[moron88]

hi. i've been around for a while but mostly stick to the .22 section as that's what i predominately have. i will be turning 21 in july 2014 and i plan to purchase a handgun on my birthday. i'm trying to figure out which gun to get. my total experence with shooting handguns to date has been shooting my uncle's heritage .22 revolver twice, some .22lr semi auto and a .380 auto each once. i was reasonably accurate with all three the first time i shot them (i shot the .22s when i was 13 or 14, it was the first time i had ever fired a firearm. the heritage was either the first or second i shot, the semi was 3rd. i shot the .380 a year or 2 ago; all shots where within 1 foot of a bottle floating in a drainage ditch at about 15-20 yards. it was a subcompact i believe).

i'm about 5'8" and 225lbs. i'm reasonably strong (not super strong, but i can lift my gokart) and have a good grip. i can handle the recoil of my 20 gauge with high brass without whimpering much (6lbs break action with plastic butplate, no recoil pad).

now, i do have an idea of what i want, but wasnt sure which would be best. a few that i like are the Springfield xdm, Beretta Px4 storm, 92fs and the sig 250. i'm leaning towards 9mm because it has the highest capacity and it's cheap. i plan to open carry until i finish the ccw classes. before anyone says i should take the classes first, i want to use my own gun to take the class. although, i may continue to open carry (i get the feeling that a gun in my waistband will be uncomfortable and my front pockets are occupied by my cell, wallet, lighter and pocket knives; i dont like the idea of sitting on a firearm). in case you are wondering, yes there is still a reason to get a ccw. here in michigan, any handgun in a vehicle that is accessible by a passenger is considered consealed. if you dont have a ccw, you have to keep your gun(s) in the trunk or locked case and it has to be unloaded.

i want to know what you guys think of the guns i mentioned and if you have any other suggestions in the same price range, go ahead and suggest them. i'm not hard set on 9mm either, i just know it's the cheapest caliber that is recommended for self defense. the reason i'm asking now is so that i have sufficient time to save up. being 19, i dont have gobs of money laying around and we arent known for being fiscally responsible. i figure i could set aside 20-50 bucks a month plus the odd 5 and what ever is in my change bucket, which could mean as little as $300 or as much as $1500. quite the spread, i know, but worst case scenario, i get a bersa or something used.

any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[john2005]

Originally Posted by moron88

hi. i've been around for a while but mostly stick to the .22 section as that's what i predominately have. i will be turning 21 in july 2014 and i plan to purchase a handgun on my birthday. i'm trying to figure out which gun to get. my total experence with shooting handguns to date has been shooting my uncle's heritage .22 revolver twice, some .22lr semi auto and a .380 auto each once. i was reasonably accurate with all three the first time i shot them (i shot the .22s when i was 13 or 14, it was the first time i had ever fired a firearm. the heritage was either the first or second i shot, the semi was 3rd. i shot the .380 a year or 2 ago; all shots where within 1 foot of a bottle floating in a drainage ditch at about 15-20 yards. it was a subcompact i believe).

i'm about 5'8" and 225lbs. i'm reasonably strong (not super strong, but i can lift my gokart) and have a good grip. i can handle the recoil of my 20 gauge with high brass without whimpering much (6lbs break action with plastic butplate, no recoil pad).

now, i do have an idea of what i want, but wasnt sure which would be best. a few that i like are the Springfield xdm, Beretta Px4 storm, 92fs and the sig 250. i'm leaning towards 9mm because it has the highest capacity and it's cheap. i plan to open carry until i finish the ccw classes. before anyone says i should take the classes first, i want to use my own gun to take the class. although, i may continue to open carry (i get the feeling that a gun in my waistband will be uncomfortable and my front pockets are occupied by my cell, wallet, lighter and pocket knives; i dont like the idea of sitting on a firearm). in case you are wondering, yes there is still a reason to get a ccw. here in michigan, any handgun in a vehicle that is accessible by a passenger is considered consealed. if you dont have a ccw, you have to keep your gun(s) in the trunk or locked case and it has to be unloaded.

