Which first 9mm pistol for a beginner with 8 months experience

[2wheelwander]

Post some pics Gawp! We love gun pics here, especially overseas. Some range shots and all. Some of us aren't getting out much lately and will live vicariously through your expliots!

 

[stinkeypete]

@Gawp ... can you please describe your target shooting?

Many Americans are now shooting “speed” games which one needs speed to shoot at what I consider “rock throwing” distances, things like IPSC ... pretend you are an action hero, pretend you are a cowboy (I’ve done that one) or pretend you are a gangster from the 1930’s... shooting at steel plates the size of a dinner plate.

The “accuracy” games seem to be in decline... for us, this is mostly NRA Bullseye which is shooting at 50 feet or 50 meters. Paper targets scale in size but at 50’ (16 meters) one must hit inside a small dinner plate size circle to score and inside a tea cup saucer consistently to be competitive. This is what I like, it seems to be in decline. As for Olympic styles, I think 10m air pistol is quite popular as many people can practice at home. I don’t know anyone at all that shoots 50m free pistol or the one where you shoot 5 targets.

Perhaps the most popular target shooting here is shooting at old soda cans, pine cones or shotgun hulls one finds in the woods, set up on logs to be knocked over. “Plinking”. I am a big fan of this one, too.

Since you are shooting in a club environment, can you tell me the group size you are getting from your Shadow 2 and the range?

Personally, I like to shoot slower and at longer distances but have the itch to get a new gun and am wondering if the shadow2 has the accuracy of a mid quality 1911 in .45 and also am wondering to myself if 9mm in a 1911 is heresy, a waste of potential, or just the wave of the future and I should buy one.

 

[JDBerg]

“IMHO” if you can learn to shoot a Glock 17/19 well, you can shoot the rest of them even better.

 

[BJung]

Handguns are like shoes. Close your eyes, grip the handgun, and ask yourself how it feels. I personally like the Browning HP and don't like the feel of the Glock. Second, I'll play with the safety and feel the trigger.. The ones I like, I choose. Now, take those that are left and shoot them and choose.

 

[Prof Young]

How much gun for $1500 in France?

Do hand gun prices in France match what we can get in the USA? I only ask cause . . . I don't know.

Here I can find a new Beretta 92FS for around $600. Could the same be acquired in France for that figure.

All that said I've own a handful of 9mm including a Beretta 92. It was a great gun to shoot. Very good range gun and could be carried in some circumstances. So my vote is with the Beretta.

In the mean time, my current carry nine is a Sig 365. I never thought I'd carry a striker fired gun until I shot a sig 365. Great carry gun.

I was a tourist in France a long time ago but have a clear memory of window shopping along the Champs-Élysées and seeing handguns in a window display next to clothing and other goods. I can't think of anywhere in the USA you'd see that kind of window display.

I hope you find a gun you enjoy shooting.

Life is good.
Prof Young

 

[peacefulgary]

I really dislike the Glocks: the trigger feels weird to me and also it's a very light gun, which I don't like because the recoil kicks a lot/is hard.

Go with the Glock 19 or the Glock 43.
The recoil of a 9mm Glock is nothing to be scared about.
Heck, teenage girls and 80+ year old grannies can handle a 9mm Glock just fine.

I've owned CZ and Sig pistols but they came and went.
They were mostly good pistols, but I always came back to Glocks.

 

[Spats McGee]

Hi,

I'm finally able to legally buy/own a handgun in my home country (France, so it's not easy!).

Yay! Congratulations & welcome to TFL.

The problem is: I could only try a few pistols at the shooting range because they don't have many and I don't know what to buy.

I just know that I want a 9mm pistol for regular target shooting at 15m-25m (roughly 15-25 yards).

That answers one of our most common questions of new shooters, and that is: What do you want to do with it? Knowing that helps. Large, heavy pistols work better than tiny, light ones for target shooting and it's the other way around for concealed carry (which I suspect isn't really an option for you, anyway).

With that said, many TFL members are Americans and many of us (myself included) know very little about: (1) French gun laws; or (2) the French gun market. Pistol prices & availability could be a very different in France than here.

At the shooting range I could try:
-Glock 17/19 Gen5
-Sig Sauer P320
-Sig Sauer P226 LDC
-CZ Shadow 1 (SP01)

I really dislike the Glocks: the trigger feels weird to me and also it's a very light gun, which I don't like because the recoil kicks a lot/is hard.

On the other hand, I like the CZ Shadow 1 very much: the trigger is very smooth/light and it's much heavier so the recoil feels much better.

I have no experience with the pistols you listed. The closest I can get is the fact that I have a Gen 4 G19. That said, of the ones you listed, I like the idea of the CZ Shadow 1. I've only ever shot one CZ (a CZ 75something Compact), but the ergonomics really caught my attention, as they were outstanding for me. Your mileage may vary.

Glocks aren't for everyone, and if it's just for target shooting, there's really no reason to get something that you don't like. I realize that's easy for me to say, given how easy & inexpensively guns are here. Anyway, I say pass on the Glock. You've got better target pistols on your list.

In short, I'm looking for:
-A 9mm pistol
-Pretty "heavy"
-With a "smooth" trigger
-For target shooting
-Under $1500

Can you recommend me pistols like this?


Thanks a lot for your help!

I haven't read the whole thread, so I don't really know what all has been suggested. When I see your list, I think "1911 or Browning Hi-Power." I don't know if either can be had for under $1500, but I think that FN Herstal made some pretty decent BHP clones. (Personally, I prefer to buy American, so I unsuccessfully looked for a French-made BHP clone.)

I guess my other question is this: Does it have to be 9mm? What about a .22LR? In the US, 9mm has been about 4x the price of .22LR over the past several years. That's a lot more bang for your buck, pun intended.

 

[5-SHOTS]

In not particular order:
SIG-Sauer P226
CZ SP01
Tanfoglio P21L or Stock I, II, III or Limited or Match
Beretta 92FS
Grand Power X-Calibur
Walther Q5 Match

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The OP reported on April 26 that he had purchased a CZ Shadow 8 or 9 months prior, so the question has been answered, and his need for advice has expired. If GAWP wants to ask for advice about his new pistol, or shooting it, he is welcome to open a new discussion on any new questions.

This one is closed.