Here in the next few months, I plan on making my first hand gun purchase. I intend to acquire my Carry Conceal License, but I'm at this point I'm undecided on what caliber, manufacturer, and model I should buy. Walther PK380, Ruger SR9c are two that I am leaning towards (more the SR9c, due to price and supply of ammo). Price is a HUGE factor (I'm talking $500 at the max). Any suggestions would be more than welcome.
Soon to be 1st time owner
- Thread starter B_Erbaugh
- Start date
Get as much gun as you can handle. If you have a range that rents them try them out. Just don't buy the first thing the dealer gives you or someone else thinks that is cool. You have to carry it and shoot it and maybe someday use it to defend yourself. If what you want is more than 500.00 save a little. What's your life worth?
used, try before you buy,and you can add Kahr, Filipino, Isreali and many other guns, for under $500. A simple bucket full of gravel, heavy, large steel tubing, inner tube rubber wired on the top end, rags atop the gravel, slit the rubber, insert used gun and testfire into gravel. Sounds no louder tban a handclap.
wolf_fire
New member
Quite frankly, you will spend more on ammo if you are practicing with it as you should be, then you ever will on your handgun.
I'm glad to hear you are undecided on caliber. This means you have not held many firearms in your hand, and you certainly haven't fired many to get an idea of how they feel. Remember, if you are carrying for self-defense, then you want several things to be factored in: size, energy from the round fired, and feel in your hand.
In other words: size - you want something that you will comfortably carry on your person; caliber - you want the largest round that you can comfortably control, this takes firing several handguns; feel - I'm not sure how to explain this one, but it needs to feel "right" in your hand.. you'll need to go to a gun shop and handle several to get an idea on this.
m444ss
New member
The SR9c is a good choice. Get it with a laser sight or add a laser sight as soon as you buy it. A lot of people pooh-pooh the 9mm, but with 9mm it's just fine. I recommend Hornady Critical Defense ammo as the rubber tip improves performance over standard hollow-points (and use any US-made or PMC brand ball ammo for practice).
Nick Burkhardt
New member
The 9mm Beretta Px4 Storm in Full size or Compact is a hammer fired double/single action pistol with a decocker/safety that is good for a first time pistol owner. I picked mine up for $499 back in April, but you may be able to find one for less now that the "ban panic" has subsided.
if it were not for this stupid .22 shortage, I'd tell you that ALL "first guns", should be .22lr, or at the least, have a .22lr conversion unit offered for them. As it is, get something with an air-soft "trainer", and get a laserlyte training aid, too. the money saved on ammo and range trips pay for them in a month or less.
telpinaro
New member
Congrats! First handgun, always exciting! 
I have a M&P Shield, and that's $449 MSRP if I remember correctly. I like it a lot, so might be worth a try. Find ranges that let you try a lot for a flat fee... that was my biggest problem; I didn't want to spend so much trying guns out that I couldn't afford it when I got to buy it. I actually called a bunch of ranges before I went out to ask what they had available and traveled an extra 20 minutes to one so I could try more without spending a ton.
And just to put it out there... my first gun was a .357 magnum. I use mainly .38 sp to practice and that's not too bad. I couldn't afford to buy a "practice" gun first, even if the ammo was cheaper. I've actually never shot a .22.
I have a M&P Shield, and that's $449 MSRP if I remember correctly. I like it a lot, so might be worth a try. Find ranges that let you try a lot for a flat fee... that was my biggest problem; I didn't want to spend so much trying guns out that I couldn't afford it when I got to buy it. I actually called a bunch of ranges before I went out to ask what they had available and traveled an extra 20 minutes to one so I could try more without spending a ton.
And just to put it out there... my first gun was a .357 magnum. I use mainly .38 sp to practice and that's not too bad. I couldn't afford to buy a "practice" gun first, even if the ammo was cheaper. I've actually never shot a .22.
I feel for you. It takes 1000s of rds of careful shooting to master the "mere" 22 to any significant level. Centerfire mastery cant be had without reloading, or becoming good friends with someone who is a massive reloader. A used .22, from a private party, can be had for $250, and sold the same way, brings $200. Nobody says that you must KEEP it, and at NORMAL prices, it is saving you 20c per shot or more. So in 2500 rds, it's paid for the "loss' you'd take when you sell it. I refer to something like the Browning Buckmark. The $125 Phoenix HP22 is a pretty good little gun, but it's SA, too. With the 5" barrel, it's fairly accurate. There's YouTube videos about how to modify the stupid safety. I just glued it out of the way and lowered or cocked the hammer with my thumb. cause the safety is pot metal and will quicky wear to the danger point. One day at the range, normal prices of ammo, pays for any loss you might take when you sell the HP, and 3 range trips does so for the used Buckmark.
As a kid, i had a ton of fun learning combat style work with a .22 Llama auto, as well as fast draw with the SA auto. I had a 1911, but couldn't get .45 ammo, at any price, due to my being only 17 and the law stopping ammo from being mailed to anybody. I found an source of .22 ammo, who was ignorant of the law tho. I used to spend all my lunch money buying .22 ammo. Had to eat the relish, catsup and mayo that the Dairy Queen put out for burgers! Shorts cost 60c a box, my lunch money was $1.75 for the week. (1968)
For accuracy, I had a Savage 101 single shot .22, handgun, set up to look like a Ruger Bearcat SA revolver. It would group 1" at 25 yds, from a braced firing positon and I could regularly hit starlings at that distance, from the Weaver. this wowed my buddies, who could barely do so with a rifle. they didn't understand groups or how to zero a set of sights, breathing, etc. I ccw'd them both, working on a hog farm evenings and weekends and killed a lot of critters with them. (mostly the Savage, but sometimes the rapidfire of the Llama was called for.
