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first handgun

Discussion in 'Tilted Weaponry' started by ralphie250, Mar 18, 2017.

  1. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    Looking at purchasing my first hand gun. I don't own any pistols so to speak, I own plenty of rifles and such. It would be mainly for home protection. ive looked at a few but im not much of a gun person. looking at either a 9mm or a .45. with that being said the day I purchase one I plan on taking a gun safrty class just cause I don't know enough about them I know it sounds dumb but id rather be safe than sorry.

    what do you recommend? why? what do you have?
     
    • Like Like x 1
  2. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    I have a Walther PPS and the hubs has a Glock 17 or 19, I can't remember. I prefer the PPS because it has a little less of a kick and it fits my hands better. The Glock has two different hand grips that you can change out, which makes it a little more adjustable. I feel very comfortable with my gun and I was taught to take every single piece apart to clean and oil it, then put it back together before and after shooting it, so I feel like I almost developed a bond with it. It's definitely NOT dumb to take a safety class. Plus, take a concealed carry class and you can get a permit to put it in your glove box or under the seat while driving. The southeast is crazy with how you can carry without a CCL. Sure, officer, I'm going to drive around with a glock on my seat. That sounds safe.
    I would strongly suggest first trying out the feel (size, hefty, balance) of a handgun and then test firing to see what feels the best. That's really important. The feel. You have to be familiar and comfortable to be able to grab it at 4am and be confident in defending your home.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  3. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Be careful to research the IL and Chicago gun laws. Having even a simple handgun in your private home, even unloaded, can get you in serious trouble without jumping through the proper hoops. They are some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  4. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    You have many, many makes & models from which to choose, esp. in 9mm.

    If you have large hands you might want to consider a somewhat unusual caliber, 10mm, in a semi-auto. The 10mm has its detractors, but it is also considered a nice compromise between a .357 revolver (the .357 rimmed ammo can be a problem in a semi-auto) and the less powerful 9mm. 10mm ammo can be found, but it isn't as common as the other two. If you want your wife to learn to use it--a very good idea IMO--the handle will most likely be bulky for her smaller hands, but one way around that is her learning to shoot two-handed.

    Speaking for myself, I like a handgun to fit my hand so that I can grip it comfortably with one hand. BTW I can shoot ambidextrously. Some of the semi-autos have what I refer to as a military-style grip; they're a bit square, don't fit the natural curve of the hand. My understanding is they are designed for two-handed shooting.

    I don't have a problem with using a 9mm for home protection. TBF I currently own a .357 revolver and that would be my first choice if a situation reached the point of him-or-me/my-family. It helps that Texas doesn't limit the magazine capacity. The 9mm semi-auto I'm about to mention would give me 17 rounds in the clip, and I'd keep one chambered for 18 shots total.

    I have been doing some research on the Ruger SR9, one for me, & one for my wife. The reviews have been positive, and the flaws noted have been minor and largely a matter of personal preference. These are well-made semi-autos, but they're not heavy-duty military grade; IMO not many civilians or homeowners need a pistol that meet those requirements. And with a street price of about $350.00, they're very affordable.

    Would a $700.00 Glock be nice to have? Certainly.
    Will the Ruger--at half the money--do the same job for the average homeowner? Yes.


    Ruger® SR9® * Centerfire Pistol Models

    ----------------------------------

    I won't be a bit surprised if I get cyber-stomped for the above post. Folks can be very passionate about guns.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    my wife wants nothing to do with any gun. she hates them long story, they don't bother her being in the house, she just don't like em. and yes @chris Nyob I have large hands.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    why is that? is it cause Obama is from there? or its just the state?
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member


    That's a landmine of a question if I've ever heard one.... :p

    First, no, I don't think Obama had any impact either way really. The gun control laws have largely been in place far before anyone knew who he was. In fact, the gun control laws in IL were even MORE restrictive until 3-4 years ago. Before then it was completely illegal to carry a handgun at all in the entire state of IL as a regular citizen. Eventually those laws were struck down as unconstitutional and IL was forced to create laws allowing some concealed carry. Until then it was the very last state to keep it outlawed. Now you can get a concealed carry permit after going through 16 hours of training, getting a FOID card issued by the state police, and sending in an application for approval. IL technically still has far more latitude than most states to reject someone's application, but in practice it seems like they are approving most of the ones properly filed.

