hello there new guy here with a few questions

[zachkuby87]

First off I'm brand new to guns as a hobby I mean I own a few rifles and shotguns but I couldn't tell you much about them other than who made em and what I shoot with em lol... but seriously I've always wanted to get into guns as a hobby I've never owned anything special. I just applied for my permit to purchase and went and put money down on two different pistols the first one is a 9mm sigma I figured it would be a decent cheap gun to learn the basics with and I also plan on using it to take my carry class and test with. The second one I put money down on is a springfield xdm .45 after lotsr of research and held quite a few I liked the xdm and sigma best. Any advice on ammo accesories other equipment I might want distances I should practice from drills I should try basically any advice you would give to a new guy. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated thanks a lot guys
Zachkuby

 

[Buzzcook]

Take some introductory gun handling classes and find a club that has some competitive shooting.

Ear and eye protection is a must. Don't skimp.

The distances you shoot at depends a lot on how you intend to use the guns.
Most of my shooting is at 25yds at targets that are named for that distance. Printed out on the computer they're cheap.
http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/pistol_target.pdf

The most important things are to be safe and have fun.

 

[zachkuby87]

Thanks I intend to sign up for classes when my permit to purchase goes through and I go to pick up my sigma. And I have a question that I forgot to ask what does it mean when someone says they shoot reload. Is it used ammo that is reloaded? If so how is this done? By hand or are there machines you can buy or what? From what I've seen guys talking about reload ammo is the way to go when trying to save money I would deffinately be interested in saving some cash...

 

[teumessian_fox]

When they say they shoot reloads it usually means they've reloaded them on their own. It's bad practice to shoot reloads made by somebody else. You never know what's going to happen when you shoot those things.

Buy a copy of The ABCs of Reloading for some good information.

http://www.amazon.com/Abcs-Reloadin...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291443807&sr=8-1

Meanwhile, save all of your brass for the day when you "roll" your own.

 

[Sevens]

Advice: The Sigma is a decent handgun if you want low dough and durability. But it's not a fine shooting handgun. It's more like a bare minimum.

IMO, you would be better served to get back any of the money you put down on it and put it toward the XDm to get it home quicker. Or, take the money on the Sigma and put it toward a decent .22LR pistol.

I believe that a .22LR pistol should be everyone's second handgun. You can do a LOT of shooting with a rimfire for very low cost. All that shooting and trigger time will make you more proficient with any and all handguns. Because it costs so little, you will be able to shoot it a lot. You will use it to supplement your range days with your larger handgun.

I don't think a Sigma is a bad pistol to own, but there's nothing a Sigma can possible do that an XDm won't do better. (except cost less) So having both of them at this early stage in your handgun shooting experience won't serve you well.

It's not like you are going to wear the XDm out and will need the Sigma to keep your XDm like new. 9mm ammo will be much cheaper than the .45 that your XDm eats up, but .22LR ammo is 20%-25% of the price of 9mm ammo.

Just my thoughts... there's no really wrong way to do it!

 

[mrgoodwrench76]

Cant vouch for the Sigma but the XDM is an excellent quality handgun. I have the 9mm and 45 and both perform flawlessly and are incredibly accurate (much more so than myself).

 

[kraigwy]

Advice: The Sigma is a decent handgun if you want low dough and durability. But it's not a fine shooting handgun.

That's not quite true. You must have gotten a limon as most Sigma's I've seen are pretty good shooters. Some people have problems getting use to the trigger but that's because they don't take the time to dry fire and shoot it. It smooths right out.

My Sigma's trigger isn't much differat then most double action revolvers. Its accurate and reliable.

Get the Sigma, dry fire the heck out of it, it will help you and your gun.

 

[zachkuby87]

Thanks guys ill definately be buying the book on reloading and yeah I've heard a lot of ppl complain about the trigger pull of the sigma I dry fired the one I am going to buy only once but it didn't feel so bad but then again that was one shot lol. Who knows I'm getting the sigma just to get the hang of handling a pistol and cleaning habits. I figure if I mess up a gun I would rather it be the sigma than the xdm cause I looked at and played with the xdm and it feels and looks like a 10x better gun than the sigma I don't wana ruin it. I should have both pistols before or around christmas the sigma by next Friday for sure the xdm will prolly be a few more weeks.. ill let you guys know how it. Goes and what I think of the sigma

 

[Shadi Khalil]

Advice: The Sigma is a decent handgun if you want low dough and durability. But it's not a fine shooting handgun.

The only problem I can see with the Simga is learning on such a heavy trigger. It could cause you to develop a flinch that will take a while to over come. My first handgun was a Taurus 617, seven shot .357 DAO revolver. The longer trigger and subsequent recoil cause me to develop a flinch and shaky trigger finger. Just my experience and opinion.

