on the hunt for a handgun, michael moore, and others

[xrageofangelsx]

I do not know if this is obnoxious to the veterans of this forum, but I have a couple of questions regarding guns.

But first, a bit of history.

My family does not own guns, nor was I raised around them. They only peaked my interest after watching Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" "documentary" (Notice the quotes around documentary. I may be the first person that was dissuaded (the opposite of persuaded, I guess... I doubt it's a real word.) By his film and it spring boarded me into guns.

Being that I don't know a whole lot of guns, but I'm interested in buying a pistol, I was wondering what you all recommend for a first-time gun owner.

I've only shot two guns in my entire life and both occurred when I was about 12 years old, I'm 23 now so you do the math. Bahah.

The first gun I've ever shot was a .22 rifle. I remember it as basically being a loud and exponentially dangerous bb gun.

The second gun I shot was a Ruger 9MM pistol. I'm not sure of the make or model, but I remember it kicked more than I expected it do and took me a good while to get used to kick and what not.

I'm looking at getting something that is .45 caliber but I am not sold on a make, model or brand.

But I've done a little shopping and I really like anything by Heckler & Koch, especially their subcompact 9mm. The Glock 30 seems to be pretty decent. The Colt 1911 guns seem to be also something I like. The Walther P99 caught my eye as being reasonably priced and being a good gun for the money.

However, because I don't really know anyone who is into guns or owns any, I haven't been able to shoot any of them and I've relied on basically what store clerks have told me and I couldn't squeeze much info out of them.

I want to spend around 450 bucks (virtually impossible for an H&K, I know) for something since I am new the world of pistols, but if it's a little over that's ok too.

Basically, I'm begging people for their opinions. Something you surely want to share with someone to the new gun world, right? Maybe not, but either way, I would appreciate anyone (everyone’s?) help in helping me chose a gun to buy.

Caliber is an issue too. Everyone seems to have their favorite and I'm not sold on any particular caliber, so suggestions on that topic are welcome too. Most people I talk to prefer .45 cal for home defense/security. I also plan on getting a personal protection permit/concealed weapons permit if I am going to be as intoguns as I see most people end up being.

Anyway, I've rambled enough and probably made myself sound pretty silly. Thanks in advance to all those who help.

 

[Destructo6]

Well, if it is possible, I recommend going to a range that rents pistols and trying out as many as you can. This is pretty much what I did years ago and tried out 1911s, S&Ws (autos and revolvers), Taurus, Ruger, etc, first to figure out what I liked in general, then specific models and calibers.

Of course, you'll want to mention to the counter guy that you are new to gun and would appreciate some instruction.

Cuising the various gun boards, like this one and "TheHighRoad", may help you avoid some basic mistakes.

 

[Dwight55]

destructo gave you some excellent advice. If you were my son, nephew, etc. I would tell you that you need to get a good NRA basic pistol course that you can find out about at most gun shops in your area.
You will there find out the "mechanics" of revolvers vs. automatics as well as most instructors will have a variety of guns to let you "see".
Generally, a revolver, is considered to be a better first choice of first handgun due mostly to the fact that it is a simpler piece of mechanics.
I actually almost envy you, . . . I grew up with all sorts of guns around, and got some real good experience (first time I shot a 12 ga shotgun was in the prone position, 14 yrs old, about 110 lbs., . . . they're still laughing).
You have embarked on a journey that I have enjoyed for over 50 years, and Lord willing, . . . I'll enjoy it for the rest of time I have here. Take your time to learn safety, mechanics, safety, marksmanship, safety, reloading, safety, and in case I missed it, . . . be sure to pay close attention to safety. Then you will have fun.
May God bless,
Dwight

 

[frank4570]

Well I'll give my opinion.I am no expert.
I would suggest a Ruger gp100 .357 Magnum revolver.
1) You can shoot .38 special ammo which is cheap and soft to shoot untill you want to move up to the magnum ammo.
2)The gun is big enough that it stays on targer easier than a smaller gun, so hits may come easier. The gun is also big enough to soak up recoil, shooting .38 special ammo is really comfortable. So it works well for practice,I think practice is more important than anything else, except safety.
3) A revolver is very reliable. It will work just fine no matter what kind of cheap ammo you put through it, that can't always be said for a semi-auto. And trying to work the bugs out of a gun can be maddening as all hell.
4) God forbid you need a gun to defend yourself, a .357 Magnum is at the top of the pile, but remember you must practice some with full power .357 magnum ammo.
5) I had a Ruger gp100 and I regret selling it.

