Handgun Guys

[gprsh924]

Help me out. At some point I want to have a handgun. I haven’t taken the time to properly learn how to handle one. I’ve shot with family (shotgun, 22 rifle, 9mm handgun, AR15), gone hunting, but have always had someone to hold my hand.

Eventually, I will take classes before I use a gun, keep ammunition on hand, etc. But...it seems like gun ownership could get harder soon, so I would rather buy one sooner than later.

I think a 9mm makes sense because of how common the ambition size is and the abundance of options. What is the best gun? I have too many other hobbies that suck up funds to spend a huge amount of money, but I want something quality that will last a lifetime. Educate me. Again, before actually using the gun, I will take a safety course.

[legion]

The best handgun is the one that fits your hand, and you are comfortable, confident, and competent to use. This is a very personal choice and there is no universal right answer.

If you'd be willing to take a road trip to the middle of the state, I could walk you through several options.

[stomachmonkey]

There are a dozen ranges / gun clubs in your area.

Pick one, go, rent the options they have, shoot, figure out what you like, buy.

[Jeff Higgins]

For a non - "handgun guy", I always recommend a revolver. They are by far the easiest, most reliable, safest handguns for guys with little experience. Or even for guys with a lot of experience. Learn on a revolver and, if you find you like handgunning and can afford to add another to your battery, then consider an autoloader.

Ruger and Smith&Wesson are your two best bets for American made, quality revolvers. Both make a variety of revolvers chambered in .38 Special / .357 Magnum. Blued steel, stainless steel, 2" to 8" or more barrels, five to seven or more shot cylinders, wood or rubber gips, adjustable or fixed sights, and on and on. Almost too much from which to choose.

Go to a range that rents guns and try out anything you think you might like. Spend a day. Have fun. You will find that cheap .38 Special practice ammo is every bit as cheap as, maybe even cheaper than, cheap 9mm practice ammo. Hell, even try a few 9mms that appeal to you. Mix 'em up. You will learn far more there than you will from us. Just don't rule out revolvers.

[ckelly78z]

A .22LR handgun would be good for practice, and plinking (really cheap to shoot). I prefer my 9 mm for a clip loading gun, but I think my next one will be a .357 magnum revolver.....these are virtually fool proof, reliable, and still cheap to shoot with .38 ammo.

It all depends on what is comfortable to you.

[legion]

Jeff, he could get all crazy and get a 9mm revolver.

[HardDrive]

"but I want something quality that will last a lifetime"

The best 9mm handgun is the Sig Sauer P226.

I welcome claims to the contrary.

If you follow Higgins advice, and get a revolver, I think the Smith and Wesson 626 with a 6 inch barrel is a top choice. The similar Ruger GP100 is also an excellent choice.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

There are a dozen ranges / gun clubs in your area.

Pick one, go, rent the options they have, shoot, figure out what you like, buy.

Pretty much ends the thread right there. This a question that you have to answer for yourself, try out a bunch and see what clicks.

[HardDrive]

Also in the, "I want something quality that will last a lifetime" field would be the Kimber Custom TLE II.

A 1911 design .45 caliber, so not as cheap to shoot as 9mm, but a gun that will last a lifetime.

[KFC911]

Good advice given by all already....try a S&W 626 w/ a 6" bbl first (initially with .38, then move up to .357 mag when adept)...you won't go wrong. If that's not the "one" for you....then continue your quest...

My first was a S&W M27 purchased when I was 18...4 decades ago...no regrets...yet

edited: I typed 626 above...might should be 686....I don't keep up with all the models...but a 6" S&W, any of them, is a good place to start....

[Arizona_928]

Snubby 38 special is my truck gun/carry. I'll swap out for a mag revolver when I go to the mountains.
Sure I have other spoons, but I'm the most confident with that one.

My most worthless hand spoon is a ar15 pistol... Don't even consider buying one. Your ears will thank you.

[wildthing]

It's a tool. Like a camera. Find one that fits your needs.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

A 1911 design .45 caliber, so not as cheap to shoot as 9mm, but a gun that will last a lifetime.

And it's an easier gun to shoot very well than a 9mm.

