Pistol for first time owner?

Id also add....

Keep in mind, if you plan on carrying, spend the money on a decent holster. Just like the gun itself, there are a multitude of options, and what works for one person may not for another. But, sticking with a popular firearm will also mean more options for holsters.
 
jaseman said:
Id also add....

Keep in mind, if you plan on carrying, spend the money on a decent holster. Just like the gun itself, there are a multitude of options, and what works for one person may not for another. But, sticking with a popular firearm will also mean more options for holsters.
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And gun belt. For years, I simply would not accept that a belt could make that much of a difference if using a quality holster. But one day finally decided to try one. Hole-ee-cow what a difference it made in all day comfort.



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Sent from my mind....using Tap-a-Thought. (tm)
 
bflying said:
And gun belt. For years, I simply would not accept that a belt could make that much of a difference if using a quality holster. But one day finally decided to try one. Hole-ee-cow what a difference it made in all day comfort.
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It's funny how many people don't want to spend the money on a quality gun belt, and the irony is that in the long run it's a better value just due to the durability alone. Why buy a new cheap belt every year when you could buy a good one that will last for many years? Even if I stopped carrying a gun (which is highly unlikely) I would still use a gun belt after seeing how much better they are.

As for the original topic, I agree with the others about seeing if you can try out some guns before you make a decision. There are a ton of good handguns out there and it really comes down to what features you want and what fits your needs the best. The big name brands like Glock, S&W, Sig, Ruger, and Springfield will have more aftermarket support in accessories. Holsters, magazines, and sights will be easier to find. Also try to factor those things into the total cost of the gun. If a gun only comes with one magazine and you plan on changing the sights, it might not be as good a deal as it seems at first.

Used guns are similar to used knives in the sense that people often sell them to fund new purchases. Just like other things, if you buy used you don't lose as much if you decide to sell it later. Good deals can also be found on police trade-ins. They come in varying degrees of wear and can sometimes even be found with night sights already installed.

These are the two I carry the most often. A M&P 9c and a Ruger LC9s Pro if I want something slimmer.
2017-03-28_12-10-08 by Daniel Pfeiffer, on Flickr

The M&P is a bit heavy for it's size, but it is easier and much more fun to shoot than the Ruger.
 
If I had some extra cash to spend I would be buying a Sig 320. It is a 'modular' build. Which you can purchase other sizes and caliber kits for less than half of a new pistol.
For sexy I'd go with an FN-X!
 
Another thing to consider is grip safety, thumb safety or both. Will you be around kids? Are there kids around the house?

If you are eventually CCW how does manipulating a safety factor in with operating it under stress.
 
Safety are for the shooter not to prevent injury to children, nor are key locks, that's why you know where your gun is at all times, on your hip or in the safe. If you have guns in the house you don't hide them from kids you educate them.
 
Small enough to carry, large enough to shoot easily.

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I can't shoot a DA revolver worth a crap, and I don't want a handgun with a safety. The shield is great as an only gun, but if I were doing it over I'd probably get a Kahr P380 instead because I now have a larger gun to accompany it.
 
cchu518 said:
Another thing to consider is grip safety, thumb safety or both. Will you be around kids? Are there kids around the house?

If you are eventually CCW how does manipulating a safety factor in with operating it under stress.
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If you're relying on manual safeties to prevent kids from discharging your weapon, you've already failed.

For the OP, the correct answer is Glock 19. End thread.
 
Reswob said:
If you're relying on manual safeties to prevent kids from discharging your weapon, you've already failed.

For the OP, the correct answer is Glock 19. End thread.
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Glock 19 is a great one. The only downside to the 19 is that I really like to pocket carry my concealed carry pistol so I usually end up leaving my Glock 19 at home and taking my Glock 43 (same caliber, smaller frame).
 
cchu518 said:
Another thing to consider is grip safety, thumb safety or both. Will you be around kids? Are there kids around the house?

If you are eventually CCW how does manipulating a safety factor in with operating it under stress.
Click to expand...
Yes, two kids. Turning 8 and 9 this year. I enjoy thumb manipulated safety
 
Boxer .45 said:
Safety are for the shooter not to prevent injury to children, nor are key locks, that's why you know where your gun is at all times, on your hip or in the safe. If you have guns in the house you don't hide them from kids you educate them.
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My exact thoughts!
 
NCHunter78 said:
Glock 19 is a great one. The only downside to the 19 is that I really like to pocket carry my concealed carry pistol so I usually end up leaving my Glock 19 at home and taking my Glock 43 (same caliber, smaller frame).
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I think anyone who has their CCW for long enough, will (or at least, SHOULD!) end up owning a G19, a G43 or Shield, and an LCP. This covers all your bases, year-round to winter parka to gym shorts. Even though I carry a Shield much more often, I would still heartily recommend a G19 as a first pistol.
 
Boxer .45 said:
Safety are for the shooter not to prevent injury to children, nor are key locks, that's why you know where your gun is at all times, on your hip or in the safe. If you have guns in the house you don't hide them from kids you educate them.
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Actually the safety is for states and jurisdictions that have their noses all out of joint about guns.
 
The shield has definitely peaked my interest... but I will see what feels good in the hand. How about holsters? Gun belts? I'm not huge but ice got a bit of weight which I think will help concealing as it will give my shirt some room to sit over the gun, but what holsters would I look into? I think I want cross draw left side, kydex.
 
Reswob said:
If you're relying on manual safeties to prevent kids from discharging your weapon, you've already failed.

For the OP, the correct answer is Glock 19. End thread.
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I shouldn't have led with that. It's more can I ccw, and pull off in latching a thumb safety under stress versus the overall security of not having it discharge accidentally.

PS my father in law is a first time owner and he went with a shield.
 
I never considered pocket carry... I'd like to get a gun I can comfortably shoot for fun at the range but carry as well. I don't mind size or weight as long as it doesn't print large.
 
NCHunter78 said:
I am a Glock guy myself -- check out the Glock 43. You can pocket carry that one fairly easy and it is a 9mm

https://us.glock.com/products/model/g43

I also like the Sig p238 and Sig p938 but your price starts climbing quickly with those.
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I love my wife's 238 so much I'm considering a 938 for myself for pocket carry - but I am also considering the 43.

I personally recommend new owners stay away from the super-sub-compacts for their first gun. Mainly because most of them can be fairly 'snappy' to shoot, making it uncomfortable to properly train on a regular basis. Additionally, the slightly larger compacts (XDs, Glock G19 G26, etc.) are more controllable in hand, as you get more purchase area in the grip, again making it easier to shoot for a wider range of hand sizes. And they still conceal fairly easy compared to full size offerings.

Of course, this is all just my opinion. But I've seen a lot of new shooters go out and buy some of these really small guns, and never want to practice with them because they are too uncomfortable (sometimes painful) to shoot. Though I will say, both the Sig 238/938 and Glock 43 are relatively easy shooters, especially for their size.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
I never considered pocket carry... I'd like to get a gun I can comfortably shoot for fun at the range but carry as well. I don't mind size or weight as long as it doesn't print large.
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This is a good line of thinking for new shooters.

Not sure if I missed it or not, but what, if any, experience do you have with handguns?
 
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