Pay for a month, read the whole damn site.

Then, go to a gun show. Get your paws on every gun that meets your criteria you can find. Get the one that feels the best.

Edit: Saw you're from California; good luck!

I go to this forum occasionally for my gun needs. They are pretty knowledgeable.

As for particular guns. you should go to a range try out a few different handguns that fit your hand well. Shoot them, see if you like them. And then ask about that particular model.

**Soon DC headers, already bought just need to install**

Quote, originally posted by Jesda »

Side note: People in the mortgage industry do a lot of cocaine.

Quote, originally posted by float6969 »

It's not that I think he's retarded. It's that I was the one that gave him his gold medal at the special olympics. I KNOW tim is retarded. I hope I never meet him in real life actually. I'm like 6'2" 185lbs. Tim is prob like 6'7" 300lbs and eats live baby sheep for snacks during the day.

+1!

Quote, originally posted by charlieo »

Edit: Saw you're from California; good luck!

Whats that mean? are there special laws here in cali?

yes, well, we are men. all the suggestions have been good so far.

Well then, you're in for a surprise!

Yes, there are tons of retarded, un-Constitutional laws in California concerning weapons.

See, the only problem I see, is that handguns arent allowed to accept magazines that can carry more than 10 rounds. I dont care much for assault rifles, even though they are bad a$$, i just dont see my need for it. I wouldnt mind a shotgun or a rifle, but thats going to be another time from now. I'm just looking at hand guns, and the glock is starting to be my choice. The S&W is sweet also, so's the sig, but Im still leaning toward the glock 22 or 17.

how much are you willing to spend on a handgun is a big factor too.

you can get a nice gun for 3-400 honestly..just gotta look.

actually...go over to the Great Outdoors forum and look for the thread Dano started concerning a first gun.

good info in that beast.

– Evan Tanner, 2007

Springfield XD > Glock
Supersoaker > S&W

Sig's cost serious coin
CZ is another great option
Taurus has some good ones too

I was shopping for a .40 S&W recently. Bought a FNP 40. Felt great, got great reviews. 14 round mags FTW.

Fixed that for you.

f'in sweet imma check that out now

im willing to spend a pretty penny for my 1st gun. i was thinking around that price range too...actually a little higher something like 3-500.

you looking for something to just shoot for fun?

can't go wrong with a nice revolver...357 like maybe a Smith or Ruger GP.

trust me, the over 10 round clip thing is easy to get around. and the law says you can have them, just cant purchase them in cali.

The 1911 is definitely NOT a good choice for a first gun. Can't go wrong with a solid .357 revolver though.

I know you can put .38 into a .357 revolver, but seriously, for a first timer?

The people I teach to shoot learn the basics on a decades old Hi-Standard target .22. Which I love. Great trigger, ammo is cheaper than dirt.

OMG EDITED FOR CONTENT.!!

Quote, originally posted by Jesda »

gulatimagic (12:57:15 PM): wow, I have New Kids On The Block on my iTunes library

Quote, originally posted by JimmyMethod »

Obviously I'm gay

well i looked at the thread dano started and his thoughts are exactly like mine. Cool/technical looking, first time buyer/shooter, and house security, and i live with my parents so im hoping to protect them. i was almost finished with the 1st page when i decided to come back here. im looking at the .40. i believe its glocks 22 iirc. i was also looking into a snub nose simply because they look so freaking good, but i've become biased toward the glock because of its looks and durability.

Quote, originally posted by srpowered240sx »

trust me, the over 10 round clip thing is easy to get around. and the law says you can have them, just cant purchase them in cali.

man that clip is rediculous! lol. i was reading the law and its says you cant transfer them here in cali, but i might have read it wrong. I really want a clip that hold like 15 rounds, and when i read you cant have more than a 10 round clip i was like "wtf?!?" where'd you get that thing anyway?

And speaking of high powered hand guns, whats considered to be a magnum, and what makes it so freakin' powerful?

Modified by Absolushun at 4:36 PM 3/26/2008

The round is named "Magnum"

.357 Magnum and .44 Magnum are perhaps the most famous. The .357 is made from a lengthed .38 Special case (still common), the .44 made from a lengthened .44 Special case (pretty much extinct)

Basically, they've got very long shells that hold a lot of powder.

edit- i want a laser sight on it as well, any thoughts?

it was just a selling gimmick...good name for the round.

