[Baxter]

If you did go with a glock 20(10mm) I would highly recommend getting a drop in conversion barrel. Lone wolf makes them for about $100. Then you could have a 40 as well as a 10mm. A lot of people I know get rid o the g20 because ammo prices, 10mm is not cheap. I would definitely not recommend having just a 10mm as an only gun. Expensive and not as fun to shoot.

[mountainman13]

I wouldn't recommend 10mm for a person's first gun. People complain that .40 is too snappy and that is 10mm short. The G20sf would be quite a handful for a beginner.
That said I carry a G20 everyday.

[95sniper]

As others have said go with something 9mm and of you like shooting then you can but bigger calibers as you move along.

[deadsp0t]

A range that has these models for rent so you can shoot and handle them will help. Also keep maintenance and cleaning in mind as far as ease.
I started with a G21(.45) and carried it for years fairly comfortably then moved to a G19(9mm) which was an easier gun to own and carry due to ammo(supply and cost) and a slightly smaller frame. I've since moved back to a .45 but in a smaller frame. Do your research and bug your buddies for as much hands on exp as you can get before making a purchase.

[kirbinster]

I just bought a G22 Gen4 as my first gun and love it. I had gone to the range and rented g17,g19 and g23 (they did not have a g22 to rent). If found the g23 no more difficult to handle than the g19. I found that I liked the feel of the g17 better than the g19 even though I don't have really large hands. Small size was not an issue since I live in New "no carry" Jersey. Thus, the G22 was my choice. I have ordered a 9mm conversion barrel for it, but right now I can actually find .40 cal and it is about the same price as 9mm.

[kiabe1]

Originally Posted by JonM

Best first handgun... ruger mk3. Its a gun you can keep for life and never get tired of how fun it is

I agree about the ruger mk 3 being the best starter handgun but if i were to pick from your list i would pick the cz because their p series is excellent or the px4 because the px series is also excellent and has an external safety which is a must for me

[dverb92]

Thank you guys so much for all the info. Glad to finally see a friendly forum without the usually snappy remark morons on other forums lol.
I'm not new to guns I've shot many guns but I havnt been of age to carry one with me everyday for protection you know? I just want (like the one guy said) an extension of myself (my arm) I went widow shopping today and I think I found the one. The beretta px4 storm fits me like a glove it felt like it was made for me. With that being said I've never shot it before.. I'm pretty talented naturally I believe, the first time I shot a .40 (2 weeks ago it was a xmd or xdm Springfield) and I hit all 6 glass targets I had set up from roughly 20 yrds consecutively after only 2 beginning shots (is that good??) I was pretty impressed with myself although I don't want to sound too cocky or confident.

[John_Deer]

I had shot plenty of handguns before I purchased one for myself. The first handgun I purchased for myself I still own it. A Ruger Super Blackhawk chambered in 44 mag with a 7 1/2" barrel. It has served me well over the years. I agree with John a 22 should be everyone's first gun. It took a lot of years for me to realize the value of a 22 LR pistol.

If I could only have one pistol it would be a 357mag with a 6" barrel. The 357 mag is one of the most versatile rounds on the planet. A revolver with a 6" barrel gets the most out of the 357 cartridge. The 357 mag in a hefty revolver is capable of anything from bagging a bunny 30 feet away to stopping an attacker with a rifle 100 yards away.

If I had to buy a 40 cal today I would try to find a SA/DA pistol. The SA/DA pistols I prefer are not made in 40 cal.

[Colby]

You sound like a good guy - looking at things in a good way.
You got a lot of very good advice here already.
There is a lot more to selecting a gun than most people think - who are not familiar with guns.

Gun fit in your hand is important - your hand size matters. Some guns grip is too fat for some hands - many times due to "double stack" magazines. You must be able to squarely fit your finger on the trigger without pulling the gun to one side when you pull the trigger. It must just "squeeze" - squarely - no pull of the gun body.

One basic thing to consider is what you are going to do with it? Is it a gun for the house - a gun for the range (shooting range - practice) - is it a gun for carry? Each of these is different and different guns are better than others for each purpose.
For a range gun - a heavy caliber gun with a lot of kick is not fun - nor is it cheap to shoot. But remember heavy weight softens the kick.
A carry gun - especially if you are going to concealed carry (with a state permit) needs to to smaller - lighter - so it can be carry and concealed more easily. Large guns are tough ...
A house gun - can be just about anything that fits you - heavy - light - most people chose larger/heavier for a house gun - because they are easier to handle - and range practice is easier - because they are heavier and their "kick" is less. Shooting a hard kicking gun at the range gets to be not fun ... And expensive.

9mm has been an excellent comprise with many people. It's kick is not as bad but it is a respectable powered round - it has also been one of the cheapest cartridges to shoot (not counting the current gun/ammo buying frenzy). It is the U. S. military's primary handgun - the Beretta 92 in 9mm. It has been for close to 25 years. The military calls it the Beretta 9.
A 22LR is such an excellent gun to practice with at the range - anyone will tell you that - and it is very cheap to shoot - so you can practice a lot - and have a lot of fun. And the Ruger Mark III series is an excellent 22.

A revolver is an excellent gun for it's simplicity and extreme reliability. You don't have feeding troubles, jamming troubles, clearing of jams. Once a semi-auto jams it is dead - and must be cleared - learning to do. you must seriously learn the jamming potentials of semi-autos - and how to deal with that possibility. Many gun classes spend a good amount of time on this subject.
Take a class - with either revolver or semi-auto.
Revolvers - you just pull the trigger - it shoots. Sometimes semi's don't.

As you can see - there is a lot here - and a lot more...

Good luck. Ask more questions. Go to shops - gun shows - don't jump into the first thing.
Everyone here wants to help people figure it all out and become good safe shooters.

[danf_fl]

One little mistake I kept making was that I fell in love and had to have as many as I could afford.

The result was a lot of junque that took up my money that I could have invested in one quality firearm.