How Do You Prioritize The Qualities That Are Important When Buying A Handgun?

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Trunk Monkey

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I'm not sure exactly how to ask this question but let's assume you own no handguns at all and you want to buy one for self-defense.

How do you decide which attribute is most important?

As an example when I'm looking at a handgun these qualities (in no particular order) have to be there.

Reliability
Concealablity
Capacity
Weight
Aftermarket support
Commonly available

There are other things than those that I look for that I could list but after those six things everything else becomes pretty irrelevant.

There are also other things that I look for (commonality) that would be deal breakers for me but in my example I don't have any other guns so it's irrelevant.

Reliability is important. I won't carry a gun I don't trust but assuming I'm buying from one of the major manufacturers and I didn't get that 1 in 100,000 lemon reliability is a given.

Capacity is important. I said in the other thread that I won't carry less than 10 but the truth is if the choice is between carrying less than 10 and carrying nothing I'll carry less than 10.

Weight is a deal breaker for me. If the choice is between a heavy gun and no gun I'll carry a heavy gun but if the choice is between to similar guns one steel one polymer I'm carrying the polymer gun.

Concealablity is again important but realistically I have yet to meet a handgun (unless you get ridiculous and want me to conceal a Colt's Dragoon in a speedo) that I can't effectively conceal on my person.

Commonly available I'm not going to carry a CZ82 or a Tokerov or Makarov because they're "cool" hipster guns. If Walmart doesn't (before they went Bloomberg) carry the ammunition for I'm not buying it.

Aftermarket support is one of the big reasons I carry a Glock. I mean you could throw a rock and you're going to hit somebody that makes a holster for Glock or magazine or new barrel or an 80% lower.

So if I had to list them in order it would have to be

Reliability
Commonly available
Capacity
Weight
Concealablity
Aftermarket support.
 
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Reliability
Shootability/shooting performance
Concealability/carryability

the 2nd and 3rd are in a bit of tension. It’s a compromise between them, always. If I could effectively conceal my USPSA open gun, I would, because I can shoot it better than any service size or compact gun. But I can’t carry it concealed, so I take a step down in shooting performance. Or two.

I don’t give a fig whether ammo is available at WalMart.
 
I think reliable, concealble, and having good ergonomics are equal.
 
If you own no handguns then you should first take a handgun safety course. If the handgun is going to be for defense, then you should take a concealed carry course after the safety course.

The most important factor is that the handgun be reliable.

If you've never shot a handgun before, I'd suggest you either buy or get access to some flavor of .22 and practice. Then get yourself a good revolver. I'd go with a nice 4" revolver.

If someone that has never owned a handgun before is going to jump straight into an auto loader, I hope that they are also willing to put in the time to not only learn the handgun, but invest the time in drills clearing jams and such and their overall safe handling.

If this is just a hypothetical and what you're looking for is the most desirable traits in a handgun, then reliability is first and foremost.

I also agree with ATLDave. Shootability and concealability are on a scale that each individual has to balance. Personally, I don't go for all out concealability. I tend toward shootability, within reason. Over the last ten years or so, my carry guns have been a K9, P9, CT9 and am now transitioning to a Glock 48.
 
I think reliable, concealble, and having good ergonomics are equal.

Reliability, concealability, everything else is (in) a dead heat. IMO, you have to take each specific firearm, and evaluate it on it's specific merits.

Case in point: The Radom 64 is dependable, small, hammer fired, SA/DA, has a good safety decocker, and costs 250$, (when you can find them, that is)
So who cares that Makarov ammo is a little HTF and expensive? It's a SD gun, anyway, you're going to shoot it a couple times, clean it, and carry it.
Who cares, under those circumstances, if ammo is a bit more than standard 9mm ? It's not a range toy which you're going to be putting hundreds of rounds thru.
 
