First pistol need ideas

[Astro14]

If you like the feel of the Glock 19, that's a good start.

Lots of folks like to bash Glocks, and the 19 in particular, but the truth is, it's the best selling gun in the world. Like the Toyota Camry of guns. It works well for a lot of folks. My daughters both learned to shoot on a Glock 19 when they were about 12, so it fits a variety of hands and the recoil isn't terrible. I own three at the moment. It's very reliable, a good size, with good capacity, in a common (inexpensive) caliber, and could be concealed if you're big enough or dedicate enough effort to concealment.

I think it's an excellent first pistol.

That said, go shoot and handle a couple of others. See what you like/don't like in grip size, angle, trigger feel.

I always advocate defining requirements before buying something. If you have specific intentions for the use of your first pistol, then begin your search with those requirements defined.

If it's just to have a pistol, then a 9mm is a good choice, as the ammo itself is the cheapest of all pistol calibers while providing good self defense performance with the proper bullet design.

And a Glock is an excellent choice for reliability, ease of operation, and resale value.

You get what you pay for.

 

[28oz]

I'm one of those that simply don't like Glocks. I don't like the ergonomics or the trigger. That said, they're fantastic pistols. Like Astro said, they are the number one selling pistol in the world and for good reason. But, that doesn't mean they fit everyone. There are plenty of other extremely competent pistols on the market, so hit a gun range and rent a bunch. See which feels good for YOU.

Personally, I love 1911's and Steyrs. Good ergonomics and triggers. I'm currently drooling over the new A2 MF offerings. The Steyr has the ergonomics that Glocks dream about at night.

 

[DavidJones]

I love my Steyr M40. It's an early 10 round model, nearly 20 years old now. I looked at all the 40's available at that time and the Steyr just felt better. My carry gun is a 40 cal SW M&P Shield, Performance Center.

 

[MajorCavalry]

Two of my favorite polymer pistols

Steyr S9-A1. Softest shooting pistol ever! Great, but unique, site. Great trigger!! Very accurate but not as good as below.
HK VP9-SK. Replaceable side and back panels on grip to customize. Not as soft shooting as above but very nice. Good trigger out of the box. My most accurate.

 

[LoneRanger]

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by Bottom_Feeder
Originally Posted by hatt
It's hard to go wrong with a Glock 19.

Except for the grip cutout on the gen 5's which made me regret buying mine. I don't know what Glock was thinking.


We can only get Gen 3s in California so that isn't an issue here.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by Dohc98vteC
Hey guys, I went to a gun show recently with my friends and really liked the feel of the Glock 19, any suggestions for a pistol of this size? I am open to other brands, seems like most are polymer these days which is fine by me.

Need more info
You are going to get 25+ recommendations here. Everyones' favorite is the one they primarily use themselves.
But until you mention how you will be carrying this pistol, then we can narrow down what product and what size to buy.
Do you want a shoulder carry?..... hip carry?...... pocket carry?..... ankle carry?
You never even mentioned how much you want to spend.

 

[ammolab]

Find a Taurus TH9. Single/double action..NOT striker fired. Comes with MEGAR mags and 3 size grip adapters. Nice for smaller hands and Half price of a Glock.

Wife has one. 100% function and quite accurate. Paid $238.00 New.

 

[PimTac]

I am going to buck the trend here. The OP says this will be his first gun. Does he have any experience with guns?

I like the idea of a revolver. Simple to shoot, simple to clean and maintain. Probably a whole lot cheaper as well.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by Dohc98vteC
Hey guys, I went to a gun show recently with my friends and really liked the feel of the Glock 19, any suggestions for a pistol of this size? I am open to other brands, seems like most are polymer these days which is fine by me.

Need more info
You are going to get 25+ recommendations here. Everyones' favorite is the one they primarily use themselves.
But until you mention how you will be carrying this pistol, then we can narrow down what product and what size to buy.
Do you want a shoulder carry?..... hip carry?...... pocket carry?..... ankle carry?
You never even mentioned how much you want to spend.

He never said he was going to carry it.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted by PimTac
I am going to buck the trend here. The OP says this will be his first gun. Does he have any experience with guns?

I like the idea of a revolver. Simple to shoot, simple to clean and maintain. Probably a whole lot cheaper as well.


