Good first firearm?

Post by **ddgsxr504** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:35 am

Springfield XD and the Glock are all very excellent handguns...me however I opted for the Sig P226R. It really all comes down to personal preference and aesthetic qualities.

Some people say 9mm is too small but personally I prefer a little more ammo to caliber so I went with the .40 cal.

Just go to the store and hold and get a hands on familiarization with the pistols.

Post by **Mr1der** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:45 am

9mm isn't a bad caliber at all.

my opinion towards calibers is what's right for you, not someone else.

I've got no problem rapid firing a .44 Magnum honestly, but not everyone will be that way, especially a smaller shooter.

for a beginner wanting a good carry caliber, 9mm or .40S&W would be my first suggestions. I don't think Dan would have any problem handling a .40's recoil.

Placement before Power everytime. a .45 won't do you any good if you can't hit with it.

SIG makes an fine fine pistol as well.

Post by **Cold_Zero** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:20 pm

Seriously,The problem that you have with 9mm FMJ is that they are prone to over penetration, when they hit the target. Some of the things they are doing now with the 9mm Luger rounds make them a very powerful round. Sure they wont be ballistically equivalent to a 40S&W or 45ACP and so on, but I dont really worry with my Glock 19 loaded with Corbon JHPs.

I was talking to a buddy of mine at church and he suggested Dan check out CZ and EAA. CZ doesnt make bad handguns. Some of them just look a bit dated.

Post by **Mr1der** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:03 pm

the CZ is a great pistol. They're a bit crude however in finish however...but still an excellent piece.

EAA Witnesses aren't bad..but sometimes have issues with reliability from my experiences. Both offer great combat accuracy for less than 500 in most cases.

almost any caliber in FMJ will be prone to over penetrate though...especially one moving faster than sound.

Post by **Chukidori** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:36 pm

DanO wrote:Handgun. Want something to keep around the house for protection. Not ready to spend the money on it yet, but have been looking around for a while and am starting to learn about them. Looking at Sigs and Glochs right now... Andy, James, etc?

I like modern, tactical looking stuff. Want to mount a light on it too. Whatcha got for me to look at?

-Dan

The S&W Sigma .40

Its essentially a 10mm auto round with a smaller powder load. Range accuracy and recoil are comporable to a 9MM but its a more damaging round

I actually dont own a hand gun im trying to decide too. This thread has been helpful.

Post by **Dano** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:14 pm

Chukidori wrote: This thread has been helpful.

Exactly why threads like this are here

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

-Dan

Post by **Cold_Zero** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:30 am

Mr1der wrote:EAA Witnesses aren't bad..but sometimes have issues with reliability from my experiences. Both offer great combat accuracy for less than 500 in most cases.

I have a friend that swears by EAA. He seems to think the problem lies in the US ammo. Apparently, the Europeans have such tight tolerances in their pistols that the American ammunition make them prone to jam. I haven't been able to validate this.

Post by **Cold_Zero** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:41 am

Another thing to think about with a carry weapon and to some extent a home defense weapon is that if it gets confiscated due to a police investigation and never returned, how much money are you willing to write off on the pistol? Compare a $1000 HK versus a $480 Glock. Louisiana was sued by a group of gun owners who had their guns confiscated and now the state has to pay back the gun owners recently for the handguns that were NOT returned to them. Apparently the police officers took them home and kept them.

Post by **LocAL_anarchy** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:54 am

Haha, the mods know WAY too much about firearms! Nico is a beautiful place...

Guys, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with 9mm. In fact, it's what I carry daily.

I'm actually a hypocrite of sorts. I shouldn't have recomended a .45 as a first handgun. I remember the first handgun I fired. It was a .45, and it was a week before I shipped out to basic. My dad wanted to get me a little experience before hand. So he had me out at a range firing this crazy, custom .45 he owned. And I missed EVERY SHOT! 25 yards out, couldn't hit a thing! After only about 2 dozen shots, I gave up. It was too powerful, and I was way too skinny to control it. hahaha Anyway, 2 months later, I'm on a range, firing an M9, and it felt great! Comfortable to shoot, and very accurate.

