I have a friend who is looking to buy a new pistol.  He has determined that he wants it chambered in 9mm and he has about $500-600.  This would be his first gun as well so he came to me for advise before he went and bought something (a good call, I'd say).  
My suggestion is a Walther p99.  I really like everything about that gun.  Unfortunately I don't own one (yet) so I cant let him try it out.  
my question to y'all is 'what would be a good starter 9mm in the 500-600 range.  Tell me what you like about said pistol as well.  And if there are some models to stay away from let us know.  oh, and no custom guns, he doesn't want to go through that much trouble.

Thanks guys.

First and foremost the gun must fit his hand properly. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people shooting poorly because the weapon just did not fit properly.

Does he have small, medium, large or extra large hands?

If he cares about high capacity the Walther P99 is too new.

The Springfield XD has other magazines avail which with slight modification will work.

He is gonna have to touch/feel/preferably shoot one of whatever he wants.

He also could buy an EAA Witness and 1000rnd case of ammo to practice with for the price of most other pistols.

I have a P99 (it was my first gun) and love it.

A very good, can’t go wrong choice is a CZ 75.  One of the best guns in the world and you sure can’t beat it for price.  It’s one that everyone should have in their collection.

For that price range you can get a Glock and a decent holster or two. Or an M3 flashlight.

CZ-75 w/ 1x10+1x15 ~ $350

4 x 15 round mags ~  $120

1000 rounds 9mm  ~   $100
             Total: $570

I really dont know because I am not inclined to notice such things....
but I would guess medium-large.

like everyone has said, he needs to hold several and get a feel for what he likes, but just for ease of use and great price i would go XD

HK USP Compact in 9mm.

92FS or Browning HiPower...

Beretta hi-caps are $9/15rd mag, BHP mags are also commonly available...

Both are 'conventional' designs (DA/SA with a hammer, manual safety), etc...

Also, both are proven designs (92FS as the current US service weapon, and the BHP as the Belgian/Brit equivalent of the 1911 (including the same range of price/quality, from Argentine clones to genuine FN new-production guns)...

CZ 75.  

Can be had for around $400 now.  Accurate, reliable, built solid.  I'd recommend it to anyone.  

Glock 17/19

I've got a SW99 in .40. Its great. Either the SW or Walther if he can get one would serve him good.

New, as in brand new, or just new for him?

Depending on the above, I'd go with the following:

1911 in 9mm (not sure if these are available new)
Browning Hi-Power
CZ

How about this one, it's dizzope:
[img]www.gunslocal.com/gunimages/1830.jpg[/img]

You can get 13rd. hicaps for it. And he can buy a few for that amount.

i have a p99 in 40 and love it. shoots VERY well. hi cap beretta mags can be made to fit as well.

i also have a cz75 tacticle in 9mm. it takes the walther in accuracy bit is considerably heavier.

mike

Well if he can find an HS-2000 get one,as they are the SA XD before the name change!  I bought one for 300 and you can take Tauras Pt 92/99 mags (metgar 17) drill one small hole for mag release and walla 17+ gun!

And if you have a Pt -92/99 and an SA XD (same gun as Hs-2000)the mags will enterchange!

They have a lot of stolen sig and glock characteristics as well as stolen 1911 features,a really inovative pistol!

Bob  [:D]

HUH?? I have a Walter P99 in 9mm and have several high cap mags with it, they are VERY easy to get and run from 70 to 80 bucks each.Try this site for all you will need to know.[url]www.waltherforums.com[/url] I just found this site [url]fourfourmag.com[/url] has 17 round P99 high caps for 39$, I cant personally vouch for the quality though. I'm thinking about ordering a couple for myself.

[blue]Beretta 92FS!

I've had mine for about 14 years now! Accurate, easy to tear down, clean and maintain, and super reliable. It'll fire everything from cheap Wolf plinking ammo to +P+ defensive loads without a problem. Not the best choice for the smaller handed but I love mine![/blue]

I've fired several 9mm handguns in the past 1.75 decades since I started shooting.

