Hand guns

[Aaron]

I am planning on buying a handgun in the near future.  Does anyone have any recomendations?  I am wanting something for rec shooting as well as defense.

I am leaning towards a semi auto, probably a .40 caliber.  But a revolver is not out of the question.

Thanks for any help

[Siebert Outdoors]

Hk is one of the best but high dollar

For the price an FNP is good.  Accurate and reliable.

Revolvers I've always liked the Smith airweight series.  Light and compact, just loud and kick like a mule in a 357.  

[roadwarrior]

This is a fine gun, especially for concealed carry:

http://www.sigarms.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=37&productid=150

If it's a .40 you want, there is no better gun than this one:

http://www.sigarms.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=8&productid=118

Her's another article you might find interesting:

http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/ccw/selection.htm

[Captain Cali]

I would consider a CZ 75B. Not if you will be carrying though. Great firearm with a great price. Should be a good first.

http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=29

[BASS fisherman]

Revolvers I've always liked the Smith airweight series. Light and compact, just loud and kick like a mule in a 357.

I agree with GMAN.  The Smith airweight series handguns are feather light.  You'll forget your wearing one after you get used to it.

[Raul]

Get a shotgun, there 's tons of things you can kill with a shotgun, if you don 't want to hunt you can practice recreational shooting to targets like clay pigeons and anybody who dares to enter your home in the middle of the night without your permission is going to dump a brick and soil his underwear when he hears that chac-chac....... and you don 't even have to aim too good.  

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Springfield XD--new, but hearing good things

Can't really go wrong with a Glock.

[Pond Hopper]

I would and am going to go with a springfield armory 1911-A1.  I have shot this gun and wow, there is nothing else to be said.  Another deciding factor was I have a friend who works there at the local shop and can get me a deal.  These are a great gun to shoot and I like the safeties on the gun also.  

http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-pstl-1911-fs.shtml

[fishbear]

Get a shotgun, there 's tons of things you can kill with a shotgun, if you don 't want to hunt you can practice recreational shooting to targets like clay pigeons and anybody who dares to enter your home in the middle of the night without your permission is going to dump a brick and soil his underwear when he hears that chac-chac....... and you don 't even have to aim too good.  

Nothing is more true.  Especially if you are not experienced in using handguns, a pump action shotgun like a Remington 870 is the way to go....   you do not have to aim it, just point.  and 00 buck at 20-30 ft. and closer will cut a person in two.  If you are not experienced with semi auto handguns, I would recomend a revolver if you do not want to go the shotgun route..  In the gun industry, revolvers are considered idiot proof, in other words every time you pull the trigger they go bang.  

Where as semi autos can jam... have you ever cleared a feed jam under stress???  It is not easy,, and it gets harder when you are under stress.

Just some things to think about, before buying a handgun.... more handguns are taken away from people and then used on them by criminals than you can ever imagine, because people do not think about the situation, ,and if they can actually pull the trigger if they have to pull thier gun.......  

Can you shoot someone????  and shoot to kill?????  You dont want to wound them,,,, they will sue you for everything you own, and get it in most states.  Dont laugh, it has happened numerous times.. even the cops have been sued for wounding someone that had a gun in thier hand, and threatened to use it,  the police lost the lawsuit.  

are you willing to put in the practice neccessary to get good with the handgun???????  That means 2-300 rds at first, then 50 rds a month to keep from getting rusty.... you not the gun...

Are these hard questions?  Yep sure are, but better to ask them now, then later when it may be to late....

[flechero]

What a great post fishbear!

Aaron,

Whatever you get (and I'm not a fan of the .40 cal) be sure to get some training if you ever plan to use it for anything other than target shooting. You need to be proficient and accurate, yet still safe while you are half asleep, literally... and if a semi auto, be able to clear jams and make mag changes in the same condition.

If you are a new shooter, a revolver is a great choice, the learning curve to proficiency is much less. If you have some extra time and money to devote to training and practice, the semi might be a good choice, each of us have different situations. Not enough info given to make a good recomendation.

A good choice for home defense may not be a good C.C. weapon so if you plan to get a carry permit your criteria will probably be different. If you live in a metro area, it's likely that your local range rents guns so you can shoot several different types/models before making your mind up on a purchase.

