New Gun Owner

H

hemdog

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Hey out there, I'm from Massachusetts and I just got my LTC and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what a good first handgun would be. Looking mostly for target practice and of course protection of life and property, I like revolvers but am not opposed to say a 9mm. I know .22's are cheap as far as ammo is concerned, but I don't want to buy something and regret it.

Thanks,
 
Handle various makes/models and see what seems to fit you well.

Find a range with rentals, and try several of your favorites live fire.

Then choose, based on your experience and not on 'net advice.

Same thing I always say... you're the best person to choose your handgun.

lpl
 
9 mm is not a recomended carry cal. stick with 40 cal and 45 cal sig makes these bolth in a compact auto loader you can trust youre life with them i have a p220 stainless for over 6 years and thousands of rounds put through it and it never once in 6 yrs ever skipped a round, kimber also makes top of the line guns if you dont mind single act 1911 thats been proven by our soldiers since day one
 
9mm is perfectly well suited to defensive purposes. To say "9mm is not a recommended carry caliber" is ridiculous. 9mm is probably the MOST OFTEN recommended caliber for a carry gun.

The best answer is to shoot as many styles of gun in as many calibers as you can get you hands on and then pick the one with which you are best.

There are untold numbers of quality firearms available in at least 6 major calibers, just in automatics, and several more available in revolvers.
 
explain why 9mm is not a recommended caliber for carry raptor660....
this should be good for a laugh.
9mm happens to be an excellent caliber for personal carry.big calibers are not always the best to go with due to the fact some people have a hard time dealing with the recoil and inability to keep on target.
with your way of thinking you would have you wife and or girl friend carry a gun
that they couldn't handle in a SD situation therefore getting them injured or god forbid killed because a 9mm isint good enough.

please forgive but that is the stupidest thing ive heard in a long time.
9mm is recommended all the time on this forum and by some very intelligent
always ready to help informative people.guess their wrong too.
 
Noting wrong with 9mm or even 38 for that matter. Both has served our Military and Police for many many years.

I have always felt that a beginner should master basic shooting skills with a revolver prior to purchasing a semi-auto pistol.

Below is a small list of handguns that I feel are well made and good for a beginner as well as a expert.

In no particular order:

1. Browning Hi Power 9mm
2. Colt 1911 45ACP
3. S&W mod 66 38/357
4. S&W mod 10 38 special
5. Glock (any model and cal)
 
9mm is great for self-defense and it is one of the least expensive center fires to shoot. Ruger p89-95 are great guns and you can pick them up cheap. Good luck.
 
tell that to the guy who knows all about recommended carry caliber.
i carry a 40....but i also carry a 9.when it comes down to the nuts an bolts
of the matter i think it comes down to the right type of ammo that is carried and not the caliber....9mm that is.

if i insulted the guy that wasn't my intent more so the intent of it was to inform
him of his flawed logic.
 
Raptor is probably repeating something he heard from someone else...

... this happens a lot.

9mm is just fine as a defensive caliber, assuming you can buy premium defensive ammo. FMJ will work, but doesn't inflict the damage that Ranger or HydraShok or DPX hollow points will.

Of course, if you were in NJ and couldn't use HP ammo, a bigger caliber would make more sense.

Lucky for me, I don't live in NJ, and tend to carry Ranger, HydraShok, DPX, or Gold Dot loads, regardless of CCW caliber (I have handguns I like and carry in .38+P, 9mm, .357, .44Special, and .45acp; choice depends on weather, intended activities - both affect which clothing will be comfortable and not stand out badly - which in turn affects which handguns I can effectively conceal).

But if I did live in a state that didn't allow HP, I'd probably stick with my .44 or .45. Bigger bullets make bigger holes, when limited to FMJ.

In answer to your original question: The advice to find ranges that have rental guns is sound. If you can't find any in MA, it's not hard to find them in NH.

If you wanted to try a representative sample of gun types, try double action revolvers in snubbie and 4" sizes; a 1911 style auto; a Glock style auto; an XD style auto; and maybe a SIG. Those would familiarize you with the majority of actions and general size categories for CCW. From there, you can see what you like as far as grip angles and shapes, etc.

Good luck.
 
They come out of the woodwork don't they? Yeah, that 9mm (which I dislike for other reasons) is a terrible handgun round! HA HA! Sorry, that is a real laugh.

I would suggest getting friendly with some handgun shooters in your area, perhaps through TFL! Maybe they'll allow you to come to the range and shoot their pieces. Buy some ammo, it's good etiquette! Or, you can likely rent at a range and try different guns that way. Best of luck and safe shooting!

I like .40S&W but I also like peanut butter, raw onion and cheddar cheese sandwiches on Pumpernickel so there's no accounting for taste!
 
Oh well, here we go again

Hi all,
I'm right there with all that agree that the 9mm is a very good SD caliber.
Why?
as a caliber that was (and is) used as a regulation carry caliber in several armies and police forces, it still accounts on daily basis for a cosiderable number of deaths and incapacitating injuries. (Used by the South African police, the Israeli Police, and Israeli armed forces. ( there are surely more, but thee are facts that I know, not assumptions)
, and I am referring to 9mm used in handguns, not in SMG's)
As such, it has also been used with good results to kill terrorists in several attacks in airports, where Israeli security personnel, armend with 9mm handguns, fought and defeated terrorists in th emidst of armed attacks.

Furthermore, the South African police and Israeli police and armed forces use FMJ ammo.

