Looking for a first handgun

[skyking]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: skyking

....or the effect of actually having a gun

That phrase is telling.
Don't even think like that. There is no positive effect of actually having a gun. When somebody sees a gun, it is only when "it is too late for them".
Brandishing it without the intent to use it is a stupid dangerous thing. Better not to have one at all.

If Im at home and my wife is in bed with me and I hear someone down stairs, I would have my gun in my hand brandishing it, and be ready to use it, but if I see 2 punk kids downstairs with nothing in their hands I wouldnt shoot them. I would hold them at gun point and tell my wife to call the cops...

So now you'll take on a couple of kids who may or may not have a gun and arrest them?
If you gave two Sh!ts about your wife's safety, you make some serious noise to scare them off and stay put behind the bedroom door, call the cops. The punks come in then, they get shot dead. No fscking around. No other way to view it. You go down there hero-style and all sorts of bad stuff can happen. Do you value your wife's life over whatever is downstairs?

 

[kb3edk]

Originally posted by: kogase

Originally posted by: bababooey

Originally posted by: DonVito
For your application, 9mm is clearly the way to go IMO. You can get 100-round Winchester range packs at Wal-Mart for $10.99, yet a FMJ 9mm round packs an adequate punch for self-defense.

I strongly suggest you go to a range and try out a variety of different pistols. I went one day and tried half a dozen 9mm pistols before settling on the G17.

Good advice.....but I will never give up my .40

The liberals (that's me) will be coming for your guns soon enough. You say "from your cold, dead hands"? No problem, that's never stopped me before! Dweebus.

Hah! I'm a liberal with guns. I've got a S&W .357 Magnum revolver with a 7 3/8" barrel and full lug... it shoots almost as straight as my .22 rifle (both have open sights). Especially when chambered with .38 Special.

That said I wouldn't recommend it for a beginning shooter... I second DonVito's suggestion of 9mm. Ammo is super affordable, manageable recoil, and the selection of arms which fire this cartridge is astounding. Trying out a bunch of different 9mm pistols at a range until you find one you're comfortable with is definitely advisable. Many better ranges will also offer free (or reduced cost) firearms safety training... if your local range does be sure to take advantage.

 

[Vic]

The P226 is an excellent gun. Great for the range and for protection. Affordable (both the gun and especially the ammo), reliable, accurate, easy to maintain, and relatively compact and lightweight.


Living in fear is depending on strangers for what you morally should do yourself.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: skyking

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: skyking

....or the effect of actually having a gun

That phrase is telling.
Don't even think like that. There is no positive effect of actually having a gun. When somebody sees a gun, it is only when "it is too late for them".
Brandishing it without the intent to use it is a stupid dangerous thing. Better not to have one at all.

If Im at home and my wife is in bed with me and I hear someone down stairs, I would have my gun in my hand brandishing it, and be ready to use it, but if I see 2 punk kids downstairs with nothing in their hands I wouldnt shoot them. I would hold them at gun point and tell my wife to call the cops...

So now you'll take on a couple of kids who may or may not have a gun and arrest them?
If you gave two Sh!ts about your wife's safety, you make some serious noise to scare them off and stay put behind the bedroom door, call the cops. The punks come in then, they get shot dead. No fscking around. No other way to view it. You go down there hero-style and all sorts of bad stuff can happen. Do you value your wife's life over whatever is downstairs?

Are you having trouble reading? Am I allowed to run downstairs firing at people when I have no clue if they have a weapon or not? I didnt think I was allowed to shoot unarmed minors, so if I went downstairs investigating noise and saw 2 unarmed kids I wouldnt shoot them..... this isnt about hero style, its about not shooting kids who are just being punks..

 

[dxkj]

Ok I went and shot

Glock 34

hK USP

S&W Tactical 9mm (not sure if it had another name?)

