What to get

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johudamana

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I'm looking for suggestions on what handguns/rifles other enthusiasts recommend. I've never bought my own before but love shooting with friends. I grew up shooting different guns and I was in the military so I've had plenty of weapon safety training, but as far as civilian-wise weaponry I just don't know what to get.

The 2 handguns that I'm currently considering are both 9mm's:

Millenium pro (I think it is the PT111~or something like that...)
Ruger (KP95PR15)

Does anyone suggest a different weapon/have opinions on these firearms for my first? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
quick addition

Also, if anyone has a suggestion: what price range should I be looking for???

_______________________________
"I believe that the government that governs best is a government that govers least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq." ~UNK
 
I'm a revolver man and would recommend a 4" .357 revolver for your first gun, unless you want to start with a .22. If you have prior military experience you can probably go directly to centerfire.

There are a ton of 9mm pistols on the market. Most are great guns. I prefer the Browning High Power, but the Glocks, the Sig-Sauers and the Rugers are all good choices.

Welcome to the club.
 
I passed on the Taurus Millenium Pro because of its size. If the weapon doesn't have to be concealed, look at something larger. I have small hands and the grip on the MilPro was just too small. It was relatively uncomfortable too hold. I ended up getting a Taurus 24/7 Pro in 9mm with 4" barrel. Feels great in the hand, and I have had no problems with it after putting over 1000 rounds of cheap ammo through it. The runner-up for my purchase was the CZ-75 Compact. The CZ lost because my fiance preferred the grip on the 24/7. I'm very happy with my Taurus.
 
I wasn't thoroughly impressed witht the size of the mil pro myself... I would prefer something a little larger, but don't want to spend to much for my first gun.

There's a gun show tomorrow at the fair grounds that I was just informed of. Is it worth it to go to a show? Are they drastically cheaper? If I go, are there any particular guns that I should look out for? What price range should they go for...?

The Ruger that I was looking at (KP95PR15) was going for $425, that's a decent price (on their site they said suggested retail was 480) but I'd really like to try to stay a little lower in price. Like I said, I'm a newbie as far as owning guns.

Are there any tips as far as what to look for at the show? Any tips so nobody tries to take me for a chump and overprice/sell me a piece of crap?
 
Ruger (KP95PR15)
Click to expand...
i had one of these a while back, and i think they are a great value. i put about 600rds through mine and i really liked it. it had three dot sights, pointed naturally, shot good and was very reliable while i had it. but i just couldn't get into the da/sa bit but that might be a different story for you. i love dao so i sold it and funded more ammo and mags for my xd.

and of course i have to suggest the xd, they are great handguns, i have put mine through all kinds of hell and it keeps on running. just bought a sc .40 and shot it today for the first time and i am totally in love, even moreso than my service model.

9mm is the way to go though, cheap ammo, allows more shooting for the money, and you can't beat that.
 
One of the guys up at work mentioned their xd, said it was a great gun. I just looked them up, and saw them ranging 535 up. Maybe for my second gun...this definitely won't be the last that I buy.

Any thoughts on the following:

S&W M&P9 9mm NO LOCK 17RD
Smith & Wesson M&P40 209200 40SW SS NO LOCK 15RD
Taurus PT100 40SW 5" Stainless, 11 round
Springfield PW9108LP GI 5IN 45PK PKG
Ruger KP345PR 45 RAIL BLK/SS FS 6645
Ruger P345PR 45 BL RAIL FS 6647
Ruger P95 9mm Stainless, w Rail 15 round (KP95PR15)
Ruger KP345 .45acp Black/Stainless Fixed Sights 6644

I like the look of them and the prices are decent.

Has anyone been to a gun show? Are guns usually (noticably)
lower in price? Is it worth my time?

Thanks again for the responses
 
One of the guys up at work mentioned their xd, said it was a great gun. I just looked them up, and saw them ranging 535 up. Maybe for my second gun...this definitely won't be the last that I buy.
Click to expand...
where are you located? $535 is outrageous, i got my xdsc for $461.39 out the door, and that came with all the xd gear, and 3 magazines. they don't cost as much as you think, you might just need to look around, and you will find a good deal, heck if you have too check out the trading post on here and various other forums, i know for sure there are great people on THR and sometimes they want to get rid of an xd or 2, or check out the used section at your local gun shops.
 
Tampa area. If you or anyone you know live in the area or just happen to know of a better store in the area some other way... please let me know.

