Gun nuts - I need your advice

[madoka]

About to purchase my first handgun. I liked shooting my friend's Sig P226 .40, so I figured I'd get that one. How is it as a beginner gun?

It's $960 at Turner's and comes with night sights. Does this sound like a good price?

I figured I'd get it and confirm I like it at the range, then by a couple more as backups since I would be familiar with it. Good idea or should I buy different guns?

Are there any accessories I should buy?

Anything else I should keep in mind?

 

[FelixDeCat]

Last time I fired a 40 cal my hand regretted it. I prefer a smooth 9mm like a Browning Hi-Power.

 

[twinrider1]

Find a range you like.
Take the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course.

The instructor may have a variety of pistols in a variety of calibers that you can shoot. He may not. If he doesn't, spend some time at the range renting a variety of pistols. Find what is comfortable for you.

Price ammunition. You'll find 9mm is about a third less than .40. It adds up.

Backups? Having identical guns isn't really needed. Instead of 3 of the same gun, I'd rather have.....

-.22 pistol, like a Ruger Mark III. Cheap ammo allows for plenty of range time.

-something small for concealed carry in whatever caliber you find you like.

-something in a larger frame, probably in the same caliber as your carry gun, for around the house.

That's not carved in stone, just a thought.


It's important to be a responsible gun owner. This means a gun safe, or at least gun locks.

Also, listen to Clint Smith.

 

[ManBearPig]

Check my yagt OMG I love guns thread. I think I have probably asked all your questions 1000x lol.

 

[Kroze]

Does this answer your question?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsxdk1V8i-M&feature=plcp

 

[RampantAndroid]

Last time I fired a 40 cal my hand regretted it. I prefer a smooth 9mm like a Browning Hi-Power.

If .40 hurts you hand, you honestly should never fire a 9mm +P, and should consider .380. .40 isn't much at all.

 

[Agent11]

The sig P226 is a very nice gun, very easy to break down and clean as well... No manual safety so make sure it is no where near any kids.

 

[TallBill]

Heart my p226... heart my p220 as well

 

[brainhulk]

i have 3 handguns: a beretta m9a1, sig p220, and cz sp-01. I am most accurate with the cz, although all have been excellent at the range

 

[rudeguy]

The P226 *WILL* be my next gun. I am a Glock guy but that girl is pretty!

If you have shot one and like it, buy it! I am warning you though, starting out with a nice gun like that could fuel an addiction very quickly.

As for the price, its very fair. I've been searching for a P226 with night sites and can't seem to find one under $1k. Sigs are not cheap and that is a good thing. They are an elite gun and should be price that way.

 

[olds]

Sorry, I am not a nut, I can't help.

 

[shortylickens]

Your first gun should be a cheap 22.
But before you even get your first gun, your first step should be to take a training course. THEN decide what gun you need.
(It will be a 22, trust me.)

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I really like my sig p238. The 380 is a smaller round, but the gun is extremely pocketable. It's very friendly to shoot, particularly with the +1 mag extension.

 

[bruceb]

.40 cal should not hurt your hand. If you think that is bad, try .45 cal or a real big gun like the Desert Eagle in .50AE caliber ammo. That is a big gun and even that does not kick all that badly. But you do feel it it in the wrist the first few times you fire it.
http://www.magnumresearch.com/Firearms/Magnum-Research-Desert-Eagle-50-AE-Matte-Chrome.asp

 

[Josh123]

Get a 1911 .45.

I currently have a H&K USP .40 but I plan to replace it with a Kimber after my wife gets her degree.

 

[Agent11]

1911 is a good gun too although harder to break down. You will want to get the A1 version if you want to avoid slide bite.

 

[smitbret]

Your first gun should be a cheap 22.
But before you even get your first gun, your first step should be to take a training course. THEN decide what gun you need.
(It will be a 22, trust me.)

This.

