Thread: First Handgun

So I was just on vacation for two weeks and recently my dad started buying guns. We did this contest thing with all the family members and I really enjoyed trying all the different weapons there. Now that I'm back home I've been considering buying my own weapon. At some point I want to get a M4 but for now I'm just looking for a pistol, anyone have a suggestion for someone new to owning?

Some details, it will be used for either shooting range or self-defense at home. I may consider getting a carry permit but it would be of little use to me, I work for a company where government work is done and so they aren't allowed on the property.

We tried a number of different weapons over the vacation but of the ones I did, the P22 was my favorite.

After work today I plan to go down to a shooting range near me if I have time and try out some of the weapons they have there. Any suggestions though?

Which are you wanting more? One for the shooting range or one for home protection? If it is for the shooting range you really can't go wrong with a P22. The ammo is really cheap and it is fun to shoot. It will let you become familiar with the aspects of owning a pistol. After owning it for a while and getting comfortable with it, you can then get something a little bigger.

Springfield Xd-40 compact or subcompact are personal favorites. I have changed many law enforcement friends over from glock. It is something to go and handle to enjoy. Usually I stick with .40 for everything in handgun. All government agencies are swapping to it for ammo compatibility. Never know when You will need ammo and Not have it in life. At least this way I can always find someone who can spare some if things go bad. Also has a little more stopping power without too much recoil

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If you have limited firearms experience a revolver is best for home defense. Use ammunition that is designed in some fashion to fragment on impact (you absolutely do not want rounds that are jacketed) the reason being such bullets loose energy and fragment quickly as they pass through walls, reducing the chances of accidentally hitting someone you are not shooting at wall or two away.

A sidearm for recreation can be anything really according to your preferences. My two favorite range pistols are a .22 long rifle target pistol and a larger caliber cz52 which is a beast of a pistol, not something you want to shoot an intruder with since the muzzle velocity of the round is extremely high and finding a soft round is almost impossible, unless it hits a stud or another sturdy object its more a matter of how many apartments it would go through not walls. The ammunition for both is cheap and both are nice sidearms for different types of shooting. The target pistol is just as the name suggests a very accurate semi auto, with good technique and using the large clear sights getting a shot group of about grape fruit size is fun from 50 yards. The cz52 is a combat pistol, as such, your not using the sights (which are of the tiny European type) your using simple muscle memory and using the entire pistol as your aim reference (that is the best description I can come up with) to quickly acquire a center mass shot at differing ranges and then if you throw in a curve ball of always reloading with one round left in the chamber and shooting while your left hand is swapping clips its a blast.

On a side note make sure you are either at a private range or a range that allows a more 'combat' style of range use before doing the second, getting kicked off the range by a range safety because you didn't ask or give the heads up on your intent is fairly embarrassing.

this is what you want

Picking up the shotty tomorrow and the pistol when available.

My dad actually has a 92 as his carry, I tried a clip of it and it wasn't bad.

So I went to the range and they had an XD there to try, also the dealer suggested it as well. I really enjoyed the XD a lot, I liked the looks but what really matters is I liked the feel of it when firing. I also tried a Glock 17, a M&P, and a Sig P226 all in 9mm. The Glock was ok, the M&P i felt like the handgrip was a bit small.

The P226, that gun is awesome. It is my favorite so far but twice the price of a XD which felt almost as good and I'm not looking to spend more than $500 if possible.

Get the sig and do not look back. You will not regret it. The sig is twice the money because it is twice the gun. Also stick with a 9mm for your first gun. Recoil is much easier to manage and it cost way less than a .40 to shoot.

I have the following sigs:

Mosquito
P239
P226
P226X5
P229
P220
556

All of them are top notch guns with amazing balance and accuracy. I will not even consider another semi-auto handgun until I own every model.