Case in point: The Radom 64 is dependable, small, hammer fired, SA/DA, has a good safety decocker, and costs 250$, (when you can find them, that is)
If the gun is hard to find I bet spare parts for it are hard to find too. No Go.
So who cares that Makarov ammo is a little HTF and expensive? It's a SD gun, anyway, you're going to shoot it a couple times, clean it, and carry it.
As you pointed out we're talking about self defense guns. If ammunition is hard to find now how hard do you think it's going to be to find during the next ammo panic? I also tend to be very picky and that I won't carry self-defense ammunition that isn't on Doc Robert's list. I'm pretty sure that 9X18 Makarov isn't represented. I shoot my carry guns frequently. I can't afford to designated carry gun (Although I do think it's a good idea) so my carry guns are my training guns. I put thousands of rounds of ammunition through them every year.
Who cares, under those circumstances, if ammo is a bit more than standard 9mm ? It's not a range toy which you're going to be putting hundreds of rounds thru.
See above and I don't own any range toys
 
Reliable is number 1 for me. One thing that I think most people also consider is looks. I don't care how good (or not) the Rhino is, it's too ugly for me to even consider.
 
One thing that I think most people also consider is looks. I don't care how good (or not) the Rhino is, it's too ugly for me to even consider.

I'm sorry but that is absolutely ridiculous. I carry a gun to defend myself when all other options have been exhausted. I don't carry my gun as a fashion accessory If the gun I'm carrying accomplishes that I give less than a damn what it looks like. In fact I carry my SD handgun with the expectation that if I ever use it it will disappear into the evidence locker and I'll never see it again anyway.
 
I think ya gotta first define what you want to DO with the gun..A EDC gun choice is different than a range gun..Some overlap but

For ME..any gun...
-Reliabiltiy..gotta be 100% reliable with any ammo, cheap, expensive and everything in between. I won't own a gun that "likes" some and "hates" other
-Fun To Shoot-no safe queens for me. If it isn't FTS, away it goes..I'm NT a collector..I buy guns that I will shoot often.

For a EDC gun, add
-Concealability-I EDC everyday, every place where it's legal..
-Effectiveness-another compromise that is also related to 'FTS'..yup, a 44mag might be way 'effective', but ain't gonna carry one. A small, 40cal or 10mm 'may' be more effective but for ME, no FTS.

For info-EDC..A Glock 26 with either a G19 mag(15R) or Glock 26 mag(11R) OR
Glock 42 with a +1 or +2 magazine-also home defense
Range-Glock 17, Beretta/Uberti Stampede Bird's Head, Ruger Wrangler, Ruger 1022..
Mossberg Maverick 8-home defense and some outdoor clay shooting
 
I'm sorry but that is absolutely ridiculous. I carry a gun to defend myself when all other options have been exhausted. I don't carry my gun as a fashion accessory If the gun I'm carrying accomplishes that I give less than a damn what it looks like. In fact I carry my SD handgun with the expectation that if I ever use it it will disappear into the evidence locker and I'll never see it again anyway.
Gotta agree..tool not trophy. 'Some 'collect', so looks mean something, I guess. I don't collect anything but what I wanna shoot, a lot.
Another forum I used to go to had a gent who was upset when he bought a NEW Colt revolver and was upset that the store worked the action and put a line on the cylinder..His intent was to buy it and store it, as an 'investment'...don't get that.

Yup, I'm firmly in the Glock universe but I scratch my head when somebody says they won't buy a Glock cuz they are 'ugly'...:eek:
 
I’m revamping my CC battery, so my numero ono qualifier is lefty friendly.

next would be weight/size followed by caliber, capacity isn’t an issue because I’m going compact and larger.

quality? I avoid the lower tier guns automatically, so I’m looking at S&W or Glock.
 
-Reliability. If it doesn’t work when I need to work then it’s of no use to me. Reliability is even more important to me than accuracy because even if it’s inaccurate, but reliable I can always get closer.
-Accuracy. Self explanatory.
-Size. If I can’t conceal it I won’t carry it all that much. Then I won’t have it with me.
-Weight. Again, if it weighs too much I won’t carry it.
-Ergo’s. I tend to shoot and carry comfortable to shoot guns. BHP, CZ-75, CZ-P10c, for AR’s I use Ergo or BCM Gunfighter grips etc.
-Capacity. The more the better.
-Caliber. I won’t carry a pistol below 9mm. That’s the absolute lowest. If you disagree that’s fine, completely your choice. This is just me.
-Looks. Dead last, but still on there.
 
many decades of proven use, solid reputation, very common. it also has to give me puppy dog eyes and really want to come home with me and be loved.
 
Does it look good?
Does it feel good?
Is it in a caliber I already have ammunition?
Can I afford to buy it?
Has it been on the market for at least a decade?
 
#1 Reliability
#2 How well I can shoot it

Capacity is a factor, but not as big a concern as the ones listed above.
I can work around most other factors.
 
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