Turning 21 soon, what handgun to buy?

[JeffreyLebowski]

You Americans are f'd. 🙂 I turned 19 and the last thing on my mind was buy a handgun, it was actually just the continual want of poon.

Well if you're still wanting and not getting it at 19 you're doing something wrong.


OP, I say if you really want to enjoy shooting, don't skrimp on your 1st gun. A cheap piece of shit is just that. IT may work, but it won't be a lot of fun.
Get you a nice gun to start with and you will enjoy shooting much more. Wish I would have done it this way.
I bought cheap and did ok, but now that I've stepped up to HK's I'll never look back. Glocks are ok in that they are reliable and fairly accurate, but spend $250 more for an HK and you'll see a vast difference.

 

[Zenmervolt]

That's what power does.

Shoot a 10mm after shooting the .40, and you'll see what I mean. ^_^

To me the .40 feels the same as a .45, the 9mm feels much softer.

Interesting. To me the .40 is worse than the .45. The .40 has a "snappier" recoil while the .45 is more of a sustained push.

9mm is definitely a nice caliber to shoot, not nearly as snappy as the .40, and, oddly, slightly less harsh than the .380 which I also find more snappy.

My favorite to shoot is still .357 though. Out of a 6" barrel it's a fantastic caliber and a lot of fun.

ZV

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

What is it with nerds and guns? Seems like there is more to it then just wanting it for protection..... Especially those that go further and buy various assault rifles. A well trained dog and shotgun is all you need for protection.

It's not nerds and guns, it's people using their 2nd Amendment freedoms. It just happens to be "nerds" don't spend all their money on drugs and beer in attempts to get laid. Some have discovered there is more to life than getting fucked up every weekend. We grew up.
A well trained dog ain't going to do shit to me except eat the steak I throw on the ground.
If you're ok with a shotgun what's your problem with any other gun?

BTW. Guns don't shoot people out of the blue. Dogs do (bite people that is).

 

[HannibalX]

2) What you are mistakenly believing are "assault rifles" are semi-automatic rifles that only fire once per trigger pull and which typically fire rounds with significantly less power than the average lever-action deer rifle.

ZV

Exactly.

Scary assault rifles firing .223 can't match the firepower of .444 in my Marlin lever-action. The average gun hater doesn't have a clue.

 

[HannibalX]

Interesting. To me the .40 is worse than the .45. The .40 has a "snappier" recoil while the .45 is more of a sustained push.

9mm is definitely a nice caliber to shoot, not nearly as snappy as the .40, and, oddly, slightly less harsh than the .380 which I also find more snappy.

My favorite to shoot is still .357 though. Out of a 6" barrel it's a fantastic caliber and a lot of fun.

ZV

I agree, .40 S&W has more kick than .45 ACP, especially in Tupperware guns. .40 S&W is a high pressure round where .45 ACP is not. I find .45 ACP to be very controllable and for me the most comfortable to shoot.

 

[melchoir]

Interesting. To me the .40 is worse than the .45. The .40 has a "snappier" recoil while the .45 is more of a sustained push.

ZV

The general consensus really seems to be almost that exact wording for the recoil between the .40 and .45. The biggest difference to me was that the .45 had a wider grip for the larger round, everything else felt very similar.

I agree, .40 S&W has more kick than .45 ACP, especially in Tupperware guns. .40 S&W is a high pressure round where .45 ACP is not. I find .45 ACP to be very controllable and for me the most comfortable to shoot.

I've actually not shot .40 in a steel gun. But I've shot in SW M&P, Glock, XD.
I've shot 9mm in XD, Glock, M&P, and one other. I've shot 44 Mag in a 6.5" S&W Revolver.
.45 in XD, and Glock. No 1911s yet =(

To me, they're really a push as far as recoil goes, and I shot them back to back. 9mm is significantly easier that either. For putting holes in paper and even people most of the time, 9mm is proven round. Honestly, if I was in the market for another I'd probably get a Glock 19 since the rounds are cheaper than .40 and it's smaller to conceal than my XD .40 service.

 

[uclaLabrat]

Aiken

Haha....my aunt and uncle live in aiken...my cousin did his undergrad at USC and masters at clemson.

 

[JohnCU]

Haha....my aunt and uncle live in aiken...my cousin did his undergrad at USC and masters at clemson.

no person worrth anything would go to USC and clemson. D:

 

[Slapstick]

I'm going to suggest something different from the all the previous recommendations and suggest for you first handgun go with a revolver. Simpler design, safer to shoot and a great range gun. Taurus makes a decent revolver or if you can afford a little more I'd look at the Ruger Gp100 or Sp101. Get it in 357 mag, the nice thing about the .357 mag is that for target practice .38 special ammo is fairly cheap and less recoil. After you are proficient and comfortable with shooting a handgun then look at the high capacity semi-autos.

 

[BabaBooey]

I love my glock 17 and the 17rd magazines oh yea the 33rd magazines are fun too !!
I will take 17 rds of HST 9mm luger over 8-9 .45 rds anytime.
Keep it maintained,don't "pimp it out " and it will never let you down but as has been said,find a gun shop / range and try some out,sigs are nice as well.

 

[boomerang]

I inherited a .32 S&W revolver. That got me talking to friends that I knew had interest in firearms and I tagged along to the range with two of them. Between them, they brought 8 handguns. A mix of pistols and revolvers. I shot them all. .22, .380, 9mm, 38 special, .357, .40 and .45. A good mix.

When I fired the XD9 I knew I'd found what I was looking for. It fit my hand so well and I found it very easy to shoot accurately. I went out and bought the XDM in 9mm. I've put 200 rounds through it so far in two trips to the range.

