Personal defense/ plinking pistol.

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mrawesome22

New member
I've never owned a pistol before but have shot many. I would like to purchase a semi-auto pistol very soon but I have no idea what to get. I've been reading around and hear a lot about the M1911. Anyone know how much one of these will cost? And who makes the best? Please don't say Colt. Colt is out of the question. I'm thinking maybe S&W? Springfield? RRA? I was also wondering what the differences are of the Commander and Government? I was on Ruger's site and saw they had pistols also. Are they any good? I remember my buddy had a very accurate 9mm Ruger that was a joy to shoot. It felt great in my hand. Don't remember the model though. If I can, I was wanting 10mm. Do 1911's come in 10mm trim? Thanks guys.
 
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Kermit

New member
IF you want a 1911, I'd look at a Springer and then a Ceiner 22lr conversion kit so you can shoot 22lr through it too! Ooooodles 'o fun ;)
 
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elwaine

New member
I'll second Kermit's suggestion.

Keep in mind that you can buy a relatively "inexpensive" 1911, such as a Springfield Armory Mil Spec today; and then, in the future, you can save up money and eventually send the gun to a custom gun smith and have him turn it into a fantastic weapon. That route can be less expensive than buying a top-of-the-line 1911 to start out with. You don't need a tricked out gun to have a lot of fun with. Nor do you have to spend a fortune to get a reliable self defence pistol. As long as you buy one of the major brands, you should be OK. BTW, Springfield guns come with a life time warranty to the original owner.
 
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mrawesome22

New member
O.K. I've been looking around and can't find the 1911 in 10mmAuto so it's a no go. Can someone recommend a good 10mmAUTO pistol?
 
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rantingredneck

New member
I don't personally own a 1911 so I can't be of help there. The Ruger 9mm your friend had was a P series pistol. The P85 or 89 would be the most common variants with the P95 being a possibility as well. I've got a P89 and it is a joy to shoot. Will digest any 9mm load I feed it and has never jammed or failed in the roughly 1000 rounds I've put through it.

As to your question about 10mm. It ain't much of a plinking round as the ammo is a bit expensive and not as readily available as other calibers. Recoil is on the heavy side too. If you stick with either the 9mm, .40, or .45 you'll be in a lot better shape. Ruger makes inexpensive, quality pistols in all three calibers too.......:D
 
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elwaine

New member
I remember my buddy had a very accurate 9mm Ruger that was a joy to shoot.
Click to expand...
Have you shot a 10 mm? I would not characterize a 10 mm as a joy to shoot... than again, you might.
 
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truthfulhawk

New member
1911

I recommend a SA..I also think that you meant RIA, not RRA...BIGGGGG difference.
The .45 is fun to shoot, and the 9mm is cheap and plentiful.
Now I wouldn't call a 10mm a "plinker", but you can get a nice Dan Wesson (made by CZ) 1911 in a 10mm. I think that Kimber also offers a 10mm. 10s arent going to be really cheap..and they certainly need to be built to take the recoil.
 
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Mark54g

New member
I would definitely second the notion that a 10mm may be a bear to learn with. I would not worry too much about "Punch" if you are a new shooter. Worry about accuracy and control

Any service caliber (.38 Special +p up to .357 magnum in revolvers and 9mm to 10mm in autos) will do the job if you do your part as the shooter. Splitting hairs over caliber is less likely to be as important as getting a good shot and/or making follow up shots. Get good ammo. Never rely upon the gun or the caliber making up for mistakes in placement or bullet type.

A 9mm will be cheaper to shoot, though you said you will be reloading. Hopefully you have plenty of practice or the time and patience to make sure that you have everything double checked. You can hurt yourself if you do not take care in reloading. You will also likely violate the warranty of the firearm.
Besides being cheaper to shoot, the reduced recoil will make practice easier. A .22 conversion kit is nice to familiarize yourself with the weapon, but be sure to put at least a few boxes of your "carry" ammo (even if you don't carry, if you have personal defense ammo that you rely upon to protect your home/family etc, make sure you test it for functionality and reliability, perhaps as well as grouping) through your gun.
If you plan on this as a home defense gun, realize that 10mm autos will be VERY loud and likely have excessive flash indoors at night. Something else to consider is that it also has the energy to penetrate both your target as well as the outer walls of your house. Most bullets fired from service calibers will do so, but the 10 will probably leave that wall with a good deal of its energy intact.

Go rent handguns if you can. If you cannot, handle as many as you can get your hands on and find one you like. Shoot them if you can, or at least get a feel for how different calibers feel to shoot.
 
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Mark B

New member
I recall in the earlier days of the 10mm (mid '80s) there were light 10mm loads available refered to as "subsonic" rounds. These were the precursors of the .40 S&W as the FBI realized that full power 10mm were not as suited to their needs as a lighter .40 cal would be. As a handloader you should be able to find reliable recipies for lighter power 10s that would make your plinking more enjoyable. With some thorough shopping around you might even find factory subsonic 10s.
As far as recommending a 10mm Semi Auto, if you are not opposed to buying used, you might take a look at the S&W 1006, or Colt Delta Elite. Otherwise Glock, EAA, or Kimber would all be fine choices.
 
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Edward429451

Moderator
I'd go with a Springfield 45, keeping in mind elwaine's comments. 45acp has plenty of punch and is still reasonably cheap to shoot even without a 22 conversion.
 
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tackdriver

New member
The short: Glock 20. If really want 10 mm, this is a fine pistol.

The long:
You are giving the impression that you're unnecessarily limiting yourself in your choice of caliber, which, generally speaking, is good at a few things (powerful, good penetration) and bad at a lot of others (heavy recoil, muzzle flash, over penetrating). Why 10 mm?

Do yourself a favor: go to a range that rents guns and try a wide variety -- not just whatever the guy behind the counter is trying to sell you, whatever got a great review in a gun rag or what your friend/dad has. Go for variety in "service" calibers and in function (SA, DAO, SA/DA). Buy the tool that fits you and suits your needs and is backed up by a good warranty.
 
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mrawesome22

New member
I don't know why everyone is saying I'm a new shooter. I have shot many, many, many pistols. I have just never brought myself to buy one. Never had the need for one. But now that I have a wife and 2 kids, the thought of a BG in the house has made me decide it's time for a pistol. I want 10MM because this gun will also be going with me on coyote hunts for protection from any that might be rabbid. I might also try getting a deer with it. I looked at this http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=80 and was wondering how much one of these would go for retail? I tried looking at Kimber's but the site was down. Any idea's as to what I'm going to pay for one of these? BTW, if you can't handle the recoil of a 10MM, maybe you should take up knitting LOL.
 
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Ausserordeutlich

Moderator
I'd highly recommend the G20. There are several scope mount options, including a couple that aren't expensive. You can also get a 6" hunting barrel for a little more velocity.
 
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mrawesome22

New member
Thanks all. I think I've learned my lesson. The 10MM Auto cannot be had by a reputable American arms maker. Too bad. I really wanted one. CZ and Glock are out of the question. I don't understand why the DW RZ-10 is made in America but sold under the Checz company. Oh well. I'll roll over in my grave before I give my hard earned money to Europe. And I still don't know where Kimber's are made because their site is down. And Springfield just wants too much.
 
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