Recommendations for a first handgun…

I heard someone say, pick a gun that has atleast 40 in it's name, I will agree with this statement since stopping power is the most important IMO.

H&K's are good guns although a bit pricy, however the price for a standard USP has dropped considderably, they have some nice attachments for them too, including your laser sight which I highly recommend, if you can add a flashlight too, i'd recommend that too.

I'm personally not a big fan of revovlers for self-defense but that's only because they are relatively bulky, esspecially if you want to carry it concealed, but as stated they are reliable and simple.

If you are affraid of terrorist or war, i'd recommend getting an assualt style weapon, AKs go for around 300 bucks, AR-15's go for about a 1000.

I personally don't own a gun yet, but i'll probably go for a USP .40/10mm or a FN Five seveN since it has a large clip and very little recoil.

before you purchase ANYTHING go to a shooting range.........most of them will rent guns to you.

before i actually bought a gun i demo'd several different kinds.

for my first gun i chose a 38revolver. for a BEGINNER i feel they are easier to use. they don't jam like a 9mil does.........i would say they are just about idiot proof...........but i don't want you to take gunmanship lightly.

i think before you actually purchase a weapon you need to sit down and think the whole concept through..........in the case of defending yourself OR your family or property would you be able to shoot to kill?

not pull it and wave it around but shoot it? if you can't answer with a confident YES then you do not need a gun. you aren't prepared for the consequences of actually having to defend yourself.

and further more...............take a weapons class............its required before you actually can have a permit to carry one...........you need to be very very familiar with your gun. it should be almost an extension of your hand.

you should also shoot on a regular basis. keep your skills sharp.

i take my carrying a weapon with the UTMOST responsibility. 99% of the people that know me don't know i carry. its not something to brag about when out drinking................its a very serious commitment and one you need to be prepared for the outcome if you do indeed have to use your weapon.

but as far as what to buy...................i would go with a revolver as a beginner weapon. upgrade later on if you like. but for beginners a revolver in my opinion is the best choice.


angie

I'd go with the glock---9mm or 45

but above and beyond choosing a weapon , is training on the proper use

under stress [ that's where the mistakes take place ]

cleaning and maintaining is easy , compared to life and death decisions.

If you are just gonna buy it, and stuff it away under lock and key without any training , then don't buy it.

my 2cents...FWIW

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
I heard someone say, pick a gun that has atleast 40 in it's name, I will agree with this statement since stopping power is the most important IMO.

Hitting what you shoot at is the most important thing, and that's easier with a 9mm for a novice.

I'm personally not a big fan of revovlers for self-defense but that's only because they are relatively bulky, esspecially if you want to carry it concealed, but as stated they are reliable and simple.

My Smith 642 weighs 15 ounces and slips into a pocket, I carry it because my autos weigh too much.

I personally don't own a gun yet, but i'll probably go for a USP .40/10mm or a FN Five seveN since it has a large clip and very little recoil.

H&K don't make a 10mm, and finding ammunition for the FiveSeven is all but impossible, but that may improve. And puhlease, it's a MAGAZINE not a CLIP !!!

Originally posted by dbates
The 9mm is a good choice. As far as safety goes, don't keep the clip of ammo with the gun and keep a trigger lock on the gun. As an added bonus, the sound of a clip being loaded and the slide being pulled back and released should scare the life out of anyone breaking into your house.

Excellent advice.........if you want to get yourself killed.

If you want to keep your primary defence firearm unloaded and locked, I suggest you look upon it as only having use as a paperweight or a target pistol.

Just imagine the scene - it's 0 dark thirty and you are awakened by the sound of breaking glass. In your half asleep state and in the dark you must:

1. Locate your firearm.

2. Locate your gunlock key

3. Insert said key into the lock while your heart rate reaches 200bpm

4. Remove gun lock

5. Find magazine (not a clip unless you're using a Garand)

6. Insert magazine

7. Rack the slide

For me the drill is:

1. Reach

2. Bang, bang, bang

Buy a Baseball bat, it will be of more use because I would imagine you to be dead by about number 5.

