[laxexquis]

Hello,

I have been looking at handguns, mainly Glocks and want to get one for shooting at a range, safety and just to have a gun.

I have never owned or used a gun before.

I really want a Glock but their are so many models I don't know where to start.

Please recommend me a Glock model that would be good for this.

By the way I have no idea what caliber I want or really any idea of about calibers.

 

[Cnynrat]

First off, welcome to the site.

You're not too specific about what you want to use the handgun for. If by safety you mean personal defense, than many people would say 9mm is the smallest you should be thinking about. On the other hand some folks aren't happy with anything smaller than a .45. The most important factor is getting a gun that you can shoot well - bullets that miss the intended target have little affect.

My recommendation is you find a local range with a selection of guns for rent and go try some different brands and calibers. You need to find something that fits your hands well. Also, don't rule out a revolver as a personal defense weapon. They are simpler to operate, and you'll find some people who will tell you that with the adrenaline surging these might be the better choice than a semi-auto pistol.

I also recommend getting some basic training. Then you need to practice, practice, practice.

Dave

 

[canebrake]

WELCOME laxexquis, glad to have you aboard.

Great questions and there will be plenty of members here to help you find the gun that will be best for you.

I am (as many members you will come across on this forum are) very biased when it comes to brand and caliber.

There is only one I would recommend and it would be a Colt Commander LW chambered in .45 ACP. Now you are going to hear from all the tupperware guys why you need a glock, XD, MP yada, yada, yada....

If you want to skip all the rough road in between your first gun and where you will wind up if truly enlightened, just go out and get the 1911 now!

 

[laxexquis]

Ok,

I will look in to Colt.

I'm also thinking about a Walther.

 

[laxexquis]

Alright thanks for all your info.

The reason why I would have the gun is to keep in my house for protection against inruders. I don't think I would carry it around when I go out.

I would also just like to have a gun to use at a shooting range because I want to learn how to correctly use a gun.

Frankly the Colt 1911 is alittle to big and powerful me.

I would prefer something that has a fairly low recoil and is fairly compact. I would also want it to be fitted with a silencer.

Now when it comes to bullet size I really have no clue what would be proper for my situation. Considering I am a newb with this stuff I am very confused with the bullet sizes, because some are written in the form of ".380" and some are measured in "millimeters" and some have letters at the end of them and I have no clue what they mean.

Thanks

John

 

[Franciscomv]

Welcome to the forum, laxexquis! You'll find some very helpful folks here.

I've been shooting since I was a kid but I only started buying my own handguns and really getting into the whole pistol world in the past year or so, I was bewildered by the amount of options available (brands, platforms, calibers, etc). Don't try to learn everything at once.

Since you want a gun for home defense, it doesn't need to be particularly small or light. Light guns are nice to carry, heavier guns are usually more comfortable to shoot (less felt recoil). So you should be looking at full sized guns, if Glocks are what you like then try to find a range where you can rent a model 17. I'm not a Glock fan, but I admit they are good quality guns and not too hard on the pocket. My choice would be a CZ 75, it's a very good pistol which fits my hands better, its all steel construction gives it a nice heft and I find it more aesthetically appealing than other 9mm guns. Looks might not be important to some, but they are to me. If polymer guns are what you fancy, there are a lot of good ones out there as long as you buy one from a good brand (Ruger, Smith & Wesson, etc.) it should work well, and if it doesn't they'll stand behind their product.

Caliber-wise, I think you should try 9mm (9x19mm, 9mmLuger or 9mm Parabellum are other names for it). It's not the most powerfull round out there, but it will get the job done with proper ammo selection (a good hollow point, lots of options to choose from). Recoil is not an issue (especially with heavy service type pistols), ammo price is not too bad. I wouldn't go with anything smaller than that for home defense. The .380 caliber you mentioned earlier is basically a shorter 9mm, which is fine for a pocket pistol but you can do much better for a home defense gun.

You seem to be a little concerned about recoil, don't worry too much about it. It's something you get used to. Maybe after firing your 9mm for a while you'll want to give .45 a try, there's always time to get another gun.

