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Good handgun for a first time owner?
- Thread starter ideal.dreams
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Get yourself a Colt Python or another .357. You can shoot .38 rounds out of it without any modifications at all. Practice with .38 rounds since they're cheaper and throw in some boxes of .357 rounds to get used to that cannon.
Aren't those well outside the price range?
OP, You're not going to find much for cheap, unless you look into Taurus, but other than their 1911s, I would stay away from them.
I still stand by the FNS or FNX recommendation.
I had the pleasure of firing the Glock 17 at the range (The British Armed Forces are beginning to switch to it for their issued side-arm) and found it very easy to use, very quick and easy to pull out and fire.
Of course the only other pistol I've fired was the Browning and that's ancient...
Of course the only other pistol I've fired was the Browning and that's ancient...
$500-550 is about the sweet spot for a reliable proven basic handgun.
Springfield XD
S&W M&P
Glock
Etc.
You can jump upto $800 real fast for 1911's and on to $1800 or so.
You can get some cheaper guns clocking in for 299-349. But you risk sacrificing reliability.
Oh I must have missed the price range part...
damn...
I guess OP if you're looking for something function wise, the little Ruger (I think) hammer less revolvers are pretty cool.
I'm not a big fan of 1911s. I hate the "safety" on the back end of the handgrip.
I few things for the OP to consider:
1. Your price range isn't going to get you much in the way of quality if you buy it brand new. You're better off looking for something used at that price, or saving some more pennies for the purchase. Good handguns are expensive. Better handguns are even more so.
2. Glock 17s are their full-sized 9mm pistol. It's a blocky piece of machinery that probably won't fit your hands properly, based on what I'm reading in this thread. Better off just skipping it. Also, Glock's full-sized handguns get to be a real PITA to conceal nicely unless you're a large-framed individual.
3. The "I don't like the recoil" excuse should probably be worked on. Pistols recoil, period. Learn to deal with the recoil and work with it. It's not going to hurt you. In fact, good shooters know that working with the recoil helps bring the muzzle right back down on target much faster than trying to fight it (note: no human is strong enough to fight the recoil of a pistol. Stop trying).
As an add-on to that note: the smaller and faster rounds will have a snappy recoil. The larger and heaver ones (think: 45ACP) will have a slower recoil.
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My carry piece is a Para Ordnance mini 1911: their "warthog" model. Eleven rounds of 45ACP packed into a teeny 1911 that I can carry all day and night without any issues. But, it's expensive new, and so a bit outside your price range.
jas
1. Your price range isn't going to get you much in the way of quality if you buy it brand new. You're better off looking for something used at that price, or saving some more pennies for the purchase. Good handguns are expensive. Better handguns are even more so.
2. Glock 17s are their full-sized 9mm pistol. It's a blocky piece of machinery that probably won't fit your hands properly, based on what I'm reading in this thread. Better off just skipping it. Also, Glock's full-sized handguns get to be a real PITA to conceal nicely unless you're a large-framed individual.
3. The "I don't like the recoil" excuse should probably be worked on. Pistols recoil, period. Learn to deal with the recoil and work with it. It's not going to hurt you. In fact, good shooters know that working with the recoil helps bring the muzzle right back down on target much faster than trying to fight it (note: no human is strong enough to fight the recoil of a pistol. Stop trying).
As an add-on to that note: the smaller and faster rounds will have a snappy recoil. The larger and heaver ones (think: 45ACP) will have a slower recoil.
---
My carry piece is a Para Ordnance mini 1911: their "warthog" model. Eleven rounds of 45ACP packed into a teeny 1911 that I can carry all day and night without any issues. But, it's expensive new, and so a bit outside your price range.
jas
Thank you for your input! My dad just bought a Ruger SR22 and found a ton of YouTube videos showing that the gun's take down lever fails and breaks apart after shooting x amount of rounds, causing the slide to fly off the base of the gun leaving live ammunition exposed with the hammer pulled back. For one guy, it failed after 400 rounds. For another it was 4,000. In any case, the gun was cheap compared to the others I've seen ($399.00)
Based on what I've read in this thread, I'll probably decide to up my budget. Besides, with how scarce guns are becoming given the circumstances of the past few months, it'll only go up in value. Not to mention it'll be a better quality gun, so it's a win-win.
I have tried many guns at the range and would love to continue to do so, but a 50 count box of ammo in my area is either nowhere to be found or is almost $50/box. I'm not going to pay such a ridiculous price to practice getting used to recoil, so I think my best bet is going to be holding off on all of this gun business in the hopes that it'll get somewhat better.