The 2nd two were DA


Im not sure if I just suck at shooting handguns (Im really good at rifles, shotguns). I lined up the shots right, but with all 3 guns i consistantly hit low and to the right.... I know how to line up sites, and I held it steady... The kick after pulling the trigger is up so I dont see how that would affect me...


I clustered in one spot with the Glock, but the other two I usually had 2 clusters for each clip, which was weird..

I also shot a 22 pistol with my wife there, and I clustered all over the X with that one, so I dont know what was wrong with me and the nines.


So all 3 9mm guns felt about the same.... Im not sure how to make a decision.... The glock had no safeties, the USP did, but I wasnt sure if the S&W did....

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: dxkj
Im not sure if I just suck at shooting handguns (Im really good at rifles, shotguns). I lined up the shots right, but with all 3 guns i consistantly hit low and to the right.... I know how to line up sites, and I held it steady... The kick after pulling the trigger is up so I dont see how that would affect me...

You're anticipating the recoil and are flinching or pushing down as you fire.

Originally posted by: dxkj
The glock had no safeties...

Glocks have 3 internal safeties: a trigger safety, a hammer safety, and a drop safety.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: skyking

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: skyking

....or the effect of actually having a gun

That phrase is telling.
Don't even think like that. There is no positive effect of actually having a gun. When somebody sees a gun, it is only when "it is too late for them".
Brandishing it without the intent to use it is a stupid dangerous thing. Better not to have one at all.

If Im at home and my wife is in bed with me and I hear someone down stairs, I would have my gun in my hand brandishing it, and be ready to use it, but if I see 2 punk kids downstairs with nothing in their hands I wouldnt shoot them. I would hold them at gun point and tell my wife to call the cops...

So now you'll take on a couple of kids who may or may not have a gun and arrest them?
If you gave two Sh!ts about your wife's safety, you make some serious noise to scare them off and stay put behind the bedroom door, call the cops. The punks come in then, they get shot dead. No fscking around. No other way to view it. You go down there hero-style and all sorts of bad stuff can happen. Do you value your wife's life over whatever is downstairs?

Are you having trouble reading? Am I allowed to run downstairs firing at people when I have no clue if they have a weapon or not? I didnt think I was allowed to shoot unarmed minors, so if I went downstairs investigating noise and saw 2 unarmed kids I wouldnt shoot them..... this isnt about hero style, its about not shooting kids who are just being punks..

I read fine.

stay put behind the bedroom door, call the cops

That was the whole message of my post that went zooming over your head, apparently.
Grab a gun and go looking for trouble, and you may find it.
Weigh the possible outcomes.
If you go down there and get owned, your wife is now unarmed, your gun is down there with some criminals.
On the other hand, if you make noise to insure the intruders know you are home, call the cops, and hold your ground, they will be owned for sure if they come looking for you.
Waiting in ambush = the win.

The stuff downstairs does not add up to either your wife's or your life, I hope.

 

[flyfish]

If you want something other than what everyone else has and still have the the Glock, Sig accuracy and reliability.
Take a look at a CZ 75b or the PO-1.
http://www.cz-usa.com/
Forum


P.S. and less expensive, too !

 

[cardiac]

If you are looking for home defense, you won't do better than an 18-1/2" barreled 12ga shotgun. Load it up with #2 or #4 shot. Won't penetrate 3 houses down and kill the neighbor like a rifle or a handgun would. And, NOTHING sounds like a shotgun slide being racked A Mossberg 500 can be had for under $200.

For handguns, hard to beat a Sig. Glocks are great, as well as H&K, and Browning. See what fits YOU the best. I do like my Sig 229. Also enjoy carrying my Para Ordnance P-12 occaisionally (No quality problems with it, that I've had, Viper).

Bob

 

[GRIFFIN1]

Glock's lack of an external safety keeps me from keeping a round in the chamber. If I carried the gun in a holster that kept the trigger protected, then I would definately keep a round in the chamber. Since all it does is sit around the house, I'm a bit worried about the trigger accidentally getting caught on something and going off. I carry a Sig 239. It also doesn't have a safety, but since it's always in a holster, I'm not worried about something getting hung on the trigger.

