Should one's first handgun be a carry gun or a range gun?

The all in one handgun . For work I carried a S&W 3" HB 357 revolver & a S&W snub 38 spl. Revolvers are a pain to clean , the cylinder face ( burn marks ) 5 or 6 plus the barrel . Then go stainless , for a all in one , a Colt Commander is a good choice , blue or SS . After 40+ years I carry an shoot every week a Colt 3" 1911 , there accurate as a range gun 25 yards max. an easy as a carry piece . Mine is a 45acp , recoil is surprisingly soft . Hope I Helped .

Chris
 
I think this is the one instance where a middle of the road, medium, not too big but not too small sized handgun would benefit you the most. Personally, I stray away from guns because I'd rather have both the largest (Glock 34/35/40) and the smallest (Glock 26/27/29) then something that tries to fit more niches.

I think I remember your first post a while back about what first handgun to get and many suggested you rent handguns at a range to "try before you buy." I don't recall if you're looking at pistol or revolver, I think most recommended a revolver for you, but I would say for a pistol... I think you should look at Taurus PT111 Gen 2's and the new Ruger Security 9. Maybe the S&W SD9VE if it's a compact pistol and not full size.

For a revolver, uh... it's tough for me to recommend the SP101's because they have stiff as a 90 year old on a cold day and gritty triggers. The GP100 3 inch is still a chunk, so I think I might steer you in the direction of the 3 inch Ruger LCRx in .38+P.

I won't mention S&W revolvers because I believe you had a limit on how much you were looking to spend and the S&W, unless it's a used model 10 are spendy guns. BTW, I wouldn't recommend a snub revolver unless it was like the S&W humpbacks with the DA/SA trigger pull.
 
My first serious carry gun was a G 19 (no generation). I still carry it from time to time and take it range. They are fine weapons and mine has never failed 20ish years I have had it.
 
I'm going to suggest a different route.

Get a subcompact with a double-stack magazine that takes mags from larger models (Glock 26, XD9sc, M&P Subcompact). Buy the larger magazines and adaptors that give you a full-size grip for practice. Use the smaller, flush-fit mags for carry and occasional practice.

Best of both worlds.....

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
Your priority should be training, if you don't have much pistol experience. The recommendations of a .22LR have some merit, but .22s are poor dual-use pistols (great for target practice, but not great for defensive use!) Therefore, I would recommend something in 9x19mm. Nine millimeter pistols are good for defensive use, and are some of the cheaper service caliber pistols to feed. That said, your budget really needs to support $25/month or more for effective practice with a 9mm (100 rounds, minimum, IMO). Also, I recommend getting a laser cartridge and target for improved dry-fire practice.

I would recommend a "Compact" sized pistol or sub-compact that takes extended magazines that form the rest of the grip. The Glock 19 would be the most popular "compact." A Springfield XDS-9 with 8 or 9 round extended mags would end up being a similar size. With 7 round mags, the grip is in the sub-compact range. The key here, in my opinion, is that the extended mags have a base that mimics the grip of a larger pistol, rather than just being a magazine.

For a general purpose pistol, I'd look for a 3.5-4.5in barrel in semi-autos. The shorter the sight radius becomes, the less forgiving they are to small errors in sight alignment...aka, they are harder to shoot well.
 
Four guns to think about:
1.-1911- if you like the 45ACP caliber, this is a nice way to go.; There's also the Ruger P90
and the FNX45, depending on your budget.
2. -Beretta 92FS- there's a few variants, but great pistol for large hands. 9mm
3.-Either a Browning or FN Hi-Power, or CZ75, for smaller hands-9mm
4.-Try to find a S&W 6906- old, but a great carry shooter that's range worthy-9mm
 
First, after your BD, take the NRA Basic Handgun Safety Course with a rental gun, after that, for the next 6 months, rent or borrow every handgun you can get your hands on, semiautomatics as well as revolvers, then when you are ready, you can make an informed decision about which handgun is best suited for your intended purpose.
 
Do you remember??

How many handgun rounds have we expended learning to shoot a handgun well when we began shooting handguns?