If you have friends that will let you shoot, I would recommend doing that from my personal experience. Actually shooting, in combination with the advice you've gotten here regarding what do you want to do with the gun, will get you what's best for you IMO.

It's been touched on, but availability of ammo is a consideration. I've had no problems finding 9mm ammo, but from other discussions here it seems to vary across the country. For example, .380 is nearly impossible to find here. If you don't have ammo, all the gun is good for is to throw it at somebody.

I took my wife to the range on my second trip and she shot for the first time ever. She liked it. She's better than I am. She shot the .32 also and didn't like it. I concur. I intend to trade that gun in on something for her. I'm researching now. She had problems pulling the slide back on the XDM and a revolver might be a better choice for her.

My other consideration is if one or both of us will ever want to carry. I don't want to budget a lot of money for firearms, so I'm trying to decide if we should get her something small that could be carried.

 

[boomhower]

I am a Glock whore. First gun I ever had was my issued Glock 22. It's dead accurate up to 50 yards and I can't see where you would ever need to fire a handgun farther that. I like it so much I bought one for the house. I have a Glock 27 for concealed carry. I would also suggest a 9mm for a first gun for the simple reason ammo is cheaper. Pretty much any decent gun is going to be more accurate than you for now. The main thing you need is practice, practice, and more practice. That will be a lot easier to do with cheaper rounds. Personally I am a heavy proponent of .40 over 9mm.

 

[jlee]

I love my glock 17 and the 17rd magazines oh yea the 33rd magazines are fun too !!
I will take 17 rds of HST 9mm luger over 8-9 .45 rds anytime.
Keep it maintained,don't "pimp it out " and it will never let you down but as has been said,find a gun shop / range and try some out,sigs are nice as well.

I'm pretty happy with my 14 rounds of .45ACP..but you're not gonna hide that in a pocket. 😛

 

[clamum]

I'd say: XD-9; SR-9, Glock 17 or 19; CZ-75-B. I have no clue why you'd want anything above 9mm as the caliber for your first gun, but it's up to you.

 

[Locut0s]

Your 21 is our 18. See the difference between the US and Canada is when we turn 18/21 we go out and get wasted.... You guys go out and get handguns 😉

PS: It's a joke guys.

 

[KillerCharlie]

S&W M&P. They're a step above everything else in terms of comfort. I have medium to large hands and the Springfield XD feels terrible.

Go to the range a rent a bunch of different guns, but I highly recommend the M&P (and it has been getting great reviews).

 

[shortylickens]

Ruger Mark III.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Ruger Mark III.

Actually, yes, definitely get this first. I recommend the 22/45 version since the grip is like a 1911 (and the normal Rugers have grips with a really high angle, higher than glock I think).

I bought my new for like $250 (compare that to $500+ for a glock or other polymer pistol). I can go to the range and put 300 rounds through it for $15 (using nice ammo). You will learn more correctly how to aim and pull the trigger because you won't be anticipating recoil.

 

[duragezic]

See nutnfancy for reviews on most popular handguns. He's biased towards Sig and Glock but I think his reasons are generally valid.

Also, I don't know why you'd be considering a .45 for your first gun. Ammo is freaking expensive. Go 9mm. It's best to handle them before buying so you get one with a grip that fits your hand best.

 

[JDMnAR1]

get a 9mm for your first gun, if you dont want to go broke learning how to shoot

glock 17/19
xdm
beretta
taurus 24/7(doesnt have as good of resale, but good solid guns)

If this purchase will be your 'learning to shoot' gun, consider passing on the 9mm or .45 and starting with a quality .22 - something along the lines of a Browning Buckmark, Ruger Mark III, etc. You will develop far fewer bad habits initially if you aren't fighting the recoil or worrying about any of the numerous things that might creep into your head when firing a larger caliber, not to mention ammo is both pricey and scarce on many of the more popular calibers lately - i.e. .380ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP (at least regionally, depending on where you are). If you are spending big bucks on ammo, and having difficulty finding it in stock, you are less likely to log enough range time to really get proficient with whatever weapon you choose.

 

[TallBill]

Glock 17/19, or XD 9mm, or Sig P226 9mm

Definitely get a 9mm to start with, there are countless reasons and I don't feel like typing them all.

 

[Lumathix]

I like my Kimber 1911 .45. Rounds are more expensive yes, but overall, the 1911 has alot of history for a good reason. It's a badass design that gets the job done.

 

[nick1985]

My baby

 

[Demo24]

FNP-40 is very nice ... also available in 9mm or .45

Came in to suggest this as well. Good bit cheaper then many of the suggestions in here but doesn't really sacrifice much because of that. Also a nice gun if your hands are of mediumish size, a lot of handguns for me are just slightly too big making the slide release hard to reach.

 

[Mr. Lennon]

It's not nerds and guns, it's people using their 2nd Amendment freedoms. It just happens to be "nerds" don't spend all their money on drugs and beer in attempts to get laid. Some have discovered there is more to life than getting fucked up every weekend. We grew up.
A well trained dog ain't going to do shit to me except eat the steak I throw on the ground.
If you're ok with a shotgun what's your problem with any other gun?

BTW. Guns don't shoot people out of the blue. Dogs do (bite people that is).

I don't see how having a hefty gun collection puts you ahead of the guy that parties every weekend. As long as that individual is leading a productive life during the week, it is irrelevant what they do on the weekend.

The whole point of owning a dog is for the purpose of having a natural alarm. A dog would alert me the moment someone walked onto my property. Unless you are a extremely light sleeper or have a very good alarm system, you will be taken out well before you have a chance to grab one of your weapons.

I just don't see a point in collecting multiple guns. They are fine pieces of machinery, but their main purpose in this world is to end the life of another human being. Owning a bunch of "death machines" just isn't my idea of a normal hobby.