First time handgun buyer questions

Another big +1 for getting a .22. I still enjoy shooting my Browning Buckmark as much as any other gun I've shot.
Taurus makes an inexpensive .22 revolver, I think it's the 94, that takes 9 rounds in the cylinder. For used .22 revolvers there's the Ruger Single Six and various Smith and Wessons (sorry, I can't remember all the numbers).
 
fishbulb said:
Would it be completely unreasonable to rely on a P22 or revolver full of hot .22LR shells as a "better than nothing" defensive item?

Although I know that this doesn't have nearly the force projection potential of a centerfire gun I also know that I certainly wouldn't want to get shot with one under any circumstances.
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not unreasonable. something is obviously better than nothing.

however, if you are only buying one, at least for now, and one of its main intended uses is home/self defense, then i would recommend something much larger in caliber. in revolvers, .38/.357, .45 acp, or 9mm would be your best bet. though the auto calibers usually require a moon clip to fire in a revolver, so can be a bit of a pain.

even .25's, 380's (basically a 9mm short), or .32's, are a bit small for defense purposes. most in these calibers are designed for concealment anyway.
 
fishbulb said:
Would it be completely unreasonable to rely on a P22 or revolver full of hot .22LR shells as a "better than nothing" defensive item?

Although I know that this doesn't have nearly the force projection potential of a centerfire gun I also know that I certainly wouldn't want to get shot with one under any circumstances.
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It's better than nothing, but not a great idea. If you do a lot of .22 shooting, you'll find that every 200th or 300th round is a dud. That percentage probably goes down with the more expensive high velocity CCI rounds (I have very little experience with them so I can't say for sure), but the reliability of rimfire rounds is lower than that of centerfire. Plus as you say .22 has little to no stopping power. If the bad guy runs as soon as he sees you have a gun, then yes, a .22 is fine. And most the time they do run the moment they see you're armed. But if they don't run and you need that .22 to incapacitate an attacher right here and now, .357 or .38 will put someone down a whole lot quicker than .22.

So basically I'm saying if you have to choose between getting a .22 or a .38/.357 now, get the .22 if you just want to practice at the range and get a .38/.357 if you need to protect yourself. If you have zero experience shooting, maybe consider getting the .22 now and learning with it while saving up for the bigger gun. Then you'll be better able to use the big gun once you can afford it, and you still have the .22 for target practice. Also, you may be surprised at how cheap they can be. I got a brand new Ruger .22 for $250 on closeout at Gander Mountain, and bought my first good used .38 for $350. Altogether they were about the price of a new S&W .357. Something to consider.

Edited to add: Don't forget to get some good training. I took a basic handgun course last summer and learned a lot, even though I've been shooting since I could walk and spent four years in the Army. There's no substitute for hands-on training with a professional.
 
I would concur with most of what has been said here. I would also suggest trying to shoot some of the guns before you buy.

Where do you live, The shooting community is generally a very welcoming groups and seems always willing to share and let you find what you like.
I live in Minnesota and we have a group that regularly meets to let new shooters try what we have.

I would suggest you stay away from a rossi unless it is all you can afford. I don't know yet if Taurus's management will upgrade the quality of the guns coming out, but for a while Rossi's have been pretty rough.

Don't rule out well cared for used guns either.

The walther P22 is a pretty good gun, alot of fun to play with, but not really the best practice gun compared to some of the other guns out there.
I would get a .22 in the same format as the gun you plan on shooting, that is, revolver .22 if you stick with a revolver SD gun.

There is no reason to make your home defense/plinker a snubbie. They are really best as a carry gun, but if it is just going to reside on your bedside table most of the time, get a gun that is easier to hold, and more controllable in recoil, meaning a bigger package.

If you look around you can find S&W model 10 police turn backs at a local gun shop, This is a pretty good sticky on making sure you are getting a good one. http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57816

Good .22's are worth more than the savings in ammo. They often allow a great deal more practice per dollar of course, but as well they are much more PC in someplaces to shoot. I don't know where you live, but I live in the exurbs and shooting a .22 in my back yard will never raise a stink, but blasting away with bigger centerfire will get some unwanted attention real fast. .22's seem to be more sensitive to proper use than a centerfire, by that I mean that shooting a .22 very well means you have to do all the things right. it may be just my feelings about this, but if I shoot my .22 well then I know I will shoot my bigger bores well.

Hope this helps.
 
If you want to own a revolver, do so...I like S+W and Ruger.

Rugers tend to be overbuilt, heavy, and less beautiful that S+W. The M10 used or new is a nice choice in .38 SPL.

