Guest Halabrad Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Now that I am able to legally buy a handgun, I will be starting to browse around for something I like. I was wondering if you guys might be able to give me some ideas,and/or pointers as to what I should be looking for. I'm still pretty green when it comes to guns, but I'm looking for something for home defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RET.SMA.VicVegas=US= Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Ma Deuce :+) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ddress Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 what are you going to use it for? everyday carry, concealed carry, home defense, The range? be careful one you buy one you're going to want 30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Halabrad Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 generally it will be for home defense and the range. I might get a concealed carry permit down the road, but i hadn't planned on that just yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LTC.DentalMav=US= Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 what are you going to use it for? everyday carry, concealed carry, home defense, The range? be careful one you buy one you're going to want 30. This is soooo true!!! generally it will be for home defense and the range. I might get a concealed carry permit down the road, but i hadn't planned on that just yet For home defense I prefer the trusty 12 gauge but if looking for a hand gun I love my Taurus 1911....nice comfy .45 caliber that is a 1911 for a nice price. .45 is nice for home defense and the range....but not quite as nice for conceal carry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LTC.DentalMav=US= Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 what are you going to use it for? everyday carry, concealed carry, home defense, The range? be careful one you buy one you're going to want 30. This is soooo true!!! generally it will be for home defense and the range. I might get a concealed carry permit down the road, but i hadn't planned on that just yet For home defense I prefer the trusty 12 gauge but if looking for a hand gun I love my Taurus 1911....nice comfy .45 caliber that is a 1911 for a nice price. .45 is nice for home defense and the range....but not quite as nice for conceal carry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ddress Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 my first hand gun was a glock 19. Im not a glock fanboy but there is a reason a lot of police carry them. With that said i dont have it anymore but it was a good gun. Its reliable and almost always goes bang, minus some limp wrist on my part when i first got it. Im not going to preach at you what caliber to choose other than .22 is great to practice with but not ideal for home defense, there is all kinds of videos and forums out there with good info. Just do your reasearce on your own, someone in a gun shop is probably going to try to talk you into something, it helps to know or have an idea before hand. Practice with the weapon is usually more important than what kind of gun it is. If you have any questions about a particular gun hit me up, i spend a lot of time and money on the hobby :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ddress Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 MajGen. ive never shot the taurus 1911, but ive had problems with cheaper 1911's having failure to feeds with hollow point ammo in the past. Although my Colt 1911 XSE have never had a hiccup with Wilson combat mags, the factory colt ones not so much. If you do go the 1911 rout make sure you try out a couple mags of your defense round, as a lot of 1911's are picky with anything other than ball ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RET.GEN.Darmine Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 If its your first gun completely then go with a G19 or XDm 9mm is also good for a first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PFC.Hawkeye366=US= Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Try my fav a .44 mag I use a Ruger Redhawk 7.5in I have had it over ten years. Shoots great but it does kick. I would use 165-180gr for home defense and target shooting. They also have buckshot rounds for birds and the such Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MadButcher Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 For home defense you will want a very reliable firearm. I shoot a springfield XDm for competition and I have over 2 thousand rounds through it with out cleaning and it has NEVER jammed. the worst thing it has done to me is not lock back after the last round and this has only happened twice. It comes in 9mm with a 19 round magazine 40 S&W with a 16 rounds mag and 45 ACP with a 14 round magazine. I would suggest the 40. With handloads a 40 S&W has the same energy with all bullet weights except the heaviest bullet which I believe is somewere around 240 grains. if you want something simple and easy that you don't have to worry about go for a revolver. ruger makes great revolvers I would suggest either a 357 magnum a 45 long colt or a 44 magnum. Revolvers are near indestructible and can handle very large calibers but they have small capacity and semi autos have capacity and speed, but they take some time to get used to. After you purchase your firearm I suggest going to the range and running a couple hundred rounds through it to break it in and get yourself used to it. On a personal note I would say stay away from 1911's they have a small magazine size and tend to have jamming problems. This is from personal experience I have 2 in 38 super and one in 45 and a couple .22 LR versions and they all have jamming issues. If it was me go with the XDm but it may be different for you pick what you feel comfortable with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ENigMA0928 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Ok I'll throw in my opinions here and try to help as well. I work as a firearms instructor and there are some very important things to do before you actually purchase your first handgun. First and foremost go to a few shops and have them pull a bunch of handguns in different makes, models and calibers for you. Pick each one up and find what feels the best to YOU in YOUR hand. Different makes and models also come with a lot of different types of sights so see which sights seem easiest for you to aquire quickly. Get a feel for as many of the handguns as possible. once you have one that feels good there are a lot more options to consider. Do you want a fullsize, compact, or "pocket gun" there are good and bad to each. the shorter the barrel the more the felt recoil. Then there is the caliber choice. If you have a shop/range near you that rents handguns i suggest firing one of each caliber at least of the major 3 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45... 