First handgun, what would you get?

[KChunter71]

I have a Glock 19 and 43X. They are both a lot of fun to shoot and 9mm is typically pretty economical to shoot.
You wont need more power on anything short of griz. The 43X is great for CC but that doesn't seem to be a concern for you.

I would recommend you buy a $5-600 dollar pistol and put the rest of your budget into a pistol class. I did one after a few thousand rounds and my shooting improved dramatically. I wish I had done so a few years earlier.

That is a great combo 19 and 43x as I have the same.

Only keeping the Glock 20 and Smith 500 for Alaska hunting and fishing. Thought about selling the 500 to fund a new set of binos.

 

[tdhanses]

I really like my Glock 10mm and my ultralight 44mag but truthfully my favorite is my Glock 48, it is small yet feels like a full-size grip, easy to shoot and fun.

I’m another vote for a 9mm but I vote Glock 48.

 

[mcseal2]

I think I’d have to go all Glock to love them myself and just build muscle memory with their grip angle. I know some Glock lovers shoot all Glock. I held a Ruger SR9 and a G19 at the gun store. The Ruger pointed more natural and got on target quicker for me. I did the same with a Glock 48 and the Sig P365XL. Sig felt better to me.

Glock makes a great reliable gun and I really want to like them, they just don’t seem to feel the best for me personally. If I shot them more or especially exclusively I’d likely feel differently.

 

[ClearCreek]

I would mainly use it out west elk hunting in Wyoming and Montana. I don’t reload.

What would you use it for? Do you plan to try to kill an elk with it?

If the handgun is for "bear defense" I would re-think this. If you have never owned or used a handgun much or at all, you have about three months to purchase the handgun, and then shot it enough to become a proficient enough handgun shooter that you could consistently hit a changing bear. That is an enormous task.

If you want a handgun just to have a handgun, then, by all means, go buy one. But, to think you are going to stop a charging bear with just a few months practice may be biting off way more than you can chew.

Good luck.

ClearCreek

 

[JimGa]

Another Glock 19 vote. Simple, reliable, relatively inexpensive. I'm 5-9 175 with a 32" waist and can conceal it in the summer no problem, great all around pistol.

 

[davescarp]

I'm in the same boat as the OP, my buddy raves about his Sig p320, and as a grown ass man I'm supposed to own a G19 too but they look pretty damn similar.

Does it all really come down to fit and feel?

 

[Fatcamp]

Honestly, they are all about the same. I chose 9mm Glock due to reliability, lack of external controls, and consistency across the platform.

 

[Doc Holliday]

First pistol? 38 special snubnose. Then a buck mark 22.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Get one of those Wyatt Earp Colt Peacemaker .45s with the arm-long barrel

 

[UpWndFrt]

I'm in the same boat as the OP, my buddy raves about his Sig p320, and as a grown ass man I'm supposed to own a G19 too but they look pretty damn similar.

Does it all really come down to fit and feel?

Negative... at least not for someone who hasn't shot a gazillion rounds through a handgun. The Army adopted the P320 (in part) because:

-They decided a worthwhile criteria for selection, or at least a tier one category consideration, was how someone who doesn't know what a handgun should feel like thinks a handgun should feel.

-They fell for the modularity nonsense (nonsense because they aren't more modular than any other pistol, save the location of a serial number that really shouldn't apply to their considerations)

-People in the selection process also believe a single word of this article

Meet the Army's New M17 Gun: One of the Best on the Planet?

A real game-changer?

nationalinterest.org

If short for time and haven't read it before, you're missing out on the single worst article ever written about a gun and about shooting all-in-one! Some of the knee-slappers (most courtesy the 101st):

Lt. Col. Knowsnada - "You can close with the enemy in close quarter combat and engage the enemy with one hand. It is tough to do this with the M9."
[Says guy who can't shoot an M9. Everything is tough to do well if you don't try to be good at it]

Sgt 1st Class Failedpistolquals - "With this weapon, you can change quickly from right hand to left hand. If you are shooting something that is not comfortable on your hand and can't get a comfortable grip, it is not as accurate."
[Accuracy is proportional to comfort... for something probably, just not shooting a pistol. "Can't" get a comfortable grip is a comment about the shooter, not the firearm. And, most pistols have a way to change the grips.]

Contract Writers - "The new handguns are build with [...] an integrated rail for attaching enablers [...]"
[what the hell is an enabler?]

