New gun purchase in near future

C

ColonelSanders

Inactive
I am looking to purhasing a handgun for basic target shooting and do not know what to look at. I have only fired .22's in my past and would like to get something a little bigger but nothing too big to lessen the recoil (.380 or 9mm?). Also I would prefer to have a manual safety for added safety. Any suggestions?
 
A manual safety does not add safety it gives the illusion of safety. I don't discount weapons based on having a manual safety but I prefer it have none. I do stay away from mag safetys I want to be able to fire with out a mag in.

I would stay away from 380 its expensive to shoot and ineffectual. There are 10s of good options in 9mil from 175$ and up that are fun to shoot and in a pinch can be used for defense. I like the XDs, SRs, USPs,

Really though find one that fits and ya can't go wrong.
 
I second the M&P9. Great first gun. Accurate. Reliable. Versatile. Fun to shoot. Inexpensive to shoot. It could be your only handgun or the first of many and you won't regret it. If you find out you don't like it or you want something else, you can easily find someone to take it off your hands without losing any money on it.
 
I just rented and shot a M&P9 at the range last week... very nice gun right there.

I will be buying my first gun rather soon, 99% sure it will be an FNX-9 though. Love the way it feels in my hand, haven't had a chance to shoot it yet though.
 
There are too many variables....you need to shoot or look at what fits your hands the best..( not my hands ) ....

but I do 2nd the idea of a 9mm ....ammo is way less expensive than a .380 / and recoil is very manageable vs going heavier to a .40S&W or .45 acp.

There are a lot of guns that have thumb safeties - 1911's, etc...but again most important is do your hands reach the controls when you have the gun gripped properly ( for safety, mag release, etc ). A buddy went thru this on a Sig 226 awhile ago ...he really wanted one ...but found he could not reach the mag release without moving his grip - which is a big deal ( his hands aren't that big / and he broke the thumb on his strong hand ..and it doesn't move like it might before it was broken --- so an XDM was a much better fit for his hands than a Sig 226.

Get to a range ...and rent / or shoot as many guns as you can ...before you spend a lot of money on a new gun.
 
Don't know how much you want to spend, The Berettas, Px4 and 92, are first rate guns that have manual safeties. The Sigs are great but can be pretty expensive. The M&P and the Ruger SR9 are less expensive options. If you don't want to spend a lot a Ruger P95 or a Stoeger Cougar are good guns for substantially less $$. All of them are large enough that recoil isn't much of an issue after a mag or two although you'll know you aren't shooting a 22. of this lot I have a px4 compact model that's been a solid gun. The triggers and grips may all differ a little, so if you don't have a special preference get what works best for you. They all will fit the bill for what you are asking.
 
There are many good options, and everyone has their favorite.

Personally, I consider Berettas to be good values when I consider quality relative to price. The 92 tames recoil with mass and the PX4 tames it with the rotating-barrel design. They both shoot well and softly in my hands. But your hands are the ones that matter, so shooting them yourself would be a great idea if you can rent or borrow them and other models you are considering.
 
For a new shooter?

A good double action revolver in .38 special.

Advantages:

-Simple manual of arms
-.38 special ammo is relatively low recoil and cost effective ammo while having more recoil than a .22 to help learning recoil control.
-Double action or single action
-Easy to tell if it is loaded/unloaded
-Only 6 shots so you don't have the tendency to just load up magazines and blast away reinforcing bad habits
-No magazines to lose, drop, damage
-No need to field strip and lube / reassemble

Once you master it, you will be more than capable of picking up anything else out there an running with it.
 
You should rent some guns,,,

See if there is a range/gun store in your area where you can rent some guns,,,
I'm fortunate in that I'm only an hour and a half from a rental range,,,
I used that range to try many guns before I decided on one.

You will get everyone's personal recommendations here at this forum,,,
And that's not a bad thing to have coming your way,,,
But first hand knowledge is what you need,,,
So you can evaluate the tips you will get.

Crow Hunter gave some very good advice in his post,,,
I agree with his reasoning wholeheartedly,,,
A decent .38 revolver is a good start.

Aarond

.
 
I'll respond with what I currently own.

If on a budget you might consider Stoeger Cougar 8000 or a Bersa Thunder UC9 Pro (or HC9). Prices are reasonable on these, IMO, very high quality pistols.

Or if you want to spend a bit more you might consider a Walther P99 AS. Check the reviews on this and you will find it is one of the best out there.

::Edit:: Crow Hunter does give some sound advice there.
 
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