wanting to buy first handgun - NEED ADVICE

S

Sportcat

New member
I've been looking at this forum for about a week now and finally decided to ask for advice.

I'm looking to buy my first handgun for myself and my wife. I went shooting with a buddy a few months ago and fired his Beretta 92 and his Glock 19. Both felt very comfortable and I was very impressed.

Now that I'm looking for something for the house and something I can take to the range, I've decided I want to go with a Beretta. I loved the Glock, but my wife wants something with an external safety (this goes back to that whole give and take wedding vow stuff).

I like the idea of a 9mm, but the Cheetah 94 has recently caught my attention. I need something that my wife is not going to be afraid to use, but also something that will hopefully stop somebody in the event we have to use it on someone.

Does anyone have, or have used the Cheetah 84? Any words of advice. I know the Beretta line can be expensive, but I don't mind spending the extra money on something that is reliable and well-made.

Thanks ahead of time for any comments. I look forward to reading what the "experts" have to say.
 
There isn't much difference in shooting a 9mm and the 380. There is a ballistic/ performance difference in the two, tho. You are much better off (for defensive purposes) sticking w/ the 92fs and perhaps enrolling you & your wife in classes to gain confidence & proficiency in shooting your pistol of choice. That and a lot of practice will go along way!
Have fun, enjoy, welcome to the forum :D
 
classes are a must

I definitely plan to get BOTH of us enrolled in classes together. A gun will be worthless if she is afraid to use it.

Thanks for the quick reply.
 
A few scattered thoughts:

Semiautos require a bit more maintenance than revolvers. Make sure you get qualified instruction in cleaning and maintenance.

A good holster cannot be overlooked. Women's holsters are not necessarily co-ed.

Regular practice is essential to victory over predators. This practice should consist of standing with your back or side to the target (vary position: sitting, kneeling, holding items in your hands; having your partner call a threat, turning to the target, drawing the firearm from your carry holster, getting a firm 2 hand grip without placing your offhand thumb behind the slide, disengaging the safety, placing 2 shots center mass, then 1 to the head (in case the predator does not go down), scanning for other threats, re-engaging the safety, changing magazines while holding your sights on the target (alternate saving the partially used magazine {ammo conservation} with letting it drop to the ground {speed reload}), and finally reholstering the firearm without taking your eyes off the predator.

Once you have this drill down, inject alternatives such as holding a flashlight, one handed shooting with both hands, barricades, etc. Don't forget to talk to the target, giving commands such as, "Get out of my house" "Drop yout gun" "Don't move" "Don't make me shoot you".

One of the most important tips: Use your imagination to develop scenarios that you would find yourself in.

I know that sounds like a lot, and sometimes some steps will be eliminated, but slow, steady practice of these fundamentals (I hope I didn't forget any) will be your foundation to build upon. Practice until you can do the drill with reasonable speed, then in a stress situation, you will overcome the predator with a skill level that you would not think yourself capable of.

I'm sure others can add gratly to these suggestions.

Good luck, happy shooting!
 
First Handgun

Sportcat,If your not to sure on the Cheetha, Take a look at the Cougar series. That may be the happy medium for you and your wife. They come 9mm,.40,.45 and .357 Sig. As stated above .380 isn't much different than a 9mm.and is sometimes noted as a Baby 9mm.
Hope this might help;)
 
wanting to buy first handgun

in utah, most of the gun shops that have ranges are more than happy to lend or rent any of their used, and in some cases new - demo - guns. if there is a peticular peice you want to try, see if your freind/dealer has it. don't buy any gun you haven't shot. i think the sadest thing is to see a gun sit in a safe, never being used because it wasn't what you thought it was gonna be IMHO
 
Sportcat:

The important questions are: Did your wife shoot the Beretta well? Did she like it?

Safety. Under the incredible stress of a potentially deadly situations, there has been more than one person who has tried to bend the trigger all the way back before realizing the safety is on. I always have my SA/DA weapons with the hammer down (in safety position) without the safety on, so it can be fired on the first pull without fear. That split scond of removing the safety (or worse trying to fire it with safety on) can make a big difference in the outcome. Food for thought.

Shoney
 
Try 'em all and see what fit's?

When making a "first time" handgun purchase, don't limit
yourself to other folk's personal opinion; cuz what works
for me, might not work for you?:eek: Whether revolver
or auto-loader, try to "range test" as many different make's
and model's as possible.:) Then, and only then start by
narrowing the field down; until you find the one that is
right for you.:D Lot's of factor's to consider; beside's
caliber choice and barrel length, what is the primary
use of my purchase? Which one's grip fits my hand
size the best? What physical limitation's do I have?
The last one sounds a little crazy; but some people
that I see at the range do have some sort'a physical
handicap, such as arthuric condition's, deformitie's,
poor eye-sight, etc. One fellow I know here locally
shoot's from his wheelchair; cuz he is a double
amputee from that ten thousand day war in the
hot, humid jungle's of Southeast Asia. I will tell
you this; most folk's can't out shoot him!:( :cool:

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
The 92 was my first gun, but for a woman I would be wary of it solely due to the size of the grip. It is large. If the wife is comfortable with it, though, it is an outstanding gun.

I still think that the 9mm is an excellent way to go for a first gun (I know there are those who swear by the .22 or .38). Good enough power if you need it, but very reasonable recoil.

For my first, I wanted a hi-cap 9mm with a real safety and an exposed hammer. It came down to the 92 and the HK USP (I've since purchased a USPc).
 
