Author Topic: Buying my first handgun. Need suggestions (Read 1456 times)

schunter1128 · « **on:** May 29, 2009, 02:15:30 AM »

I have decided to buy my first handgun and would like some suggestions. I can go $500 max. It needs to be something my wife can also handle. I was thinking of going the 357 route so I could load it with 38 for my wife when I am out of town. Thanks in advance for your feedback!

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2009, 02:22:40 AM »

SP-101 , 3" bbl.

John R. · « **Reply #2 on:** May 29, 2009, 03:36:22 AM »

The 357 Mag would be a great choice. Check out the used gun market, as there are some good deals to be found.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** May 29, 2009, 09:13:43 AM »

I'd find a used S&W either K or L frame gun with 4" or 6" barrel. Load the .38s for when you want light recoil and magnums when you want to do serious business. By buying used you should be able to stay under your price limit. Make sure you get one with adjustable sights not fixed sights so you can adjust them and be able to actually hit what you aim at.

A S&W Model 19 or 66 in K frame would be an excellent choice as would a 586 or 686 in the L frame. The difference is blue or SS metal all have adjustable sights and came in 4" and 6" barrels.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #4 on:** May 29, 2009, 10:24:45 AM »

A ruger security six 4" bought used should come in under your price point, Good stout pistols easy to use.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #5 on:** May 29, 2009, 10:48:42 AM »

The SP-101 new will come in under in many stores , it will fit a womans had well ( that's what my wife says anyway) . And it will stand up to years of abuse . The GP-100 is nice also but higher in cost and somewhat larger grip. A used GP-100 might make the cost cieling .

henryb · « **Reply #6 on:** May 29, 2009, 04:07:11 PM »

I agree with many of the posts above. I purchased a Smith Airlite 38 for my wife. It is a great caliber and a good revolver. The recoil with 38special ammo is intimidating to my wife. I load light rounds for her. What I'm getting at here, is I believe you will be better served with a K frame or other mid size 357. Since the gun is not for concealed carry, a larger gun would provide a better experience for you and your wife. Stay with double action revolvers as they are easier to load and operate for beginners.

Lastly, I must recomend a good pump shotgun for home defense. A Mossberg 12 or 20 guage is the perfect home protection weapon. Easier to use, has a very distinct sound when being cycled. They are very effective, easy to point, hit with and use.

My .02 cents FWIW.

Autorim · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2009, 03:52:54 PM »

The SP101 is a great choice. Last weekend a local gun store had several S&W 4 inch HB M10's - looked like service guns. They had some holster wear but looked sound. I think they were $249.00

A 4 inch .22 is always a good choice for a first handgun.

henryb · « **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2009, 06:40:28 PM »

Quote from: Autorim on May 30, 2009, 03:52:54 PM

The SP101 is a great choice. Last weekend a local gun store had several S&W 4 inch HB M10's - looked like service guns. They had some holster wear but looked sound. I think they were $249.00

A 4 inch .22 is always a good choice for a first handgun.

+1 on the 22. I have had one for years. I have initiated many a shooter with the good ole 22 revolver. Great gun to learn with.

Savage · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2009, 12:47:59 AM »

Any Smith or Ruger medium frame DA .357 revolver would be an excellent choice! My preference is the 4" barrel. I do have one with a 6," (Ruger Security Six SS) great shooter, but I don't like the balance with longer barrels. Handle as many as you can to see how they balance out for you.
Savage

schunter1128 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2009, 05:08:01 AM »

Quote from: henryb on May 29, 2009, 04:07:11 PM

I agree with many of the posts above. I purchased a Smith Airlite 38 for my wife. It is a great caliber and a good revolver. The recoil with 38special ammo is intimidating to my wife. I load light rounds for her. What I'm getting at here, is I believe you will be better served with a J frame or other mid size 357. Since the gun is not for concealed carry, a larger gun would provide a better experience for you and your wife. Stay with double action revolvers as they are easier to load and operate for beginners.

