Looking to buy a firearm

[nick1985]

I know there has been quite a few threads regarding firearms recently, so I apologize in advance.

Anyway, Im applying to the Marine Corps OCS and if I am fortunate enough to make it through, at TBS (The Basic School) soldiers are required to pass tests with both the M-16 and the Beretta M9. When I was a kid I shot BB guns and .22 rifles all day long, so I am confident in my rifle shooting ability, but I have never shot a pistol.

What I am wanting help with is finding quality pistol to practice with. I recently graduated college so I am in debt up to my eyeballs, but I dont want to make it all the way to TBS and look like a jackass when I cant shoot. How embarrassing would that be? A Marine Corps Lieutenant that cant shoot. What I am looking for is a cost-effective quality pistol to purchase. I cannot spend a lot of money, since thats not something I have a lot of, but I dont want to get a POS.

I would like to get a 9mm since thats what USMC uses, any links or information as to what I should be looking at would be most grateful.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bignateyk]

Look into a Ruger P90 or P95. They are about 300 bucks, and will work with just about any 9mm ammo you throw at them.

 

[brxndxn]

I'd buy a Glock 9mm.. but then again, I own a Glock 9mm and I've only shot a few guns.

The one thing I did notice, though, is the Glock 9mm went where I aimed.. the other two guns seemed to go about 6-10" from where I aimed on the 10ft target. And, this was the first time ever shooting handguns for me..

So.. to sum it up.. With the Glock, I could consistently shoot within the same 1" area the first time I ever shot it. With the others (a Smith and Wesson 9mm, a revolver, and some other gun - P-something), I didn't shoot straight.

 

[sjwaste]

First, you're probably not expected to be a perfect shot with a pistol going in. You'll have plenty of range time to work on that skill.

Consider what a 2LT does. If you see combat, what will be your likely primary weapon? Probably a rifle. If you want to practice before you get in there, it might be more beneficial to work on that skill. I've always figured that it might just be best to stay out of pistol range, but I'm not a soldier (and I absolutely respect your choice and thank you for your service!).

That said, I did a lot of shooting with my buddy who has since gone into the USMC. His Taurus 24/7 is probably the best 9mm I've ever held. If you have a range that rents pistols, try to see if they have one.

 

[Colt45]

point and click?

I'm sure the marines will train you fine. As long as you don't hold the pistol sideways, I can't really see you sucking that bad.

 

[potato28]

You'll learn in Basic, but if you want to try it go to a range and see if they rent. Pay for the bullets and see how good you are.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: Colt45
point and click?

I'm sure the marines will train you fine. As long as you don't hold the pistol sideways, I can't really see you sucking that bad.

Yeah Im sure they will too, I just feel like I should have SOME idea what the hell Im doing when I get to the range. Ive got a lot of time to kill, Im applying for the January OCS course and I only work part-time so it may end up being a hobby as well. Sort of like knocking out 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[edro]

Get a used Beretta 92F for around $500.
Maybe a Smith and Wesson 5906 ($400 used).

Check this for estimated shop prices.
Local Shop's Sales Flyer (Ohio)

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: edro
Get a used Beretta 92F for around $500.
Maybe a Smith and Wesson 5906 ($400 used).

Check this for estimated shop prices.
Local Shop's Sales Flyer (Ohio)

Damn those Russian rifles are cheap!

Thanks for the link, gives me an idea of what to expect.

 

[Triumph]

I got my M9 brand new for about 400. But it isn't the best gun out there. The Glock 9mm or Springfield XD in 9mm are better guns in alot of respects. But they say, you train how you fight. The M9 has more operations than the Glock or XD - the M9 has a safety and is double action, the XD and Glock are not and they have an internal safety only. So that being said, I would get the M9 because you need to familiarize yourself with its operation at every step: loading, reloading, saftey on, safety off, and the occasional jam (mine jams now and then, with good ammo).

 

[JDMnAR1]

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: Colt45
point and click?

I'm sure the marines will train you fine. As long as you don't hold the pistol sideways, I can't really see you sucking that bad.

Yeah Im sure they will too, I just feel like I should have SOME idea what the hell Im doing when I get to the range. Ive got a lot of time to kill, Im applying for the January OCS course and I only work part-time so it may end up being a hobby as well. Sort of like knocking out 2 birds with 1 stone.

If you are really just wanting to work on mechanics - stance, grip, basic handgun familiarity, etc. - it doesn't really matter what you get. Since you said your budget is limited, look for an inexpensive used .22 autoloader. It would suck to blow your budget on a nice 9mm and not have enough money left over to shoot it.

 

[Turin39789]

Colt Dragoon or nothing

 

[jlee]

Let them train you. It's harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to start fresh. I imagine you'll have training prior to qualification?

 

[Blackjack200]

I never went through boot camp or OCS, but I did do ROTC and my brother went through Marine Corps boot camp (though again, no OCS). The advice I would give from such tangential experience is to not worry at all about your shooting right now. Believe me, they will train you exactly how to shoot. In fact, if you try to do it yourself, you might reinforce bad technique. If you want to kill time I would concentrate on getting myself in tip top shape and studying whatever they gave me to study (Marine Corps history, etc. not sure if they give you that stuff or not...)

