Vanity - Advice on which handgun to buy

[Perdogg]

I am looking to buy a handgun this weekend. Right now I am leaning towards a HK-VP9 or a Glock 26 or a Hammerless.

I have never owned a handgun before and I will sign up for lessons once I purchase the weapon.

Any good advice?

[The KG9 Kid]

I'm putting myself at great risk of inviting hostility here, but I'm just going to say it:

You're getting a lot of really goofy advice in this thread and you should have known better starting a gun thread on Free Republic:

'Start with a .22 Match pistol and learn how to use it!' and 'What you need is a .357 Magnum revolver' and 'No, you need a .38 and THEN move up to a .357 when you finally become a burly he-man' and 'You need a .40 at least, because ain't no 9mm is any kinda man stopper and that's a fact' and 'You're just gonna accidentally shoot yourself with a Glock' and 'You oughtta get one of those giant cheapshit Brazilian-made pistols that shoot birdshot-filled .410 shotgun loads as well as .45 Colt, and then mix .410 and .45LC rounds in the cylinder for maximum effectiveness!' and 'I recommend this here pot metal Spanish made .380 that ain't been manufactured in 28 years...' and 'What you need is a SHOTGUN, son' and 'Have you considered a Micro UZI with an aftermarket 72 round drum made by Bulletcloud Enterprises?' and 'I love my Red Ryder® 200-shot carbine action air rifle with the compass in the stock that tells time' and 'Polymer guns ain't no good for pistol-whipping a perp breaking into your home', and so on.

Remarkably, the first pistol you mentioned yourself in your own opening post is the best advice you've gotten, and you gave it to yourself. The irony.

The new Hk VP9 is by far the finest price:performance handgun available on the market right now. It's practically the same size as the thoroughly carryable Glock 19TB and offers many improvements over that competing brand. Tests show it's a tack driver. Hk proves it's rugged. Order the 'Police' model with the three mags.

I've been everyday-carrying a classic Gen 2 Glock 19 for nine years and I'm sure that Hk VP9 is certainly one step above for the same price. It's absolutely amazing that Hk released a gun of the VP9's quality that didn't cost over $1000 and is also carryable. For 9mm defense ammo, choose the Federal HST in 147gr and nothing else.

You will likely acquire more firearms over time, but I really think you cannot initially go wrong with the first model you listed. You can collect counter-terrorist tactical shotguns and finely blued Colt Pythons later on.

[taxcontrol]

If this is a stay at home or vehicle gun, no problem as long as you can place an accurate 2nd shot. Remember that .357 can also shoot .38 special loads if you need to “tune down” the recoil.

As a CCW, it would tend to limit your carry options as revolvers tend to print “louder” than other options. Not saying that concealed is impossible, just that you will have fewer options for holster / rigs.

That being said, revolvers are usually HIGHLY recommended for those new to fire arms. They are VERY reliable and easy to operate.

Ammoland put out the following article for CCW revolvers:
http://www.ammoland.com/2012/10/best-concealed-carry-revolvers/#axzz3SFB6AJdd

My personal bump is for the Ruger SP101. The advantage that the crimson trace grips provide can not be over stated.

As always, what ever you choose, practice:
- loading and unloading and using a speed loader
- practice reaching your weapon and firing. From standing, sitting, lying on the ground
- practice shooting your target (stationary, moving, while you are ducking behind cover, etc)

10 times slow to get the feel
100 times slightly faster to get the motion down
500 times at normal speed to start the muscle memory

Train how you will fight and you will fight how you train

[Billthedrill]

Rent several and try them out.

Yep. Listen to Jim. I was teaching a neighbor of mine to shoot and she was looking at purse guns and spraying lead all over the range, tried a Browning Hi-Power, which is a largish 9mm, and all of a sudden it's one ragged hole in the center of the target. I never saw that coming but you can guess what she bought. You won't know what the right gun is until you've handled and shot a few. And you WILL find the right gun.

Beware of super-light carry guns. At this stage of your shooting career you're going to want to shoot a lot, and a titanium-frame .357 magnum just isn't much fun to shoot, and I ought to know. Even loaded down to .38 it's still not all that pleasant, and many carry guns aren't even designed to put thousands of rounds through. But a mid-size .38 revolver with, say, a 4" barrel shooting wad-cutters feels like a .22 and is fantastic to practice with. YMMV.

There simply isn't a "best" gun or best caliber or universal solution to any self-defense situation short of a crew-served weapon. I'm hedging my bets by trying to buy one of each. Seems reasonable to me. ;-)

[Swanks]

Check the Sig Sauer P938 for a almost mini 1911, in 9MM. VERY concealable and gets great reviews. U know they are good; tough to find one [but they are out there]

[Yardstick]

Smith & Wesson model 66. Great looking — I mean like beautiful — .38 revolver. It’s the stainless version of the workhorse model 19 which was popular with police departments in the ‘70s and ‘80s before the change to automatics.

[razorback-bert]

My car pistol is a Ruger LCR .22 mag with 2 inch barrel and special ammo. I figure a .22 plus 4000 lbs of car is enough stopping power.

[expat2]

I read something the other day that suggested that .22 bullets often do more damage than say a .40 round. This is because the .22 tumbles more when it first encounters the target than a bigger bullet does.
I don’t know whether it is true, but I do know that FBI data show that more people are killed with a .22 than any other caliber, in part because more accurate shots can be fired in a short period, due to the lack of recoil.

[expat2]

He’ll be getting another gun, anyway. Like chips, you can’t quit with just one.

[expat2]

Yeah, the combination of a heavy caliber with a light frame is something to avoid, especially for a novice.

[Ken H]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

[Goldsborough]

The piece that intrigues me right now is the Ruger LCR in 9mm. That’s a great way to have a manageable and concealable revolver with ammo commonality should you also want a 9mm pistol in the near future.

[donozark]

I have a Galco holster for my Glock. The trigger and guard are actually recessed into the holster. One grabs pistol by grip and jerks it out. Then place finger on trigger guard. Took a while to master this and adjust holster properly.

[nomorelurker]

Simply start with a .38 with +P and shoot it a lot. Don’t care if it is SW, Ruger, Charter or whoever. Shoot it and move on from there if needed. There is a reason that those short snubby 38s have been around for a long time.

[circlecity]

I have a Foxx holster for my snub nose, IWB, which is the same type. Agreed, it takes a while to master and it did loosen up a bit over time making a bit easier to jerk out but still holds the gun secure. It’s a great CC holster.

[Vigilantcitizen]

What travis said. And unlike most will tell you...a revolver is fine for civilian self defense.
Its all about placement.