The first handgun you purchased and why?

Mine was in 1993, and it was a Beretta 92FS Inox.

I purchased it while I was working as an armored car guard, attending college. The sidearm the company issued me had basically fallen apart in my hands. So I bought the Beretta, and sold it a few years later.

Wish I had never sold it.

This first gun purchase was part necessity, and part personal interest and taste. Probably more of the later.....:)

My best advice, don't sell that first gun.
 
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A used J.C. Higgins 22lr, 9-shot, 6" barrel revolver made by High Standard, I purchased in 2010 or 2011. I sold it to help fund a Charter Pathfinder 22 as a rimfire companion to my 44 Bulldog. Fun little gun, but sometimes had a FTF shooting double action. Someday I might get another one for nostalgia's sake.
 
My first was a Ruger NMBH Bisley Convertible in .45ACP/.45 Colt. Had always been a rifle and shotgun man before that,
but decided to round out my arsenal after seeing a friend's Vaquero!
 
My first was a Ruger standard model 22 with four and half inch bbl. Retail was $37.50, but I bought it wholesale for $28 because we had an FFL. That was in 1956 or 7. Still have it, and I bought a target model a few years later. I still have that one too.:D
 
I told my Wife that "I was afraid of this world", so we bought this G26. I really like this gun.

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First gun I ever bought was a 3913TSW S&W. I bought it because I was on a date with my now wife and we stopped in a gun shop. There was an AG show in the area and S&W and their reps were in town having a big sale. I walked in and held it and thought hmmm. The guy told me I could buy it and only pay $?? a month and to a kid that probably didnt have $20 in his pocket seemed like a deal.
 
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That was almost my first handgun. Gun shop had a stainless Mark II Target when I went in to pick up the Taurus 66 I'd ordered, that was my first. I still regret passing the Ruger by.

I rectified that error about a decade ago.

After talking with my son, what advice would you give a new buyer of their first handgun? Why did you choose your first handgun and do you still have it?
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I notice that not may people are answering that part of the original question.
 
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S&W 686, Why? Because Jerry Miculek is awesome. Truly, I do not remember the reasons anymore.
I still have it but it is now DAO.
 
My advice to a first time purchaser of a new handgun? A full size steel frame CZ with the Kadet 22 conversion unit. You learn to shoot with the 22, when you switch the centerfire you know the feel of the gun. The Ciener units for the Browning HP and M1911 are excellent if you can find them.
 
Was a HK USP9 full size back in 98 the day I turned 21. Had to wait the stupid 7 days and it came with Clinton mags. Not sure why I forked over the extra money at the time over a Glock 19, which is what I carry now. Guess the thought of not having a manual safety scared me at the time, and now I prefer my carry guns to not have them.
 
What's that thing hanging off the back of the slide? Something to aid in racking the slide?
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Yes. It's a replacement back plate. My Wife has a hard time racking it, as she also does with the 1911, so I put it on. It also makes dry firing a bit easier. The Glock isn't really made to afford a lot of grip to the slide.
 
What advice would you give a new buyer of their first handgun? Why did you choose your first handgun and do you still have it?
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Missed that part. :o

Assuming your son and you shoot now and he is familiar with firearms. What I did with my sons was to have them research, read, google and fondle at gun shows. When I felt they knew enough and seemed enthusiastic about a particular gun, then we would go shopping. The hunt and purchase is, IMHO, also a learning process.

Without naming certain handguns, as that is a personal choice, I'd recommend you steer him towards affordable quality. The used market is a great place to get quality guns, (HK, Sig, etc.), at good prices. If you want new then you can't go wrong with the normal brands, (Glock, Walther, Etc.), that are easy to find and have good support.

I will name two pistols. These are the two I really enjoy at the range. Soft shooting, accurate, easy to care for and reliable...

HK USP 9mm
Beretta 92 9mm

I have many others but these are the two that always make me smile and appreciate having.

Have fun choosing
 
The first hand gun I bought, back in the 1960's was a black powder fantasy gun. A brass framed 1851 navy Colt sheriffs model in 44 cal.

I just loved the looks and feel of that pistol, and so did my first wife, she took it when we got divorced!

Today when friends or fellow worker's ask the old guy with lots and lots of firearms what to buy for a first firearm, I tell them, a Beretta 92FS or a 4" Smith & Wesson K frame revolver.

They make good home defense weapons, and good guns to learn the basic's on, and fun to shoot at the range for man or woman.
 
Colt Frontier Scout .22 single action revolver in... 1967, I believe. I still have it, kind of -

The original gun had a problem, and was exchanged a couple days after purchase, so the one I have is the 2nd handgun I owned, but technically, sort of, the first one I ever purchased.
 
Dan Wesson CBOB in .45ACP


I was starting to compete, and wanted a dual-use 1911 for competition and carry. It is not the best for either, but does respectably for both.

It is still my favorite pistol, and I do not intend to sell it anytime soon.

My advice to new gun buyers would be to try out a few things, determine what you want, and get a gun that meets your needs. Don't be afraid to get specific if you know that is what you want. (If you don't know what you want, get a .22 or 9mm, as they are cheaper to practice with.)
 
Brit:
"I joined a Gun Club in the UK, aged 18. The only target .22 I could afford, a Star "Target pistol" A total piece of crap, pulling the trigger felt like you were moving a big spoon through a bucket full of rocks."

I joined a Gun Club in the UK when I was 19. My first gun was given to me by a family friend - a.22 Star. Never shot a decent group with it but it was okay for plinking.

First gun I ever bought was a 4" S&W Model 66. Those were the days...
 
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