New guy here

A

Angdvl089

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My name is Andrew and I'm from Mass. I'm looking to get my license within the next month and I was looking at a few different pistols. I'd pretty much be target shooting but I would want it for protection at my house. The only pistol I've shot is an old .22 revolver (my friend's dad's) but I've shot his 12 gauge and .410 gauge. I also have a Gamo air rifle which pretty much got me into guns.

I'm looking to go 9mm and I've pretty much narrowed down my search to the Sig Sauer P250 and the S&W M&P 9 (leaning towards this one more). Something in the $500-600 range and I'd like new rather than used. Anyone have any better ideas for a beginner?

I was browsing around a little too before I signed up and I noticed a lot of you use abbreviations. Are there any important ones you could fill me in on?

Oh and one last thing. The ammunition accountability act; is Obama trying to bring that back?

Andrew
 
The M&P is a very well built pistol and is a good choice for practice and self defense given its simplicity. As for hte acronyms, there are too many to list, but there is a pretty extensive list in the FAQ.

As for what Obamas going to do, thats anyones guess. No one is doubting that he will follow through on his anti-gun beliefs, but only time will tell how he will do it and how effective it will be.
 
Don't know enough about the P-250 to give an opinion. I do like the Sig P-226 very much. That being said.

If this is your first handgun get a .22lr, either revolver or semi.
I seem to post that every day.
 
Do they have any indoor ranges that rent pistols in Mass? Cause that would be a great way to get familiar with some of these pistols without making the big cash commitment, especially for a newbie. Or at least get to handle the unloaded guns in the displays a little bit. You have to be really good to assume you can tell how a gun will feel/handle for you just from pictures.
 
Definitely +1 to the M&P. Extremely easy and fun to shoot. Its the kind of gun that you could shoot for 8 hours a day and be just fine. I have well over 6500 rounds through mine, and it has not jammed, hung up, failed to ectract or feed, anything. Unfortunately, since your in Massachusetts you are probably stuck with 10 round mags. Sad. Normally the M&P will hold 17+1. (As if 10 rounds won't kill someone, and 17 will). Anyway.

The Sig is another A+. The 250 is a polymer gun, but the 226,229, and 239 are metal frame with polymer grips.

They are the cadillac line of guns. Excellent handguns. I do not own one, but I am counting the days. I really like the DA/SA trigger. (Double action first shot, single action after that).

Definitely try to find a rental range and try out other guns.

Here are a few other off the wall suggestions if you have teh chance to try them:

Glock 17/19 (Full size/Compact)
Springfield XDm (Not sure if this comes in a Mass version, great gun if it does)
Heckler and Koch USP or P2000. (these are the super luxuries, great, but pricey)

Have fun!
 
I don't know about indoor firing ranges around here. I'll have to ask.
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Where do you live in MA? I am a member of the Braintree rifle and pistol club.

http://www.brp.org/

I believe that most towns and cities in MA are going to require- or have as an option that fulfills a requirement- that you become a member of a club before they will issue a pistol permit

Of course, there will be exceptions to that, I am sure. But a club membership is a pretty good idea, although BRP doesn't rent guns anyway

Concerning DA/SA-

Double action (DA)means that it's like a cap gun- you pull the trigger, the hammer is drawn back and released. Single action (SA) means you cock the hammer with your thumb, like an old west revolver. An automatic pistol (it means "automatic loading", not "fires like a machine gun") will cock the hammer after it is fired regardless of DA or SA triggers, by means of it's slide setting the hammer on recoil

For example-

A Walther P.38 is DA/SA. If a round is in the chamber, you can either thumb the hammer back and pull the trigger (Single action), or just pull the trigger double action). The catch- DA is a longer, harder trigger pull which tend to negatively effect accuracy. If no round is in the chamber, you must rack the slide, and then the pistol is cocked, as the slide pulls the hammer back as you rack it, and then it is fired in SA by pulling the trigger normally. If a round fails to fire, the DA/SA pistol's trigger can be pulled again and again without messing with the slide or hammer

A Colt 1911 is SA. If a round is in the chamber and the hammer is not back you must thumb the hammer back before you can fire (SA only). If no round is in the chamber, you must rack the slide, and the slide will set the hammer as the slide is racked. If a round fails to fire, the slide must be racked to eject the misfire and load a fresh bullet, or the hammer must be thumbed and the trigger pulled again
 
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Thanks Chris. I'm from Mattapoisett. It's a not so-well-known town near New Bedford.