i want to know what you guys think of the guns i mentioned and if you have any other suggestions in the same price range, go ahead and suggest them. i'm not hard set on 9mm either, i just know it's the cheapest caliber that is recommended for self defense. the reason i'm asking now is so that i have sufficient time to save up. being 19, i dont have gobs of money laying around and we arent known for being fiscally responsible. i figure i could set aside 20-50 bucks a month plus the odd 5 and what ever is in my change bucket, which could mean as little as $300 or as much as $1500. quite the spread, i know, but worst case scenario, i get a bersa or something used.

any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

If I was you I would go to a gun show where you could handle all four. I would go with whatever fits your hand the best. I just bought my first semi auto. I went with the smith and wesson m&p40. Its deadly accurate easy to clean and prices very reasonable. I also have a cz sp01 phantom .9mm that I am getting used to. Good luck finding the gun for you

[trip286]

With that much time before you buy, yes, hit gun shows. Don't be afraid to be that nerd with a note pad and pen, writing down pros and cons. And get outside your comfort zone. Don't keep your heart set on one of those 4, handle EVERYTHING, consider EVERYTHING. Personally, I drink the 1911 KoolAid, and dammit, it's good (available in almost all the most popular calibers, including .357 magnum), but I'm semi purist so only .45 ACP for me.

You may also consider DA revolvers as your first carry gun. I've always loved them myself.

[marc29th]

You may want to take into consideration the ammo supply right now... 9mm, 45ACP are very hard to find and 40 is almost as bad. Might want to think about a revolver in either 38spl+p or 357 magnum. As ammo is more available at this time, just something to think about.

[steadyshot]

I would suggest going to a gun range that rents firearms. Rent and try the ones you are really interested in and then make your choice based on how the gun feels as you put a few rounds down range.

[jjfuller1]

all of the above is good advice, makes it harder for me to add more good advice. hehe. if you have friends, or family members that own pistols ask to see if they will take you shooting a little. you could even offer to buy the ammo to be used. this will give you a good knowledge base across the board as far as caliber, and action style you seem to prefer.

generally, .22 is what we suggest the most as you can practice, and have a lot of fun for the lowest cost. however 22 ammo is hard to find right now.

for the hole 9mm is the smallest gun to use for SD myth. its just that a myth. if you can only hit 3 of 10 shots with a 9mm. but can place 6 of 6 shots of 38 on target which do you think would be better for you? just because one cartridge is suppose to work better doesnt always mean its the best choice for you. and this goes all the way down to .22. 10 hits with a .22 is better than no hits with a .45.

[ajhaag19]

Like everyone else said. It's completely on you. Handguns are all about what fits you Everyone has their opinions of coarse. Test out different pistols or even revolvers. Some people will go all out on revolvers. Me personally. Not a fan of them. Just bad couple experiences. But doesn't mean you shouldn't try them
I personally own a beretta m9 and xdm 5.25. Love them both. Mps are great.
Also can't beat a 1911. In years your gonna want one anyways.

[perc71]

Try going to the range and rent out the top 3 guns of your
Preference. Handle, aim and fire them. You would know which
Fits your hand comfortably and you would know which gun makes you
an accurate shooter. That's how I picked my first of 8 pistols. The CZ
75 sp 01 .

[locutus]

The Beretta 92 is damn hard to beat. good enough for many thousands of US police and our Military.

[MattMika]

Originally Posted by locutus

The Beretta 92 is damn hard to beat. good enough for many thousands of US police and our Military.

Although my first pistol was an M9, it's far from my favorite. Keep in mind that police and military who carry this weapon don't usually get a choice in the matter. A small group of brass chose it, not every soldier and officer who carries it in the line of duty. I surely wouldn't use the fact that they carry it as their implied support for choosing it.