As a kid, i had a ton of fun learning combat style work with a .22 Llama auto, as well as fast draw with the SA auto. I had a 1911, but couldn't get .45 ammo, at any price, due to my being only 17 and the law stopping ammo from being mailed to anybody. I found an source of .22 ammo, who was ignorant of the law tho.
I used to spend all my lunch money buying .22 ammo. Had to eat the relish, catsup and mayo that the Dairy Queen put out for burgers! Shorts cost 60c a box, my lunch money was $1.75 for the week. (1968) For accuracy, I had a Savage 101 single shot .22, handgun, set up to look like a Ruger Bearcat SA revolver. It would group 1" at 25 yds, from a braced firing positon and I could regularly hit starlings at that distance, from the Weaver. this wowed my buddies, who could barely do so with a rifle. they didn't understand groups or how to zero a set of sights, breathing, etc. I ccw'd them both, working on a hog farm evenings and weekends and killed a lot of critters with them. (mostly the Savage, but sometimes the rapidfire of the Llama was called for.
SirTapparuni
New member
XDM Sub Compact. 9mm its a great firearm, plus you get alot of extras with it.
Many thanks for the words of advice. 9mm will most likely be my caliber of choice (due to price and availability). As this will be a home defense weapon, a large concer is the fact that I live in an apartment. The past thing I want is for a round to travel through a wall and injure one of my neighbors. I have heard some lighter rounds don't have that wall penetrating power, but still retain enough stopping power.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using USA Carry mobile app
Sent from my SPH-L710 using USA Carry mobile app
YOU can google for MagSafe ammo, specifially their SWAT loads, for limited penetration in building walls. about $2 a shot, tho. So if you are one of the fools who "thinks' that he just HAS to do all of his practicing with what he carries, or even need to fire 100 rds of it testing, it's a bit expensive. However, all that normally means is get rid of some of the "sport only" toys, and quit wasting ammo on plinking, slowfire stuff, shotgunning clay pigeons, etc. some "think' that the MagSafes with lead pellets in them "lack penetration" in flesh. All I can say is that people who "think" that have never shot any animals with such stuff. Altho I wouldn't use the 380 variant of their ammo, I wouldn't use a 380, period, with factory ammo. It's also somewhat feasible, sometimes, to use a short barreled shotgun and #2 birdshot, but not smaller shot. The smaller stuff DOES lack adequate penetration in clothing and sternum bone.
bowserb
New member
Find a range that has rentals. There are a couple near me where you pay for the rental, lane, and ammo. Then you can try as many different guns as they have. It is always best to try actual shooting. If appropriate (and based on your original post, I think it might be), find a place where you can buy a lesson along with trying several guns. Some concealed carry classes even offer trying different guns. That way you'll know enough to make an informed decision. There are so many choices: caliber, firing mechanism (DA/SA hammer, striker, DAO hammer, SAO hammer, and so on.) Someone here suggested looking at SCCY. I strongly suggest NOT looking at SCCY. The worst POS pocket gun I ever had was an SCCY--essentially a cheapened (if that's possible) Kel-Tec. Went back to the factory three times and finally went back for good.
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Big brand names are going to be a safer bet. Smith & Wesson, Glock, Springfield Armory, Ruger. If you have to wait and save up, that's better than buying junk at the beginning. Smith and Wesson used to have, and may still, a cheaper line of guns. I've heard fairly little good about them. See what the cheapest S&W M&P or cheapest Glock sell for, and that is your minimum, IMO. And as someone else mentioned, the gun is just your down payment, since you'll spend a lot more in ammo learning and practicing.
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Big brand names are going to be a safer bet. Smith & Wesson, Glock, Springfield Armory, Ruger. If you have to wait and save up, that's better than buying junk at the beginning. Smith and Wesson used to have, and may still, a cheaper line of guns. I've heard fairly little good about them. See what the cheapest S&W M&P or cheapest Glock sell for, and that is your minimum, IMO. And as someone else mentioned, the gun is just your down payment, since you'll spend a lot more in ammo learning and practicing.
bowserb
New member
The grip angle on the Glock is an issue for some people. Personally, I found it pretty easy to adapt to. However, Glock is only one of a half dozen or so mfrs of striker-fired guns.
Please excuse typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
ChristiAnne Elkins
ChristiAnne
I am also looking at getting my first pistol. I have a few challenges to work out...I have carpal tunnel in my dominent hand; I am left handed; I have a right leg which is very weak and makes me have to change my stance to accommodate the pain and weakness; I also have tremors in my hands; arms and legs of unknown origin.
That all said, I had my heart set on a Glock 17. Then I held a Glock - I did not like how it felt - it felt very top heavy to me. Then I was set on a Beretta PX4 Storm. Then I saw the Ruger LC9 and LCP...and now I am in love with both of those guns. I have not yet shot any of those guns. So...everyone's advice about shooting several weapons before deciding is sound.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Link Removed
That all said, I had my heart set on a Glock 17. Then I held a Glock - I did not like how it felt - it felt very top heavy to me. Then I was set on a Beretta PX4 Storm. Then I saw the Ruger LC9 and LCP...and now I am in love with both of those guns. I have not yet shot any of those guns. So...everyone's advice about shooting several weapons before deciding is sound.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Link Removed
Kennydale
Member
The 9mm Beretta Px4 Storm in Full size or Compact is a hammer fired double/single action pistol with a decocker/safety that is good for a first time pistol owner. I picked mine up for $499 back in April, but you may be able to find one for less now that the "ban panic" has subsided.
QUESTION If you buy the compact model, can you use the full size magazine in it ?
Nick Burkhardt
New member
Yes. Compact and Sub Compact Px4 Storms will accept the larger models magazines. Beretta even makes a 20 round 9mm magazine.
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