Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Let me start off by saying, i know this isn't a gun forum which is why im posting this here! before you all get :confused: let me explain.

I'm well aware my question has been beaten to a dead horse, i guess its kinda like saying "which is the best cigar?" on this board. But that is why i'm asking here and not on a handgun forum, i want peoples opinions about which handgun would be best for me (i know there are a lot of variables but again please bare with me!).

IF you were in my shoe's which handgun would you choose given the following information. I obviously will be going to ranges (assuming theres one close by that rents guns) to see what i like as well so please don't assume that i will buy something just off what people say on here. I'm using this as a starting point i guess you could say. So many brands and models i'm clueless as where to start looking.

Price range: 700roughly give or take 100.
Use: Fun at the range double up as home protection (don't live on the safe side of town +one of my best friends who i view as my little sister will be moving in with me this next year).
Previous shooting experience:
12 gauges
410 shot gun
tompson yea... i'm gangster!
ar-15
.9mm CZ with a .22LR conversion as well (shot both)
Garand rifle
muzzleloaders
Personal specs: 5'11, 185 pounds i would say my hands are a average medium.

I would also like one that i can throw things like a flashlight and have the possibility of perhaps a red dot on it as well, unless there are big reasons why i shouldn't. I'd say i'm comfortable with/around guns (as long as i know the person holding the gun knows how to handle it) and using them just never owned one before.

useless info?: At the pistol range today using my buddies 9mm CZ with the .22LR i feel i did fairly well. My grouping while using the 22 shocked me at how well i did and i'd say whooped my buddy who owns the gun. But when we switched to the .9mm he went downhill. My groupings where still tight but not on target (he did say the sights were a bit off on the .9mm though). The gun felt great in my hand and the trigger pull i was very happy with only thing i didn't like about it was the fact the trigger and the trigger guard felt like they were too far forward and i could barely touch the far edge of the guard with my trigger finger.

Targets were 25feet away i can snap pics if people want.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I love Glocks. You'll find those that hate them and those that love them. I would borrow or rent one to shoot before you buy because some people dislike the feel in the hand. Depending on how big you hand is you could for with a .45 ACP glock and get a holster and some ammo for under your $700 price point.
Also are you planning on making it a carry gun as well as a HD gun? If you are planning on carrying something a little smaller in physical size would be better.:2

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I really like shooting the Sig Sauer P229....feels great in the hand and is easy to strip and clean.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

What does HD stand for? I don't plan on getting a CCW as i won't need one. Don't plan on walking around town strapped only thing it will see outside of my house will be my car and the range.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

home defense
Full size Glock in .45ACP, 10mm .40 S&W

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

one thing i dislike about the glocks is the socalled safety on them. Never held a glock so i can't say if i like them or not but i would like a gun with a legit safety, one thing my manager agree's with me about :r (he owns a 9mm glock not sure which one)

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

You will get opinions on this topic ad naseum, I will just give my opinion and then you go shoot some and pick your own, you cannot and I mean cannot go wrong with S&W M&P and Glock, simple to use and go bang everytime, and they are basically indestructible.

The M&P and the new Gen 4 Glocks have interchangeable (different size) backstraps to custom fit your hand, both have rails for mounting lights. I have shot 1,000's of rounds through both M&P's and Glocks and both are well suited for the needs you are stating. Only reason I go M&P is because I like the angle of the grip better and it's just a better feeling/looking gun my :2

Here is my full size M&P and my compact, also my full size Glock and compact.

Attachment 9439

Attachment 9440

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Well not to sound like an ass, but the only safety that matters is between you ears. Keep your bugger hook off the damn trigger and the gun will not go off.
:2;s
End Rant

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

touche and i understand the only true safety with your gun is you. I'm hoping monday i'll be able to make it out to a range with my buddy to do some more shooting/experimenting with some handguns. Definitely gonna shoot a glock before i start knocking.

Also since glocks aren't metal whats the kickback like? I'm a fan of metal guns, even when i played airsoft i'd take metal over plastic just for the feel of it.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

it's not that bad. the 40 is "snappy". but the low bore axis of the barrel (how low the barrel sits) helps reduce recoil. With the subcompact size their is a little more recoil but still not too bad. I actually qualified at our dept. range with a subcompact .40 Glock 27 just for fun.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Why not just get a CZ? The price is right for a first gun. I don't know which CZ you were shooting, but they are very reasonable across the board.

Get some more experience firing other pistols over the next year or so and you can trade up without losing a big chunk of change, if you feel you need to.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I love me some Glock's. Rent some at a range and decide which caliber is best for you :tu

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I like the Springfield XD series I own the XD45 compact and an XD40 subcompact and have never had a problem. Go to your range and shoot many diffrent guns the Glocks and the M&P are both great platforms choose what feels right to you

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

First of all the Glock safety (firing pin block) is one of the best safeties you can have. It will not fire unless you pull the trigger! Most gun makers are now putting this same kind of safety on thier guns.

