So I think I have made a decision on my FIRST gun!!!

[gamble]

Morning guys.....I will start off by saying my first post asking a bunch of questions about some basics about guns got me some great answers and explanations!! So thanks to everyone who helped. I am leaning toward one of these two pistols...Of course it will also depend on how they feel to me when I actually hold them and shoot them...but I wanted to have some idea of what I thought I wanted before I went to the store...I don't know if this makes sense but I know so little I didnt want to get "sold" while at the store....I have looked at the Beretta, Colt and Glok and keep coming back to the Smith...2 of my friends are trying very hard to convince to buy a Glok .40 but can't give me good reasons other than "dude they are awesome" So please let me know what you think about these two or any other ideas about these other weapons like these....Again this is my first gun and I am looking for a home defense and targert pistol. I know I want semi auto..I don't want a huge kick so I can shoot accurately when I have to and I wanted a clip larger than 10.... Thanks again guys!!!


PS - what does striker fire - double action only mean?
Also do you guys buy online and have them shipped or try and find a local store to build a relationship with?

PSS - hey guys....one more what type of loads do you use for home defense that are easy to get and effective... For range stuff I would guess just cheapest stuff you can get??? Does shooting cheap ammo do any harm to your gun???





tks again......







Thanks again!!!!!!

the 9mm


Product: Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm




the .40 cal

Product: Smith & Wesson M&P40 - Full Size, Thumb Safety

[robctwo]

When I started pistol shooting I bought some very nice 9mms. I tried the .40 and recoil was too sharp for me to enjoy shooting.

I bought the CZ75BD and put the .22 Kadet kit on it. Getting a .22 conversion for your pistol gives you lots more shooting for few $ with your exact grip/trigger.

I don't think there is one for the S&W, but a good Ruger MKIII on the bench will do.

I still shoot a lot of .22. I get the muscle memory of the sight picture with a .22 shooting, and transfer that to the other guns.

[HCD]

granted this is an assumption but if you have no experience shooting a handgun i would get a small 6 shot target sighted revolver in 22LR of good quility and learn to shoot safely, and accuratly, then get your carry/home defence gun. you will have a base of information to make informed decisions on then.
good luck
hcd

[P&R Fan]

PS - what does striker fire - double action only mean?
Also do you guys buy online and have them shipped or try and find a local store to build a relationship with?

PSS - hey guys....one more what type of loads do you use for home defense that are easy to get and effective... For range stuff I would guess just cheapest stuff you can get??? Does shooting cheap ammo do any harm to your gun???

A Glock is a good example of striker fired DA. There is no external hammer to cock. The hammer, or striker is internal only, so that also makes it DA only.
Home defense loads in a semi-auto should be hollowpoints by a reputable manufacturer. Read the gun magazines, they are always printing stories about the guns and loads. One thing I will caution you on, whatever load you choose for self defense, run at least a couple hundred rounds through the gun so you know it will function properly. A new pistol often needs to have this done before it is reliable with any loads. Certain hollowpoints may not function well in certain pistols, better to find that out at the range. This is one area where a Glock does very well. They rarely ever malfunction. I'm not trying to sell you on a Glock, but they are pretty good in that regard.
"Cheap" ammo shouldn't hurt your gun. Again, get stuff from a reputable manufacturer and you should be fine.
Best wishes and stay safe.










Thanks again!!!!!!

the 9mm


Product: Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm




the .40 cal

Product: Smith & Wesson M&P40 - Full Size, Thumb Safety[/QUOTE]

[Backon4]

If you get a .40 Remington UMC for practice and UMC hollow point for defense, both are usually the cheapest and after a bunch of testing the UMC performed nearly as well as the rest with about 60% of the cost. Get both in 180gr so your practice has the same impact as your defensive.

About the Glock, if you are looking at 9mm you're best bet would be a 19. I am not a fan of Glock and do not like the grip angle but many others do. If you are choosing a .40 I would stay away from Glock altogether, while rare, catastrophic failures have happened and it has happened more times than I care to hear about. I really think that once you hold the M&P and try the different back straps you will have your mind made up.

