Which handgun for first time buyer/owner?

tunerX said:
I agree on that point. Initially, you will spend some money on ammuntion to get familiar. But once you are familiar then the amount of ammunition you need to keep at home should not be that great. You should still do quarterly training. If it is only for home protection and not for a law enforcement job then you should be more time maintaining it then you are shooting it.
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I would also add that I strongly recommend that first-time buyers take at least a firearms safety class and preferably a more involved class that covers home-defence topics. Good training never hurts.

Also, know the laws. Being safe and proficient with the weapon is one part of the equation. You need to learn what you are potentially getting yourself into from a legal perspective. Ignorance is no excuse and could get you into very, very deep trouble.

Finally, if you are keeping a weapon for home defense I suggest you get a lawyer, or at least find out where to seek legal advice for home defense scenarios. If you ever actually use the weapon in self defense you will probably need legal help, no matter how clear-cut the scenario seemed to you at the time.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I would also add that I strongly recommend that first-time buyers take at least a firearms safety class and preferably a more involved class that covers home-defence topics. Good training never hurts.

Also, know the laws. Being safe and proficient with the weapon is one part of the equation. You need to learn what you are potentially getting yourself into from a legal perspective. Ignorance is no excuse and could get you into very, very deep trouble.

Finally, if you are keeping a weapon for home defense I suggest you get a lawyer, or at least find out where to seek legal advice for home defense scenarios. If you ever actually use the weapon in self defense you will probably need legal help, no matter how clear-cut the scenario seemed to you at the time.
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Definitely know the laws. In NY you need a permit to have it in your house, you need a restricted carry permit to take it to the range, and then you need a non restricted carry permit for CCW. It took me about a year and a half to get a CCW.

Also, quarterly training should not just be going to range. Take your initial safety class, then do a quarterly refresh of your training program, and then go to the range. Also check quarterly for any new laws or regulations.
 
Thanks for all the information guys. I haven't had time to read through the posts in this thread, but I will soon, and then I'm sure I'll have tons of questions. :)
 
someguy said:
Thanks for all the information guys. I haven't had time to read through the posts in this thread, but I will soon, and then I'm sure I'll have tons of questions. :)
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I'm partial to a Browning Hi-Power since I use them at work. 9mm (As stated by many other posters) is cheap as hell for ammunition, the pistol itself is also inexpensive new, a practical steal if you find some well-cared-for used variants as well. Biased of course, if I got issued a SIG I'd probably be touting that as well, but those are only issued to certain units :(
 
YMark said:
The best firearm for home protection is a shotgun. Much easier to hit a target. But the OP didn't say why he wanted it.
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The shotgun is definitely better for intimidation, but is relatively hard to handle in close quarters. Plus, it's very hard to keep locked up in your nightstand. ;)

Also, the OP said: "I've recently decided to keep a handgun at home." which combined with his relative lack of knowledge on guns I assumed to mean that he wanted one in the home 'just in case.' Otherwise why state 'keep a handgun at home."?
 
fivepoint said:
The shotgun is definitely better for intimidation, but is relatively hard to handle in close quarters. Plus, it's very hard to keep locked up in your nightstand. ;)
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What you say is true, however if an intruder is in "close quarters" with you, you're already screwed. And you can retrieve a locked up shotgun just as fast as a locked up handgun.

Also, the OP said: "I've recently decided to keep a handgun at home." which combined with his relative lack of knowledge on guns I assumed to mean that he wanted one in the home 'just in case.' Otherwise why state 'keep a handgun at home."?
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Good point and a safe assumption.
 
Neolithium said:
I'm partial to a Browning Hi-Power since I use them at work. 9mm (As stated by many other posters) is cheap as hell for ammunition, the pistol itself is also inexpensive new, a practical steal if you find some well-cared-for used variants as well. Biased of course, if I got issued a SIG I'd probably be touting that as well, but those are only issued to certain units :(
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The Hi-Power is an outstanding design, I would not hesitate to recommend it although in the current case it's going to be out of the OP's price range. I keep looking around for a WWII-era Inglis-manufactured example, definitely on my collecting wanted list.