So as a first handgun, I would recommend 9mm. But the over-penetration factor Cold_Zero brought up is a definite point to consider. As you gain more experience and skill, as a strictly home-defense weapon, I would recommend moving up to .45 for it's stopping power. I think we all agree make and model is entirely up to what feels good in your hand. The only other thing I can suggest is investing in luminescient/tritium sights, if the model you buy doesn't have them. And a single-action trigger, like Mr1der mentioned, is another thing to consider. I'm sure we've all heard a story or two about someone re-holstering a DA pistol without de-cocking it, and it going off.

Lot's of things to think about, DanO. Good luck with the buy! Let's us know how it goes!

Post by **Dano** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:26 pm

I sure will, this thread is chocked full of awesome info and advice, I love it! I'm probably gonna go check some out and browse prices and feel of a few here in the next few weeks, even though i'm not ready to buy. I'll let you know what I like!

-Dan

-Dan

Post by **Mr1der** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:40 pm

Chukidori wrote:The S&W Sigma .40

Its essentially a 10mm auto round with a smaller powder load. Range accuracy and recoil are comporable to a 9MM but its a more damaging round

I actually dont own a hand gun im trying to decide too. This thread has been helpful.

the .40 is significantly shorter than 10mm as well.

while the 10mm is in no way good for someone new to shooting or with small hands, it's quite the awesome round....but honestly, save for the advantage of being able to load it with a heavier bullet, I'd rather have a .357 SIG for the magnum performance.

for a beginner looking for a defensive handgun however, 40 and 9 are good starters, for Dan, I'd really suggest a .40S&W. Me personally, I feel the Glock and XD are good for a noob because it's a lot less to familarize yourself with on a gun. They're both quite safe and have no manual safeties. The only controls on the side of the gun are a slide release and mag release. Both offer good accuracy and great reliability.

Post by **Dano** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:17 pm

This may sound retarded but i've had a number of bb and pellet guns from my younger years with manual safeties, so that's not much of an issue, I used to have a pretty spectacular co2-powered pellet repeater pistol. Was like freakin' 190 bucks from some gun place... my grandpa picked it up for me

-Dan

Post by **Repo Man** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:23 am

So Dan, have you been out shopping yet?

Post by **Dano** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:09 am

No, I haven't yet.

-Dan

Post by **hsckris** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:59 am

i'd just like to throw a couple of things out there.

1) sigs are great, but as of late their quality has declined. i have a friend that deals with police purchasing of arms and they switched from sig to glock this past year b/c they were disappointed with sigs slipping quality control

2) if you leave an auto loaded full time, be prepared to replace the springs in the clip. if you don't you could have a jam or something of that nature at a crucial time.

3) i have a revolver for home defense b/c: 1) see above 2) its going to work, just keep pulling the trigger!

i'm not saying don't get an auto -- i actually want one. its just something to think about.

Post by **ddgsxr504** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:37 am

hsckris wrote:i'd just like to throw a couple of things out there.

1) sigs are great, but as of late their quality has declined. i have a friend that deals with police purchasing of arms and they switched from sig to glock this past year b/c they were disappointed with sigs slipping quality control.

Post by **Mr1der** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:26 pm

I'd honestly feel more comfortable with an auto than I would a relover.

it's got a lot of springs and tolerances that can go wrong.

ever had one get knocked out of time and start shaving? NOT Fun.

especially when it's a Model 29.

as far as leaving the mags loaded...it's best to have a spare set and rotate them between being loaded once a month or so....and don't ever, EVER get cheap mags.

Post by **Dano** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:54 pm

Even more good information. I hadn't even thought about the springs wearing out yet

Those tactical schools look so awesome. I want to do one of those someday.