Barring the pocket revolvers which wouldn't be a great choice revolvers tend to be more expensive than polymer pistols. A K or L frame, or similar, .357 would be a nice choice though.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Originally Posted by Bottom_Feeder
Originally Posted by hatt
It's hard to go wrong with a Glock 19.

Except for the grip cutout on the gen 5's which made me regret buying mine. I don't know what Glock was thinking.


We can only get Gen 3s in California so that isn't an issue here.

A friend of mine has a gen 4 Glock 34 he somehow got before they were outlawed in CA.

While I don't own any firearms myself, I've held a few and shot a couple. I like the Glock feel. Another friend's husband who is a trainer for a major security firm who shall remain anonymous recently bought a Sig P320 Compact. It felt good but didn't have the "heft" of a Glock. I've also shot a Springfield XD-9/XD-40 and a Ruger .45. The XDs felt weird.

 

[The_Eric]

Which one? ALL OF THEM! But seriously, try lots! Canik has several quality offerings that are value priced like the TP 9 and TP 9SF Elite. CZ has several worth looking into as well like the 75 (it actually has a few versions) the 75 P01 and the P10C. Bubbatime suggested the Walther PPQ M2 which for me has an incredibly natural feel in the hand and consequently I'm pretty accurate with it. Even on the first magazine, I shot great and it felt like an old friend, which is more than I can say for my Gen 5 G19.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Glock 19's are extremely common for a reason. They are excellent pistols and have a huge aftermarket so you really can't go wrong. But they aren't cheap and there are better values to be had out there. Many people do not like the grip angle (doesn't bother me) or the grip cutout on the newest 9mm gen 5 19's and 17' (drives me nuts). It all depends on what you want and what you're using it for.

I agree with whoever said to buy a decent gun as your first because it may end up being your only one. Get something quality and common but don't blow a paycheck on one. 9mm is a great choice.

Double-stack compacts are the hot item nowadays and everyone seems to make them. Coming from a gen 5 Glock 19 owner (which was my first handgun), I'd give a S&W M&P M2.0 9mm Compact a look. The Beretta APX series aren't lookers but they are comfortable. Walthers feel great in the hand but are expensive.

Lots of wrong choices but many right ones too. Good luck.

 

[bcossa2001]

Beretta 92 is my favorite pistol...especially if you have large hands. Fits just right, proven quality, and will shoot the sting off a bee. Highly recommended....

 

[gman2304]

Originally Posted by bcossa2001
Beretta 92 is my favorite pistol...especially if you have large hands. Fits just right, proven quality, and will shoot the sting off a bee. Highly recommended....

^^^This^^^. I love my 92!

 

[Dohc98vteC]

Nice suggestions, I plan on this mostly for the range and not for cc.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted by Dohc98vteC
Nice suggestions, I plan on this mostly for the range and not for cc.


Since it's for the range, forget getting a polymer pistol. Get an all-steel handgun with a great, single-action trigger, like a 1911. You can get a 1911 in practically any caliber you want.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by Bottom_Feeder
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by Dohc98vteC
Hey guys, I went to a gun show recently with my friends and really liked the feel of the Glock 19, any suggestions for a pistol of this size? I am open to other brands, seems like most are polymer these days which is fine by me.

Need more info
You are going to get 25+ recommendations here. Everyones' favorite is the one they primarily use themselves.
But until you mention how you will be carrying this pistol, then we can narrow down what product and what size to buy.
Do you want a shoulder carry?..... hip carry?...... pocket carry?..... ankle carry?
You never even mentioned how much you want to spend.

He never said he was going to carry it.

He is in the minority then. A vast Majority of first time buyers these days, buy it to carry it.... ever since the laws became lax about personal carry several years ago.

Since he's buying for range work and probably home protection, then the best buy is the one thayt fits your hand best and the one you have best hand control with.

Many times that's either a .380 or 9mm pistola. If the OP can afford a Glock and likes a particular Glock, then that's a safe bet on what he will get. 1911 in 9mm would be cool to own too.
Anything from Rock Island Armory on the cheap, to a nice wood stock Range Officers model on the upper-end.

Need to stop typing now..... I'm drooling.

 

[Al]

Probably the best in class. And if not..you can't go wrong with a 19