Decent First Pistol?

[ForceFed4g63]

Well now that I'm going to be getting my CWP, I really need to look into getting a pistol. I know that there have been other threads on this but I figure there might be better stuff out there by now, plus I might have different needs from other people.

I'm not looking to spend a fortune, under $500 would be nice. I'm also a bigger guy so I don't want something that feels tiny, but still want something to be able to carry concealed, as well have cheaper ammo so I can go practice at the range fairly often. I do understand that I will have to try a bunch of different kinds before buying, and my Father in law will be bringing down a few different ones for me to try. Guess I just wanted some suggestions of where to start. Any ideas from you gun guys out there?

[Jeff]

Go to ATP and checkout their rental guns . You can try and shoot different ones and find one you feel the most comfortable with . Talk to the guys behind the counter they will help you out with your first purchase hold different guns and make sure you are comfortable holding it then see if they have a rental of the same gun and shoot it .

[ForceFed4g63]

That's what I plan on doing, just wanted to see if anyone had some ideas on narrowing down the field.

[Matts94Z28]

'Merica

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XCkTSf0swcQ/SkrlchS9dQI/AAAAAAAAGCs/8vjcXNgsRpM/s400/JULY4.jpg

[Shane361]

9mm Smith and Wesson M&P

[Silver-Dollar]

I am leaning towards Kahr.

[98nbmz]

I am leaning towards Kahr.

My dad carries a kahr lady k9. Nice gun.

[1998ta__1991rs]

my next pistol is going to be a s&w bodyguard 380

[Mr. Camaro]

Glock 19

[REDRAGTOPRS]

I love my Ruger LCP 380 for carry. I have an inside the waistband special holster that conceals it completely under a t-shirt and shorts, and is not bulky looking or heavy. 7 well placed rounds of .380 at point blank is very effective....

[blubyu87gt]

Love my F&N 5x7. Kinda expensive but greatness don't come cheap.

[04ctd]

I love my Ruger LCP 380 for carry. I have an inside the waistband special holster that conceals it completely under a t-shirt and shorts, and is not bulky looking or heavy. 7 well placed rounds of .380 at point blank is very effective....

^^ this ^^

i have had a few different pea shooters, and the "big" guns pull my pants down, and i always sold them off.
when i get back skrate, i will get a Ruger LCP.

in other words, the bigger the gun, the tighter you have to wear your belt,
and the more uncomfortable it is,
and the less often you will wear it...making it useless.

carry-ability & comfort are first priority.

East Coast had the cheapo laser for $99, it's $89 on fleabay.

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tCKMmGdSP9s?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tCKMmGdSP9s?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>

the KAHR 9 looks nice too, but a tad bigger.

[ForceFed4g63]

Good suggestions, thanks guys, this is a good start.

[1 Slow Z]

My first hand gun was a Taurus 40 cal. It was relatively light and extremely compact. I have smaller sized hands, which made it a perfect fit for me. Just my .02

[ShawnBoyMoody]

Shawnboy carries a Taurus TCP. 380. I love the carrying case it comes with. I wear it all the time and have only one person ask me about it and he was a gun guy who thought I had bought a new cell phone lol.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/shawnboymoody/2012-02-09_16-30-12_528.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/shawnboymoody/2012-02-09_16-31-10_83.jpg

[Darryl Buckner]

I have the new Bersa concealed carry 9mm.

[CoppertopT/A]

I got a sig p238 as my first gun and couldn't have been happier, very easy to conceal, easy to use, and fun to shoot.

[ForceFed4g63]

That looks nice Shawn, price is right too.

[bambooi]

Glock 19 or S&W M&P

[ShawnBoyMoody]

That looks nice Shawn, price is right too.

It is a great little gun. That being said it wouldn't be my first choice if it was gonna be my ONLY gun for a while. I would probably look at a 9mm or. 40 for home protection and occasional carry. I have bigger guns but they are just too large to conceal easily.

[ForceFed4g63]

It is a great little gun. That being said it wouldn't be my first choice if it was gonna be my ONLY gun for a while. I would probably look at a 9mm or. 40 for home protection and occasional carry. I have bigger guns but they are just too large to conceal easily.