 

[Buzzard Bait]

join up

Join THE NRA
bb

 

[zachkuby87]

Ok so just by coincedence my cousin just called and asked if I wanted to attend a gun show with him next weekend he says he usually finds pretty good deals so I'm gonna hang on to my money until then and see what I can find. What would you guys concider good deals for
Sigma 9mm or .40
Xdm.45 maybe 9mm if I can find a great deal
Glock 21 sf
I really like 1911's but know nothing about them anything I should keep an eye out for?
I'm planning on attending this show with about 1000 dollar budget... maybe more

 

[kevinc6639]

I love my XDM

Everybody has thier own way of starting out. I have worked up through the ranks from .380's, to 9mm's, and now I own the XDM .40. If you get an XDM I suggest finding a solid stainless steel guide rod (reduces muzzle flip and made my slide operation a lot smoother), and an aluminum striker indicator pin guide. you can find the parts on several websites, springerprecision.com is just an example. Buy what you feel comfortable with, and learn to shoot better than everyone else.

 

[ClydeFrog]

Basics...

This is a common subject post on this forum.
In short, join the NRA, www.NRA.org , learn & understand your area's gun & use of force laws; www.Handgunlaws.us . Don't go by second-hand accounts, gun shop BS or bar-talk. Get top notch training books & DVDs; www.Gunvideo.com www.Paladin-Press.com .
If you can afford it, get formal skill training from the top schools; Thunder Ranch, Massad Ayoob/LFI, SIG Sauer Academy, www.SIG-Sauer.com .
Buy & use the best gear, holsters, cleaning products, etc that you can. To "go cheap" or cut corners will only lead to major problems later.
For entry level firearms, I'd suggest a used-good condition police trade in .38spl or .357magnum DA revolver or a NIB model Ruger SP101 .357mag DA only revolver. A new S&W 4" barrel .357magnum or a Ruger GP100 .357 wheel gun in blue or stainless can work too.
A DA only SP101 or NYPD trade-in can be safe to carry and help you learn the basics. Once you feel able you can move up to a DA only pistol or a striker fired semi auto(Glock, M&P, Ruger SR9/SR40, XD, etc).
For cleaning, use a well made CLP(clean protect lube). Top picks include; Gunzilla, Weaponshield, Eezox, Mpro7/LPX, Ballistol.
A little goes a long way. Do not use a lot of oil or CLP.
For carry or protection use only factory made ammunition. Some forum members & gun owners say it's ok to use handloads or reloaded handgun rounds but for legal-civil litigation, I'd only use high quality factory loads.

Clyde
www.Brownells.com www.Eezox.com www.Midway-USA.com www.Weaponshield.com www.Cabelas.com www.Cheaperthandirt.com www.GunsAmerica.com www.JGsales.com

 

[cycleguru]

I don't know anything about the Sigma, only what the other posters have said, but it sounds like a low priced, low quality piece. Based on my own experience, don't waste you hard-earned shekels on it. Many years ago I was just getting into the sport and bought a cheap 9mm auto that looked cool but turned out to be a POC. (It was an IntraTech Cat9). I hated it and eventually it broke.

You can't go wrong with the XD. You'll love it, it shoots great, and there's nothing you can do to hurt it short of dropping it in the lake!

As with guitars and mountain bikes or anything, really: buy the very best you can afford. Quality equipment works great, it's fun to use, and makes you want do it more and more. You really do get what you pay for.

 

[Japle]

Get yourself a cardboard box at least 2 feet square.
You'll need it to store all the holsters, mag pouches and other stuff you'll be buying in the next few years.

And join the NRA. There are other organizations that do good work, but the NRA has the muscle in DC.
If it wasn't for them, you'd be shooting a cap gun. And you wouldn't be able to buy caps!

 

[Lost Sheep]

Re-read Sevens' post

Sevens suggested a .22 rimfire as a second gun. I recommend it as a first gun.

You mentioned getting into the good habits of cleaning, caring for and handling. A 22 will allow you to do that just as well as a centerfire.

Ammunition for a .22 rimfire is one-fifth to one-tenth the cost of centerfire (over the counter), depending on what chamberings you are comparing. You can get LOTS more practice.

If you have a 22 pistol of decent quality, you have something to get you into a gun range where you will most likely meet Sigma and XDM owners and see them shoot their guns and probably interview them about their strengths and weaknesses, maybe even shoot a few rounds.

Ruger Mark III and Browning Buckmarks are not considered premium target pistols, but their prices are affordable and they are very accurate. Just not Olympic-quality guns with Olympics-high prices. Stay away from anything that does not have decent sights and a crisp trigger break. Used guns (Ruger Mark II, even Mark I) are more affordable, and in 22 rimfire will not have ever been over-stressed by too-hot ammunition. So, 22s are a pretty safe bet to buy used. Poor maintenance is usually readily visible (either by looking at the gun or by looking at the seller).

So, my advice is get a decent 22 rimfire semi-automatic with good, adjustable sights (new or used) and spend time at a range, mingling with other shooters and absorbing their knowledge and developing good habits.