My own note on safety. There is only one safety rule I count on. NEVER NEVER NEVER point a gun at somebody unless you are willing to kill them. NOT when the safety is on, NOT when you know the gun is not loaded, NEVER.
Same goes for stuff. If you don't want it shot, don't point a gun at it.
A short list of things that were shot by me or my friends when we were young and stupid and unsupervised, and violated that one one rule.
1) Smoke detector. Deer rifle.
2) Closet doors. 12 guage.
3)Livingroom wall. bb gun. (me)
4) Friends cat. 12guage
5)Kid that sat next to me at school.(dead) .38 special

One bad side to the gun I suggested is that it is probably to big for concealed carry, but it is still my first choice under the conditions listed.

 

[W Turner]

The NRA Basic pistol course and going to a rental range are both good suggestions. They will ground you firmly in the basics and give you an opportunity to find out what works for you.

I would also recommend that your first pistol be a .22lr target type pistol like the Ruger Mark I-III, or the Browning Buckmark. This will give you an opportunity to become familiar with shooting without breaking the bank. In the meantime, you can be going to a rental range to try out different makes, models and calibers before you plunk down a large chunk of money on a pistol.

If these are not an option, I would seriously consider a full-size gun in 9mm that you can get a .22lr upper (slide and barrel) for so that you can still practice the basics very cheaply. It doesn't get much cheaper than .22lr and 9mm!

As a bonus, if you pick the right full-size gun, it can be relatively easy to conceal if you dont' mind dressing around it.

If you have any questions, feel free to email or pm me.

W

 

[sks]

Also, do a search on TFL and you will find six months worth of reading on basically the same question. Not that we won't tell you what to get, we just love doing that, but there has already been a lot of info on this subject that should be invaluable to you.

 

[FirstFreedom]

What sks said. Use the search feature, and enter the search "first AND gun", then search subjects only, all open forums. Or, start here:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149447

I may be the first person that was dissuaded .... by his film and it spring boarded me into guns.

Good news indeed! Hmmmm...

the opposite of persuaded, I guess... I doubt it's a real word.

No, that's exactly the right word; dissauded. "Peaked" however, should be spelled "piqued" in case you're interested. Welcome.

Is Michael Moore in season now? Oh, goodie!

 

[Fred Hansen]

Is Michael Moore in season now? Oh, goodie!

Can you imagine gutting and skinning that thing? MEGA-:barf:

 

[FirstFreedom]

Egad man - why did you have to say that? :eep: I was thinking more like a varmint - you let him lie where's he's hit. [disclaimer: we're only kidding Mikie - I wouldn't shoot you - only the liberal blissninnies like your pallie Alec B. advocate killing their political oppenents to silence them - we welcome actual logical discourse, since we're right]

 

[Fred Hansen]

 

[Darkangel]

Good afternoon,

I think it would be good if you had a friend who has expierence and time to help you learn about weapons. Going to a range with an expierenced person and renting a few weapons to test fire is a wonderful idea. Obtaining a .22 to train with is a wonderful Idea also but not for those who have limited funds. For a revolver I would look at .357s. You can practice with light load .38 wad cutters, and learn good technique. I would get at least a 3 inch barrel with adj sights. Ruger and S&W are my choices(SP-101, and 686)

For a Semi-auto.....A 9mm is a good weapon to learn with as the ammo is cheap and there are a multitude of weapons to choose from. I would choose a double action/single action with adj sights. For your price range in a new weapon try CZ, Ruger..........Glocks are wonderful if you don't mind a safty on the trigger. An expierenced friend can help you with the used handgun market.
Go to a large gun show with the friend and handle as many weapons as you can to see what feels good to your hand. Only buy from a local gun shop with a good reputation and hopefully has a gun smith. For your first weapon Don't buy anything off the net, from a gun show dealer, or sight unseen.
Good luck

 

[Dave85]

I have to agree with frank4570 and Darkangel in regards to the .357 Magnums in general, and I think Darkangel is right on the money with the small frame revolver with a 3 inch barrel. Your $450 should fetch you a "gently used" Ruger SP-101 and enough cheap practice ammo to make you sick of the thing. Then again, MSRP on a new one (remember, the "S" stands for "Suggested") is only $505.00. If you shop smart you should be able to find one in your price range.

Oh, and welcome to the wonderful world of shooting! You will be broke in no time! And since you will soon be spending all of your money on trips to the range and accessories, you might want to shoot off 25 bucks to the National Rifle Association for a membership while you still have it to send. There are some neat benefits, not the least of which is a free subscription to one of a number of NRA published magazines. I get American Rifleman which has gotten to be quite a nice publication (I also just started receiving Shooting Illustrated which is looking pretty slick, too). It is also a great resource for information, especially if you are just getting started. I'm pretty sure it's still only $25 per year for a Standard Membership (I made the jump to Life-Member about a year and a half ago), and besides, the larger the membership in the NRA, the harder politicians will think before supporting useless draconian gun restrictions.