New Gun
 

So i kind of wanna buy a handgun, but never really looked into them. I am more of a long gun person. But I do have Ruger Blackhawk .45cal, revlover. My old man had a Sig 40, I like the idea of getting away from the revlover just for speed. I dont want no pee shooter, I need to be able to stop people who think they might get in here. What would be a good gun?

Any of the name brand .40 cal should fit your bill. You're going to get a bunch of opinions here. The best thing to do is shoot your buddy's guns or go to a range that "rents" guns to shoot. Find the one that fits and shoots the best for you, and that'll be the one for you. :U:

are you looking to carry or just have?

any 1911 .45 is always a good choice out of the 3 handguns I have (S&W M&P 40, Sig P226 9mm, Springfield 1911 milspec) the 1911 is my favorite.

i want a 38 revolver to carry

I'm personally entertaining the idea of an automatic chambered in .357 Sig. It combines the awesome stopping power of the venerable .357 Magnum 125gr hollow-point load (over 96% one-shot-stops in country-wide police shootings) with the speed and magazine capacity of an auto. Based on a slightly lengthened and necked-down .40 S&W, most any auto pistol chambered in .40 S&W can be converted to shoot the .357 Sig with just a simple barrel change. Even the mags are the same.

Pistols chambered in .357 Sig include:

1911 Style Pistols:

SVI/Infinity 1911 Firearms Gun Builder (factory built)
STI VIP 1911 357 Sig Pistol (factory built)
1911 pistols with aftermarket barrels

Beretta Cougar 8357 (factory built)
Beretta 96 with aftermarket barrel
www.berettausa.com

Browning High Power with aftermarket barrel

CZ pistol with aftermarket Barsto barrel (not advertised)
CZ-USA -> Hunting & Sporting Firearms and Accessories

EAA Witness with aftermarket barrel

Glocks 20, 27, 23, 22, 29, & 35 with aftermarket barrels
Glocks 33, 32,& 31 (factory built)
NOTE: GLOCK PROVIDES A FULL LINE OF 357 SIG PISTOLS (SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE).
GLOCK "Safe Action Pistols"

HK USP 357 Compact (factory built)
HK USP 40 with aftermarket barrel (apparently, full size USP mags work poorly with the 357 Sig)
Heckler & Koch - USA

Kel-Tec P11 with 357 barrel
Kel-tec.com - gun safe Resources and Information.This website is for sale!

Ruger P94 with aftermarket barrel
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

SIG's P226, P239, P229, P229S, SP2340 (factory built)
NOTE: SIGARMS PROVIDES A FULL LINE OF 357 SIG PISTOLS (SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE). This is the company that started it all. Their 357 Sig pistols are among the best with the softest felt recoil pistols on the market. If you can't afford the Classic line, I highly recommend their polymer sigpro 2340.
SIG SAUER
SIG Pro SP2340 Pistol
SIG P226 (external)

Springfield Armory XD with 4" and 5" barrels (factory built).
NOTE: In the polymer style pistols, SA has the honor of manufacturing the longest factory 357 Sig barrel -- 5". SA PROVIDES COMPACT AND FULL SIZE PISTOLS IN THE 357 SIG CALIBER, with a subcompact 9mm on the way. Barsto.com fully supports the Springfield XD line.
Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory (SA) Extreme Duty XD Pistol: SA/DA Discussion and Pistol Review

Steyr M357 (factory built; not officially supported in the U.S. currently. Difficult finding parts)
Steyr M series Pistol
Steyr M357 Pistol

Taurus Model 957 (factory built)
Taurus (Beretta-like pistol) with aftermarket barrel
Taurus International Manufacturing Inc

Walther P-99 with a Barsto aftermarket barrel
Home Page - Walther America

I would say go out and shoot a few different guns and see what "fits" your needs and hands best. Make sure you like the safety and that sort of thing.

Yeah I think I will go to the range tomorrow and see if they rent. Its not to carry, and I do like the 1911's so maybe i check into one of those too.

i have a taurus 1911 in .45 and i love it! I think its a great gun for 750$. then i put a crimson trace laser grip on it. for home defense its great. if you have to shoot at someone real quick in your house you may not be able to bring your sights up properly,(or may not be able to because you just pissed yourself!). i can put 8 shots into the same hole at about 20 yards shooting pretty quick like.

If your ever interested in selling that Ruger Blackhawk .45 let me know.....I would be interested in it if its a 3 screw model and a Super Blackhawk....

a 9mm is good and the ammo is cheap and plentiful

a 9mm is fun to shoot and cheap but id never want one in a gunfight for self defense. not enough nock down power. you could buy a 500S&W.:w2: Even if ya miss shootin at a guy, when he heres one of them things go off then stuff exploding behind him i think hed leave

i rely like the feel of the Springfield xd's and glocks are a reliable choice always

if you are looking for something cheap to shoot and that you truely love to have alot of the companies are offering 22lr conversions for their larger cal handguns and it is a simple swap so you can shoot on the cheap at the range and have the knock down power for that dumb person who thinks they are gonna rob you blind.

x2:U:

Logan- sorry its a New model Blackhawk. And there is ownership issuses.