Be sure to check and understand local laws as a part of your research.

[Alpster]

Aaron,

Fishbear & flechero have got the right ideas. I will only add that if you want protection from bad guys you must go with .45 ACP or 44 mag. Anything less is subject to making the bad guy mad enough to kill you. The military uses the Colt .45 Govt. model  (semi-automatic) sidearm because it is a man stopper and is very reliable. However if you want to enjoy handgun shooting sports, i.e. metalic silloette shooting, PPC, or just plain target shooting and murdering beer cans, I would suggest a Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag. or a Smith & Wesson model 29 44 Mag. These are big heavy guns, but they are a ton of fun to shoot. The .44 mag has the some of the best balistics of any hand gun, they are easy to hand load and they will stop a bad guy. I love a fine handgun.

Ronnie

[Catt]

I agree with Ronnie

I own a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum 7 ½ barrel, twice I had to pull it for personal protection and both times the looks alone stop the individuals.

If you decide on a large caliber handgun have it Mag-na-ported; Rifle style Mag-na-porting consists of two traditional trapezoidal ports and two oval ports cut into the sides of the barrel. This style of porting is available on barrels of 7 1/2 inches or longer and recommended for the handgun hunter and larger calibers. The side ports help by providing additional reduction in recoil and aid in barrel stability.

[fourbizz]

I would and am going to go with a springfield armory 1911-A1.  I have shot this gun and wow, there is nothing else to be said.  Another deciding factor was I have a friend who works there at the local shop and can get me a deal.  These are a great gun to shoot and I like the safeties on the gun also.  

http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-pstl-1911-fs.shtml

a A1 Springlfield with some mods. It is one of my favorite pieces. Not a negative thing to say about it.

[Tom Bass]

Aaron,

Your post is so "open ended" it's not even funny. No offense Pard but you need to give a little more info on what you want your handgun for.

It's like asking "What is the best reel, or what is the best pole, or what is the best lure or bait"

What do you really want in your handgun? Do you want to target shoot? Do you want a purely defensive handgun? What kind of sights do you want? Iron, adjustable, laser, tritium night sights, scope?  

Do you want a revolver or semi- auto?

Do you have legal issues in your area? Like in CA. Are you looking at magazine limit regulations?

What is your budget? I can recommend a boat load of pistols that would exceed $1300 each. I can also recommend pistols that are a lot lot less "dollar wise".

What is it you want your pistol for?

Also, Since you are asking about buying a new pistol, what are your plans for educating yourself in regards to use of the gun and gun safety?

Gun safety is paramount. Not just for you but everyone living in your household that may encounter your gun.

Send me a PM if you're not comfortable answering my questions here. I'm not trying to come down on you but I have a lot of experience with firearms and firearms training. I would be very happy to help you out and I won't steer you in the direction of "the latest and greatest" in regards to what the gun mags are promoting.

Best reagrds,

Tom

[Munkin]

For semiauto's .40 is about the best all around caliber. Most police departments use this caliber including a lot of Fed's. Which gun to get is a personal preference? Go to a shooting range that rents guns and try out a couple different ones until you find one that you like. Right now I have a Glock 23 that is great but they are not a beginners gun look at the Sig 229. Now if you can't shoot for s*** or you just do not want to practice get a pistol grip 12 guage pump. If you are drunk, blind, missing one arm, whatever you can still hit something with some ole 00buckshot just point in the general direction.

Allen

[Aaron]

Thanks for all the responses guys.  I am new to handguns but not guns in general.  I have been around guns my whole life.  I just bought an 870 Super Mag, that I LOVE.

The handgun would be mainly for target and recreational shooting but something I could use in defense if necesary.  I dont have a concealed carry permit and probably wont try to get one for a while.

As for regulations i live in KY and I dont think there are many but I will look into that more before I buy.

My budget is about $500.

I realize the importance of safety when dealing with guns especially handguns.  I would devote the necessary time to practicing and familiarizing myself with the gun.

Thanks for your post Tom that brought a lot of things to my attention that I hadn't thought about.

