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Good first handgun?

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My two cents worth.

.45's are ment to knock a person down. Even if you just "wing" someone with a .45, 9 of of 10 times they will go down. So for personal defence (esp. if your new to hand guns and maybe not a great shot) a .45 might be a good choice.
 


<<

<< As far as the comments re: fewer moving parts, jamming, etc, that has nothign to do with the experience of the user. A misfire is a misfire and a jam is a jam.

Trust me, im not going for a semi-auto so I can show it off to my OG's back in 'da hood. 🙂 >>

It sounds like you really don't know that much about firearms, then. In a revolver, the cylinder physically revolves with each pull of the trigger, so whether or not the round fires it will be moved and a new round will fall under the hammer. So when you experience a misfire you pull the trigger again. That's it. Jams are virtually nonexistent.

Now, for a semiauto it gets a lot more complicated. A round can fail to feed properly from the magazine, or it can lodge partially in the chamber instead of inserting properly (particularly with truncated nose bullets like those found in the popular hollow-point partially fragmented rounds used for self defense). Once the round is in the chamber, if it misfires it will not be ejected and will have to be removed manually. If it does fire the cartridge still may not eject properly and lodge in the ejection chamber (called stovepiping because it resembles a chimney sticking out of the gun). You will have to learn and practice the tap-rack-bang maneuver in order to clear misfeeds by turning the pistol with the ejection port down, tapping the bottom of the magazine, and racking the slide to clear a misfeed and reload a new cartridge. You will also have to learn the lock-rip-work-tap-rack-bang to lock the slide, remove the magazine, work the slide, reinsert the magazine, load a cartidge, etc.

Now if you're seriously going to pursue the training and practice required to safely handle a semiauto then more power to you. But you asked for a recommendation for a good first handgun (to be used for self-defense) in which case I'd recommend a revolver. If after reading the above you still don't think that there is a difference to the user then you should probably seriously reconsider whether or not you're ready for the responsibility. >>




I wasnt trying to imply there wasnt a difference. You misunderstood (or I poorly worded) what I was trying to say, but I'll leave it at that. I appreciate the post and thank you for some newfound insight. 🙂





<<
And, Lucky, those recommending a revolver are absolutely correct. It is a MUCH better choice for a first handgun. Now, if you are willing to spend plenty of time learning and training on a semi-auto BEFORE you ever carry, that's one thing. But, most people aren't willing to do that. If you aren't, then get a revolver.

Russ, NCNE >>





Point taken as well. The concealed carry is more of a longer-term desire, state laws and workplace laws may prevent me from doing so anyways. My desire is to get a handgun that will short term be for practice/learning/home defending and later on (if practical) be a concealed carry.


Thank you for your help folks. I wasnt aware ranges have guns available to "try out". I've fired handguns before-but very limited. I've mostly stuck to shotguns and rifles on our NM ranch.



 


<< Thank you for your help folks. I wasnt aware ranges have guns available to "try out". I've fired handguns before-but very limited. I've mostly stuck to shotguns and rifles on our NM ranch. >>



This brings up an important point - the condition of range rental guns varies wildly, since they are often poorly maintained. A rental that is subject to jamming may or may not imply a deficit in quality, and some guns require more maintenance than others. In my experience the best place to rent and shoot is a gun store that has a built-in range - since they sell guns, they have an incentive to clean the guns so you have a favorable impression and are likelier to buy.
 
I am actually looking at a Ruger P90 its a .45 automatic with some safety features.
The reviews seem good. and its right up your price range.
My local gun shop has it for $379 brand new

I have asked a couple of my buddies who are avid users and they claim that .45 is the way to go. More stopping power and more accurate there words not mine so please dont flame me if this is way off base.
 


<< I have asked a couple of my buddies who are avid users and they claim that .45 is the way to go. More stopping power and more accurate there words not mine so please dont flame me if this is way off base. >>



No, this is not off-base at all. .45 ACP is probably the most accurate handgun caliber and a proven stopper. It is a bit expensive to shoot compared to 9mm, and produces somewhat more recoil, but is still quite controllable unless you are a very small person or one with weak wrists. The cost factor is only a major concern for someone who plans on shooting a lot (I enjoy it and go to the range every week).
 
don vito


correct me if i'm wrong but in my hands the glock .45 caliber actually had less recoil than the 9mm walther because of the balance and the way it fit.

i really think that you can get good information here but ultimately you really should shoot the guns to get a good feel for them.
 


<< don vito


correct me if i'm wrong but in my hands the glock .45 caliber actually had less recoil than the 9mm walther because of the balance and the way it fit. >>



This is certainly possible. The .45 ACP is a relatively low-pressure, slow-moving round, and the Glock design, with its polymer frame and low bore axis (which places the barrel relatively low in the hand), is a fairly light-recoiling gun for any given caliber (though its light weight tends to mitigate these traits somewhat). As your experience indicates, gun choice is very personal, and what is comfy to me might be punishing to someone else. That said, other things being equal, 9mm is definitely a lighter-recoiling round than .45 ACP, or any of the calibers in between (.40 S&W, .357 SIG, or the relatively brutal 10mm).
 
Lots of good advice here, I'm no expert but here's my two cents. I previously owned a S&W 3913 and I liked it alot for concealed carry. It was a very reliable 9mm and nice and thin, under 1" thick. I sold that and I now carry a Beretta Tomcat, I really miss the S&W. Many critics would disagree with my current choice of handgun because of it's caliber and lack of "stopping power" but I really like it's small size. I prefer to carry IWB in the front on my weak side and the Beretta is a comfortable fit especially when driving. My next purchase will likely be a 9mm Kahr MK series handgun.
 


<< --you can not go wrong with a revolver, like Colt or SW. >>



Perfect advice until you get more comfortable with CC and firearms in general. The Colt Detective Special is an ideal candidate for a CC weapon, and will fit your budget perfectly.

As far as semi-automatics are concerned, you won't be able to find a Sig in your price range, the Glock is a love it or hate it proposition (i'm not partial to it at all personally), and the Beretta and most .45's will be too large to be a good occassional carry piece. The Walther (or Browning Hi-Power Compact) is a good choice... if you can find one for that price in good shape, grab it, but you're more likely going to end up picking through a small assortment of Ruger and Taurus 9mm pieces (probably used or former gunshow display pieces) at that price range.
 
Russ I agree most semi's are bad for a new gun owner to carry, and more so with Glocks, but it all depends on who made the 1911 if you think he should get one. Kimber, yes, but many of the cheaper made ones are junk and would go off as easy as a Glock. I carry mostly my USP .45 and sometimes my Glock 21. I love to shoot the Glock but the USP is SS so I normally carry that, as well as I like the balance of it better.
 


<< I love to shoot the Glock but the USP is SS so I normally carry that, as well as I like the balance of it better. >>



By SS do you mean stainless steel? The Tenifer finish on a Glock is even more corrosion-resistant than the relatively high-ferrous stainless used in handguns, so that hardly seems like a factor in favor of the HK. If you just prefer it for its balance, or prefer DA/SA for carry, that is another issue . . .
 
I think a .40 cal. might be a good choice, esp. in a GLOCK. The 23 is small and handy. Nowadays it comes with a 10 round clip, but there are some 13 round clips out there. I personally keep a SW .44 Mag ,but that's another story.
 
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