Nothing like "mixing it up" a little. My wife loves the shoot my SIG P239. It really fits her hand well. Don't leave SIG out of the equation (IMO). You can get it in 9mm, .40S&W or .357SIG

PG
 
I haven't fired it but IMO the Cheetah is the best looking .380 out there (especially in nickel). I have heard nothing but good reports about it so it seems to be a high quality pistol. I do really want one and almost bought one on a couple occasions (I really, really want a nickel Beretta 84). The one thing that stopped me is the price. The only other negative is that it is a little big for a .380, anyplace you could take it you could also take a compact 9mm.

The Cheetah would probably fit your wife much better than the 92 since the 92 is a very large 9mm. However, she should try it since there are many women cops and soldiers who use it with little or no problem.

A .380 is a little on the weak side, however it is capable of doing the job. A .380 will put a person down if need be, it will just be that much more important that you, and your wife if she'll be using it, practice as much as possible.

Since others have added their thoughts about guns you didn't ask about here is my .02. You may also want to check out the CZ line of pistols. These are great guns and also great deals since they are somewhat inexpensive. The CZ 75 is a great gun and there are also two compact models, the CZ 75 Compact (steel) and the CZ 75 PCR (alloy with a decocker). If you like .380 the CZ 83 is one of the best guns in that caliber. If you like the Beretta 84 in nickel you need to look at the nickel CZs. If you don't like nickel the CZ polycoat finish, a powdered polymer finish over parkerizing, is probably one of the toughest finishes on any handgun. My CZ 75 is probably my most accurate gun and these are some of the most reliable guns on the market. Since it was designed as a military gun it is very durable as well (if it can handle a battlefield environment I'm sure it can handle anything I can throw at it). Also, full-capacity 15 round mags are easy to find (CZ still has them for sale on their website) and they are relatively inexpensive.
 
You owe it to your self and your wife to check out the bhp, lot's of good to be said about it.

Also, beretta's come up with a 92 that has a reduced grip. Tried one in a store and it feels much better than the full sized grip (in my small hand)

Only other advice is to slow down and enjoy the search. It is alot of fun. You get to talk to alot of people who all have a diff idea as to what YOU want! :D Get to look and try alot of diff guns. Hmmm, maybe time to think about another for myself? :p Lots of good advice and experience out there, especially on this board.

Just filter through it all (cept my advice is all good):p

Have fun
 
I owned a Beretta 84BB for a long time. It had a lot of good features for a house gun - safety would disconnect trigger whether cocked or not, ambidextrous controls, nice trigger, decent sights, and two 13 round magazines.

But for all-around use I'd for sure get a larger pistol. The felt recoil is less, the sight radius is longer, and there are more accessories available. The importance of comfortable grip that another poster mentioned can't be overstated, but there are after-market and even factory thin rubberized grips that solve that problem for most people. 9mm ammo is actually less expensive to buy than .380, generally, and you can buy anything from down-power loads to +P+. So you can shoot more affordably.

SIGs are terrific pistols but don't have an external safety. They're also about $100 more. The Browning High Power is a classic, but is single action and most people want the option of a DA pull for a house gun. If the Beretta doesn't fit both of you, one other readily available option is the CZ 75B. It has an external safety, and is otherwise very similar in size to the Beretta 92. It has a steel frame so it's heavier, but that's often a plus for a range gun. They're at least $100 less than the Beretta, and although the fit and finish isn't as good, they are reliable and durable. The Beretta proved to be slightly more accurate in a head-to-head review - http://www.gunweek.com/archives/2002/feature0110.html Good luck and have fun!
 
most of the DA/SA pistols don't really need a safety. The DA pull is usually around 12lbs, which is a bit of pressure to "accidently" pull.

.380 vs. 9mm - hardly any difference in kick. Many of the .380's tend to be smaller, and that eclipses the difference, if there really is one.

My sister has shot my Sig p226 (she's 5'4 110lbs) and had no problems with it. As a matter of fact, she had no problem burning through 250 rounds in a session - good thing it was my cheap range ammo, lol. I've also got hogue grips on it, so it's a bit wider then a normal 226.

What gun to get? go down to the gun store and molest all the ones they have. Buy the one that fits comfortably in your hand. I wouldn't worry about price, it sounds like this is going to be the only gun you buy, so buy the right one.

-d
 
keep the comments coming

Thank you all so much for your input and advice. I orginally looked at 9mm, but all of the Beretta's seemed too big for my wife. That's when I decided to look at the 84 Cheetah.

Unfortunately none of the gun stores in my area (Columbia, SC) keep the 84 Cheetah in stock. It has to be ordered. That really does me no good since I can't get the feel of it.

Keep the comments coming. I really appreciate the input - plus it gives me more information to pass on to my wife.
 
My thoughts are this. If it were me and I were wanting to buy a full size 9mm my first two choices would be a Browning Hi-Power or a Springfield "loaded" in 9mm. Both are single action and have good triggers which allows me more accuracy because I am used to this set up. Both also have external safeties. My second two choices would be either a Sig or H&K with my third two choices being either the Beretta or Taurus's version of the model 92. If you would want a compact 9mm then my favorite is the Kahr.
You would be wise to atleast give the Browning and/or Springfield a look.

In .380 I think that the Cheetah, Sig, or CZ would all be fine.
 
I know you wanted an external safety, as did I for my first gun. However, external safeties and thin grips don't usually go hand in hand. The only exceptions I can think of is the S&W single stack autos (which I don't care for) or the P7M8 (which is not a good beginners gun because you have to hold the safety down and it gets hot after 50 rounds).

Without an external safety, the thinnest gripped 9mm hi-cap I've found (and one of my favorite all around guns) is the Walther P99. Great gun. Adjustable backstraps on the grip. Can't say enough about it.

For single stacks, you can check out the single stack Beretta 92 (very rare and hard to find) or the Sig 225 or 239.
 
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