Our OP is a college student and has stated that money is tight.

Get a .22
 
I would tend to agree with others pertaining to suggesting a .22 as a starter gun, but since the OP ALSO specifically stated possible home defense and occasional CCW, (which SHOULD rule out a .22 rimfire), a 3" or 4" .357 (S&W or Ruger), would offer superb power for SD (Or even hunting small and medium sized game), with .357 magnums or .38 +P's and the superb economical advantage of .38 spl wadcutters for accurate, low recoil target practice. Very versatile indeed. With the right holster / belt and loose shirt, a mid size .357 is NOT difficult to conceal and carry. I often carry a 4" S&W "N" frame .44 concealed. He could opt to reload .38's and or .357's with a low cost Lee Loader kit. He can always get a compact semi automatic later on in 9mm or .45 acp or even a 22 LR target pistol. Hard to go wrong with a good quality American made 3" or 4" .357 revolver as a one gun solution. :D. Spats mentioned a safe in case of guests... VERY good suggestion!
 
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My first handgun was an XDM 3.8 Compact. Short magazine holds 13 rounds, magazine with the x-tension is 20 rounds. I shoot it well, it conceals very well with the short mag, and I swap to the 20 round when I get home. Its kind of like two guns in one :) It also has a rail on it for a light (currently has an OLight PL2 Mini, love it) which I think it a smart idea for home defense.

Since then, I have purchased bigger guns and smaller guns. I still go back to it for primary Conceal Carry because I shoot it so well.

As a poor college student, consider the caliber you purchase and cost for ammo. The struggle is real! 9mm is plentiful and can be had for less than $0.20/round. I just bought 1000 aluminum cased 9mm for $0.16/round!
 
If you're not yet very competent which includes a high level of accuracy, I would stick with a DA/SA in .22. Why? Because it's the cheapest to shoot, and will allow you build solid fundamentals at the beginning, without having to correct for an induced flinch. The DA/SA matters in that you can dry fire practice without constantly racking a slide and reloading snap caps, in addition to being very safe. Unless you're born into a wealthy family, this is a great way to start.

If you've already mastered the above, then any 9mm in DA/SA for the same reason. I prefer the Beretta series, and although I like the 92/85 series, the PX4 compact is an affordable option.
 
"...a carry gun or a range gun..." Those are the same thing. You should practice with whatever you carry,.
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Agreed. It's not a talisman: just having it won't give results ...... skills are the hard part. That said, this part is just plain stupidity:

using the ammo you use when carrying
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Get real. Nobody on any realistically limited budget should be throwing dollar bills downrange just to practice drills. Range time and practice ammo is expensive enough without throwing Gold Dots, HydraShoks or other premium SD ammo at cardboard silhouettes (and if you are not loading premium SD ammo in guns meant to save your life, I can't take you seriously about any SD topic). A few magazines worth now and then to make sure it runs in your gun would be a fine idea, but 300 dollar range trips are just dumb for a guy that can only afford one gun.

On a budget these days, I'll give the same advice I gave my brother on his first handgun almost a decade ago: Find one that you like that is small enough to carry yet large enough to shoot well enough to do what you need it to do, in 9mm, and then buy (online in bulk) or reload practice ammo as cheaply as possible ..... and endeavor to wear the gun out. He got a Ruger sr9c for $400 OTD, and bought WWB for awhile, saved his brass and got a Lee hand press kit. Buying Berry's and Ranier plated bullets in bulk, he got his reload costs down to about 14 cents apiece (at a time when WWB was running more than twice that- IDK what WWB is going for these days, but 9mm can be reloaded for less than that now that the panic is over)...... he reloaded thousands of rounds his first year. I will not say he saved any money, really: he just shot WAY more...... and now has a Dillon progressive set-up. ....... and still has not worn the gun out.
 
If you're not yet very competent which includes a high level of accuracy, I would stick with a DA/SA in .22.
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The guy wants a gun for home defense. While better than harsh words, a .22 is a poor choice.....

.22lr is not exactly cheap, either. Even the el cheapo bulk packs are running 7 or 8 cents a pop.
 
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