Need Help Choosing First Pistol
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Mark_Mark
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100% agree, spend like $150 in a carry holster and belt. Then spend money on training.
We don’t know what We don’t know
midland man
Member
i just got a new kimber micro 380acp and they also make the micro 9mm just a thought!
Oh, my Lord, I totally forgot about the Heckler & Koch P2000 and P30. My bad. Also consider the HK USP Compact.
Of the guns I recommended to you in my previous comments I own the Walther P99 AS and the Taurus G3. I also have a SIG-Sauer P226 AL SO made in Germany and a Grand Power Q100 striker fired without safety. These last two pistols are full size but can be compared with the SIG-Sauer P229 and the Grand Power Q1 respectively. Also my father owns the CZ P-01 and the Heckler & Koch P30 V3 with which I have often shot. Furthermore, over the years I have had the opportunity to try many other pistols including the Beretta Px4.
In my experience, the ergonomics and natural pointability of the Walther P99 AS and the Heckler & Koch P30 are hard to beat. The magazine release, as it is conceived, totally protects against accidental releases. The P226 / 229 is a very good pistol and its ergonomics are very underestimated even if you may have problems with the position of the slide stop during shooting because it is in a very back position (same problem with the Heckler & Koch P30). The Slovakian Grand Power is a superb pistol but it is not for everyone. The CZ P-01 is very compact and ergonomic but it has some weaknesses such as the very limited slide serrations in height, the very hard decocker, the very small sights and the general care that is not up to the German pistols. In conclusion, in my opinion, the best choice is the Heckler & Koch P2000 V3 because you have the same characteristics as the P30 without the problem of the too long slide stop levers; excellent sights, superlative accuracy, exceptional finish, bombproof strength. And if you have the chance to find a Walther P99 AS like mine, that is with the ambidextrous slide stop version like on the PPQ and with the superluminova steel sights, then you are good to go because the P99 is definitely my first choice if I had to carry a pistol, the P2000 being the second (but unfortunately, I don't have one). P229 third (I don't have the slide stop problem with my P226). P30 is ruled out because of the slide stop problem but it is a super range pistol for informal shooting.
Some pics of my Walther P99 AS:
If you are going to expand you choice to the striker fired pistols without thumb safety, then there are tons of different pistols.
Like you said, the best thing is to go to one or more local gun shops and see and handle the pistols in person.
Like you said, the best thing is to go to one or more local gun shops and see and handle the pistols in person.
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This.
Tallball
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One handgun is not going to do it all.
The first three are obvious: 22 for practice and training and plinking, full-sized handgun for HD and range, small handgun for CC.
Choose the one you want first. IMHO, they are listed in the appropriate order.
The micro 380's and micro 9's are not good handguns for beginners.
The first three are obvious: 22 for practice and training and plinking, full-sized handgun for HD and range, small handgun for CC.
Choose the one you want first. IMHO, they are listed in the appropriate order.
The micro 380's and micro 9's are not good handguns for beginners.
It looks like other members gave you a pretty good "long list" from which to work. I also think that any one of the pistols you listed above will serve your purposes just fine, assuming you don't get a lemon. That happens from time to time, but it's not all that common, so don't waste time worrying about it.
Natural fit: Go to that gun show you mentioned, and handle as many guns as you can stand. Some will feel right, some won't. Now let me add my caveat: You won't really know how well a gun fits your hand until you shoot it. Just handling one will give you a pretty good idea, but shooting one will tell you how it feels under recoil, and that's important.
Natural point of aim: Pick up a pistol. Pick a spot to aim at. Close your eyes and try to point the pistol at it. Open your eyes. If the sights are on target, you've picked a pistol that points naturally for you. If not, but it's kind of close, you can get past that through practice. Many people (though assuredly not all) find that the 1911, and pistols that mimic its grip angle, point very naturally for them, FWIW.
trackskippy
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Fit is pretty intuitive. It generally feels right and is comfortable in your hand is a pretty good indication.
It isnt always instantly noticeable, and some things grow on you as you learn them in shooting them. As an example, a Glock 26 has a short grip, and a lot of people dont know what to do with their pinkie finger, and feel uncomfortable with it dangling. Some add the mag extensions to try and make up for it, which sort of defeats the whole purpose of the 26, or you can learn to wrap your pinkie under the mag, and shoot that way. At first, it feels weird, but its quickly figured out and it offers a comfortable and solid grip that feels very natural.
Grip angle seems to be an issue for some people, and personally, I think thats in their heads more than its an issue with the gun. With any of them, you need to put in some time and effort shooting the gun, and let your brain learn the guns idiosyncracies, indexes, etc, and to store them away.
Natural point of aim is something I more equate with target shooting, but it definitely carries over to all shooting, once you figure things out.
"How" you position your body when you shoot affects how you shoot and how you recover from the shot and what happens when you shoot again from the same position. With a natural point of aim, when the gun fires and you recover, you come back to that same position, and the sights "should be" back on target. If they arent, you do a little shuffle, with your feet, your butt, whatever, until you get the sights to be back on target. Once you get that, that is your natural point of aim, and you always want to try and acquire that when you shoot.
All of that is done in practice and reinforced in regular practice, and it becomes "natural" once you become comfortable with it and have done it enough. Once you have it, your brain does it subconsciously, and there is no thought required.
Dont mistake it for "point shooting", which is something different, but it is also something similar in some respects.
Armored farmer
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SPRINGFIELD ARMORY HELLCAT
Safety
10rd, 13rd, 15rd mags available.
Cut for optics
Good sights
Compact
My edc gun.