Practice a lot, then consider taking up reloading...it can be a fun hobby.

They are LOUD. Never shoot to practice without proper hearing protection.

For pragmatists interested in home defense, a 12 or 20 ga. shotgun and a cell phone are best. I base this one one home break-in in Milwaukee and another in the Houston area. No shots fired.

Know the law.

F
 
I would *strongly* suggest you get a .22 as your first gun-- a k frame smith or ruger SA. I think I will cut and paste from another post of mine regarding first time gun buying....

"I've introduced a few people to marksmenship -- a few thoughts for you....

First, amen to getting a .22LR first (mk2, SW kframe, ruger single six, etc-- I am partical to ruger .22s) Second, figure out if you are right or left eye dominant-- learn to shoot with the hand of your dominant eye--if you are cross dominant, you can thank me later... Third, take a safety/gun handling class before you put a single round through your new .22. Fourth get some good shooting specs and ears. Fifth, burn a bunch of of .22 practicing the five fundamentals of firing the shot, which are:

1. site alignment -- align your sites, *focusing on the front site*
2. hold control -- shoot within your minimum arc of movement, don't
chase the bull and pray for sporadic 10s...
3. breath control -- big breath, 1/2 out then...
4. trigger control -- apply positive smooth pressure to the rear, without stopping then...
5. follow through -- make a mental picture of where you think the shot went
and call it in your head.

Above summary assumes someone has sorted you out with a good basic 2 handed grip-- which is too hard to explain in a short-ish post... I also wanted to mention the above because anyone who claims to be an authority on teaching marksmenship, but doesn't know the above probably can't shoot well enough to teach...

Take your time -- make every practice shot count. Each practice session focus on one thing you want to improve -- you can't think of all five at once. Its very very very easy to develop bad habits in the beginning -- such as flinching, chasing your shots, etc. Once you can consistently put 10 .22s into a group the size of your open hand at 50 then 75 feet, consider getting a centerfire pistol or revolver. The suggestions about of a 4 inch .357 are very good -- would suit your needs, can fire cheap .38, reliable and powerfull. Store your guns safely. If you have a safe place to practice dry diring at home, go for it-- there is no better practice then dry firing -- 50 clicks at home lead to one bullseye at the range.

Good luck getting into the shooting hobby!

I forgot to mention: The Definition of a Firearm Safety: A Mechanical Device which can Fail."

I would also add, if you are immediately concerned with safety in your home, take a basic firearms safety class, then buy a cheap 12 guage pump shotgun. I have a lot of very nice pistols and revolvers, but if I ever needed to defend my family, I would go straight to my benelli nova...
 
Revolvers are wonderful. I love them and own several. I recommend that you go with S&W, or some of theolder style Rugers which were not quite so gigantic and overbuilt as those of today.

I own a S&W Model 13-3, which is a blued K frame .357 Mag. revolver with a 3" barrel. I prefer 3" barrels for concealed carry because they offer some sight radius for improved accuracy, but are not so long that they become difficult to conceal.

I also have a Ruger Speed Six, a stainless steel revolver in .357 Mag., again a 3" barrel.

I bobbed the hammers on both revolvers because for defensive shooting, you should be shooting double action exclusively and the hammer spur is not necessary. Additionally the weapon is easier to conceal and more comfortable to carry without the hammer spur.

I also prefer fixed sights. A carry weapon has no need of adjustable sights.

If you look around at gunshops and gunshows you should be able to find a good quality, used revolvers. I would suggest one in stainless steel as they are easier to care for, but with some attention a blued revolver will do just fine.

I also suggest you look into a .22 pistol of some kind. Centerfire ammunition can be quite expensive, and while you will want to shoot your pistol using full power ammo, you won't be able to shoot a great deal of it without feeling your wallet squirm. You can shoot hundreds of .22 rounds even on a limited budget, however.

Get training!!

Andy
 
I would recommend a Ruger sp101 357 magnum 2.25" barrel. It is one of the best if not the best snubbies on the market.
 
When I first was shopping for a handgun years ago, I was always fascinated by semi auto pistols. I ended up purchasing a Taurus PT 99 Stainless. Revolvers are great but I was looking also for capacity since I was planning to shoot at the firing range. Accuracy is great and I enjoy the stainless finish. I must admit though, if I could do it again, I would have purchased a S & W .357 magnum revolver. I shot my wife's soon to be ex-brother in law's .357 revolver and that was fun and powerful.
 
Well, we have a winner.

