# Buying first gun...need lots of advice!



## MrBoges (Jan 13, 2010)

Ok so i will be buying my first pistol in the next couple of months and im torn on what get.My buddy has XD40 and i like the way it felt but havent fired anything else so have nothing to compare to.Looking for 5" barrell Semi Auto.Read a lot of reviews forXD45 and hear a lot of good things about it.I like the Sig P226 but seem a good bit more expensive than the XD's.Next one in question is the Beretta 92FS.Long story short i need a breakdown of the quality,reliability,etc of each of these and any and all recommendations for first time buyer.THANKS EVERYONE!


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## Sniper21 (Jan 9, 2010)

The biggest thing you need to figure out before buying a gun is what ur gioin to use it for, Then go from there. It will narrow things down quite a bit


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## MrBoges (Jan 13, 2010)

For home defense and taking to range. First gun not lookin for CC weapon. That will be second gun purchase


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## ng00 (Nov 18, 2009)

welcome to the forum. i'm a new member here too and found a good home here. 

i'm also a new pistol owner. i tried lots and lots of different pistols. loved the sig 226, but yes, a little pricey for a first purchase. i wound up buying a glock 17 9x9mm. I LOVE IT. I'm using it for the same purposes, home defense and fun at the range. then i'll get another one, but not to for concealed carry. New Jersey doesn't allow that kind of stuff. 

so take a look around the forum. lots of different sections here will answer all your question about everything.


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## twodogs (Oct 15, 2007)

You will read a lot about the gun feeling right in your hand, etc. I agree with all of that. The one piece of advice that I would give is to buy the best the first time. I have "settled" several times, not wanting to drop over $500 on a gun. I have now spend over a grand on guns, and I still don't have the one I originally wanted. I would have been better off to buy the one I wanted up front - assuming that would have satisfied the obsession. :mrgreen:


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## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

Lots of good info here, some bad... LOL

1) RENT as many guns as you can first. Nothing beats actually shooting one.
2) Start with a 9mm. It's much cheaper to feed, PLENTY of power for defense, and easiest to shoot well.
3) Start with a quality semi-auto. I currently shoot M&Ps, but I've owned XDs, Glocks, Sigs, etc... All of the above are fine.

Don't be afraid to buy a good gun for $500-600, and shoot the heck out of it, then switch brands or configurations later... we all have. I'm partial to the M&P for numerous reasons... it's accurate, reliable, low bore axis, decent sights, good trigger design (though rough, but cheap to get mod-ed), but MOSTLY ergonomics. The grip design/flexibility is fantastic. Most you'll find in stores have the medium insert in. Try all three. The Glocks are great guns, and have the most accessory options. The XDs are great shooters too, just tall and "chunky" in my hands.

It's all personal preference and fit. Pick a reliable gun, that feels good/natural in your hand. Then shoot it a ton.

Jeff


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## ng00 (Nov 18, 2009)

i wouldn't say i settled on the G17 cause i did love it. but, the Sig 226 was awesome....but way to expensive. 

i think the wife would have had a problem with the price. maybe next time though.


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## zetti1 (Dec 14, 2009)

+1 for JeffWard. There are a lot of good guns in that price range. I too like the M&P 9mm. It feels good in my hand and the 9mm ammo is less expensive than the .45 (almost 50% less). You may want to consider a CZ. They are very good guns, reliable and reasonably priced. Academy Sports carries them as well as many local gun shops. I suggest looking at prices online and use this as a benchmark for cost. You will not pay sales tax (most of the time) ordering online but you willl pay to have it sent to a FFL and shipping. I personally prefer to buy locally if the cost is not much higher. Good luck on your quest. Half the fun is doing the research and getting opinions which will vary significantly. Remember a gun that is good for one person may not be the best gun for you.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

i don't know of any gun that has been torture tested more than the 1911 45, the beretta 92fs and glocks
truly reliable
9mm ammo is a lot cheaper and is plenty efficient


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## gunluver (Jul 23, 2009)

I own a Glock 19 and a XD45, both are great, reliable guns.....but they feel very different in your hand. I would recommend whichever feels best to you. If you can rent them, that would be ideal.


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## MrBoges (Jan 13, 2010)

I've fires my buddies xd40 which was my first time actually shooting real gun and I liked
it a lot and felt good.how much difference is there in kick between .45 and 9mm? Planning on going to range this weekend and renting about 3 or 4 different pistols.


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## VietVet68 (Jan 10, 2010)

MrBoges said:


> For home defense and taking to range. First gun not lookin for CC weapon. That will be second gun purchase


Sorry I can't answer your question but, you will have to make this decision for yourself. Based on what you've said up to now 
you're looking for a gun, semi-auto, for home defense, which means you won't be carrying it around at all. That eliminates a lot of questions right there. Next would be which caliber? I would recommend 9mm for 3 reasons:
1. It's available
2.It's fairly priced
3. It'll do the job
Next is the question of maintaining the gun and frankly a plastic gun really needs minimal work. I have a Glock 19C and one of the reasons I love to shoot it, over my Kimber 1911, is that it's so easy to maintain and the ammo is much cheaper.
I think you're taking a very smart, patient approach in making the decisions for your 2nd gun. You will easily learn what you do/don't like about certain guns and you'll be an informed consumer when you make that 2nd decision. I wish I'd had your patience when I began playing with guns.
Good Luck
Jack


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

If I was buying a first gun for someone who left it strictly up to me, it would most likely be an XD-9, a Glock 17 or 19, or an M&P in 9mm, depending on which was the best deal. All are great $500 pistols that are user friendly, accurate, and easy to maintain. 