I keep my Firestar M40 9mm in my bedside table drawer. It is equipped with a combination-style trigger lock (3 digits).

The added time it takes to dial in the numbers and remove the trigger lock amounts to no more than 5-10 seconds. In my opinion, those extra seconds are easily worth the added safety factor.

Does a trigger lock keep the safety locked in place as well?

Go to a range, test out a few different weapons, see what works best for you...

An all around good choice is the Glock 17. 9mm's are easy to find ammo for, and it holds enough bullets so that even if you miss, you've got more chances, hehe....

Is 9mm enough to stop somebody with one shot? And is a 45 to much?

Depends on where the shot hits... But who fires just one shot?
Yes, a 45 is too much. Once you fire, the kick will throw off the aim of subsequent shots, quite a bit, if you need to fire more than once.

For home defense, a shotgun is always a nice choice too, there's the intimidation factor, and the convenience of being able to easily shoot through doors (and for the intruder to KNOW this, so he beats feet!).

Please be sure to heed the advice of others, and get a gun lock. There are some really high-tech locks now that don't hamper ready time, but still keep the kiddies from playing with it.

No, it just keeps you from pulling the trigger. You can get one for about $10, and as mentioned you can get them with combination locks instead of keys if you are worried about unlocking it quickly.



These comments about trigger locks getting you killed are based on a lack of gun training. Gun safety is not an option and you should be extra cautious if you have kids in your house. I've been made fun of for unloading a gun and setting it down to cross a fence, but then I've never shot myself crossing a fence with a gun either. Gun safety should never be taken lightly. Please ignore anyone who tells you to skip safety features. Mistakes with guns can't be taken back.

The nra and probably other groups offer a wide variety of gun training for very reasonable prices. I took a hand gun self defense course many years AFTER growing up with guns of all types and still learned a great deal. It will also give you exposure to many different calibers and whatnot and you'll have a much better idea what works best for you.

I think the things I have learned from this thread so far is:

#1 Head down to the local range and try a few, go with a 9-10mm or a 38 that feels good in my hands.

#2 Hollow point ammunition for stopping power, and wont shoot through the target edangering my family.

#3 Take a class and stay well practiced.

#4 Use a gun lock with a combination, keep the gun in the master br close by, loaded.

#5 A laser sight or a small mag light (or both) for better aim, vision, and to send a message.


Some more questions:

Can a gun be fired with a round in the chamber even though there is a trigger lock? Can a revolver still fire with a trigger lock if I manually pull the hammer back? (I am trying to picture a little kid playing with this)

Skippy, I have owned firearms for many years, and you do right to try to determine which firearm is best for you -- especially if you have no experience in owning one.

But I think you'd be better served in telling us what you want a firearm for, and then picking the firearm based on its use.

For example, of your sole reason for buying a gun is home defense, the the answer is easy: you don't get a handgun or a rifle, you get a shotgun.

Shotguns are better because the right one is practically fool proof, i.e., it won't jam or misfire. At home-defense ranges (typically 10 feet/ 3 meters), it does not need any target practice, since you can point it at the intruder, pull the trigger, and the intruder will immediately fall down and stop breathing. With the right load (not double-ought buck; that's for idiots and the movies) such as #7 dove loads, the person shot will fall down, but the shot will not penetrate the interior walls and kill your kid sleeping in the next room or in the adjacent apartment.

When it comes to handguns, whether you get a pistol (revolver) or autoloader is more of a "Ford vs. Chevy" question. I have owned both (each in several calibers) and I prefer a revolver because of its inherent reliability, safety, and the fact that my wife does not like autoloaders, and we want to keep our ammunition logistics as simple as possible. (It's almost impossible to get a revolver and an autoloader pistol which shoot the same cartridges.)