I know you are asking about semi-autos, but don't overlook revolvers. While double action fire (shooting without cocking the hammer first) might be challenging to a beginner, it's not hard to master to a reasonable degree. It just takes some practice. They're easier to handle than a semi-auto, there's no way you can leave a round in the chamber or something like that. A .357 revolver with a 4" barrel (like a S&W 686) is a very good home defense weapon, if .357 magnum recoil is a bit too much for you at first, you can always use .38 special ammo in it (the recoil is basically the same as 9mm from a semi-auto). In my very humble opinion (I'm just a gun enthusiast, not a super operator or instructor) there's nothing like a good double action revolver to learn proper trigger technique.

 

[junho806]

if you want a glock go with the glock 19
is sub compact and it fits in the hand really well
and its in 9mm so ammo fairly cheap and a good caliber to start for a beginner

 

[laxexquis]

Welcome to the forum, laxexquis! You'll find some very helpful folks here.

I've been shooting since I was a kid but I only started buying my own handguns and really getting into the whole pistol world in the past year or so, I was bewildered by the amount of options available (brands, platforms, calibers, etc). Don't try to learn everything at once.

Since you want a gun for home defense, it doesn't need to be particularly small or light. Light guns are nice to carry, heavier guns are usually more comfortable to shoot (less felt recoil). So you should be looking at full sized guns, if Glocks are what you like then try to find a range where you can rent a model 17. I'm not a Glock fan, but I admit they are good quality guns and not too hard on the pocket. My choice would be a CZ 75, it's a very good pistol which fits my hands better, its all steel construction gives it a nice heft and I find it more aesthetically appealing than other 9mm guns. Looks might not be important to some, but they are to me. If polymer guns are what you fancy, there are a lot of good ones out there as long as you buy one from a good brand (Ruger, Smith & Wesson, etc.) it should work well, and if it doesn't they'll stand behind their product.

Caliber-wise, I think you should try 9mm (9x19mm, 9mmLuger or 9mm Parabellum are other names for it). It's not the most powerfull round out there, but it will get the job done with proper ammo selection (a good hollow point, lots of options to choose from). Recoil is not an issue (especially with heavy service type pistols), ammo price is not too bad. I wouldn't go with anything smaller than that for home defense. The .380 caliber you mentioned earlier is basically a shorter 9mm, which is fine for a pocket pistol but you can do much better for a home defense gun.

You seem to be a little concerned about recoil, don't worry too much about it. It's something you get used to. Maybe after firing your 9mm for a while you'll want to give .45 a try, there's always time to get another gun.

I know you are asking about semi-autos, but don't overlook revolvers. While double action fire (shooting without cocking the hammer first) might be challenging to a beginner, it's not hard to master to a reasonable degree. It just takes some practice. They're easier to handle than a semi-auto, there's no way you can leave a round in the chamber or something like that. A .357 revolver with a 4" barrel (like a S&W 686) is a very good home defense weapon, if .357 magnum recoil is a bit too much for you at first, you can always use .38 special ammo in it (the recoil is basically the same as 9mm from a semi-auto). In my very humble opinion (I'm just a gun enthusiast, not a super operator or instructor) there's nothing like a good double action revolver to learn proper trigger technique.

Ok, thanks for all the info.

I also want a gun so I don't have to feel like a helpless civilian in bad situations. I also want to take lessons on ussing it properly. I imagine it's a nice feeling to know you are trained and can fight properly.

I will defiantly look in to the revolver. I am alittle confised with the whole double action thing.

I have a few question mainly about the sizes considering when it comes to guns, it's what I am most confused about.

When its measured in Millimeters, that tells you the diameter, correct?

Now when it's measured with the .380,.357 or .45, what is that a measurement of and what unit is it in?

Also, can a silencer be fitted to most guns, because I think I would prefer to have one?

Hah, I do have alittle experience with pellet CO2 pistols and airsoft guns, but other then that, I am ashamed.

Thanks for your help.

John

 

[kdog]

If you are looking for a semi auto with lower recoil, then I don`t think a Glock or other tupperware pistol will be the one.
I somethimes shoot the Glock 17 from a friend of mine and find the recoil is fairly high compaired to my CZ75.