A S&W 500 is a little too big, I dont need to take down half a building

I do like the springfield 1911 A1 GI.

take a look at the taurus. its a little heavy but it comes with aftermarket grade trigger hammer trigger etc... straight from the factory. i think its worth the money. and weight wont really matter if it isnt a daily carrier. i carry it in the woods and it dont bother me.

i just got a para ordinance 1911 .45, i love the thing, fits perfect, shoots great, and a nice price for it too, i got mine for $519. but i also love my .44 mag blackhawk. but its alot nicer having that 1911 to pack around instead of the blackhawk.

Sig...CZ...Glock


The rest are just toys.

only problem i see with this is a 22lr will shoot completely different than say a 9mm or 40 cal, soo if you get used to the 22lr recoil and switch over how accurate will you be?

if you learn trigger control and proper grip on a handgun, recoil shouldnt be an issue.

I'm with you Mr Miyagi. But it also depends on his build, familiarity, training. I'm 6ft 180lbs. My SIG P220 is a thinner .45 ( than a 1911 ) I can hide that sucker anywhere with absolutely NO print no matter what I happen to be wearing at the time. Only downside is it's a 7 shot mag with 1 in the pipe. Good side is it will eat ANY ammo I run thru it. Only 5 parts to take down ( VS what? 18 in a baretta or similar? ) But then again? If you need more than 8 .45 rounds? You need a RIFLE! LOL

I should add: If you dont have that much experience with handguns, I would STRONGLY suggest getting a Bodygaurd model ( no exposed hammer to snag on clothing ) that way when the fit hits the shan you wont be worrying to much about safeties, mags, stove pipe jams and the like. Point and pull and it WILL fire. No damm doubt about it.

orrr http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/...iger-info0.gif get a pet tiger :U:

Glocks are real nice, I have 2 of them in the 40 cal. I love the stopping power of the 45, but also like to have alot of bullets to shoot in one mag. the 9mm is really no good...my 2 cents......the glock 23 is a small unercover carry. It fits nicely inbetween the driver seat and the center cushion on long trips.:U:

If 8 flying ashtrays won't do the trick.....well, that's one tough lil goblin.

There was a guy at the gun show earlier today--well I guess yesterday since it's 0135 now, but anyways--there was a guy at the gun show who said he didn't like Sigs because the controls weren't intuitive.

Honestly, first time I'd ever heard that...

He must be all thunmbs. lol

I was just making the info available because I know some people like me just enjoy going and shooting lol if I wanna practice for dead on shooting with any gun i will use that gun and ammo. but personally if they are in your house most likely they are close enough that it wont matter much if its a head shot or gut shot hes still gonna stop :DD:

ya i agree with ya. thats why i got a laser grip. its hard to say how accurate you can shoot when its pich black and you know someone is their tryin to hurt you.

Laser grips are cool, only problem is the bad guy also knows where you are too. I'd much rather have some type of retina-burning Sure-Fire light mounted to my home-defense gun. Sure the bad guy is still gonna know where you are, but he'd have as much luck shooting you as Stevie Wonder.

HAHA I have seen those lights. Fires synapses in your brain and will drop you to your knees. Bout $350 last i checked. OW!

Glock 19 in 9mm would be a really nice pistol to start off with, you can get tons of "cheap" ammo, couold care less if it get's bumped about as it's a Glock & anybody that says 9mm is a wimp round has never been shot by one.....

Or ya can get a Sig P229R and strap a TLR-1 on it :U:

I really like my G19, it's a beater pistol & here's my bedside pistol & it's chambered in 357 Sig...

Attachment 51360

Hands down SIG P229 you can get it in 9mm, .40, 357 sig, .45 and a .22lr kit. That was my service wepon and thats what i own.

