First Pistol-What should I get?

[Ramjo]

Hey guys, I was just wondering what some good options were for a first carrying pistol that may also be affordable to a college student?

[gregintenn]

Ruger LCP.

[babelt]

Ruger Super Blackhawk! 44mag! hahahaha

[Ramjo]

Ruger Super Blackhawk! 44mag! hahahaha

Man I love how those things look...I do want one but thats probably not gonna workout for carry brian lol

[pops572]

Glock 19/26.

[Chucktshoes]

Regardless of price, carry what you can competently use. Likely though any of the Glock/XD/M&P pistol lines would do you well. Go to a range, try out the different guns they have buy one you like best.

[laktrash]

Hard to go wrong with S&W J frame

[tnhawk]

Go to a range with rentals and try the different guns you are considering and find the one you are most comfortable with.

[Ramjo]

Go to a range with rentals and try the different guns you are considering and find the one you are most comfortable with.

Yeah I have really big hands, so a compact may not go so well with me.

[JPR1959]

Go to a range with rentals and try the different guns you are considering and find the one you are most comfortable with.

This is the best advice you can get. I would add to stop into a Wal-Mart or similar store and look at ammo prices too. It might help to narrow it down due to the price of ammo. There are tons of choices. Good luck with your decision.

[JReedEsq]

Regardless of price, carry what you can competently use. Likely though any of the Glock/XD/M&P pistol lines would do you well. Go to a range, try out the different guns they have buy one you like best.

+1; I'm partial to the Glock 19, but it can't hurt to try the big three. The LCP is OK, but if I could only have one gun, I would definitely stick with 9mm.

[Guest Red5]

Go to a range with rentals and try the different guns you are considering and find the one you are most comfortable with.

This is good advise.

I would add to stop into a Wal-Mart or similar store and look at ammo prices too. It might help to narrow it down due to the price of ammo. There are tons of choices.

And this is also. Whichever caliber you choose, be sure you can afford to practice often.

[Guest Grudgie]

The smallest is a NAA mini revolver in .22 magnum.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Buy the pistol or revolver that best fits your hands and points naturally when you take aim, ask the guys in the store if you can try it with a holster, what you want is to be able to naturally draw and aim with everything feeling comphy, like your not having to fight anything.. . it don't make no difference whom made it as long as it is a well made design and dependable..

[Guest justinlinkes]

i've got big hands myself and it doesn't stop me from carring a sig 238 bout half the time the other half i sport a full size 1911.it all just depends on where i am and how hard im tring to conceal. guess what im getting at is you should see what fits your budget and your needs on how you intend to carry.

[Guest buttonhook]

affordable to a college student?QUOTE]

almost anything Kel-tec

[CJDore]

How about a Beretta 92FS 9mm.......accurate and fun to shoot

[adam42]

For sure, get what feels best to you and don't worry about what others say. Take me for example, I have two that I carry at different times one is a Beretta Px4 in 9mm and a Dan Wesson .357mag wheel gun, just depends on the mood I am in and what I will be doing. Both are great shooters, I feel very good with either one. What feels best to you is the way you should go, you are the one pulling the trigger, not the group giving advise.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Shooting something first is the best advice you can get.

But while it may be hard to find one to rent and try out the Ruger SR9 is a 9mm with 17+1 capacity, the SR9c while Ruger calls it a compact is still pretty much a full size handgun with the same capacity or a smaller 10 round mag and comes with both. Both are pretty slim and easy to conceal and can usually be found under $400.

[Ramjo]

Thank you everyone for your input. At least now I have some direction on whats a good name brand and model to try out. 4 or 500 for a gun ain't that bad either. And yes as bad as I would like a .45, I probably would not want to buy the rounds I would need to practice with it.

[Guest mosinon]

How about a Beretta 92FS 9mm.......accurate and fun to shoot

I think I'm about the biggest fan out there but I'd think those would be a bit big for carry. I mean you could do it but they are kinda big and heavy.

The are awesome to shoot though. By far the best semi auto I've shot. Never shot a glock or a sig so I don't know much. I'd say western style wheel guns are even more to shoot.

[Guest 10mm4me]

Go get a used Glock 19 or 23 for $400 and call it a day.

[Guest The Highlander]

Don't know how experienced you are, or what else you may have in mind besides carry. But, I'd recommend a good quality .22 lr for a first pistol. Easy to shoot, cheap to shoot, great way to learn.

Second gun can be a carry gun. And you can't go wrong with a good Glock 17 or 19 in 9mm. Relatively cheap to shoot, all kinds of aftermarket parts when you want to customize. And the GSSF (Glock Sport Shooting Foundation or something like that) is just awesome for the benefits you get for a couple bucks a month.

The Highlander

[Will Carry]

You can hardly go wrong with a Glock 19, XD-9 or M&P. Rent some pistols and find the one that shoots well for you. More importantly, get some instruction. It ain't as easy as it looks to shoot well. Just a few tips can make all the difference. I like a Smith and Wesson J-frame revolver for carry. My concealed carry guns are:

Glock 19 (9mm) 16 rds

Glock 36 (45acp) 7 0r 8 rds

S&W model 36 (38sp.) 5 rds

Diamondback DB380 (.380) 7 rds

I don't carry extra mags, just extra pistols.

[1gewehr]

Affordable, huh? That means a lot of different things to different people. But I'll take it to mean "How cheaply can I get a decent carry gun". I'll sort some options for you, and you can go check them out to see what suits you best.

1) Best value in Inexpensive right now is the Czech CZ82. 9x18mm ammo (9mm Makarov) is not found at WalMart, but is inexpensive online. This is a well-made, reliable pistol with a 12-round magazine. Excellent ergonomics and accuracy, my wife stole the first one I got. Make sure you get two magazines with the pistol as spares are a bit pricey at ~$30 each. Pistols start at about $200.

2) If you shop, you can find some of the Polish P64 pistols for under $200. Another 9x18mm pistol, it is rather smaller than the CZ82, and has a reputation as having a bit of a fierce recoil. But, if you like pocket carry, this is a better choice than the CZ82. Magazines are a bit hard to find, so see if yours comes with two.

3) Keltec P3AT or PF9. The P3AT is in .380 (3AT, get it), and smaller and less expensive than the PF9. It makes an excellent pocket pistol. Both of these are double-action only, which means a long, heavy trigger pull. Not many people actually LIKE to fire these tiny pistols, but they are great for CCW. The P3AT seems to run about $250 on sale, and the PF9 about $50 more. Sometimes you can find a used one for less. Both Ruger and Taurus have come out with copies of these pistols. As far as I can see, the main difference is that the Taurus and Ruger are more expensive. If you buy a new one, expect to run at least a box of ammo (probably two) through it to 'break it in'.

4) And here is the "Wild-card, Student-Special" option!!:koolaid: Nagant revolver. Everyone on this board is asking me if I'm nuts! Nope, here's why. You can get a nice one for about $100! The caliber is 7.62 Nagant, but I use .32 H&R magnum in mine. The .32 Mag is about as potent as the proven .38 special, so the caliber is OK for self-defense. (I said "OK", not 'perfect') If you get a Lee hand-loader, you can relaod for about $.10/rd. It's a bit large for CCW, but not a whole lot. It's a 7-shot, but still slimmer than most .38s. Get one made after 1934, and it will have a chromed bore (higher velocity, less corrosion). And, because they are cheap and plentiful, you can slim the grips and chop the barrel back to 3" without feeling guilty. All told, you should be able to get a complete setup with loading tools and dies for under $200.

Have fun looking, and we'll see you at the range!