10mm shoots as hard as .357 Magnum...as does the .357 Sig.

a .45 Long Colt can be loaded pretty damn hot too.

for a beginner..I'd recommend a 9mm or .40 cal honestly...or a 22lr to get accustom to shooting.

there's a good selection of both 22 auto and revolvers out there.

I wanna get a Ruger MKIII in the near future.

I'm going to get my restricted firearms certification here in Canada so I can get a handgun for target shooting. I need to take a course (optional) and then write a test and pay 80$ to the government. If I pass the test I get a 5 year possession and aquisition license for restricted firearms.

Restricted firearms are full sized handguns, revolvers, short barreled rifles, and automatic rifles permanently converted to semi-auto. Max capacity of a handgun is 10 rounds, max capacity for a rifle is 5.

PROHIBITED firearms are small handguns (which includes almost all .22 - .25s, it's because they are easy to conceal), auto weapons, submachine guns whether auto or not. You cannot get these unless you work for the police or military.

It gets better.

Once I get the gun I register it at my place of residence. For the gun to leave my place of residence, under any circumstances, I need to apply for a transport permit. If I make regular trips to the range, I get a 3 year permit to take it to a specific location. This isn't a carry-concel permit, it's a permit to physically move my gun outside the door of my house, and it's supposed to be in a locked case with a locked trigger at all times when moving it.

I'm probably picking up a Norinco 1911 Government, they are about 330$ Canadian and get good reviews for accuracy and reliability. Fit and finish isn't great but for that price I can get it custom 'smithed. Too bad you guys can't buy Chinese guns, they are cheap cheap cheap and not that bad. They make SIG, Tokarev and CZ replicas as well as .45 and 9x19 1911s. Most are under 300$. I'd like a Beretta 92fs but they are hard to come by up here unless you find an ex-law enforcement one.

Absolutely. There is no law that says you have to shoot full-house loads in a .357. Start with the .38s and work your way up. To buy a .38 makes no sense to me, unless it's a snubby or collector piece. Why limit yourself? There is no reason for it.

Quote, originally posted by charlieo »

...the .44 made from a lengthened .44 Special case (pretty much extinct) Basically, they've got very long shells that hold a lot of powder.

It's not true that the .44 Special is nearly extinct. Thunder Ranch recently had Smith & Wesson build a .44 Special revolver that was a Thunder Ranch special edition. Charter Arms has had the Bulldog snub for a long time now, also chambered for .44 Special. There are others, but those are the two that come to mind just off the cuff.

One other thing that makes a magnum a magnum is that it's not just the amount of powder that is crammed into the casing, but the pressures at which a magnum round operates. Any given round is measured in "CUP", or copper units of pressure as dictated by SAAMI. I can't remember exactly what SAAMI stands for without looking it up, but basically they're the sanctioning body that dictates what's safe and what isn't for any given round. Magnum rounds have higher pressures than standard rounds, so there is a real difference, it's not just a marketing scheme.

Sorry James, but a full-house 10mm hits as hard as a .41 Magnum, which is considerably more powerful than a .357 Magnum. The .40 and .357 SIG are ballistic equals to the .357 Mag and even a +P+ 9mm can equal a lighter .357 Mag load, even though it's not technically a magnum round.

Quote, originally posted by Absolushun »

edit- i want a laser sight on it as well, any thoughts?

http://www.crimsontrace.com all day long.

For gun info... I'd advise picking James's, Bobotech's, and Repo's brains.

+1

Lol that just made me think of my firearms training when I went through the academy. Anytime someone refered to their magazines as clips they were punished.

Punishments varied.

You should learn on a good sized caliber. .22 just causes you to develop skills based on a false sense of what a gun is. You should learn on at least a .32 or larger firearm.

A Glock 19 would be a good start for just about anyone. Excellent capacity, reliability, and it's a nominal frame size. They are also cheap.

One thing you need to look into is the cost of ammo. 9mm is much cheaper than the other choices, and would allow you to do more practice. .22 LR is dirt cheap, but does not help you in my opinion.

James is an idiot for suggesting .40 to a new shooter. That round is a bit hot and would just lead to flinching issues. It's harder to control than .45, 9mm, etc. Remember it's not the size of the bullet, it's the pressure and overall frame weight fed through the recoil spring that gives kick and muzzle flip.

The hell did you just type?

Police use a wide variety of firearms, alot of them chose to carry their own personal firearms rather than dept. issued ones.

