Looking into first pistol

[diggs223]

the first gun you should buy is a 22 similar to what you might buy to carry. mid to full size so you can learn proper grip, lees recoil, cheaper ammo
once your proficient then look for a carry gun. your thought on what you want may change.

 

[Acer-m14]

Thanks for the input. I was hoping someone would chime in about the sccy.

i shoot my friends wife sccy muddy girl 9mm when ever i can .. i love it .. but hate loading the mag .. fk that spring is stiff .. if you got old fingers .. she even hates loading the mag ..

 

[misunderestimated]

SO I said it 100 times,

I feel every ones first gun should be a glock 17 (full Size 9MM) with an aftermarket 22 cal top end , Learn to shoot with a 22 ,avoid all of the pit falls of trying to learn with a high recoil and a loud report. Once you get your basics down pat you can move up. But a first gun is just that (A first Gun" and it should be used to master a skill) , 2nd 3rd 4th can be the fancy one you'll want to show all your friends, A glock has a total of 17 parts to it, there is nothing more basic and simpler to use and maintain then a glock. When left stock they run consistently with very little maintenance or user intervention. Once you get your gun get some reliable basic formal training from a professional, Now is the time to master this skill before learning all of the bad habits or learning from the internet NINJAS Or as they are now called "Operators" . I also sugest to get into some type of competitions as it lets you learn why your gear will fail you and how to over come it, adds a little static pressure to shooting, Converts all of the tiny minute miniscule motor skills ,into Giant large motor skills that are processed almost automatically , the more you shoot and train the easier it is , the brain is more relaxed because you already been there, The NRA basic hand gun is a great course as its really drives home safety . Good Luck and do your time on the range its well spent , Also get GREAT !!!! ears , I am hard of hearing from years of shooting with bad ear protection . Protect your ears and Eyes with high quality protection

 

[kev74]

I've got the SCCY. 99% of the time, I either carry the SCCY on my hip or a KelTec P3AT in my pocket.

The only quirk (I wouldn't call it a problem) with the SCCY is that the trigger is like a revolver trigger. Its a long steady pull until it goes bang, then a long release all the way back. There's no reset midway through the release like on most semi-autos. Even with the long trigger pull, I shoot the SCCY better then I shoot my Shield.

 

[dsdmmat]

SO I said it 100 times,

I feel every ones first gun should be a glock 17 (full Size 9MM) with an aftermarket 22 cal top end , Learn to shoot with a 22 ,avoid all of the pit falls of trying to learn with a high recoil and a loud report. Once you get your basics down pat you can move up. But a first gun is just that (A first Gun" and it should be used to master a skill) , 2nd 3rd 4th can be the fancy one you'll want to show all your friends, A glock has a total of 17 parts to it, there is nothing more basic and simpler to use and maintain then a glock. When left stock they run consistently with very little maintenance or user intervention. Once you get your gun get some reliable basic formal training from a professional, Now is the time to master this skill before learning all of the bad habits or learning from the internet NINJAS Or as they are now called "Operators" . I also sugest to get into some type of competitions as it lets you learn why your gear will fail you and how to over come it, adds a little static pressure to shooting, Converts all of the tiny minute miniscule motor skills ,into Giant large motor skills that are processed almost automatically , the more you shoot and train the easier it is , the brain is more relaxed because you already been there, The NRA basic hand gun is a great course as its really drives home safety . Good Luck and do your time on the range its well spent , Also get GREAT !!!! ears , I am hard of hearing from years of shooting with bad ear protection . Protect your ears and Eyes with high quality protection

I agree with most of this, well, everything except the Glock recommendation. The gun you get should feel good in your hand. If it doesn’t you won’t shoot it and you won’t ever get proficient with it.

Getting a full sized 22 is a great way to go unless you are looking for a gun for self defense and are on a budget. There are a lot of conversion kits out there that will turn a centerfire gun into a rim fire gun for practice. For self defense look at 9mm Luger and above. Technically the .380 is a 9mm but, I would stick to 9x19(Luger) as the bottom floor for self defense.

My recommendation is: get what is comfortable, what you can afford, and something in a self defense caliber that will fit what you intend to do. No sense getting a 6 inch .357 Mag revolver if you intend on concealed carry at the beach.