Best gun for home defense is going to be a shotgun, why do you want a handgun? Do you really want it just to go to the range?

Personally I feel for the money you can't beat a Glock. Buy it and shot the hell out of it! You may want to get a 9mm since you are worried about recoil but 9mm is not the best for home defense. Just about any handgun round is going to go through walls into other parts of the house if you miss your target, the 9mm may go into somebody else's house.

I carry a Kimber 1911, but they are more then $700.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I'm not worried about the recoil from a 45 10mm or anything else i just like the feel of steel/metal better then poly. As far as the shotgun goes, yes it might be better but in a tight area i'd much rather have a handgun then a shotgun. Much more agile, lower profile ect ect. I only see one upside to a shotgun for home defense which is the spread and the "oh ****" factor of the guy breaking in.

I've had my eye on the 1911's for a very long time but i want something that i can add laser/flashlight maybe even a red dot site onto down the road. Maybe its the car guy in me but i like to mod my toys :D.

edit: you can actually pick 1911's up for around 700ish, might not be kimber but kimber isn't the only company that makes 1911's :)

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I really like H&K's. The USP compact specifically.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

i've actually been looking at the usp 45 for the past few minutes lol

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

i dont like the grip on a sig or glock. love shooting my xd and love 1911. my next gun will be a fnx. its like a hk just not as much $$

check this out

also this

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

YOU LIVE!?!?!? :banger

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

With a handgun, there is a sort of "zen" that happens when you pick up the one that's right for you. For me, it's my various Glock firearms. Might not be for you. I can strongly recommend finding a local range that has guns for rent, and try a few different guns out. You'll know when you have the right one....:tu

You're in the right price range to purchase a high quality weapon; don't compromise there. Glock, Beretta, Sig-Sauer, S&W, Springfield Armory, H&K, Colt, Kimber, Ruger....any of these guys know how to make a quality firearm and can be trusted to provide you with a great tool for your defense needs.

Lastly, take it to the range and put some focused practice time in. A couple of lessons with an experienced instructor will prevent you from developing bad habits and sharpen your techniques. Shooting a handgun is an acquired skill, and it takes lots of practice to do it well.

Be safe and have fun - N.F.H.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

:tu

I cannot argue with anyone mentioning 1911's nothing shoots truer.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Sig makes a darned fine weapon. If you don't like the double stack grip, pick up one of the single stack varieties. There is a new E2 out that has a fancy looking ergo grip, may help you out some.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I have sig 226 and sig stainless 229 for the boat. Also have the sig 522 rifle. All great guns. Good video on YouTube sig to hell and back.

Good luck

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CCIQ8wIwAA#

Rock Island Armory makes a great 1911

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I love my Glock 27. Glocks aren't for everyone though. I would also say that you should stick with whatever caliber you can handle. What I mean by that is if you can group a 9 mm very well and only soso with a .40 or .45 then stick with the 9 mmm. I know you can practice, but if you can put 10 shots in a tight group then that's better than 10 shots from a bigger caliber spread out.

Jumping on the bandwagon as well about the safety of the Glock, trigger pull equals fire, no trigger pull no fire.:tu

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Ok so i went to the range the other day, 70 bucks later in range time 4 boxes of 9mm and 3 guns rented i think i know what im gonna jump at!

Shot the springfield xdm 9mm, s&w M&P 9mm, my friends CZ 9mm/22 (2nd time i've shot it), and berretta 92.

XDM felt kinda bulky just in general. I could hold it find and i shot with it fine my groupings were pretty tight, actually the best of the rentals but i HATED the grip on it and again just felt to bulky for me. Which was a shame since i shot it so well :(.

M&P 9: felt good. like the grip like the sights. Groupings were tight, not as tight as the XDM or my buddies CZ but i was happy with them. I was able to out shoot my buddy while he was using his own gun (then again was able to outshoot him using his personal gun as well :r). Only thing is the trigger. It has that goofy kinda two triggers in one thing going on. Not like the glock or the xdm but it was almost like one trigger cut in half then put back together using a hinge. I did get used to it pretty quickly though and after about 50 rounds through it didn't even realize it. Plus the fish scale thing going on on the slide is nice. Made it a lot easier to pull back then the others.

Berretta 92: Felt just too... plain? ordinary? Nothing about this gun really stood out to me. The trigger was i guess the only thing i could say i enjoyed. In one mag it jammed twice. Coulda been the best feeling and best shooting gun i used that day but twice in one mag? No thanks.