-Dan

Post by **hsckris** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 2:16 am

Mr1der wrote:as far as leaving the mags loaded...it's best to have a spare set and rotate them between being loaded once a month or so....and don't ever, EVER get cheap mags.

i agree. thats a good solution -- but you need to keep an eye on them. i mean you forget about it for a couple months, don't check or fire the weapon and bang, as soon as you need it you have a problem.

as far as revolver or auto -- i mean you could go either way. i just went this way b/c of what i said above and its a family heir loom of sorts.

Post by **Mr1der** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:17 am

revolvers are fine so long as they're kept up.

I need to send the Smith I've got off to the factory and have it tuned up....I REALLY don't like shooting a .44mag and having the timing off.

a good rifle or short shotgun is a blessing to have in the house as well Dan.

Post by **Repo Man** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 5:44 am

DanO wrote:Even more good information. I hadn't even thought about the springs wearing out yet

Those tactical schools look so awesome. I want to do one of those someday.

-Dan

Pffft. Wearing out the mag spring is blown WAY out of proportion. Down load the mag by two rounds and you won't have a problem. I've done it like this since 1993 and have never had a problem.

Dan, this is the place brotha: http://www.tdiohio.com/

My cert:

It's been a while though. I need to go back. You, me and Cold_Zero need to go together.

Post by **Mr1der** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:12 am

how much does it cost Repo?

Post by **Repo Man** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:46 am

Well, when I went it was $100 per day for tuition. I think they're up to $150 per day, but for what you get it's a hell of a deal. I saw them take a woman who had very little experience with a gun and showed up with a .38 revolver and turn her into a certified death-dealer with a Glock 17.

The day I walked out of there, there wasn't anything I couldn't hit with my Beretta. I still do ok, but damn do they get you dialed in.

Did you peruse their website James?

Post by **Mr1der** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:26 am

not yes hoss....but I shall...oh I shall.

I think I've got blackwater not to terribly far from me either...right around West Memphis AK I think...

Post by **Repo Man** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:34 am

Yeah, there is another school near you too but I can't think of the name.

Post by **Dano** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:32 pm

Found a friend that has a XD SC and XD Service that's gonna let me test them out, he's also got a friend that's buddy-buddy with the owners of a local range, so should be able to test a bunch of stuff in a month or so (whenever it works out for us.) After reading a bunch of stuff, i'm going to seriously take a look at the XD-40 service 4", which is I believe the same thing James has. I'm still researching the sigs and glocks to see what models i'm gonna go in to look at, but will obviously check out whatever I find. Just thought i'd keep the content running and keep you up to date on my thoughts.

-Dan

Post by **Mr1der** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:10 pm

mine's actually a .45 ACP Dan

it's a hair bigger than a .40 size of the gun wise

if you're in a store man...just look at all kinds of stuff.

like a Kimber Raptor.

Post by **Dano** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:22 pm

I will, I was looking at those Truglo TFO sights.... man those are cool!

-Dan

Post by **Mr1der** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:48 pm

I actually prefer the factory tritium night sights to those...they're a bit to bulky for my taste...seems easier to snag.

Post by **fayceoff** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:54 pm

Mr1der wrote:come on Bud, I said Glock or XD. The XD has been torture tested beyond that of a Glock..not a lot..but a little more and performed flawlessly. To me, it's a matter of which one feels better for the shooter though. I prefer the XD's single action trigger.

Didn't read the whole thread, but go with Mr1der on this one. I rented an XD at the local range and it's much better than the Glock 19 or the S&W Sigma (both of which I own or owned in the past). It has more safety features and it's comfortable in my hands. Oh, and it has a rail under the slide for a light. Give it a try.

Good first firearm?

Re: (Mr1der)

Re: Good first firearm? (DanO)

Re: Good first firearm? (Chukidori)

Re: (Mr1der)

Re: Good first firearm? (DanO)

Re: Good first firearm? (Chukidori)

Re: (DanO)

Re: (DanO)

Re: (hsckris)

Re: (Mr1der)

Re: (DanO)

Re: (Mr1der)

Re: (Mr1der)

Re: (Mr1der)

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