What handgun for a newbie/novice?

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barlowc

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I'm thinking about getting a handgun. While I have some shooting experience and went through a safety course about 15 years ago, I consider myself a newbie/novice.

What would be a good choice for someone like myself to get started with? The sole use, of course, will be going to the local range and developing my skills. Would a .22 caliber make sense since?
 
If you are just looking at something for target practice at a range, then a .22 would make sense. Cheaper to buy and cheaper ammo costs. It won't do diddly squat for protection, however. Choose based on what you plan to use it for, not just now, but down the road as your skills & confidence increase.
 
.22 makes sense. Even with multible calibers i still shoot a bit with the .22. Cheaper to shoot. Same basics of sight alignment and trigger squeeze apply. If you have friends, shoot several of their calibers to see what you shoot well. I would not focus on what caliber to buy as much as what you shoot well. Some people shoot .38 better some .45, some 9mm. For defense, you carry what you shoot well.
 
In .22 a Ruger Mark III or 22/45 pistols are pretty nice and relatively inexpensive. For 9mm I have a S&W M&P 9 and I think it's a great handgun. I would also look at a Glock 17 or 19 as well for 9mm.
 
Most people own glocks as their first gun/home security

Pretty accurate , not too expensive, easily to maintain.

It can take many different bullets up to 10mm , which gives you lots of choices.

I personally would go with Bretta a bit more stopping power in exchange for muzzle climb.
 
Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
Most people own glocks as their first gun/home security

Pretty accurate , not too expensive, easily to maintain.

It can take many different bullets up to 10mm , which gives you lots of choices.

I personally would go with Bretta a bit more stopping power in exchange for muzzle climb.



How does a Beretta (you dont mention which model) have more stopping power than a Glock? Sure you may have a SMIDGE more barrel length but it wont translate into any noticeable increase in velocity and hence stopping power.

Personally if you want a sweet shooting and soft recoiling 9mm or 40S&W, the CZ 75/85 is an excellent gun. Being an all steel gun with a low bore axis and slide profile makes it very pleasant to shoot (less muzzle flip and perceptible recoil) and the ergonomics make it a very comfy pistol hold.
 
For plinking it's hard to beat a Browning or Ruger .22 auto. If you want a pistol for defense and don't practice much, go with a revolver like a 38 special. An auto pistol is to much of a work load in a life and death situation.

Example: did I put ammo in the mag? is the mag in the gun? is there a bullet in the chamber? is the safety on or off? have the bullets been in the mag so long that the spring has weakened over time? when you dropped that mag on the ground, did you bend the lips causing the bullets not to feed next time you use it? Are the internals clean or is there 2 years of gunk inside the slide?

With a revolver you keep it clean and make sure there are bullets in the cylinder.
 
Also depending what gun you get you can get a 22lr kit for it and have two guns in one. Nice to be able to practice your trigger discipline with 22 over a more expensive 9mm/40/45
 
I just took a second look at your post and I would take a real hard look at either the Browning Buckmark or Ruger .22 caliber pistols. They are both great plinkers for practicing and small game hunting.

I do a lot of "very" long range pistol shooting but when I shoot off hand at the range my go to gun is the Browning Buckmark URX. I bought the Browning over the Ruger just because it fit better in "my" hand. The Ruger may be a better fit for you.

Once you get the bug for shooting hand guns, stop by the forum called Specialty Pistols and we will get you on your way to shooting a hand gun 300 yards and beyond. ;-)
 
I'd get a .357 revolver. You can put 38 spl's in it untill you get comfortable, then you can shoot the magnums = fun! This would be an extremely versatile gun.
 
For a .22 auto handgun, I'll chime in with praise for the Ruger. It was Ruger's first gun & has been made for decades(over 60 yrs now?) beginning with the MK I. I have a MK II Target, blue steel, 6 7/8" heavy tapered barrel, little used & still shoots much better than I ever could or will. With the Rugers, make sure spare magazines are genuine made-by-Ruger, clean it once in a while, & you'll find it extremely reliable. There are *lots* of good ones out there if you decide to buy used.

I have no experience with the Browning, but it seems to be very popular also & should be a safe bet.

.22 revolver: in single actions, the Ruger Single Six is the way to go. The blue steel versions are lighter than stainless, *Because*: Stainless Single Sixes are all stainless steel. Blue Single Sixes have Aluminum grip frames & ejector rod housings. You could look up the weight difference(not huge) at Ruger's website. My 6 1/2" barrel Stainless Super Single Six is a great .22 six-shooter.