Safety
10rd, 13rd, 15rd mags available.
Cut for optics
Good sights
Compact
My edc gun.
trackskippy
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Every gun is different until you shoot it enough to know it. If all you shoot is a SAA, then everything else will seem off. Same goes for any of the others. You need to teach your brain where they shoot.
Once you shoot all of them enough to know them, the order isnt going to matter.
Natural point of aim is placing your body in the right position that it will recover from recoil and come right back on target after the gun is fired, so you dont have to constantly adjust and move or "muscle" the gun back on target after every round. When you're in the right position, the gun repetitively comes right back onto the target on its own.
What you're describing as natural point of aim, is actually a "presentation". Its similar, in a sense, but isnt the same.
Both require time and effort from you to attain and maintain too.
Once you shoot all of them enough to know them, the order isnt going to matter.
Natural point of aim is placing your body in the right position that it will recover from recoil and come right back on target after the gun is fired, so you dont have to constantly adjust and move or "muscle" the gun back on target after every round. When you're in the right position, the gun repetitively comes right back onto the target on its own.
What you're describing as natural point of aim, is actually a "presentation". Its similar, in a sense, but isnt the same.
Both require time and effort from you to attain and maintain too.
Mark_Mark
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my biggest help with pistol “Presentation” has been a reddot. Quickly shows what’s off
OP… get a Reddot on your carry gun!
my one and only 9mm semiauto pistol is a s&w shield ez, which i chose for its certainly easy operation that shall come with me into inevitable, eventual, infirmity. that said, my first semiauto pistol, and still most used handgun, is a ruger sr22. imho any first firearm of any configuration ought to be chambered in 22lr.
Smaug
Member
(Like the OP) I remember when I was buying my first pistol I thought I knew what I wanted: a Ruger P90 in 45 ACP. That shop owner saw my error and corrected my course. He said: “Get a .22 first, so you can afford to learn how to shoot.” That was when 45 was $13/50, so that advice is even more applicable now.
Additionally, I agree with the others who have pointed out that you don’t necessarily need what you THINK you need. You are trying to do everything with one gun. It just isn’t doable.
I see from your latest post that you have adjusted your expectations a little; that is good. You now seem to be homing in on a pistol that is on the large side of compact. Those are good do it all pistols, but I think you’ll find that it gets old to carry them concealed.
if you go full size, you’ll find that it gets that they’re not carryable at all concealed, except when you’re really bundled up.
If you go subcompact, you’ll find that they’re very easy to carry, but not nearly as shootable as the bigger guns.
That said, my advice is to first get a 22 and learn to shoot. even after you’ve “graduated” to a bigger gun you will still shoot that a lot, I promise. You may even train others on it too. Even when you’re broke, you can afford to take a 22 and a couple boxes of ammo to the range for half an hour.
Then, get a sub compact 9 mm or 38 snubby that’s easy to carry and learn how to shoot that as well as you can, realizing they you’ll always shoot better with a bigger gun, but that you won’t actually CARRY a bigger gun. (Unless you’re one of these farm/ranch guys, which you don’t sound like)
I went with a Sig P365, and it is amazingly easy to shoot passably well, for a subcompact. Since It’s a modular gun with the MECHANISM being the licensed part, you can change it to another gun later without the government hassle. (Though it’s doesn’t make sense, cost-wise)
Later, I decided to try one of the super light subcompact 38 Special revolvers, figuring that when things get stressful, simpler is probably better. Turns out I prefer that and shoot it better too. I guess that’s outside the scope of this forum though.
Additionally, I agree with the others who have pointed out that you don’t necessarily need what you THINK you need. You are trying to do everything with one gun. It just isn’t doable.
I see from your latest post that you have adjusted your expectations a little; that is good. You now seem to be homing in on a pistol that is on the large side of compact. Those are good do it all pistols, but I think you’ll find that it gets old to carry them concealed.
if you go full size, you’ll find that it gets that they’re not carryable at all concealed, except when you’re really bundled up.
If you go subcompact, you’ll find that they’re very easy to carry, but not nearly as shootable as the bigger guns.
That said, my advice is to first get a 22 and learn to shoot. even after you’ve “graduated” to a bigger gun you will still shoot that a lot, I promise. You may even train others on it too. Even when you’re broke, you can afford to take a 22 and a couple boxes of ammo to the range for half an hour.
Then, get a sub compact 9 mm or 38 snubby that’s easy to carry and learn how to shoot that as well as you can, realizing they you’ll always shoot better with a bigger gun, but that you won’t actually CARRY a bigger gun. (Unless you’re one of these farm/ranch guys, which you don’t sound like)
I went with a Sig P365, and it is amazingly easy to shoot passably well, for a subcompact. Since It’s a modular gun with the MECHANISM being the licensed part, you can change it to another gun later without the government hassle. (Though it’s doesn’t make sense, cost-wise)
Later, I decided to try one of the super light subcompact 38 Special revolvers, figuring that when things get stressful, simpler is probably better. Turns out I prefer that and shoot it better too. I guess that’s outside the scope of this forum though.
excellent advice here. i’m more likely to put 200 rounds of 22lr weekly through my ruger sr22 than shoot similar quantities of 9mm, 380acp or 38sp ammo. i do practice with centerfire defensive handguns, but more likely just 50 rounds monthly, if that. my bad i know, but i can afford more 22lr and i have more fun shooting it.
When you go to the gun show - pay particular attention & see if they have a Browning Hi Power offered for sale.
Ask politely if you can handle it.
Hold it in your hand and aim it at something in a safe direction.
THAT's what is meant by "feel's right".
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