# Shopping for my first handgun



## oubowtie06 (Jul 23, 2009)

Ok i am shopping around for my first handgun and i am sure i want a 40mm or a 45mm but not sure about manufacturer or model so im looking for a little direction. I dont mind if it is new or used either my budget is 500 dollars and under and something all black or black with stainless. I am getting my ccl for purposes like protection and safety also as well as a new hobby to take upon going to the ranges and just something diffrent than collecting baseball cards or playing on a softball team. I believe having the maturity of being able to carry a weapon and and get you ccl is a sign of respect and maturity.


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

oubowtie06 said:


> i want a 40mm or a 45mm
> 
> *Evidently, you do not know what you are talking about. I mean seriously - get a ruler and measure out 40mm. Do you think there is a handgun caliber that large? At this moment, you are putting the cart before the horse. You have a lot to learn about handguns and I'm sure shooting in general, and you need to learn this before you even *begin* to think about what to buy. You should take a basic shooting course, read up on types and calibers, and then once you know what you are talking about, come back here for more specific answers about the subject. Basic knowledge is very easy to obtain in a short period of time, and there are many places on the internet where you can get the basic knowledge that will allow you to converse in a more reasonably knowledgeable manner.*
> 
> ...


regards,
PhilR.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

oubowtie06 said:


> I believe having the maturity of being able to carry a weapon and and get you ccl is a sign of respect and maturity.


From who? If you're looking for validation of maturity and for people to give you respect, carrying a gun is not the way to go about obtaining either.


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## Darkness (Jul 21, 2009)

oubowtie06 said:


> I believe having the maturity of being able to carry a weapon and and get you ccl is a sign of respect and maturity.


Any idiot at the age of adulthood can obtain a pistol. Trust me, there are plenty of idiots out there that have pistols, who should not.


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## fliperoo (May 22, 2009)

*respect isn't earned by....*



oubowtie06 said:


> I believe having the maturity of being able to carry a weapon and and get you ccl is a sign of respect and maturity.


respect isn't earned by carrying the biggest stick, fear is. Respect is earned by being a person of responsibility and integrity. I mean no disrespect, and I may be wrong, but you sound young and very inexperienced. Please please please do yourself and everyone around you a favor and become very educated in the ways of handguns before making the step to CC. Walking around inexperienced with a loaded weapon at your side would be the ultimate disrespect to everyone around you.


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## dosborn (Apr 17, 2009)

Wow. Is this for real? :buttkick: You should read every word of every post of every thread on this forum.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Although *PhilR*'s reply to your post is just a little abrasive and abrupt, he is exactly correct.

The "40mm" and "45mm" you speak of are really _inch_ measurements, not millimetric. The correct terms are ".40 caliber" and ".45 caliber," and, in semi-auto pistols, that ".45" is usually written ".45 ACP."
Don't confuse inch measurements with metric ones. Examples: 9mm is approximately .38 caliber; 10mm is about .40 caliber, and 11.5mm is about .45 caliber.

I, too, will chime in on the maturity aspect. Carrying a _self-defense_ pistol will not make you a man or an adult, and it will not bring you respect. The only things that will make you an adult and gain you respect are maturity, experience, and competence.
Displaying your _self-defense_ pistol, and telling people that you're carrying one, defeats its purpose and opens you up to sneak attacks by predators who want to steal it.

Ask questions (here, or elsewhere) and pay attention to the answers you get.
Take a class on gun safety, which you may be able to attend without charge-ask at a shooting or gun club.
At the safety class, ask the instructor to help you find a guide or mentor, to help you learn the skills you need.
Practice your newly-learned skills. And practice. And practice. And practice...


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## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

What happend to the OP ? Did he use a 40MM on himself.


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

Not trying to be rude but, I would make some suggestions about places to look and research for a handgun purchase, but before that, check out this website, especially the safety and general info parts. There is some really good info on there, i consult it often.

http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Yes, Kathy has lots of good and useful information on her site.
I, too, should've thought of that.


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## falchunt (May 8, 2009)

oubowtie06,

Please do not take any of the comments in this thread the wrong way. I do not think that _anyone_ on this page intended to be offensive. We all have to protect our rights, and people who are irresponsible, or too immature to own firearms are a big risk to those rights. The comments that you started this post out with made it obvious that you are green to all of this, and some of the things that you said were slightly offensive to the rest of the members due to the previous reasons listed here. If you are going to be a gun owner, and possibly carry, it serves all of us well if you are well educated and well informed, and of course responsible. If you do have questions, please ask. I hope none of the comments or opinions on this page have offended you, or pushed you away from learning. Feel free to IM me if you have any specific questions. Good luck and please research and learn.

Be Safe


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## The Goat (Jul 23, 2009)

:buttkick: you guys are harsh:smt082


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## dosborn (Apr 17, 2009)

falchunt is right on. Just consider it as a kind hazing. You will look back and laugh too. Welcome to the club.:smt109


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