mljdeckard
Member
Your price range is a bit low. The good news about guns is, that as long as you provide a little bit of maintenence, they pretty much last forever. The bad news is, the used ones hold a lot of value for the same reason.
Honestly in your situation, I would narrow it down to some traditional, uncomplicated choices. Look at a Glock and a revolver.
I say Glock, because they are very simple, more rugged than any other gun, and I would trust a used one in most circumstances. (Your price range is saying 'used'.) Look at the other new striker-fired guns as well, like the S&W M&P, the Springfield XD, etc. But there is a huge market of used Glocks out there. If you buy a police buyback gun, it has been examined by a department gunsmith, and reconditioned by the factory. If it has night sights, jump on it.
For revolvers, I will steer you towards S&W and Ruger, but your price might move you towards Taurus, Rossi, and Charter Arms. Honestly, for your first learning gun, you could live with one of them.
Small guns are NOT easier to shoot than big guns. They have a shorter sight radius (determined by the distance between the front and rear sight) making them more difficult to aim, and they have less weight, meaning that your hand gets more of the recoil. Don't worry too much about caliber, but know that a .40 is a bit snappier in recoil than a 9mm or a .45. No matter what you get, learning to fire quickly and accurately is part of the learning process. 9mm or higher, with premium SD ammo, is adequate for the job. Don't listen too much to dealers who characterize by saying "This is a ladies' gun," or "This is a beginner's gun.", if you are comfortable with it, get it. If it turns out later that you think you want something else, take a hit, trade it in, and get something different. WE HAVE ALL BOUGHT A GUN WE WERE IN LOVE WITH AND CHANGED OUR MINDS LATER. Don't carry a gun you aren't 100% comfortable with.
Honestly in your situation, I would narrow it down to some traditional, uncomplicated choices. Look at a Glock and a revolver.
I say Glock, because they are very simple, more rugged than any other gun, and I would trust a used one in most circumstances. (Your price range is saying 'used'.) Look at the other new striker-fired guns as well, like the S&W M&P, the Springfield XD, etc. But there is a huge market of used Glocks out there. If you buy a police buyback gun, it has been examined by a department gunsmith, and reconditioned by the factory. If it has night sights, jump on it.
For revolvers, I will steer you towards S&W and Ruger, but your price might move you towards Taurus, Rossi, and Charter Arms. Honestly, for your first learning gun, you could live with one of them.
Small guns are NOT easier to shoot than big guns. They have a shorter sight radius (determined by the distance between the front and rear sight) making them more difficult to aim, and they have less weight, meaning that your hand gets more of the recoil. Don't worry too much about caliber, but know that a .40 is a bit snappier in recoil than a 9mm or a .45. No matter what you get, learning to fire quickly and accurately is part of the learning process. 9mm or higher, with premium SD ammo, is adequate for the job. Don't listen too much to dealers who characterize by saying "This is a ladies' gun," or "This is a beginner's gun.", if you are comfortable with it, get it. If it turns out later that you think you want something else, take a hit, trade it in, and get something different. WE HAVE ALL BOUGHT A GUN WE WERE IN LOVE WITH AND CHANGED OUR MINDS LATER. Don't carry a gun you aren't 100% comfortable with.