What is the best 9mm to start with ?

[crazydog]

Hello everybody,
I am looking into buy a 9mm for shooting range mainly and home defense. I was told by a friend that Glocks and Sig Arms are the best.

I went to the store last week and I really like the Walther models I saw. I am kind of confused since my friend told me to buy just one of those two.

In your opinion what is really the best brand/model with less jamming problems, accuracy and best overall.

Thanks in advance !

 

[JDGray]

Buy what fits your hand. Everybodys gonna tell ya to buy what they have, but get what you like. I asked the same question, and CZ75 came up the winner. I picked up every 9mm I could afford, and a few I couldnt, and I bought the CZ. Have fun shopping Almost forgot, welcome to THR.

 

[MT GUNNY]

First choice

My first pistol was a beretta m96 (.40) It shoot nice groups
I traded it off for SW1911 still a good pistol. But i miss my beretta
G17 my brother has is also flawless except I cant group with it.
If I were you i would stay away from glock swM&p till you get some
good shooting in Their triggers are difficlut to get use to.
I feel glocks were ment to be more reliable than accurate
Then again you said home defence so g17 woud be excelent or the new
swM&P. Plus they carry 15 rounds in .40 not shure about 9mm prolly more
The only wather i have is a ppks in .380 nice little carry gun.
If you have questions private message me.

 

[theotherrookieshooter]

well...

i agree with JD in that you should buy something that fits your hand, but your budget as well. the first 9mm i shot was a beretta 92fs that i rented at a shooting range. i loved it but i dont have any expierience with anything else. i have heard good things about glocks. what you might want to do is go to your local range and rent different models they have to get a feel for some different guns before you buy. hope ive helped at least a bit.

p.s. if youre looking for home defense invest in hollow points if theyre legal in youre area. and whatever you buy DO NOT BUY ANYTHING CHAMBERED FOR .380! stick to at least a 9mm luger. ive heard nothing good about .380s, supposedly they have ridiculously heavy trigger pull, low stopping power, and are notorious for jamming.

 

[f4t9r]

like everyone said , go try them out and buy what you like . There are some very nice 9mm out there and a wide price range. I have been through alot of 9mm and I settled on a SIG P226. On the cheaper end I like the XD9

 

[Chupacabra]

Personally, I'd go with a Browning Hi-Power or a Sig226 as a first 9mm, but you can't really go wrong with a Glock17, Beretta92, XD9, USP9, CZ75 or any other offering from a major manufacturer.

Find a range that will let you try out a bunch of different models and get the one you like and shoot the best.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

I am unclear, is this your first hand gun or first 9mm?

If it is your first had gun I would advise against Glocks or similar guns. They are great guns, but the lack of a manual safety is not a good thing for new a shooter. Get a gun with a safety until you are comfortable safely handling a pistol, this will reduce the chance of a negligent discharge.

If you are not going to be carrying this gun for a CCW I would suggest a steel frame over a polymer. 9mm doesn't kick much, but can be a little "snappy" out of a polymer gun. Steal guns are usually more pleasant to shoot and a comfortable gun will be shot more and you will improve faster.

Before you buy, Try: Go to a store that has a good selection and handle a bunch of guns. Look for the ones that fit your hand well and you can reach all the controls w/o moving your hand far out of firing position. Once you have narrowed it down to a few choices go to a range and fire off a few rounds. Do not buy a new gun w/o firing it. Nothing is worse than coming home after a dissapointing range day with your brand new $500 gun.

Some suggestions to try.

Steel Guns:
CZ-75 and related (all really solid/reliable guns)
EAA Witness
Baby Eagle
FN/Browning Hi Power (John Browning's other gun)
Beretta 92 (Dozens of Hong Kong directors can't be wrong)

Poly Guns:
Glock (take your pick)
Springfield Armory XD (some would argue just as good as Glock)
Walther P99 (some love it, some hate it)
Beretta PX4

 

[steelhead]

and whatever you buy DO NOT BUY ANYTHING CHAMBERED FOR .380! stick to at least a 9mm luger. ive heard nothing good about .380s, supposedly they have ridiculously heavy trigger pull, low stopping power, and are notorious for jamming.

You need to find some new people to listen to and it isn't the ex "Delta" guy at the water cooler or behind the gun counter....


Any of the major brands will do for a first time 9MM (SA, Taurus, S&W, Beretta, CZ, Browning, etc). However, with any firearm, you may find yourself needing to send it back to the factory. I would also second the suggestion you start with a design that incorporates a manual safety.