CZ 9mm: I'll have to ask him what model it is but this thing shot like a dream. Only down side is he has about 500-600 worth in gunsmithing work which i'm not interested in. I know i will be down the road but i want one i like right out of the box. But boy does it shoot nice.

So unless i shoot a gun i like better then the M&P, i'm gonna jump on that one. Going again sometime soon with a buddy who is a board patrol guy who has a issued H&K .40 dunno what model USP maybe? All i know is its a 40 and has no safety. Trying to stick to the 9mm though since this is also gonna double up as a range gun for me.

On a side note is there any difference between the standard M&P and the pro? I know the pro has a lighter trigger pull and also comes in the 5" barrel and the standard 4 and however many inch barrel so you get an option. But other then that i can't seem to find much about comparing the two side by side.

edit: lets not forget the 17+1 mag the M&P comes with :).

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Just want to put this out there....
Any reason why you are going w/a semi-auto ? Try a good quality S&W revolver....you'll love the trigger.
SW TRR8
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_I.../IMG_00158.jpg

But I guess if you're gonna go semi-auto; go with the best :D
USP Compact 45:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_I.../IMG_00159.jpg

The only words of wisdom I can offer (after carrying on/off the job for over 10 years..) is ya gotta go with something comfortable in the hand. It needs to be an extension of your limb; not just some badass looking hunk of metal.

Also, if you are considering CCW; most of the weapons you tried will be too big to lug around and tuck comfortably.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Not interested in a CCW atm. When i do i'll look into a 2nd smalller gun compacts ect ect.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I have to agree with the revolver... The new Smith 686s are sweet.
Nothing says stop like the report from a 357!
I own two 686s and I would pick either up before anything else. I can drive nails fro 75 yards and the feel is phenomenal.
Sure, the 'fun' factor is lacking a bit, but you could get a really nice weapon for well under your imposed $700 limit.
The versatility of being able to shoot some .38+P rounds on days when your wrist is feeling a bit weak is also nice.

I LOVE SMITH REVOLVERS!

Can ya tell?

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I love my 1911 and was looking at the H&K USP until I held it, something just didn't feel right. I have to say that my buddies Springfield XD in .40 is a great pistol. This felt great in my hands and was light enough to carry.
If you aren't going to worry about carrying then I would look at a 1911 or something in a SIG. The Sig's are great pistols, you can usually find them used pretty reasonable. I love a good .45 but .40 would be good also.

I owned a Beretta 92 for a bit, it felt nice but couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it, lol and 9mm, just too damn small :P

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

You can change the grip Backstrap on the XDM.

"With our interchangeable backstraps, we've added another level of comfort. Personalize your grip by choosing one of three backstraps for a more custom fit."
http://www.the-m-factor.com/html/personlization.html

Edit:And the XD is 19 + 1 Magazine

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Not in NYS anymore, freakin BS!!

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

;s Glad I left NY in 89

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'm somewhat in the same camp as the originator of this thread. Not my first handgun, but my first model 1911. I have shot one and loved it and I want a solid new Model 1911 in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. Doesn't have to be that much, but I'm willilng to pay more for a gun with good accuracy. I'm not into the custom's or into competition at all. I have my conceal carry license but don't intend to carry much at all. Looking for a very accurate, steel, full size model 1911 for my price range. I'm leaning towards a Cold National Match in Stainless Steel, but they are incredibly hard to find. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Steve

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Again I am gonna rant about 1911's again (sorry), after being at the range yesterday with 2 co-workers who carry Kimber customs and watching their guns malfunction time and time again (they carry these to save their lives mind you) and my M&P just going and going without a hiccup (500 rounds or so) it boggles my mind that a $1,200 gun cannot work right. Anyways I do love 1911's and like to play with them, but if my life depended on it, and it does the M&P is the only choice for me.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

I have a walther p99. it's the nicest gun that i have shot to date. i love that fun

my concealed piece is a Springfield XD40 subcompact.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Glock 19 or 23.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

Thanks guys for the quick feedback. I'm going to have to look into the M&P for sure; I've heard great things about it, but I seem to have read early on some concerns about the safety being an issue. I'll see if I can rent one to shoot before I make up my mind. Thanks.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

thats the best thing to do. go to a range and put some rounds through as many guns as possible.

find what feels good to you and go with that. no sense in owning a gun that you don't like the feel of.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

:tpd: I have a Sig 229 that I shoot way better than any other gun I've owned or carried. Sig makes a 1911 that looks awesome, but I recommend holding, manipulating, and shooting a variety of guns before investing a decent amount of money so you get what works best for you.

Re: Help choosing my first handgun!
 

stevez, they do have a version of the M&P with a thumb safety if your interested! They are a little harder to find but don't cost a whole lot more either. Let me know if you get a M&P :)