The first handgun you purchased and why?

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My first handgun purchase was a Glock19 Gen4 with standard sights about a year ago - bought it because ... well in Austria you just have to have a Glock ;)

But seriously, I shot a variety of different Berettas, CZs, Rugers, Steyrs etc. all rented on my local range, and the Glock fit my grip best and I really liked the trigger (weird, I know), so decided on buying it for my first handgun!
 
A Taurus PT92. Didn't know much about handguns 25 years ago. It was actually a pretty good DA/SA pistol. Traded it for something. Kind of wish I still had it.
 
A Raven .25 for $40 and a box of Blazer for $7.95 because that's all the money i had. The Raven was advertised in the newspaper and seemed like a good deal. I didn't know much about anything back then.
 
My first handgun purchase was a Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider 6 shot 22 revolver. I bought it about 3 months ago. Fired 8 shots through it and had to send it back. The firing pin is making dents in the cylinder above top dead center of the chambers. And the finish is coming off. I am a bit worried. No one will give any time reference and I am wondering if this is not going to turn out to be a disreputable outfit. The representative I spoke to about the warranty told me that because I was using 36 grain bullets I had voided the warranty. I asked if they were kidding. "Absolutely not sir", they replied, "40 grains, no more no less". I asked again, "So you are going to void the warranty because I was using one of the most popular types of 22 long rifles on the market? Remington Golden Bullets? Plus there was not a hint of that in any of the information that came with the gun." It is only after I insisted that they look at the gun for safety purposes that they agreed to give me a RMA number. Like I said, I am a little worried about this deal. Also the box of the gun stated that it shot both LR and 22 Mag. I asked the manager at the store how it could without another separate 22 Mag cylinder. He only shrugged his shoulders. I found buried deep in the paper work that it did indeed shoot 22 mags, AFTER I sent in a coupon with $30 more for the extra cylinder. All other information that came with it indicated that it would fire magnums as it was. So there you have it folks. My first hand gun. Buyer beware.
 
Only started shooting late 2009 and bought a Buckmark 22 lr and learned to shoot with it for several months before buying a 9 mm.
 
My first was a Smith & Wesson Model 27-2 purchased in 1962. Yes, I still have it. Why, because I could. If I knew then what I know now I would still have the box and paper work.
 

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It was a Springfield XD40 Duty. I don't even remember what lead me to buy it, other than knowing I wanted a handgun for HD and CC. I didn't like it and shot it poorly (probably wasn't the gun's fault), so I sold it after a few months, and later replaced it with a Gen3 G19, which I loved in comparison.
 
Bersa Thunder 380 because it had every thing my wife wanted. Manual safety, magazine safety, internal keyed safety, nickel plated and looked like James Bonds PPK. Sold it because of its multiple FTF and FTE jams.
 
Ruger LCR in 357 magnum I wanted a ccw piece it was stolen about two years after I bought it looking back it made a horrible first gun because it was loud small snappy if I could do it over again I would have gotten the glock 19 that fit me better
 
I got a job in security in 1977 right after I turned 21, and bought a Taurus 83 in nickel. What a dog!

Just like this one, except mine had target type grips:

taurus%2083%20003.jpg_thumbnail0.jpg


The only good thing on it was the nickel plating, it was done very well. Between the leading from it's defective barrel, so bad you could only shoot one cylinder of ammo before the gun started binding up from all the lead on the front of the cylinder. While it was on it's first of two trips to Taurus, I found a Dan Wesson 15-2, and it replaced the Taurus, which I sold after Taurus claimed there was nothing wrong with the barrel, when it was instantly obvious the rifling stopped halfway down the barrel, and then started again a half inch later. The DW had no issues ever, it was kind of like 180 degrees from the Taurus:
1197854_02_dan_wesson_model_15_6_357_magn_640.jpg
 
In 1986 I bought a NIB S&W Model 459 semi-auto because I was had moved out on my own and wanted something for home defense. My choices at the time were a .357 revolver, the 459 and a 1911. most likely Colt but I don't remember. I ruled out the revolver because semis were the in thing and I ruled out the 1911 because I preferred no manual safety.

I finally sold that pistol in 2014 because parts were becoming non-existent from Smith and because the technology (sights, size and weight) had moved beyond the 459.

In retrospect I wish I had bought a S&W 686 instead of the 459 but wish in one hand as they say.
 
In 1959 as a 17 year old Army private in artillery repair training at Aberdeen Proving Grounds
I bought a Colt Python, serial number 6306 as my first handgun, actually my first gun. Sold it to a friend in Germany in 1964 and he still has it. I shoot it every time I visit.
Stu
 
Glock 26.

Because I thought it was my best bet for a daily carry gun.

A decade later I still believe I made the perfect choice.
 
Kimber 1911 Classic Custom Series I

The 1911 was what I learned to use in my enlisted days. Years later it still felt comfortable and familiar so I went with what I knew. My decision was augmented with an article praising the Kimber back then by Sheriff Jim Wilson.

1911. Still my favorite and most effective shooter.
 
When I graduated college 1968 I received my pistol permit and I wanted a Model 27 6". Because of the Vietnam war all S&W revolvers were as few as hens teeth.

So I settled for a Colt huntsman .22LR.

One day my dad & I scoured all of Northern NY and Vermont no S&W's. That was before the gun control act of '68 and you could buy pistols almost anywhere.

Then a local gun store had .357 Ruger SA. bought one for I think about $69.

Two years later I found a S&W Mod. 28 .357 6" $97. Still have the Mod 28 and Huntsman.
 
Bought my first in the mid-80's when the "Wonder-Nine" craze was in full swing. Every other issue of whatever magazine (remember magazines?) had a comparison of the Sig 226 vs. BHP vs. Beretta 92 vs. Taurus 92 vs. Glock 17 vs. S+W 5906. I ended-up with a Taurus PT99AF. (Ran around telling the "Brazilian Beretta" story.)

That was actually a pretty good gun. Reasonably accurate and never a failure of any kind. Kept it a few years but ended-up trading it long ago towards a carry gun when I first got my permit.
 
Late 80s I bought a Sig 229 as my first handgun. It came in 40 S&W, but also had a 9mm and 357 Sig conversion barrels as part of the package. Figured a 3 caliber handgun was a good deal. Shoot mainly 9mm, but nice to have the option.
 
When I was 14, my father bought me a Ruger Standard 4". When I was of age, I bought myself a S&W Model 28, 6".
 
The first handgun you purchased and why?


The first handgun I ever bought was a used Colt New Service in .45 Colt for $32.95:

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Why? Because I had $32.95

Bob Wright

P.S. This after I had converted it to .4 Special and had some custom work done on it.
 
S&W Sigma SW9VE. Never gave me a problem and it was more affordable than a Glock. I ended up selling it to a friend and getting a Glock 19 gen4 years later :)
 
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