I'm basically looking to get strictly for carrying. I will be getting some other guns as well in the future, and a shotgun for home protection.

[REDRAGTOPRS]

What 04ctd said! You will leave the gun at home most of the time, if it is too large, and cumbersome. I do not even realize that I have my LCP on me most of the time, and have no problem sitting down in my truck with it concealed on my body, or wearing a fairly tight fitting t-shirt in the summer heat. Do NOT waste your money on a glock or s&w m&p, or any other 5" or 4" subcompact gun for concealed carry purposes. I own these guns, and have tried to carry them, and it just ain't gonna happen....

[gearmesh, inc.]

It is a great little gun. That being said it wouldn't be my first choice if it was gonna be my ONLY gun for a while. I would probably look at a 9mm or. 40 for home protection and occasional carry. I have bigger guns but they are just too large to conceal easily.

Damn, Shawnboy...that's awful modest of you saying there's some guns just too large to conceal easily! Folks like me and you are big enough to conceal a Howitzer if we wanted to! :poke:

There is definitely something to think about if you are just looking to have one gun to start off with for home defense and carry purposes. The Glock 19 is a midsize gun that will hold 15 rounds in a magazine. The S&W M&P9 compact is just barely smaller than the Glock 19 and holds 12 rounds of 9mm. The Glock will have a longer reach to the trigger than the M&P, so if you plan on your significant other shooting it too, the M&P will be more favorable for smaller hands. If you end up going Glock, try to get one of the Gen 3 models instead of the newer Gen 4s. The Gen 3s tend to run about 1 to 1-1/2 lbs lighter pull on the triggers than the Gen 4s out the box. If you decide to get any trigger enhancements done, the Glock can be polished up a little more smoother in the action than the M&P can.

A good holster and belt make all the difference in the world when you are looking to carry a midsize to fullsize gun. The Crossbreed Supertuck holster spreads the weight of the gun out across the belt and really makes carrying a larger gun pretty comfortable.

Like others have said, take advantage of the rental fleet at ATP to see and feel any guns you may consider getting. If there is a used gun in their showcases, they will let you shoot that on the range to try out, too.

[bambooi]

Get a glock 19 and compete in USPSA/IDPA. The gun uses 9mm ammo which is abundant. I'm think it is cheaper than 380 ammo too, but I may be wrong. You will need practice to be handy with a pistol.

[Bradleyrj]

Shawnboy carries a Taurus TCP. 380. I love the carrying case it comes with. I wear it all the time and have only one person ask me about it and he was a gun guy who thought I had bought a new cell phone lol.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/shawnboymoody/2012-02-09_16-30-12_528.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/shawnboymoody/2012-02-09_16-31-10_83.jpg

Well shit in the bed. How many times I been around when you have had that on? Couple hundred? Jeez I never knew it was a holster. Damn I feel like a moron.

[ForceFed4g63]

Don't feel bad, that's kind of the point of that holster lol

[Shane361]

Here is one I bought my Fiance'. Just a little Walther P22 but it's not bad to shoot and rounds are dirt cheap. I've heard it makes a pretty good carry. My friend Steve has several Kimbers among everything else and he loves to carry this one...in BLACK of course....:mrgreen:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h158/shane361/GUNS/pop_wm_1043005.jpg

[Jeff]

Here is what I carry it's a Smith & Wesson M&P .40c subcompact .40 caliber . It conceals very easily and shoots very nice !

http://home.comcast.net/~demum/mp40c.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~demum/mp40c2.jpg

[Shane361]

Nice...:cheers

Mine..
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h158/shane361/GUNS/DSC_0591.jpg

[Jeff]

Nice ! I've got the Crimson Trace grips with the laser on mine now , one ill get around to getting a picture of it .

[1998ta__1991rs]

here's my conceal cary, lucky im tall

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/13532_503870590067_292600170_67959_6077167_n.jpg

[Shane361]

here's my conceal cary, lucky im tall

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/13532_503870590067_292600170_67959_6077167_n.jpg

Nice..:cheers
Mine..:mrgreen:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h158/shane361/GUNS/DSC_0700.jpg

[LXtasy]

Mine

http://www.cs4fn.org/mathemagic/images/fists.jpg

[AverageJoe]

Mine

http://www.cs4fn.org/mathemagic/images/fists.jpg

Those red x's are pretty bad ass!

