Sonora Rebel
Member
Sig-Saur P220 .45acp If you only have one... this is it.
New to pistols, need gun advice.
- Thread starter Cinder
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Although your choice of the Ruger is a good gun, I'm going to give advice that few, if any, new shooters like to hear.
You would be best served buy a .22 LR revolver or semi-auto. A semi-auto Ruger MKII or MKIII will cost around $200-$300. A Smith & Wesson Model 17 will probably run around $300-$400.
I say a .22 LR for your first choice because they are in fact 100x better at training a new shooter to shoot well than any Glock 9mm or .38 Special revolver will ever be. Until you've learned how to focus on the front sights, achieve good trigger control and avoid flinching you will not shoot very well. A .22 LR will provide basically no recoil, no blast, and will greatly reduce your chances of flinching because of that.
Dry firing, the practice of pulling the trigger on an empty chamber, can help you to develop trigger control and teach you to look at the front sight. But it will never help you get rid of a flinch because no amount of practice drills with an empy gun can prepare you for when the firing pin hits the primer on a live round.
People may say "The 9mm is cheap". Your going to probably pay around $150+ for 1000 rounds of 9mm ammo. For .22 LR that much money would probably get you around 5000+ rounds of ammo. With ammo cost like that, you will be able to practice alot more within a reasonable budget which will help you become a better shooter much faster.
I know that some people who shoot at 7 yards and hit a man sized target all over the place are perfectly content with that level of accuracy but if you actually want to become a decent shot the .22 LR will help you get there alot faster. And if you really learn the basics of shooting, then moving up to a 9mm or .38 Special from a .22 LR will not be that difficult for you.
You would be best served buy a .22 LR revolver or semi-auto. A semi-auto Ruger MKII or MKIII will cost around $200-$300. A Smith & Wesson Model 17 will probably run around $300-$400.
I say a .22 LR for your first choice because they are in fact 100x better at training a new shooter to shoot well than any Glock 9mm or .38 Special revolver will ever be. Until you've learned how to focus on the front sights, achieve good trigger control and avoid flinching you will not shoot very well. A .22 LR will provide basically no recoil, no blast, and will greatly reduce your chances of flinching because of that.
Dry firing, the practice of pulling the trigger on an empty chamber, can help you to develop trigger control and teach you to look at the front sight. But it will never help you get rid of a flinch because no amount of practice drills with an empy gun can prepare you for when the firing pin hits the primer on a live round.
People may say "The 9mm is cheap". Your going to probably pay around $150+ for 1000 rounds of 9mm ammo. For .22 LR that much money would probably get you around 5000+ rounds of ammo. With ammo cost like that, you will be able to practice alot more within a reasonable budget which will help you become a better shooter much faster.
I know that some people who shoot at 7 yards and hit a man sized target all over the place are perfectly content with that level of accuracy but if you actually want to become a decent shot the .22 LR will help you get there alot faster. And if you really learn the basics of shooting, then moving up to a 9mm or .38 Special from a .22 LR will not be that difficult for you.
macadore
Member
In my opinion, the most important thing in a first handgun is getting one that is pleasant and inexpensive to shoot. Hard recoiling handguns make novices flinch and this adversely affects accuracy. This can be discouraging. A 357 Magnum revolver will allow one to learn how to shoot with 38 Specials and then move up to the 357 when the shooter feels ready for a more powerful round. The 38 Specials are among the least expensive center fire rounds available and the 357 is one of the most versatile handgun rounds available. I am partial to S&W revolvers, but that’s just a personal opinion.
Did anyone answer this yet? That's the empty weight of a Glock 17!
You said you've gone hunting with shotguns, right? Well, as laudable as the .22 is, maybe you can skip that step. (Just a thought, settle down, ya'll). You should know a bit about triggers, recoil...I've never shot a .22 pistol (surprise!) and I do fine. Started with .40, actually. Some people are just naturals :-D
Piedmont Plinker
Member
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2006
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- 941
Something like this might work
chaim
Member
Probably the best first gun is a 3" or 4" medium framed revolver, assuming you want to learn and have something you can defend yourself with (not everyone has the budget to buy a .22 now and something else later when they are able to handle a gun safely for defensive use). Something the size of the Ruger GP100 or S&W L-frame (586, 686, 520, 620) are great in that they are fairly heavy so shooting .38spl is very low on recoil, and transitioning to .357mag is fairly easy. If you may also carry you may want a K-frame. They are a little smaller and lighter, I think they handle much better, .38spl out of them is pretty easy on the hands, but .357mag can be a bit stout if you aren't ready for it (but I really don't think it is bad at all- .357mag in a K-frame is one of my favorite combinations). You can shoot .38spl out of any .357mag revolver for light recoil and cheaper ammo when starting out (and for regular practice), you can shoot the more expensive and powerful .357mag for fun when you are ready, both many .38+P and .357mag loads make for wonderful home defense or CCW rounds, and you can even hunt with many .357mag loads (or use them for bear defense).
For auto pistols I prefer 9mm for a new shooter who also wants something that can be put into use for defense. It is much cheaper to shoot than many other auto calibers, recoil is relatively light, and it is suitable for HD and CCW.
If you have something else for defense, .22lr is ideal for new shooters (and a must for all shooters). Almost no recoil (makes prolonged practice sessions easy), very inexpensive ammo (makes more practice easy), often quite accurate, and if you get the right one it can be quite fun. As a new shooter you probably won't be ready to use your gun for HD and CCW yet, if you will be able to afford another gun later when you are ready for a HD/CCW capable gun, get the .22lr now.
All that said, the SP101 is a great gun, but it may be a little small for a new handgun shooter. If you are set on this gun instead of a bigger gun, look for one with a 3" barrel (the longer sight radius will make accuracy easier).
For auto pistols I prefer 9mm for a new shooter who also wants something that can be put into use for defense. It is much cheaper to shoot than many other auto calibers, recoil is relatively light, and it is suitable for HD and CCW.
If you have something else for defense, .22lr is ideal for new shooters (and a must for all shooters). Almost no recoil (makes prolonged practice sessions easy), very inexpensive ammo (makes more practice easy), often quite accurate, and if you get the right one it can be quite fun. As a new shooter you probably won't be ready to use your gun for HD and CCW yet, if you will be able to afford another gun later when you are ready for a HD/CCW capable gun, get the .22lr now.
All that said, the SP101 is a great gun, but it may be a little small for a new handgun shooter. If you are set on this gun instead of a bigger gun, look for one with a 3" barrel (the longer sight radius will make accuracy easier).
kurk
Member
Go with 9 mm. Ammo's cheap enough that you'll actually be able to practice with it! 
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Hey Cinder, any decision yet?
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