Posted: 2/28/2007 9:55:07 AM EDT
Hi guys im farely new to handguns and im going to be 21 in a couple months and figured id spoil myself, now the questions i have are what's an over all good handgun to buy i know thats a very very generalized question but i want one thats reliable, accurate, has a nice handle to it, doesn't weigh a ton but also isn't light, has to look amazing  and i wanna stay away from revolvers, i know they're great but i never took a liking to them and the maximum i would wanna spend is maybe around 6-800 i was leaning toward a Sig, but just wanted to hear your input, stories and statistics would greatly be appreciated.and i would use it for home defense/range. |
Guns produced by reputable gun manufacters are overall good guns. There is no popular brand that I would tell you to stay away from. Most of the guns made by reputable companies are reliable, some more than others, but most of them will work nearly all of the time. Practical handgun accuracy is determined by the shooter, not so much the gun. Only really experienced handgunners shoot beyond their handgun's ability, at least in practical shooting. Benchrest and stuff might be different. Accuracy is pretty consistant with reputable guns. As for the grip, that's up to you, the only way you can tell is to handle different guns. I personally think the Browning Hi Power and CZ-75 have the most comfortable grips. Many love the feel of the 1911. Others like Glocks. Many here rave about the S&W M&P's grip. Get your hands around as many different grips as you can. Also, just as important is the trigger pull. Different types of guns have different types of trigger systems, giving different models distinctly different pulls. And the trigger greatly affects the shootability of the gun. There is single action only, double action/single action, double action only, partially pre-cocked striker fired. Guns also have different types of safeties (or lack thereof) often based on the type of trigger they have. As for the weight, I don't find the weight differences from one full-size gun to the next to be very noticable. Even among polymer versus steel framed guns. Yes, the steel guns weight more than the aluminum framed guns, and the aluminum weighs more than the polymer, but still, the difference is not substatial to me. It may or may not be for you. Again, handle as many guns as you can. And remember, a gun weights quite a bit more loaded than unloaded. Looks? Well, again, that's up to you. Other things you should consider are what caliber do you want to shoot and why. Do you want a full-size service auto or a compact? If you go for a larger caliber gun, do you want a wider double stack grip or a narrower single stack grip? Do you want to mess with safeties or is it no big deal? Do you prefer an all steel gun over a polymer one? |
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You should tailor your handgun purchase to 1. The way it feels in your hand 2. What its intended purpose is Don't lose sight of these two principles to the bells & whistles du jour or you'll be spending money trying to get it right the second time. Start by holding everything at the store, then rent a few that feel pretty good at the range. Once you have an idea for what feels right then make the purchase that suits your purposes. |
I see what your getting and it's hard to do some of the things because the ones you see online look excellent but theres no way of actually testing them out other then buying it, because the dealer i go to has a bunch of handguns but still kinda limited but i have no clue what you mean by a full service auto or a compact, like a said still new to handguns gotta work on the terminology some more 
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the first principle i completely agree with and will do it, the 2nd one however will vary because i wanna use mostly for home defense, the range, and hopefully when i get on the job ill wanna have it on me as a backup or something, then the caliber plays an important role because i heard that larger calibers like a .45 does monstrous dmg but slows down a lot within like 20-30 yards is this true or just a rumor? |
I agree....go to some store with a large selection and hold all of them, even if you have no intention to buy that gun....trust me its fun. Take note to what feels good and if its the size you want. Make sure you can get it in the cal you want and you can handle that cal. I know a few people who went and bought .45, shot them once and sold them because they couldnt take the recoil. 9mm is an all around good cal if you can place your shots correctly 
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well if its a first HG and you dont have much expierence w/ em, i'd suggest a nice .22lr auto, like a Browning buckmark or ruger 22/45, Mk II h/w, if you are willing to go straight to a more suitiable all around auto, i'd of course opt for the 9mm--cheaper ammo, low recoil, hi-cap, and most are smooth shooters if you like Sig, go w/ Sig--i like the Sig P226/229 series myself others i'd look at: Glock, BHP, Beretta 92, HK USP/P2000 others i may consider if you dont plan on fixing your own stuff or if its for a good price: Ruger P-89, SA XD, or CZ go w/ whats in your budet, what fits you, and what feels good |
| Ill have to do all of that a couple more questions someone said 9mm is a good cal if you could place the shots correctly what does mean, is it harder to place shots with a 9mm then other cals, and two does anyone own or personally fired a USP and if so how does it perform and does it come in a smaller cal. other then .45? For my handgun i hadn't really taken into account that larger calibers would be an issue until someone just pointed it out so im leaning toward a .40-.357 |
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No, as a general rule it is easier to place a 9mm shot. What they mean is that many people believe (and their is some logic) that a 9mm might need to be placed a little better than a .40 or .45. Given modern defensive ammunition I don't think that it is that big of a deal, I'll wait until I've heard from someone who has done a center of mass doubletap on two simmilarly sized bad guys to make up my mind forever though. What it comes down to is a larger bullet probably has a little better stoping power. I don't think it's a big enough deal to outweigh other factors. Here's the deal for me. 9mm ammo costs half as much as .40 or .45, a shooter with twice as much practice with a 9mm is going make up for any difference. IMO |
There is no handgun that performs all purposes perfectly (1911 excepted, of course  ). Seriously, A great concealed carry weapon is a shitty range toy (by comparison). It is still perfectly acceptable to expect a platform with a dual role, but be realistic. If you are not in the position to carry concealed anytime soon, than avoid compacts and look into a good duty-sized pistol that makes for a good plinker (range toy) and a potent man-stopper (Home defense). If you are planning to get a pistol with the intention of getting your CCW soon after, then don't shop for both a staggered hi cap magazine AND a duty-sized package.
Handgun rounds are one of the worst firearms you can choose to defend yourself with. The operative word is "choose", since we can't carry 12-gauges and AR carbines under our Matrix wannabe vinyl trenchcoats.  Having said that, the object of the game IMO is to wield the most potent cartridge that you can properly control (and afford to practice with). .45 beats .40 beats 9mm. Even if by a fraction of a fraction, that's the way it is (so says pulpsmack at least). Nevertheless, the ability to place 9mm well and/or practice with it often beats shoddy placement and rusty skills with a .45You mission for range rentals is twofold: seeing which platforms feel good and which caliber(s) you feel you can/will be able to control. |