[Shane361]

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h158/shane361/468-bigredx.jpg

[WWhittle]

Another vote for M&P.

[adamcs]

M&P is a great gun...sucks i had to get rid of mine

Here is my new bitch...no need to conceal when you cant see me anyway

[gearmesh, inc.]

M&P is a great gun...sucks i had to get rid of mine

Here is my new bitch...no need to conceal when you cant see me anyway

Rep for you on that one! :ty:

That M1A is sweeeeet! :drool: Is that the Sage EBR stock you got there? If so, you have the best of the best for the M14 action for sure! You definitely have some coin invested in that rig. What kind of accuracy are you getting with it if you don't mind me asking?

We need to hook up sometime and stretch our rifles out to 600-800 yards. I have a Savage 10FP .308 that will do 1/2 MOA if I do my part. I've just about got some handloads dialed in that match the performance of Federal Gold Medal Match ammo without the $1.50 cost per round Federal wants for them.

[bwelch]

M&P

[snakeplissken]

Sig P232

http://img.tapatalk.com/aefc9899-225f-8a35.jpg

[adamcs]

Rep for you on that one! :ty:

That M1A is sweeeeet! :drool: Is that the Sage EBR stock you got there? If so, you have the best of the best for the M14 action for sure! You definitely have some coin invested in that rig. What kind of accuracy are you getting with it if you don't mind me asking?

We need to hook up sometime and stretch our rifles out to 600-800 yards. I have a Savage 10FP .308 that will do 1/2 MOA if I do my part. I've just about got some handloads dialed in that match the performance of Federal Gold Medal Match ammo without the $1.50 cost per round Federal wants for them.

That's my issued rifle, I'm a designated marksman, its the M39 EMR, I wish I had that as my personal lol but I can put 10 rounds in about a 2 inch group at 500 yards that's the longest I have shot this thing but its a sweet gun for sure, but I was also on the shooting team and we shot m16's with iron sights and I could put every round on target from the 500 on a 6 inch disk. The max effective of the m39 is 770meters so I could probably get the majority of rounds on target from a little further than that.

[04ctd]

here's my conceal cary, lucky im tall

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/13532_503870590067_292600170_67959_6077167_n.jpg

is that a Rock River case?

looks like this one - linkie (http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=218)

[REDRAGTOPRS]

Gearmesh, you are funny.....Did you not notice the military gun storage cages behind his M39? lol

[Matts94Z28]

http://streetlethalracing.com/showthread.php?t=9848

[ForceFed4g63]

Pretty good looking gun Matt but I don't know if I want a revolver.

[gearmesh, inc.]

Gearmesh, you are funny.....Did you not notice the military gun storage cages behind his M39? lol

Didn't notice the cages at all with that centerfold laid out in front of them like that! :mrgreen:

[94FormulaBird]

Pretty good looking gun Matt but I don't know if I want a revolver.

Revolvers are great carry guns...no jams, no accidentally releasing the magazine, no worn out magazine spring, no feeding issues or ejecting issues...all iall more reliable when your life is on the line....also .357 is a bad ass round....some say u sacrifice capacity but most of these subcompact pistols hold 6-8 rounds and most smaller revolvers hold 5-6....I'm picking up a Ruger LCR in .357 either this month or next...that loaded with some winchester black talons will be my primary carry gun for a while

[WTFWSAT]

Here is what I carry it's a Smith & Wesson M&P .40c subcompact .40 caliber . It conceals very easily and shoots very nice !

http://home.comcast.net/~demum/mp40c.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~demum/mp40c2.jpg

Jeff, If you want another finger rest for the second magazine just email S&W and theyll mail you one free!

[REDRAGTOPRS]

If you choose to get a revolver for concealed carry, remember that they are significantly heavier than modern polymer semi-autos, the cylinder creates a buldge, and the grip is longer, which can create a bulge when carrying, depending on the holster. Also, be sure to get a hammerless revolver for carry purposes.....

[Jeff]

Jeff, If you want another finger rest for the second magazine just email S&W and theyll mail you one free!

Thanks for the heads up I wasn't aware of that !

[gearmesh, inc.]