The police are also a poor standard to judge firearms by. A good number of LEO's shoot once a year at their qual's and that's it, to those guys it's just another tool on the belt. There are some gun nuts that have good advice in the LEO community however.

Cartridge <> Handgun

That statement made no sense.

There are reliable 9mm guns and there are unreliable 9mm guns.

Quote, originally posted by Nismo_Freak »

James is an idiot for suggesting .40 to a new shooter. That round is a bit hot and would just lead to flinching issues. It's harder to control than .45, 9mm, etc.

9mm is a great round to start with, but I wouldn't say .40 is horrible. It's not 10mm Auto. Either way JHP 9mm's seems like it should be enough in most situations. Also, if you're looking to practice, you'll benefit from the cheaper ammunition.

Are you looking for a gun for a CCW? Home defense? Target shooting?

For CCW, the Glock 38 and 39 have peaked my interest.

I've got a few speedloaders full of 200gr Winchester Silvertips for the Model 29.

damnit Alan...don't be a parabellum fanboy.

depending on the size of the shooter, the .40 is a powderpuff.

recoil is marginally harder than a 9mm depending on the gun's design.

to say it's harder to control than a .45 makes me wonder how many .40S&W's you've shot.

ergonomics of the pistol really make a difference in control too...to say I'm an idiot for suggesting a .40 to a new shooter makes me wonder what you're smoking...if you're wanting a decent defense caliber and have limited to NO experience...9mm or .40 cal are what you want.

if he's just wanting something to get new to the idea of shooting with...a good .22lr is where it's at.

Charlieo, how much did you give for the FNP? That and teh Steyr M1-A...think that's the model..I might've got the letters mxed up...are both suppose to be excellent buys for the money.

if you're into customizing a pistol....the Glock is the 240SX to the M1911's Civic in the pistol world...the Springfield XD's aftermarket is coming along nicely too.

another pistol to look into would be the Taurus 24/7 IF you're wanting a good defense/target pistol at a great price.

I have shot everything from a tiny 22 pistol to a heavy over loaded hot 44mag/45long colt (and yes, 45LC in a Ruger Blackhawk can be loaded to 44mag style loads) and pistol recoil has never bothered me in the least.

However shooting a semi auto shotgun with 3 inch slugs as fast as you can DOES hurt.

Quote, originally posted by Desmoquattro »

You think Cali is bad? I'm going to get my restricted firearms certification here in Canada so I can get a handgun for target shooting. I need to take a course (optional) and then write a test and pay 80$ to the government. If I pass the test I get a 5 year possession and aquisition license for restricted firearms. Restricted firearms are full sized handguns, revolvers, short barreled rifles, and automatic rifles permanently converted to semi-auto. Max capacity of a handgun is 10 rounds, max capacity for a rifle is 5. PROHIBITED firearms are small handguns (which includes almost all .22 - .25s, it's because they are easy to conceal), auto weapons, submachine guns whether auto or not. You cannot get these unless you work for the police or military. It gets better. Once I get the gun I register it at my place of residence. For the gun to leave my place of residence, under any circumstances, I need to apply for a transport permit. If I make regular trips to the range, I get a 3 year permit to take it to a specific location. This isn't a carry-concel permit, it's a permit to physically move my gun outside the door of my house, and it's supposed to be in a locked case with a locked trigger at all times when moving it. I'm probably picking up a Norinco 1911 Government, they are about 330$ Canadian and get good reviews for accuracy and reliability. Fit and finish isn't great but for that price I can get it custom 'smithed. Too bad you guys can't buy Chinese guns, they are cheap cheap cheap and not that bad. They make SIG, Tokarev and CZ replicas as well as .45 and 9x19 1911s. Most are under 300$. I'd like a Beretta 92fs but they are hard to come by up here unless you find an ex-law enforcement one.

All this because they don't want their citizens armed. Kind of hard to cast off a repressive government when they are the only ones with guns (oh, and the criminals who are going to get them anyway).

Shoot 9mm in a compact handgun, then .40 ... it's a noticeable difference in muzzle flip, especially if you don't know how to properly fire the weapon (weaver stance). The 230 gr. .45 operates on a low chamber pressure, so the overall felt recoil is soft. My .357 Sig has much more pronounced kick than my .45 in the same compact frame.

.40 is fine for a full frame gun. It's just not a caliber I like. Much prefer .357 Sig

In fact, you run a heavier spring for a .40 caliber 1911 than you would a .45, due to the higher chamber pressures produced by the .40 ... stiffer spring and higher pressure = more kick.