# Shopping for my first handgun....help!!



## Zakkit26 (Apr 15, 2013)

OK, so I am looking for some feedback or suggestions on choosing my first handgun. I have been doing a lot of reading online and have even shot a few different handguns so far. 
1. I am not looking for CC gun....so a longer barrel gun from what I understand not a bad thing?
2. This gun will mostly be used at the range or shooting course. 
3. I want a very reliable gun.
4. I want a 9mm....as I want my wife to be comfortable with the gun as well (she and I will be taking a class)
5. I do have two kids 3 and 6 years old.....I am also buying a gun safe.....but safety is always important. 

Hear is what I am thinking so far:

my first choice at this point seems to go in the following order:
XDm 9mm 5.25 
Sig P226 Mk-25 or even one that has the SRT trigger (loved the gun...cost may be more than I am wanting to spend $1000+)
MMP 9 pro (Liked this gun)
Glock 17 gen 4 (shot the worst with this one)
CZ-75BD (Not sure I liked this recoil on this gun)

Ok so give me your thoughts.......also what am I missing?


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I am in the process of purchasing a SIG P226 TAC-OPS. I should have it in my possession in a week or so. I also have a couple of Beretta 92FS's, and a 96FS Centurion. Beretta's are great guns. 

I'm sure that either a Sig or a Beretta would serve you well and meet all your demands.


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## GadgetXLT (Apr 15, 2013)

Honestly, I can't speak to the guns you've listed.

Have you considered a Beretta? I own a 92A1, and I absolutely love it. It is extremely accurate, and the fact that it (92FS, anyway) is standard issue for hundreds of organizations around the world speaks to its reliability. The recoil buffer in the 92A1 makes 9mm feel like a .22. For safety, the manual safety is also a decocker, and the double action trigger pull is so long and hard it is extremely difficult to unintentionally fire due to dropping or catching the trigger on something. Also has a chamber indicator, showing both a red indicator as well as a physical protrusion when there is a round in the chamber. It has a long barrel (more accurate) but is also quite heavy - I know you mentioned CC is not important, it wasn't for me either.

Just my $0.02, I'm surprised a 92 wasn't on your list considering what you're looking for.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Get a px4 storm, beretta


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## goNYG (Apr 4, 2012)

I think you should relook at the CZ, try the SP-01, the recoil is nothing. Also, yes, Beretta 92 variants are excellent. FNH makes a good 9mm too, I have the FNX-9 and like it.

I also have little kids and I obsessed about what safety features to consider (decocker, manual safety, blah bah) with regards to them, but I came to my senses eventually - no safety feature is going to matter if your kids somehow handle your guns unsupervised. If it gets to that point, you have an utter failure on your hands, and all that will prevent a disaster is happenstance, luck or God's grace, whichever you are a believer in. Invest in a great gun safe and have strict rules for yourself and any other adult in your house and follow them fastidiously to keep those guns locked up and out of the reach of those kids. Then, as they get older, educate them and educate them some more. Demystify guns for them and beat safety into them all the time every time.

That's my 2 cents. Oh, and give that CZ another look!


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## nbk13nw (Jan 24, 2013)

I have a Springfield XDm 9mm 5.25 Comp all black. It is a nail driver out of the box. For range or course work look into either the Powder River Precision or the Springer Precision triggers, awesome products. I also replaced the factory guide rod with a solid 3oz SS guide rod. Cannot go wrong with the 5.25.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Of the ones you listed for the uses to which you wish to put the gun, I would probably go with the M&P (not MMP) 9mm Pro Series full size, also known as the Long Slide) which comes with a 5" barrel. This gun is accurate, great fun to shoot, is one of the best handling and feeling pistols out there, and is very reliable.

Product: Model M&P9

You'd be hard pressed to beat this one.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm going a different route here.First,do you own or been around guns?

The Sig and maybe the CZ (don't know the model designation) are your best bets-kids and F the safe,they can be found out.What I'm trying to say is forget the "safe action" crap.You're buying home protection and want to practice at the range,locked in a safe from kids is like having 0.

Now,buy a 22 for the first,learn the fundamentals of pistolcraft and pass it on to the family with respect and competance.If not a 9 is the next choice but will hamper the young one's learning from recoil.I'm not saying it can't be done because my first handgun after a decade of long guns was a 44mag for hunting,but it's backward learning.I raised 4 kids with no safe,and the homestead was safe,but situations vary.A DA/SA is about the safest to be around with the uninformed while teaching,or DAO,but that hinders your teaching process (DAO).The oldest can shoot now and learn,now you have 3 teachers for the young'un.A 22 is also a lifesver,contrary to popular belief,so a little time and study there and then grab a 9,etc.

I say this because it pisses me off to no end a guy takes his "significant other" out to shoot and hits them with unrealistic expectations-youtube is a perfect example.Can't hit anything,hand hurts,front sight beans the forehead-not cool and just pushed another person away because of macho BS.

Having expelled my rant,the Sig or CZ.I'm not a plastic junkie with the safe action propaganda mindset,it's an excuse for lack of training at an early level and has bit trained people.Contrary to popular belief,which I found has started with the advent of the Glock,a DAO or safety does not slow you down if you know what you're doing.The last 6 words are the most important.

