First pistol EVER!!!!

[nmt252]

1) my first post on this forum
2) this will be my 1st firearm ever, and I am trying to find a one-size-fits-all handgun (or as much as possible).
3) I will probably use it as a conceal carry down the road

I have been researching handguns alot over the past month or two. I've shot a couple (Springfield XD 9mm and Remington .41mag revolver). I will use it for home defense and personal defense while traveling, camping, hunting, etc... After I purchase this firearm I will take it out to shoot enough to get comfortable and reasonably accurate with it, and then it will sit dorment for most of the time....i.e. I will probably put 1-200 rounds through it a year (hence price being a top consideration). I also want a pistol my wife can shoot if need be. She is not overly comfortable with firearms in general, BUT if the situation were to arise I want her to be able to fire it. (this will be important in a minute). I have been debating between the Sigma and SD. From a price standpoint I want to go with the Sigma. however before I purchase it I want to make sure that the Sigma can have the same accessories that the SD carries. the SD has a standard rail so I know I can pick from dozens of lights, lasers, etc... If it costs me $200 to modify/adapt the Sigma to add these options well it might make sense to step up to teh SD. that said here is my main question: Is there a laser/light combo for the Sigma that has a pressure switch actuator? My thought is that on the unlikely case my wife does ever have to use this firearm, she can basically pick it up and aim "the little red dot." If I'm out of town and bad guy wants to invite himself into our house she can pick this handgun and let the guy know he's unwelcome. I know a scattergun may be a better option for this, BUT at this point I want to get the handgun so I can have a conceal carry firearm. I am sure the shotgun is in teh near future.

any thoughts on the laser/light combo would be much appreciated.

regards

 

[bitstream]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!!!!!!!!

Check out the sticky posts at the top of this forum, a number of lasers are available as is a conversion kit to add standard rails to the Sigma (about $12 for mine). You can get lasers specifically made for the Sigma rail though.

I have a Sigma SW40VE. My wife is VERY sensitive to grip. We went through the entire gun show with her gripping hundreds of guns. She dropped most of them the moment her hand wrapped around them. When she tried the Sigma, it didn't fall back on the table. She picked it the rest of the way up and tried it in both hands and she said "this one". I tried it out myself and liked it too. Since then she's fired it at the range and has no problems with it. I like that it doesn't have an external safety or any other impedance; if she had to use it all she has to do is point and click. She has asked me to put a laser on it; so that's probably next on my list (her vision isn't that great, so using sights isn't going to happen with her). She can at least hit a silhouette at 7 yards fairly good, so I feel happy she can use it if needed. The laser ought to make it much better.

BTW, there is even one combo (laser/holster) on that sticky post that the laser activates when you draw from the holster and turns off when you reholster (a magnet in the holster turns the laser on/off).

Post back often!!!

 

[leejack]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm no expert on the bells and whistles, but as pointed out above, there is a sticky up top that should answer your questions.

The SD does have a standard rail and a few other goodies. It does however cost more. The primary thing is a lighter trigger pull as I'm told.

We have a 9VE and love it. After trying out several guns, my daughter picked it out, primarily due to it's superior ergonomics over others she tried. The gun is a natural pointer for sure.

Now, on to the trigger: Many who don't like the sigma, primarily don't like it because of the trigger. It is a bit heavy (relatively speaking). I think it's actually the ideal trigger for a striker fired self defense gun; especially a gun without a safety lever. If you ever have to pull a gun off the nightstand in the middle of the night with adrenaline pumping, you certainly don't want a very light trigger that may lead to an accidental discharge. In my opinion (I know I'll get jumped on for expressing it), the sigma trigger thing is the most over blown thing on the internet. We have never thought it was an issue from the get-go; we like it allot!

I think an SD or sigma would be a great choice for what you're looking for. Both guns are made in the USA and backed by outstanding warranty and customer service.

We shoot our sigma very well, and it has never failed in any way. We have had nothing but fun, everytime we take it out!

For the record: I am a huge advocate of training and practice!

Best of luck!

 

[nmt252]

re: practice/training - my brother in law is in the police academy and looking to get on with a local PD. He's pretty gungho about shooting and range time so in order to keep up with him I will absolutely have to practice...as I can't let my wife's little brother show me up.

 

[Medevack]

Welcome!!!!! the 1st good thing is that this is an awesome forum you will learn a lot from these guys, 2nd you don’t have any bad habits to carry over to the new gun so that’s good too and 3rd you got a hell of a handgun in your possession shoot it, take care of it and please Take the gun safety CCDW course before you conceal it......be safe with it. good luck!!!!!!

 

["JJ"]

Welcome to the forum!!
Congrats on the decision to take advantage your right to protect yourself & your loved ones!

The Sigma is about the best semi-auto gun you can have as a beginner.
It will force you to learn the basics to become proficient with your or any other weapon.

With that being said, I might suggest looking at a revolver.

I don't know your home situation, but there may be a safety concern with leaving a round in the chamber. If there is, are you or your wife, in the heat of the moment going to be able to remember to rack the slide to load one. The only reason I ask is the amount of shooting you thought you might do. Obviously if you put 2000 rounds a year through your gun YOU will know it frontwards and backwards. If she does not go with you, she may not know it that well. 200 rounds a year may be like a quick learning session each time you shoot it.
There is also a concern of some lubes congeling or hardening after sitting up for a long time. This could lead to a malfunction over time.
Both of these concerns could cause a bad situation to get worse!!