But the whole handgun question, as long as you're limiting your use to home defense, is irrelevant. A shotgun is simply the best approach for that particular task.

The only loaded firearm I have in my house is a shotgun, a 12-gauge (which means it has a barrel with an inside diameter of about 2/3 of an inch) slide action (sometimes called a "pump") shotgun made by the Mossberg Company. This particular gun has three interchangeable barrels, with the one that stays on it being 18 inches long (the shortest legal barrel you can use).

I picked a 12-gauge (which is one of the larger sizes) because I also use the shotgun with different barrels and different ammunition) for hunting both deer and large fowl, and because of the wide range of ammunition available.

I picked the slide action because it is the most reliable and simple way of having a shotgun which will allow you to fire repeatedly without having to reload; and because the very sound of a shotgun being "racked" (chambering a cartridge by sliding the action back and forth) is terrifying and often sends the Bad Guy out the door without a shot being fired.

Finally, a shotgun like mine (with only one barrel) can be had for around $200 and will not require endless hours of practice to make you a competent shooter (although an NRA-approved firearms safety program is absolutely imperative).

Off-the-street is absolutely correct (Another poster eluded to it as well)! A shotgun is the ultimate weapon for home defense. I also have a Mossberg 12g shotgun, single barrel, slide action 535 All Purpose Field Model (I recently sold my older 500). Paid about $400 for it out the door... ammo, barrels and tax! Aside from my S&W 10mm, this is my other home defense weapon. If you are willing to contemplate a "larger" weapon, as a shotgun is a little more difficult to hide from the children, this would be the way to go.

Now, I may get flamed on this, and that is fine by me, but I have had a reputable gunsmith in my area pack a few salt loaded shells. Salt loaded shells, you ask??? Yes, I've had someone pack the shell with rock salt as opposed to lead shot and reduce the number of grains in the shell. This allows me a "warning" shot without necessarily killing someone. If the sound of racking in a shell doesn't get my message across, the shot will. If he still has fight in 'em THEN he gets the Brenneke!

kozmo says:

"...I also have a Mossberg 12g shotgun, single barrel, slide action 535 All Purpose Field Model (I recently sold my older 500). Paid about $400 for it out the door... ammo, barrels and tax!..."

Excellent choice. I have an older 500 bought a 21" rifled barrel which is pretty accurate (although a huge drop) with the Brenneke slugs.

"Now, I may get flamed on this, and that is fine by me, but I have had a reputable gunsmith in my area pack a few salt loaded shells. Salt loaded shells, you ask??? Yes, I've had someone pack the shell with rock salt as opposed to lead shot and reduce the number of grains in the shell. This allows me a "warning" shot without necessarily killing someone. If the sound of racking in a shell doesn't get my message across, the shot will. If he still has fight in 'em THEN he gets the Brenneke!"

You know, I've heard of rock salt in shotguns for years but never thought to actually load any. I have a Dillon 500 which won't handle shotgun shells, but I will try to find someone who has a shotshell reloader. Obviously, you can cut the powder charge way down, since you don't need a particular amount to cycle the gun -- since it's not a semi.

If you have a chance, next time you talk to your smith ask him what powder charge and weight of rock salt he uses, would you? Your idea is something I'd definitely like to try!

Thanks again!



[edit on 8-7-2005 by Off_The_Street]

Originally posted by kozmo
~snip
Now, I may get flamed on this, and that is fine by me, but I have had a reputable gunsmith in my area pack a few salt loaded shells. Salt loaded shells, you ask??? ~snip

I've heard of that! Apparently it penetrates to just under the skin and proceeds to burn like, well, salt in a wound. Old school non-lethal.


My advice on our children and owning guns is this: (it was given to me by a state p.o.)

