A "What Gun" Thread

First off, since I know guns have been a sensitive topic for some around here recently, let me preface this by saying this thread is not in any way intended to be a political discussion of gun control, nor is it my intent to antagonize any other members of this forum. Let's keep the discussion civil and on point, in accordance with Momma's house rules.

So now that we've gotten that out of the way...

I would like to buy a gun, most likely a pistol. Wanted one for quite some time now, however it seems that every time I end up with a little bit of money set aside that could go towards the purchase, it gets spent on car stuff instead. Well, this time is going to be different and I am going to start seriously gun shopping. The problem is, I have no berkeleying clue as to what I want.

What I am really looking for is something to take to the range and become proficient with as a shooter, as well as to have for self defense should the occasion ever arise. Cheap to shoot and easy to find ammo for are both considerations. I do intend to get my CC permit (going to the courthouse tomorrow actually since I'm off work), so reasonably comfortable to carry is important as well, though I honestly don't know how often I actually would carry it. Let's say budget of $400 (could maybe stretch that for something I was totally in love with) and I'd be perfectly OK buying used.

I'm pretty much a novice shooter, as we never had guns in my house growing up (Mom made Dad sell his when they had kids, although he's got a pistol again now), although I've been around them plenty and understand safe handling and ownership practice. Pretty much all of my experience shooting has been small caliber pistols and .22 rifles, though I have fired a few shotguns and ARs as well.

Kinda leaning towards a 9mm semi auto pistol, as that seems to be, on paper at least, probably the best all around tool for my needs. I'm open to the idea of a revolver as well, though I'm not really sure I understand the argument for one vs a semi auto - just personal preference I guess? I'd like a shotgun and a rifle someday as well, although probably not this time around.

TL/DR: Recommend me a fun, cheap to shoot, do-all pistol.

Well, since this is GRM, might I suggest a decked out AR-10 with a 24" fluted stainless steel barrel and massive optic?

Alright. now that that is out of the way.... Get your butt in a gun store and get your hands on as many as you can. Firearm ownership is a very personal thing that you and only you can determine. My personal preference is large, slow bullets that transfer as much muzzle energy to the target as possible with mass. SO I'm a .45 guy. I also prefer the ergonomics of the 1911 platform. With that said, I'd likely not recommend either for a first handgun to a novice shooter.

There's lots of good stuff, lots of decent stuff and some truly terrible stuff out there. Try as many as you can befire you purchase.

Glock 17. Sig. Something in 9mm. Cheap to shoot, reliable, OK for self defense.

Also... I hate Glocks. Nothing against Glock owners or Glock itself really. THey are just too boxy, have the wrong grip angle and just feel wrong in my hands. I do love me some Sig though. I want a Sig BAD but car budget overrides gun budget right now

S-W M&P Shield 9mm would fit the bill you describe above. Best advice - spend 1/2 day at a local range that allows rentals and hopefully is staffed with helpful enthusiasts. Rent / try a number of different guns, even if that means spending a couple bucks each to do so. You'll likely have to buy ammo from the range (reasonable enough request, I think), but in exchange you'll get to try before you buy. 9mm ammo is reasonably priced, easy to obtain, powerful enough, etc., etc.

Oh yea, get a safe. Even if it is a one gunner, get one. Lock that guy up when not in use.

Bobzilla wrote: ...Get your butt in a gun store and get your hands on as many as you can...

Basically figured that's the answer, but I have a tendency to over-analyze the hell out of any purchase and was hoping to gain as much direction as possible before actually getting my hands on anything. Plus, it's a slow afternoon at work

Bobzilla wrote: Also... I hate Glocks. Nothing against Glock owners or Glock itself really. THey are just too boxy, have the wrong grip angle and just feel wrong in my hands. I do love me some Sig though. I want a Sig BAD but car budget overrides gun budget right now

Seems to be a lot of strong opinions towards Glock in both directions. I've shot a couple of Glock 42s (think that's the right model, its the single stack .380 model) recently and didn't have strong feelings either way.

What kind of puts me off about them is the lack of a manual safety.

Bobzilla wrote: Well, since this is GRM, might I suggest a decked out AR-10 with a 24" fluted stainless steel barrel and massive optic? Alright. now that that is out of the way.... Get your butt in a gun store and get your hands on as many as you can. Firearm ownership is a very personal thing that you and only you can determine. My personal preference is large, slow bullets that transfer as much muzzle energy to the target as possible with mass. SO I'm a .45 guy. I also prefer the ergonomics of the 1911 platform. With that said, I'd likely not recommend either for a first handgun to a novice shooter. There's lots of good stuff, lots of decent stuff and some truly terrible stuff out there. Try as many as you can befire you purchase.

This is very good advice. Try it before you buy it. You should be able to rent a number of different pistols at a local range (you may have to buy their ammo). But that will be small beans compared to getting the pistol you really like the first time.

I have never fired a Sig, but I very highly doubt you would be disappointed with one. Not sure what the used prices are on them, they are likely higher.

Glocks, love them or hate them. I shot a compact in .40 S&W and immediately fell in love. I have a friend that SWEARS by his 10mm glock, and it is indeed a nice gun. But I wouldn't want to buy ammo for it.

Springfield XD's are very, very nice, and they come in a number of different configurations.

I've owned a couple Taurus pistols, a PT-145 and a 9mm. They are not bad guns, but they don't hold their value.

If you stick with the 9mm and like the feel of a 1911, try a Browning Hi-Power. They are very nice too.

I've held Rugers, but not fired one. From what I gather they are one of the best bang for the buck pistols. Comfortable, very reliable, not ammo sensitive and friendly on the wallet.

I would go to a range that rents. You can actually fire all of the contenders and really feel what you like.

