Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Palmerton, Pennsylvania
    (Carbon County)
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    Exclamation Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    Any suggestions? I'm mostly interested in accuracy(for practice and fun at the range), and stopping power(for home defense). I just wanted to get some opinions on models, how well they hold up, and what kinda price range they will cost me!

    Thanks,

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    York, Pennsylvania
    (York County)
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    have you shot before?

    If not I'd recommend a 9mm. if you have and if you know that you could handle it, a 45acp for defense.

    If you will not be carrying it I'd go with a full size Glock or 1911. Glocks run about $500. 1911's are all over the place depending on what features you want, but for a beginner I'd recommend a Springfield Loaded model (around $800 give or take).

    If you are going to carry it, go with a compact or subcompact Glock. They are just as accurate as the full size ones, but smaller and lighter, so felt recoil will increase.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    (Philadelphia County)
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    I would say go with 9mm or a .357mag or a 45ACP. A full size semi/revolver would suit your intended purposes well. Glock SIG, H&K, S&W, Ruger, Springfield, etc all make really great quality firearms starting at the $550+ mark. If you're lucky you can pick up a great condition used piece for considerably less. Good luck!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
    (Franklin County)
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    53
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dethknight View Post
    Any suggestions? I'm mostly interested in accuracy(for practice and fun at the range), and stopping power(for home defense). I just wanted to get some opinions on models, how well they hold up, and what kinda price range they will cost me!

    Thanks,
    I would submit that to get the "best" for each of the stated purposes, you need two pistols.

    For practice and fun, you can't beat a .22LR. Browning Buckmarks and Ruger Mark II or Mark III are very popular, accurate, and reliable.

    As far as home defense, a .22 is certainly better than no gun at all. There are a variety of calibers that would be well-suited for home defense. It's better to chose a smaller caliber that you can be proficient with than to buy the biggest thing you can find just because it has more "stopping power".

    Training and practice (IMO) are far more important than the caliber you ultimately select.
    Get your "Guns Save Lives" stickers today! PM for more info.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Halifax, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    Kel-Tec PMR-30, great for cheap shooting, inexpensive at $400-500, and for home defense 2-30 round mags of .22 mag, what's there not to like.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Kepler-22b
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    I recommend reading as much as you can, then going somewhere(most likely an indoor range) that will allow you to rent and shoot a variety of firearms to narrow down your search even more. You are going to get a bunch of opinions and recommendations from people who have experience with a wide variety of firearms here. Now it's time to form your own opinions and gain your own experience. It may cost a little more to rent and shoot first, but it's still cheaper to buy the right gun the first time. Keep us posted.
    Quote Originally Posted by dkf View Post
    Official Gun Bully and corn flakes pisser inner since March 2007.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    West Shore!, Pennsylvania
    (Cumberland County)
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    Quote Originally Posted by gnbrotz View Post
    I would submit that to get the "best" for each of the stated purposes, you need two pistols.

    For practice and fun, you can't beat a .22LR. Browning Buckmarks and Ruger Mark II or Mark III are very popular, accurate, and reliable.

    As far as home defense, a .22 is certainly better than no gun at all. There are a variety of calibers that would be well-suited for home defense. It's better to chose a smaller caliber that you can be proficient with than to buy the biggest thing you can find just because it has more "stopping power".

    Training and practice (IMO) are far more important than the caliber you ultimately select.
    Winner winner chicken dinner!

    Read this post over carefully a few times and then go buy two guns. You know you want to. In a years time you'll have at least three.
    Selling off a a sizeable Spyderco collection here

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    West Shore!, Pennsylvania
    (Cumberland County)
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    Quote Originally Posted by *Klutch* View Post
    Kel-Tec PMR-30, great for cheap shooting, inexpensive at $400-500, and for home defense 2-30 round mags of .22 mag, what's there not to like.
    MSRP is $299... I wonder if I'll ever see one for that much? Maybe in ten years... Thanks a bunch Kel Tec.
    Selling off a a sizeable Spyderco collection here

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Pittston, Pennsylvania
    (Luzerne County)
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    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    Quote Originally Posted by gnbrotz View Post
    I would submit that to get the "best" for each of the stated purposes, you need two pistols.

    For practice and fun, you can't beat a .22LR. Browning Buckmarks and Ruger Mark II or Mark III are very popular, accurate, and reliable.

    As far as home defense, a .22 is certainly better than no gun at all. There are a variety of calibers that would be well-suited for home defense. It's better to chose a smaller caliber that you can be proficient with than to buy the biggest thing you can find just because it has more "stopping power".

    Training and practice (IMO) are far more important than the caliber you ultimately select.
    I can agree with the above. It is much cheaper to shoot a .22 then a 9mm.
    troll Free. It's all in your mind.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Knoxville, Tennessee
    Posts
    71
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    42

    Default Re: Looking to purchase my first handgun!

    From your post it doesn't sound like you have that much experience with firearms. With that being said I would first find a firearms training that you can attend first. You could find a friend that has some firearms and offer to pay for the range fee and ammo. Then they can teach you and let you fire a variety of firearms. As a RSO (range safety officer) I would suggest the training class regardless. Most shooters aren't as safe as they think they are, and starting with only good habits is the way to go.

    As far as your first handgun. There is really no way to gauge what particular model would be best for you. I personally suggest getting a .357 Mag revolver, with a 4 inch barrel. The manufacturer doesn't matter too much (Ruger, S&W (pre-lock prefered), Colt , Taurus) some are better, some are cheaper. Your budget and preference there. Revolvers help in slowing you down when you shoot. I also prefer a Single Action (cocked hammer) trigger pull for beginners. It reinforces that touching the trigger makes it go boom, and you limit the trigger pull error of marksmanship to a degree. Shoot .38 special out of it for training and HD. Then buy a ton of ammo and shoot it until your sick of shooting it. Then shoot twice as much ammo again. By then you'll love it, know it, and be able to use it.

    As others have said stopping power isn't near as important as shot placement. The more accurate you are will have a larger effect on stopping power than the size of the bullet. I think most of us would prefer being shot in the leg by a .45 than in the head by a .22. Both will probably kill you but the .22 will turn the lights out with a quickness.

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