# Which first 9mm pistol for a beginner with 8 months experience



## Gawp (May 15, 2019)

Hi,

I'm finally able to legally buy/own a handgun in my home country (France, so it's not easy!).

The problem is: I could only try a few pistols at the shooting range because they don't have many and I don't know what to buy.

I just know that I want a 9mm pistol for regular target shooting at 15m-25m (roughly 15-25 yards).

At the shooting range I could try:
-Glock 17/19 Gen5
-Sig Sauer P320
-Sig Sauer P226 LDC
-CZ Shadow 1 (SP01)

I really dislike the Glocks: the trigger feels weird to me and also it's a very light gun, which I don't like because the recoil kicks a lot/is hard.

On the other hand, I like the CZ Shadow 1 very much: the trigger is very smooth/light and it's much heavier so the recoil feels much better.

In short, I'm looking for:
-A 9mm pistol
-Pretty "heavy"
-With a "smooth" trigger
-For target shooting
-Under $1500

Can you recommend me pistols like this?


Thanks a lot for your help!


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

You may want to look into a 1911 9mm. Colt makes a nice competition 1911 in 9mm.


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

https://www.colt.com/series/COMPETITION_SERIES


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## .32auto (Jan 20, 2018)

My vote is the Sig 229.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I am unfamiliar with all of your choices except the Glock.

It is my opinion that a beginner (which you still are) will do best with an all-steel pistol (rather than one with a plastic frame) which has a consistent trigger system.
An all-steel gun will be heavy enough in your hands, to help reduce recoil effects. But as you gain experience, and learn to grip the pistol tightly, recoil will become much less important.

The most important issue, I think, is that _the gun's trigger action should be consistent_. You do not want a gun, the trigger of which transitions from a long, hard, double-action (DA) pull to a short, lighter, single-action (SA) pull after the first shot has been fired. (This is called "traditional double-action," or TDA.)
You can choose from a single-action trigger on a pistol with a safety lever, or a double-action-only (DAO) trigger with no safety lever (like a Glock).

The P230 is a small, TDA, self-protection pistol. I believe that carrying a pistol is forbidden in France (although I am not certain), so the P230 would be of limited use anyway.
The P226 is a TDA pistol too, but it's full-size and all-metal, and I believe that you have the choice of using it in SA mode, with a safety lever.
The CZ SP01 is also full-size and all-metal, I believe, and it, too, has a TDA trigger which can be used as a SA trigger with a safety lever.

Truth: If I were in your situation, I would probably choose the Glock, partly because I'm familiar with it, and partly because it has a very consistent, DAO trigger.
You can learn to overcome its light weight by grasping it as tightly as possible, and by locking all of your arm joints (which you should do anyway).

Let us know which one you choose.


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## Clerk (Oct 31, 2016)

When I bought my first automatic it was a Beretta 70S in 380 acp. Of course they don't make them anymore but I had some good fine then!!

Clerk


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

I would recommend the Canik TP9 Elite or the CZ P10c.

Canik's have amazing triggers and a lot of features at a reasonable price. Very accurate paired with incredible pricing is the reason many of my friends are hunting them down to add to their collections after handling/shooting mine. I have two now.

The CZ is my favorite current striker fired pistol... great trigger, grip and sights. I recently installed an HB Industry trigger for $60 and it's even better now.









Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)

I have a Springfield Mod-2 in 9mm for the range.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Truthfully - you will get suggestions of various guns that is each person's favorite. But, my favorite may not be your favorite, and vice versa.

The best plan is to rent as many guns as you can. Save yourself from what I have done on occasion - buy a new gun, and discover that I really don't like it as much as I thought. Then, I end up selling it to buy something else.

Also, if you see someone else at the range - strike up a conversation. Quite often, they will let you fire a couple of rounds thru their gun. I have tried out many guns over the years - several that I knew I would not want after getting a chance to try them.


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## chip2 (Apr 8, 2015)

If you like the CZ and you shoot well with it, that might be a good choice. You could go farther and do much worse.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

CZ. I have shot the rest and the CZ line is my choice. BUT, it's only my choice. Try as many as you can before buying.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

I would have to ask this question, what handguns are available for you to buy in France? I thought they were pretty much banned in that country? Guess not totally.

Half the stuff we have access to here in the U.S., you might not even be able to guy there.


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