9mm has the least recoil and is the most controlable while firing rapidly think double taps, .40 has a good bit more recoil than a 9mm and it is considered a "snappy" recoil. the .45 has the most recoil but don't let that fool you because it is a different type of recoil than a 9mm and .40 where the 9mm and .40 recoil pushes the muzzle up the .45 has more of a straight back recoil so while more than a .40 it is more controlable. and with any firearm you get what you pay for. the cheaper the firearm the lower the build quality (true most of the time but not always) And then if you are planning on using it in self defense... practice, practice, practice.... I carry a handgun daily ( sig sauer P226 DAK in .40 S&W) I practice with my sig at least twice a week. If you have any questions about any firearms, carry or self defense laws in your state, etc.. feel free to message or email me at any time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ddress Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I agree with madbutcher about the 1911's unless your are going to get a 2000$ Wilson combat, nighthawk custom, or les baer, its more likely than not to have some fail to feed issues at least in my experience. It just wasn't originally designed for mass production and hollow point ammo, so unless its hand fitted like the above mentioned its probably going to have problems. Don't get me wrong i love my colt 1911 but even that at 1200$ had problems until i got some Wilson combat magazines. I personal don't carry it anymore though, because of the magazine capacity. The gun i carry everyday now is a FN FNX .45 you cant beat 15+1 of .45 :) As Enigma said go fondle some guns :D and what every you buy practice practice practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RET.CPT.xXAirBorneXx=US= Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Well I think I have to put my two cents in here. I think that some of our Generals and Senior ranking NCO's would look just as ridiculous if we actually wore our Medals on our dress uniforms instead of having a small ribbon that symbolizes the medal you were awarded. Also on a side note we still wouldn't look "AS" ridiculous because our Medals aren't the size of police badges or ninja stars.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RET.CPT.xXAirBorneXx=US= Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 GLOCK, GLOCK, GLOCK, GLOCK. Yes I'm a Glock Fanboy, I have two. A .40 and a .45 one is compact the other is full size and I love them both. I've never pulled the trigger and not have it go bang, and I have done a lot of ammo dumps in my time with the .40 (wasting ammunition I know) back before the gun grabbers were coming for every gun, magazine, and bullet we own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LTC.DentalMav=US= Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 So far no issues, but I have heard many say the same....I am just a 1911 fanboy :-P If you are AD military, Glock pretty much offers a steal on all of their weapons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jericho Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 What's funny is I turn 21 tomorrow and I was actually going to do the same thing for my CWL, I read a lot and heard a lot from professional concealed holders and shooters. Pretty much what I got from them is the best gun to start out with is a Glock-19. The way the Glock operates is much more simple, only 2 stages to have the gun primed and ready to fire, no external safeties, no hammers, and it is a double action semi auto. so that means. Pop magazine in, rack slide (to chamber a round if you haven't already,) and BANG. Unlike an m1911, which is recommended for experienced shooters. It has like 5 stages, Which most are only single action as well which means you HAVE to rack the gun or it wont shoot. Even when one is in the chamber and that is something that is very dangerous if you are using it to carry. But it also has a slide safety stop, 2 external safeties one on the rear of the handle grip which has to be depressed for the slide safety stop to move, so pretty much in a panic situation it will be hard to get this weapon up to dangerous quickly enless you are familiarized. Stages are, pop mag, depress rear safety grip, push down slide safety stop, rack slide, BANG. Don't get me wrong it doesn't take much to get familiarized but its still a lot to deal with if you aren't fully experienced with the weapon and know how to operate it in your sleep which every shooter should. Mainly it all comes down to what you're going to use it for. Technically all guns are used for safety, If someone comes in your house and tries to kill you, I'm sure you will take your "competition pistol" and shoot them. Even if it wasn't intended for defense. But if you are feeling like you want more than a glock, something more durable or just an all around better gun, Then go with the middle Sig Sauer P226 or 228, It's a double action pistol as well which requires either just pull trigger when chambered or you can manually pull back the hammer, Much easier than HAVING to rack the gun to fire. It does have an external hammer as well, but it will not engage the firing pin even if hit because an internal safety. so kinda adds another level of safety to a well made gun. it also has a de**** slide incase you have it in single action mode, meaning racked and hammer back. You slide it and hammer will return. BUT I DIGRESS! Simply it is your choice, But guns are more complex then just pull the trigger if you don't know what you doing you can be harmed for it. Sig actions are mag in, rack slide, BANG. Enjoy whatever gun you choose, shoot often and shoot straight. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Halabrad Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Not to resurrect a dead thread, but I've been doing some research, and its only just occurred to ke that most guns are designed for right handed shooters, and I just happen to be a south paw. This fact may (or may not, depending on how the guns feel. I haven't had time to try any out due to work) impede my selection. Any suggestions for leftys, either semis or revolvers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RET.CPT.xXAirBorneXx=US= Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 FNP Tac .45 is ambidextrous. Also it has a threaded barrel and looks like the stuff dreams are made of. It also runs around 900.00 so yeah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ENigMA0928 Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 the fnp tactical is nice... I have one... but the price is not so nice... also it's a bit on the heavy side if you ever want to carry it.... as far as right or left handed... a ton of the handguns you find today give you the ability to switch the mag release etc for left handed shooting.... sig... FN.... M&P... and XD's have models that can be switched for a lefty without even having to go to a gunsmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest iNF3RN0 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 If possible, go down to a shooting range near you, shoot a few guns, see what you feel comfortable with. dont forget a .45's stopping power! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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