 

[misunderestimated]

As stated by DSDMMAT
My recommendation is: get what is comfortable

You know I mistakenly never give this much thought , DSDMMAT is correct in saying make sure it fits. The glocks fit my hand perfectly, as a matter of fact I am just going thru this with my wife and she prefers the narrow grip of a single stack Glock compared to the Fat,Thick grip of a standard double stack Glock. I have to tell you with the shape and size of my hand , a Glock just feels like a baloney sandwich, I pick one up and it fits perfect Almost like a well tailored suit made just for me . If I were to edit my post I would suggest making sure the gun is comfortable in your hand. Again good Luck but I have to remind you I have been around allot of new gun owners and the first gun is just that. No matter how much you think , your on a tight budget, I only need one, You end up getting a couple. Your second and third gun is just a nieve "I am just going to stop in the gun store to look around" visit and BOOM your paying for your new gun . I see it all the time. Just resist the mature guy at the gun counter trying to upgrade you to a full size 1911 45 cal because he done like plastic guns . it took me 3 visits to purchase my first 380 because the kept trying to sell me a full size 45 with the miami vice Shoulder holster,

Again good luck !!! and be safe

 

[Justincase]

I'm surprised so many here have the SCCY. That trigger, plus the notorious unreliability of the first generation was a no go for me. Depending on what "cheap"is for you, there are multitudes of first guns to choose from. The advice to find one that fits is spot on. Make sure the trigger length of pull isn't too long or short, that the mag release button is easily reachable without having to reposition the gun in your hand, and that the grip fills your hand properly.

 

[Robin]

Master the basic no frills hand gun and everything after that is the tit's.

Robin

 

[spat]

Another recommendation. If possible, shoot the gun before you buy it.

Hasn't happened to me, but my wife has had a couple that she really liked in the store, but we rented one and after shooting it she changed her mind.

 

[spat]

As stated by DSDMMAT
My recommendation is: get what is comfortable

You know I mistakenly never give this much thought , DSDMMAT is correct in saying make sure it fits. The glocks fit my hand perfectly, as a matter of fact I am just going thru this with my wife and she prefers the narrow grip of a single stack Glock compared to the Fat,Thick grip of a standard double stack Glock. I have to tell you with the shape and size of my hand , a Glock just feels like a baloney sandwich, I pick one up and it fits perfect Almost like a well tailored suit made just for me . If I were to edit my post I would suggest making sure the gun is comfortable in your hand. Again good Luck but I have to remind you I have been around allot of new gun owners and the first gun is just that. No matter how much you think , your on a tight budget, I only need one, You end up getting a couple. Your second and third gun is just a nieve "I am just going to stop in the gun store to look around" visit and BOOM your paying for your new gun . I see it all the time. Just resist the mature guy at the gun counter trying to upgrade you to a full size 1911 45 cal because he done like plastic guns . it took me 3 visits to purchase my first 380 because the kept trying to sell me a full size 45 with the miami vice Shoulder holster,

Again good luck !!! and be safe

Guns are like tattoos.

Lots of people don't have any and never will. But people who only have one almost always go on to get several.

 

[livingston]

Another recommendation. If possible, shoot the gun before you buy it.

Hasn't happened to me, but my wife has had a couple that she really liked in the store, but we rented one and after shooting it she changed her mind.

My girlfriend did that with the glock 19 ... hated it....after renting it for an hour

 

[Dylan_]

I was in a free state recently and shot the p320. That is what I will be going with for my first buy here in NY. LGS has a like new one that I am hoping is still there once my permit is approved.

 

[togmaster]

Nice choice.

 

[Catskillkid]

Nice gun. I have the same minus the fancy sights. You'll like it.

 

[dsdmmat]

View attachment 61019
I was in a free state recently and shot the p320. That is what I will be going with for my first buy here in NY. LGS has a like new one that I am hoping is still there once my permit is approved.

Nice I have quite a few P320s they are like LEGOs.

 

[Bananabandit]

Nice I have quite a few P320s they are like LEGOs.

Is it rated ages 4 to 12?

 

[dsdmmat]

Is it rated ages 4 to 12?

2-99

 

[seezur]

Going through the county permit now and looking forward to purchasing my first pistol here.

what is everyone ones thoughts on sig p320’s (xcompact)?

also, my buddy carries a sccy cpx2 daily and he has no complaints- the price point seems super cheap. Any thoughts from you guys on their quality/durability?