I stopped by a local independent gun store earlier today and found a near-new used all steel S&W J-frame snubnose .38 for under $300 OTD.

It's in very good shape and is old enough to not have the key-operated on/off "safeties" that come on the new models. I consider this to be a good thing.

I haven't actually shot it yet, but that's on the agenda for the near future.

I wouldn't mind changing the grips out to something that has a bit of a pinky rest on it, as this one currently has none at all.

Overall I'm quite happy with it. I'm sure I could have gotten a better deal at a gun show or via the net but I don't think I did too bad.

I would post a picture, but there really isn't any point. It looks like every blued snubnose .38 you've ever seen. And that's just fine by me.

I'll put an update up once I get a chance to go to the range.
 
MORIMOTOM said:
a good 4" full frame revolver in .357 is what i would recommend given your criteria. taurus is good, perhaps look at the ruger sp101 or gp100 again. great bang for the buck. and rugers are built like brick s**t houses. but taurus's are very tough as well.
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My advice as well. One of the best all-around gun designs for home defense.

My first handgun purchase was a S&W 686. 4" revolver in .357.
 
S&W model 10 fixed sights, model 15, same gun adj. sights. Both can be had used in NRA "excelent" condition for $250 - $300. It's hard to find these two guns with anything but a 4" barrel, which is good because that's just what you need to get started.

go to www.Gunbroker.com
 
I gotz a Taurus and Ruger snub nosed 357 mag and shoot 38s thru it at the range......Both are 5 shot and very small for concealment...but very loud with the short barrel...If you shoot 38+Ps it is a very good defensive gun with just a little kick. The 357 load is almost unmanageable. Both are fairly accurate to about 25 feet or so, well within the range of close combat. Extra round clips can be had but are hard to get some places. so if you get them get 3 or 4 at a time....and both are reasonably priced.
 
You said you were attracted to .38 snubs. Well, think about that a long time. Those are among the harder weapons to use well, though with practice not too hard to use reasonably effectively. I would strongly suggest, though, that you start with a good .22 caliber double action revolver and practice, practice, PRACTICE. Smith & Wesson makes the best, but Taurus makes some good ones, too. Don't rule out a used gun in good condition from a reputable seller, either.
 
I forget which gun show on tv I saw where a guy shoot consistently at a target of 100 yards with a snub nose .38 caliber. It was a couple of years ago. He was dead on without sights. As you know a snub nose usually does not have. Saying that. Practice makes perfect.
 
Try the Heckler and Koch P7 M8 in 9mm Parabellum.

Ideal for small hands, squeeze cocker, and supremely accurate to boot!!!

Low light level Hi-Vis sights as standard.

S**t hot!

Go get some...........
 
Well, I've been to the range several times since I purchased the .38 and I'm quite pleased with it. Accurate enough at "inside the house" ranges, and quite natural to point, acquire, and fire in a hurry. If I had it to do over again I'd maybe pay a bit more for a stainless model, solely for ease of cleaning. I don't feel that I missed much by not going with a .357 model. Had one been available for a few bucks more I'd have probably bought that instead, as more options are always better, but there just weren't any in stock that didn't have the Ultralight construction.

I did have a failure to fire when using uber-crap range brand reloads, but it's been a Honda when it comes to any sort of factory ammo.

Now it lives by the bedside loaded with Gold Dots, and with any sort of luck I'll have wasted my time and money on the whole apparatus. It is rather nice, though, to have something more substantial than a baseball bat or a board with a nail in it available when the dog starts barking at 3AM or I'm on the road leaving my girlfriend home alone.

She's southern and was raised around guns. Her response when I told her I was buying a pistol was basically "OK, but don't buy some 22. Get something that will drop a man." She's a keeper.

I looked at some higher end magazine fed pistols or a variety of hop-up parts for this one, but I really don't see any need for them for my application. Certainly 10 or 20 rounds would be better than 5; but it seems that the first one is the most important and their value decays rapidly from there, as Mr. Otter pointed out.

I only want this to be a tool, not a hobby. I have been considering pursuing a CCW though.
 
You can't go wrong with a good 4" 357–a terrifically verstile handgun. I would also stick with a Smith, though I also like the older Ruger Security-Six which can be found at bargain prices.
A good 22 is another firearm you'll never be sorry you bought, but I'd stick with either a Smith revolver or a decent quality single action auto such as a Ruger, old High Standard, Browning or Smith.
There's nothing wrong with a snubby, it's the best for carry I'd say, but it's not the best for learning and recreational shooting.
The more you shoot, the more you'll apreciate a good 357 and a good 22.
Good luck!
 
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