Double action revolvers: good used(& often long discontinued) models abound, but you gotta know how to separate the wheat from the chaff. I have a S&W Model 63 Stainless Kit Gun- it's definitely in the wheat category!
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Of those currently made, S&W& Taurus are certainly worth a look. In used /discontinued, other names to look for are H&R(Harrington & Richardson), High Standard, Charter- and of course, Colt($$$$).

Center fire- with today's ammo prices I'd go with a 9mm automatic. Choices are mind boggling.

Whatever you get, let us know, will ya?
Safe shooting!
 
While I like my 38's, I'm finding I can only shoot them well if I stay in practice. My Ruger MkII OTOH I can "retrain" myself very quickly. Huge difference between low recoil single action and a long trigger pull double action revolver.

I keep thinking about getting an SP101 in 22LR (or an LCR in 22), but always read about how the trigger is vastly different. Besides, it's hard to practice on a given gun if you remove the recoil aspect, if you ask me.

A "big frame" 22 in SA will be something you'll use for life (like any of the Ruger Mk series, or anything similar). Plinking, training, teaching others how to shoot. I wouldn't go too cheap on one. Plink away with that, and then think about what larger caliber you might want after that.
 
A .22 is a great gun to practice with. I don't have one, but I DO like to plink with a Ruger 10/22. I am a big Ruger fan, having both a GP-100 and an SP-100 (revolvers). Shooting .38's won't break the bank; and you can up-power to a .357 magnum for home defense. In general, if you're going to carry I'd recommend an auto pistol because they carry more rounds and faster reloads. For a night-stand gun, a revolver can't be beat; point at BG and pull trigger. No manual of arms, see BobsArmory's reply.
 
I'm a Ruger fan personally. I decided on a used, but very nice Ruger P89 9mm as my first pistol...

023.jpg


The picture doesn't really do its size justice, but it's a pretty big gun for 9mm. It's not something you would just stick in your pocket or discreetly carry. However, it does pretty much everything else very well. I have owned this gun for about two years now and it has never jammed on me. Rugers are high quality guns and the P-series is built like a brick.

In addition, stripping the P-series down to clean is a piece of cake. No tools, no hardware, and no snags. It is designed to be taken apart and put back together. That might not seem like a big deal, but coming from a Hi-Point to a Ruger, cleaning/care was a night and day difference. With the Ruger you can tell thought was put into how the gun would be field stripped.

Being a larger gun with a smaller caliber, shooting the P89 is a piece of cake too. Just load it up with whatever cheap steel jacket ammo and go to town. I can shoot it all day without going broke or losing my hearing, and if I actually need to use it, 9mm is enough to stop most threats. It's a good balance of cost effectiveness, power, and good plinking fun. Shooting a .45 is fun too, but it costs more, you better have ear plugs (or not be standing under corrugated metal roof), and it's going to kick a little more.

People tend to look at .22s as "toys," but I think they are still the most common caliber in fatal shootings. They are just so common and cheap. For a first pistol, it wouldn't be a bad caliber to start at. I just like 9mm because I think for my skill level it's the best compromise of cost and power.
 
I'm also new and am thinking about a M&P or PPQ in 9mm. I've been waiting for some free time to go rent them at a range and make sure it feels comfortable in action. Liked them both in the gun store, much more than a Glock. I liked the HK P30 too, but it is much more $$. I can almost buy the PPQ and M&P9c for carry for the price of the HK.
 
I have a Ruger P85mk2 and while its dead reliable I think the ergonomics of the Rugers are pretty poor compared to pistols it competed against like the Sig 226, Beretta 92FS, ect.

But thats just my opinion....and for the money its a good home defense gun. And cheaper than the others by a ton.
 
Thanks to all for your input!!! I've been doing some research and my initial short list consists of the following:

Ruger Mark III Target
It's been hard to find bad reviews of it. Most are very good, other than the occasional review that claims breakdown and reassembly is very difficult. The Stainless Steel model looks like an absolutely beautiful piece. But what are the advantages/disadvantages to a Blued versus Stainless finish?

Ruger SR22
Very different in styling compared to the Mark III of course. But it also gets very, very good reviews.

Browning Buck Mark
Probably the Standard model with the URX grip, though the Camper and Practical models appear to be comparable and probably just as suitable for my needs/use. And similar to the Ruger Mark III, the Stainless model looks like a really nice piece.

I've also spent some time researching Sig, Smith & Wesson, and Walther options. But in looking at them and reading reviews, I think my short list is the best place to spend my time right now. I'll be making some trips to local shops and checking them out.
 
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