I found a Ruger (KP95PR15) on that site listed a few entries up:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php

for only $331.56, that's almost $100 cheaper than the local gun shop I looked at.

As for the XD, maybe I'll check into them and see what they want for one.
 
here is a link from the same site you posted, with the xd as low as $422.
i ain't pushing the xd on you but just wnt you to get something that will work out for you, and definetly get your money worth!
 
It's cool, my co-worker was trying to push it on me as well, but like I said: I'm trying not to spend too much on my first one... the springfield armory guns are nice though

If you purchase a handgun online are there extreme fees? I thought I saw somewhere that I couldn't have it shipped to me, it would have to be sent to a dealer etc etc.
 
yes you will have to have a weapon bought on line sent to a dealer or someone with an ffl, and they normally charge a transfer fee, you need to check with them and see how much that is. around here the ft. riley ks area it is $20-$25. plus you will have to pay the shipping charges.
 
Thanks for the info, anything else you might think of that would be of use to know when I go looking would be great. Who knows, maybe I'll come home with a new "toy" tomorrow (I know guns aren't toys, but that's what my wife says about all my expendatures...).
 
I bought my son a Taurus PT111 Pro a few months back and he really likes shooting it. It's reliable and has never jammed with over 2000 rounds already shot. It does get a little "sticky" after 250 rounds in 1 day but what auto wouldn't?

Now for the Springfield XD, great gun.... I shot the .45 last week when a friend bought one. I'm told the 9mm and .40 S&W are just as good. If you want to shoot a lot then the 9mm is a good choice because the ammo is cheap. (like said above) I know you are saying you don't want to spend a lot on your first gun but if you don't intend on buying a lot of guns then the 30% more you will spend on the XD over the PT111 Pro will be well worth it.

Take a look at the XD here: http://www.springfield-armory.com/index.shtml I wouldn't pay more then $499 for the entire setup no matter what and I'm sure you can get it for less.
 
I have both a Milpro 111 and a Ruger P89. I've shot lots of rounds with both. They have both been good shooters but have very different triggers. I would suggest that you find a range that rents both and try them out.
I will add one thing: If you plan on carrying this gun, or even putting it in a glove compartment, that the Rugers for all practical purposes are very difficult to conceal. The Milpro is surprisingly accurate and comfortable to shoot. If I had to narrow it down to two, I would choose the Milpro and a SW mod 10 revolver for the range.
 
All, thanks for all the input. I went to the show today and, after going to the shops around here to get general idea/checking out all the great sites that ya'll have told me about, started my search for my first handgun.

I looked at the XD's, Ruger's, and multitudes of other models. I saw some Glock's that I liked and the XD's were nice too but for the price, I couldn't beat the Ruger. When looking at local gunshops, the Ruger was $425. When looking online, the cheapest I saw was $331 (thanks for the sites again).

At the show I found my newest "toy" for $300, I pick it up in 3 days. It's a Ruger P95 9mm, model P95PR15. I like it better than the KP95PR15 b/c it doesn't have the stainless steel slide, it's all black.

If anyone has any suggestions for my next, I will gladly take more feedback. Guns are like tattoo's, once you have one...you have to get another...
 
The 2 handguns that I'm currently considering are both 9mm's:

Millenium pro (I think it is the PT111~or something like that...)
Ruger (KP95PR15)
Click to expand...

No bad choices there. I had a P95 and can recommend it. I would have, however, suggested a revolver also for a first gun. Even 9mm ammo is going up, now, but it does tend to be the cheapest to buy, so that might make it a best choice for you if the cost of ammo is a problem area. The P95 is a strong, reliable, reasonably accurate firearm that's not that hard to carry concealed with a proper IWB holster. You done good.

I like the stainless guns for durability, but blued will serve well.
 
There were some nice revolvers at the show, some of them were pretty heavy...that suprised me. If I had more money I would've definitely come home with a wide variety.

The worst part of this process is having to wait til Thursday now... I understand that they don't want crazy people to be able to get angry and go out to buy a gun, but still...

I didn't have to do much as far as applying for the concealed weapons permit since I was in the military (apparently FL realizes that the military teaches gun safety...) but that could take up to 45 days to get. It would've been nice to go buy the gun and get it the same day.

Any suggestions as far as what types of ammo to get? I figure I'll have to try a couple different kinds, but if ya'll have any suggestions I'll gladly take them... Any types of ammo I should definitely NOT get? I'd rather my new toy not explode in my hand...
 
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