[reno72]

What do you recommend for the first time gun buyer. 9mm pistol. C&C and home protection

[danf_fl]

A firearms training class.

[mountainman13]

I'll second the first response and add go to your lgs and handle whatever guns interest you and come back with some options you like.

[HOSSFLY]

Experience?

[kytowboater]

Stop by the into forum and say hi. Tell us about yourself. I also like the idea of a basic pistol safety class if you have no experience.

[vincent]

Yep, what they said, find a LGS and handle a few, see what fits your hand best. Some ranges have rental guns, try 'em out, don't pigeonhole yourself with a caliber and make just yet. Nothing worse than buying a gun only to find out later you don't like it or don't shoot it well...

[ScottA]

Take a course. Here's a great place to find some in your area.
http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/

Watch the videos at this thread.
http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f14/choosing-handgun-mike-seeklander-58208/

Try lots of guns and see what fits you best. For self-defense for carry, stick with a major caliber for a first gun: 9mm, 357, 40, 45. For self-defense at home, you can't beat a 12ga shotgun.

[reno72]

Very little experience. Signed up for a course and plan to try before I buy. Just curious if anyone had an opinion one way or another. I appreciate the feedback. Thanks

[mes227]

Originally Posted by reno72

What do you recommend for the first time gun buyer. 9mm pistol. C&C and home protection

+100 to the training recommendations. A basic CCW class is a good start, but something more serious is also a good idea. Beyond that, you'll need to decide what style pistol you like: steel frame (like Beretta 92), polymer frame (Glock, S&W M&P, etc), or 1911. They all handle differently and fit your hand differently. And you'll need to bracket the price range you are willing to spend, because they run $300 to $3,500 and, with a lot of limitations, you get what you pay for. You can also look at older "C&R" pistols - there are a lot of great options (e.g., Walther P1) for under $500. For home defense you've a lot of options (basically any reliable gun your shoot well), For CC size is of course a key issue and limits your options, depending greatly on how and where you intend to carry. I lot of people have a couple of CC guns, larger frames for winter carry when it's easier to conceal, lighter, smaller ones for summer. For example, I carry a 1911 commander .45acp in the winter and a Ruger LCR.357 in the summer.

[Polygon]

1. I agree, get the proper training.

2. Get a .22 to practice with and get down shooting fundamentals.

3. For home defense, get a shotgun.

4. For CCW you need to find what works best for you. I like 9mm, but other people like different calibers. Once you pick a caliber you need to try different guns to find the one that works best for you.