Sig, CZ, and Glock are A+ handguns, they can handle any ammo made and are rated for SAAM military ammo pressures. They can handle +p, +p+, and military surplus ammo with no problem. Those loads can be a bit more snappy on the wrist tho. 1911 style pistols are great and look awesome but they have a lot of parts and fit and finish is very important. Some are hit or miss on dependability. Alot are made from cast frames even Dan Wesson are cast. Taurus 1911 PT is a very good compromise for price and options. It is not cast and comes with a unconditional lifetime warranty. I think Para Ordinance makes a 1911 with a double stacked magazine makes for a tough grip with small hands but you get more firepower. But with any semiauto, you must practice with your ammo. A semi that gobbles down fmj can jam with hp, especially personal protection loads with oversized hollows. And if you are comfortable with the thought of it, get one that doesnt have a safety. A decocker, grip safety, or trigger safety is the best for CC cause you dont have to worry about flipping a safety. And Sig, CZ, and Glock have those with other internal safety"s available. If you drop them they will not fire, cause pulling the trigger actually releases the other safety features, very nice.
If you prefer a revolver, get one with aleast a 3" barrel. That with get the full velocity of the load. A 2" snubby will have lower velocity. S&W are great with Taurus right behind. If your gonna carry(CCW) it go with a hammerless(double action) or shaved hammer(single/double action). Keeps from snagging when pulling in a self defense situation.
A 357mag. would be a good choice cause you can shoot 38special too. They are the same caliber. You CAN NOT shoot 357 in a gun labeled for 38special tho, it will cause RDCP!(Rapid Dissassembly of Component Parts!) A 3" 357mag loaded with 38special +p ammo and a couple 357mag in the wheel is an awesome CC option.

If you do conceal carry whatever handgun you decide on remember to switch out your ammo from month to month cause it can absorb moisture from your body. And if you get a auto, buy extra mags and rotate them out so the springs can relax and stretch out. And load it with higher velocity in the winter months to get thru clothes, and get a hp with a polymer tip so it wont clog with the clothing material and not fully expand. Price is not a option when you and your families lives are involved! Keep that in mind!

Good Luck with the search! Get a hold of as many as you can and test them out before you buy.

that has a lot of truth in it. good explination bucket truck. its all about what your comfortable with. and most important cost shouldnt matter. very very well put!:c:

Ummm, Taurus= junk and needs it's unconditional lifetime warranty.....otherwise you would be stuck with a door stop....

Glock's can't take all that snappy ammo & the 40;s tend to blow up every now and again due to not having a fully supported chamber & 40's are the ones that seem to KaBoom most often. Not to mention the safe action is not safe, but it's good if you have a holster toat fully covers the trigger guard.

Modern self defense ammo is sealed, it's not needed to swap it out all that often, once a year is plenty as long as you don't swim with it & check it ever now and again. Plus it's harder on a magazine to load/unload than leave it fully loaded. It's cycling the spring that wears them out, not having them fully compressed.

Again, polymer tip ammo is more of a gimmick and waste of your money than anything as a good modern hollow point will still expand after shooting bubba in the middle of a Wyoming winter...

Comp-Tac and Raven Concealment make some of the very best holsters on the market, after ya figure out your pistol take a look at them, I love my Comp-Tac CTAC (have a Sig 239 in it) and have heard nothing but good things about the Mtac. Plus you will need a good solid belt, I really like the Wilderness 5 stitch belt..

My Sig 239 in it's CTAC holster:

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Attachment 51358
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Reaaly? how many
Tauruses have you owned? i have a ruger, 2 taurus'. my father has an S&W, ithaca (from WWII) a ruger, browning, and a springfield. i love my Taurus well hell i love all of em. i have had no problems with any of them. just about all of these brands are good in my book. thats my opinion. just like yours is that they are junk. i dont think so. it aint about what we dont like. its about what has worked for us and what will work for him. only he can choose what works for him. and I dont think i wanna find bubba in the middle of winter ha ha

Well if Colt still made a wheel gun it would be supreme hands down! Ruger is tops right now. But some cannot fork the money and may not be going to put cases of ammo thru a revolver. And I guess for pp ammo, just make sure it is corelokt of somekind so the jacket doesn't separate from the lead.

have not owned any, buying a tarus is like buying a hi point....it's only as good as the warranty and needs the warranty.....

But then again, I'm new to shooting, have only been shooting since 1977 (the YMCA camp in the early 70's does not count as we only shot 500-1000 rds of .22 ammo) when in high school I was on a .22 rifle team shooting matches & shot my 1st hi power match with a M1 Garand when I was 18 & got the M1 Thumb as my prize....oh and I've have had my concealed carry permit continuous since 1984 except when stationed overseas.....

This is part of the current stable of pistols....

Attachment 51355

However, instead of reaching for a pistol, I'd much rather reach for this little jem...
Attachment 51356

Nice collection! And I love the M1, best rifle ever made! That's a very nice "black evil rifle you have there. you buy or build it?

Yes...:U:

She's a LaRue Stealth upper with a LaRue SPR mount and DMS 1x4 scope (soon to be replaced) & magpul XTM and ladder rail covers & a Primary Arms 3 cell 123CR LED light that illuminates targets out to about 150-200 yards (not pictured)

The lower is a Lauer (LMT) with a RRA 2 stage trigger, KNS anti rotation pins, Vltor Emod stock, Magpul MIAD grip (soon to be changed)