Lastly, I must recomend a good pump shotgun for home defense. A Mossberg 12 or 20 guage is the perfect home protection weapon. Easier to use, has a very distinct sound when being cycled. They are very effective, easy to point, hit with and use.

My .02 cents FWIW.

I actually have Mossberg pumps in both calibers. Do you recommend any mods?

henryb · « **Reply #11 on:** June 01, 2009, 05:23:22 AM »

For home defense on the Mossberg, I'd just add a simple no frills way to add a good flashlight. In my opinion, all the "tacticle" stuff isnt necessary. Just a decent flashlight and a simple mount to put it on the barrel. I have a SureFire and paid a good bit for it, I "carry" it with me. I purchased a "SpiderFire" off ebay that is as good for what I use it for and it costs $60 less than the SureFire. It also came with rechargable batteries (Lithium) and a charger.

Look at some of the online gun accessory peddlers; cheaperthandirt, Brownells, DillonPrecision. You should be able to find a decent mount that'll hold the light and you're set.

Take Care

MGMorden · « **Reply #12 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:56:14 AM »

Quote from: henryb link=topic=174570.msg1098826516#msg1098826516

In my opinion, all the "tacticle" stuff isnt necessary.

Not just unnecessary, but taken to the extreme it can take a perfectly decent gun and just make it feel flimsy and cheap. I've seen enough folding "tactical" stocks and forearms (along with thing, flimsily attached heat shields) tacked onto a perfectly good shotgun as to make it feel like a toy. They in no way held a candle to the stability and quality of the original furniture the gun wore. A number of the "extended magazine tubes", particularly the higher capacity ones, also leave a lot to be desired. I'm sure all this stuff COULD be made at a high enough quality to be useful, but not at the cheapo price point that companies like ATI throw their stuff out at, nor in the "one-size-fits-all" implementations that they try to sell us on. In general, with the exception of something like a flashlight like what you mentioned, your average plain-jane hunting shotgun will work just fine.

And I'd certainly agree hat for home defense, a shotgun is probably the way to go. Easier to aim at 3am in the morning when you're still foggy from being woken up in the middle of the night, the pellets loose momentum faster (meaning fewer worries about hitting other people behind a wall), and at close range a lot more stopping power.

IMHO a pistol comes onto it's own as a personal protection weapon once you LEAVE your house. I'm not too familiar with revolvers as I just don't shoot them much, but as a replacement carry gun I've been looking at the Ruger LCP. I've had my permit for a while but all of my CURRENT handguns are full to mid size, which I just don't feel comfortable carrying.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #13 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:59:02 AM »

A handgun of enough power is helpful in fighting your way to a good combat gun such as a shotgun or rifle .

schunter1128 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 01, 2009, 01:50:28 PM »

Would replacing the stock with a pistol grip on a pump shotgun improve or degrade the guns effectiveness?

MGMorden · « **Reply #15 on:** June 01, 2009, 04:26:02 PM »

Quote from: schunter1128 on June 01, 2009, 01:50:28 PM

Would replacing the stock with a pistol grip on a pump shotgun improve or degrade the guns effectiveness?

IMHO, degrade - by a large margin. If you want to aim a shotgun right, you want to have it to your shoulder. Half of what makes a good shotgun is how well and naturally it comes up to your shoulder. My grandfather's old Stevens 311 double barrel for example comes up to my shoulder like it was made for me. Whatever I'm looking at I throw that gun up and it's naturally pointed just where I wanted it. With a pure pistol grip you're stuck shooting from the hip, or holding the gun up without that frame of reference. The pistol grips that still have a buttstock attached (permanently - none of that flimsy folding stuff) will still work, but IMHO there's little reason to replace the original buttstock. You'll spend $50 putting on something that is of lower quality and doesn't work as well as what the manufacturer put on in the first place.

Truthfully I'd just buy a factory gun with a shorter barrel (18.5" is as low as you can go, and is fine, but anything under 24" you can probably handle just fine indoors) and call it a day. Either a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500 would serve you well (I'll give a slight preference to the Remington, but I've shot both and both are good guns).