And, to repeat Buzzcook's advice. Good eye protection and good hearing protection. Use them ALL THE TIME. If your ears ring after a shooting session, you have permanent hearing damage. It recovers after a time, but never 100%; and it accumulates over your lifetime. I use muffs AND custom-molded plugs when shooting centerfire.

Good luck.

Lost Sheep

P.S. Support the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America (GoA) and any local Shooting Sports organizations you can.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice

Thanks I intend to sign up for classes when my permit to purchase goes through and I go to pick up my sigma. And I have a question that I forgot to ask what does it mean when someone says they shoot reload. Is it used ammo that is reloaded? If so how is this done? By hand or are there machines you can buy or what? From what I've seen guys talking about reload ammo is the way to go when trying to save money I would deffinately be interested in saving some cash...

When I bought my first gun (Dan Wesson .357 magnum revolver), I also bought a reloading press. It cut my cost of ammunition to 1/4 the cost of retail ammunition. Of course, the conventional wisdom is that no one saves money by reloading. They just are able to shoot four times as much. Some find reloading a satisfying pastime in itself, as well. I find it as much satisfaction filling my cases as emptying them.

The brass casings (sometimes nickle plated) are re-usable as long as they are in good condition. Aluminum cases and steel cases are not re-usable.

Take an empty case, knock the primer out of it, press a new primer into the pocket, charge with gunpowder and press a new bullet in the case mouth and you have a reloaded cartridge. I have left out a lot of (and some of them VERY important) detail, but the process, conceptually, is just that simple.

Lee Precision makes a $17 kit that will allow you to reload, using a mallet to drive the process, but it is painfully slow.

Lee, Hornady, RCBS, Lyman and a host of other manufacturers make a variety of presses and accessories for reloading ammunition, all capable of supremely accurate, safe and reliable ammunition if the operator does his/her part.

"The ABC's of Reloading" is an excellent place to start. Less than $20 from Amazon.com. You may be able to find a copy in your local Library. Most loading manuals have their first half dedicated to a description of the handloading (reloading) process. The second half dedicated to load data (recipes for the various chamberings/calibers with minimum and maximum powder charges for the various weights and types of bullets. Some have a third half dedicated to bullet flight ballistics (exterior ballistics) of interest more to long-range shooters than most pistoleers. Borrow several, if you can, and read the early chapters. Each author and editor have differing writing styles and some may resonate with your mind better than others.

There is thread permanently "stuck" to the top of the "Handloading, Reloading and Bullet Casting" forum in The Firing Line. (Commonly referred to as a "sticky")

Here is a link:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230171
and if the link does not work paste this into your browser:
thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230171
or just "mouse" over to the forum. It isn't hard to find.

Good luck, good shooting, always wear eye protection (especially when working with primers) and don't pinch your fingers in your press.

Lost Sheep

 

[BfloBill]

While at the gun show look for a .22 (most like either Ruger or Browning Buckmark) EVERYONE who shoots pistols should own a .22, they are fun, will help you learn the basics, and you can shoot them all day for next to nothing.

I don't understand why you are buying the Sigma. It sounds like you are using it a sacraficial lamb because you are so sure you are going to "mess up" your first gun. If that's the case look for a used 9mm at the show. But personally I believe you would be way better off using a .22 to learn on, and take the money you were going to spend on the Sigma and put it toward training and more .45 ammo or reloading gear.

Once you shoot the XD you will probably hardly ever pick up the Sigma.

 

[FreakGasolineFight]

There's nothing wrong with the Sigma. I mean, it's inelegant, plastic, and clunky, but then so are Glocks and people keep buying them. Unless you actually like the Sigma I wouldn't bother getting it just because you're worried you're going to do something wrong and damage it. Most modern handguns aren't really very easily damage-able, and I'm sure you'd be fine just skipping the Sigma altogether. If you managed to do anything to damage the XD I'd be shocked.

I do notice that a lot of people are saying you should get a .22 for your first handgun, which isn't a belief I particularly espouse, not that my stance on the matter is a popular one. There's nothing wrong with starting out with a .22, but I started out with a .45 and that worked out fine for me. The thing with getting a .22 pistol is, they're great and all, but they're not frighteningly useful for anything other than plinking.

Also, I'd be betraying my general tradition on this forum if I didn't recommend that you strongly consider the CZ line of firearms before dropping your hard-earned cash. I consider them easily the best firearms for the money, and some of the best firearms, period.

EDIT: Also, if you can, you should shoot an XD .45 before you buy. I tried one once and didn't really like it very much. Seemed a bit jumpy, but maybe that's just because I'm used to nines and heavy .45s.

 

[Lost Sheep]

In defense of 22s

FreakGasolineFight
The thing with getting a .22 pistol is, they're great and all, but they're not frighteningly useful for anything other than plinking.

.
And training. And practice. And curing flinching (if that is not redundant to training and practice).

If I had only two firearms, one would be a 22.

I understand that your criteria are different than mine, FreakGasolineFight. I respect your position and think I understand your perspective. I just think you are overlooking or undervaluing the uses to which a good 22 can be put.

Lost Sheep