Lt. Col. Stillhaventhadmycoffee - "It increases target recognition and increases capability with night sights."
Failedpistolquals (again) - "A standard pistol cannot change grips or allow a soldier to switch from a right-handed shooter to a left-handed shooter."
[Hold my beer]

Lt. Col. Differentguybutstillwrong - "It increases target recognition and increases capability with night sights."
[Night sights don't increase target recognition, Colonel]

Author - "The Army has been closely coordinating with the Special Operations community regarding training and development of the new handgun, given the consistency with which close-quarter combat is utilized by SOF."
[Clearly didn't listen THAT closely, considering almost every SOF unit is either issued a Glock, or fields a Glock regardless the contract (sorry Colt, MARSOC's guns are in a conex somewhere while they carry 19's).]

Feel can be an issue, but I've seen over and over again that people either think a Glock feels fine/good or will shy toward another pistol with a narrower/rounded front-strap. The common theme here is they're holding it wrong (seriously).

Points naturally? Irrelevant if done right. The grip could be backwards and not slow your presentation, sight alignment, or first shot whatsoever if the eyes are used to their potential. Reliance on anything else is trying to build mindless repeatability, which is okay to a point, but will hold you back further down the line. Brian Enos had one of the best thoughts on that, to the effect of "There should be little tolerance for habit in practical shooting."

Some guns do NOT fit, some guns DO hurt to hold correctly, but I just can't see someone who doesn't have tons of pistol experience making that decision to their benefit, save a bit of luck.

I do love the feel and pointability of a Triple-T S&W 19, though...

 

[brettdunn7]

Looking to spend around 700-1000. I would mainly use it out west elk hunting in Wyoming and Montana. I don’t reload.

Glock 20 or Glock 40 10mm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Crghss]

For a first Hand gun I’d get one with inexpensive ammo, you‘ll need to shoot a lot. That Probably means 357/38 or 9mm.

first thing you’ll want to find out is how sensitive you are to recoil. If you can handle 44 mag recoil fairly well then maybe thats the gun for you. If not then drop down to a 357. go to the range (or get your buddy’s) and rent some guns.

I love 10mm but it’s expensive. Most manufactures don’t load it with more umpuff then a 40 S&W. Unless you drop some coin.

 

[Coldtrail]

I'm a Glock guy but would say buy something in a caliber that you can afford to shoot A LOT! get proficient with it and it will be the best gun you own. It's the Indian not the arrow that is important.

 

[sndmn11]

19x or Glock 45 (the model not caliber)

 

[SgtTanner]

Sig P226 or P229. Or P220 if you want the 10mm.

I’ve got an alloy/steel P226, alloy/steel and all steel P229s, and all steel P220 in 10mm. For carry, I would recommend an alloy/steel gun, though at the range, the weight of the all steel guns really soak up the recoil. Get one with the SRT.

I recognize that I might be in the minority here, but I learned on an old school da/sa gun with decocker. And still prefer them.

Next choice would be a S&W 66. Or a Kimber K6s if that fits your hand. I’ve owned both and both are great revolvers. Also, my mom is a beginner shooter and lovers her Ruger GP100. Thing shoots real nice.

 

[mcseal2]

I love the Sig series 226 and 220. Only difference for me is I like the SAO version. I love 1911’s and the single action triggers, but the Sig’s offer me the same trigger pull with very simple field takedown and cleaning.

 

[NebraskaStickHunter]

If you want something cheap to shoot pick up a Glock 44 (22lr) and shoot the heck out of it and buy a Glock ## or a s&w ## or a Ruger ## in a center fire round and shoot that after you learn the ins and outs of handguns with $.04 per round then spend$.40 per round on your “big “ caliber gun. The pistol on the hip is more of a comfort in the back woods then something that will actually get used not saying that it couldn’t get used but highly unlikely. Don’t start with handguns because it will get you in trouble with the wife ($$$) have fun a pull the trigger on something that you like to look at

 

[N2TRKYS]

My first handgun was a Ruger Super Redhawk 44 mag with a 7.5” barrel.

 

[Jeff_Gibbons]

I went with a semi-auto as my first and have been happy.
as others have asked/pointed out, purpose dictates the tool.
i really like my Glock 21 - 45 and Glock 19 - 9mm.
Revolvers are cool and i have a couple. I hate cleaning them as they have an extra mini barrel for each round in the cylinder.

 

[DarkArcher]

I just wanted to thank each of you for replying! It took me about 4 years but I finally bought my first handgun.
After shooting several of the pistols mentioned, I decided to go with the Glock 40 10mm and put a Holosun 507 red dot on it. I have been moving all over the west the last 5 years as a travel nurse, but recently moved to Montana and decided this would be a good gun to keep on me while fishing, scouting, hunting, camping in bear country. Thank you again for your advice, this community is incredible!