Buying First Handgun - Advice Please

4/27/09 | Me

[Thane_Banquo]

My wife and I are planning to buy our first handguns.

My wife seems to want either one of the several S&W revolvers chambered in 357, so she can shoot 38SPL, or possibly the Walther PPK semi-auto.

My dilemma is more complicated. I want a semi-auto, but have yet to pick one, but I like the Beretta PX4 Storm, the IWI Jericho/Baby Eagle (hate the Baby Eagle moniker), the S&W Sigma, or the Glock 17. Glock 17 is probably my least favorite. I've also been told by one friend to stay away from the Baby Eagle, but I've seen good reviews for it.

What are your opinions on these?

I have been told that, as a beginner, I should shoot 9mm to start. Is this true, or is it okay to try 40S&W instead?

[mainestategop]

My advice is when the time comes to turn it over, claim you already did and hide it in the woods.

[novemberslady]

bkmking for what I’m sure will be great advice

[Graybeard58]

My advice is......you’re going to get lots of advice.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Forget the PPK.

[Tarpon]

Go to a range that rents guns and try them out. Don’t forget to take the wife ^_^

For years my wife liked her S&W 36, then she went to the rent range and tried a Glock 19. Now she uses the Glock. The point and shoot style guns, like Glocks have really caught on. The only problem my wife has is with the slide, so use high capacity magazines.

[bamahead]

I have a PX4 Storm in .40 cal. I absolutely love it. I’ve also shot the 9mm model. I can’t say anything bad about either of them. They’re great pistols.

[HospiceNurse]

Autos are pretty, but revolvers don't jam. My first handgun would be a single action .22 revolver like a Ruger Single Six. It won't scare your wife. You can afford to burn thousands of practice rounds at the range, and once you are competent, get whatever you want.

[bamahead]

OH, and as many here will also likely tell you - if there is a range in your area that will let you rent some pistols and try them out...highly encourage you to do so.

[lacrew]

Some indoor ranges let you rent a gun for an hour - a good way to try one out. Everybody has an opinion on what is better. You have to find out what you like best.

Me, I like the Army issue 9mm (Colt)....but, if I were to get a conceal carry license, I would have to go smaller. It is just a little ‘bulky’.

If you are just into target shooting, I strongly recommend a 0.22, purely for ammo economics.

...but, they all go boom, its just a matter of what you like best.

[RKV]

Buy a .22 first. Learn to shoot. Then go to a commercial range and rent several different kinds to try before you buy. Guns in general, and handguns in particular reward practice, so buying a pistol and putting it in a drawer doesn’t help you that much. And if you want home protection that goes double because you’ll be using it under stress. It’d be better to get an inexpensive home defense shotgun - because if you miss, the rounds won’t go through walls to kill someone else in your home.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/first_handgun.htm

[Mr. K]

Stick with a revolver- I am qualtified from the military police and having an automatic in the house still scares me.

[thefactor]

go to a good range. rent a number of guns. make your decision that way.

my gun may not good for you for any number of reasons: hand size, arm strength, dexterity, any number of features of the gun, personal preference.

there is nothing like a good 1911, but .45 is a big round. i carry 9mm's and i like them a lot.

[Sudetenland]

Glock has the best reputation for reliability, but any of the 9's you mention is a good choice...in the end, it is not the weapon but the skill of the user that matters most.

Get good, comprehensive instructions from a skilled individual...that matters much more than your choice of weapon.

Practice, practice, practice. If you get an automatic, you want the operation of it to be completely subconscious. If you get a revolver then operation is simple.

[Concho]

You need to take a little road trip to a gun friendly state and then try out the different guns. Pick one up, try the fit. At the price of guns today, it is foolish to spend that money for something that you cant hit anything with. How big of a guy are you? How large are your hands? How good is your grip—that is very important to accuracy with a semi auto. If you limp wrist an auto, it is going to jam, guarenteed. There are lots of things to consider other than the brand name. You want the one that goes bang every time.

There is no romance with a .40. It is a compromise for those who want something more than a 9 but arent big enough to handle a .45. Ammo is difficult to find and extremely expensive. Go to a good range and handle the guns and get some range time with different ones. 9mm and .45 ammo is commonly available. It works. The revolver for your wife is a wise choice. You are going to have almost equal recoil from either the 9 or the 45, as the 9 is a much higher pressure load than the 45 and kicks back more, so go try them and then make your own decision based upon the range instructors advice.

[Zeddicus]

I'm a new shooter also so take this "advice" for what it's worth, but here's my take:

First off, I think it's very worthwhile to get an inexpensive .22 pistol for fun and practice - ammo is MUCH cheaper and easier to find than even 9mm. I have both a Ruger MkIII and S&W 22A-1. I like them both. Once you've stripped, cleaned, and reassembled a Ruger .22, any other semi-auto will be cake. :D

My other handgun is a Beretta 92fs (9mm). I love it. Gorgeous, fantastic quality, accurate, eats any ammo, never jams, and is incredibly simple to strip & clean. I can't explain it, but I also seem to just prefer metal-framed guns over the plastic ones.

[JudgemAll]

I like the slim 1911 for concealment.

For high capacity, get a doublestacker Glock or XD40. THey are a bit too fat in 45, so I’d get either a 357 sig if you prefer penetration assurance, or a 40 if you want more lead for the bang and buck.

Think manhood, going for adventure, when choosing a gun.

I liked my HK USP better than the glock which is not so good at handling and too light of a barrel (an also I tend to jerk the glock right when pulling trigger), imo, but I believe the HK is not a double stacker.

IF the Cz52 is still cheap around, get one as a back up beater to keep in glove box.

[Michigan Bowhunter]

Get what is most comfortable feeling in your hand. If your wife is a bit intimidated by a pistol....get her a revolver she likes...

Take her to practice on Saturdays and get in a league if you can.

[AD from SpringBay]

Buy a handgun that has lost its birth certificate. Then buy another one.

[thefactor]

i assume you mean a semi-automatic.

for the most part, semi-autos have a number of safety features that revolvers lack. imho, a revolver is more likely to have an AD. unless you are talking about Glock's.

flame on!