As young as reasonable, (5-6 for mine) teach them about your guns.
Tell the child you'll show them the gun whenever they ask.
Use the opportunity to teach them about gun safety, show them how to SAFELY handle a gun.
Tell them they are only allowed to look at it together with the grownups help. Answer all their questions, tell them how dangerous a gun is and how to respect guns.
Teach them about the serious nature of guns and to treat all guns as if they were loaded. After 2 or 3 times, the childs natural curiosity is satisfied and chances are they will lose interest in "checking out" the guns.
What you want to do is control their first experiences and exposure to guns in a positive, educational manner.
This way a) they will never "accidentally" find your guns and feel the need to "check them out" on their own, and b) if they ever cross paths with a gun somewhere else, they will better able to handle themselves around it. Certainly better off than if you had kept your guns a secret and their first exposure to a firearm is at a freinds house or on the street.

Disarm their curiosity and arm them with knowledge.

Then take them to the firing range with you. Kids love to shoot guns too! It's a wonderful family activity. At least where I grew up ;-)

I tell you what, if you ever want to stop a thief cold, get a 12 guage, and pump the slide once. EVERYONE seems to know that sound, and scares the crap out of someone slipping into a house to rob you.

Seriously though, a shotgun is a good choice for home defense, but if you want a handgun, I'd say go with the H&K full frame 9mm. I've shot the Glock, and the H&K, and the full frame just feels much better for shooting. It absorbs the recoil a little better than the plastic frame. It's heavier, but it just feels more solid and is a little more accurate after the first shot. That's for me though, it might not be right for you. Head to a range and give it a try. I prefer the heavier frame pistols for shooting. They just feel much better in my hand and shoot better. The Colt 1911 .45 is a nice gun to shoot, but the first time you shoot it and see that little bit of flame come out the side, it scares you silly. That's one of the things I like about the 1911.

If you are not familiar with handguns, you'd definitely be better off going with a revolver. Yes, it'll fire underwater if you are attacked by the Tidy Bowel man while in the swimming pool. As has been stated, it is a simple point/shoot weapon. There is no complications to it, and if you get in a shooting situation, your fingers are going to be slow to move and semi-numb, your fine-tuning muscles will be on vacation and your eyesight will narrow. In other words, you won't need any complications.

Which one should you buy? Again, very simple: A .357 magnum. A Rossi, 4' bbl will do very nicely. It'll last about as long as a big-name weapon, and chances are, you aren't going to fire it all that much, anyway.

A .357 eats .38 rounds, and they are cheaper to use when getting familiar with your new weapon. No matter how simple a weapon can be, nothing beats familiarization.

Why not go with a shotgun, if this is for home defense? You can use #4 buckshot in it, and it will drop a bad guy with a lot of trauma to his system, and it won't zing through a couple/three walls like a .357 or a 9mm will. Mossburg makes a fine weapon, you can get it with an 18 3/4 inch barrel, and for the money, they just can't be beat!

Hmm, I would say a Remington 870 shotgun...simple cheap and easy to use.

As for pistols.....if it's for home defense you don't have to go all out with the gadgets and "Queere Gear" as some say. Just something simple and easy to use.

A berreta is always a good choice, so is a 45. Im a 9mm Sig man....

But yeah...as others have said...get hollowpoint!!!! This is for your safety and the safety of others...it has less of a chance of going thru walls..and all the other reasons people said

Aw, c'mon, Sporty, you know not to send a newbie straight to the autos, and to a .45? A .357 has nearly the same "knockdown" power as a .45, and comes in a simpler package.

AS far as your choice in scatterguns, it's a good one, except that the Mossburg is lighter in weight and in cost!

(Don't you love it how easy this thread can be hijacked! Ok, sorry. I'll stop now )

Well, yeah..ya got me there.

An auto is probably a bad choice to start off with.

Go to your local gun dealer, ask if you fire off a few rounds of many different guns and see what works good for you.

But still, A shotgun is probably the best choice for home protection....
And is has the intimidation factor too.

TC, you would'nt happen to be from the Gadsden area would you?