Forgot this:don't cheap out,you get what you pay for.If it's range use you want a semblance of accuracy,if for defense you want reliability before that.Don't compromise at $400 when you can save another 2 for muygooder quality.


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## momtotwo (Jan 22, 2013)

Of the ones you listed....I would pick the CZ or the XD. 

We have an XD...it is awesome. I have shot a CZ...it is awesome.

My dad has the 17...not so much for me. 

I am not a fan of the grip on a Glock. I am an average size female. I have been shooting my whole life so I am comfortable with many types of weapons and I don't like Glock grips....they are fine guns though. My husband has one and I like to shoot it but I don't like the grip. Glock does not have an external safety...you will have to be 110% on keeping it away at all times for the kids safety. I have a 3 and 5 year old. I know what a pain this can be....we have a Glock...it is obsessive that it goes straight from in the hide to the range then straight back.

I would not spend 1K on your first handgun. Period. You need to buy a nice gun, and lots of ammo so you and your wife can learn how to use it properly. Period. Ammo is more important. You will be very happy with the XD or the CZ.

I am not familiar with the M&P 9.


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## buddy_boy (Apr 16, 2013)

Zakkit26 said:


> OK, so I am looking for some feedback or suggestions on choosing my first handgun. I have been doing a lot of reading online and have even shot a few different handguns so far.
> 1. I am not looking for CC gun....so a longer barrel gun from what I understand not a bad thing?
> 2. This gun will mostly be used at the range or shooting course.
> 3. I want a very reliable gun.
> ...


Honestly. Most people think they maybe ugly as sin. But a Hi Point 9mm. Might give it a try. Reliable pistols, and fit pretty comfortably in most hands. GREAT gun for the low price.


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## sonja (Sep 16, 2011)

I tend to favor the XDm. Has your wife racked the slide on the CZ? A lot of folks with small hands and less upper body strength tend to dislike racking the slide on many CZ's. 

Sig is an excellent choice also. Being a DA/SA you will have to master two different trigger pulls with one pistol. I own both Sigs and Glocks, and have shot XD's, XDm's, and CZ's. I happen to like the XDm and the Glock a little better

Why the Glock -- very quick reset on the trigger and a consistent trigger pull from first to last round. XDm also has those features -- and the grip safety makes some folks feel more comfortable shooting it.

Once again. your mileage might vary. By the way, there are 9mm 1911's out there. That's another pistol both you and your wife might really like. Take a look.


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## blake38 (Apr 18, 2013)

GadgetXLT said:


> Honestly, I can't speak to the guns you've listed.
> ... The recoil buffer in the 92A1 makes 9mm feel like a .22. ...


High praise. Just wondering, have you shot a full size PX4 in 9mm, and if yes, how does the recoil compare to the 92A1?

~ blake


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## jtguns (Sep 25, 2011)

One more thought look for a Browning High Power, its old school but a great shooter. But thats just me.


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## Trev1337 (Apr 21, 2013)

Zakkit26 said:


> OK, so I am looking for some feedback or suggestions on choosing my first handgun. I have been doing a lot of reading online and have even shot a few different handguns so far.
> 1. I am not looking for CC gun....so a longer barrel gun from what I understand not a bad thing?
> 2. This gun will mostly be used at the range or shooting course.
> 3. I want a very reliable gun.
> ...


I don't personally find Glocks to be very practical for home defense if you aren't an experienced shooter because of the recoil. The lightness of the gun is the obvious benefactor to that as I presume you know and especially on the off chance that your wife would have to use it, I wouldn't think it would be the best choice.


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## plp (Jan 13, 2013)

This is a big decision for anyone with small children, on one hand you feel it is time to defend home and hearth, on the other you don't want to add another potential threat to naturally curious kids. I'd look at some of the great bedside, wall mounted touchpad gun safes, seems to me to be the best compromise between quickly accessing your weapon and providing a secure environment for little hands. 

FWIW, my folks were not gun people, quite the opposite. By the time I was 8 I knew where all the guns and ammo were (all inheritance guns from older family members) and these weapons were NOT secure by today's standards, by any means. Don't think you can hide them, don't think you can hide the ammo, keep everything under lock and key. 

A quick, cheap method is to simply put a padlock on a cabinet door in a bathroom or build a small box in a corner of a closet for ammo storage. It will not defeat determined burglars but will create a barrier for the little ones. Never rely on "but my kids would never do that!", yes, yes they will. They are kids.

The earlier you introduce them to firearms and safety rules the more ingrained those safety practices will be. Many of my friends growing up had multiple loaded weapons in the house within hands reach, yet made it clear they were off limits. I got my butt blistered by a friend's mom because I picked up a loaded handgun kept in a drawer, never told MY folks and never went near that drawer again. 

As to choice of handgun, that is unique to you and your spouse. Talk to your friends, find the shooters in the group, go to the range and try everything you can lay hands on before buying. Buy your own ammunition (it's just good manners). Everything you've listed could very well be either the best or worst choice for the two of you.

The XDm is a great handgun, one of my favorites for accuracy for me until I tried a Ruger P-89. The Ruger was love at first shot, my wife can shoot it equally well, and it left an addition two hundred dollars in my pocket for ammunition. 

Whatever you decide, both your wife and you need to take whatever safety courses you can get, qualified instructors whom actually see you shoot can do so much more to educate and inform than any web site.


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