Hey guys my name is James and i'm from Wisconsin just joined the forums. I was looking into buying a handgun but i'm not exactly sure where to start. I have fired a .22 before and it wasn't that much just wondering what I should know before purchasing a firearm and what a good starter weapon would be? I was looking at a Colt 1911, but would that be a little too much? Thanks in advance
Newbie here
- Thread starter JamesPIII
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allenomics
New member
Go to a range and rent some guns. I started with a .22 pistol (Ruger). It's a good training gun and the ammo is cheap.
That kind of budget leaves you many choices. If this gun is strictly for target use, I would confine myself to a smaller caliber. If you want something pleasant to shoot (low recoil) with a low cost for ammo, a good quality .22 would be a great first gun. If you would like a somewhat larger caliber, a 9mm would be the next most cost effective (ammo price) and also would not be a hard caliber to handle. There are exceptions to the recoil rule. I own a dual compensated .45 that recoils less than a 9mm. The weight and size of the gun will effect the felt recoil.
Go to a range that rents guns and spend some of your gun budget on renting a few different guns. Shoot them and ask questions here. There are a bunch on very knowledgeable members that will be glad to help.
Go to a range that rents guns and spend some of your gun budget on renting a few different guns. Shoot them and ask questions here. There are a bunch on very knowledgeable members that will be glad to help.
Good first gun
The first thing I would recommend is a NRA basic pistol course. This course will cover proper handling of a firearm. A lot of CCW classes cover this course as well. Not sure where you live but around here you can sign up for a class and rent a gun from the place that is teaching the class for the range portion.
Another way to figure out what you may like is to rent and fire several different types of pistols. The gun shop/range close to me rents them for $6 plus the range time and ammo. I would say start out with a standard 9mm pistol and work your way up or down and try different calibers. 9mm is going to be cheapest to shoot as well. As you shoot different models you'll notice that some guns fit you better than others, start taking notes and this'll help you narrow down your list. Also before shooting a gun look at the material see how you like the look of the gun. I prefer metal guns, love to shoot my friend's Glock but just like the weight and feel of the metal guns.
a thousand dollars will buy you some very good guns so do your research before making the purchase.
Good luck and welcome to the shooting sports
The first thing I would recommend is a NRA basic pistol course. This course will cover proper handling of a firearm. A lot of CCW classes cover this course as well. Not sure where you live but around here you can sign up for a class and rent a gun from the place that is teaching the class for the range portion.
Another way to figure out what you may like is to rent and fire several different types of pistols. The gun shop/range close to me rents them for $6 plus the range time and ammo. I would say start out with a standard 9mm pistol and work your way up or down and try different calibers. 9mm is going to be cheapest to shoot as well. As you shoot different models you'll notice that some guns fit you better than others, start taking notes and this'll help you narrow down your list. Also before shooting a gun look at the material see how you like the look of the gun. I prefer metal guns, love to shoot my friend's Glock but just like the weight and feel of the metal guns.
a thousand dollars will buy you some very good guns so do your research before making the purchase.
Good luck and welcome to the shooting sports
golfnutrlv
New member
Welcome to TFL
+1 to all the replies so far.
I would definitely recommend a 9mm of some kind to start with. That is what I started with.
Here is what I have:
Both are great guns.
If I were you I would definitely try the guns above, and if possible:
Also, remember, that every good gun needs an equally good holster, even if it is just for safe storage and protection.
Save some money in your budget for one.
Try these:
High Noon Holsters
Galco
Fobus
Three of my favorites.
Good luck, and have fun trying out lots of guns!
+1 to all the replies so far.
I would definitely recommend a 9mm of some kind to start with. That is what I started with.
Here is what I have:
- Smith and Wesson M&P (military and police) 9mm Full Size
- Glock 26 Subcompact 9mm
Both are great guns.
If I were you I would definitely try the guns above, and if possible:
- Glock 19
- Sig Sauer 9mm's (Several Sizes)
- Springfield XD or New XDm
- Others that you can find
Also, remember, that every good gun needs an equally good holster, even if it is just for safe storage and protection.
Save some money in your budget for one.
Try these:
High Noon Holsters
Galco
Fobus
Three of my favorites.
Good luck, and have fun trying out lots of guns!
golfnutrlv
New member
Here is a couple Pics!!
Smith and Wesson M&P 9:
Glock 26:
Both for Comparison:
Enjoy!
Smith and Wesson M&P 9:
Glock 26:
Both for Comparison:
Enjoy!
