turning 21 soon and im starting to think on what handgun to pick. money is not a option, because i saved up alot for this day. I limited it down these.

Para Ord P14 (single action), something about a 14 round single action .45 really apeals to me. anybody with feed back on this gun would be appreaciated because im leaning towards this as my first one. is there anyway to add a guide rail to add a m6 or anything?


Sig P226 a buddy of mine has this gun and even though its a little pricey he told me hi caps were cheap and werent hard to find. i like the feel of it, because it feels like a real gun.



any other input on handguns would be great. ill eventually get a glock, but not right now.  its just me my finace and our pug in a 2 rm apt, so im looking for another gun besides my AR-15 for home protection. i also ruled out a shotgun, not to sound sidistic but for a criminal trying to hurt me or my loved ones, blowing him away is too easy of a punishment. but yeah, any full detailed replys would be cool such as what ammo is the best for what caliber and so on. thanks


-Mark

What do you mean too easy of a punishment?  You mean to tell me when someone is trying to hurt you or your loved ones you're going to
be more worried about punishment over stopping power.  So are trying to say you'd rather use a .22lr instead of a 12 gauge because the .22 would theoretically kill slower hence your victim would suffer more pain before he/she died?  If you were ever to crack a remark like that after a self defense shooting you might have a hard time making the jury buy that one.  Think about you and your families priorities first.  How many times have you heard of some cracked out pcp junkie who could take multiple 9mm, .40, .45, etc. and still shoot and kill their victim(s) before they go down?  Now ask yourself that same question except substitute the handgun with a shotgun.  Not to many people can withstand a direct hit from a shotgun without going down almost instantly.  A shotgun can inflict damage to many many more vital organs in one shot than any handgun can.  There is no better weapon, IMHO, than a 12 gauge loaded with the proper buckshot.

mark159, How much experience do you have with pistols?

THISISME

Quoted: mark159, How much experience do you have with pistols? THISISME

not as much as you guys, thasts why i was asking

mark159, a .45 is to much gun for many shooters to handle do to improper technique or too small of hands or just plain too much recoil for effective follow up shots.

For this reason alone I would not recommend any .45 acp as a first pistol.

Also you will need lots of practice so it would be nice if you could start with a .22 pistol because ammo is so inexpensive.

If you are dead set against getting a .22 to practice with and you are reasonably comfortable with the Sig P226 then that is what you should go with and for defense you would be hard pressed to find a better 9mm round than the 124gr Speer +P Gold Dot.

You might also take a look at a S&W 686Plus or 686Plus2 with a 4” barrel and rubber grips with white outline sights. .38 ammo is cheaper than dirt and 357 magnum ammo isn’t very costly either and many novice shooters shoot better with a revolver and women seem to prefer them by a wide margin.

If your girl friend is going to be shooting this gun I would strongly recommend you stay away from and .45 and especially from any wide body high cap .45’s like the P14.

And finally, if you have not received proper firearm handling instruction and basic shooting instruction with pistols in particular then I would recommend you do so before you make your first trip to the range and before you ever load you new weapon.  

THISISME

Mark, what size hands do you have?  If you have medium to large hands, I would suggest a Beretta in .40SW.  The .40 is not as powerful as the .45 but more powerful than the 9mm.  I am fond of Beretta because I have one modern one and one from 1937 and the quality is consistent between both.  I have shot others as well and some range instructors and law enforcement officers regard them as the greatest guns ever developed.  People say that about any maker but the fact is that the US military and other countries have chosen this as their military sidearm.  I have a lot of respect for a company who is coming close to its 475th birthday in a couple years- in 2026, they will have been in the firearms business for 500 years.  This outstanding history, along with the intense follow of their products by owners all around should put the Beretta at the top of your list with SIG and a custom 1911.  

Beretta 92FS and 96FS are maintenance guns.  You need keep them clean and oiled to make them perform their best.  This is not saying you can't throw one in the sand, pick it up, and fire it.  This just means that it will not perform as well as say a SIG if not oiled and cleaned.  You keep a Beretta cleaned and oiled well and it will outperform all other factory made guns ALONG with a SIG.  SIGs are by far one of the best handguns every made, but a Beretta is definitely up there too.  Consider the Beretta 8000 Cougar series in 9mm, .40SW, and I think .45ACP now.  It is a shorter barrel than the 92 and 96 but uses just as much firing power.  It gives you a robust and filling feeling in your hand and recoil is very controllable.  The new Sig Pros are nice too.  They are less than the P series (p220, p226...) but still up to SIG par.  

yes, just recently a friend had just recommended a berreta 92fs as a first hangun. i have about medium to large size hands too, guessing its because of my height. i had already made up my mind on buying a Sig p226, but im seriously thinking about picking up berreta in .40 sw soon. thanks for all the info everyone.


-Mark

The P226 would be a terrific choice.  It is available in 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W.  I use to carry one and loved it.  If you want a beretta, may I suggest the Beretta Cougar over the 92.  It feels better, has better weight distribution and points even more naturally.  The Cougar is available in 9mm, .40, .357 SIG, and .45.