You also cannot go wrong with a SIG, they are made to a very high standard. Pretty much the only criticism is the heavier weight compared with polymer-framed pistols, but that is really not a problem for a home defense gun since it won't be carried.

YMark said:
What you say is true, however if an intruder is in "close quarters" with you, you're already screwed. And you can retrieve a locked up shotgun just as fast as a locked up handgun.
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Most people who keep a gun for home defense keep more than one, and the handgun-shotgun combo is the most popular. The shotgun is harder to maneuver indoors, but a decent pump-action is inexpensive, reliable and, most critically, can offer greater power and/or less overpenetration worries than a handgun depending on which ammo you use. Ammunition is also quite inexpensive. If you intend to keep a handgun as your primary home defense weapon, a shotgun is a good choice as a secondary weapon.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
but a decent pump-action is inexpensive, reliable and, most critically, can offer greater power and/or less overpenetration worries than a handgun depending on which ammo you use.
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And best yet, the sound of chambering a round speaks many, many languages!
 
dmr727 said:
And best yet, the sound of chambering a round speaks many, many languages!
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There is a plenty of anectdotal evidence that this is true, though it's unwise to count on it. Still, if an intruder knows you are armed it may prevent a confrontation. And that is, of course, always the best outcome.
 
I am kinda partial to the Taurus Judge since it takes .410 shotgun shells and .45 Long Colt cartridges. I am a lover of utility just wish I could afford one.:(
 
The Judge is an interesting (if quite ugly) weapon. I haven't had the chance to test one yet but they seem to be gaining in popularity. An ex-coworker of mine bought one for home defense several years ago.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
The Judge is an interesting (if quite ugly) weapon. I haven't had the chance to test one yet but they seem to be gaining in popularity. An ex-coworker of mine bought one for home defense several years ago.
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Ugly is never a concern I actually think that long chamber is kind of interesting, when it comes to practicality a simple six shooter still has a lower failure rate than a modern semi auto. Afterall when was the last time you heard of a revolver jamming? Misfiring yes, any gun can do that if there is a dud cartridge and that can cause a jam too but a revolver will always rotate to the next bullet every single time you ask it to.
 
Ttownbeast said:
Ugly is never a concern I actually think that long chamber is kind of interesting, when it comes to practicality a simple six shooter still has a lower failure rate than a modern semi auto. Afterall when was the last time you heard of a revolver jamming? Misfiring yes, any gun can do that if there is a dud cartridge and that can cause a jam too but a revolver will always rotate to the next bullet every single time you ask it to.
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And that is partially why I recommended a .38 Special revolver in my first post. With all else being equal they are the most reliable choice, are simpler to operate, and magazine capacity is not as big an issue in a home defense gun so the limited ammo capacity isn't a big issue.

The Judge, to me, is only useful as a .45 Long Colt revolver in the home defense role. I don't think .410 is a really effective self defense cartridge. Penetration is going to be weak, like a .380 or worse.

With that being said, I would not hesitate to trust my life to a quality semi-auto handgun - as most police and all military forces do.
 
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If you are looking for home defense only, I would recommend getting a shotgun rather than a handgun.

If you are set on a handgun, for a first time owner I would probably go with a revolver. A revolver is much simpler, easier to clean, and many camps claim to be more reliable. A 38 special would be good enough for you, considering you dont want too much recoil as you get used to firing a weapon. If you get a .357 you will be able to fire .38s out of it for practice, as they are cheaper, and then put in .357s for defense.

My first handgun was a Springfield XD .40. I absolutely love it. It has a trigger safety that doesnt let the trigger be pulled unless the pressure is directly on the trigger so accidental firings are lessened, and also a grip safety, so the trigger will not work unless you are holding the gun correctly. They make the XD in 9mm, .40 and .45 so you can pick your favorite. I dont really need it for defense, but I really enjoy punching holes in paper with it.

The most important thing, rather than the gun you buy is the amount of practice you get. The best gun in the world is useless if you dont get out there and put thousands of rounds through it to hone your skills.

Also beware, once you buy a gun and find the joy of marksmanship you will be hooked for life.
 
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