Last edited:
Whatever you decide on make sure you do your research first. I have made the mistake of buying a gun just based on what the gun shop guy said, only to find out that the pistol he sold me did not suit my needs. As many have already suggested spend a lot of time at the range renting guns to see what works best for you.
Do you have any friends that would let you shoot their weapons? I'm going to take a different path than the others and recommend a good double action .357. While I love my auto's, I'm trained and used to them. I prefer my wheel guns more for general use, especially target shooting and hunting. A good .357 will allow you to start with, and use .38 specials, which don't have very much recoil. There are also some really good target loads in .38, and the cost of cheap factory stuff isn't bad. After you get comfortable with the .38's, you can start trying the .357's. Another aspect of a wheel gun is that they are much easier to learn with. No magazines to mess with, no slide stops or safeties to become familiar with.
Plus, when shooting in the single action mode, it's fairly easy to start seeing some good groups early on which goes along way toward building your confidense.
Welcome to the shooting world, and the forum as well.
Plus, when shooting in the single action mode, it's fairly easy to start seeing some good groups early on which goes along way toward building your confidense.
Welcome to the shooting world, and the forum as well.
For range - a Ruger MkII or I guess now a MkIII. Shooting this gun really improves my form and accuracy.
I would vote Beretta 92 - a field tested, battle proven pistol. A buddy of mine who was is the Army and then a deputy was at the range with me. He currently owns 3 SIGS. I was shooting my 2 1911's and a FN Hi Power. He told me his favorite pistol by far was the Beretta 92. I do not like polymer guns - just my personal opinion. I have an heirloom Colt 1903 that was my grandfathers. The bluing is wonderful. I don't know how a poly gun would hold up over 70 years.
I would stick 9mm. 40 is snappy to shot.
Let me add revolvers are great tools, but I do not find them as fun.
I would vote Beretta 92 - a field tested, battle proven pistol. A buddy of mine who was is the Army and then a deputy was at the range with me. He currently owns 3 SIGS. I was shooting my 2 1911's and a FN Hi Power. He told me his favorite pistol by far was the Beretta 92. I do not like polymer guns - just my personal opinion. I have an heirloom Colt 1903 that was my grandfathers. The bluing is wonderful. I don't know how a poly gun would hold up over 70 years.
I would stick 9mm. 40 is snappy to shot.
Let me add revolvers are great tools, but I do not find them as fun.
Welcome to The Firing Line James!
Where in WI are you?
If you don't mind a bit of a drive, you can meet me at Bass Pro in Gurnee IL (just south of the border, off of I-94) and shoot some of my guns.
I too would recommend a good 22; I prefer the Ruger Mk. II. New, you'd be into a Mk. III. I think they're around $400 these days. Spend another $100-200 on quality accessories, such as ammo, glasses, earmuffs & plugs, a good range bag, a cleaning kit, etc.
Buy one with at least a 5.5" barrel, for more accuracy if you don't mount a sighting device. I have a Mk. II Target model and many other guns you could try. Drop me a PM if you want to discuss that more.
Here's my Mk. II Target model:
Where in WI are you?
If you don't mind a bit of a drive, you can meet me at Bass Pro in Gurnee IL (just south of the border, off of I-94) and shoot some of my guns.
I too would recommend a good 22; I prefer the Ruger Mk. II. New, you'd be into a Mk. III. I think they're around $400 these days. Spend another $100-200 on quality accessories, such as ammo, glasses, earmuffs & plugs, a good range bag, a cleaning kit, etc.
Buy one with at least a 5.5" barrel, for more accuracy if you don't mount a sighting device. I have a Mk. II Target model and many other guns you could try. Drop me a PM if you want to discuss that more.
Here's my Mk. II Target model:
chris in va
New member
If I had to do everything over again, I would start with a 9mm. My first gun was a Ruger 22, but I quickly got 'bored' with it just punching paper and bought a CZ 9mm. Later on I also purchased a 22 slide kit for it, best of both worlds.
Not saying don't get a 22, just understand you'll be moving up to something larger very soon after which may deplete your gun budget quicker than you think. Plus a 9mm is good for a home defense firearm if you feel the need.
Definitely get a safety class under your belt first though if you haven't done so already. I did some really stupid things when I first bought that Ruger that would make me cringe now. Also get some info about gun laws in your area as every state/municipality is different.
Not saying don't get a 22, just understand you'll be moving up to something larger very soon after which may deplete your gun budget quicker than you think. Plus a 9mm is good for a home defense firearm if you feel the need.