Of yourse, you could start to tune the Glock to get lower recoil, but that also cost a bit of cash extra.

For the beginning, I would suggest a CZ75B or similar pistol in 9mm.
The cost of the pistol is o.k. and the qualitiy is very good. Also handling and recoil are very nice.

Have a look at them.
But in the end, I suggest, as Cnynrat suggested aswell, go to a shooting range with a good amount of different rental pistols and revolvers and give some of them a try.

 

[741512th]

If you like the Glock, you'll love the Springfield XD. Its "Glocky" but more so.

 

[Franciscomv]

I will defiantly look in to the revolver. I am alittle confised with the whole double action thing.

I have a few question mainly about the sizes considering when it comes to guns, it's what I am most confused about.

When its measured in Millimeters, that tells you the diameter, correct?

Now when it's measured with the .380,.357 or .45, what is that a measurement of and what unit is it in?

Also, can a silencer be fitted to most guns, because I think I would prefer to have one?

Double action means that when you pull the trigger the cylinder rotates, the hammer is cocked and then released. Single action is when you cock the trigger (which also rotates the cylinder) with your thumb and then press the trigger. Double action is fast but takes more practice since the trigger pull is longer and harder; single action is more accurate an easier to master since the trigger pull is short and crisp. In self defense situations, 99% of the shots are going to be double action. That's why many revolvers designed for defensive use have hidden hammers (you can't fire them single action), which makes them easier to draw from a pocket.

Semi-auto pistols can also be double action (when you pull the trigger the hammer is cocked and finally released). Some are DA/SA (double action/single action, aka traditional double action), which means the first shot has a longer double action trigger pull, while the rest are fired single action. Some are single action (like 1911's), which are meant to be carried cocked with the safety on ("cocked and locked"), they have a short and crisp trigger pull on every shot. Some are double action only (DAO). Then you've got striker fired guns (like Glocks, Steyrs, S&W M&P's, etc.) which don't have an external hammer, the trigger pull is similar to DA, usually lighter.

I answered your caliber question in your other post.

About silencers, civilians don't need them on their defense guns. It takes a special license to get them and not all pistols can take one, but that's not the point.

 

[canebrake]

If you like the Glock, you'll love the Springfield XD. Its "Glocky" but more so.

Now there's a testimonial!

It's Glockierer!

Is that like Perfectionierer?

Run Forest, he has a Glocky!!

 

[laxexquis]

I'm seriously considering the Walther PPK .380 ACP. I really like how you can either use SA or DA, I think that feature is good for a beginner like me. I will probably start out using the SA because it is easier to fire that way.

I am going to take a trip to my local gun shop/shooting range and check things out.

The only thing I don't like about the PPK is many people will think I am trying to be like James Bond, but I just like the gun and the German name, although it's made by S&W.

What do you think about the PPK?

Thanks
John

 

[SGT-MILLER]

If you are wanting to keep the recoil down, I would suggest a 9mm in the 1911-style sidearm. You get the benefits of lower recoil and a top-notch sidearm design at once.

Here's a few possible choices that will not let you down:

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY 1911 (9x19MM)

COLT COMBAT COMMANDER (9x19MM)

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY E.M.P. (9x19MM)

 

[741512th]

Now there's a testimonial!

It's Glockierer!

Well, some firearms have a certain level of glockitude, whereas others are just downright glockalicious. Many weapons seem glockorious, but upon close examination it is obvious that the manufacturer is only engaging in glockanery.

 

[Franciscomv]

I'm seriously considering the Walther PPK .380 ACP. I really like how you can either use SA or DA, I think that feature is good for a beginner like me. I will probably start out using the SA because it is easier to fire that way.

I am going to take a trip to my local gun shop/shooting range and check things out.

The only thing I don't like about the PPK is many people will think I am trying to be like James Bond, but I just like the gun and the German name, although it's made by S&W.

What do you think about the PPK?

Thanks
John

If this is going to be your only firearm for a while, I think the Walther PPK in .380 might not be the best choice.