Be advised, shooting is much like autosports in the fact that the car is just the entry point to spending money. Range time and ammo can quickly eclipse the cost of the purchase.

That being said, 9mm is a good choice as ammo is affordable and all over. I like .380 as well as they have smaller frames and fit in your pocket. My criaglist piece is a Bersa Thunder CC 380. It was ~$300, fits easily in pocket, acuratish and reliable. Taurus makes some good inexpensive pieces as well.

Sounds like the Springfield XD9 Essentials package would be right up your alley.

Maybe an XDS if you're wanting to carry a slimmer firearm.

I'm not a big fan, but the Gen 2 Taurus Millenniums have a cheap buy in. We've got a first gen, that we've still not sent in for the recall.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

Yeah, I have a Gen 1 24/7 (Millenium with a short rail basically) in .45. GREAT little gun. Paid$250 for it, put 400rds through it and have yet to have any failures whatsoever. What's nice is it's compact size, 10+1 capacity and lightweight. IT's ovedr a full lb less than my 1911 and holds 2 more rounds in a smaller package.

EDIT: Paid $250 for it in the box, factory ppwk and 150rds of ammo.

1911's are great. A bit large to conceal carry. Recoil is not bad. My wife qualified for her CC with my 1911. There are some good ones available in the $400 range right now. The Filipino ones, Rock Island, have been getting pretty good reviews.

A single stack Sig in 9MM would be a good carry/plinker. Small enough to CC without wearing a down jacket, reliable, accurate.

I am not a big fan of the whole Glock trigger. I respect the entire package as being very reliable and relatively accurate (not for me, but seems to be for most).

The Taurus 92 is another one to look at. Reasonable, accurate, reliable. Bit large for CC.

Visit a well stocked gun store like a Cabellas and start picking them up. The right one just "feels right."

former520 wrote: I would go to a range that rents. You can actually fire all of the contenders and really feel what you like.

+zillion

A case of S&W .40 runs me somewhere in the $270 range for junk rounds that I throw at paper. So... it takes less than 3000 rounds to eclipse the cost of my somewhat expensive H&K USP .40.

If the AR comes out of the cabinet... it racks up double bonus points at $355 per case, and you can spend them a whole lot faster if you are feeling punchy.

Buy a bow.

In reply to Huckleberry:

I have a semi auto .22 WMR, it costs more to feed than my AR, sad times.

The Glock 42 seems neat - I want to try one. I have had revolvers in the past, and decided to that I wanted a semi-auto years ago, and decided on Glock at the time. There are others that are "as good" so if an additional safety or ergonomics affect your choice - go with what works for you.

Glock 9mm is what it was originally designed for and the 19 and 26 are smaller than the original while still working very well. Some people don't like the subcompacts like the 26 due to the shorter grip.

So what's the argument for a revolver over a semi auto?

Personal preference. I like my Rossi M88 in 2" SS. SMall, light, fantastic trigger (in SA). Down side is .38spl is a little weak for a lot of things, including putting down a rabid dog. Literally bounced off his head.

In reply to Furious_E:

Accuracy. Slower pace. Easy to clean. No feed jams. Can be used backwards to hammer in the tacks that hold up your targets

Furious_E wrote: So what's the argument for a revolver over a semi auto?

Much of it is preference.

I'm a revolver guy and my favorite of several is my Ruger Blackhawk. It is a single action revolver and with shoot a few different sizes of rounds. For me, I believe a revolver is safer because it cant "hide" bullets like a semi auto can. I know most of that is in my head, but it is pretty easy to flip out the barrel and know with absolute certainty there are no rounds in the gun. The gun being a single action also makes me feel safer because there are two independent actions that must take place to fire.

Revolvers also require minimal maintenance of any kind. they are just simple and straight forward.

Here's hte most recent crew before they fell out of the boat on Lake Michigan:

Rossi M88 .38spl, Taurus 24/7 Pro Compact .45acp, Springfield Loaded 1911A1 .45ACP

Furious_E wrote: So what's the argument for a revolver over a semi auto?

You won't leave your brass at the scene of the crime? I learned this from CSI.

Also, no matter what you do, get yourself familiar with the 4 rules. Follow them always.

FWIW, while I have this P226 and think it's about as good a full size handgun (it's what the military SHOULD have chosen back when they transitioned from .45 to 9mm). It isn't terribly good as concealed carry. Since the best gun to have in a gunfight is......the one you have, anything that isn't small/light enough to be carried all the time likely won't be on your side when you need it most. For that I like the Ruger LCP.

All that said, if home defense is high on your list of requirements, a shotgun is WAY better at that than a pistol. You can pick up a cheap pump 12 ga for under $200 and have 3X the stopping power of any pistol you'd want to shoot in an easier to aim package.

For revolvers, I had a Smith&Wesson 629 with a 5" barrel. Sweet shooting hand cannon that drew a crowd at the range.

I'm a target pistol shooter since young and have love for autos, revolvers, and even my odd duck Thompson single shot. From what you've said I's suggest a 9mm auto as they are cheap to shoot and have a ton of nice pistols in the caliber. The Smith M&P and the Springfield XD seem to be the most popular options at the moment.

Most things I own you would never want to carry due to being heavy target guns with big sights and light triggers. For home defense and very rare carry I've found the GRM option to be a Walther PPK 380 knockoff made in the 90's by FN. Only holds 7 but puts them in 6" standing at 25yards, which is amazing for a 380. Previous choice was a snub 357 revolver, fantastic firepower and 5 shots that always go off and never jam. Unfortunately Ms84FSP couldn't deal with with the recoil as it was a handful.

I'd suggest going used from a gunshow or watching the deals at the big box stores as there can be a significant savings over new. If you get some time with a variety of things at the rent/range you'll be ready to make a deal when you find the right one.