    There are still a few unique gun laws to IL. To even legally touch a firearm, or legally have a firearm in your home (or any interpretation of in your "possession") you have to have approval from the State Police. That is the FOID (Firearm Owner ID) card I mentioned above. It's a basic application stating that you want permission to possess a gun, that you don't have any domestic violence convictions, orders of protection, severe mental health issues, and a handful of other things. Again, it's generally approved every time, but technically you can be convicted of various gun crimes for even owning or holding a gun without that card. Every time you buy ammunition in IL you are asked to show it, and you can't touch a gun at any shop without presenting it first.

    As to the motivation behind that, it's a complex thing. Without getting too partisan in the explanation, I think it is a function of the huge disconnect between the city of Chicago and it's collar suburbs and the rest of the state. Chicago and the immediate area is heavily Democratic and fairly liberal leaning, especially when it comes to gun laws. The rest of the state is mostly Republican and much more conservative, with a more traditionally rural view of guns. Talk to people in the city, even Republicans, and they mostly seem to think you are extreme if you feel the need to own or carry a gun. Talk to people way downstate, even Democrats, and they view guns as no big deal. However, since most of the population is in/around Chicago, when it comes to state laws, that view holds most of the power.

    Obviously there is a huge amount of gun crime in the city of Chicago. However, if you were to look at all of the violent crime in Chicago plotted out on a map, you'd see that most of it is centered in just a few neighborhoods:

    [​IMG]

    Stay out of the 4-5 red/orange areas (two neighborhoods basically) and there is average to lower crime than other large cities. The results of what happens in those areas drive a ton of knee-jerk reaction policies, spending, and laws, including many of the gun laws here in IL. Personally, I think most of the gun laws are "feel good" reactions by politicians and have little impact on crime. Often the laws aren't even enforced as they are written anyway. If you made it mandatory to get the death penalty for shooting anyone, I don't think it would have much impact on curbing the crime in those places. Conversely, I don't think letting everyone carry would change much in those neighborhoods either. The problem is much deeper, and won't be fixed without massive social and economic change in those areas.

    In fact, I think, believe it or not, crime stats are most impacted by the weather. Seriously. Mild winter? More shootings in Chicago. Warm weekend during a normally cold time of year? More shootings in Chicago. Especially hot weekend in the summer? More shootings. Cold and rainy weekend when it's usually warm and dry? Less shootings.

    Check this link out: Crime vs. The Weather

    I honestly just found it when I googled info to support my statement above, but it seems to point to some connection, eh?


    Anyway, that's the best layman's overview I can give to answer your question. Obviously anyone with a more partisan view either way will take issue with some of the above, but I tried to lay it out as neutrally as possible.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  8. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    That is one hell of an explanation, @Borla
     
    • Like Like x 2
  9. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    Ralphie you've shared some details about yourself in other threads that lead me to say:
    Please do not purchase a handgun now.

    Thank you.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  10. KirStang

    KirStang Something Patriotic.

    There's a ton of service type 9mms and .45s on the market today. The Glock 19 is generally universally praised for compactness, shootability, and capacity--so much so that Delta actually adopted it for some of their sidearms. HK, Walther, FN, S&W all produce good 9mms with 15+ rounds of capacity in a generally reliable package. .45ACP pistols generally tend to be large, which makes them less versatile, should you ever decide you want to go the concealed carry route.

    If you can rent some pistols at the range, here are some I'd recommend:
    1.) Glock 19
    2.) S&W M&P 9 (ver. 2.0)
    3.) Walther PPS
    4.) HK VP9
    5.) 1911 (so you can get a feel for what good triggers should feel like--capacity, weight, reliability make this gun generally not very good for your sole pistol).
     
    • Like Like x 2
  11. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    yeah theres about 100 different choices of guns to rent at the range. its $20.00 to rent and that includes any gun as long as I am there. only thing I have to pay other than the 20 is for ammo.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    A single $20.00 rental fee will cover as many of the 100 guns you want to try? IMO that would be money very well spent (and I'm a cheap bastard :D)!