It's a good quality handgun, and its size makes it very easy to conceal. However, recoil will be worse than in a full size pistol (there will also be less distance between the sights, etc.). Small pistols can be shot accurately (I'm a huge snubnose revolver fan), but it takes more practice and it's not all that pleasant with some ammo (hot self defense rounds, for example).

The PPK is a traditional DA, as far as I know, which means the first shot has to be fired double action, the rest in single action.

.380 is probably the bare minumum for self defense, and I wouldn't choose it for my main gun, unless deep concealment was one of my main concerns.

In my opinion, you should look for a full size (or even a compact, but not a subcompact or pocket pistol) 9mm semi-auto. Recoil from a .380 PPK is going to be similar if not greater than what you'll feel from a 9mm Colt Combat Commander. You'll also get a lot more rounds (most 9mm pistols have a 15 round capacity, give or take a couple of bullets), which will be more powerful than .380 bullets.

If single action is what you're looking for, look no further than the good old HP35. It's a Browning design (the same bloke who designed the 1911 platform, he knew a thing or two about single action pistols). It has a 13+1 capacity and it's a pleasure to shoot. You can see some pics of old and modern versions here: Modern Firearms - Handguns - Browning High Power

 

[biff44]

get a .22 pistol, and learn with that.

Ruger 22/45™ Mark III™  Rimfire Autoloading Pistols

 

[laxexquis]

If this is going to be your only firearm for a while, I think the Walther PPK in .380 might not be the best choice.

It's a good quality handgun, and its size makes it very easy to conceal. However, recoil will be worse than in a full size pistol (there will also be less distance between the sights, etc.). Small pistols can be shot accurately (I'm a huge snubnose revolver fan), but it takes more practice and it's not all that pleasant with some ammo (hot self defense rounds, for example).

The PPK is a traditional DA, as far as I know, which means the first shot has to be fired double action, the rest in single action.

.380 is probably the bare minumum for self defense, and I wouldn't choose it for my main gun, unless deep concealment was one of my main concerns.

In my opinion, you should look for a full size (or even a compact, but not a subcompact or pocket pistol) 9mm semi-auto. Recoil from a .380 PPK is going to be similar if not greater than what you'll feel from a 9mm Colt Combat Commander. You'll also get a lot more rounds (most 9mm pistols have a 15 round capacity, give or take a couple of bullets), which will be more powerful than .380 bullets.

If single action is what you're looking for, look no further than the good old HP35. It's a Browning design (the same bloke who designed the 1911 platform, he knew a thing or two about single action pistols). It has a 13+1 capacity and it's a pleasure to shoot. You can see some pics of old and modern versions here: Modern Firearms - Handguns - Browning High Power

Alright, thanks for your thoughts. I will think about it.

 

[TwoHandRevy]

If you are absolutely dead set on a Walther, then I suggest you look into some Walther's other product lines as they are a lot better than the PP series of pistols.

Here's just a couple of them you could look into:

Walther PPS (This series is available in both 9x19mm and .40 S&W with various magazine options depending on the user's preference.)



Walther P22 (This .22 LR series offers several platform preferences to choose from.)



Walther PK380 (A new pistol series in .380 ACP that will be made available in March '09, and offers similar options like the P22 series.)



Walther P99 (This pistol series comes in both 9x19mm and .40 S&W, comes in either a full size or compact version, has magazine capacity options, and three different trigger system models to choose from depending on the user's preference.



You can find more information about these pistols here:

Home Page - Walther America

http://www.carl-walther.info/dev2/index.php?company=walther&lang=EN&content=products

waltherforums.com

 

[30-30remchester]

if you are an inexperenced shooter by all means consider a double action revolver in 38-357. they are foolproof firearms.virtually impossible to jam or make malfuntion. not ammo specific. have a bad round of ammo? pull the trigger again. easy to learn to load and unload.easy to check if loaded.after teaching and attending many combat courses the only gun that has never failed? a double action revolver.and they are generally less expensive the semi autos. and if you cant cure the situation with 6 to 8 rounds why do you think 8 more will? learn to shoot better.