Definitely get a safety class under your belt first though if you haven't done so already. I did some really stupid things when I first bought that Ruger that would make me cringe now. Also get some info about gun laws in your area as every state/municipality is different.
lagavulin62
New member
hey james I'm a newbie too. bought my first gun in early may and now own three. like others have said the first thing is to take the basic safety/shooting class at your local gun shop. this will familiarize you with handling the gun and take away some of the mystery of it all. after that then research, research, research. I didn't rent any guns before I bought one but of my 3 guns they all meet my needs and I have no regrets, mainly because I went to shops and held them and also researched them on the web. I'm a steel nut and will tell you that they really help with any concerns of recoil. if you decide to go steel with at least a 4 inch barrel I don't think recoil will be much of a problem up to 357. try to rent before you buy but if not then at least hold the guns to see if they feel right. good luck, looking forward to hearing what you get.
overkill556x45
New member
I"d start by buying a used .22 nice and cheap. Learn the basics, shoot other people's guns, find out what you like/shoot well, then buy one.
For your "full scale" pistol, I'd recommend a 9mm. It's still the cheapest ammo out there, and despite what some will tell you, it is fine for carry if you ever decide to do that.
Welcome to TFL--there are lots of smart people on here. I'm not one of them, but still, there are some smart folks here.
For your "full scale" pistol, I'd recommend a 9mm. It's still the cheapest ammo out there, and despite what some will tell you, it is fine for carry if you ever decide to do that.
Welcome to TFL--there are lots of smart people on here. I'm not one of them, but still, there are some smart folks here.
I would take your budget, split it roughly in half to buy 2...
a nice .22lr target pistol and a larger defensive pistol. Since you live in WI and cannot carry, I would get a full size frame to make your time at the range more enjoyable. As others have said, 9mm is the cheapest centerfire ammo. This way you have something for target shooting and something for defense.
Another option is to get a pistol that has .22lr conversion kits available. Personally I would just go with a nice .22 pistol since most will have triggers more appropriate for target shooting than combat pistols.
Having a .22 pistol will allow you to shoot a lot more (less cost), help you improve your technique, and its fun to have something you can shoot <1" groupings with. A defensive pistol of course is nice because you can defend yourself with it and sometimes you just want to shoot a larger caliber pistol.
Decent .22s can be found for $300-400 and good full size combat pistols can be had for $600-700. Obviously you can spend more on either of those, I'm just pointing out that for $1,000 you can get a nice one of each.
a nice .22lr target pistol and a larger defensive pistol. Since you live in WI and cannot carry, I would get a full size frame to make your time at the range more enjoyable. As others have said, 9mm is the cheapest centerfire ammo. This way you have something for target shooting and something for defense.
Another option is to get a pistol that has .22lr conversion kits available. Personally I would just go with a nice .22 pistol since most will have triggers more appropriate for target shooting than combat pistols.
Having a .22 pistol will allow you to shoot a lot more (less cost), help you improve your technique, and its fun to have something you can shoot <1" groupings with. A defensive pistol of course is nice because you can defend yourself with it and sometimes you just want to shoot a larger caliber pistol.
Decent .22s can be found for $300-400 and good full size combat pistols can be had for $600-700. Obviously you can spend more on either of those, I'm just pointing out that for $1,000 you can get a nice one of each.
With your stated budget a .22 and a 9 are not out of reach. +1 to the recommendations of the Ruger Mk 2 I love mine, by far the most accurate pistol I own. 9mm NATO is hard to beat for an all around "big bore" pistol, cheap to shoot and plenty of snort for SD with the proper ammo. Heck my 9 is cheaper to shoot than .22 magnum.
+1 to the recommendations for training, a basic handgun course will help, and if later you go for CC you will already have the certificate, if your state requires one. Well OK I see WI no concealed carry for you, 9mm will still make a good nightstand gun, go full size since CC is not an option.
Safety, first, last, and always.
+1 to the recommendations for training, a basic handgun course will help, and if later you go for CC you will already have the certificate, if your state requires one. Well OK I see WI no concealed carry for you, 9mm will still make a good nightstand gun, go full size since CC is not an option.
Safety, first, last, and always.
FireForged
New member
A Ruger 22 is a awesome pistol to get started with. You can learn all the basics and proper shooting tech before you move up to larget cal.
If you are going to purchase a larger cal for home use, I would suggest a Ruger or Smith Revolver.
If you are going to purchase a larger cal for CCW, I would suggest a 9mm Glock or Sig
If you are going to purchase a larger cal for home use, I would suggest a Ruger or Smith Revolver.
If you are going to purchase a larger cal for CCW, I would suggest a 9mm Glock or Sig