[vash]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

"but I want something quality that will last a lifetime"

The best 9mm handgun is the Sig Sauer P226.

I welcome claims to the contrary.

If you follow Higgins advice, and get a revolver, I think the Smith and Wesson 626 with a 6 inch barrel is a top choice. The similar Ruger GP100 is also an excellent choice.

Sig226 for sure. Then you can buy a few more that can live under the 226 shadow like mine.

Just get the Sig.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Pretty much ends the thread right there. This a question that you have to answer for yourself, try out a bunch and see what clicks.

Dude, you have to see what goes bang.
if they go click, they are bad handguns, BAD BAD BAD

[KFC911]

My second purchase at 19 was a Colt .45 ACP...the best caliber for personal defense out of a handspoon, and by design, much tamer to shoot than a .357. Methinks the suggestion of a revolver for a novice (learn and practice w/ .38, load w/ .357 magnum and master the recoil, for defense later) is sound advice. Happy hunting....

[rfuerst911sc]

Great advice given so far . Very important to consider gun safety as you start this journey , local gun shops/ranges are an excellent place to try out different calibers and styles of pistols . I am 60 years old and started shooting when I was 15 and still consider myself a novice due to not spending a lot of range time the past 20 years plus . As the old saying goes practice , practice , practice .

I am a fan of revolvers for a novice or seasoned shooters . Simple to operate you point they go bang . Easy to clean with really no disassembly to speak of . I like .357 because you can shoot cheaper .38 to hone your skills . Or you can load up with .357 hollow points and you are now a zombie killer . Buying guns in my opinion is no different than buying tools , you have to feel comfortable with them and know how to use them to safely operate them . For hand guns you have to consider the weight , how the handle fits your hands , the sights , operating a safety if it has one there is a lot going on in a small space . That's why range time before purchase is money well spent .

In the end please be a responsible and safe gun owner . They can provide endless enjoyment but can create instant nightmare if handled improperly . Have fun and enjoy the journey to ownership .

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

There are a dozen ranges / gun clubs in your area.

Pick one, go, rent the options they have, shoot, figure out what you like, buy.

There's lots and lots of good advice here, but this ^^ is the best.

Find a range where you can rent a wide variety of guns and try them out. Red helped me with that years ago, and then I went and did it again with someone else. I shot a bunch of stuff. Not only did I shoot and feel what I liked shooting, but I also watched my accuracy across the range of guns that I shot. I narrowed it down to a couple and shot them back to back.

If you imagine a Porsche as being fairly expensive, finely engineered, built to a high precision and for reliable operation, and if you imagine a toyota corolla or the original VW bug to be the peoples car, inexpensive, but engineered and built to run reliably for many miles, albeit in a very different way, then there are guns like both.

a nice 1911 or the Sig 226 that you have seen mentioned are probably both more like the 911.

Something like a Glock, Springfield Armory XD or member of the X__ family or Smith and Wesson M&P are all pretty much the same and kind of like a Toyota Corolla, inexpensive and reliable.

A S&W revolver is probably like a little of both. You could maybe imagine it as being like a combination of the two, very well built and ultra reliable.

The cheapest ammo is .22 rimfire.
Then, unless things have changed a bunch, I think it would go in this order

1) 9mm
2) .45
3) then you'll see others like .38 and .40 and maybe .380
I'm not exactly sure where others like .357sig, 357mag, 10mm, etc would come in, but I suspect they are a little more expensive on the whole than the others.

And that set of rankings is probably for new (not reloaded) FMJ practice type ammo. Once you start looking at hollow point or defensive rounds, the prices are all over the map.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

Others will surely disagree with me on this, (and already have) but like the Miata, a Glock is the answer.

Not pretty, or glamorous, but it'll go bang when you need it to. There are millions of them, and they come in all shapes and sizes.

Glock or one of the Glock clones, like the S&W M&P or SA XD. I prefer to think of them as being more like a toyota corolla or Honda Civic than a miata, but that's probably a fine comparison as well. They just aren't glamorous or sexy.

[wildthing]

Also check with the wife... My first gun was a 226 and then, more guns, until I was told to cull the herd or sleep in the couch.