Maybe someone has already suggested this but you should try shooting as many of the pistols you’re considering as possible. That’s really the only way you’re going to get a feel for what you like. Everyone has an opinion and a lot of the gun community, like any other hobby, is a circle jerk. Also consider what calibers you’re interested in. Personally I think 9mm is going to be your best bet for carry and home, though .380 is great for deeper carry and .38 if you want to go with a revolver.

”You don’t know what you don’t know” as they say, but try to think about how you want to carry (IWB, AIWB, pocket, etc.) and how important size is to you. I think a lot of people initially underestimate size, but in NY especially where rounds are limited, it can be hard to justify carrying a Glock 19 sized pistol and you may find between printing and the added discomfort of the size you don’t carry as frequently.

Anecdote: Instead of renting/trying out pistols, when I got my permit I went out and bought like 13 brand spanking new handguns in the first year, mostly popular subcompacts. It helped me find out what worked for me, but it was needlessly expensive and now I’m trying to sell half of them at a loss because they’re redundant.

What I can tell you from my little experiment is that most modern, striker fired pistols from major manufacturers are very similar. They’re all reliable, safe, have decent triggers, etc. Some will have front slide serrations so you can “press check” or deeply stippled grips so you don’t drop your gun when you’re covered in KGB blood, but really it’s mostly marketing. Ergos and size are probably the biggest difference, and you really need to try the guns before you find what is natural to you vs. what isn’t. Most shooting ranges rent pistols.

 

[Marine Cpl]

I know I’m always against the grain here, but I feel that your first gun should be the one you carry. Learn it. Make it become a part of your body. Make your muscles operate it without thought.

If you learn on a gun with a compact grip, you will not pick up any bad habits that you learned on a full sized. This is why often times you hear people say that they just cannot get used to the pinky dangle. They have become so set in their ways that they now cannot learn so they end up buying subcompact guns and put a magazine extension to make it feel like a full sized grip.

I also never had to learn on a .22.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Go to the store and fondle and hold as many as you can. If your gun store rents them go ahead and try a few out.

My first pistol (which I still like by the way) was a walther pps. Being a new gun owner I was mostly concerned with concealing. I put that priority really high. So I ended up with a single stack sub compact. The gun was great at concealing so much so that my wife can't even tell I'm carrying unless she bumps into me or hugs me or something.

The downfall is that it was a poor choice to learn to shoot on.

It was small, snappy, limited mag capacity, etc... It has comparatively more felt recoil than larger guns and I really quickly began pushing shots to compensate for the expected recoil. It took a lot of practice to break that habit.

In retrospect I really wish I got a double stack compact size or full size. (Now that I've been carrying I have more experience) and imo A gun like a Glock 19 or p320 compact is almost just as easy to conceal 80% of the time as a small single stack subcompact.

I've been recommending new shooters that ask me for my opinion at minimum to start with a "glock19 size" or larger.

 

[Karpteach]

You can’t go wrong with a Sig. I personally do not like the striker/plastic guns. However, I would definitely buy a Sig over Gcock.

 

[seezur]

To this day I still shoot striker fired polymer guns worse than SA or DA/SA regardless of pistol size. I have the usual low and left accuracy problem that right handed shooters get even when I’m precise. I find Glocks to be the hardest to shoot, with the 43 being extra difficult for me.

What was eye opening to me was I could give a brand new shooter my SR 1911, CZ 75 SP-01, and Glock 19 and most could get tight groups near the bullseye with the first two but their accuracy and precision were terrible with the Glock. Unfortunately you’re fairly limited in choice when it comes to small SA or DA/SA with the xD line, RAMI and some Berettas being all that immediately comes to mind, or a micro 1911 if you like that manual of arms. Most of them have safety decocker combos which I’m not crazy about.

I carry striker fired polymer guns but I have not found size to make a compelling difference in how well I shoot them. Because of that and the 10 round limitation, Glock 26 is as big as I’ll carry, with P365 being ideal and sometimes Shield just because I have it and like the grip angle.

 

[Budonahog]

I love my P320 x-compact. Never tried the red dot sight but the stock iron sights on this Sig are really nice.

 

[@thewheels]

The gun you get should feel good in your hand. If it doesn’t you won’t shoot it and you won’t ever get proficient with it.

1st priority regardless of price.