There are lots of others, but I know these are good, so I wouldn't waste a lot of time shopping. As for buying one that is 'just right' for you, that's good, but you can adjust to about anything if you are dedicated to learning to shoot well. When it's all said and done, all you are doing is keeping your sight picture on the bullseye till the bullet leaves the barrel, and a good shooter can do that with almost any gun he picks up.


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## buck32 (May 26, 2008)

Beretta 92FS/M9 was my first hand gun and it still goes with me to the range. I shoot it the best out of all my handguns. Rent and shoot is the ticket.


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

Welcome to the forum from North Central Texas.

+1 JeffWard well said.

Same advise I like to give.

Try many 

Buy quality

Only listen to people that think several brands are good (because several brands of guns are excellent).

Good luck on your search.

:smt1099


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

http://handgunforum.net/showthread.php?t=14198

check out this thread. It helped me out quite a bit when I was looking for my first handgun. I wound up buying the one gun I didn't think I would... a Glock 19 :mrgreen:

as it's been said before, rent, rent, rent. Everyone's hand is different, and only you can tell what will fit you best. I would also suggest shooting multiple calibers, 9mm is my favorite, but that's just me. I like how cheap the round is, yet it still provides efficient stopping power. Two of my friends purchased handguns, one in .40, and one in 45. They cant afford to practice like they should. Recoil hasn't been an issue, but only you can tell what you'll be able to shoot accurately.

good luck with your quest!


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## JoeInKS (Jan 17, 2010)

+1on JoeWard's post.


Rent a few and see what you think.

Most people throw at "Glock" and people buy them without trying them. They then realize that they either despise it or love it.

Can't go wrong, IMHO, with any of the large name brands and their hot models. Springfield, Glock, S&W, Ruger, CZ, Beretta, Bersa, FN, Browning, SigSauer, H&K.................

I personally like the 9mm and make it my round of choice. It's cheap, controllable, available, abundant, and for home defense purposes, you can pick from several good loads. Silly way of thinking about home defense possibly, but, if someone comes into my house my belief is that having more available rounds is more important than having the stopping power of a larger caliber. One shot from almost any pistol within a house is going to get anybody's attention and hopefully make them think twice about coming further into the home and closer to you. Might as well make that round as controllable in your hand as possible. \


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## MrBoges (Jan 13, 2010)

Well to all that given advice THANK YOU! ive made a decision..im buying my friends bi-tone XDM40.im paying 800 but before you freak out that im getting ripped off by a friend...its fired less than 1000 rounds through it,in perfect condition,and hes also including 400 rounds of ammo,a Crossbreed iwb holster,lots of targets,ammo can,cleaning kit,2 extra mags,and all the pieces that come in the original kit.I rented a few different ones and did a lot of research and decided the xdm40 is an incredible handgun for the price.Thanks for all ur help!


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## VietVet68 (Jan 10, 2010)

Good luck with it, I really hope it meets your expectations.
Jack


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

Good decision - I love my XDm










Mines in a 9mm, they shootlike a dream.

You're gonna love it.

:smt1099


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## MrBoges (Jan 13, 2010)

What are the best mods to do to it? From what i hear new sights and trigger kit would be good start? anyone have any input?


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

I put Meprolight Tritium 3-dot night sights on my XDm.

I've used Trijicon night sights before and both brands are good.

The Meprolight Tritium 3-dot night sights are bigger & brighter than the trijicons to me (as I'm getting older I need the larger sights).

Later I added the Crimson trace Laser Grips.

I'm not sure that I'll do any of these mods or some of them, but I'm looking at:

Match Trigger Kit
Billet Grip Safety - http://www.barsto.com/ coming in January 2010
Aluminum Extended Mag Release
Don's Stainless Guide Rod 
XDM Punch Kit 
Aluminum Extended slide stop
Aluminum striker spring guide
Powder River Titanium Striker Indicator and reduced springs
PR reduced trigger and sear springs
PR reduced travel striker safety and trigger over-travel stop
PRP Match Trigger Kit
PistolGear Operator mag well

A couple of quality companies are:
http://www.shop.canyoncreekcustom.com/
http://shop.powderriverprecision.net/ 
http://xdguys.com/shoppingcart/
http://www.pistolgear.com/products.php?id=46
http://www.customizedcreationz.com/

Not listed in any particular order and I'm sure there are many more good one's I haven't stumbled across.

I hope this helps.

:smt1099


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