    Put together a list, be sure to include KirStang's recommendations.....and of course mine ;), and research the prices. Some of the top handguns, esp. the ones I refer to as Military Grade (made to withstand extremely heavy use and still function under severe conditions), can be quite expensive. Some people would say cutting costs on a weapon that could be used to save your life makes no sense, like cutting costs on lasik surgery. I say for a homeowner/casual shooter is the difference between 5,000 and 500 jam-free and trouble free rounds that important? BTW/FTR I made up those numbers ^ only to illustrate my point. If you research specific makes & models you'll find a wide variety of testing with specific numbers.

    A thought: I have no experience with new, or even old, registration/application forms. Do they ask about meds?
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    yes only $20.00

    I have no idea on the meds
     
  14. ChrisJericho

    ChrisJericho Careless whisper

    Location:
    Fraggle Rock
    Glock 17 and Glock 19 are at the top of the list. Utterly reliable and keeps its value in case you ever need to sell it (sort of like a Toyota Tacoma).
     
    • Like Like x 2
  15. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    @ralphie250 is a Ford guy (literally :D).

    I did some looking at Academy (yeah, I know, go to a real gun store), was surprised to see that the Glocks weren't as expensive as I thought.

    For my wife & me, I'm still leaning towards the Ruger SR9 for me, and my wife like the feel of the SR9C. TX allows the high capacity magazine, and the extended magazine on the SR9C was very comfortable in her hand.

    Can someone explain the .40 verses 9mm to me? Back when I was into guns the .40 didn't exist. In fact, the wheel gun versus the semi-auto was a hot topic (and the choices in S/As were very limited compared to now).
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. omega

    omega Very Tilted

    I am not a gun expert, but here are my thoughts based on a little experience and some Internet surfing.
    I have two concealed carry pistols. The first one I requested upon graduation from the academy. That is a Smith and Wesson 442. Classic 5 shot .38 snub nose in a hammerless design. It was recommended by both of our range instructors, 2 master troopers. Both stated they carried it from off duty and they let me and another trooper try their out on the range before we ordered. One advantage of a hammerless revolver is that it is harder to foul and there is no slide to hang up. It can be fired from inside a jacket pocket. A slide can get hung up with cloth or if someone grabs it. Even pushed into someone's belly while wrestling on the ground can keep it from properly chambering a round. A revolver won't do that. Tradeoff is 5 shots, slow to reload, and no recoil absorption. With +p rounds it kicks like a little mule. My other concealed carry is a Smith and Wesson shield in 9mm. 8 rounds, slimmer than the revolver, and easier to sight down the barrel. Also the trigger weight is about half. I opted for the 9mm over the 40 for a couple reasons. The 40 is throwing 180 grains of lead at about 1000 fps out of the short barrel. The 9 mm is throwing about 115 grains at about the same velocity. So the 40 is a lot snappier. I find it harder to get back on target quite as quickly, particularly in a small concealed carry pistol. So I opted for the 9mm. Plus it's a lot cheaper for ammo for practice. Tradeoff is a lighter round. But one of the reasons many departments have gone to the 40 is the potential for cover penetration, like car doors and car windshields. That is not so much a concern for me for at the time off duty carry and for now potential concealed carry. And the 9mm has well developed rounds that have good characteristics for stopping targets.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  17. aquafox

    aquafox Getting Tilted

    Location:
    Ibapah, UT
    Any more luck on your search yet? Are you looking to carry it or strictly for home use? If just for home, a shorter shotgun with a light on the end of it might be more cost effective and simpler. For the handgun route - The Glock 17 is a fairly large 9mm that should fit your larger hands... simple and dependable.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. buzzgunner

    buzzgunner 180 gr. of diplomacy

    My first handgun was a used Smith & Wesson Model 15 police revolver.
    [​IMG]
    I bought it "under the counter" before I turned 18 from a black guy (the only one in the little redneck logging town where I grew up.) The story goes that he got a local white girl pregnant and needed fast cash to get out of town in a hurry! I don't know if that story is actually true, but it only cost me $75.00 and is still one of the most accurate handguns I own. (Yes, I still have it almost 45 years later.)
     
  19. omega

    omega Very Tilted

    Is that the actual gun? That's beautiful. Someday I will get a nice 357, hopefully with a 4 inch barrel. And you're right about the accuracy. Even my little 38 shoots flat out to 25 yards. Though that under 2 inch barrel makes it hard to sight.
     
  20. ChrisJericho

    ChrisJericho Careless whisper

    Location:
    Fraggle Rock
    He should have used the other hole, wouldn't have gotten her pregnant and still would have that beaut of a gun.