Relocated to PA->Looking to buy first 9mm->Need Advice

[S33401]

Hi Fellows,

Going to transfer my NJ dl to PA this weekend and looking to pick up my first gun within the week after. I'm thinking of buying the m&p pro 9mm but not sure if it's better to get new or used. This gun is primarily for home/family self defense but i will definitely use it at gun range for fun. I'm researching the PA laws and all the reviews for the m&p and it can get a little over loaded with data.

so my question is, if you were me (new to gun) what knowledge or experiences do you possess now that you wish you had someone years ago to tell you when you first bought your first gun? Like what to look out for when buying a gun, what kind of questions I should ask and etc.

Thanks guys.

[HKusp 45]

Ahhh the age old question everyone has a preference suggestion though , hit a local range and rent whatever you are interested in. See what feels right shoots right etc. Personally I have a glock for carry I find my m&p is uncomfortable but I also carry inside the waistband and my m&p is a full size I find the slide has some edges that make it an uncomfortable carry inside the waistband. You'll get a lot of good info here but at the end of the day your the one whose buying it. Is a manual safety important to you? then that rules out a glock, SIG makes a heck of a firearm too. Do you like double or single action and so on and so forth.

I'd hit the range and rent anything you think you might like and make it down from there. Oh and hi point doesn't make handguns, they make carbine's and handgun shaped anchors.

[wanneroo]

Not a fan of the M&P line, horrible trigger. OK gun overall but there are plenty of much better options for not much more or the same $. Glock 17 or 19, Walther PPQ, H&K VP9, etc.

What you might want to do is find a rental range and try some different guns out and see what you like. Also if you don't have a lot of experience it's not a bad idea to seek out some training.

[Gunsnwater]

Hi Fellows,

Going to transfer my NJ dl to PA this weekend and looking to pick up my first gun within the week after. I'm thinking of buying the m&p pro 9mm but not sure if it's better to get new or used. This gun is primarily for home/family self defense but i will definitely use it at gun range for fun. I'm researching the PA laws and all the reviews for the m&p and it can get a little over loaded with data.

so my question is, if you were me (new to gun) what knowledge or experiences do you possess now that you wish you had someone years ago to tell you when you first bought your first gun? Like what to look out for when buying a gun, what kind of questions I should ask and etc.

Thanks guys.

I will tell you how I did it, it worked for me. When I was around 10 I got an air pistol that was target quality. I had a shoe box full of co2 cylinders and a cool whip tub of pellets. My grandfather had a bungalow he built himself along the skukill river and I shot that gun everyday all summer long. Trigger pull and sight alignment with no noise or recoil. When I moved into black powder then cap and ball and finally cartage guns it translated well. The thing I grew to relies is you don't need adjustable sights. Nearly every quality handgun is "on" out the box. Adjustables can move and do break. Crimson trace lasers with the button under your middle finger are the only useful laser for defense. Night sights are great but, if you put your time in on the range and you believe you can do it you will be able to make your hits in very dark conditions. Keep your finger off the trigger. Snubbies are accurate, people not so much. Get a trainer who can push you. You will not push yourself past your belief in your own ability.

[ianb1116]

I just bought a FNS-9L for about $100 less than the m&p. Very similar ergonomics (both feel fantastic). Dead on out of the box. Best pistol I've shot this far.

[pittim]

Like others have said, rent first to make sure you don't go through the trouble of buying one then realizing it is no good in your hands.

In my search for my perfect handguns (one for summer carry, one for winter/home) I've gone through CZ, Sig, M&P, Glock, FN, XDs.

-CZ (P06) felt great in the hand but I couldn't shoot it well (if it was a 9mm it might be better, didn't help it was my first handgun) so I sold it.
-XDs45. Felt alright (hated the grip safety when using the full size mag) but I was terrible with it so I traded it off.
-Sig (MK25) was..a Sig. Felt great, but again I didn't shoot it well.
-M&P9c felt pretty comfortable in my hand but something didn't line up so I wasn't very effective with it on paper.
-M&P Shield9 feels good in my hand, single stack works well for me for some reason
-FNS is similar ergos to my CZ, but again something is off and all my shots are pulling left (might just have to change the backstrap.
-G19 fits my hand alright, but it's what I shoot best with.


Why do you care about this?

Just because something "feels good" doesn't mean it "performs well." When the SHTF, I want something that works for its intended purpose, not something that is comfortable.

[Twoboxer]

. . . so my question is, if you were me (new to gun) what knowledge or experiences do you possess now that you wish you had someone years ago to tell you when you first bought your first gun? Like what to look out for when buying a gun, what kind of questions I should ask and etc.. . .

My first pistol was in fact an M&P9 FS, purchased because it felt best in my hand when fondled at my LGS. Two years later I wasn't satisfied with its accuracy compared to other pistols I owned (S&W1911E 45ACP, Ruger MKIII 22LR). Bought a CZ75B and with its steel frame etc it shoots WELL inside the M&P.

Nothing totally wrong about the M&P; its certainly an adequate home defense firearm, but there are much more accurate pistols, and most will have steel frames. It's likely that eventually you will be most concerned about your accuracy with your pistol, and not much else about it (unless its a carry weapon).

Second, get your LTCF as soon as possible. It took my wife and me 20 minutes at the Doylestown Courthouse from start to walk out with photo ID. Do it; whether you EVER carry or not, it significantly eases restrictions on travelling with firearms in PA.

Above all, welcome to PA and enjoy your escape from the PRNJ

[TeflonDon]

Hello Everyone. New to Forum and have been reading through for over a month now. Just taking in the wealth of knowledge. New Gun owner XDS 45 but familiar to weapons. (9 Years military) Just recently applied for my Pa LTCF was a previous CCP from the state of Florida.

[gracenrich]

What area in Pa. are you moving to?
May be we can suggest a few gun stores.

[Hodgie]

If your only going to have 1 9mm and its for home defense and not for carrying I would reccomend a CZ75 or one of their many higher quality clones. My 2nd choice would be a g17. The M&P line are good pistols the new generations have had upgrades to their triggers to making them a 6 to 6.5 lb crisp break like the Shield.