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200The advice I would give from such tangential experience is to not worry at all about your shooting right now. Believe me, they will train you exactly how to shoot. In fact, if you try to do it yourself, you might reinforce bad technique.

:thumbsup:

 

[userman]

Originally posted by: CadetLee
Let them train you. It's harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to start fresh. I imagine you'll have training prior to qualification?

qft.
Go the range and get used to operating a firearm. But let the USMC train you!

 

[TallBill]

Yes, the USMC will train you. But it is possible to learn more on your own. Proper grip and proper sight alignment and you'll be fine with a handgun. The Army taught me to shoot. I taught myself to shoot exceptionally well. I always recommend a Sig, because thats my favorite handgun.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: JDMnAR1

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: Colt45
point and click?

I'm sure the marines will train you fine. As long as you don't hold the pistol sideways, I can't really see you sucking that bad.

Yeah Im sure they will too, I just feel like I should have SOME idea what the hell Im doing when I get to the range. Ive got a lot of time to kill, Im applying for the January OCS course and I only work part-time so it may end up being a hobby as well. Sort of like knocking out 2 birds with 1 stone.

If you are really just wanting to work on mechanics - stance, grip, basic handgun familiarity, etc. - it doesn't really matter what you get. Since you said your budget is limited, look for an inexpensive used .22 autoloader. It would suck to blow your budget on a nice 9mm and not have enough money left over to shoot it.

i'm glad someone finally said .22
they're usually lower priced than a larger caliber gun, great for practicing technique, and very cheap ammo.

 

[nick1985]

Ok, Im going to be looking at a cheaper .22 or a used 9mm, but theres just one thing..

Where would I go to purchase a firearm? I know this seems like a stupid question, but I dont even know where to begin. All I know is that Farm & Fleet sells BB guns

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: nick1985
Ok, Im going to be looking at a cheaper .22 or a used 9mm, but theres just one thing..

Where would I go to purchase a firearm? I know this seems like a stupid question, but I dont even know where to begin. All I know is that Farm & Fleet sells BB guns

Yellow Pages--->Guns

 

[Triumph]

I don't know what the USMC training regiment is, but the Army's weapons training/qualification wasn't too impressive from what I've seen. To carry an M9, you need to hit 16 out of 30 (if I remember correctly) man sized targets at ranges from 10-30 feet. It really isn't that hard. In the familiarization before the qualification, they showed us how to tear down an M9, and I swear half of those people had never seen one before! I dunno, maybe in basic these people learned a whole lot more and have since forgotten about it, but as a civilian, that afternoon of training and qualification was all you needed to carry a sidearm.

And don't get me started on weapons handling on base! Holy cow, think of every rule that you can about weapons safety and it was broken. Weapons dragging on the ground, falling on the floor in the mess hall, knocking crap over in the PX, pointing in every direction... Pretty much no caution taken whatsoever when carrying their weapons, people treated them like just another piece of equipment to carry around. On the other hand, maybe that's a testament to the inherent safety of the AR.

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: nick1985
Ok, Im going to be looking at a cheaper .22 or a used 9mm, but theres just one thing..

Where would I go to purchase a firearm? I know this seems like a stupid question, but I dont even know where to begin. All I know is that Farm & Fleet sells BB guns

I'm late to the party, but if you're going the .22 route I recommend a Browning Buckmark (~$200 used), otherwise for 9mm I am a huge CZ-75 (~$300 used) whore.

As for where to find guns, check out the local pawn shops and gun shops. Also pick up the free classified ad papers that you see outside of supermarkets. AR15.com's has a Hometown forum that you can use to browse to your state. There will be a link that brings up all Equipment Exchange listings that are in your state. I've used that before to find guns I ended up buying. It works fairly slick.

 

[Blackjack200]

Originally posted by: Triumph
I don't know what the USMC training regiment is, but the Army's weapons training/qualification wasn't too impressive from what I've seen. To carry an M9, you need to hit 16 out of 30 (if I remember correctly) man sized targets at ranges from 10-30 feet. It really isn't that hard. In the familiarization before the qualification, they showed us how to tear down an M9, and I swear half of those people had never seen one before! I dunno, maybe in basic these people learned a whole lot more and have since forgotten about it, but as a civilian, that afternoon of training and qualification was all you needed to carry a sidearm.

And don't get me started on weapons handling on base! Holy cow, think of every rule that you can about weapons safety and it was broken. Weapons dragging on the ground, falling on the floor in the mess hall, knocking crap over in the PX, pointing in every direction... Pretty much no caution taken whatsoever when carrying their weapons, people treated them like just another piece of equipment to carry around. On the other hand, maybe that's a testament to the inherent safety of the AR.

Speaking from second-hand experiance (my brother went to USMC boot camp)

- Can't speak for pistols, but to qualify with an M-16 you have to hit targets at 500 meters using iron sights.

- Supposedly, the range NCO will shoot you if you point the rifle anywhere but downrange. Too many DIs were getting killed by Marine recruits that cracked under the pressure of boot camp.

 

[jlee]

Too many DIs were getting killed by Marine recruits that cracked under the pressure of boot camp.

Link?

 

[jpeyton]

Buy a machine gun like an AK47.