First Handgun

[scottmandue]

Screw all you guys real men use a Trebuchet!

[thor455400]

try a local shooting range,ones ive been to usally will rent you firearms to try.

[pwd72s]

Shooting handguns is a bit like playing pool...practice, practice, play often. The more you shoot, the better you get. Thus, my suggestion to begin with a .22. The basic human actions involved in shooting a handgun remain the same regardless of caliber. Your hand will tell you pretty quickly which gun fits you best.

[on2wheels52]

"If it's about simplicity - does no one buy wheel guns anymore?"

It's simpler/cheaper to make a reasonable quality semi-auto pistol than a revolver. Was not the case 100 years ago.
But the revolver, especially a DA only, is easier for a beginner to use safely.
Jim

[cashflyer]

Taurus has an unlimited lifetime repair policy, and are the only company that offers this (afaik). Of course, in 20+ years I have only ever needed one firearm to be repaired - a Beretta.

I agree with those who say to go to some shops and "try them on". I have a large fram, hi-cap 45 that I absolutely hate because it doesn't fit my hand well. Feel is very important.

Edit: Around 1997, Taurus secured all rights to the Rossi brand of handguns. They are still sold as Rossi, but are manufactured by Taurus. As such, Rossi pistols made after 1997 qualify for the Taurus lifetime repair policy.

This doesn't really effect you, I guess, as all Rossi handguns are revolvers.

[FrayAdjacent911]

I'd recommend a CZ pistol. They can be had a great prices compared to competitors. They're reliable and accurate.

[Tim Hancock]

A .22 cant be beat for cheap shooting but if you want an inexpensive centerfire......

New Bersa thunder .380 auto at Gander Mountain is $229. They are in your price range and have been getting great reviews even by experienced fans of the high priced stuff.

Google "Bersa .380 review" if you are interested.

[Rick Lee]

You'll probably not find a SIG P239 in your price range. I paid $475 for mine delivered, but it came with night sights and that was an absolute steal. Cheapest SIG I got is a SIG Pro 2340 in .357SIG. I paid $450 for it, but it came with about $200 worth ammo and accessories. So I have around $250 into the gun and it's a very good one. If you really want it for nothing but target practice, a .22 sounds good. You'd be very disappointed with any $300 1911 used just for target practice.

[cashflyer]

If you find a good used one, then Matt is right on with his CZ recommendation. New, a CZ-75 will probably be above your $300 buget.

I also have a Bersa .380 like Tim mentioned. Very nice pistol, but the grip is a little short. If you have big hands, you may not like it.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
. Cheapest SIG I got is a SIG Pro 2340 in .357SIG. I paid $450 for it, but it came with about $200 worth ammo and accessories.

I have seen pistols in .357 Sig cropping up on the cheap. The ammo is so expensive, people buy them, then get sick of paying through the nose for ammo.

[Rick Lee]

.357SIG ammo is expensive if you buy them in by the 50 rd. box at a gun store. When you buy them in batches of 1000 or 2000 rounds at a time online, it gets cheaper than .45 ACP. And a lot of .357SIG guns can interchange with .40 cal. barrels, for which ammo is a little cheaper.

[m21sniper]

Again, no offense to anyone, but the Sig.357 is just not a good choice for a new handgunner. Anything with that much recoil and muzzle blast tends to create a flinch, which is then a real pain in the ass for the shooter to get rid of, often requiring professional instruction.

To truly master the fundamentals of a sidearm a .22 simply cannot be beat, and the same is true for rifles.

For anyone that already has a good working grasp of hundgunning fundamentals, a .357 Sig is an excellent choice.

Pocket pistols are also a typically poor choice for a first sidearm too.

[Rick Lee]

Flinch is right. I'm a seasoned shooter and my .357's still make me wince a lot.

A great trick I learned at the NRA Range years ago for reducing flich was to randomly load dummy rounds into magazines. I guess you could use snap caps too. But I had made a few .45 ACP dummy rounds and would mix them up with a handful of live ammo and then load my mags with my eyes closed. First time you're expecting a bang and get a click, you notice how much you flich. It's a LOT. Trick to reducing it is to not expect the hammer to go down. I know you're supposed to treat every gun like it's loaded. But when you're aiming downrange, pretend it's not loaded and expect a click. Then you won't flinch. On my P229, I've had the trigger lightened so much that it feels like you just have to think about it and the hammer drops. That reduces flinch too, though it's more expensive that way.

[legion]

Thanks everyone, there are certainly some things to consider here. How available are parts for a CZ? I might just get a Ruger otherwise.

My price range is really between $250 and $450, but I knew better to actually post that and get suggestions in that range.

[bigchillcar]

owned a beretta 92f (9 mm) back in the early 90's and would like to find another..or a 92 fs. if anybody has a good used, 'blue' one for sale, shoot me an e-mail at ryanvestal@hotmail.com. liked the 'ol 'lethal weapon'..
ryan

[Rick Lee]

You ain't gonna have to buy any replacement parts for a new gun. I just replaced the extractor on my SIG P220 at about 11,000 rounds. My nights go dim in less time than that took me.

[tabs]

I like em...one of the best is the Colt Officers Model Match in 22 LR..Smooooth action...

[sketchers356]

Originally posted by m21sniper
Sounds like you need yourself a Ruger .22 auto. I'd recommend one with a bull barrel. Smith and wesson also makes nice little target .22s that should be in your budget range too.


Ruger


Smith and Wesson

What model is this S & W? I think that it is really cool.

[snowman]

I purchased a basic 22 handgun in 1967 for target shooting. It was $400 back then. Now probably twice that or more. SO I would say you are looking for a used gun, about $500. 22 is best for target.

If your are going to shoot target, visit a target range and see what the guys are using and buy one of the same.

[Drago]

Originally posted by legion
I won't take that bet.

I figure if I work my way up, I appreciate a better made gun more.

No, you won't. Good is good, crap is crap.

I've shot Hardrives Sig, it's very nice and I'm looking at picking up a used P220 sometime after the suspension project is done.