If you choose to get a revolver for concealed carry, remember that they are significantly heavier than modern polymer semi-autos, the cylinder creates a buldge, and the grip is longer, which can create a bulge when carrying, depending on the holster. Also, be sure to get a hammerless revolver for carry purposes.....

Even though the cylinder is a little wider than some of the semi autos, they pocket carry extremely well. As far as weight goes, the polymer framed Ruger LCR and the Smith airweight series only weigh about 13oz empty and about 18 ounces loaded. Both of them have enclosed hammers, so they won't snag on anything coming out of a pocket. You can even fire them from inside your coat pocket without any malfunctions. With a semi auto, you would only get the one in the chamber shot off, and the next one probably wouldn't chamber because the slide wouldn't have enough room to cycle properly.

In contrast, my baby Glock 26 weighs 20oz empty and 26oz loaded. Size-wise as compared to the lightweight revolvers, it is the same size from the tip of the barrel down to the bottom rear of the grip. The grips on either of them don't have enough length for your pinky finger. The hammerless revolvers do draw from a pocket easier, since they don't have a slide that hangs over the web of your hand.

In the pocket, the baby Glock definitely prints an outline that says "gun", whereas the lightweight revolvers don't scream "gun" with their outline. They just look like a set of keys in your pocket where the cylinder is at. The rest of the revolver frame is much slimmer than the typical semi-auto.

If I was to get a pocket revolver, I would get the Ruger LCR with the Hogue Tamer grip. This grip has finger grooves on the front strap and a gel insert built in to the backstrap. This grip really takes the sting out of the recoil that such a light gun can administer to your hand. The LCR has one of the best out of the box double action trigger pulls at about 7 lbs. The Smith airweights usually are about 10-12lbs pull.

[ForceFed4g63]

I went to ATP on Friday and shot a couple different guns to see what I might like. My father in law suggested I try out the Glock 27, and I also shot a Walther PPS. I liked both of them a lot, kind of leaning towards the Glock though. I would definitely need the mag extension as my pinky is just kind of hanging out without it.

Does anyone know if Glock makes a slim version of the 27? I would take it as it is, but a slimmer version would be even better. Think I'm gonna start saving up for one.

[gearmesh, inc.]

Does anyone know if Glock makes a slim version of the 27? I would take it as it is, but a slimmer version would be even better. Think I'm gonna start saving up for one.

Glock only makes one single stack magazine gun...the Glock 36. It comes in .45ACP only and holds 6+1. The grip is a little slimmer than the 26/27, but the floorplate on the magazine does give your pinky something to rest on.

As for the floorplates for the 26/27, a few companies make pinky extensions for them, but with the extra length they add to the grip, most folks just step on up to the midsize 19/23.

On my 26, I run floorplates from these folks: http://www.concealablecontrol.com/products.html. These floorplates don't add any extra length to the grip, but they do provide a lip off the forward end that sticks out under your ring finger. These help tremendously on a quick draw as your hand won't have the tendency to slip off the bottom of the short 26/27 grip.

[ForceFed4g63]

Glock only makes one single stack magazine gun...the Glock 36. It comes in .45ACP only and holds 6+1. The grip is a little slimmer than the 26/27, but the floorplate on the magazine does give your pinky something to rest on.

Thanks for the info, did a little digging and found that also. I think I'll probably just pick up the 27, I liked it a lot.

[CoppertopT/A]

If your looking for something like the glock but a tad slimmer look into diamondback. It's a new company 2 of the head engineers left Sig and created that company

http://diamondbackfirearms.com/


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[94FormulaBird]

Picked up a kel tec pf9 last week with a hogue Hal jr grip sleeve and 2 extra mags for $240...saw it on armslist...college kid bought it new and put 50 rounds through it and found another guy he liked better http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/dragons_blood_802/0b459765.jpg

[1iron]

Picked up a kel tec pf9 last week with a hogue Hal jr grip sleeve and 2 extra mags for $240...saw it on armslist...college kid bought it new and put 50 rounds through it and found another guy he liked better http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/dragons_blood_802/0b459765.jpg

Another Guy???? Wow!

[KissMyWhiteSS]

my next pistol is going to be a s&w bodyguard 380

did you ever get this?