[11B Lifer]

It looks as if your methodology for selecting a pistol is sound, and well thought out.
In selecting any firearm-I read reviews-then, handle the gun-shoot it. You sometimes find out some astounding things-like, some 9mms recoil worse than some .45s. Some small frame .380s will bite your hand. The tiny sights on a Colt 1903 are entirely adequate for defensive point shooting. The right trigger pull will help you to stay on target. And so on. Also, for a carry gun-try toting it around for a bit-does it pattern? Bulge? Is it hard to draw? You will narrow your choices pretty quick.

[kscardsfan]

Get the one that fits you best. I personally can hold, point, and shoot a glock just fine. Although I do tend to push the shots to the left with a glock. I haven't fired an M&P, but they way the feel in my hand is nothing short of spectacular. As far as ammo goes, I usually carry gold dots. They have a great track record and the nose shape is pretty conducive to reliable feeding. Although I have started using hornady CD in my cz-85 and it feeds slicker than greased oil poo in that gun. At any rate, good luck with your purchase and enjoy shooting it.

[TOF]

Dude. the M&P's are double awesome!!!
I am well beyond my first gun at 70 Yrs. and normaly only use the word Dude when talking about that type ranch over in the Wickenburg area.

I have had or have the M&P 9, 40, 45 and 45C. I have fired in excess of 30,000 rounds through them and can say from first hand experience, they are good tools/toy's.

Glocks are also but M&P is my preference for what its worth.

[gamble]

thanks so much guys and gals....looking forward to trying a few of these things out now!!! I hear the bad news is that they are like tattoo's once you get one you want another....then another......

[Backon4]

I've bought 5 firearms in the last 6 months and plan on picking up at least one more before years end. It is habit forming. Just wait til you get to shoot and play with an AR. Next thing you know you gotta have one or two or three.

[KEN L]

I recommend you go to an indoor range that has rental handguns. They generally have several different makes available. Try them all and you will soon know which one "feels" just right. I'm one of those that likes the Glock. My travel piece is a model 32 in .357 sig cal. It is the mid size Glock, a compact model. The same gun in 9mm is a Model 19. In my opinion, FWIW, the best all around self defense handgun on the market. Its got a lot going for it. But, when you get right down to it, it doesn't really matter what I like. Ultimately, its what YOU like. Whatever you decide on, you may decide later its not what you really wanted afterall and try something different. Its happened to me several times. My preference for a pocket gun has changed several times over the past couple of years. Its a personal choice only you can make. Take your time and you will find the one, or maybe more, that suits your particular requirements. Good Luck and Happy Shooting!

[blastfact]

DA trigger and striker really have nothing in common. The actions are completely different. DA trigger like found in a revolver is a clock work type action. A pull of the trigger rotates the cylinder, pulls the hammer back and releases the hammer. All in one input action.

A striker fired action is preloaded by racking the slide. When you rack the slide on a striker action the striker/firing pin is captured and held by the sear. The sear is connected to the trigger through a transfer bar. You pull the trigger the sear is activated by the transfer bar to release the striker. Its very simple. Now you can have say a Glock that has what I call a static sear. All most all major trigger tuning is done with the transfer bar. Then there is,, say a M&P sear. All tuning and real important action is done to the sear. With a few other areas in the action that helps. Then you have strikers like a Sigma that has a cam style sear. With the cam style sear found in the Sigma. It's trigger pressure can stack up on you. And there known to be gritty. Much can be done for a cam style striker by polishing and some basic spring tricks if you have good shooting skills and understand the action.

Bottom line. Striker fired pistols kind of suck. But it's a price that has to be paid for a poly frame light high cap battle pistol and to keep them so called cheap price wise. For the common shooter to LEO's.

As for caliber. Don't go below 9mm. IMHO a .40 is a ******* round. If you want that hole and some real power get a 10mm. I would purchase a .357 Sig over a .40 any day of the week. And there is always the lovely .45 ACP. 9mm and .40 the cheapest to shoot.