When you are learning to shoot, you will use a lot of ammo. .22 ammo is cheap and you can great a good pistol for $300-$400. Once you've learned to fire a .22 and are able to hit what you are shooting at, it will carry over to the larger calibers. You may discover that you lose interest or just aren't any good and you'll end up kicking yourself for investing $1000 in a pistol you never shoot. There's a lot of people out there with a nice Glock sitting on the shelf that they keep for "Self-Defense" but in reality they couldn't hit a burglar from 10 feet away and would be better off with a baseball bat.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm not a big .40 fan, so I would choose 9mm or .45ACP.

One other thing you may consider... is do you shoot a DA/SA automatic well. By that I mean what I feel is a squirrley trigger with a fair amount of takeup shooting SA (after the first DA round, depending on how you carry it.) I don't, so I stick with SA automatics like a 1911, the Browning HiPower, and the striker-fired Kahr. The Kahr has a longer trigger pull, but it is far smoother and linear compared to a DA/SA automatic trigger.

We have a range down in Plano that has something like 250 different pistols for rent... see if you are able to 'test drive' a pistol first before dropping all that coin on a pistol you may not like. I test fired the HK USP... a pistol I was very ready to like... and found out I can't shoot it worth a foop (trigger and safety problems based on the way I shoot a 1911.)

 

[pontifex]

would not recommend .40 as a first handgun unless you already have tons of experience shooting it.

If you are completely unfamiliar with guns I would say start with .22. If you want this for home protection as well as plinking, then go 9mm.

 

[clamum]

I really like my .40 P226 but I also paid about $750 or a bit more for it, SLIGHTLY used. If you really like it, I would suggest trying to find a good used one.

My first pistol was a 9mm and I don't regret it. I think a .22LR could be argued as being the best first pistol.

 

[Phanuel]

Other than the slightly snappier recoil from the .40 round, the price of ammunition is also a detractor. 9mm is just more commonly available and less expensive. .45 is fun to shoot but again, pricey.

Honestly you don't NEED to start with a .22 as long as you go into shooting with a mindset of wanting to find your own faults and improve.

Dryfire lots to build basic trigger discipline, work on not anticipating shots. Do ball and dummy drills (live ammo, typically cheap "ball" or non-hollowpoint, mixed with snap caps or dummy rounds), balance empty casings on the front sight while dry firing, etc.

If you start anticipating shots, just stop shooting live ammunition for a bit as all you're doing at that point is building up a flinch and that doesn't help. Trigger manipulation is the 2nd biggest thing after flinching for accuracy issues.

 

[ManBearPig]

i have 3 handguns: a beretta m9a1, sig p220, and cz sp-01. I am most accurate with the cz, although all have been excellent at the range

This man is wise, but I am a complete noob so all I can say is OMG the SP-01 feels good. :wub: Bought one last week for my first pistol.

 

[kranky]

I like the idea of doing a lot of dryfiring for new gun owners, as it also helps get you in the habit of checking/clearing your gun every time you pick it up.

 

[madoka]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I do plan on buying other guns, but I figured I should get good/familiar with one and have extra backups of it. Is that still a bad idea?

I was at a range for several hours with friends. I did start with a Ruger .22, which I thought was VERY fun and accurate, but I eventually graduated to the P226 within a couple of hours. I tried a 9mm Glock, old revolver, and some misc. handguns that my friends bought, but found the P226 to be the best in terms of accuracy and comfort. Are there any other guns that I should try? All the suggestions for 9mm have intrigued me enough that I'll give that one a whirl. I was told .40 for stopping power.

After I get my first gun, I plan on attending an all-day gun safety course, where they'll let me shoot it at the range so that I can become more familiar with it. Afterwards, I figure I'd get a .22 targeting pistol and some sort of rifle with a scope, as I found hitting cans at 100 yards to be really fun as well.

 

[Agent11]

For a rifle I would recommend a lee enfield mk4, mauser or if you want really inexpensive a mosin-nagant. They are relatively inexpensive, can get cheap ammo for them for plinking and can get hunting ammo as well.

Also has the benefit of being a piece of history, just look it over really well and check the barrel for rifling and corrosion.

M1 garands are generally very expensive but I heard that there are 80+k of American made M1's about to be re imported from south korea.. So that should drop the price a bit.