My personal favorite is the WALTHER P99:
It's REALLY ACCURATE.  It fits my hand GREAT, and its adjustable to other hand sizes.  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  It has a good balance, whereas GLOCKS, and Springfield XDs feel front-heavy.  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  I like the sights that come stock with it.  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  I like the decocking buttons function.  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  It's very reliable.  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  I LOVE the light trigger pull (in both DA/SA).  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  The trigger is also capable of stiking twice if the primer didn't fire.  It's REALLY ACCURATE.  And with accurate fire placement, I doubt magazine capacity is of too much concern to me;  Ten rounds is plenty, but more is preferrable.  DID I forget to mention that it's REALLY ACCURATE?  I'm not a good shooter by any means, but for some reason this is one of three handguns I've fired, and could get GREAT accuracy out of, YMMV.  It's a great pistol all around (but I'd buy it in 40 S&W).

GLOCKS (17 & 19).  I like them a lot, they're pretty accurate, reliable, have decent factory sights, high-cap mags...  I'm just not a fan of their triggers, and lack of an active safety mechanism.  Gaston was a F'in idiot for putting the safety on the trigger, IMHO.

Beretta 92.  A decent gun, pretty accurate, less reliable than a Glock 17/19 in my experience, YMMV.  I've fired over 300 rds in a Glock 17 without a hiccup.  Whenever I fired my friend's Beretta 92 it jammed every 2-3 rounds with FMJ ammo.  I field stripped it, cleaned it, and it then jammed every 6-8 rounds...  Then I lubricated the SHIT out of it with gun oil, and ONLY THEN did it run perfectly fine.  It DOES have an edge over the glock in my book because it, UNLIKE GLOCK, has an ACTIVE safety mechanism.  A "Trigger Lever" type safety, IMHO, is NOT a safety.  You'd be better off with the GLOCK or Walther, IMHO.

Really, all your friend should do is have you accompany him to a gunshop to find a gun that fits his hand well.  Then make sure it has the desirable features (frame or slide mounted safety, sights, etc.)...  If he likes it, buy it, inspect/clean it, try it, and see if he continues to like it.  That's all that can be done about it, but you can help him through the process.  Also, get him to enroll in a good firearm safety course as well!  It makes me cringe to see yuppies buy their first gun (often a handgun), and NOT take ANY safety training courses whilst claiming "I think I can figure things out for myself..."  [rolleyes]

Edited to add:
My post seems to have an ill-taste, forgive me for that...

But on my to-buy list, I have:
1911A1 .45 (Either Kimber, or other)
Walther P99 in 40S&W
RPB MPA-30 (Rail & Side Cocker Model) in 9mm with Sten Magazines.
and MAYBE a GLOCK 26/27 (but I don't really like glocks all that much; the price would have to be just right)

For $600???????????

9mm p99 was great, but I just got a HK p2000. never fired it yet. my 92fs was a jam-o-matic.

Frankly, I would toss all autos in the trash. My 2 favorite guns are my colt python and sw 686. They go bang every single time. Who need 13 rnds in a mag? guys who never practice and can't shoot worth a damn.

I agree with this, 100%. I paid $365 for my NIB compact, another $60 (ouch! but wtf) for an adjustable sight, and the NORMAL capacity mags (factory) are cheaper than for most pistols ($35 or so).
[img]http://photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=16473[/img]

Friends don't let friends buy 9mm's.Maybe when he grows up he can graduate to a real caliber like a 45acp or 10mm.

Sucks that your guns dont work. My autos go bang every time. [jump]

Why not, I paid less than that. Slightly used. Smae with my full size.

Another vote for a CZ 75 B.

[url]http://www.cz-usa.com/product.pistols.php[/url]

Cheap, reliable, accurate, fun to shoot, build like a tank, normal capacity mags (14 or 15 rounds) are available for $35 to $45, etc...

Have fun,

LRdrvr