[Raul]

My grandpappy used to tell me Aaron if you are thinking in that personal defense issue: " Son, guns are meant to be used once you take them out, never pull out a gun if you are not going to use it, they are not for trying to scare people away. "

[ww2farmer]

Seeing that you don't have a CC permit, I can not agree with Raul more.......get a shot gun for home defence. I do have a CC permit and my gun of choice changes like the wind, but generaly I like the small J frame,model 640 S&W revolvers in .357 But for a target/plinking pistol I am surprised no one has mentioned any thing in 9mm, no I wouldn't want one for a defence weapon, but for a target pistol the are a pleasure to shoot, and ammo is cheap. They are much easier than a .45 acp to master. I can't think of a better/more reliable 9mm than a Glock. Don't get me wrong I love the .45, I have 2 excekkant cond. WW2 vintage GI 1911A1's in my collection (Rem. Rand, and Colt) but they take some skill to shoot accuratly, and beeing collectors peices I don't shoot them enough to be proficant at it, nor do I wish to ruin them by swapping out original parts to make them more "shooter friendly". I have no experiance with modern 1911A1's so I can not comment on those, but I do like my Glock 9mm just for general shooting.

[Captain Cali]

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.

Caliber means nothing if you can not hit what you are aiming at. A well placed 9mm shot is better than a .45 shot that doesn't hit it's target. And vise versa of course.

What I'm saying is the gun you can shoot the best is the best choice for self defense. Consider what feels comfortable to you, then consider what caliber.

Munkin is right about the .40S&W being about the best all around caliber for semi's. More and more police and federal agencies are switching to .40S&W for a reason. It's just a good overall round and you don't sacrifice capacity.

[Guest avid]

The military uses the Colt .45 Govt. model  (semi-automatic) sidearm

Did I miss something?  I thought they switched to the Beretta 9mm about 10 years years ago and it is still standard Nato issue (including US)

[Munkin]

The military uses the Colt .45 Govt. model (semi-automatic) sidearm

Did I miss something? I thought they switched to the Beretta 9mm about 10 years years ago and it is still standard Nato issue (including US)

You are right the standard Army pistol is a Beretta 92 9mm which the Army cals the M9. Now SOCOM has SIG 228's and HK .45 that they use but the regular Army has Berettas.

Allen

[Alpster]

The military uses the Colt .45 Govt. model  (semi-automatic) sidearm

Did I miss something?  I thought they switched to the Beretta 9mm about 10 years years ago and it is still standard Nato issue (including US)

You are right the standard Army pistol is a Beretta 92 9mm which the Army cals the M9. Now SOCOM has SIG 228's and HK .45 that they use but the regular Army has Berettas.

Allen

Been a loong time since I had noticed, (10 years is not that long, is it?) thanks for straightening that out.

Ronnie

[Hale]

I own a Springfield XD40, HK USP40 for carry. They are both very well rounded guns. Easy to carry, very accurate and most of all durable. Stopping power...who said "it would make the bad guys mad?" Have you ever seen someone take a shot with a .40 and be okay with it? Your watching to many movies!

You should hit a local gun show...not always the best prices but you can handle many many different models and get opinions on each one face to face. You can pick up the XD40 for right around 500 right now, the HK's have seen a jump in price over the last couple years (I paid 500 for mine and was offered 750 for it recently at a gun show...I was looking to trade it for a 1911 model).

And if you think you may sell what you buy, check out gunbroker.com and research what is moving and for how much.

Springfield XD--new, but hearing good things

---- Not new, just becoming popular.

[Aaron]

Thanks for the replies.  I love to see all of the varying POV's.

That XD40 is one that I keep coming back to.  A guy I work with has one and loves it.  He keeps telling me the .40 is the superior round over the .45.  Plus, it has to be good to be NRA gun of the year.

Has any ever heard of Hi Point Firearms?  They seem like a good gun plus they're in expensive.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I have a hi point 9mm that I bought when I just turned 21. It cost around 120 bucks. They are ok, but I dont know that I would trust my life to it. It has a tendency to jam, it is heavy compared to other semi handguns and it feels kinda cheap.

Is it fun to shoot?  Heck yeah, any pistol is.

Would I recommend it if you can afford a better pistol?  Probably not.