If you end up getting a gun with an external safety, then make sure you practice turning the safety on and off. When you go to the range, practice turning the safety on and off between shots. I've heard of a couple of times when someone pulled their gun in an emergency and pulled the trigger only to find that the safety was on. When I was a kid, my BB gun had a safety on it. I don't know how many times I would aim at a target and pull the trigger only to find that I had the safety on.

 

[JulesMaximus]

.45 isn't too powerful. In fact, muzzle velocity is much slower than a 9mm. Sure, it kicks a little more than a 9mm but I wouldn't say it's at all punishing. I've shot snub nose .38s that were far more punishing than my Colt Officer's model.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: GRIFFIN1
Glock's lack of an external safety keeps me from keeping a round in the chamber. If I carried the gun in a holster that kept the trigger protected, then I would definately keep a round in the chamber. Since all it does is sit around the house, I'm a bit worried about the trigger accidentally getting caught on something and going off. I carry a Sig 239. It also doesn't have a safety, but since it's always in a holster, I'm not worried about something getting hung on the trigger.

If you end up getting a gun with an external safety, then make sure you practice turning the safety on and off. When you go to the range, practice turning the safety on and off between shots. I've heard of a couple of times when someone pulled their gun in an emergency and pulled the trigger only to find that the safety was on. When I was a kid, my BB gun had a safety on it. I don't know how many times I would aim at a target and pull the trigger only to find that I had the safety on.

Personally, I'd have more of a problem carrying a cocked and locked 1911 Colt than a Glock. I remember once when I was out shooting and I unholstered my Colt and the safety had snicked off in the holster with a round chambered and the hammer back...A true yikes moment for sure! The Glock at least has a heavy enough trigger that an accidental discharge would not be nearly as likely.

 

[GRIFFIN1]

I suggest 9mm for your first pistol. 9mm is going to be cheaper to practice with, and it will do a fine job for self defense. Walmart sells 9mm CCI Blazerbrass ammo for something like $4.86 per box of 50. The only problem is that Walmart never seems to have more than 2 boxes of the stuff whenever I'm there. If you had an Academy sports close to your house, then you could get the CCI Blazer (Aluminium) ammo for $3.86 for a box of 50.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: cardiac
If you are looking for home defense, you won't do better than an 18-1/2" barreled 12ga shotgun. Load it up with #2 or #4 shot. Won't penetrate 3 houses down and kill the neighbor like a rifle or a handgun would. And, NOTHING sounds like a shotgun slide being racked A Mossberg 500 can be had for under $200.

For handguns, hard to beat a Sig. Glocks are great, as well as H&K, and Browning. See what fits YOU the best. I do like my Sig 229. Also enjoy carrying my Para Ordnance P-12 occaisionally (No quality problems with it, that I've had, Viper).

Bob

I agree ultimate home safety, the sound of a slide action shotgun putting a shell up to bat.

freaking cut all the barrel up to the slide off. I don't need the accuracy.

to dxkj:

if you have people in your house that you did not invite, and they are intended on harmed you. Kill them. If you did break a law, I hope the country comes to save you.

I would.

Someone comes in my place after I am in bed, I will mess them up. If it was a friend or family I will feel terrible...everyone has my cell phone and blackberry.

 

[OFFascist]

Originally posted by: dxkj
1911 looks nice but too much $$ and probably a bit too powerful

I know some makers of the 1911 tend to be expensive like Kimber or Colt.

However Springfield Armory makes good 1911s for a reasonable price.

You can get a WWII remakes for about $400 or a Mil-Spec for about $500.

I bought I've had a Mil-Spec for about 4 years now had no problems with it. It was my first firearm.

If you are going to get a .45 I'd definately get a 1911.

However in 9mm or even in .40cal I definately like Glocks.

