First Gun

[amcgee13]

I'm looking into buying my first gun. I'm looking for home protection and a plinker. I don't have a lot to spend so I'm looking for a bargain. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[TBAUS]

You will probably get about as many opinions as answers on this question. Since you posted to the semi-auto forum I take it you want a semi auto. There is a recent thread on reasonably priced .45s you should read. If you don't have any firearms training or experience, I would suggest you go to a range that rents guns ( if you have one nearby) and try shooting different calibers and makes of guns to see what fits your hand and what kind of recoil you can tolerate. Basic lessons will also be a good idea. Don't "go" too cheap, especially if the gun is to be used for your protection. There are really good reasonably priced guns out there and there are pieces of junk.

[MikeJ]

Welcome to TFL and the world of shooting.

I'm sure that you will get many opinions on this subject but the one gun I recommend for a first gun is a 4" barrel .357. Since you stated your intended purpose for it is home defense and plinking the 4" barrel should be ideal. The makes and models I prefer are the S&W 66 and 686 and the Ruger GP100. In my opinion, and once again not everyone will agree, you don't have to look any further than these guns when looking for a .357. The variety of ammo that can be shot from a .357 is staggering; of course you can shoot the .357 magnum but you can also shoot .38 specials as well. Not knowing how much you know about guns it is difficult to judge how far to take this discussion, I don't want to bore you with things you already know. If you have additional questions the TFL members will be glad to help you out.:D

Take care and safe shooting, Mike

[Justin]

You've definately taken a good first step; you know what the gun will be used for (home defense.)

That means it's time to go shopping.
Take a look at several models. Pick them up, and pay really close attention to how comfortable the grip is.
Ergonomics is a really big factor in accuracy and how heavy the recoil will feel.

A quick test you can do is to close your eyes, and bring the gun up as if you were aiming it straight ahead. When you feel as if you are aiming straight ahead, open your eyes and see how well the sites are aligned. If they aren't anywhere close to lined up, then the grip probably isn't a good fit to your hand.

(When doing this test, be sure that you ask first, and be sure to point the gun at an unoccupied part of the room.)

Also, ask if you can dry-fire the pistol. Try to get a good idea of your ideal trigger weight.

Once you get your defensive gun, give some serious thought to getting one chambered in .22 because...
.22 ammo is very inexpensive which translates to lots of practice.
It's low recoil makes it easy to practice the basics of shooting: grip, trigger control, sight alignment, etc.

And practice with a .22 will most definately carry over to any other pistol.
But I digress...

If you want a centerfire gun that is an economical choice, look for something in 9mm. Wal-Mart sells 100 round boxes of it for about $11. For a budget 9mm, look at guns made by CZ.

If you want to go the super budget route, take a look at a military surplus Makarov chambered in 9x18mm. These guns are inexpensive but very well built, and plinking ammo can be had for a song. (Check www.makarov.com for more info.) The only problem with the Makarov is that your local gunstore might not have ammo for it. It is, though, readily available over the internet (www.ammoman.com) and at gunshows.

[Blackhawk]

Welcome to TFL! :D

You need to practice, practice, practice, so you neeed a capable caliber that's cheap to shoot. That answer is 9mm Luger (9x19).

The $200-$300 will put you in the range of new KT P-11s to used Rugers and a whole lot of choices in between. I'd be inclined toward a used Ruger. They're accurate and reliable without presenting many if any "teething" problems to a new shooter. Besides a used Ruger 9mm will always be worth what you pay for it.... :D

[Kermit]

If it were just for plinking, I'd recommend a nice 22lr either semi auto or revolver. Both are a lot of fun, easy to use & inexpensive. Since you mention you want to also use it for self defense, I'd recommend a 9mm CZ. Lot's o' bang for the buck! ;)

[kahr Carrier]

Sounds like you are on a budget for plinking I would get a Ruger mk2 or Browning Buckmark in 22 lr. For defense a GP100 or Sp101 . Rugers are pretty fair priced.:eek:

[caz223]

First auto.
Got to be cz75 in 9mm, no question.
If you want to carry, the CZ is just too big for the average person to conceal.
The gun is great, and under $400.00
Hi-caps are plentiful.
They shoot better than any under $400.00 pistol has a right to.
Also, 9mm is cheap to shoot.
You can also get the Kadet conversion kit to quick change 9mm to .22LR

[Peter M. Eick]

My advice is more generic.