[dakasat]

It's your first gun, buy a .22!!!
I purchased my first Glock, the first generation model 17, in 1986 or
1987. I still have it and still shoot it often. It is accurate, easy to shoot and totally reliable. I am not even sure how many rounds it has digested. I'd say around 30,000 or so. It has never malfunctioned with good ammo and only malfunctioned with ****** ammo 4 times..4!
Honestly, I have not read enough of the thread to know just what you plan to use this pistol that you are buying for...self defense, target shooting, whatever...Suffice it to say that my pick for most any use provided you will only have one pistiol for the forseeable future, would be the Glock 19 compact in 9mm. I know, it ain't a .45, but you'll be able to afford to shoot it!!!
BTW: if you can find Winchester 127 grain "Ranger T" ammo in your area, try some. it's pretty darn accurate and packs plenty of wallop...1290 to 1310 fps out of my 19. Winchester USA 115 grain ball is a really good practice round too...A bit more than my two cents, but, ya know..
dakasat

[Frizzman]

If you haven't already done so, go to a good range that has rental weapons and try some out. Before that, get some range time and good instruction and learn the fundamentals of how to shoot a handgun effectively. As others have said, a .22 revolver or pistol is the best handgun to start with. I frequently go to the range in my area and see lots of people blasting away at targets with Glocks and Sigs and XD's, etc. and clearly they don't know how to handle and shoot their weapons. A magazine full of ammo of whatever caliber won't make up for being an inept gun handler. If I am suggesting you do what you have done already, then good for you. Guns can be a fun hobby but if you own them for serious self defense use, they are not toys. I have owned and shot all major types of handguns and I find that I can shoot them all well IF I do my part. Skills count more than the model of gun.

I have both Glocks and M&P's and find them more alike than different. That being the case, I prefer the American made product. S&W customer service is first rate. I buy all of my guns from one or two local dealers. They offer service and treat me as a valued customer. I like supporting the local, small businesses.

[obiwankabaldi]

I just had to chime in. There is no best gun. I tried really hard to like glocks. I tired two different ones and hated them both. Were they good guns. Absolutely! Could I shoot them well, hell no. Ergonomicly they were a pain. They just were not for me. I can nothing bad about the glocks other than that they did nto fit me well. Now the M&P is just a natural fit. I love the guns and shoot them well. Are they better than a glock? I do not think so, but are they better for me. Hell yes. Try and shoot all the guns that you are interested in. They will tell you what you want ot know. Dependability is critical, and you can't beat either of these two choices......

[jjgosik]

Picked up a new S&W SD9 the other day and absolutely love it. Being retired my wife and I had no problem with recoil.

[bluzman]

Originally Posted by obiwankabaldi

I just had to chime in. There is no best gun. I tried really hard to like glocks. I tired two different ones and hated them both. Were they good guns. Absolutely! Could I shoot them well, hell no. Ergonomicly they were a pain. They just were not for me. I can nothing bad about the glocks other than that they did nto fit me well. Now the M&P is just a natural fit. I love the guns and shoot them well. Are they better than a glock? I do not think so, but are they better for me. Hell yes. Try and shoot all the guns that you are interested in. They will tell you what you want ot know. Dependability is critical, and you can't beat either of these two choices......

Have to agree. Took delivery of an M&P 9 last week. Previously had shot an XD9, a Glock 19 and a full size M&P .40. The M&P felt the best in my hands and produced the best results at the range.

[Titegroups]

You can't make a wrong decision there, both are quality made guns, best thing you can do is shoot them before you buy. Give the XD a try too and buy what you like.

[6pack]

I really hate to rain on anyone's parade....but for a first gun I certainly do not recomend a semi-auto pistol.

I can't state this enough.

I'd suggest a long gun first, bolt action or pump. The rimfire suggestion was great, too.

If you have to have a handgun, then try a nice Ruger single action rimfire. this is a great place to start.


Oh well, off my soapbox now.