The big thing is to make sure you try out the handguns before you buy them to see what you like.

I was all set to get a .40cal Glock but after I tried my first 1911 I decided that it was what I wanted to own first.

What is the difference in price for target ammo as far as 9mm .40 and .45 are concerned? Ive done several searches online and seen a varying amount, but would probably do most of my ammo buying locally so first hand experience will be appreciated

I dont know much about "target ammo" but generally most people just use whatever the cheapest FMJ ammo they can find for target shooting or plinking.

If ammo cost is your main concern get 9mm and even a .22 would be cheapest, .40 and .45 cal ammo costs more.

 

[OFFascist]

Since I see people mentioning rifles....

A Yugoslavian SKS would be a good inexpensive rifle to get. One can be had for under $200, also you can pick up a 1,000rnd case of Wolf brand 7.62x39 ammo for about $100.

The thing about rifles though is that they generally arent good home defense weapons because they over penetrate. They will go through whoever you are shooting and through walls and possible hit loved ones or innocent bystanders in other rooms or maybe even outside.

Handguns and Shotguns are the better home defense weapons.

 

[OFFascist]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
hollowpoint is illegal in most states. (the bullet is hollowpointed, not the shell)..it wasnt' hollowpoint.

I believe you are mistaken.

States that severly restrict gun ownership and ammo ownership are in the minority.

 

[dxkj]

Ok I've shot

(all 9mm's)
Glock 34
HK USP
S&W Tactical 9mm
Sig P226
Springfield Armory XD
CZ 75B


The CZ wins... all steel gun, it's a great shooter. Out of that list the USP and p226 are nice, but I wouldnt put them above the XD which is another good gun for the price.


I found a dealer online and I am getting the CZ 75B Retro (looks like the 75-pre B) For $340 plus 15 shipping (and then local FFL fee of $20 and 8 for background check) so $383 total

Also picking up a Beretta Neos 7.5" Deluxe .22LR for target/plinking/wife to shoot, for $245 + 15 shipping, etc


I think I found 2 guns i like, and a good deal on them too.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: dxkj
I live in WI so no Concealed Carry allowed (one of 4 states, grr)

Anyway, I live in a pretty good neighborhood minus gun toting punks and spray painting vandals, and I dont have a Security system/motion detector flood lights, so I was thinking of getting a handgun...


Well to be honest, I really want one mostly for shooting at the range recreationally and shooting when Im visiting my dad in PA (not at him, targets)


I read a bit online, researched a few guns, and am still stuck between 9mm and .40. I dont want to spend a ton on a handgun, but I dont want to buy a 22 pistol either...

1911 looks nice but too much $$ and probably a bit too powerful

Sig sauer P226 seems like it might work, but Ive also been looking at the Glock 17. I plan on going to the local rent and shoot and try a few of these out, but for anyone who shoots a few different caliber handguns regularly, what is the difference in price for target ammo as far as 9mm .40 and .45 are concerned? Ive done several searches online and seen a varying amount, but would probably do most of my ammo buying locally so first hand experience will be appreciated


Any other suggestions beyond the p22X or the glock? Cheaper is better, but Id prefer something that doesnt stovepipe every other clip while im at the range, and something with at least a littlet stopping power (though HP 9mm close range should suffice)

well, you need a revolver for russian roulette. i mean you can try it w/an automatic, but not recommended

 

[Jon855]

http://www.berettausa.com/product/product_pistols_main.htm and get the Beretta Full - 92FS BRIGADIER Handgun

 

[MustangSVT]

D E S E R T E A G L E 5.0

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: MustangSVT
D E S E R T E A G L E 5.0

dual... one in each hand, ala max payne

and of course with the extender clips (12shot instead of the 7)

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: Jon855
http://www.berettausa.com/product/product_pistols_main.htm and get the Beretta Full - 92FS BRIGADIER Handgun

great gun, but kinda big.

not too concealable.