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** June 02, 2009, 02:06:48 AM »

Like any thing you do to a fire arm , replacing the stock with a pistol grip may or may not degrade the weapon . If the weapon is to be used in tight quaters it could be an improvement . However if it were to be used to shoot skeet then it may hurt your score . Friends and I heard all the arm chair critics BS about pistol grip shotguns , so we took them out , got a skeet thrower both auto and hand and had at it . The bottom line is out to 20 yards you can hit very well past that you can do it but the time it takes to aim is much slower . The pistol grip is easy to carry . It is easy to swing in tight places . It takes alot of pratice to master . It is not as stable for long shots . Its quicker for short shots .
It boils down to what type shotgun you need and how much pratice you are willing to do .
One thing we all found out is a 5 round 20 in. bbl. rem. 870 is about the best in speed and blance .

Savage · « **Reply #17 on:** June 02, 2009, 02:12:41 AM »

I've carried patrol shotguns with a pistol grip only, with a pistol grip/folding stock, and factory wood. I prefer the latter.
The stock is easily tucked back under the arm for one handed shooting and negotiating tight places. It also makes an excellent striking weapon, and aids in retention. I never did it, but considered cutting the factory stock off a few inches to make it a little handier, especially with body armor. I think simple is best in a HD shotgun. A light and extended mag tube are all I want.
Savage

buck460XVR · « **Reply #18 on:** June 03, 2009, 08:12:27 AM »

I give the same suggestion every time someone asks me this. Go to every gun store you can. Play with every handgun you can.... till you can tell what gun it is at a distance. Get to know how different models operate and what major differences there is amongst them. When you get it narrowed down and can't decide, go with the one that feels the best in YOUR hand. Research the gun, there's a review on almost every gun made.....just Google. Research the prices also, to make sure you are getting the best deal. Guns are kinda like shoes and women..........how you know their gonna fit, iffin you don't try em on first.

Dand · « **Reply #19 on:** June 04, 2009, 09:57:36 PM »

RE shotguns and pistol grips. I used to carry a pump gun for bear defense. One of our guns had an aftermarket pistol grip stock on it. I never carried it. A coworker who was pretty a experienced shooter grabbed it once for some practice with old magnum slugs. He came back complaining that it hurt his wrist and was the most unpleasant set up he'd ever tried.

Also know a trooper who had a rowdy motorcyclist drive right at him one evening. Trooper was carrying a shotgun. Trooper took a quick side step and swung the butt up. That dirt biker was cleaned right off his motor bike with a bunch of cracked ribs. Oh, the trooper was about 250 to 275 lbs and the biker might have gone 150 so physics favored the trooper. Good thing he had a wood stock on that 870.

blhof · « **Reply #20 on:** June 05, 2009, 01:44:20 AM »

If you already have a shotgun, a short barrel either 18" or 20" in open cylinder would be easier to manipulate in tight quarters and cover a large area. My son has an older pump with the 20" barrel and he shoot clays with it with better results than my Benelli with skeet choke. As stated above try many pistols til one feels right and practice to get confortable with it. My personal preference is a revolver, less moving parts and if a bad round, pull the trigger again.

kevthebassman · « **Reply #21 on:** June 05, 2009, 02:16:03 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on May 29, 2009, 09:13:43 AM

I'd find a used S&W either K or L frame gun with 4" or 6" barrel. Load the .38s for when you want light recoil and magnums when you want to do serious business. By buying used you should be able to stay under your price limit. Make sure you get one with adjustable sights not fixed sights so you can adjust them and be able to actually hit what you aim at.

A S&W Model 19 or 66 in K frame would be an excellent choice as would a 586 or 686 in the L frame. The difference is blue or SS metal all have adjustable sights and came in 4" and 6" barrels.

Bill hit this one on the nose, I couldn't possibly add anything.