Now that we covered the fact that 9mm is used regularly to change the minds of criminals and it does so reliably, if we look at the fact that the ammo is relatively cheaper than larger caliber, and that civilians are offered a wide choice of quality HP ammunition, and we take into consideration the lower recoil that the 9mm gives compared with larger calibers, I cannot see why this would not be a good caliber for SD.

Having said all of the above I do not say that the 9mm is better than the 45,357, 0.40 etc; What I am saying is that it is a very acceptable SD caliber.

I do get annoyed when people make statements " that caliber is useless, you need the same stuff they carry in the M1 Abrahams to stop an oponent" without a good backup of facts for the statement.

Going back to your quesion, by all means try as many guns as you can, including some that are chambered for 9mm.
your choice should be a gun that fits well in your hands, you are comfortable with the recoil and handling, youare able to shoot reasonably well to begin with (this will improve with training and practice) and if you are going to carry concealed, it should also be of a size that is practical for daily carry in concealment.

Brgds,

Danny
 
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Nothing wrong with a .9mm packed with some Gold Dots or HydraShok's to strap to your side! Or in your night stand or where ever you feel for that matter.

Hey out there, I'm from Massachusetts and I just got my LTC and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what a good first handgun would be. Looking mostly for target practice and of course protection of life and property, I like revolvers but am not opposed to say a 9mm. I know .22's are cheap as far as ammo is concerned, but I don't want to buy something and regret it.
Click to expand...

I personally wouldn't purchase the .22 for your first handgun. Purchase which ever you choose to carry or your defense weapon. Get something either in .9mm or .40. Unless you find you ammo at Wally World, your gonna be paying out the butt for the ammo anyway. No way around that atm.

I think all shooters should own a .22. Just because its a fine little caliber. It won't break the bank when plinking around, and you can still have fun at the same time. But my initial comment is aimed directly at your "defense" portion of your statement. Obviously you don't want to use this caliber for a defense weapon. And my belief is.....

You should be as comfortable, confident, aware, and knowlegdable of your weapon and its capabilities. (weight, balance, muzzle flip or recoil, and above all.... accuracy) Therefore, considering the state at which you are at now. "Just got my LCP" <<< Find a weapon to accommodate your situation atm. Had you been looking before your LCP was issued, I'd say try a .22 first just for good general knowledge and good practice habits. And it won't break the bank to shoot. Once you have raised you awareness, knowledge and confidence level with your primary carry weapon. But together some extra cheddar to buy that .22 for your plinker along with your carry. Alot of guys will tell you use a .22 to start out with. I firmly dis-agree with this! As a defense weapon will not be a .22, their are so many variable that make a .22 different to shoot than a .9mm or .40, or .45. Nothing wrong with any of these for defense. I wouldn't drop below the .9mm though IMO. So, my advice for you would be something in .9mm luger. Perfectly capable of defense, won't break the bank to shoot, the ammo is still somewhat available. Below is a shortlist of affordable very well made, and respected makes and models.


SIG Pro 2022 - cost = around $500, with additional mags
Springfield Armory XD = around $525 with XD gear
Springfield Armory XD(m) = around $600 with XD gear
S&W M&P = around $550 with extra mag

There are more out there as well, but those are some of the best on the market for the money right now. Somewhat listed to my preference. Most on this board will tell you the same. The glock fans will have their take on this as well as the 1911 guys. Nothing wrong with a glock, just not a good "first" carry weapon imo. As for a 1911, from my experience. You've gotta spend good money for a good 1911. That might not be a possibility for you at the time. But they are sweet!
 
Seriously, don't limit yourself to any one make or model

based on internet advice.

You might get lucky, or you might kick yourself, hard.

Go to ranges that rent guns, and try guns. Or find friends that have guns, and will take you to a range.

Glocks are great guns. Very reliable and accurate. They have lots of fans, and are the hottest selling pistols in the US.

Unfortunately, to me, they feel like bricks in the hand, and the triggers have a weird feeling break (to me). I don't enjoy shooting Glocks, and while I can be very accurate with them, I have to work at it.

OTOH, with a 1911, CZ, SIG, or Browning HiPower in hand, I can be very accurate without feeling like I'm working as hard. The fit is better. Same goes for my new (to me) Kahr.

For that matter, I love the feel of 4" revolvers, whether from S&W, Ruger, or Colt. I really don't like snubbies that much, or barrels over 6"; the snubbies aren't pleasant with hot loads, and the long barrels feel muzzle heavy to me. On any of them, though, I don't like small grips. I have size 9 or 10 hands, and can't get a comfortable hold on little grips. Some folks out there have the opposite problem, and find standard N-Frame grips to feel like telephone poles.

What I'm getting at is that there are any number of high quality firearms out there, in more than adequate SD calibers. Given comparable reliability and accuracy, what will make or break a given weapon is how it feels to the individual shooter.

I won't tell you to go buy a particular model, even though I have my favorites. I will tell you to handle a bunch, find several that feel good in your hand (grip size and shape, grip angle, weapon balance, trigger feel if they'll let you dry fire). Then rent the ones that feel good to you, and see what you like shooting.

Good luck,

M
 
Massachusetts shooters...

... do you guys still have a 10 round magazine limit? Kali and Hawaii do; not sure about MA.

This may also be a factor for the OP; smaller calibers may not necessarily allow higher round capacity where you are. Something to check; if that is the case, it would bias me toward .40 or .45 in autos (10mm is nice but it's expensive and scarce), or magnum revolvers, but that's me.
 
First of all, congrats for getting your LTC. I know they're tough to get in MA. You might want to look at Rugers. They make a nice line of revolvers and autos that can be used for targets and/or protection. I just bought an SP-101 in .357/.38 and I really like it.
 
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