely a .22

If you can afford one a S&W 617 would be a great choice.

As far as semi autos, Ruger Mk II, Browning Buckmark, and Beretta Neo are all good choices. The Ruger is built like a tank and that makes buying a used one a pretty safe bet.

If you can find a used one or if you're rich enough to buy a new one the S&W model 41 will out shoot the majority of off the rack target pistols.
 
If you can, try every possible size and shape of gun. My dad started teaching me to shoot when I was five and continued until presently (I am 21 but I still have a LOT to learn from a 23-year LEO). He kinda just threw it all at me. I started off with .22s and BBs, then once I seemed cool with those .38s and hunting rifles, then his duty .40 S&W, then .357, etc. As you become confident in your ability to handle a caliber, try another. That's the best way to get a feel for it.

Of course, my advice is trying to cram thousands of rounds of shooting over fifteen years into a rather short period...

Point being, try a lotta stuff before you buy.
 
First hand gun too.

I am a trap shooter and got tired of some of the real cold days at the trap range so I went and got a NY target permit. In NY you need to purchase a handgun as part of applying for a permit even before you are approved. I picked a Ruger semi auto 22, a 22/45. I have been to the range twice so far and plan to go often. The gun was cheap runs on Walmart ammo and fits nice in my hand. Nice site you have here and thanks for all the great posted info.

John
 
as said before shoot as many different guns as you can before buying one. you might want to conceal carry in the future so look at more than just a .22cal. i bought a beretta px4 storm .40 and never shot it. it was maybe the second pistol i ever fired. i traded it this year or an springfield xdm9. get your hands on a few at a gun shop and see what feels good and go rent those guns and shoot them first before you buy one.
 
First pistol

In NY it is next to impossible to get a CC. I have a target. It is illegal to fire a handgun without a permit period. Unless you have a friend in a border state that allows you to shoot a pistol as a non permitted guest your screwed. You basically choose a gun based on friends opinions and reviews you have no other choice. You can't even use it to qualify for the NRA safety course because you don't get the gun till you are issued a permit.
 
I probably should have posted a little background. I have shot .22's with my buddy on his ranch for years. Shot a few shotguns and one and i mean one shot of a .50 revolver that knocked me of my feet and almost blew my arms off. I am now 21 and am wanting to own a handgun for self defense but mainly for going to the range and having fun with. I went and shot a G26 and G27 this weekend and they seemed pretty similar to me. Both had a lot of recoil and felt a little squirrely at firing. I also shot my buddies Colt 1911 .45 and man that was a treat. I like that one the best and probably will go with a bigger framed glock next time like a G17 or G35
 
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