As for the DA with the first shot, couldn't that be overcome by inserting the magazine with the chamber closed and then racking the slide?

I don't know if it's the responsible or right way or not but it seems like it would work. Am I right?
 
not sure about the safety features on that gun but to do what you describe you would want a manual safety and you would be carrying "cocked and locked". without a safety, yeah that would be almost suicide in my opinion.
 
Welcome, Andrew.

Stop by and visit us at the Northeast Shooters web site - www.northeastshooters.com. There are probably a couple dozen or more people there within a few miles of Mattapoisett. If you become a member of NES (for short money) you get invited to shoots where other members will let you try just about any firearm you can imagine, and most of the time they'll even provide the ammo for you.
 
If you want a 9mm mainly for range and..

..home defense, I would suggest you look at a heavier pistol. The m&p and sig 250 are excellent guns but if you arn't going to cc the pistol then a heavier gun with a hammer would be worth consideration, a P226 or a beretta 92FS, CZ 75, or a Baby Eagle, here is a pic of a gun I bought yesterday NIB for $499. This is from about 25 feet, 10 rounds with the laser, 10 without, my wife and I own lots of 9mm, but this one is easily the most accurate OTB we have yet purchased. For the cost I think it is pretty amazing.
babyeagleandtargetLarge.jpg
 
Another awesome value in 9mm

is a STOEGER COUGAR. You can usually get them for less than 400 new at your local gun shop. check out there web site.
stoegercougar8000Large.jpg
 
Thanks John and Flyfish. I'll have to try out some guns like you suggested.

And to lagavulin62, I was only considering loading that way when target shooting. I wouldn't carry a weapon like that. I don't think I would even carry a weapon with one in the chamber if it did have a safety.

[EDIT] And excuse me if I'm wrong. By heavier you mean larger bullet diameter right? Or actual gun weight?
 
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Thanks Chris. I'm from Mattapoisett. It's a not so-well-known town near New Bedford.

As for the DA with the first shot, couldn't that be overcome by inserting the magazine with the chamber closed and then racking the slide?

I don't know if it's the responsible or right way or not but it seems like it would work. Am I right?
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Mattapoisett...it's special :) I haven't seen one of those bumperstickers in a while, come to think of it

You are correct on the DA/SA first shot in single action; that's how I describe it:

If a round is in the chamber, you can either thumb the hammer back and pull the trigger (Single action), or just pull the trigger double action). The catch- DA is a longer, harder trigger pull which tend to negatively effect accuracy. If no round is in the chamber, you must rack the slide, and then the pistol is cocked, as the slide pulls the hammer back as you rack it, and then it is fired in SA by pulling the trigger normally. If a round fails to fire, the DA/SA pistol's trigger can be pulled again and again without messing with the slide or hammer
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It is not irresponsible or wrong- it has that feature by design. :) The double action feature was introduced wide-scale on the P.38, precisely so it could be carried with a round in the chamber with the hammer not cocked. The 1911 design by comparison has a grip safety so that carrying 'cocked and locked' did not prevent two safeties from being in place- the slide stop and the grip

At the range, there is nothing wrong with taking your unloaded pistol, inserting the magazine, and then racking the slide to chamber a round and prepare for firing, as long as the muzzle is pointed downrange. Other wise, you would have to insert a round in the chamber, close the slide, then insert your mag and fire, which is not nearly as responsible or proper
 
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I live in rhode island and I go to north attleboro to a place called american firearms school you dont have to be a member to use the range they have a large selection of rentals of many cal. the price is $20 per hour
 
I don't know why I didn't catch that. woops. Yeah Mattapoisett is special all right.

@ jlj676- Does that fee for the American firearms school include ammo as well?
 
no you can either bring your own or buy it from them it seems to be cheap to buy it from them, I think they are reloads. If you rent one of their firearms you have to buy their ammo
 
Forgive me for the minor soapbox rant here....

I don't know if you plan to carry or not. Thats up to you. If you do however, you need to carry the gun with one in the pipe with manual safety on in a good quality holster. If your gun does not have a manual safety, make sure you are paying attentino to the big safety in your head (you) which should always be on.

I ALWAYS carry with one in the pipe. Under stress, simple actions such as racking a slide to chamber a round can be easily forgotten (just adrenaline and human nature). Carrying one in the pipe can save your life, and not having one in the pipe could cost you your life.

Anyway, not meant to upset anyone, just my view of the situation.
 
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