Go make friends with a good gun dealer, not a sporting goods place but a gun store. Then start looking at the used collection and come back here and ask questions about what you see. Evaluate the advice (this is the internet remember) and what you gun dealer says (sometimes you hear about gun store commandos etc) and try to make informed decisions.

The key I have found is that most guns are unique. Some shoot better then others, some are better deals then others. This is not something you can just say "buy a 1911 .45" and you will be in great shape.

Personally I suggest a small caliber to start. Consider a .22lr and then shoot it a lot till you are confident. A well placed 22 rnd will do wonders inside a home for stopping the fight in home defense.

I started out with a 22lr, a browning hi-power, a python and a diamondback. College widdled that down to the diamondback and 22lr ruger. For over 10 years that is all I shot a 38special diamondback and a 22lr ruger. I think it taught me to be a reasonable shot and to reload.

Just my .02$ worth.

[New_comer]

Welcome to TFL! :D

A lot of good and inexpensive guns out there. What really matters is what model gun fits you!

It also depends on how much exposure you have had around firearms. Be it revolvers or pistols, either type would suffice for home defense or plinking. I would consider the 9mm/38spl as the best caliber for your purpose, cheap to plink with and with very good defensive potentials with premium JHP ammo.

A trip to gun stores or shooting range with your friends may give you an idea on what you would expect in terms of every gun's aesthetic appeal, price, fit, pointability, safety features and manner of operation.

DON'T RUSH IT! If you have limited funds, don't be too eager to buy one. If you could shoot one first, so much the better. But if you couldn't, try sticking to reputable brands only. Ruger, CZ and Taurus (steel guns only) are among athe few that seem to stand out in the moderately-priced category as very good guns.

And of course, check out the feedback on the models in your "wish list" right here at TFL. Just use the "search" feature in the upper right hand corner and read through all the comments TFLers have to say about whatever gun you fancy... :D

When you do get to own one, force unto yourself the will of train diligently with the "ins and outs" of your weapon of choice. You may have to spend a little more for training and ammo. Join a gun club if you can, your colleagues could teach you for free. You owe it to yourself and to society that you could be entrusted the responsibilty of owning a deadly weapon.

Hope this helps...

[Capital Punishment]

Before anything, you might want to take a pistol course of some sort. Good way to start things out. After you take a safety course, then you can look into buying a gun. Get a ruger.:D

[Bob Locke]

Find yourself a range that rents pistols.

Rent and fire a couple of magazines through several different 9mm models. (Gonna cost you probably $40-50 by the end of the day, but it'll be worth it in the long run.)

This will narrow the field down to two or three that just "feel" better in your hands than the others.

After that, apply whatever other factors you deem important (price, capacity, etc.) and buy that one.

My best advice on the matter: Don't skimp. If you need to save up for an extra couple of months because an HK, Glock, or Sig happens to be the best fit for you, then do it. You'll be WAY better off in the long run.

[VVG]

Sir, when you say you don't have much to spend, what's your budget? It's difficult to get a good handgun for $200 most places - but easy to get a shotgun. And how much do you want to spend on ammo?

[amcgee13]

Thank you for all the replys. I do have shooting experience, my brother in law is a TFLer and a multiple gun owner. I have been shooting with him several times and with others. His suggestion was to go with 9mm and for a gun, cz75 or a feg hi-power clone, good price and quality with both. Being the nice guy that he is, he said he would try to borrow any gun I wanted to try or make arrangements. Thanks for all the suggestions, back to researching.

[notbubba]

amcgee13,
I also will recomend getting a 9mm.

Some good lower priced guns are CZ, Ruger, and Firestorm.

But, you may want to buy used.
If you hang out here very long you will read about a lot of guys(me for one) that sell a gun after a box of ammo because they didn't like how it felt or shot.
Or, you will read about cop trade ins that have a lot of holster wear but haven't been shoot much.
I bought a trade in Sig 220 with night sights alot of wear but low use for $450.:cool:

[Correia]

Hey guys, meet my brother in law. :)

Good to see you here. And my offer stands, anything you are interested in shooting, I'll scrounge one up for you to try.