Finding something with the right ergonomics is the key and you may not get it on the first try. Also, as you become more familiar with shooting - your ideas and conceptions will change as well. 9MM is a good choice to start since you have plenty of different designs to choose from and ammo is relatively inexpensive.

For me, 3 of the nicest feeling pistols are the Beretta PX4, SA XD and Taurus 24/7. The Beretta I own and the Taurus and XD I am considering.

 

[Black Majik]

I'd go with anything fullsize:

Beretta 92FS
CZ75B
SIG P226
SIG P225
HK P2000
HK USPc/USPf
Browning Hipower
Glock 17/19
SA XD9
Walther P99

My favorite so far is still the SIG P226.


Good luck!

 

[wolf]

shooting range

a local shooting range would be a great place to rent some of the guns mentioned in this thread...sigs, beretta & glock would be my top three picks..

there are some good deals on nice used models..take your time each brand will have some pros & cons..but you will find something you like

enjoy

wolf

 

[psyopspec]

Buy what fits your hand.

We have a winner! Halt the presses, close the thread. This one's over before it even heated up!

All I'd add is, try to shoot whatever you can get your hands on.

 

[marriedguy1]

Buy what fits your hand. I like Walthers, CZs, and High-Powers best. Glocks and Sigs do not fit my hand well, but I've shot them both and they go boom just fine. I've held the SA XDs, but they just didn't do it for me. I have 2 Walthers now and a CZ75B that I just got last Friday. I think that the CZ is going to become my favorite for a while.

 

[popeye]

Get an ex LEO S&W 5904 or 5906 for $300-$350 to see if you even like the caliber and configuration. In my worthless opinion a Glock is not a good "starter" gun or nightstand gun for home protection.

 

[GRP]

Your friend is right. You can't go wrong with either a sig or a Glock. Sigs and Glocks come in various sizes find one you like.

 

[Ala Dan]

Everybody Will Recommend Their Favorite

Mine just so happens too be a very early:

West German SIG-SAUER P228

 

[Spec ops Grunt]

Berreta 92.

 

[pablo45]

Sig,Glock or Ruger will do you good. I personally do not like the xd's or cz's

 

[Dave R]

Just don't get a Hi-Power a first pistol. If you do, nothing else will ever seem as good.

 

[bonesaw]

For your first gun, I recommend you get a nice modern polymer-framed gun that is foremost reliable.

Buy an HK USP if you can afford one. Full-size USP if it fits your hand well, a P2000 otherwise.

If you can't afford a USP, shoot a Glock (you can always rent one of these at the range) and see if you like their trigger-mounted safeties. If you can hang with it, get the largest-frame Glock that fits your hand.

 

[10-Ring]

I already have several 9mm pistols so I'm not really in the market for another but the Walther 99 is a nice pistol...nice ergos, really nice trigger & from what I've read & experienced...good shooters too! Get the one you like & will shoot & go from there.

 

[Jrsmith]

Once again, Little love for Ruger

After trying and handling several different types while attempting to answer your very question I found my solution. My friend's Ruger P89 was the fit for me. I bought one today acually... this weekend can't come fast enough now

 

[possum]

Welcome to THR!

I will suggest that you take a whole day off work go to the biggest and best gun shop you can find and handle every single 9mm pistol that they have there, and others as well. Take a little note book and narrow it down, to the ones that fit you best and the ones you are most comfortable with and then decide from them. spend all day there if you need to, you wanna get something that fits you and your needs. I sometimes go to the shop knowing exactly what i want and still end up spending hours, checking, double checking and so on. everyone has there favorites and there opinions, but get what you like and what fits you and you won't go wrong.

I personally prefer xd's check them out!

 

[bg226]

At a range, rent plenty different guns and buy what works for you.

 

[progunner1957]

I am getting ready to get a 9mm for range shooting, and it will be either a Glock 17 or a Springfield Armory XD9 with a 4" barrel. I currently have an H&K P7M8, but it is not the gun I carry.

I carry a Springfield TRP 1911 90% of the time, a Glock 21 the rest of the time.

 

[knoxx45]

I think blackmajik has a great list.

He said that his favorite is the SIG 226. While the 226 is debatably the best gun on that list, if it is your first gun, I would go with either the Beretta 92 or the H&K USP, depending which one fits your hand best. I like these because they are simple to operate, while still having a manual saftey. I may get flamed for this, but I think that that a manual saftey is important untill you get enough experience to use a gun that is "merley, decocked". I teach a lot of people to shoot, and I use guns with a saftey because I feel that it is the best method. Some may disagree, but the manual saftey is some thing that people are familiar with, and incase they stop shooting half way through a mag, provides the safest way to place a gun down on the counter.

just my thoughts,

Knoxx