A revolver has less moving parts and requires less actions to operate. It is simply a point & shoot gun!

Please don't think I am talking you out of the Sigma. I feel it is the one of the most dependable guns on the market. With a lot less than proper care, it will go bang! Out of any autos I have fired in my gun life, it would be the one I would recommend.

Now one final note:
If you are anything like myself, you will get the gun & get HOOKED. You will enjoy shooting so much that you will have RANGE TRIPS that you shoot 200 rounds in!! You OCD will force you to hit as close to the bulls eye as possible. This will force you to practice more & more. You will learn the operation of the gun to be the best you can be with it!
If you are anything like me, get the Sigma!!!!

Good luck with what ever you decide!!
Keep us updated!!

 

[nmt252]

JJ - very good point on use and the benefits of a revolver. I guess at that point I could go with a .357mag and have the bear gun (see original post) and then if I want to go out and go plinking then load it with .38 rounds. Of course the crux here is that the .357mag is going to be a lot of gun for the wife to shoot, and a .38 is pretty much worthless against a mountain lion or bear unless you're a marksman and can put 3-4-5 rounds exactly where you want them...which would then say that one spends a decent amount of time at the range, and therefore would have a very good understanding of their firearm...and back to the semi-auto.

aw heck, sounds like I need to start with a Sigma, and then just start filling the gun case.

as a side note, no matter which firearm I go with we're going to buy a biometric safe. Pricy yes, but to keep them securely away from the kids, but still have quick access to them I think this is the way to go. We'd probably go with something small that can tuck rite behind our bed.(we don't have a nightstand with drawers) or take with us while traveling or camping.

edit/addition - thought for home defense (probably the only time my wife would ever need to use it) is that since it will reside in a safe we could keep a round chambered. I was also looking at a light/laser combo, so quite literally all she would ever need to do is pull it from the safe, follow the little red dot and pull the trigger. to be clear - I would still make sure she gets out to the range with me every couple months to make sure she is staying familiar and comfortable with it... I guess a single action revolver would be a little safer in that she has to conscienously cock the hammer....

 

[kenster]

See if your local shooting range rents guns. You and your wife can try the guns before you buy. My local range charges $7 for first gun and $2.50 for every gun there after.
I have a Sigma and payed $19 for rail adaptor.

 

[PDL]

First of all welcome to the forum.

But you seem to think that you need all that 'XXXX' hanging off the barrel to make it a useful firearm. They don't make a radar controlled handgun yet, and even if the red dot's on the target, if you don't know how to work it, You ain't gonna get the job done.

Don't get me wrong, all the bells and whistles 'can' add to your success ratio. But if you don't shoot, practice and train, well, lets just say, it isn't TV and when you tell them to stick'em up or freeze, it won't work like Law and Order or CSI or whatever.

Bottom line, even if you have all that stuff hanging from your gun, the batteries could just have failed or any other number of things as well. You've got to make it work just plane Jane, out of the box, in order to depend on it.

Didn't mean to sound too negative, and if it came across that way, sorry.

Both of the firearms you mentioned would work fine. Just get out and do your part.

 

[.357 mag]

1) my first post on this forum
2) this will be my 1st firearm ever, and I am trying to find a one-size-fits-all handgun (or as much as possible).
3) I will probably use it as a conceal carry down the road

I have been researching handguns alot over the past month or two. I've shot a couple (Springfield XD 9mm and Remington .41mag revolver). I will use it for home defense and personal defense while traveling, camping, hunting, etc... After I purchase this firearm I will take it out to shoot enough to get comfortable and reasonably accurate with it, and then it will sit dorment for most of the time....i.e. I will probably put 1-200 rounds through it a year (hence price being a top consideration). I also want a pistol my wife can shoot if need be. She is not overly comfortable with firearms in general, BUT if the situation were to arise I want her to be able to fire it. (this will be important in a minute). I have been debating between the Sigma and SD. From a price standpoint I want to go with the Sigma. however before I purchase it I want to make sure that the Sigma can have the same accessories that the SD carries. the SD has a standard rail so I know I can pick from dozens of lights, lasers, etc... If it costs me $200 to modify/adapt the Sigma to add these options well it might make sense to step up to teh SD. that said here is my main question: Is there a laser/light combo for the Sigma that has a pressure switch actuator? My thought is that on the unlikely case my wife does ever have to use this firearm, she can basically pick it up and aim "the little red dot." If I'm out of town and bad guy wants to invite himself into our house she can pick this handgun and let the guy know he's unwelcome. I know a scattergun may be a better option for this, BUT at this point I want to get the handgun so I can have a conceal carry firearm. I am sure the shotgun is in teh near future.

any thoughts on the laser/light combo would be much appreciated.

regards

Welcome to the Forum!!

I would look at a K frame .357. You can find a used 4 inch 66 for about 400-450. The model 19 maybe less.

If your planing to keep the gun loaded all the time the revolver is a good choice because all the spring are at rest.

I love shooting my 66 with .38's and .357's. Its very accurate and as ajustable sights. Hitting a 4 inch spinner at 30 yards offhand isn't out of the question anyday of the week.

The Sigma/SD are also great guns. I have currently 17,500 rounds though my Sigma with Zero FTF. Price is great and 9mm ammo is cheap compared to others. My wife as trouble with the recoil of the Sigma. (shoots the 66 fine).

Good luck with your choice.

>357 mag