New Gun Owner

Welcome, Niteowl,

If you have no firearms experience, it would probably be best if you looked at a revolver, a .357Mag allows use of .38Spl., which somewhat ease training cost, then you work up to .357 rounds.

Revolvers are simpler to operate, no worrying if there's one in the chamber, etc., as you get experienced, then consider a autoloader.

Get the basics of shooting and then try a "bowling pin" match, this brings all principles of shooting together, you'll be humbled at first but gain CONFIDENCE as you progress.
 
Ammo is currently pretty hard to come by, especially in the less popular sizes. A 32 acp is a nice starter caliber - but hard to get ammo for and is not a "man stopper" even though it was used by gangsters of the 20's & 30's and WWII German officers. I'd rather endure a 9mm vs 40s&w discussion than get shot by a 32 acp! The Colt 1903 in 32 acp is one of my all time favorites. Elegant in design and beautiful in execution.

A 380 is also a decent choice and better than a 32 in stopping power, but more $ for ammo and still hard to find these days.

About the most abundant "pistol" round is the 9mm. Also about the cheapest to get and practice with. Yes, it is not quite as good a "man stopper" as the 40 or 45acp, but that's really just a point for internet discussion and not a deal killer for a personal plinking gun that may be used if you hear glass break at 3AM. Criminals are chicken and will run off at the site of an armed home owner, and will leave a yellow stain on the carpet if you crack off a round. The stats are mostly for the mythical 1 shot stop that show the 9mm about 85% effective and the 40/45 to be about 89-90% effective. Ammo choice changes the %'s by +a few to - many. If you want a quick stop - shoot 2 or 3 or 4 times in the chest. A miss with the biggest and best round is less effective than a hit by the smallest.

I'm a physically large person and the 40/45 is easier for me to handle in terms of the typically larger gun, larger grip and greater recoil. But --> 100# ladies can out shoot me with 40's and 45's too! It's all in what you expect and a mental adjustment to handle it. And a large frame 40 gun will have less recoil than a sub-compact 9mm, so there are variables of all kinds to think about! The complaint of the recoil is pretty much easy to address with practice - but that will cost about 10-20% more as the larger rounds cost more than the 9mm's.


There are also guns with more things needed to be done before they will fire. Hammers to cock, levers to move, etc. And there are guns with the no exposed hammer and the safety is built into the trigger, so they are easier for a novice to shoot in a high stress situation. I would say that type is better for a first gun. Glock, Springfield XD line and others.

Unless you are going to run the gun Concealed Carry, get the largest gun you can comfortably handle. Longer site radius means it's easier to shoot accurately. More weight means less felt recoil and it's easier to hold steady on target. Most people are also mentally more comfortable with a larger gun for some reason. Maybe a psychologist can chime in on that one...

Hope these opinions gave some useful insite.
jb
 
a .22 ruger mkIII 22/45 or a browning buckmark camper are GREAT guns. easy to use, accurate as hell, cheap to shoot. i can get 550 rounds for $15.

BUT for ME, they are a completely different beast than a "real" hand gun caliber. for me they are plinkers for having fun, and not a training tool for bigger caliber guns.

cause with the .22 i can shoot out the bullseye without any fliers, but as soon as i switch to my glock 22 (.40 cal), immediately after firing my 22 its a completely different shooting experience

but i have both and they both good in their own rights

as for a 9mm hand gun suggestion, if it can fit in your hand, get the jericho 941
jericho03b.jpg

it looks even better in real life than the pic
 
there's nothing wrong with 9mm

My main carry gun is a S&W M&P 9c, in fact its my only carry gun at the moment. And I have yet to find a participant willing to step in front of a 9mm round to test its effectiveness so I think its a pretty capable round, especially with good shot placement. So to the guy above that was knocking 9mm it's perfectly fine as a SD round. Although I have a Kimber Pro Carry II in .45 on lay away at my local gun shop so when I get that payed off I'm sure I will carry it. follow the basic rule of carry, that is carry the largest caliber that you can comfortably and accurately shoot, a .40 or a .45 is nothing if you can't place your shots on target.
 
If you get a quality .22 you won't regret it and you will become a better shot sooner than if you just had a centerfire.

There are a truck load of good semi-autos out there. Just find one that fits your hand best and feels natural when you aim it.

Probably best to start with a full size gun rather than a sub-compact.

Revolvers tend to be more expensive for a good one. You're pretty much limited to either Ruger or S&W. If you feel comfortable buying a used revolver, then either a S&W model 10 or a Ruger GP 100 or SP 101 would be a good choice.

As far as chambering, go for the least expensive. It's more important to shoot your gun a lot than to be Dirty Harry.
 
Why not both a .22 and a larger caliber? Shooting something like a Ruger Mark III .22 LR or Single Six with the .22 mag cylinder is more fun than almost anything you can do with your clothes on.
 
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