Dweezil · « **Reply #22 on:** June 10, 2009, 11:06:44 AM »

First handgun...ever? Get a solid .22 like Ruger MK II/III or 22/45. You'll need lots of practice to become proficient and .22 makes that relatively cheap. For home defense, any 3-5" 38/357 revolver made by S&W, Ruger/Taurus would be fine. Of those 3, only Taurus has a lifetime warranty, not limited to the original owner, which may be a factor if you're buying used. You could buy a new or used Taurus and actually have some money left to buy ammo. I'll be odd man out and recommend against a shotgun for home defense unless you're willing to invest the time/money in learning how to negotiate corners with a long gun.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #23 on:** June 11, 2009, 01:10:30 AM »

In home defense , hand gun or shot gun , don't go looking ! The idea is to live ! living is winning . Living with out injury is better than winning !
Load your weapon and wait ! ( exception would be to get to child/ern or other you feel a need to protect ). The first noise you make will alert your comming and the invader will wait you out !

Autorim · « **Reply #24 on:** June 11, 2009, 02:42:43 AM »

I would buy a good used S & W model 10- who cares if it has holster wear - for home defense, then buy a good .22 revolver or auto to really learn to shoot and shoot it a lot.

calling4life · « **Reply #25 on:** June 19, 2009, 02:46:46 PM »

Any of you ever think of going the route of just buying a side by side 410, taking off the stock, throwing a pistol grip on there. Taking a hacksaw to the barrels at about 2-3" past the forearm???

Throw a couple slugs, or some buckshot in there, wouldn't that be plenty for close in home defense. For anyone who doesn't live in a Beverly hills castle, where you still may have 50 yard indoor shots.

I would think that would handle fine, should have the power to put a bad guy down, but not kill the wrist by any means. Guess I'm just spitballing now.

henryb · « **Reply #26 on:** June 19, 2009, 03:19:16 PM »

Quote from: calling4life on June 19, 2009, 02:46:46 PM

Any of you ever think of going the route of just buying a side by side 410, taking off the stock, throwing a pistol grip on there. Taking a hacksaw to the barrels at about 2-3" past the forearm???

Throw a couple slugs, or some buckshot in there, wouldn't that be plenty for close in home defense. For anyone who doesn't live in a Beverly hills castle, where you still may have 50 yard indoor shots.

I would think that would handle fine, should have the power to put a bad guy down, but not kill the wrist by any means. Guess I'm just spitballing now.

Jack around and make a pistol out of that registered shotgun and you'll be living WITH the bad guys.

calling4life · « **Reply #27 on:** June 19, 2009, 08:38:26 PM »

Sometimes the only way to beat'em is to join'em

Even in your own house, on your own property they aren't going to let you do that huh.... maybe there is a way around it, register it as a handgun when you buy it...

Anyways, no more cluttering up this gentleman's thread for me.

MGMorden · « **Reply #28 on:** June 20, 2009, 06:25:43 AM »

Quote from: calling4life on June 19, 2009, 08:38:26 PM

Sometimes the only way to beat'em is to join'em

Do you really think with all the myriad of options out there for perfectly legal handguns (if you want something small) that the "only way to beat em" is with some raggy sawwed off 2 shot .410? If you want that they already make similar devices that are legal - plenty of little 2-shot/double barrel derringers fire .410 shells. Nobody uses them for home defense because there are much better alternatives.

Quote

Even in your own house, on your own property they aren't going to let you do that huh.... maybe there is a way around it, register it as a handgun when you buy it... Anyways, no more cluttering up this gentleman's thread for me.

A firearm is registered as handgun or longgun when it's made, not when it's purchased.

Travis Morgan · « **Reply #29 on:** July 06, 2009, 09:19:21 AM »

Quote from: schunter1128 on June 01, 2009, 01:50:28 PM

Would replacing the stock with a pistol grip on a pump shotgun improve or degrade the guns effectiveness?

If you get one, get the Knoxx Comp stock, their "breacher's grip", or their M-4 style stock; they will make it a lot more comfortable for her to shoot. I have one of the original Knoxx comp stocks, and really like it for the women and kids to shoot. They have some kinda controlled compression deal inside that tames the recoil, but it SUCKS for shooting slug loads, as the receiver smacks you pretty smartly on the cheekbone.